October empties

I don't think anyone will be surprised when I say that I like to shop - particularly beauty products. To get some brand new interesting things you've never tried before is so exciting. But having your bathroom cabinet full of lovely stuff that's not used is rather pointless, so I'm trying to be really good and to finish up products that are half full before I move on to my brand new toys. I've even been so organised that I've put all the stuff that needs to be used up at the front of the cabinet, and made a little list for me to track my progress. Talk about taking your beauty seriously!

The first empty of October is a dry shampoo. As most of you will know by now, I think dry shampoo is a girls' second best friend, and absolutely perfect for a quick on the go freshen up of your hair. I am a big user of the Batiste products and the Dry Shampoo XXL Volume not only refreshes and gives texture it also give a lot of volume, which for me is perfect e.g. after a gym session or if you're going out somewhere straight after work. Like all of the Batiste products it comes with a smell which is distinct for this particular bottle - it smells intensely of red berries, sweet floral and has almost a salty liquorice after smell. I have to say though that for me it is a little bit too strongly perfumed, and not one of my favourites which is a shame since I like the volumising effect, but I probably won't repurchase because of the artificial scent. 

Next product is the Urban Decay De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray which is supposed to help your make up set and to stay on for longer by regulating the temperature of the skin, keeping it looking lovely and matte, without having to do any touch ups. I had never used this before and it took a little bit of getting used to, and to figure out how get it to work for me. I didn't think that it came with very good instructions, so I tried a couple of different approaches until I found what seemed to work best. I actually spray it on both after having put on my foundation, but before using powder and also when I've finished doing all my makeup. The spray function is quite good and gives a fine mist, and I use about 3-4 spritzes for every application. It definitely helps to keep your make up in place, however on me it doesn't work nearly as long as it claims (up to 16 hrs), in reality it's more like 5-6 hrs before I need to fix any shine. It's a good product and but before I repurchase it, I'd first like to try the All Nighter version to see how that measures up. 

I have also finished my KIKO Skin trainer. You may remember that I did a trial, during which I would only use this particular serum to see if it would live up to the miraculous results that it promised within 30 days. After the 30 days I did notice that the skin felt very firm and taut, which is exactly what was promised, but for me the sense of hydration wasn't as good as I would like it to be. It's a good, affordable serum that does firm your skin, but if you have tendencies towards dry or dehydrated skin, I would definitely recommend that you use intense hydration masks and a rich moisturiser to boost moisture levels. I do have other serums that I'm using at the moment and I'm not sure I would repurchase this, simply because of the tightness that I started to experience at the end of the 30 days. If KIKO releases a new version of the Skin Trainer to up moisture, I would definitely try it out.

It was a sad, sad day when I finished my Jo Malone Redcurrant & Cream Cologne. This was part of the limited edition collection called Sugar & Spice which was released earlier this Spring. It was a gorgeous collection with cake and dessert inspired fragrances and this was my favourite out of the five scents. To me it captures British summer perfectly with it's mix of tangy piquant red currants, juicy sun kissed strawberries, sweet crushed raspberries, lots of light, fluffy whipped cream and a subtle touch of warm musk that really rounds the scent off, preventing the berries from completely taking over. It was a delicious scent and even though I have enjoyed wearing it, I doubt that I will get it again since it's now only available on eBay at extortionate prices. Redcurrant & Cream, I will miss you!

Let's move from indulgent, unique fragrances to a complete makeup steal on the high street - the MUA Bronzer in Shade 01. MUA offers a number of products for £1, which is almost embarrassingly cheap, but despite the low cost the bronzer is actually a great product. It's one of my favourite bronzing products because not only does it give a lovely natural, golden shade with a very subtle shimmer, it's also light and pleasant to wear. The bronzer lasts for a good chunk of the day and works really well for scultping too. In fact, I like this so much that I feel like throwing in another £ coin every time I buy it, it almost seems rude for it to be that cheap. If you only wear bronzer occasionally and you don't want to go for the more costly options, I highly recommend the MUA bronzer.

The last product among the October empties is the Clarins Water Comfort One-Step Cleanser with Peach. It's very similar to a micellar water, i.e. it will remove eye make up and cleanse your face at the same time. I will never use only cleansing waters of this type (not even Bioderma) since I feel that I need, and enjoy a thorough cleanse of my face every evening, but it's a wonderful and gentle option as part of my morning routine, to get rid of any impurities from over night. What I particularly like with this Clarins product is the refreshing sunny scent of peach that lingers on my skin, setting me up nicely for the day and how soft it makes my skin feel. I do have a few other cleansing waters that I need to use up, but I will definitely be getting this again at some point soon.

I feel quite pleased that I have managed to take off six items from the list of products to finish up this month. It took a lot of focus and determination, let me tell you. Besides, you have to use it all up to make space for all the stuff that's on my other list - the one of things to get!

Face Off - The cleansing waters

Cleansing waters and micellar solutions are the hottest thing since hair straighteners, and have gone from being a beauty bloggers cult item, to something we can easily find in Superdrug or Boots. They come in all prices and are available for all skin types.

Products from this new generation of cleansers all have in common that they are soap free and gentle on the skin, so would suit the most sensitive among us. You use them just like a toner - soak a cotton pad in the solution and you're ready to get rid of make up or to cleanse your face in the morning, just with a simple sweep. I've matched a couple of products against each other and here are my thoughts on them.

