Skin Essentials set from Nutriganics line by The Body Shop

Before going on summer holidays I looked for a travel friendly format of products that would fit well in my travel bag. I picked up this Skin essentials kit from Nutriganics line by The Body Shop and I tested it during 3 weeks that I spent partially in Slovakia and in Italy. The set is for skin with first sign for aging (I passed that age already) which translated to me as something easy and simple, good for holidays. Some products were really that way; some surprised me in good, other in bad way. Let’s see what I think of them.

Price: 11€ in The Body Shop outlet store in Parndorf, Austria. It contains 50ml of Cleanser, 60 ml of toner, 15ml of each day and night cream, and a green case. The products lasted for 3 weeks and few days.

Scent: all products have herbal scent with hint of floral, not my favorite but doable. The products contain organic Babassu oil so that maybe be the aroma, I don’t know, I haven’t smelled this oil before.

FOAMING FACIAL WASH

This cleanser pumps out foam so it’s ready to use. It cleanses skin very well, takes off all makeup. I tried it to remove eye makeup as well and it stung my eyes little bit so I don’t recommend using it for this purpose. I’m usually afraid of cleansers since they dry my skin and it feels tight and uncomfortably. This cleanser doesn’t do that at all. It doesn’t dry my skin even though it really removes everything. I enjoy it very much (I have few uses left) and I’m actually considering purchasing a full size. This is for me, personally, the star of this kit.

REFRESHING TONER

I used the toner in a usual way, poured it on the cotton pad and wiped it over the face after cleansing it with foaming facial wash. While I was wiping the toner on my face I could see a sort of bubbly trace behind like the soap would leave (but less of bubbles). I was confused why the toner creates bubbles and looks like soap. I checked The Body Shop website and it doesn’t say that it should do this. I didn’t feel comfortable using it and since it wasn’t doing anything extra I left it behind after 3 weeks. This is for me the least favorite product from the kit and I would not purchase the full size.

SMOOTHING DAY AND NIGHT CREAM

Both creams had the same light creamy texture; they soaked easily in to the skin. I’m putting the reviews of both products in one because they perform the same way and most of the ingredients are the same, just in different order. There wasn’t much of a difference between these two which is actually disappointing. I was expecting from the night cream to have heavier texture and from the day cream to have a SPF. Fortunately, I was using them during the summer time, so the night cream moisturized my skin enough and I could layer heavy SPF over the day cream. I don’t think these creams would suit for dry skin, especially in winter they wouldn’t stand a chance with me.

Final verdict: I really like the cleanser, it is suitable for sensitive and dry skin as well, and I may purchase the full size. The rest of the kit didn’t impress me. I think it is really aimed at younger skin that doesn’t need much of the attention and that is more normal or slightly oily than dry.

Face serums reviews – part 2

Let’s continue with other two face serums that I tried past few months. I wrote on Monday about the face serums with natural ingredients and that I expected more from them so let’s see if these two are any better.

Illuminating hydrating care by Corine de Farme

Even though it is not officially a serum I used it instead of serum under my light moisturizer with SPF 30 by Garnier Ambre solaire.

Price: 8,59€ for 50ml at DI drugstore in Belgium.

Scent: it had floral fresh scent that I actually really enjoyed it.

Texture: it had creamy texture with silicone touch to it which made it excellent base under the makeup. It evened out the skin instantly.

My experience: although I didn’t notice any major changes in my skin, it smoothed my skin and got it ready for the makeup application. It also smelled nice, applied and soaked into the skin quite well. It hydrated the skin for about 6-7 hours so I quite liked it. I have other serums to try but if I don’t find anything better for the similar price I may purchase it again.

Retinol Reface serum by Indeed Laboratories

Price: 19,99£ for 30ml in Boots (UK).

Scent: it didn’t have any scent.

Texture: light creamy texture. Easy to apply and it soaked into the skin without problem. The pump was little bit annoying since it would pump different amount of the product every time.

