BEAUTY MONTHLY FAVOURITES – MAY 2015

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My favourite serums ATM (l-r): First Aid Beauty Uplifting Serum (£35); Vichy Aqualia Thermal Dynamic Hydration Serum (£17); Deciem Hylamide Serum

Deciem Hylamide Serum – £30
A serum so smart, it comes equipped with its own PhD. Well, it should.
To improve the look of your skin, I don’t think many other products get to work as quickly as serums. Layered under your moisturiser, choose the right one and it can take your skincare (and results) to the next level.
As a beauty product, serums are power-packed with ingredients –they can be firming, hydrating, soothing – there literally is one out there to meet every skincare demand imaginable. With such a crowded market, a new serum has to offer something pretty special to get noticed.
Hylamide is a newly-launched product – although it didn’t hit my radar until I read a review on skincare expert Caroline Hirons’ blog that convinced me to get purchasing. (See Caroline’s review here: http://www.carolinehirons.com/2015/05/deciem-hylamide-subq-anti-age.html)
To say that Hylamide is a sophisticated formula may be the beauty understatement of the year. Containing five forms of hyaluronic compounds to give your skin a serious boost of hydration, the serum also excels at resurfacing, with a next-generation Tripeptide which helps to ‘reduce the appearance fine lines, wrinkles and surface irregularities’.
What this roster of ingredients means for you is that the Hylamide serum hydrates, rejuvenates and strengthens your skin. My skin visibly improves each time I use it, and the effects accumulate: I get plumper, younger skin without irritation which is impressive for a product with so many ingredients. My skin also gets dehydrated quickly, so this serum pretty much ticks every box for me, performing at a level I’d expect from a product twice its price.
At £30, it’s not super-budget, but it definitely offers serious value for money. I’m already convinced after a few uses – and will be restocking once I’ve finished this bottle. This product’s a real winner; innovative, high performance and excellent value for money. You can’t say fairer than that.

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Cleansers galore (l-r): SBC Collagen 3-in-1 Cleanser; Vichy Cleansing Micellar Oil (£13.75); Sisley Cleansing Milk with Sage (£65)

 SBC Collagen 3-in-1 Cleanser – £12.50 (100ml)/ £25 (200ml)
This was a bit of a lucky dip purchase: I needed a new cleanser, but wasn’t ready to start using my lightweight, summer-only formulations. My skin needed a halfway house, and SBC have very kindly provided just that.
Their Collagen 3-in-1 Cleanser acts as a cleanser (obviously), a gentle exfoliator and make-up removal system. Designed for dry and dehydrated skin types, this product is a perfect balance of gentle cleansing and reviving exfoliation.
The cleanser is loaded up with plant oils, including Passion Flower Oil (anti-inflammatory); Kukui Seed Oil (moisturising); Papaya Seed Oil (conditioning). Combine that with a Shea Butter base, Vitamin E and collagen and you’ve got yourself a cleanser that only gets to grips with grime, but also tackles the visible signs of anti-ageing.
What I love about this product is that it quietly gets on with the job in hand, leaving your skin thoroughly cleansed, but without that pinched, tight feeling you can get with overzealous formulas. I find myself reaching for this cleanser when my skin feels a little out of sorts, and the cleanser always leaves it feeling soothed, comfortable and hydrated. SBC are more commonly known for their excellent face and body gels, but this cleanser highlights what else SBC has to offer. I’d say what better excuse is there to get acquainted?

