Alpha H Liquid Gold

When the lovely Mrs H from Beauty Mouth answered my plea for advice on some new skincare to help my middle of the road, averagely oily/combination skin about a year ago, by recommending Alpha H Liquid Gold, I had no idea she was going to change my life.

Up until about 3 years ago, my skin had been fine. Not bad, but not great. Then, I had a reaction to some birth-control, I got fat & my skin went mental. I had to stop all hormone treatments entirely, my weight (& moods!!) stabilised, but my skin didn't. It just got worse. Eventually I had a course of treatments at the Sk:n Clinic, which thankfully helped massively. But it never got really good. It was still oily, very spotty around that time of the month and just generally unpredictable.

I started using Alpha H, about 9 months ago (exact time escapes me!) but literally from the first night, the improvement has been measurable. At first, it just seemed my skin was less oily. Then, after a few months, I started to doubt if my period was due because my skin had stayed so clear. Now, the old acne battle scars are fading at a remarkable rate. It is quite incredible.

I can't speak highly enough of this little miracle worker and because I don't want to gush, I'm just going to say; it works. Try it. My skin was still quite sensitive & delicate around my chin when I first started using it & I experienced absolutely no stinging (a little tingle perhaps, but nothing I couldn't handle). My skin around that area has healed to a degree it looks smooth & clear as new born skin. There has been no peeling, like I experienced with other treatments. In fact, my skin feels more moisturised after using it than before and it soothes any red patches that linger after using a face scrub.

It's quite pricey (around £30 for 100ml) but you only use it every second night & a tiny splash is more than enough. 100ml should last approximately 6 weeks. I usually buy mine from HQ Hair, which has free shipping (but can take a few days), but I was lucky enough to scoop a supersize just before Christmas on QVC, which cost around £40 for 200mls. Bargain!

Try it & let me know how you get on.

NARS Orgasm Illuminator

I received the NARS Orgasm Illuminator as part of May's Glossy Box. I actually missed May's subscription, but I won my box in a giveaway by Jen over at Mizz Worthy! June's box was so-so, I'm looking forward to receiving July's. I think it'll be the deal breaker as to if I continue subscribing or not. Anyway, back to the NARS!

As I've mentioned before, NARS is a brand that I've had a bit of a distance flirt with, but never really plucked up the courage to invest in a full-on love affair with. I adore the brand in principle & I'm always lemming after other people's purchases (see The London Beauty Review and Just Nice Things but be prepared to break your credit cards out the freezer). But, I'm getting there, building a little NARS collection and this product currently takes pride of place in it!

I do love a good highlighter. I much prefer adding well-placed light than leaving it up to my skin's own devices (read oily). As a whiter than Snow White girl, I often prefer pinkier highlighters that I can layer over my blush. I was certain this was going to be too dark and too orange for me to even contemplate wearing.

But once it's blended out into the skin, it looks amazing! (obviously I don't wear this much!). A little smoothed over the top of the cheekbone, down the centre of the nose & it's like I have an amazing flushed tropical glow. It also maintains it's glow once it dries, without being over glittery. I was really impressed by the fine-ness (?) of the shimmer - not too chunky.

I found that after about 6-ish hours wear, it will be almost completely gone, but I can live with that! The tube is massive 30mls and considering you only need the size of a micro-pea, this will last forever. Making the £21.50 price tag much less 'need to hide the receipt from my husband'.

You can buy yours here.

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation

It's not very often that a product comes on the market, so hotly anticipated which subsequently receives a very mixed variety of reviews (unless you count Glossy Box...). This is Illamasqua's Skin Base Foundation; openly modelled on the 'Blemish Balms' flowing out of Asia at the moment. Blemish Balms are a foundation/skincare hybrid product which provide gentle coverage, helping to clear the skin, provide an SPF and some even lighten the skin.

Illamasqua's offering doesn't provide an SPF (yay for MUAs!) and it definitely does not lighten the skin. It does, however, profess to provide 'skin realism' - presumably nice even coverage without looking like you've caked it on with a trowel. The fact it doesn't have an SPF is not a problem for me - for my pro work, I need foundations that don't have them and for myself? *Shrugs*. I'll add one if I want one, no biggie.