My experience: I was surprised how well the product worked. I used it together with AHA or BHA products, first I applied the acids to clean out the pores and to remove death layer of the skin for better serum penetration. I noticed that my skin got smoother, more even and just nicer. I really liked the serum and I’m totally hooked up on retinol products now. I recently bought Paula’s choice retinol serum as it’s supposed to be the strongest over the counter retinol product on the market. Let’s see if it’s forth 60€. If the result is the same as for this serum by Indeed Labs then I’ll repurchase this one again.

Face serums reviews – part 1

I tried 4 different face serums past 5 months and this is just a short review of what I thought of them. I bought first two at iherb.com and they contain more natural ingredients, other two that I’m going to talk about on Wednesday are not so natural.

CoQ10 Antioxidant serum by Now Foods Solutions

Price: 12,73$ for 30ml at iherb.com

Scent: it has quite an herbal and earthy scent that I wasn’t very fund of.

Texture: it had almost liquid texture, easy to blend and it soaks into the skin instantly.

My experience: I used up the whole bottle and while it did add little bit of moisture to my face I felt like it wasn’t strong enough to change my dry skin and make it look better. To me it was an average serum which I think would be more suitable for normal skin to oily skin.

Vitamin C renewal Vitality serum by Avalon Organics

Price: 19,63$ for 30ml at iherb.com

Scent: it had mixture of orange and cocoa scent which was quite pleasant, it reminded me of Christmas.

Texture: light cream texture, again easy to apply, soaks relatively quickly into the skin.

My experience: I mainly bought it to reduce one sunspot that I have on my right cheek. I gave it a good month and the spot didn’t get lighter. However I noticed that my skin colour looked more unified and that the discoloration, where the pimples were, was gone quite quickly. I think it brightened my skin and it could work even better if the packaging wouldn’t be transparent. When you have a Vitamin C product you have to make sure that it doesn’t come in contact with light before use. Vitamin C is very “photophobic” so I definitely think that this product had even bigger potential. Anyway I think it was good serum and I would repurchase it if I see it on sale.

New in drugstore: in-shower makeup remover by Nivea

I can’t even explain how excited I am! I’ve been using Paula’s choice makeup remover for at least 5 years and till now there was nothing similar on the market that would cost less than Paula’s product. The main strength of the cleanser is that you can use it on the face and eyes comfortably in the shower. Finally, the day has come that I saw the advertisement for new Nivea product and I’m happy as one can be when finding a treasure….

In-shower makeup remover by Nivea vs Cleanser by Paula's Choice

Price: 3,95€ for 150ml in German DM drugstore (Paula’s choice costs 29,90€ for 473ml which would be 9,48€ for 150ml plus shipping of 6,95€).

Consistency and scent: it has creamy consistency, white colour and no scent.

Application: in the shower, preferably with dry hands, take a small size of the cleanser and start with circular motions on the eyes to remove mascara and eye makeup, then massage the rest on the face as well. Simply rinse it all off and voila, the face and eyes are clean.

In-shower makeup remover by Nivea

The main reason I like using this kind of products is that during the application you don’t tag on your delicate skin on and around eyes, the cream glides and removes makeup without tearing up the skin.

Effectiveness: apart from waterproof mascara (or regular Rocket mascara by Maybelline) it removes everything and leaves the skin and eyes makeup free. It doesn’t dry my skin and doesn’t sting my eyes (unless you really try to remove that rocket mascara). In case of stubborn mascara it leaves behind probably 5% of it (it is the same for Paula’s choice cleanser).

My verdict: it is as good as Paula’s choice cleanser, it is cheaper and easier to get. I’m sold!

Makeup wipes by Sephora, Yves Rocher and Evoluderm

I like to test makeup wipes to have the best and cheapest ones possible for my travel. On the day to day basis, if I’m not testing, I like to use either micellar water or regular cleanser that takes everything off. Here are 3 wipes I tested and used up recently, I still have another 3 wipes to test and hopefully I find a winner for this summer travel time.

MAKEUP REMOVER WIPES BY EVOLUDERM

Price: 1,99€ for 25 wipes in DI drugstore (Belgium).

Scent: it has light sweet almond milk scent.

