My Skincare Hunt & First Impressions of Clinique 3 Step System

I realise that while I've written about some skincare products, I haven't really been clear about where I stand in my "skincare hunt" for a perfect routine :) I've sorted it all out in my head, so I thought I'd put it down on paper (screen) - it's a bit rambly but I hope you enjoy!

To start off, I have combination/normal skin - I get oily in the t-zone in the warmer months, and normal on my cheeks. Since I've gotten rid of my teenage acne last year, it's been a bit difficult assessing whether something is good, because I'm now after the luxury of perfect skin as opposed to just getting rid of things that shouldn't be there - if that makes sense?

I have a few bits and bobs of my skincare that I can say, "Yes, I love these products and I will rebuy them" but I'm still on the lookout for that perfect combination of products for a perfect routine. Anyway, here's the present standings:

* Face Wash

- Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser

- The Body Shop Seaweed Face Wash

* Toner

- MUJI Light Toning Water (works well with Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser)

- The Body Shop Seaweed Toner (only works well with the face wash)

* Moisturizer

- Day: Liz Earle Skin Repair for Combo/Oily Skin

- Night: Boots Botanics Night Shift Cream

As you can see, a bit complicated, and a lot of ties! So the other day while I was roaming around the cosmetics section, I stumbled by Clinique which I heard lots about from Steph, and the kind lady at the counter explained a lot about how the system works, and gave me a 3-day sample kit to try.. (needless to say it's lasted me about 4 days already)..

Left: Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3 (toner)

Centre: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

Right: Clinique Facial Soap for Oily Skin

Used together, this set has ticked all of the boxes. Firstly, the soap leaves my face squeaky clean, and my face always appears brighter or maybe even whiter than it started off with. I'm guessing this is what the lady meant when she said it lifts the dead skin cells, to prepare for the next step.

The clarifying lotion, which is like a toner, then exfoliates and removes the dead skin cells. I genuinely feel this works, but god the smell is horrendous! I feel like I'm putting nail polish remover on my face, it's unbearable to smell and the lady told me strictly that I can't use it near my eyes or mouth - I wouldn't want to! That being said, at the end I feel refreshed and I feel it does its job.

The moisturizer feels like somewhere between a typical gel and a silica skin primer - it has that smoothing-over effect, but it's also quite wet. I think it does a decent job of sinking into my skin, but I also feel like I've felt others do a better job. That being said, the thing I like about this is that when I wake up, I'm not half as oily as I am when I use other moisturizers, and I have no qualms about using this for both day and night - which in the long run may save some dosh!

All in all, the bits of bumpiness and redness on my face has been seriously reducing - sounds perfect, right? But I'm still not 100% sure what I should be looking for, as I don't have any blatant problems anymore! Should I be aiming to have 'normal' skin as opposed to combination? Should I aim to have baby skin? Idk! (any help appreciated :P)

So my plan is on the 26th of August, to head over to the counter again and take full advantage of a campaign where for a few extra hundred yen (lol) added to the cost of a full-sized Clarifying Lotion, you get loads of 1 month sized products, like the face wash, the moisturizer and other things. AMAZING. I'm not sure if this offer is only in Japan though..

After that I hope to figure out if the full Clinique's 3 Step System would really work for me, or if I need to cut and paste from the previous list mentioned above. I personally don't really want to give up the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish nor her moisturizer, nor the MUJI Toner (it's paraben, alcohol, fragrance free!) - but I've got to admit, they're all running for their money with these 3 Clinique bad boys in town :)

Does anyone have 2 skincare routines, is that even possible? :P

Have you found your perfect skincare routine?

What do you look for when deciding whether a product stays in your routine? :)

<3yu

Review: Liz Earle Skin Tonic & Moisturizer

A couple of months ago, I absolutely raved about the Liz Earle's infamous Hot Cloth Cleanser, and since then I decided to purchase another bottle. The PR team were very kind and sent me some Instant Boost Skin Tonic and Skin Repair Moisturizer for Normal/Combination skin to complete my routine - thanks very much! :)

I also happened to have gotten the Skin Repair Moisturizer for Combination/Oily skin off a blog sale, so I had a shot at that as well ;) (I sadly don't have pics of it though, as I took these pics ages ago and gave the Combo/Oily away to my boyfriend to try - see his review of the Liz Earle's Men's Hot Cloth Cleanser here!).