So, thoughts? Well. I picked this up in London last month after swatching & sampling shades like a mad woman in store (I walked out & my friend Petra made me go back in & sort my face out it was so patchy!). My skin looked amazing - it should have done, I was wearing about 6 tonnes of the damn stuff! However, when I got home & tried it properly, I was slightly perplexed. I couldn't seem to get it blended, it looked thick & dry and just sort of sat on top of my skin like a weird imposter. I tried it out 2 or 3 mornings and eventually chucked it into a drawer after M said to me one morning "ooh I can see your foundation". After tweeting about it, Illamasqua tweeted back advising I should try using less product. So, feeling generous, I dug it back out, gave my skin a thorough moisturising and tried again. And, after a couple of attempts, it turns out that when the Sales Assistant told me 'you only need a tiny tiny bit' she was right!

The foundation is mega thick and it really is like nothing I've tried before. I find it blends best over well-moisturised skin. If I try to wear this over freshly clean skin, it just drags & looks crap. I would suggest this will be a good choice for those with oilier skin. If you have normal - dry skin, just make sure you're well moisturised! You might find your fingers will blend this better than a brush, too.

Once you've cracked the application, you're onto a winner. I ADORE the finish of this product - it's smooth, even, not too thick & just the perfect mix of matte-but-not-chalky. It keeps a slight sheen around the nose & forehead that you may wish to powder, but I find this just makes it appear more 'skin like'. The wear literally lasts and lasts and is one of the few foundations I have that I can still 'see' at the end of the day.

I've now also used it on a couple of jobs and it's looked fantastic on every person I've used it on. It photographs beautifully and thanks to the lack of SPF, there's no scary flashes, highlights or grey bits to worry about.

A fellow twitterer wondered what it does for open pores. I have quite a few enlarged ones around the inner areas of my cheeks (closest to my nose) and when I was having the problems with the application, this is where I noticed it most. However, as I say, once you've mastered blending it, you shouldn't have any problems. If your pores are excessively large, it might settle after a while, but you could try using a silicone primer underneath.

I chose shade 6 - according to the SA, it's the most neutral in the range & I'd have to agree. Having sampled all of the shades, many of them lean quite peachy & it's definitely a range I'd recommend buying in person, rather than guessing your shade & buying online. The only other thing I'd say about the colour is don't be duped by how light it looks when first applied - once set, it will change at least 1 shade darker. So, I'd recommend really taking your time to get your shade right.

Whilst we are talking about colour, I have to say, I was highly impressed with the wide range of shades available. There should be one for everyone, from the lightest to the darkest. I will definitely be investing in some for my kit, especially as good darker colours are hard to come by. You can also buy a white to lighten any of the colours. The numbering system is designed so you can easily choose 2 shades that will mix (to cover all seasons) which wont make them go ashy or too orange.

And, it wouldn't be a foundation post without a photo of how it looks on! It's not the clearest as I took it on the MAC instead of with the camera, but you'll get the gist. Overall, I give this foundation a massive thumbs up, if you don't mind putting in a little effort at the start, you'll get fabulous, long-lasting results.

It retails for £25 at Illamasqua counters & online

SilkPerfect Silk Pillowcases

After spotting this post by glamorous international model Ruth at A Model Recommends, I quickly added some SilkPerfect Silk Pillowcases to my christmas list (figuring if it's good enough for a model, it's good enough for me!) and good ol' Santa delivered.

I received the SilkPerfect Pur - silky on one side and cotton on the other, ensuring that it doesn't slip and slide all over the bed, when you're trying to get 40 winks of beauty sleep.

So, have they lived up to the hype? Yes! for 2 weeks now, I've woken up with hair that looks kind of like it did before bed, rather than a big frizzy mess, Since having my hair permed, it's much dryer and very prone to frizzing overnight. These pillowcases have meant my hair retains its curls over night and is much easier to manage in the morning.

My skin has definitely improved as well - instant benefits have been no pillow creases across my cheeks for the first few hours of the day, but I've definitely noticed an improvement in the condition of my skin, much clearer & softer. I don't know how it works, but it has.

I would recommend these wholeheartedly. The SilkPerfect Pur is also on a BOGOF offer.