Performance: unfortunately the wipes didn’t have enough liquid, they were on the dryer side and I couldn’t get my eye makeup off. I ended up using them either on my face or for swatches.

Makeup wipes by Evoluderm

PURE CALMILLE MAKEUP REMOVER WIPES BY YVES ROCHER

Price: 3€ for 20 wipes on sale, otherwise 5,90€.

Scent: fresh floral scent.

Performance: the same as Evoluderm, I couldn’t get my eye makeup off, I used them for face and swatches. I remember trying regular makeup removing milk from the same Calmille edition and that one was even worse because it stung my eyes like crazy. I feel like Yves Rocher is not doing good job with their makeup removers. I tried other wipes and micellar water and it also performed poorly.

Makeup wipes by Yves Rocher

EXPRESS MAKEUP REMOVER WIPES BY SEPHORA

Price: 3€ for 10 wipes in Sephora.

Scent: I cannot identify the scent but it is quite nice, something between clean and floral scent.

Performance: the wipes take face and eye makeup off without problem. On the other hand, they are very small, for complete makeup removal I needed 4 of them. For the price 3€ for 10 wipes that is not a good deal!

Makeup wipes by Sephora

Micellar water and makeup remover wipes by Corine de Farme

After the popularity of Micellar water by Bioderma and the craze in the beauty community, especially on Youtube, lot of brands came out with their own version of this product. I’m planning to review some of them, available mainly in drugstore. I already wrote about the Micellar water and wipes by Yves Rocher, I wasn’t really a big fan of them so of course I continue to look for better ones.

Micellar water and makeup remover wipes by Corine de Farme

MICELLAR WATER 

Price: 5,99€ for 500ml in DI drugstore (Belgium).

Scent: light floral scent.

Performance: it removes makeup from the face and eyes without problems. Even when I put more water than needed my eyes don’t burn so I find it very gentle and suitable for sensitive skin. When I used Bioderma’s micellar water and put too much of it, my eyes burn little bit so I definitely prefer Corine de Farme water. Plus, the price is unbeatable, 500 ml for 5,99€ instead of 20€ that I paid for Bioderma, what a bargain!. I already used up 2 bottles and it is really my favorite micellar water. Once I stop testing other products in this category I’m going back to this one (unless I discover something as greater and cheaper).

Micellar water by Corine de Farme

MAKEUP REMOVER WIPES

Price: I cannot find my receipt but the price is around 3,50€ for 25 wipes in DI drugstore.

Scent: the scent is the same as for Micellar water – light floral scent.

Performance: when I first opened them and smelt them I thought that they were soaked in my favourite micellar water and that they would perform the same way. Unfortunately the wipes were not saturated and effective enough to remove my eye makeup, I used them only for the face makeup therefore I’m not going to repurchase them. I need wipes that can remove everything so that I can take them on my trips as my only makeup remover product.

Makeup remover wipes by Corine de Farme

AHA and BHA peeling

Renewal of skin top layer is its natural process. When your skin is young, it goes without problem, but more mature we are, harder it is for skin to renew itself and it needs some help with it. The reasons behind the slower renewal process is not only the age (decreasing level of hormones) but other factors such as sun related damage, smoking, unhealthy lifestyle.

To help your skin renew its top layer you can try peeling. Of course, first you can think of is classic manual peeling with small or bigger grains in it. The problem is that this kind of peeling is not the best for your skin. The grains cause small microscopic wounds which are not visible to the eye but they disrupt top skin layer that aims to protect it. I use manual scrubs only when the dry patches are extremely visible (only in January and February).

What should I use instead of scrub? BHA and AHA acids! First time I heard about these acids was in the book „The original beauty bible” by Pauly Begoun (chapter 9):

AHA (Alpha hydroxyl acids) peel off the very top skin layer, they are great for sun damaged skin or for dry skin. You can find them under these forms: glycolic acid, lactic acid (these two are the most effective), then malic acid, citric and tartaric acid.

