BEAUTY EMPTIES (WINTER 2014-15)

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

CLEANSING: THE SKINCARE REVOLUTION

It may not be the most glamorous aspect of your skincare routine, but cleansing has become a beauty hot topic, with editors and bloggers debating the most effective way to get that clear, glowing skin.
Hot-cloth cleansers (cleanser requiring removal with a muslin or wash-cloth) have emerged the clear leaders, with brands such as Liz Earle creating beauty industry standards. The Liz Earle ‘Cleanse and Polish’ is now an iconic product and multi-award winner. The success of Cleanse and Polish has spurred other beauty brands to come up with their own versions, and the spark begun by Cleanse and Polish has grown into a sector of the beauty market every brand is eager to have a piece of.

These cleansers have experienced a massive surge in popularity because they are a great way of tackling impurities and imbalance in your skin. The idea of beating misbehaving skin into submission with harsh, astringent products is slowly giving way to a change in attitude. Treating your skin with quality products will always yield better results, now and in the long-term. Don’t think of it as an indulgence: consider this an investment.
Spending out on a cleanser rather than a moisturiser may feel counter-intuitive, but even the best moisturiser on the planet would struggle to be effective on a poorly-cleansed skin. By the same token, a wildly-reactive skin – thrown out of kilter by an over-stripping product – isn’t going to get the best out of a moisturiser either, no matter how impressive its pedigree.

Where hot cloth cleansers differ from gel and foam-based cleansers is in the gently-exfoliating action that occurs while the product is being worked over the face. A wash-off gel cleanser is designed to stay on the skin for seconds, before being splashed off – any exfoliation effect is minimal.
While some cleansers that lean towards a balm formulation are designed to cleanse and soothe dry and sensitive skin, many hot cloth cleansers act by decongesting and gently exfoliating the skin, leaving an oily / combination skin feeling refreshed. The REN Rosa Centifolia and Clear / Calm Clarifying cleansers are both excellent examples, efficiently removing dead skin cells to reveal a brighter, revitalised skin beneath. If you’ve heard hot-cloth devotees enthuse about a post-cleanse ‘glow’, this is how it happens.
You can even double up on the exfoliating effect by using a towelling wash-cloth to remove the cleanser – many products recommend a muslin cloth (and this works just fine), but if you have particularly problematic skin and you’re worried about product residue – the towelling texture of a wash-cloth will lift away any remaining cleanser, leaving only beautiful skin behind.

But if your skincare concern is dryness or sensitivity, a balm texture may be your best bet. If you want the Rolls Royce of cleansing balms, look no further than Emma Hardie. A renowned facialist, famous for her Natural Lift and Sculpting Facial, Emma introduced her skincare system in 2009 – a capsule collection of products that work not by producing a ‘miracle in a bottle’, but by making the skin itself more resilient to the ageing process.
Hardie’s star product is the Moringa Cleansing Balm (£34). A balancing cleanser that can also double as a hydrating mask, this formulation is perfect for calming sensitive skin and revitalising drier, mature skin. Used with a little water which turns the balm into a milky, malleable texture, the product is incredibly easy to work with, leaving your skin thoroughly cleansed and feeling incredibly soft. Not every cult product is worthy of its hype, but Emma Hardie’s Moringa Balm has the industry kudos and stellar customer reviews to back it up. You will be impressed.

If you’re looking for a budget alternative to the Moringa Balm, two of your high street favourites have come up trumps.
Boots Botanics Cleansing Balm boasts a luxurious blend of shea butter, rosehip and jojoba oil resulting in a product that is 97% organic. Formulated without parabens and people tested; this balm ticks all the boxes when it comes to product ethics.
Priced at £8.99, the Botanics Cleansing Balm is a clear customer favourite. Only requiring a pea-sized amount for a single cleanse, this product offers excellent value for money.
However, stiff competition comes from another high street stalwart: The Body Shop. Its Camomile Cleansing Butter is accompanied online by an average customer score of 4.9 out of 5.

This cleanser also sells itself as a make-up remover, and according to the Body Shop’s customer base, this certainly isn’t false advertising. Hailed particularly effective at removing eye make-up, the butter gently cleanses, making it a great option for sensitive skin. Perfumed with a delicate camomile scent, the texture of the product ensures an in-depth cleanse without causing redness or irritation. Along with the REN Rosa Centifolia, the Camomile Cleansing Butter is a great all-rounder. At £12, this is a budget buy with some seriously high-end features.
If you have especially congested skin, all this talk of balms and butters may have somewhat limited appeal. If the mere thought of slathering on a thick cleanser is enough to make you break out, fear not: beauty giant REN have come to your rescue.

REN’s Clear / Calm Clarifying Cleanser (£18) stands apart from the rest of the pack, simply by virtue of being a detoxifying, anti-bacterial hot-cloth cleanser that is tailor-made for oily / combination skin. The clay in the formula soothes any redness and gently cools the skin. Reducing the appearance of open pores, REN’s Clear / Calm rewrites the rules on how to treat an oily skin. By balancing and calming without stripping the skin, Clear / Calm steps in and breaks the circle of oil over-production caused by astringent products. If you want a long-term solution for your problem skin, using a great cleanser like Clear / Calm is a pretty good place to start.
The hot-cloth cleanser is definitely having a moment, but this is no skincare fad: think of it more as a revolution. By placing the focus back on the start of the skincare routine, the basic of a beautifully-cleansed skin means that serums and moisturisers can then work at their maximum efficacy. You get more bang for your buck, needing less and less product to get results, which means that expensive moisturiser lasts a whole lot longer. A skin in good condition will take up far less time to look after; you save money, you save time – just by joining the cleansing revolution. Whatever way you look at that – it’s a win-win.

HELEN TOPE