I’m all in favour of keeping things simple, and this is a fairly simple post – here are the beauty products I’ve recently finished. What follows is a short review of each, and the all-important question, would I buy it again?
Filorga Time-Filler Eye Cream (£44)
You may wince a little at the price, but when it comes to anti-ageing, I firmly believe in the power of a good eye-cream. With the skin around the eyes being ten times thinner than the skin on your face, spending a bit extra is entirely justified. Laughter lines, wrinkles, God’s cruel joke – whatever you want to call the ageing process, it happens around your eyes first. A decent eye cream will be indispensable in staving off premature lines. Even if you’re fairly unlined at the moment (lucky!), getting into the habit of using a good quality eye cream will reap benefits in the long run.
I like my eye creams to have a good hit of hydration as well as anti-ageing benefits, and Filorga’s Time-Filler Eye Cream felt soothing and nourishing on the skin, making it perfect to use before bedtime. Containing hyaluronic acid, and armed with powerful peptides to relax the lines around the eyes, this really is a great all-rounder when it comes to tackling the signs of ageing.
Would I buy it again? Even though I bought this with a 30% discount from lovely M&S, this was still very much a considered purchase for me. The hydrating effect was the main selling point of this cream – if you’re a smoker, have dehydrated skin or spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen during your day – this would be a worthwhile investment.
REN V-Cense Revitalising Night Cream (£32) – left
I bought this after a recommend from beauty blogger Ruth Crilly (A Model Recommends – it’s what she does!). I’ve used a few REN products and know that my skin gets along with them, so purchased this with a great deal of confidence.
That confidence was well-placed. Containing Frankincense and Vitamin C, REN says this anti-ager helps smooth out expression lines and wrinkles, and combats ‘the signs of premature ageing’. After using this product, you’ll hear no arguments from me. This night cream is beautifully moisturising, leaving your skin feeling comforted but never overwhelmed. I never had any issues with breakouts, despite it being quite rich in texture. You only need a single pump of product at a time, making it surprisingly economical. It tackled dry patches with aplomb, leaving me feeling gorgeously hydrated. Can you tell I liked this?
Would I buy it again? Let me fetch my purse….
Liz Earle Superskin moisturiser (£39)
I do have a bit of a history with Liz Earle. First I fell in love with their Cleanse and Polish, then the Eyebright (great as a compress for tired eyes) and then I made our love official with their Skin Repair moisturiser. Buttery and totally sumptuous, it’s a no-nonsense hydrator that makes light work of even the driest skin. In short, a new moisturiser would have to be ruddy impressive to make me stray from Skin Repair.
With Superskin Moisturiser, they very nearly succeeded. Promoted as Liz Earle’s cornerstone anti-ageing product, the moisturiser contained essential oils including Neroli. I must be honest and say that I experienced a slight tingling sensation when applying the moisturiser the first few times – but certainly not a full-blown allergic reaction.
I persevered with the product and the tingling did subside – I’m assuming the moisturiser contained an ingredient my skin needed to get used to (which it did).
Would I buy it again? Yes – I liked how the moisturiser did smooth some of my fine lines, but next time I will be purchasing the fragrance-free version.
Indeed Labs Eysilix Instant Eye Rescue (£24.99)
Another blogger recommend, this time I trusted the (very trustworthy) opinion of Caroline Hirons and purchased this eye cream, as she said it contained several of the same anti-ageing ingredients as eye creams many times this price.
I’ve tried eye creams of varying price points, and the Eysilix was extremely impressive, especially considering it’s under £25. It firmed the skin around my eye area and I could see a marked improvement in my fine lines. I don’t have a huge problem with dark circles, but the thing I liked most about this cream is how it felt like a premium product when applied. It went on smoothly, and the texture was just right: not runny, but lovely and pliable, to be worked around the eye quickly and easily without pulling or tugging.