AHA and BHA peeling from Paula's choice

BHA (Beta hydroxy acids) are lipid (oil) soluble acids that penetrate deeper in the skin, in its pores. These are filled by sebum and if they get clogged up the bacteria that leave there feasts on it and multiplies. It causes then the inflammation or acne which can be avoided by using these beta hydroxy acids. You can find them only under salicylic acid form.

My experience:

To find a product that has good amount of the acids is quite difficult, especially in Europe, so I ordered the products from Paula’s Choice website.

First (well in 2010), I ordered AHA because I have dry skin. I used them, as recommended, every night on my clean skin, before applying night cream. After 1 month I noticed that my skin wasn’t extremely dry as it used to be, no severe skin patches and skin peeling, no tight skin after each shower. Yeah! Since then I haven’t stopped using the AHA, I only restrain myself from using it during summer months when I use self-tanner and when the sun is too aggressive to the skin. I still have dry skin but not extremely dry and most often it is dry only during the winter months, during the summer I have quite normal skin.

Last year I discovered BHA which I use when I suddenly get acne and I need to really clean my skin well. Also a friend of mine who has oily skin tried it as well and she is extremely happy with it.

Daily and weekly AHA set by Paula's choice

Recently I bought Resist Weekly and daily resurfacing AHA duo. I especially love the weekly AHA, my skin looks like baby one following morning. The daily AHA from Resist edition is about the same as regular AHA peeling, just lower percentage, so I gave it to my mum for her name’s day.

Price: 28,90€, currently on sale for 23€. I know it’s a lot, but one bottle will last you all year and the result is really visible. You can order it from European Paula’s choice website and it comes home within 2 days. If you still prefer to look for different brand, search on beautypedia.com to find other brands that offer good quality AHA or BHA.

La Roche-Posay CICAPLAST B5 Soothing repairing balm

The winter is slowly approaching and it will be difficult time for my already dry skin. But unlike some years ago I have very powerful balm now. I’ve been using it for 4 years since one very cold winter when my skin started to peel off like crazy. You could actually see huge patches coming off and I didn’t know what to do with it. I couldn’t wear any make-up which was of course very tragic. I tried all kind of creams and nothing worked. I complained to my friend Beata who mentioned this cream that she heard was used by patients after chirurgical procedures to accelerate scars healing, and that it worked for her. It was a love at first try and since then it became a total winter must for me. I cannot imagine being without Cicaplast during the cold weather anymore (well, unless spending it somewhere in the Caribbean).

Price: it costs around 10-12€ for 40ml and you can buy it in pharmacies in Europe. I think the price is very reasonable for such a skin saver.

Scent: it doesn’t have any scent which is logical since it’s supposed to sooth irritated skin.

La Roche-Posay CICAPLAST B5 Soothing repairing balm

Consistency: I was very surprised first time that it’s not a thick cream. The consistency is similar to Nivea in white bottle (not at all to the old school Nivea in blue bottle), it is easy to spread and blend.

What it promises (according to the La Roche-Posey website): Cicaplast accelerates reconstruction of the skin barrier thanks to a formula that combines: 

• A copper/zinc/manganese mineral complex to stimulate the production of new cells,
• Madecassoside to encourage proper cell organization and procure fast, high-quality epidermal repair, 
• Its insulating texture is enriched in anti-bacterial agents to protect the skin. Invisible and non-sticky, with easy spreading. This soothing, moisturizing treatment relieves itchiness and tight sensations. 

My experience: I must agree with all of above since it really quickly soothes and repairs the skin. When my skin was at its worst I used the cream 4-5 nights in the row and the skin had totally changed to the better. It was again looking beautiful, healthy and without any dry patches. Girls, if you suffer from dry skin during the winter this is a remedy for you!

Yves Rocher Micellar cleansing water in 3 Detoxifying teas and Express cleansing wipes

As I run of wipes and cleansing water at the same time I decided to take advantage of sales in Yves Rocher and stock up. I bought cleansing water and wipes from the same line (scent) – 3 Detoxifying teas.

