My Skincare Routine

Many of you have asked me to write a post on my skincare routine, and I've been meaning to write one for the past few months. It's something I never got round to doing, but finally I've gotten my act together. I also wanted to turn this post into a video, but realised I don't know how to make one.

Below are the products I use in my skincare regime. As I'm still (relatively) young, I believe in keeping things simple. An overload of products tend to clog my skin, so I much prefer a simple regime of cleanse-tone-moisturise.

I'm pretty happy with the current condition of my skin. It tends to be sensitive at times, but I find that it's fine when I use simple products that don't irritate my skin. I also noticed a huge decrease in sensitivity when I keep it well moisturised as well as when I switched to luke-warm/cool water when cleansing my face instead of hot.

Here's are a couple pics of me au naturel without makeup I look a bit ill I know. I'm not though, it's just what I look like sans makeup!):

My main skin concerns are hyper sensitivity and pigmentation.

And here is a close up pic taken in better lighting:

I LOVE natural products, but unfortunately most of them don't love me. I try to use organic natural products as much as I can, but most organic essential oils (especially floral ones) irritate my skin. Through perseverance, I managed to find a range of products that use natural ingredients but do not irrritate my skin.

Onto my current skincare routine. I have been using these products for 4 months.

Cleanse with Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth cleanser

Tone with Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

Moisturise with Dr.Hauschka Melissa Day Cream

SPF protect with La Roche Posay Anthelios XL

In the evenings, I replace the Dr. Hauschka cream with Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate, and skip the SPF cream.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser -£12.25

This multi award winning cleanser uses a warm cloth to cleanse the skin whilst gently exfoliating. I've read some reviews saying this cleanser made them break out in spots, so I'm one of the lucky ones this cleanser works well for. It made me break out in little bumps on the forehead. I figured that as it centered on the forehead, in my case it probably wasn't a bad reaction, but may be a result of the cleanser purging my skin and cleaning out the pores. I stuck with it for a couple of weeks, and after a week my forehead was completely clear.

This cleanser has a thick creamy texture with a herbal eucalyptus scent. Combined with the warm cloths, it makes my skin feel thoroughly cleansed while feeling soothed.

The bad points of this cleanser is that I go through them too quickly. A 100ml tub last me only 3 weeks, so I've recently upgraded myself to a 200ml tube. In addition, the whole removing with a warm cloth thing, while is ok with me, maybe too abrasive for other sensitive skins. Also the cloths may need some getting used to. They need to be washed very frequently ( I use a fresh cloth everyday). This can be a pain while traveling. In Peru we would travel to a different location everyday, so carrying semi-dried cloths was a hassle. (Especially when camping!)

Instant Boost Skin Tonic - £12.25

I like the word tonic, and together with the shape of the bottle reminds me of yesteryear where people shopped for remedies in apothecaries.

This alcohol free toner smells of flowers. It does it's job (i.e removed residual traces of cleanser and closes pored slightly) and leaves my skin feeling fresh.

(For the Liz Earle products, you can find their full ingredients list on their website.)

Dr. Hauschka Melissa Day Cream -£23.95

Specially developed to meet the needs of combination sensitive skin, this cream is right up my street. It has a medium to light texture and smells of fresh lemons. It sinks into my skin beautifully and keeps it well hydrated. It never feels greasy or oily on my skin, even in the hot Summer months. What I love most about this cream is the light healthy glow is gives.

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate -£19

In the evenings, I use this heavenly scented oil instead of moisturiser. As I get older, I start feeling the benefits of using an oil. This one feels relatively light for an oil and is a beautiful golden colour. I adore the scent. It's hard to describe, but immediately gives me a sense of well-being.

This oil makes me wake up to super soft glowing skin. It's really made me addicted to using facial oils!!

The £19 version comes in a rollerball. I would probably get it in a pump bottle next time due to hygiene reasons.

La Roche Posay Anthelios XL SPF50+ - £16.50

There's nothing much to say except that this is the best daily facial sun protection I've come across. It comes in a light fluid which spreads easily across the face and applies like a dream. La Roche Posay is not a natural cosmetic brand, but I love it all the same. I find them a godd, no nonsense brand whose products do what they claim.

...

So that's my everyday skincare routine. I've been using them for around 4 months now, and as much as I love them I'm still fairly fickle and like to try new products.