I think the most important thing to note before I start this review, is that the second time around with the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser, it did not work as well with my skin - and only thing that changed in my routine were these two products :( So apologies if this sounds more like an interrogation.. LOL but here goes the review :)

Instant Boost Skin Tonic

The Liz Earle Skin Tonic is Liz Earle's replacement of a typical toner - it's used the same way, but I believe it doesn't have the alcohol in it so it's more gentle for your skin. You get 200mL of this product for £11.75 - so it wont break your bank, despite it being outside the drugstore range and stuffed with a lot better ingredients :)

Firstly, I love the packaging - the bottle is sturdy, and the lid is very unique and kind of cute, as it's not your typical screw top, it's like a little spout that you push down on to open :)

That being said, the smell was much too strong and perfume-y for my liking to be putting on my face. I can't put my finger on what it smells like but I never quite got used to it after 2 or 3 months of using it. If you are sensitive to smells or are picky like I am, I'd definitely give it a sniff first!

And personally, I felt that my previous toner did a better job of removing the last traces of make up and dust on my skin that the Liz Earle Skin Tonic. I don't really remember being 'wow-ed' by the amount of crap that was left on my face.

So sadly, the Liz Earle Skin Tonic is a no repurchase for me - the price is ideal, but there are others in the market that I think works better for me that are also alcohol, scent and paraben free.

Skin Repair Moisturizer for Normal/Combination Skin

(and Combination/Oily Skin)

The Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturizers are a bit more expensive, at 50mL for £17.60. Although it seems like a bit much to be spending at once on a moisturizer, a little does go a long way :)

Again, I love the packaging - it's sturdy and very stylish. However, it does make things a bit less sanitary when you're sticking your fingers in a tub, but this doesn't put me off too much as I always have clean hands before applying face products.

The smell for me was a bit awkward - it isn't extremely refreshing like the Hot Cloth Cleanser but it's not offensive (for me) as the Skin Tonic - it was somewhere in the middle, but unlike the Skin Tonic I got used to it :)

As for the consistency, it was much too thick for me to be using as a day cream, so I used it as a night cream. I don't think I made the wrong decision in choosing the Normal/Combination type judging from my skin type, as I have a slightly oily t-zone and am normal everywhere else. On the website it says that it does provide a natural and healthy glow - for me it turned out more like a shine, and I don't feel it absorbs as quickly as some other moisturizers.

As a night cream, I thoroughly enjoyed it. As you can see it has a consistency of a balm and for this reason I felt like overnight it really did sink in and when I woke up in the mornings my skin did feel very supple, and my skin never woke up oily and gross (unless I'm in humid Japan - nothing will do the trick here!).

That being said, again, £17.60 is a lot to spend in one go especially when the routine on my first bottle of Liz Earle's Hot Cloth Cleanser had a drugstore night cream incorporated in it and worked fine. For this reason, I probably wont be repurchasing this either, atleast until I can afford to! However, I would love to try it out again in the winter when my skin is a bit drier - I have a feeling that the thickness will work better for me then :)

The Combination/Oily Skin Repair Moisturizer, however, was a completely different story. I adored it as a day cream, and will probably go as far to say that it is the best day moisturizer I've used and will go to purchase my own as soon as my current day cream is finished.

The reason why is because, obviously, it's a lot lighter, but the key difference I find between this and other moisturizers, is that it's not wet in the slightest. It's light in a way of 'air' as opposed to 'water' - if that makes any sense at all, it's more like 'whipped' (it's not whipped, I'm just trying to describe the lightness lol!) rather than 'watered down'. And for this reason you don't deal with any shiny-ness like you do with most moisturizers, and you get the balm-ey protection that really sinks into your skin and plumps it from within.

So yes - the Combination/Oily Skin Repair Moisturizer is a definite repurchase for me - yes it's the same £17.60 as the Normal/Combination Skin Repaire, but I don't mind paying a bit more if I know I can't find something similar for cheaper. This product, I feel, is quite unique to Liz Earle's range :)

Conclusions..

Now I'm not sure if my misunderstanding of my skin has caused this massive dispute between the Normal/Combo and Combo/Oily moisturizers - but I'm pretty sure my skin is normal/combo according to what I've learnt here on the web. Has anyone else had this before?

I'm not 100% sure what to suggest for people who are looking in to getting Liz Earle's moisturizers, so I'd definitely recommend emailing one of their customer services at ccare@lizearle.com because they are brilliant at explaining skin problems you may be having and suggesting products for you - they did such a good job explaining to me what I was doing wrong that I was getting so much millia!