Yves Rocher Micellar cleansing water in 3 Detoxifying teas and Express cleansing wipes

Price: originally, the price for cleansing water was 11,90€ but after the discount I got it for 5,95€ for 200 ml. The wipes were 9,90€ at the beginning, then for 4,95€ for 20 wipes (original prices in Slovak Yves Rocher shops are lower).

Scent: both products have similar scent although I think the wipes have little bit more freshness in them. The scent is herbal, it reminds me of teas but I wouldn’t be able to identify what kind of 3 teas I smell there. All in all, the scent is ok, nothing strong or weird.

Yves Rocher Micellar cleansing water in 3 Detoxifying teas

Skin sensitivity: I have very sensitive eyes when it comes to cleansing waters. Even the Bioderma sometimes burns my eyes so I can really tell when something is aggressive or gentle. The Yves Rocher cleansing water and wipes don’t burn my eyes so they are really suitable for sensitive eyes and skin.

Effectively of removing make-up: both products remove face make-up quite nicely, the wipes are wet enough to use alone without adding extra water. I tried using both products to remove eye make-up and that is where the problem starts. They remove eyeshadows but they fail to remove eyeliners or mascaras (and I don’t use waterproof mascaras). I tried hard removing them with either cleansing water or wipes but ended up with fallen lashes and still with lot of eye make-up on. As it says on both products “face and eyes” I expected to have everything removed without problems.

Express cleansing wipes by Yves Rocher

Final verdict: as you can deduct from the effectively section the products don’t do good job at removing eye make-up. I will use them up for face make-up removal but won’t repurchase them again.

Garnier Skin Natural Miracle skin cream Anti-aging skin transforming care

Yet another BB cream type product that caught my eye in the drugstore and I decided to test it. I was using it for more than 2 weeks at the beginning of summer instead of my daily moisturizer and it’s about time to report on it.

Price: 12,49€ for 50ml in DI drugstore which I feel is a lot for Garnier brand. Maybe it’s just Belgium high price level and you can get it for a lot cheaper in other countries (which wouldn’t be surprising).

Smell: it smells fresh and fruity and although I think that skincare should not hare perfume I don’t mind it, it is a nice scent.

Colour: at first it has white colour, it looks like a cream. Once you start blending it in the skin, the pigments “balls” pop up and blend with the cream. The colour, when swatched heavily, is warm light shade.

Garnier Skin Natural Miracle skin cream Anti-aging skin transforming care

Texture and finish: it has light cream texture which is not heavy at all, it is lighter in texture than for ex. L’Oreal Sublimist BB cream. At the beginning the finish was dewy but once it soaked in the skin it became semi matt, natural finish.

What it promises: instantly corrects skin imperfections (to deliver unified and luminous skin) and gives skin 24 hour hydration, in long run it reduces wrinkles and dark spots and improves skin quality.

Coverage: when heavy swatched it looks like it has some coverage but in fact once you blend it in the skin there is no coverage at all. It gives little bit of warmth to the skin but it doesn’t cover anything. It is definitely not a BB cream but rather tinted moisturizer (which is what it basically claims to be).

Longevity: I didn’t wear it alone as it doesn’t have any coverage, only under the foundation. It worked well and didn’t influence foundation’s wear at all.

Garnier Skin Natural Miracle skin cream Anti-aging skin transforming care

My experience: I applied it as regular cream; it has SPF 20 so I used it instead of my daily moisturizer. It soaked in the skin quite quickly and left it nicely moisturized and smooth. It didn’t instantly correct my skin imperfections as it didn’t have enough coverage to do so. I used it for more than 2 weeks but it is said on the packaging that the long term effects (wrinkles and dark spots reduction and skin quality improvement) will start to show only after 28 days of use. Therefore I cannot say if it reduces the wrinkles and dark spots or not (well, it didn’t do it those 2 weeks, so I guess it starts working only after the whole month, right?:)).

Final verdict: it’s moisturizing, it has SPF 20 and quite a nice smell. I will definitely use it up but won’t repurchase it since I enjoy more BB creams with some coverage instead of daily moisturizers. All in all, it is a nice product and I definitely recommend trying it yourself.