* As you can see from my pic above, I have skintone imperfections which I'd like to correct by trying out some brightening products*

I'll write another post soon on the treatments I like to use twice a week (masks etc), as well as a note on skincare -sharing tips which I've received and learnt over the years. As that is generally why I began a blog to begin with to share, swap and learn tips and tricks with all the beauty enthusiasts out there!

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask Review

Hi everyone, today I'm going to do a review on a face mask that I have recently tried and loved: Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask.

I bought the Deep Cleansing Mask Starter Pack (£12.75) which contains a 75ml tube of mask & two sponges.

The 75ml tube is not huge, but a little goes a long way with this mask and I can see it lasting quite a long time.

The two sponges it comes with. They aren't very soft to the touch, but are effective in removing the mask.



Ingredients:


Ingredients include; aloe vera, manuka honey, propolis, white clay, green clay, and geranium essential oil

Liz Earle is a company that uses organic products whenever they possibly can. Their products harness the powers of naturally active ingredients. Liz Earle is completely against animal testing, they do not use animal ingredients, nor do they use mineral oils in their products.

I am already a fan of their haircare and have heard lots of great reviews on their skincare line. I normally use hydrating paper masks, so was looking for an effective deep cleansing clay mask.


According to Liz Earle:

Our highly concentrated clay and botanical mask for spots, oily, and combination or problem-prone skin. Includes green kaolin clay to help eliminate impurities and absorb excess oil, calming manuka honey, sootinh propolis plus rose scented geranium essential oil to leave you skin looking clean and clear.

Not suitable for sensitive skin.


Instructions:

Smooth over face and neck. Leave on for 5-10 mins. Wipe away residue with sponge.

My Thoughts:
Scent and Texture

The mask certainly has that 'natural product' scent. It's quite strong and smells of clay and slightly of fermenting fruit. The texture is a lot lighter than typical clay based masks. It's creamy, light and very easy to spread. Only a small amount is needed as a little goes a long way.


How it felt on skin
It felt really fresh to apply. The mask sets very quickly and soon tightens as the mask begins to dry. Though the mask felt tight on my skin, it wasn't unbearably so. I used the sponges included to wipe off the mask from my skin. I then splashed my face with cold water to get rid of all traces of the mask. The sponges felt a little rough on my skin, so those with sensitive skin beware (you might have to give this mask a miss). Eventhough I have sensitive skin, the mask did not irritate my face.

I'm using pictures of the mask on my hand to show you what it looks like once applied.

mask first applied:

mask after 5 mins:



Effectiveness:
This mask is great! My skin feels super fresh and clean after using it. My pores look smaller, my skin looks clearer. Right after using the mask, my skin feels really supple and springy to the touch. My skin also feels incredibly soft after use.

I found the mask to be pretty affordable for such an effective product. I really love this mask, and my skin always feels great after using it.

Pros:

-good value for money

-really effective at deep cleansing

-skin felt great (fresh, supple and smooth) after use

-uses naturally active ingredients

Cons:

-may not be suitable for sensitive skin

-some might not like the scent

Cellnique Seaweed Cleansing Gel and Intensive Hydrating Complex Review

Hi everyone! I was kindly given two products from Cellnique to review. Please bear in mind that this is my honest review!

Cellnique specialises in products to deal with problem skin. All their products are infused with Cx formulation. [An advanced in clinic formula that combines biologically active ingredients, natural plant extracts, anti-oxidants, and a bio-active delivery system to offer visible results in targeting skin problems.]

This all sounds great to me! Time to see how I got on with the products:


Cellnique Seaweed Cleansing Gel - US$32/ 200ml

According to Cellnique:

This unique and all natural-based daily cleanser consist the highest grade of Algae, Pennywort and Cucumber Extracts, serve to remove pore clogging debris and impurities without over drying. Leaves skin feeling super clean, smooth and refreshed!

Benefits:
- Replenishes hydration
- Anti-irritation and soothing
- Antioxidant and skin protection

[Click here for more info]

Full Ingredients List:
Purified Water ( Aqua), Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Polysorbate 20, Acrylates / C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Vitamin B5 (Panthenol), Hydrolyzed Algin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, PEG 20, Disodium EDTA, Cucumber (Cucumis sativus ) Fruit Extract, Perpermint (Mentha piperita) Oil, Red Algae Extract, Pennywort (Centella asiatica) Extract, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Cl42090, Cl19140


My thoughts:

Texture and Scent

This cleanser is in the form of a light green, runny gel. The texture is really silky smooth, and the scent is absolutely fantastic. It's an uplifting, fresh minty scent, which I love.