In the first corner we have an old friend of mine - Clarins Water Comfort One-Step Cleanser with Peach Essential Water. While I'm very familiar with one, the others were new to me and I was really looking forward to trying them. This goes in particular for the product in the second corner - beauty bloggers no 1 favourite Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution. In the third corner we have L'Oréal's dupe for Bioderma, L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution and the last contender is Decleor Aroma Cleanse Soothing Micellar Water, another brand that I know well - although not this particular product.

So lets get ready to cleanse!

I have been using Clarins Water Comfort One-Step Cleanser with Peach Essential Water for about 4 months now, and I mainly use it as part of my morning routine, although I have also used it on evenings when I was too tired to do a proper cleanse, and it does a good job. It is very gentle on the skin, and the yummy peach smell helps to make your skin feel refreshed. However because it is so gentle I'm not sure how effective it would be on days when you wear full makeup with heavier foundation, blush, bronzer, highlighter - hmmm, I'm sceptical. When I first got the cleanser I didn't read the instructions properly so I thought I could use it both for eye and face makeup, but it really stung my eyes and since then I always use a separate eye make up remover before using this product, so while it may be fresh, gentle and lovely smelling, an all-in-one cleanser it is not.

I was so excited to try the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution since I've heard so much about it. Expectations were sky high and I was prepared to be underwhelmed. This is an alcohol-free, super mild cleanser that removes both face and eye makeup in one sweep and you don't need a lot either. It smells of absolutely nothing, actually less than nothing - it's the strangest sensation, it's as if it's in a fragrance vacuum. The complete lack of smell adds to the clinically clean feeling you're left with after you've used it. Now I can be funny about products that have been super hyped, and thought to myself that I wouldn't be seduced that easily, but I completely get it. Bioderma is absolutely amazing!

Let's move on to L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution which is often called a dupe for Bioderma. Considering I was so impressed with Bioderma, this product had a lot to live up to and since I'd never used any of L'Oréal's cleansing products previously, I wasn't sure what to expect. Similar to Bioderma this is an all-in-one product, so it removes both face and eye makeup without stinging your eyes, and it also tones and soothes the skin. It's very effective and makes your skin feel thoroughly cleansed. I can see why fans of Bioderma may find this a good substitute, and it's excellent value for money - all in all a very positive surprise!

The last contender is Decleor Acoma Cleanse Soothing Micellar Water. I always seem to have one or two Décleor products as part of my routine mainly because I love the concept of Aromessence. This micellar water also contains essentials oil - camomile, neroli, lavendar and majoram and essential waters from rose, sweet clover and mallow. The only scent that you really pick up on though is the very subtle one of roses. This is supposed to remove both face and eye make up but I would not recommend that. I don't have either sensitive eyes or skin, but when I used it on my eyes it really stung and my eyes kept on watering, for the next 10 mins or so. That unfortunately was the deciding factor for me - I really wanted to like this but I won't be repurchasing, when there are so many other fantastic options to choose from. 

So - after 4 intense but clean rounds we have a winner. It's not a knock out, but it's a win on points. And for me the winner is.....

 

It has everything you could want - it removes both face and eye makeup equally effectively but gently, and leaves your skin feeling amazingly clean without any dry patches or irritation. I also like the fact that it comes in so many different sizes so you can have a small one in the gym bag or carry on luggage, big one in the bathroom etc. But what nudged it ahead of the runner up - L'Oréal, was that I really disliked the L'Oréal 3 in 1 packaging. When you flick open the cap and if the bottle isn't upright or it's new and very full, the solution goes everywhere since there's no nozzle or anything to prevent that from happening.

I will definitely re-purchase Bioderma and for me it's the champion of light weight cleansing!

I want to finish by recommending that you check out Female Blogger RT, which is a network to help female bloggers to grow their audience and if you're a new blogger like myself, networks like these are amazing! 

My morning routine

It's so important to get your day off to a good start. I hate mornings so for me a good start would ideally mean that I could sleep to 10 every day, but since that's not going to happen anytime soon - a nice cup of coffee and a good skin routine that doesn't take forever, will have to do. The products below are great for normal to dry skin.

In the mornings I'm a bit lazy and have enough with focusing on breathing so I usually only use a cleansing water, and for a while now Clarins Water Comfort One-Step Cleanser with Peach Essential Water, has been my go to product. Super easy and fast - a cotton pad with the cleansing water and 2 secs later you're done. Voilà, a fresh base to start the day with. Perfect!

Then moving quickly on to lightly pat on a very small amount of Estée Lauder's Perfectionist serum, which works super fast with it's firming qualities. At least that's what I tell myself, and early in the morning I really need all the positivity I can get. All jokes aside this repair serum is fantastic with just the right consistency, creamy enough but not leaving any oily film or sheen, making it great for day wear.

After that it's an even smaller amount of Estée Lauder's Resilience Lift Eye Creme, to freshen up the eye area and set if up for make up, and this really works for my skin making it nice and plump. I follow on with Estée Lauder's Hydrationist Maximum Moisture Cream - another super product with mega moisturising qualities that seem to work its balancing magic just as well in winter as in summer time. It's a velvety, almost gel like texture, despite being a cream that boosts the skin all day long. And need I say it... of course it smells soooo fresh.

I finish with a couple of sprays of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir for more radiance - an often mentioned product amongst beauty bloggers and vloggers. I find the aromatic smell energizing and have also discovered that He indoors steals a spritz from it every now and then - the cheek!

Some Clarins Hand and Nail Cream to soften and protect the paws for whatever tasks lay ahead, and I'm good to get on with the day.