Konjac sponge by Barbara Hofmann

I mentioned in my cleansing gadgets review that I was using Olay Pro X brush to clean my face till I discovered something else. Voila, this is it, the best cleansing tool ever! I've been using Konjac sponge for few weeks and I love it.

Price: I bought mine in DI drugstore in Belgium for 6,25 €. You can buy similar sponge in US Sephora for 18$ (Boscia brand). I haven’t seen it in French Sephora or in DM drugstore in Germany yet but I hope it will be more available soon.

Konjac sponge by Barbara Hofmann (dry)

What it promises:

• cleans pores by removing black heads, impurities and sebum 
• fight acne 
• hydrate your skin natural way 
• has exfoliating effect, skin becomes brighter and smoother 
• balances your skin’s PH 
• ideal for hypersensitive skins 

Application (according to the packaging): soak sponge in water for 3-5 minutes until soft, squeeze to remove extra water and massage your face and body. It can be used with or without cleanser. After the application, cleanse the sponge and let it dry in fresh place. 

Konjac sponge by Barbara Hofmann (wet)

Texture: it has very interesting texture. It says it is 100% vegetal fibre, made from Konjac roots. I don't know how the Konjac feels like but to the touch it doesn't feel natural (like a plant). It feels like very soft plastic (however it was comfortable to use). It has sponge consistency, soaks water well and foams a cleanser up without problem. According to different information on internet, one sponge should last for 1-5 months depends on frequency of use.

Konjac sponge by Barbara Hofmann (dry) compared to deluxe TARTE blush sample

Konjac sponge by Barbara Hofmann (wet) compared to deluxe TARTE blush sample

My experience: I used it as advised on the packaging. It took about 3 minutes to soak the water and grow few centimetres. As you can see on the picture, I compared it to deluxe size of a TARTE blush (about 6 cm long) dry and then wet (after I squeezed some water out of it). I used it with my cleanser and I massaged it over my face. After the application I cleaned the sponge and to my surprise, it actually took quite a long time to dry.

My skin looked very clean: no black heads, clean pores, smooth skin and at the same time it didn't scratch or dry my face at all. Magic!

Konjac sponge by Barbara Hofmann (wet)

Final verdict: I use it almost every day and I really like it. It almost completely replaced my Olay Pro X brush which I use occasionally, few times a month now. Although it is not the cheapest gadget if you need to replace it every 1-2 months I'll definitely continue to use it.

Cleansing gadgets

Past few years I’ve tried different cleansing gadgets and so far I only liked one (I haven’t tried famous Clarisonic yet and I probably won’t). Here are few reviews in case you see them in the shop or on some website. 

NEUTROGENA MICRODERMABRASION SYSTEM

It cost 14,39$ on Amazon.com but I think you can buy it in drugstore in US as well. The set I bought included gadget (see the picture), foamy puff that you would attached to the gadget (the puff on the picture is from something else but looks similar, I could not find the original), 2 batteries and one pot of a peeling/cleansing cream. I’ve seen recently that they updated the gadget; you get puffs already soaked in the peeling product.

Claims: it says that you can use this product 3 times a week and that it replaces your regular scrub. It’s supposed to make your skin “more luminous and more polished today and younger firmer looking skin tomorrow”.

My experience: in old version I have, you put the product on the puff, turn it on and circulate it few minutes on different parts of your wet face. As there was only 1 puff included in the kit for the whole cream I had to clean it after every application. In new version you get disposable puffs.
I started using it 3 times a week as advised but it was too abrasive for me. I have generally dry skin so for me the product (cream) was very aggressive. I switched to using it only once a week and it was better but I still felt that my face was very tight after an application. I used up the cream but I haven’t noticed any extra change in my skin texture. I wouldn’t repurchase it since it was very harsh for me. I wouldn’t recommend it for dry or sensitive skin. 

NEUTROGENA WAVE SONIC POWER CLEANSER

It cost 14,69$ on Amazon.com but you should be able to buy it in a drugstore where they sell Neutrogena. The old version I have includes gadget with only one speed, batteries. Nice addition in new version is that the head spins. The kit includes pads soaked in the cleansing product. 