My Experience

I really found that this cleanser was a joy to use. It felt silky and smooth on my skin, lathered nicely, and rinsed off easily. My skin felt extremely refreshed after use. I wasn't left with a tight, dry feeling. Instead, my skin felt very soft, smooth and very comfortable. I really like the fact that the gel contains anti-oxidants, which gives it an added anti-ageing benefit. It also felt nice and gentle on my sensitive skin.

Pros:

- left skin feeling refreshed, soft and silky smooth

- gentle on sensitive skin

- contains anti-oxidants

- uplifting minty scent

Cons:

- only con is that some people might find the green colour off-putting. I quite like it!

Cellnique Expert Series Intensive Hydrating Complex - US$61/30ml

According to Cellnique:

A lightweight formulation with high concentration of Hyaluronic Acid and Essential Amino Acids. Helps bind moisture to restore elasticity of the skin. It thereby minimizes the appearance of wrinkles and helps deliver an instant supple and smooth skin.

Benefits:
- Keeps skin moist and smooth
- Locks in skin moisture
- Improves on scarring, lines and skin tone

[Click here for more info]

Full Ingredients List:
Purified Water (Aqua), Glycine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Proline, Hydrolyzed Algin, Serine, Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis) Extract, Alanine, Rosehip (Rosa aff. rubiginosa) Seed Oil, Calendula (Calendula officinalis) Oil, Arginine, Threonine, Glycolipids, Glutamic Acid, Pro-vitamin B5 (Panthenol), Lysine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

My Thoughts:

Texture and Scent

I found the texture to be really gloopy. It's a very thick serum that is difficult to dispense. It's so gloopy that it does really sticks to the dropper. Saying that, the serum was very easy to spread onto the skin. It has a very, very subtle indescribable scent.

My Experience:

This serum felt very light and cooling on my skin, and I felt very refreshed after use. It left the skin with a nice glowing radiant appearance. However, I felt that the product was not hydrating enough for my skin (which is a bit on the dry side this winter). I also found that it slightly irritated my sensitive skin. I think this serum would be great for those who do not have sensitive, dry skin.



Pros:

- felt cooling and refreshing on my skin

- left a nice dewy glow

- absorbs into the skin fairly easily

Cons:

- I found that it was not hydrating enough for winter skin

- irritated my sensitive skin slightly

- product was difficult to dispense

Here are the before and after shots of my skin. Sorry for the bad lighting, I'm having trouble taking pics with good natural sunlight this winter. My skin looks nie and glowy in these pics, but I'm pretty sure that's just due to the bad lighting masking my flaws!

I think because I was quite happy with the condition of my skin to begin with, I had no skin concerns apart from sensitivity. I didn't see a huge improvement to my skin after using these products.

*Before I finish this post, I want to let you all know that Cellnique is offering free 3ml samples of their Intensive Hydrating Complex to the first 50 readers to register at their website www.cellnique.com

All you have to do is complete the registration form. Under 'where did you hear about us', put my blog URL 2beautyetc.blogspot.com

Put your own blog's URL under 'Company', and you might get a chance to do a product review! *

My HG Products of 2010

Hi everyone, hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! I would like to share with you my favourite products of this year, as I haven't really posted a list of my HG products before. As there's too many products on this list, I won't write about each one independently. Though I have written review about quite a few of them and have added links to these reviews.


SKINCARE

Cleanser Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (click here for review)
Toner La Roche Posay Physiological Soothing Toner
Moisturiser Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream
Anti-age serum Rodial Glamtox Serum

Lipbalm Eve Lom Kiss Mix

Also worth mentioning is my skin saver: La Roche Posay's Effaclar K Daily Revewal Fluid. It's behaves like a 'miracle product'. I use it whenever my I have clogged pores or whenever my pores are looking large. It works so beautifully to improve the skin's texture and appearance. My pores are unclogged, little bumps on my skin dissapears, my pores shrink, and my skin looks and feels A LOT smoother and radiant. Continued, everyday use of this, however, results in my skin feeling dry and slightly irritated, so I only use this product sparingly and only when I need it.

