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Friday, 14 October 2016

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Unifiant

As I have mentioned numerous times before I have acne prone skin and have done for at least eight years now. All I want is clear skin, is that really too much to ask for? I have used many different acne treatments to help prevent and fight off the spots but I've never truly found a product that keeps my skin clear for a long period of time. For the last year or so I have been alternating between two products, Avene Cleanance Expert Emulsion and La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+.

If you don't know of La Roche-Posay it is a very well known french skincare brand that caters for every skin concern. They have an Effaclar range which is suited towards those with imperfections and acne prone skin like me. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ is a blemish control treatment and reformulation of the original and the very first skincare treatment that I felt made a difference to my skin and my confidence. You can find out more about that here. 

Back in July La Roche-Posay introduced the *Effaclar Duo+ Unifiant which is essentially a non-comedogenic spot treatment and BB cream in one. It has the same formula as the Effaclar Duo+ but with purified mineral pigments that gives a lovely tint to the skin and smoothes and evens out the skin tone.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Unifiant
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Unifiant

There are two shades of the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Unifiant, Fair-Light and Light-Medium, but I have the Fair-Light shade. It does appear a little dark but once blended into the skin that doesn't seem to be a problem. It has somewhat of a sheer but natural coverage as you'd expect, with a light, thin creamy texture that settles down to a semi matte finish. It blends every so well once applied onto the skin. I like to apply it with a damp brush works sponge to blend it in and distribute the product out evenly. As it is a light coverage I like to use it on it's own with some concealer to cover up blemishes, but sometimes I use it underneath as a primer for foundation for an extra bit of coverage.

It is a necessity in my makeup routine lately. It gives my skin the right amount of coverage without blocking the pores whilst still preventing and treating breakouts to keep the skin visibly clear. It doesn't leave any acne scarring behind which gets a huge thumbs up from me. I have quite a few scars that were left behind after multiple use of a particular spot treatment in the past which put a dent in my confidence and changed the way I felt in my own skin. With this I can feel confident that it's not going to give me anymore scarring, plus it reduces any inflammation and redness on my face too. I love it!
It feels lightweight on the skin as well so it doesn't feel like you have anything on which is a good thing and it'll save you time on your makeup routine too. You can just pop it on your face in a minute or two, slick some mascara and lipstick on and you're good to go.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Unifiant Swatch

 I am so glad I've discovered it. It is an absolute must have for me. I would highly recommend it to any of you that perhaps have mild to moderate acne and even scarring too. It's a multi purpose product that really makes a difference.
 
The La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Unifiant is £16.50 and you can purchase it from Escentual here. La Roche-Posay is also available to buy from Boots, Look Fantastic and Feel Unique too.


Have you tried the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Unifiant? 


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Thursday, 13 October 2016

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette Review and Swatches

As you may have read in this post Kat Von D Beauty is now available in the UK online and most recently in the Oxford Street store. Once i knew the launch date online I was stalking the site in order to get in there quicker, in fear of losing out on the products I wanted. Luckily for me I managed to pick up the things that I wanted. The one product that I really wanted needed to get my hands on was the Shade and Light Contour Palette, which I managed to do. Unfortunately once I received it one of the shades in the palette were broken so I was kindly sent a replacement. Hermes have such terrible service.

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette
Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette

Since I bought it I have been using it non stop. I absolutely love it. The Shade and Light Contour Palette is made from cardboard which feels quite light but a little flimsy with a magnetic closure. Through previous experience with my first palette being smashed I wouldn't trust to take this with me while travelling in fear of it doing the same thing so it's staying firmly within my makeup drawers. On the back of the packaging are the shade names but sadly they are not shown on the inside. It also comes with a guide to help you if you're perhaps new to contouring and unsure of what to use the shades for and where to apply them.

Within the palette is a lovely sized mirror with six matte shades, three highlight shades and three contour shades. The highlight powders are unfortunately half the size of the contour powders as they are 2.3g compared to the contour powders which are 4.5g. The highlight shades are Lucid(light pinkish-beige), Lyric(yellow beige) and Levitation(light peach). The contour shades are Sombre(medium taupe), Shadowplay(medium brown with warm undertones) and Subconscious(deep brown). All of the highlight and contour shades are paired up to suit those with cool, neutral and warm undertones which I love, although I quite like mixing it up sometimes.

The formula is finely milled so it does kick up a bit of powder when it comes into contact with a brush. However they are so pigmented and feel so soft and silky to the touch which I love. The great thing is that the shades don't differ in pigmentation or how they feel so they are all of the same quality. 

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette Swatches
 Top to Bottom; Lucid, Lyric, Levitation, Sombre, Shadowplay, Subconscious

As mentioned the contour and highlight shades are paired with each other to suit different skin tones. The shades that I tend to use more than most are Lucid and Sombre which are cool toned and absolutely perfect for me. The ashy tone to the Sombre contour shade adds a nice, soft depth to my face whilst Lucid is great to apply underneath and above my contour to make it stand out more. Although they are my favourite shades to use I find that the others work with my skin tone just as well. All of them are really suitable for every skin tone.

I have so many contour kits in my collection but the Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette totally tops them all. It is a liiitle bit pricey at £36 but it's most definitely worth it. You can now purchase it here from Debenhams.


Have you tried the Shade and Light Contour Palette? What are your thoughts?