Maybe the Skin Tonic held back the potential of my second bottle of the Hot Cloth Cleanser for my skin - but judging from other reviews, it may not be the case for everyone! However, I think the Combo/Oily moisturizer is one of a kind and I personally will be repurchasing in the future! :)

I know that was an incredibly long review - congrats if you got to the end, and hope you got some good out of it ;) If you want to try out any of these products, head over to Liz Earle's website :)

Have you tried any of Liz Earle's range before?

What do you suggest I try next? :)

<3yu

The Manview: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish.. for Men.

Today's post is a guest post from my boyfriend, Ben. He's been using the Starter Kit for Men from the infamous, Liz Earle, after seeing the great effects of the female equivalent has had on my skin. I took this chance to make sure the girls out there knew what was available for the men in their lives :)

Many men don't put as much emphasis on their skincare routine as girls do, often even skipping the whole thing. So I was (and hopefully you will be) interested to hear what he thought..

"Being the first time, and hopefully last time I have written an entry for a beauty blog, I’m not sure where to start.

The most logical place would be the packaging. The 100ml bottle is fairly standard and has a fairly standard beige colour. It has a pump that makes it easier to dispense, and also acts a measure, as the instructions say to use one to two pump(s) when washing your face.

The colour of the packaging, while not eye catching, serves its purpose and I have to say packaging isn’t everything, I would much rather have a product that works in standard packaging than a product in psychedelic packaging that works less well.

In terms of use, it is fairly easy to use and follows the same type of procedures as other face washes I’ve used in the past. While soaking the muslin cloth in a basin of hot water, you just have to apply one or two pumps of the cream to your face. After that, it is just a case of using the cloth to wipe the cream from your face, rinsing every now and again to keep it clean. Once you have washed your whole face you just rinse your face with cold water and then pat it dry with a towel.

The cloth is a different addition to any other face wash I have used before, and perhaps does make the process longer than others, however the success I've had with this compared to others makes it worthwhile.

Since using the product my skin has cleared up quite significantly, the redness on certain areas of my face has gone down as well as clearing up my pores. When spots do appear though, it hasn’t been the most effective to clear it and it is probably best when used in conjunction with another specific spot treatment."

The new Jimmy Chapman? Judging from the first line, maybe not :P But I've been very impressed at how persistent a guy who's not obsessive about skincare and haircare has been with this product, despite it taking a longer time complete - I think it says quite a bit. I asked him if he'd keep using it after this bottle's done, and he said he would - but with a separate spot treatment product, as he said above.

If you (or your dad, brother, or your other half) has any questions - please do leave them in the comments and I'll forward them on to Ben. You can get the Starter Kit and other goodies from the range, here :)

What kind of skincare do the men in your life use/enjoy? Would you recommend Liz Earle to them? :)

<3yu

I Miss You, Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser.

I know the title is very.. romanticised, but this is actually a review, hehe. I'm sure you guys have all read reviews of this Hot Cloth Cleanser, and to make mine a bit different from everyone else's reviews, I waited until I finished it up, and went back to the cleanser that I used to use to really figure out the difference that this product makes. Here's what I came up with:

1) It STRIPS the dirt on your face - you really feel like all the grime and dead skin is off your face, but it's not done so in a drying and stinging way, but in a very natural way by exfoliating your face with a muslin cloth. It doesn't feel like there's some chemical reactions going on on your face, and it doesn't feel intrusive at all. Since I've gone back to my old face wash, my face never feels completely clean and smooth.

2) It makes your moisturizer sink it a lot better. It must be the fact that the layer of dead skin cells are gone, as my face drinks up the moisturizer, and in the morning, my face is supple. Now that I've gone back to my face wash, I feel a bit greasy in the morning, like with moisturizer residue on my face, rather than plumpy and young.

3) It's SUCH an easy routine. No drippy watery face in between getting product on your hands and lathering it up, because you just massage it directly on to your face.

4) It calms down your skin in every which way - I used to have normal/combination skin, but during the time I used this product I felt like I just had normal skin. Now that I'm going back to my old face wash, I'm feeling the oily patches come back. I'm also experiencing a lot more pimples and redness than I did when I used the Hot Cloth Cleanser at this time of the month (sorry for TMI).

5) My skin was literally 'polished'. It was so so so smooth - smoother than when I used my St. Ives Apricot Scrub! I miss it! :( This obviously makes the make-up go on so much nicer as well.