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I do love a good scrub (l-r): Good Things Manuka Honey Refining Scrub (£4.99); Korres Wild Rose Exfoliating Cleanser; Burt’s Bees Peach and Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub (£10.99)

Korres Wild Rose Exfoliating Cleanser – £18
I do love a hybrid product, and the exfoliating cleanser has to be one of my favourites.
While Korres is by no means a budget brand, it certainly comes in a lot cheaper than my gorgeous Murad AHA / BHA exfoliating cleanser (£34) and certainly much cheaper than my beloved Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser, which comes in at a hefty £60 RRP.
I always imagine the exfoliating cleanser as not taking the place of an exfoliator proper, but giving skin that needs it a bit of extra help. If you have skin with patches of roughened texture, or enlarged pores, adding an exfoliating cleanser into your routine can really nudge your skin into better condition.
I use mine once a week and it leaves my skin feeling smoother with pores visibly reduced. It’s not at all scratchy on the skin, but does have some grittiness to it. Overall, I think normal-combination skin would benefit most from using this, although I do think a light going-over once a week wouldn’t be the worst idea for dry skin either, as it would tackle sluggish cell renewal quite nicely. While it doesn’t match the peerless perfection of the Tata Harper cleanser, this Korres version is a nice alternative.

 

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Argan5+ Morrocan Rose bath soak – £5.99
There are times when a girl’s just got to say no to utility, and say ‘oui’ to a spot of indulgence.
Including a bevy of quality ingredients including Rose Otto oil, Avocado and Moringa oils, this bath soak goes far beyond your usual supermarket fare.
The beauty of this bath soak is not just the heavenly scent (although it’s frankly delicious), but the oil infused formula that leaves your skin feeling silky and beautifully hydrated. Perfect for a lazy weekend treat, (or a weekday treat if you feel so inclined), you can find this bath soak at Waitrose stores nationwide.

Revlon Ultra HD lipstick – £7.99
‘Ultra HD lipstick’ is quite a strange name for a product that’s all about ease of use. This is not, as you might expect, a mega-watt colour that imprints itself on the lips, but a smoother, lightweight formulation that takes the guesswork out of buying lip colour.
Created with a gel base for smoother application and wax-free formulation to give a ‘weightless’ feel, this lipstick is very different to other high-pigment lip colours currently available. When applied it literally feels as if you have nothing on your lips – without the wax, this lipstick becomes a whole different animal. Highly moisturising – it almost shifts into tinted balm territory if it weren’t for the punchy hit of colour.
The modern formula makes bold colour easy to wear – if you’re a bit colour-phobic, this formula is great for stepping up a shade. If you’re new to wearing colour, I’d definitely recommend this lipstick – it’s a comfortable, easy wear that doesn’t skimp on colour definition.
Revlon have been enjoying a real winners’ streak with regards to their lip products: their incredibly popular Colourburst Lip Butters and Balm Stains, the sophisticated Ultimate Suede Lipstick, and I think the Ultra HD Lipstick can added to this roll-call. Big-budget technology for a bargain price, Revlon’s Ultra HD lipstick is a perfect addition to your Spring make-up bag.
http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-Ultra-HD-Lipstick_1669695/

Balance Me Rose Otto Face Oil – £32
I’ve only been using a trial size of this product, but so far, my first impressions have been excellent.
To get the maximum benefits, I press a small amount of this onto my face and neck after cleansing. I’ve found this to be particularly beneficial if my skin’s going through a reactive phase – it brings everything back into balance.
This oil boasts a wealth of ingredients including Rosehip and Starflower oils to comfort and soothe, and pure Rose Otto essential oil to improve moisture levels. Arctic Cloudberry may sound like a character from a Philip Pullman novel, but it is an excellent source of antioxidant which helps protect the skin from further damage.
I’d recommend this treatment oil for skin that’s prone to bouts of redness and reaction- it’s great at calming whilst encouraging your skin to be more resilient in the long-term. While £32 is not quite in budget territory, a treatment oil that not only tackles immediate problems but enables your skin to better protect itself in the future usually comes with a much higher price tag.
This is the third Balance Me product I’ve now tried, and to be honest, my only disappointment is that I didn’t get on board with this range before.
https://www.balanceme.co.uk/face/product-family/treatments/treatments-rose-otto-face-oil