Would I buy it again? Absolutely – it’s a great product if you’re looking for an introduction to eye creams – but be warned: it will ruin you for other budget brands….
Soap and Glory Beauty Sleep Accelerator Night and Flight Moisture Miracle (£13)
My winters are usually spent in search of three things: a good book, a decent Amaretto latte and a fail-safe, super-hydrating moisturiser. The Liz Earle Skin Repair is a terrific option, and to add to this, I can personally recommend Soap and Glory’s Night and Flight Moisture Miracle.
If you’re old like me, you may remember beauty brand Prescriptives. They had that ‘Magic Powder’, they had that terrific mascara whose name escapes me, and they also had a little blue tube of wonder called ‘Flight Cream’. It was a deeply-hydrating moisturiser designed for use by flight crew, but through word of mouth, it became a beauty staple in everyone’s skincare kit.
Since Prescriptives was disbanded, the search has been on for an alternative, and I think I’ve found a product that comes pretty damn close. Soap and Glory’s Night and Flight Moisture Miracle is a cream-gel texture which glides onto the skin, seeps in and hydrates like a dream. It’s lightweight, non-clogging and ideal for oily / combination skins who would normally avoid hydrating moisturisers like the plague. I’ve used it as a night cream, but also as a general moisturiser when my skin feels in need of extra help. Oh, and it also works as a base under make-up: it truly is a great workhorse product.
Would I buy it again? This will be my 5th pot so I think it’s a safe assumption this will be a repurchase.
Apivita Creamy Cleanser (with Olive & Lavender) approx. £15
I am one of those people who is quite happy to stay in their beauty rut. But when I found myself unable to get a repeat purchase of my usual cleanser, drastic, unthinkable measures were required. I had to find a new cleanser – from scratch.
I just needed a wash-off cleanser – one that didn’t leave residue, but cleaned my skin thoroughly without stripping it. For some reason, when it comes to wash-off cleansers, this seems to be quite a tough ask. I normally have 2 or 3 cleansers that I’m loyal to, because I know they work, and very rarely stray outside my comfort zone.
The thought of having to try something new was not entirely pleasant, but one Saturday, I was feeling particularly bold and devil-may-care, and ended up purchasing this cleanser from Greek brand Apivita on a whim. I loved the scent, a gloriously fresh lavender, and it became very clear on its first use, that this product wasn’t just selling itself on a beautiful aroma. The texture of the cleanser was creamy, but not heavy – it had great ‘slip’, working around my skin with ease. I rinsed it off – no residue, no stripping – just clean, soft skin. When it comes to cleansers, if they’ve got this bit sorted, you don’t need to ask for anything else – you’ve got yourself a winner.
Would I buy it again? Definitely – and I also learnt a valuable lesson about not being afraid to try new things- especially if Apivita makes them.
Avene Skin Recovery Cream Calming Formula (£13) – right
Now and again my skin likes to play games: it likes to pretend it’s terribly sensitive and throws a little tantrum when I use perfectly acceptable products on it. To counteract this act of rebellion, I use Avene’s Skin Recovery Cream. A brand that focuses on the treatment of long-term sensitivity, it’s also highly adept at dealing with flare-ups. An application of this when my skin is playing up, quickly soothes redness and irritation. I keep a tube of this on standby, knowing that if my skin does decide to have a moment, I’ve got it sorted. It’s calming and gently hydrating – a great day moisturiser if you have long-term issues with sensitivity. My only gripe with this product (and it’s a small one) is that the tube comes to 40ml – for the price, I think Avene could stretch to an additional 10ml to create a standard size moisturiser.
Would I buy it again? This tube is my skin’s insurance policy against sensitivity – it works every time, and I wouldn’t be without it.
If you want more recommends from Ruth Crilly and Caroline Hirons, see links to their websites below:
http://www.amodelrecommends.com/category/beauty/
http://www.carolinehirons.com/
HELEN TOPE
designergirl77 