Below: A pic of La Roche Posay Toner, Rodial Glamtox Serum and Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream

MAKEUP

Tinted Moisturiser La Mer Fluid Tint SPF18 (click here for review)
BB Cream Lancome BB Cream (click here for review) / Skin79 The Oriental BB cream
Primer Guerlain L'Or Radiance Concentrate with Pure Gold (click here for review)
Liquid Foundation Guerlain Lingerie De Peau (click here for review)
Powder Foundation Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Fresh Powder Makeup (click here for review)

Eye shadow palette Guerlain Bal De Minuit
Eyeliner Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Black/ Collection 2000 Extreme Felt Liner
Mascara Max Factor False Lash Effect

Blush Suqqu Blend Cheeks 03 in Shanarimomo
Highlighter RMS Beauty Living Luminizer (click here for post) / Illamasqua Cream Blush in Lies
Lipstick Clinique All Heart
Lipgloss Nars Lipgloss in Strawberry Fields (click here for swatch)

Guerlain L'Or Radiance, Lingerie De Peau, La Mer Fluid Tint

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara, Collection 2000 Extreme Felt Liner, Guerlain Bal De Minuit

Illamasqua Lies and Suqqu Blend Cheeks 03

And I think the below product deserves a special mention for 'My Fave Inexpensive Product'. It's Sleek's Pout Polish SPF 15. The shade below is 'Powder Pink', a sweet bright pink. This tinted lipbalm is great. Shiny, smells of chocolate, and non sticky.. Best of all it's sold for £3.99 on their website!

Going Organic: ila Face Oil & RMS Living Luminizer

My skin's been super-sensitive lately, with harsh products easily irritating it. I've been thinking more about the kind of chemicals in products I've been putting on my skin. I decided to be kinder to my skin and try explore more into organic skincare.

Firtly, I'm reviewing ila's Face oil for glowing radiance.

Ila is a British organic beauty brand that bases their products on the principles of Ayurvedic healing. The name of the face oil I am trying sounds extremely promising, and the packaging is so inviting with its simple bright pink box.

According to ila, this face oil works as a moisturiser to nourish and revitalise skin. It contains damascena rose otto essential oil for regenerating and nourishing the skin's cells, as well as bringing glowing radiance. Argan oil and rosehip seed oil are high in anti-oxidents and fatty acids to fight wrinkles and helps skin cells to regenerate.

What I think:

It states on the box that the product is 92.52% organic, but I know from past experience that organic ingredients does not necessarily mean that it won't irritate my skin. The oil itself feels and smells luxurious. The scent is an uplifting rose.

Here is a pic of the oil once it's been applied and spread out.

It's not so evident in the picture, but it does really provide an amazing glow. When it is applied onto my skin, the glow looks 'lit from within'. Alot of face oils are very irritating to my skin. This one seems alright now, but will update if I encounter any problems.

The downpoint to this oil would be that it's probably not suitable for oilier complexions. I can imagine it being too rich for those in more humid countries. I'll be travelling to Malaysia next month, and will be seeing how this oil works out in the tropics.

Keeping with the theme or organic beauty, I'm also reviewing the RMS living luminizer. This is one of my HG products, and reported fans of this include Gisele Bunchen and Mirander Kerr.

RMS beauty is an organic brand that strives to make products which are not only non toxic but also heals and nourishes the skin -sounds like my kind of makeup! the luminizer is a sheer mineral highlighter which gives a translucent sheen, for a gorgeous healthy looking glow. It comes in a frosted glass container. It's a satin pearl colour with has a lip balm sort of texture, but not oily.

I love it on my skin!! And it doesn't clog up or irritate my skin either. Am so happy I came across this product.

I especially love applying it across my cheekbones. I'll include it some of my future FOTDs so you can see what it looks like on the face.

Here's a sneak preview of a British brand of mineral makeup that I've been looking forward to try. It's Lily Lolo, and I've ordered some products as well as lots of little samples to try. Will review them soon!

My new love: REN skincare

I've been trying out some REN and Paul & Joe skincare items, and have been loving the results so far!

The REN products, I've tried:

• the no.1 Purity Cleansing Balm
• Omega 3 Overnight Lipid Renewal Serum
• Osmotic Infusion Ultra Moisture Day Cream

REN's philosophy is to use skin-friendly ingredients, and do not contain potential irritants such as parabens, synthetic colours and fragrances (ideal for my senstive skin!)

The no.1 Purity Cleansing Balm

This is the first cleanser in balm form that I've tried, but I've got to say, I've truly fallen in love with it! It truly makes my skin glow, and it's abit sad but I now find cleansing my skin such a pleasant experience as I look forward to using this product everyday.

The texture is a thick, rich balm:

It has a beautiful rose scent, and it's ingredients include exotic sounding things like Pink Violet Leaf extract and Roman Camomile Oil. The balm is used by massaging it into a dry face and neck for 1-2mins. Water is then added to emulsify the product into a milk which is then rinsed off.