HELEN TOPE

APRIL FAVOURITES

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

BUDGET BEAUTY BUYS -£20 AND UNDER

Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil (20ml) – £16.50 When a brand’s entire reputation rests on the kudos of one product, it’s got to be good. Trilogy’s Rosehip Oil is their name-making, best-selling, must-have – and the hype is entirely justified.
Trilogy has taken great care with the integrity of their product. Containing a minimum of 80% essential fatty acid content (Omegas 3, 6 and 9), the product’s high potency in terms of active ingredient, means it is highly effective at tackling skincare issues such as dehydration.
You hear a lot about dry skin, but dehydration is definitely one of skin’s most nefarious enemies. A dehydrated skin can be dry – it can even be oily or combination – the cause is a lack of water in the skin. The tell-tale signs include a tight feeling to the skin (even though you may experience oiliness and breakouts elsewhere on your face); and when you apply moisturiser – your skin slurps it up in record time.
A good quality, hydrating oil can work wonders on dehydrated skin – and one with high grade ingredients will help to restore your skin’s balance.
I prefer this as a night-time treatment, worn on its own or layered under a night cream– it really does improve the texture of the skin, smoothing and hydrating in a smart way that doesn’t clog pores or cause irritation, thanks to its simplified approach to ingredient inclusion. There’s nothing in there that doesn’t belong, and the result is a wonderfully hydrating oil that works by keeping it simple. Oh, and this product comes with its own royal seal of approval: it’s one of the Duchess of Cambridge’s favourite beauty treats.

Dr Hauschka Rose Nurturing Bath Essence – £18 Because beauty products shouldn’t have to be all work, work, work. Sometimes a girl likes a little luxury, and this beauty from Dr Haushcka is the perfect way to unwind at the end of the day. Formulated from rose essential oil and extract of rose petals, this bathtime treat isn’t just beautifully scented, it also contains almond and jojoba oils to condition your skin while you soak. At 100ml, this is a pretty generous size of product; bearing in mind the concentration of the formula means you only need a small amount per bath. Dr Hauschka is a holistic beauty range known for its high quality skincare (particularly famous for its face creams), but its body range offers excellent value and is well worth exploring.
http://www.dr.hauschka.com/en_GB/products/rose-nurturing-bath-essence/

Kiehl’s Creamy Avocado Eye Treatment (14g) – £20 Eye creams on a budget can be a tough ask: to get the formula right often requires more expensive ingredients than a £20 cream can muster. The skin around the eye is so delicate it requires a carefully-balanced cream that doesn’t overwhelm.
Eyes do a lot of work during the day (especially if you use a PC / Mac / are wedded to your Instagram account). Your eyes get tired easily and the surrounding skin needs a lot of TLC.
Kiehl’s is a brand with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to cult products (the Ultra Facial Cream…aptly named). But I have found there is gold to be found behind the multi-award winners and beauty editors’ favourites. The Kiehl’s Creamy Avocado Eye Treatment is starting to become more popular, and justly so. It is a supremely hydrating, mid-weight eye cream that softens and soothes the eye area.
Perfect for protecting the eye area during the harsh winter months, this eye cream would be a must all year round for anyone who regularly works outdoors, or in an air-conditioned office. This cream provides real, long-lasting comfort for dry, tired skin – make it part of your skincare routine and reap the rewards.

Korres Wild Rose 24-Hour Moisturising and Brightening Cream – £20 At around the £20 mark, this is where skincare, in particular, moisturisers start getting serious. Korres is a Greek skincare brand with a reputation for combining quality, natural ingredients and lab technology to create products that give real, measurable results.
Launched in 1996, the Wild Rose Moisturising Cream is Korres’ global best-seller, and nearly 20 years on, it’s still one of Korres’ cornerstone products. Making a big splash in the beauty industry is relatively difficult to accomplish – staying at the top? Much trickier.
Available in two formulations (dry-normal and oily-combination skin), it uses an extract of Wild Rose which is an excellent natural source of Vitamin C. The cream aims to add brightness and radiance to the skin, whilst helping to repair damage and discolouration.
I find the long-lasting hydration of this cream to be its real selling point – it’s a beautiful choice for the colder months, and as it comes it two weights, Wild Rose easily turns into a perennial favourite. I’ve found this to be an easy to wear moisturiser that never causes irritation. For real brightening impact, I would recommend its companion product the Wild Rose Sleeping Facial (£26), but you want a terrific moisturiser that nourishes, bringing out your skin’s natural glow; Wild Rose is a great budget option that rivals face creams at twice the price.

Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes – £17 There are times when you think you’ve seen it all: this is going to be as good as it gets, and then a lovely little surprise comes along, reminding us that great ideas are still to be had. Eye pencils are nothing new, but where Clinique got it so right was by taking the easy application of the eye pencil and applying it to eyeshadow. The result: a product that boasts shamefully easy make-up application: one sweep across the lids and you’re done.
The fact that these pencils allow for one-step, quick-as-you-like eyeshadow application is by the by. The fact that they’re terrific for travel, and compact enough to squeeze into any make-up bag – a great feature, but not its main selling point.
What Clinique offers is a colour-saturated eyeshadow without the hassle of blending, without the worry of particles dropping down onto your cheeks – if you can hold a pencil and do a bit of smudging with your finger – that’s all the technique you need. I love this movement towards products that don’t need lots of practise in order to be used at their best. If in doubt, keep it simple – that’s just what Clinique did and simple done well is frankly awesome.
http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1598/22855/Makeup/Eye-Shadows/Chubby-Stick-Shadow-Tint-for-Eyes
Benefit Fake Up Crease Control Hydrating Concealer – £18.50 Again, this joins Clinique’s Chubby Eye Pencil in the same ‘Simple but Incredibly Effective’ group.
Benefit has a well-deserved reputation for delivering innovative cosmetics at reasonable prices, and you can rely on them to create something other than your usual concealer.
This is a concealer with an inner core of moisturising balm, making the application of this concealer a dream for dry or sensitive skin. It blends beautifully onto the skin, warming quickly with your body temperature to make a concealer that’s quick and easy to work with.
I personally use this as an under-eye concealer, as I think the consistency is excellent for that purpose. As the name suggests, the concealer doesn’t crease or settle into fine lines, its lovely texture means it sits proud on the skin, rather than sinking into it. The slight pink tinge to the concealer makes it a great choice for hiding mild-moderate dark circles. (If you have hard-core dark circles, you may want to look at spending a little more on a concealer – brands such as Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown and By Terry offer targeted formulations)
If you’ve found concealers to be drying, or they start off strong but end up settling into the very areas you’re trying to conceal, Benefit’s Hydrating Concealer is an excellent solution – a well-thought-out product that rivals many of the bigger brands.
https://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/product/view/fakeup