Claims: “gentle daily cleansing gadget, for noticeably soft glowing skin, cleans 50 times better than regular cleansing”.

My experience: first, I attached the pad to the gadget and wet my face. I turned the gadget on and circulated it over the face (I imagine that with new spinning head you don’t need to circulate it anymore). It created foam like a regular cleanser. Again, it was too drying for me, my skin was very tight after an application and I just could not use it every day. It cleaned my face thoroughly and I used it up but wouldn’t repurchase it. It wasn’t gentle enough for my dry skin. I think it is suitable for oily to very oily skin, I wonder if the normal skin would enjoy it or not.

(from left upper corner in clock direction) Neutrogena Microdermabrasion system, simple Facial brush, Olay Prox X cleansing system, Neutrogena Wave Sonic Pwer cleanser

FACIAL BRUSH

I bought this facial brush in DI drugstore, I think, and it cost under 5€. French Sephora sells similar one for the same price. It is very simple brush as you can see on the picture, nothing automatic, no batteries; you have to circulate it on your face by yourself, use the cleansing gel of your choice as well. I think this is one of the main advantages of this brush apart of the price; you can actually use the cleanser that suits your skin type. However the bristles are very stiff and unless you are very careful and light handed it will hurt using it. I won’t throw it away though; I will definitely use it for pedicure or other part of my body if needed but not on my face.

OLAY PROFESSIONAL PRO X ADVANCED CLEANSING SYSTEM

This gadget is so far the most expensive I tried but I haven’t bought 250€ Clarisonic yet so I’m not sad about it. It costs 39,99£ and I bought it via Amazon.co.uk but I’ve also seen it in the drugstores in Spain so I guess it is sold wherever the Olay brand is. It came with a brush head, 2 speeds gadget with batteries and deluxe sample of Olay scrub. You can buy brush heads separately as well.

Claims: “daily deep cleansing and gentle exfoliation, cleanser from the kit purifies and renews your skin's texture for a refreshed, smooth feel, gadget is water-resistant for use in the shower”.

My experience: it has been my go-to scrub gadget if I don’t want to use chemical peeling (AHA or BHA acids) for few years now. The cleanser that came with the gadget wasn’t something special to me but I used it up and now I use cleansers of my choice. First you wet your face and put the cleanser on and then you turn on the gadget and move it on the face. The brush head circulates itself; it has 2 speeds which I find both working almost equally. The bristles are gentle and not as stiff as on the cleansing facial brush mentioned here above.
I cannot say if it’s comparable to Clarisonic since I’ve never tried it but I’m pretty much happy with Olay and I don’t have any interest in buying Clarisonic so I consider Olay actually quite a nice alternative.

Final verdict: Olay cleansing system has been my go-to cleansing/peeling gadget for past few years but I recently discovered something new that is all natural and less expensive. So far I’m amazed and I will definitely write about it soon so hold your wallet don’t buy the Olay yet!

Garnier Ambre Solaire BB crème SPF 30 and Anti-Age crème SPF 30 review

I’ve been using Garnier Ambre Solaire BB cream SPF 30 already last summer and haven’t seen many reviews so far, plus this year I discovered Anti-Age SPF 30, its untinted version, so it's about time to present them to you.

You can buy them in any drugstore (at least in Europe) since it is Garnier, widely available everywhere. In Belgium they cost around 12 euro which is ok price for day lotion with SPF 30. I hope I don’t need to emphasize how important it is to wear SPF during the day even if it’s cloudy or raining like in Belgium.

Garnier Ambre Solaire BB crème SPF 30

Smell: it has light sunscreen smell with hint of nutty aroma

Shades: unfortunately there is only one shade of this BB cream. I’m NW20 in MAC foundations and I would say this is probably NW35 so quite darker than my skin shade. I compared it with foundations I have and it is quite the same to L’Oreal Lumi Magique D/W3 or to Cover Girl Outlast stay fabulous 855/soft honey. I can use it only when I’m self-tanned. It’s a pity that there’s only this colour, if there was a lighter one I’d definitely use it during the winter as well.

