Gentle Reader, this was meant to be posted yesterday…but then this happened and I found myself glued to the television. For HOURS.
As Spring rolls around, I think it’s probably no coincidence that many of my favourites this month are new discoveries.
(l-r): The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil (£13); Tiaki Night Cream; Dead Sea Magik Rich Moisturiser (£7.99)
Tiaki Night Cream – £7.99 at TK Maxx (currently available on Amazon for £32)
Everyone likes a little gamble now and again, and my punt of choice (typed that SO carefully) has to be the beauty aisle of good old TK Maxx.
Sometimes, I strike lucky. Other times, I go home empty-handed. The intoxicating beauty is that I’ve no idea what I’ll find until I start rummaging through those shelves.
The trick is knowing your labels – not so much the big-hitter brands that everyone’s familiar with – but the smaller, boutique brands that are not so well known. I have recently found, in no particular order, beauty products by Estelle and Thild, Nails Inc, Organic Surge and This Works. They were just sitting there – and I snapped ‘em right up.
Other times, I will take the bargain discounts as a jumping-off point to explore new products. Having found some real treats among their European brands, I cast my net wider this month with a New Zealand skincare brand, Tiaki. Specialising in organic products, Tiaki boasts an ingredients page on its website with actual ingredients you will recognise. All of their products contain goodies such as almond oil, rosehip oil, avocado, macadamia and Vitamin E.
I bought the Night Cream without any prior recommendation, review or tweet. To my delight, I found this cream to be a lovely mid-weight moisturiser, ideal for this time of year. Gorgeously hydrating, but non-greasy, it really is a wonderful example of getting the basics right. Tiaki doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel – but just delivers good quality, honestly made products. You can’t really ask for much more, but the Tiaki Night Cream also comes equipped with a gorgeous scent that even my odour-phobic cat doesn’t find offensive – and that might be the most impressive review of all.
Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner – £26
This is definitely the skincare product that requires the biggest fanfare this month. This item was purchased fairly late on in the month, but it wins a place on my monthly favourites list for simply being so damn good.
If the concept of an exfoliating toner is unfamiliar, it’s basically a type of liquid exfoliant that can be wiped over the skin 2-3 times a week, and creates the same exfoliating effect without the need for scrubs. If you’ve got oily / blemish-prone skin, this type of product is frankly a game changer.
It not only deals with the icky dead skin cells, but with the help of gentle Tamarind fruit acids, it helps to smooth out the roughly textured bits that occur with age / lack of regular exfoliation / mild Malteser abuse (okay, made the last one up, but you get my drift).
I have the afore-mentioned roughly textured bits – I keep ‘em at bay with the fabulous First Aid Beauty radiance pads, but the Clarins is a great option that in my opinion even rivals FAB…and they are aptly named.
The Clarins toner is ease personified to use: just swipe over using a cotton wool pad and give it a minute before applying serums / oils on top. I’ve only used the Clarins toner a few times so far and I’m already seeing a marked difference in the texture of my skin. So much so I caught myself admiring my forehead in the reflection of my smartphone earlier this week…sad but true.
With usage, I reckon 3 times a week as an absolute maximum, and that’s for skin that needs a LOT of help. 1-2 times a week will be more than enough for most people – Clarins has a lot of love to go around, there’s plenty for all.
I can see this becoming a dyed-in-the-wool favourite – it yields real, visible results, and is gentle and soothing on the skin. It’s a deceptively simple-looking product, but beneath that quiet exterior beats the heart of a heroic skin saviour.
(l-r): Bumble & Bumble Tonic Lotion Primer (£17); Charles Worthington Ultimate Hair Healer; Percy & Reed Light Foaming Treatment Mask (£20)
Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Overnight Ultimate Hair Healer – £10.99
With a name this epic, you’d expect it to be good –right? Luckily for us, the overnight hair mask created by Charles Worthington is right to be so confident.
Containing Argan Oil, this overnight crème conditioner is applied to dry hair (root to tip), left on overnight (obviously) and then rinsed out the following morning. I’d recommend this as a weekend treatment – if you forget to rinse, it’s a Sunday and no big deal.
The Ultimate Hair Healer recommends itself as a treatment for dryness, frizz or damage. While the intensely nourishing formula is ideal for dry and heat-treated hair, I would say even if your hair’s even in pretty good condition, give this a go anyway: I think you’ll be surprised.
I use colour on my hair quite frequently, and I was amazed at the results of this conditioning mask. My hair felt stronger, more resilient and conditioned, but without feeling tacky or weighed-down.
The product I would compare this to would be Philip Kingsley’s Elasticizer – both the Elasticizer and the Ultimate Healer left my hair feeling like it had got its ‘bounce’ back – something I’ve never experienced with other moisturising treatments.