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo + Anti Blemish Cream – £15.50 Spot remedies are available across all price points, but I’m definitely an advocate of getting what you pay for, when it comes to treating blemishes.
The problem in treating blemishes is that if you go in too hard, with a product that not only dries out the spot but the skin surrounding it too, you could end up with even more blemishes than you started out with. Blemished skin needs gentle treatment – not kid gloves – but a product that knows when to say when.
French pharmacy brand La Roche-Posay excel in producing targeted treatments, especially for sensitive skin, but their Effaclar Anti Blemish Cream is a real star. Beloved by beauty bloggers and editors alike, the Anti-Blemish Cream is slightly mistitled as it’s a light-weight cream-gel texture that, when applied to a blemish, gently but surely reduces redness and irritation, and gets to grips with the spot, making it a thing of the past.
This treatment is robust, reliable but never dries the skin out – a key component to Effaclar’s greatness. You can get cheaper spot treatments, but if you want something that’s effective, but won’t create more problems than it solves, it has to be La Roche-Posay.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads – £20.50 Okay, so they’re a smidge over the budget – but try these beauties just once, and you won’t begrudge that extra 50p.
I talked in my Budget Buys (£15 and under) blog post about acid exfoliants, and how they’re not scary. Well, if you’re looking for the ultimate in no-fuss, quick-as-a-flash application – First Aid Beauty hear you.
Their Facial Radiance pads are tiny, product-soaked discs that are designed to be swept over a cleansed skin. And….that’s it. That’s as difficult as the application process gets. Containing small amounts of lactic and glycolic acid, they are a perfectly safe method of brightening your skin and refining its texture.
Also containing natural lovelies such as liquorice root, cucumber and Indian gooseberry, these radiance pads’ main selling point is that they’re gentle enough for use on sensitive skin. I have experienced periods of sensitivity and have continued to use these pads during those times with no problems. If you are sensitive, I would recommend starting them 1-2 times a week, building up to a maximum of 3-4 times a week for oilier skins.
While these pads do their best to boost radiance, their winning quality has to be their ability to rejuvenate and refine skin that has issues with uneven texture: they make a visible difference not only to the way your skin looks, but how it feels. These little pads are a real asset if you want skincare that makes a difference.

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask – £15.75 Containing clay and botanicals, this mud-coloured mask may not win the prize for Most Glamorous, but as with all of the Liz Earle range, it’s what inside that counts.
If you want a mask that’s great at dealing with oily patches and blemishes, whilst not stripping your skin – this mask gets the job done, no frills, no fuss. I’ve tried several deep cleansing masks, and the Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask outperforms products that are more than double the price.

With ingredients such as manuka honey, propolis (a resin-like material extracted from beehives) and rose-scented geranium, it calms and balances, restoring a skin that’s reactive and out of sorts. I would even recommend this for sensitive skin, as its balancing qualities along with a gentle cooling effect would be perfect for taming a skin that’s feeling out of control. The term ‘essential’ gets thrown around a lot with regards to skincare, but a tube of this in your kit will never be a wasted purchase.
http://uk.lizearle.com/exfoliators-and-masks/deep-cleansing-mask.html

Bliss Foot Patrol (AHA) Cream – £18.50 Now, foot creams may not have the most glamorous reputation in the beauty world, but as we approach sandal weather, and our feet leave the all-forgiving, loving embrace of winter boots, finding something that tackles dry skin and rough patches is going to be up there with the Holy Grail.
I managed to get hold of Bliss’ Foot Patrol when I found a tube of it on special offer at TK Maxx, and whether you buy it at retail price or not, this little blue tube is a real heavy-hitter when it comes to performance.
My previous experience of foot creams has been limited, and it must be said, underwhelming. Minty-fragranced, thick, gooey cream that took an age to sink into the skin and when it did, it did nothing remarkable while it was there.
I am guilty of neglecting my feet, purely because of early experiences of pedicure products – my feet have regularly got a sweep of body lotion over them for several years – if they were lucky.
But Foot Patrol has now convinced me that footcare doesn’t have to be hard work: Bliss have taken cutting-edge skincare technology and applied it to the body. AHA’s (alpha-hydroxy acids) are great for refining patches of rough, uneven skin. My Murad AHA cleanser is a thing of beauty, and Bliss have taken the same technology and applied to our over-worked feet. It’s honestly genius.
All you have to do with Foot Patrol is take a generous amount, and apply it to your feet. The AHA’s get to grips with rough-textured skin, and to be a little graphic with you, the more ‘texture’ underfoot the cream has to work with, the more impressive the results.
Foot Patrol doesn’t just soften or fragrance the skin: it literally gets rid of the hard skin around the heels and ball of the foot. It’s a one-step process to get feet that don’t look like they could feature in Lord of the Rings. I’ve been extremely impressed by this product, and while £18.50 doesn’t seem like a budget buy for foot cream, the emphasis here is on a quality product delivering real results. Get it, try it – you won’t be disappointed.