Application: I used my hands to apply the BB cream but I think it would also work with the brush or the sponge. The texture is light cream so neither totally liquid nor a heavy cream.

Finish: it has natural finish with hint of luminosity, skin looks suntanned and healthy. It moisturizes skin well enough for my taste (in spring and summer my skin is normal or slightly dry). It soaks well in the skin so no problem with foundation application on the top of it.

Coverage: it has nice coverage for a BB cream; almost medium coverage depends on how many layers you put on.

Longevity: it says on the tube that the cream is water resistant. I haven’t tried it in water but the cream stays nicely all day, doesn’t smudge once it sets. I also mix it with the foundations that have longevity issues to extend their wear.

Final verdict: as I said in the introduction I’ve been using this BB cream last summer and I used up one tube. I already bought new tube for this summer as well. I would definitely recommend this product, the only problem I see is the colour. If you are light skin colour like me and you don’t self-tan you may not get the use out of it.

Garnier Ambre Solaire BB creme SPF 30 (left), Garnier Ambre Solaire Anti-Age SPF 30 (right)

Garnier Ambre Solaire Anti-Age crème SPF 30

This cream is a transparent version of BB cream: it has the same smell, longevity; it leaves natural finish, soaks well in the skin and wears well under the makeup. It doesn’t have any colour, it is white and, when applied, blends in the skin without colour. I’m definitely going to use it during the winter as my day moisturizer or when I’m not wearing its BB cream version. What concerns the Anti-aging properties, they are related to SPF that the cream offers and therefore prevents creation of new wrinkles.

Skin cleansing

We all know how important it is to remove makeup and cleanse skin. But to find good cleansing gel and makeup remover can be a problem. Makeup remover either doesn’t remove makeup well and we rub and rub the eye with cotton pad or it is so aggressive that it stings like crazy and goes straight in the trash. To find good cleansing gel is not easy either, especially for girls with dry skin (lot of gels create a feeling of tearing skin apart).

Good cleansing gel/makeup remover should be:

• gentle (if it's extremely drying, it creates skin irritation, redness, dry patchy spots),
• effective (if it doesn't clean well enough, make up that stays on skin clog the pores, inflames skin, and leads to for ex. acne),
• without strong perfume and peeling (it can harm upper skin layer),
• suitable to your skin type and skin conditions (dry skin can afford more emollient cleansers than oily skin).

Traditional eye makeup removing (cotton pad, makeup remover and rubbing your eyes) is not the gentlest way to get rid of makeup. By rubbing the eyes, the cotton pad creates little cracks in the eyelid skin which leads to loss of elasticity and to hooded eye (of course it is not the only factor influencing skin elasticity, to name few – excessive sun exposure, aging and others). The solution in this case would be a makeup remover in form of gel or oil which “slides” on the skin instead of rubbing it.

Moisture boost one step face cleanser (left), Bioderma solution micellaire (right)

I use Moisture Boost One Step Face cleanser by Paula’s choice (473 ml for 28,50 €).  It is not the cheapest makeup remover but it lasts 6 months. It removes everything very well, I use it on the eyes and face, and it doesn’t dry my skin. It replaces classic trio eye makeup remover-cotton pads-cleansing gel so it is quicker and maybe even less expensive than classic trio at the end. If you think it is too expensive try to search on www.beautypedia.com where Paula Begoun and her team review different cosmetic products, you will certainly find something cheaper than this one. I use Moisture Boost cleanser only in shower as I hate when water runs all over my hands and neck. If it happens that I don’t take shower in the evening I remove makeup with Bioderm -Solution micellaire (500 ml for 19€, it lasts 3 months). It is gentle, the texture is like water and it removes makeup quite well although I’m not sure if it would remove waterproof mascara.

Beside above mentioned cleansers/makeup removers, I also recommend:

• Sephora cleansing oil 
• MAC cleansing oil 
• Virgin coconut oil 
• Mary Kay Timewise cleanser
• Paula's Choice Moisture boost one step face cleanser

How do you clean your skin, girls? What do you use?