At £10.99, the Ultimate Healer offers you serious bang for your buck. It not only conditions but restores strength and movement which, for me, goes well behind its price tag. The Ultimate Healer has to be one of the most impressive hair treatments I’ve tried in a very long time.
Balance Me Skin Bright Hydrating Face Mist – £20
I have been a fan of facial spritzes through the years: I have very fond memories of Eau Roma from Lush and Nourish’s excellent range of toning mists is well worth a look. Far from being an indulgence, I see these products as an essential as the weather gets warmer. My skin tends to lean towards the more combination/ oil side of its personality and needs a bit of reining in. I switch to lighter textures, crack open the Serozinc, but a facial mist can not only cool in the hotter months; it can treat your skin without overloading it with more product.
The latest generation of face mists come equipped with serious skincare ingredients, and Balance Me’s Skin Hydrating Face Mist may not be the cheapest option, but it gives you a nice hit of hyaluronic acid. Spraying yourself in the face with something containing acid may not seem the most appealing idea, but hyaluronic acid is a gel-like molecule that hydrates skin and hair. We have plenty of it when we’re young, but as we age, the hyaluronic acid depletes. Applied topically, it improves hydration and crucially stimulates the production of collagen in the skin- and collagen is everyone’s friend.
Containing not only hyaluronic acid, but balancing pineapple and rose floral waters, neroli and spikenard (I had to check: it’s an essential oil derived from flowering plants, according to Wikipedia), Balance Me’s Face Mist really does calm and revive the skin. Used regularly, that gentle boost of hyaluronic acid will come in useful as your skin deals with the summer heat. Your skin will feel more hydrated and under control.
It’s definitely a luxe product, but the aroma is worth the price of admission alone: it’s a perfect desk-drawer staple for work, especially when someone’s hogging the photocopier and you’re feeling the rage. A quick spritz of this lovely product and you’ll be a perfectly content working bunny.
https://www.balanceme.co.uk/face/product-family/daily-essentials/skin-bright-hydrating-mist
Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream – £27.99
When it comes to moisturiser, getting a good, thorough hydrator can be trickier than you might think. I need something that tackles dehydration, but without overloading my skin and causing blemishes. It’s a delicate balancing act, and probably quite a lot to ask of a standard moisturiser, but now and again, I find a winner.
While I’ve found stellar products among the ranks of Murad, Liz Earle and Soap & Glory, Antipodes have recently been impressing me with their organic Avocado and Rosehip oil. I tried a mini size of their Vanilla Pod hydrating cream, and I was hooked.
Containing 100% pure avocado pear oil and manuka honey, the cream is loaded with antioxidants including chlorophyll and an extract from a New Zealand plant, Kawakawa. The creamy texture is down to the inclusion of Karite butter from Africa – a lovely addition that explains its intensively hydrating quality.
This combination of nourishing hydration and high-performing antioxidants makes Vanilla Pod a unique beauty experience. It soothes while it protects, making the skin stronger and more resilient.
At £27.99, it does fall somewhere in the middle range of moisturisers, but the key difference here is that Antipodes give you 60ml of product, compared to the industry standard of 50ml. It may not seem much, but bearing in mind how little you need to use each time to see results, this extra 10ml can mean several weeks’ further use. A great little bonus from a product that effortlessly wins you over.
(l-r): Origins Clean Energy Cleansing Oil (£22.50); Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash; REN Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser (£16)
Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash – £16
I promise this is not Favourites as Sponsored By…this is another new discovery that’s just really, really impressing me.
When it comes to cleansers, I can be quite picky. I want something that cleanses thoroughly, leaving no residue but it can’t be too astringent as my dehydration then kicks in and all sorts of sensitivity-related-fun starts happening.
It is, quite literally, a balancing act that has been achieved by a product from Balance Me. Formulated especially for normal / combination skin; this is a gentle cleanser that gets every scrap of make-up and grime off your face without stripping your skin. You think this would be a small ask, but let me assure you – it’s a rare breed that can do one without causing the other.
Packed with quality ingredients, this cleanser includes grapefruit and petit grain to help clear congested skin, plus moringa and rice bran oils to revive and brighten. I’ve found the texture of this face wash to be excellent: it emulsifies beautifully, it’s (crucially) non-foaming and blends out into this gorgeously lightweight, creamy cleanser that treats your skin with respect. After being wowed with a trial size, I’ve now bought the regular size and can’t wait to get stuck in.
I firmly believe that a good cleanser is worth its weight in gold: a well-cleansed skin allows serums and moisturisers to work at their optimum level. Far from being an indulgence, I think buying the best cleanser you can get your hands on is a terrific investment. Balance Me – you’ve just got yourself another loyal customer.
HELEN TOPE
designergirl77 