So that’s my Budget Buys under £20…next time I will be squeezing in a cheeky additional Budget Buys under £25 for the products I wanted to recommend, but fell just outside of the £20 price limit. These will feature stellar products from REN, Indeed Labs and Weleda.

HELEN TOPE

BEAUTY REVIEW 2014

For my first post of 2015, I’m keeping things simple. This is a review of beauty products I have discovered during the past 12 months. Some are new launches, others are old hands at the beauty game – but if it made a material difference to my skin, it made the list.

(L-R: The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter, Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser, REN No. 1 Purity Cleansing Balm)

Cleanser
As far as my skincare routine is concerned, 2014 has definitely been the year of the cleanser: balms, oils, creams and waters – I’ve tried a bit of everything. While I think that your formulation of choice should be between you and your beauty supplier, it’s really been brought home to me just how important a role cleansing plays in getting your skin to look and feel better.
I started with the classics: Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish (still a favourite) and REN’s Clear / Calm Clarifying Cleanser which made light work of any troublesome blemishes. However, as I got a little more comfortable with the concept of a non-foaming cleanser, I started to branch out into untried territory.
Up until very recently, I was not familiar with skincare expert and namesake brand, Tata Harper. Working in Vermont, she produces products that are completely free of synthetic and chemical ingredients. Non-toxic, plant-based technology forms the basis of the Tata Harper range – and these products pack a serious punch when it comes to performance.
On a chance recommendation, I tried the Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser (£60). While it is most certainly the most expensive cleanser I have ever purchased, every time I use it I am further convinced that it is one of the best beauty products I’ve ever come across. Slightly gritty in texture, the Regenerating Cleanser contains apricot seed powder, pomegranate enzymes and willow bark – all of which combine to form an exfoliating, clarifying product mild enough to use every day. It doesn’t leave your skin feeling stripped: this cleanser neatly sloughs off dead skin cells, leaving behind fresh, glowing skin. The granular particles are so small they rinse away easily, making this ideal for a quick morning cleanse.
As you can tell, I’m definitely a convert – and if you fancy making regular cleansing one of your New Year’s Resolutions – this is an amazing place to start. Oh, and the aroma is absolutely incredible. You will be hooked.
Other favourite cleansers included: Rodial Dragon’s Blood Cleansing Water (£29), The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter (£12)

Exfoliation
If you’ve got even a passing interest in beauty matters, you can’t have helped but notice that the mega, all-conquering moisturiser isn’t garnering as much attention as it used to. The concept of putting all your eggs in one beauty basket now seems a little old-fashioned; relying on one product to save your skin from a poor cleansing routine and non-existent use of exfoliators and masks.

(L-R: First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads, Murad AHA / BHA Exfoliating Cleanser)

We’re starting to recognise that the steps that lead up to the moisturiser are just as important – if not more so. A good skincare routine doesn’t need to be endless or overly complicated – using just a couple of good quality, high performance products can make a huge amount of difference.
If you’ve avoided exfoliating in the past, a new generation of exfoliants are determined to win you over. Eschewing the traditional scrub formula, these new exfoliants are non-granular and a cinch to use.
Whether as a liquid or in little product-soaked pads, the exfoliator as scrub is rapidly taking a back seat to these resurfacing, glow-getting miracle workers. If any product has made a material difference to the texture and appearance of my skin, it’s the FAB First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance pads (£20.50). Small but very effective, they can be swept over a cleansed skin and…that’s it. That’s about as tricky as it gets. The genius part of this type of exfoliation is that there are no excuses for getting on board: no gritty bits left in your hair; no worries about granules scratching a blemish and transferring infection; no mess, no fuss. There are definitely pricier exfoliator pads out there – but First Aid Beauty’s version is a good price for an extremely impressive product.
Other favourite exfoliators have included: Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub (£26), Murad AHA / BHA Exfoliating Cleanser (£34)

Treatment oil
As someone with long-term combination skin which also leaned towards dehydration (despite mine and Evian’s best efforts), the concept of putting oil on my face still felt like a bridge too far. A treatment best left the reserve of dry skin.