A x

My New Love... Embryolisse Skin Care

Hello,

You have probably heard the virtues of Embryolisse Lait-Cream Concentre extolled all over the internet and thought you might like to try it, but had always been put off because you'd have to order it from France... I know I always was! I had actually tried the product a couple of times, but had never quite got round to ordering it. However a sudden increase in websites selling it from the UK have appeared in the last couple of months making, not just the moisturiser, but many other products from the brand much more accessible.

Imagine my delight when I discovered that one of those websites was my favourite 'beauty boutique' Coco Beau. This website has previously secured a place in my heart for it's fabulous service, quirky packaging, fast delivery and generally just being awesome and now I can add 'stockist of my new favourite skincare brand'... Anyway, as I don't want the peeps at Coco Beau to get big heads, let's move on to the products themselves!

Lait-Creme Concentre

This moisturiser, in my own humble opinion, has got to be the best thing that has ever happened to my skin. I mean it - I know I have posts previously on moisturisers (particular old fave PerriconeMD) but skin changes and over the last year, my skin has been through a serious period of illness, a wedding, moving house and then 3 weeks in the sun... It hasn't known what's been going on, but the result is my skin is much dryer - more 'normal' I guess than my oiler days from 8 months ago or so...

This moisturiser has boosted it's tone, evened out the texture (it literally feels like a baby's bottom) and just made it feel generally more comfortable. All the redness is starting to disappear from my cheeks and chin and I have to say, without a doubt this is the best treatment for 'plucked eyebrow syndrome' - you know that first 12 hours after plucking where no amount of concealor will hide the red? this bad boy will clear it up...

The texture is a good old thick cream - none of your lotion-y nonsense here. A tiny blob about the size of a pea will cover an entire face and so a 30ml tube (only £10 by the way) should last a good few months. For those who have a conscience, it's not tested on animals and it's paraben free.

Foaming Cream - Milk Cleanser

I always imagined it would take wild horses to drag me away from Philosophy's Purity cleanser and, although I wont be giving it up completely, I will be happy to share it's cabinet space in the bathroom with this product. This is a cleanser that's suitable for all skin types, including sensitive and it's simply lovely.

You can apply it in the normal way - to a damp face and work it into a lather, but I've found if I apply it to dry skin, leave it for 5 minutes like a face mask, then work some hot water in, that afterwards my skin can only be described as 'creamy' - it has that appearance I've always wanted; smooth, even-tone, no after - washing redness and just nice and clean! My skin has never felt tight after using it (presumably because it's soap free). Again, it's paraben & cruelty free and is £15 for 200mls.

Exfoliating Care Cream

I once read in a magazine that a good exfoliant should not contain scratchy contents such as walnut shell, sugar, sand... (that last one's a joke!) and instead one should always look out for an exfoliant that contains 'micro-beads'. And well, I've found one! I'm not sure what Embryolisse's micro-beads are formulated from, but they are far from abrasive. Using this, my skin feels smoothed, dry patches eliminated and it feels generally much more refined. I've been using this twice a week and what I've found is that I'm using less toner - weird I know and I don't what the connection is, but there you go.

Another fab product - cruelty free and is £20 for 60mls

So, what can I say? In one fell swoop my skin care regime has been transformed and my skin is looking and feeling blooming amazing. Probably just as well... I suffer horrendously from 'after-a-night-out-wine-spots' and with Xmas & Hogmany on the horizon, I will need something to fight my corner!

*I've purchased the moisturiser myself and although the 2 other products were samples, I will be hot-footing it shortly to buy them too. See my disclaimer for further details on PR samples.

Clinique 'Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Makeup'

If you read my blog regularly, you’ll be aware of how often I bemoan my often oily, slightly blemished, dull skin.

I was one of those annoying teens who never had a spot or blemish and didn’t realise how lucky I was. Unfortunately, at the age of 20 when I suddenly got hips and a decent chest, I also got spots. I don’t know what happened – maybe it was payback for being smug between 13 – 19! Until about 26, they didn’t bother me too much. But then I had a few problems with my pill; since then my skin has gone haywire.