Admittedly, this cleanser didn't work on me straight away. I only started seeing the miracle results after 1 month (although people around me started to see the difference after the first use!), so for those who used it a few times and wasn't amazed, I urge you to keep trying, even if it's so you can use it up. Also, do NOT be stingy with this product, unless you can see the opaqueness on your skin, you aren't using enough! It makes a big difference in the results - trust me, I was stingy at first :P

Also, I didn't like using it as a make-up remover. I know it says it can be used to remove make-up but I just thought it was a waste of product, it made the muslin cloth unnecessarily dirty, and it just wasn't great at removing waterproof mascara and eyeliner in between my lashes. £1 baby wipes and oil-based eye make-up remover can take care of that :)

The main thing I didn't like was the packaging - it's so beautiful and elegant, but you can't twist open the pump, which means even when you think you're done there's still loads of product in there that just can't be sucked up with the pump. It's not the cheapest of products so I wish there was a way to use every last drop!

But yes, I deeply miss my Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser. These 2 points are things that I am more than willing to ignore because the product itself is amazing - 10/10 for sure! Also, the company has so many environmental and other ethical incentives that earns them mega brownie points from me :)

I'm a P&P hater so I was going to wait until I got myself to London or Manchester to repurchase, but I have a strong feeling that I wont be able to wait that long!

Who else is a Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser lover? Has it NOT worked for anyone?

<3yu

P.S. All my non-single ladies! Keep an eye out for the Man Review of the Men's Hot Cloth Cleanser - the boy is currently using the man version, and will be sharing his thoughts hopefully in a couple of weeks :)

EPIPHANY! The Perfect Spring Foundation Application :)

A few days ago, I was in a rush for the first time in ages and I couldn't be bothered with liquid foundation so I grabbed my favourite powder the MAC MSF (which I haven't used in ages thanks to P15P) and my MAC 109.. and had an epiphany!

Step 1: Wash face with Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish - this gives you the smoothest base/skin, and over time will get rid of minor scars and redness.

Step 2: Moisturize - I use Botanic's Day Shift Cream, as this is very hydrating and meant for dry skin (I have combo skin). Try and use one that isn't mattifying, or one that takes a bit longer to sink in to your skin.

Step 3: Load the MAC 109 with the MAC MSF, and swirl on your face in sections. Combined with the smooth palette of a face from Liz Earle's cleanser and the hydration from the moisturizer, it creates a light-medium coverage with an incredibly flawless finish.

This has made me realise how clogged and full-on liquid foundation can feel without us knowing because we use it all the time. I love love love this combo because it's so light, and it gives me a very natural effect, and both of these are perfect for the light sunshine-y weather we've been having here in the UK. What a breather!

All 3 products are quite popular, so I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people have all 3, but maybe it's worth a try with substitutes too! Obviously what works for me doesn't work for everyone, but I'd still recommend giving it a shot :)

What do you do for a lighter but equally good foundation routine? Or what do you do for your face when you're in a rush? :)

<3yu

London Haul - 02.22.11 :)

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I spent the day down in London yesterday to take a look at some unis. Obviously, wasn't leaving without a trip down Oxford Street so I covered the whole area from Marble Arch to Oxford Circus and these are what I ended up with..

LUSH:

Got myself a comforter and a Porridge soap, the latter of which I used this morning and if there is such a thing as HG soap - this is it. Went to the South Moulton St. one, the staff was absolutely amazing as usual! They have a great newspaper as well :)

LIZ EARLE:

I've only used this once, so I can't say I've been blown away.. yet. The service at John Lewis wasn't amazing - disappointment, cuz I've heard so many good things about their staff. That being said, I'm really excited to keep using this after hearing so much about it :)

PRIMARNI:

Okay a bit of a lie, the blue and pink shirt is from Bury's Primark but I loved them so much I went to get some more in London. The texture is nice and not cheap-looking, design is pretty (I usually go for solids cuz I usually don't like most designs but these, I like) and each for £3. Get. Innnnn.

This one's completely Corrie's fault btw, she's got so many nice bikinis from Primark and this one was my favourite - was £7, so I couldn't get millions but there were about 3 that I would've bought - they're all real nice!

I love the jewelry in there atm, the ring was £2 and earrings were £1 (again, from Bury not London). I also got a slim taupe/grey belt but it didn't photograph well.. lol.

I stopped at Selfridges and got an idea of what I'd like from MAC, but I think I will order it from Debenham's as I've got my Beauty Card now - wheyyyy! :)

I also sat next to an MUA on the bus ride back and we literally chatted for the whole 2 hours about make-up, beauty tips, everything and it was so, so, so much fun! What a coinkidink? :)

<3yu

P.S. Don't forget to check out my blogsale - lots of cheap bits and bobs :)