(L-R: Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, REN Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Serum Oil)

But my skincare routine, though adequate, had at this point reached an impasse. My skin wasn’t looking any worse, but it had stopped improving. A skincare rut is always tricky to manoeuvre your way out of: trying new products or application techniques require a leap of faith. I looked for recommendations, opinions. I researched, weighed my options and ended up trying the REN Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Oil (£23). It was an absolute revelation: calming and balancing my dehydrated skin without it ever feeling overloaded or overwhelmed. The oil texture was also a surprise: much lighter than I was expecting. It sank into my skin easily without leaving an oily residue – making it the perfect pre-moisturiser treatment.
The reason why oils work so harmoniously with our skin is that they are ‘lipophilic’: they are able to pass through the lipid (outermost) layer of your skin faster, plumping the skin with moisture more effectively. It’s also a great way of delivering highly-concentrated ingredients to your skin, using a texture that your skin will readily recognise and accept. A year ago I didn’t even know what ‘lipophilic’ meant….look at me now, kids. Look at me now.
Other favourite treatment oils included: Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil (£16.50 for 20ml), Weleda Soothing Facial Almond Oil (£14.95)

Moisturiser
While I have spent this year exploring new formulations, it never hurts to review the basics. I firmly believe that a good moisturiser doesn’t have to cost the earth: it’s a myth that expense always equals excellence.
I’ve tried mid-priced moisturisers for the most part – and have found a fairly decent product can be found for the £30 mark. While Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream was a very close contender for my favourite of the year, Murad’s Skin Perfecting Day Cream Age Reform SPF30 wowed me consistently and thoroughly.

(L-R: Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre, Korres Wild Rose Brightening Cream, Neal’s Yard Rose & Almond Night Cream)

It was so good I ended up cutting open the tube and scooping out the Murad-y goodness within so I didn’t miss out on a drop of fabulous product. It was the first moisturiser I have tried where the moisturiser went where it seemed most needed, meaning I ended up using less and less as time went on. At £39, Age Reform is not a budget buy, but not so outrageously expensive you’d have to live on baked beans for a month in order to afford it. This is the perfect middle-of-the-road product. The term ‘middle-of-the-road’ is often used in a derogatory way, but here I mean it to represent Age Reform’s best qualities.
It is not an extreme, anti-ageing moisturiser so packed with ingredients the skin gets overwhelmed and reacts with breakouts or sensitivity. It is has enough active ingredient to make a difference, but not at the expense of your skin’s general wellbeing. Age Reform’s moisturiser is perfectly balanced, and your skin cannot help but respond favourably. Containing lecithin to plump out the skin, and borage seed oil (an ingredient you’ll hear much more of in 2015), this moisturiser offers hydration that just feels damn good on the skin. There’s no other way to put it. A good moisturiser is hard to find – and when you find one as good as this, love it, appreciate it – it may be the best investment you’ll make all year.
Other favourite moisturisers have included: Neal’s Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose and Almond Night Cream (£22.99 on Amazon), Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream (£24)

(L-R: Nip + Fab Dragon’s Blood Plumping Mask, Weleda Skin Food, Time Bomb Complexion Cocktail B12)

I spent 2014 getting to know brands and products that, a year ago, were completely unfamiliar to me. It really has been a year of discovery: turns out for me a good cleansing routine was the key to getting my skin under control. It was a total lightbulb moment for me – I had assumed my skincare routine was good because I did all the extras (masks, serums etc) but thorough cleansing was the thing my skin needed – and responded to – the most.
Your lightbulb moment may be different: a liquid exfoliant or fantastic treatment oil could be your key to better skin. I would urge you to explore: read reviews and blogs, listen to experts and then make up your own mind.
Thanks to advances in both plant and lab-based technology, changing up your skincare routine is less of a gamble than it used to be. There is still an element of trial and error, but it’s vital to be open to the formulations and textures that may suit you. The most exciting brands at the moment are breaking apart the old rules to treat skincare concerns speedily and effectively. It’s a big skincare world out there and there is a product and range somewhere that’s perfect for you: to put it simply, if you want to shake things up, there’s no better time than now.