I think I’ve mentioned before about how it got so bad I ended up being seen by a dermatologist at the SK:N clinic for a round of chemical peels. Pricey, but they have done wonders, bringing my poor painful inflamed skin, back to mildly spotty.

I have good weeks and bad weeks, where my skin can swing from glowing in the morning to inflamed by tea time, but it has generally remained middling. Products such as Dr Perricone’s moisturiser that I’ve blogged about before generally keeps things to a minimum in terms of large blemishes, but I am still plagued by slightly dull, congested skin.

So, as I am always on the lookout for new things that might help, I’ve agreed to try the new Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Makeup, to see if that can improve things. I took the ‘skin type’ test on the Clinique website and it diagnosed me as having type 2 combination skin, with my main priority as keeping oil under control.

The makeup works to get and maintain skin clear and lovely in these 4 ways...

Ease of Irritation: The presence of caffeine helps to reduce redness and soothes the skin

Control of Blemish Causing Agents: Hydroxydecanoic Acid is an ingredient that helps control the spread of blemishes

Exfoliation: Salicylic acid works as an exfoliant, working off those dead skin cell debris which can clog pores

Oil Control: Laminaria Sacharrina Extract is a sea algae which purifies and balances the skin, helping to regulate sebum production.

As the Anti-Blemish liquid makeup is all about natural, but good coverage whilst controlling oil, I’m game! I’m going to try the foundation over a couple of weeks to give it a chance to work its magic. In the meantime you can check out this tutorial or you can find out more here.

Dr Perricone Skin Clear Hydrator

So, this is a bit of a weird one for me! I recently received some samples from a PR for Dr Perricone MD Skincare; a jar of 'Skin Clear Hydrator' and a bottle of 'No Foundation Foundation'. Now firstly, as a regular consumer of Skin Clear Hydrator I was absolutely delighted to receive a jar as it retails at about £45 a pop meaning I have just freed up some space on my credit card to spend at Coco Beau...

Now back to the weird bit - I thought I was the only person who used Dr Perricone!! I'm starting to think I'm maybe the only person in Aberdeen as the rest of the 'blogosphere' appears to be awash with good and bad reviews of various MD products! I'm gutted... I thought I'd discovered a beauty secret!

(This is my own, slightly dusty jar!)

Anyway! I would like to note that I really genuinely love my Skin Clear Hydrator. I've been using it everyday for about a year. It all started when I was having a course of chemical peel treatments for a rather raging bout of acne at the Sk:n Clinic. In between treatments, I had to use a course of various topical lotions and potions, one of them being the SCH. As someone with oily skin, the search for a moisturiser that doesn't overload and clog my pores seemed eternal, however I can honestly say it hasn't even occured to me look elsewhere since using the SCH.

I've found a jar will last about 4 - 5 months. The above pic is the last wee bit of the jar I bought in September or October, so it does last for ages.

This is what it says...

"The oil-free hydrator helps to reduce surface debris while relieving dryness and increasing the skin's natural moisture. It encourages regeneration and renewal of skin's appearance to deliver a smooth and healthy looking surface. Provides anti-ageing benefits"

To be totally honest, I couldn't really care if it helped little old ladies across the street - the important thing is it doesn't turn my face into an oil slick after application and the best thing is my spots have never returned. My face always has a lovely baby smooth feeling after use and it sinks in quickly so you don't need to wait 5, 10 or 15 minutes before applying your makeup. Obviously I can't completely attribute my clear skin to Dr Perricone; it is just a moisturiser and there are many other things I do that no doubt help. But for me, SCH certainly counts as one of my ultimate wonder products.

Now I know those of you who have read other reviews of Dr P's products will be sitting there thinking 'is she not going to mention the smell?'... Yes, it has a funny smell but I like it. I think it smells like coffee and once it's sunk in to my skin, the smell goes away.

I obviously can't say if you'll experience the same results as I have and when I started using it, I was guided by a dermatologist as to which products would be best suited to my skin. You might want to consider popping into your local Sk:n Clinic and asking for their help regarding which MD products to use or you can check out the website for more details. If you do decide to give it a go let me know how you get on!

Look out for a future post on the 'No Foundation Foundation'. This is a totally new product to me and I can't wait to give it a go...

A xx