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Saturday, 8 October 2016

L'Oreal Pure Clay Face Masks

Not so long ago L'Oreal released their fantastic new face mask range. The Pure Clay Face Masks to be precise. They released not one, nor two, but three different face masks targeted towards different skin concerns. The three in question are the Detox Mask, Purity Mask and Glow Mask

L'Oreal Pure Clay Face Masks

They each come within a weighty clear square jar with a metallic green lid placed on the top and 50ml of product inside, which equivalents to 10 applications. Sometimes I like to use them individually or for multimasking. When multi masking I like to use the Detox Mask on the forehead, nose and chin, the Purity Mask on the cheeks and then the Glow Mask under the eyes(not close to the eye area though!). I leave them for 5-10 minutes before rinsing off. 

The Pure Clay Masks contain a blend of three different clays, with an extra ingredient. The three clays are Kaolin, Montmorillonite and Ghassoul. Kaolin is known for cleansing the skin of impurities and absorbing excess sebum, Montmorillonite(try pronouncing that!) is rich in minerals and renowned to eliminate imperfections. And lastly is Ghassoul, which helps towards clarifying the complexion.

Let's start with my personal favourite, the Detox Mask. As well as the three clays it also has charcoal which is well known for acting like a magnet to pull out all of the impurities that lay deep under the surface of the skin. It has a creamy texture to it but it takes a few minutes until its fully set. With this mask I find that once it's dried down you can see the clay within the pores doing it's job which is quite a strange sight to see, but at least you can see it's doing something. My skin is all over the place lately in terms of blemishes and this has helped my skin so much. It detoxifies and clarifies but without drying out the skin. If you have problematic, acne prone skin then you should definitely give this a try

L'Oreal Pure Clay Face Masks

The Glow Mask has a combination of the three clays and red algae extract which is known for illuminating the skin. The texture of the Glow Mask is entirely different to the other two, it's gritty but creamy too which helps towards exfoliating the skin. To really get the effects of the exfoliation it is best to rub onto the skin first, but not too harshly, then let it dry down. It leaves my complexion looking so bright and radiant and the skins texture feels completely soft and supple. My foundation goes on so much smoothly after using this face mask. It's a delight to use. 

The Purity Mask has an added ingredient of eucalyptus extract which is known for purifying and mattifying the skin. Like the detox mask it also has a creamy texture, but has somewhat of a fresh scent to it. As someone with combination skin sometimes it is more oily than dry so sometimes I like to either use the purity face mask on its own or with the others to target the areas I want to cleanse and mattify. It does such a wonderful job of taking excess shine and sebum away, but not leaving the skin looking or feeling dry. It feels a lot more fresh and clean afterwards.

All of the Pure Clay Face Masks are £7.99 each but they are currently £5 each in Boots. What a bargain! I'm not sure how long this offer is going to last so if you are interested in trying them out then I suggest you get in there quickly before it ends.


Have you tried the L'oreal Pure Clay Face Masks? 


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Wednesday, 5 October 2016

September Beauty Favourites

It's seriously insane that I am sat here writing up my September Favourites already. This year has gone by in a flash. It's weird to think that we are only just two months away from Christmas and the New Year, but it's so exciting at the same time. I am loving the slight drop in temperature and the need to live in cosy knitwear and fluffy pjs. Oh I am loving life right now. Compared to last months favourites(see that post here) I have accumulated a few skincare favourites. Last month was fuelled with makeup so it's good to see that I have a bit of variety this time. I've even got a new favourite fragrance too. 

September Beauty Favourites

Let's talk about my favourite fragrance, the Victoria's Secret Mango Temptation Fragrance Mist(£8.99). I bought it with some birthday money that I had at the beginning of the year from Superdrug but I haven't really used it much until now. I have been spritzing it pretty much daily throughout September. It smells absolutely divine, it's so fruity and refreshing. It's the perfect pick me up in the mornings.

Colourpop is a brand that is slightly new to me. I only just delved into the brand a few months ago when I made my first order(see my haul here). I have been using the Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Weenie($5) a lot lately. It is a stunning pinky-rose gold shade with a pearlized finish. The texture is buttery soft and creamy too with amazing pigmentation. I like to use it all over the lid with a darker crease and boy does it make my green eyes stand out. I don't own any eyeshadows like this so I would be gutted if this was to ever get discontinued. It is everything!

I don't tend to change up my skincare routine a lot as my skin is pretty difficult. I've had acne since my teenage years so I am sometimes apprehensive about trying new skincare. The one product I didn't expect to like, or even add into my daily skincare regime was face oils. Throughout September I have been using the *Oils of Heaven Organic Rosehip Cell-Regenerating Face Oil(£19) alternatively with other face oils but I bloomin' love this one. It makes my face feel so soft and smooth, like a babys bottom. It's just what I needed to get my skin back in good condition when my skin was drying out. I actually talked more about this over here if you want to know more.

Another skincare product is the Vichy Normaderm Beautifying Anti-Blemish Care(£14.50). It's a non-greasy moisturiser that is specifically made for those with blemishes, excess shine and uneven skin texture. That is my skin type down to a tee. It makes my skin feel fresh and quenched with moisture. It's perfect to use under makeup, especially as it's not of a slippery texture. It sinks into the skin so quickly. 

I'm not sure that I've featured this in my favourites before but the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light(£40) is perfection. It changes the look of my complexion without adding more colour, and instead delivers a soft focus effect to my face. I always seem to opt for this powder over the others. It feels much lighter on the skin too as it's got quite a soft texture to it, plus it doesn't emphasise my pores. It's super pricey for a powder but it's lasted me for quite a long time. 


What are your September Favourites?


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