After using the cleansing balm, my skin felt perfectly cleansed I noticed that it gave my skin a pretty glow:

post cleansed, pre-toned skin

This glow, however, could be attributed to the 2 minute facial massage when applying the balm.
Pros:

• throroughly cleansed my skin, and removed makeup well
• smells amazing (I love rose scented products!)
• gave my skin a beautiful glow

Cons:

• rather time consuming to use (with the 1-2min massage and all)
• more difficult to wash off than gel and cream cleansers

I love this product and give it a rating of 5/5

Omega 3 Overnight Lipid Renewal Serum

A serum that claims to restore and enhance the skin's lipid structure to stimulate renewal and regeneration. In addition it is said to boost moisture and soothe skin sensitivity.

A blend of natural oils, the texture of this serum is that of an extremely light oil

The scent of the serum has been described disturbingly lickable, though some have described it to smell like fish oils. I found the scent to be somewhere in between these two descriptions. Not amazing smelling, but not unpleasant either.

Pros:

• It melts onto the skin easily, and I found great to use for soothing dry winter skin. After using it, I would wake up the next day with smooth, comforted skin

Cons:

• Might be too rich for oily skin

Rating 4/5

Osmotic Infusion Ultra-Moisture Day Cream

This is a creamy day moisturizer specially suited for dry, dehydrated skin. Contains ceramide, phospholipids and omega 6 which claim to boost skin's repair function to restore softness and elasticity.
Like the cleansing balm, this cream had a nice rose scent. I like to mix it with the omega 3 serum in the mornings for perfectly soothed and smooth skin. I found this a great winter moisturizer, and is gentle enough for sensitive skin.

Pros:

• soothing and moisturising, great for winter
• nice scent

Cons:

• could be too rich for oily/combination skin
• good basic moisturizer, but not spectacular

Rating 3.5/5

Product Review - Mario Badescu

After reading rave online reviews on this skincare line, and seeing their superlong list of celebrity clientele (including Jenifer Aniston, cast of 'The O.C., and cast of 'sex and the city'), I had to give it a try. Their products are moderately priced (around £9-£15 for a cleanser), which I found pleasantly surprising for a celebrity loved brand.


I bought the:
Orange cleansing soap
Aloe Lotion
Hyaluronic moisturizer SPF 15

This review is based on my personal opinion, and may not reflect those of others!


Orange Cleansing Soap - all skin types

In contradiction to its name, this is a soap free cleanser. It has a creamy consistency and has a pleasant 'old school' type soap smell.

Pros:

• Like the rest of the Mario Badescu skincare range, this product has a relatively short ingredients list. I like that they've kept things nice and simple!


• Really good at removing makeup


• Does not break out my sensitive skin (harsh products can cause me to break out in a rash)
  
• Left my face feeling fresh and clean
  

Cons:

• I found it hard to squeeze the product out of the bottle

All in all, a good product. Nothing terribly exciting, but it does the job. Gentle enough for my sensitive skin, yet thorougly cleanses

Aloe Lotion - normal to conbination, sensitive skin

A mild toner that soothes irritation while disinfecting and deep cleansing the skin

Pros:

• I found that it does indeed soothe my skin


• Removes all traces of cleanser


• Left skin feeling very fresh


• Amazingly short ingredients list (5 ingredients including aloe leaf juice and magnolia flower extract)

Cons:

• Sadly this short ingredients list includes alcohol (the jury's still out on whether alcohol containing toners are bad for the skin, but I generaly keep my skin away from alcohol based toners
• slight alcohol scent

Apart from the whole alcohol thing, this is a great toner. I really like how clean it makes my skin feel (though that's probably attributed to the alcohol). I would definately repurchase if it didn't contain the alcohol

Hyaluronic moisturizer SPF 15 - combination, dry & sensitive skin

A moisture retaining lotion with moderate sun protection. Spreadable, cream texture with a subtle neutral scent

Pros:

• Small, easy to carry bottle
• Long lasting, a little goes a long way!
• Contains SPF
• Did not cause my sensitive skin to break out

Cons:

• Contains mineral oil (may act as a comedogenic substance - could clog pores)

A good basic moisturizer gentle enough for my skin. I didn't find this amazingly spectacular and probably would not repurchase.

Overall I find these Mario Badescu products really good. I didn't find it amazing though, and did not fall in love with the products. As for the celebrity following, maybe I need to use these products for longer to see its true benefits.