HELEN TOPE

INTO AUTUMN

Everyone’s skin is affected by the change in seasons; what worked during the summer may not feel quite right as we move into autumn. Just as you put away those maxi dresses and reach for warm, comfy knits, so your skincare needs to adapt. Swapping lighter textures for something more substantial, heading into the new season isn’t just about new formulations, but taking a fresh look at what products work for you. It doesn’t mean changing your entire routine either; by making a few strategic changes your skin can reap major benefits.

CLEANSER
While your skin still needs thorough cleansing during the colder months, switching to a creamier texture can be kinder to wind-battered, dehydrated skin. A soothing cleanser such as Superfacialist’s Rose Calming Creamy Cleanser (£7.99) does the job, calming any redness or irritation.
Don’t think that a creamier texture means compromising on that deep clean feeling. Burts’ Bees have come up with a great product that offers the best of both worlds. Their Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream (£10.99) contains extracts of chamomile, echinacea and aloe – calming whilst deep-down cleansing. It offers a refreshing, aromatic cleanse –perfect for waking you up on those dark winter mornings.
If your skin is super-dry even during the summer months, a balm cleanser may be your best option as the temperature drops. Designed to deep-clean without stripping the skin, balms have become the beauty industry’s new essential. Prestige brands such as Eve Lom and Emma Hardie have long cornered the market in balm cleansers, but one of the newer balms available is a salon brand – and slowly gaining cult status.

The Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm (£39.50) contains a blend of geranium, lavender, eucalyptus, menthol and clove. Combined with mimosa and rose wax, this balm is a fabulous all-rounder, tackling the needs of oily / combination skin as well as nourishing dry, parched skin. It’s unusual to find a product that can be this flexible, but this was a cleanser two years in the making – Elemis never rush the launch of a product and with good reason. When it comes to delivering a product that lives up to the hype, Elemis work extremely hard at getting the detail just right.
Other winter-friendly cleansers include Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish (£24.75), REN’s Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser (£16) and for an extra treatment, Dermalogica’s Pre-Cleanse (£34).

TREATMENT OILS
It may not be your first thought when it comes to winter skincare, but it’s worth thinking about a pre-moisturiser treatment; and a good treatment oil could be the best investment you’ll make all year. These products are your secret weapon in beating the elements: oils are perfect for giving your skin a much-needed moisture boost and their super-smart texture means they won’t clog your skin or leave it feeling overloaded. This new generation of treatment oils are lightweight, non-greasy and suitable for every type of skin, not just dry or sensitive.

Oils work by being ‘lipophilic’ which means they are able to pass through the lipid (outermost) layer of your skin faster, plumping the skin with moisture more effectively. They’re also a great way of delivering highly-concentrated ingredients to your skin, using a texture that your skin will readily recognise and accept. It is an excellent way to get the benefits of active ingredients like retinol and glycolic acid while minimising the potential for irritation.
This method of delivering active ingredients means that oils can deal with lots of different skincare issues. As someone with a history of oily, blemished skin, I have been converted to the usefulness of treatment oils in restoring balance. It may sound counter-intuitive to put oil on a skin that’s blemished and unbalanced, but the right one really can restore your skin’s equilibrium.
Not convinced? Clarins may be able to convert you with their Lotus Face Treatment oil (£32). Designed with oily / combination skin in mind, the Clarins oil incorporates plant extracts into its formula including geranium, rosemary and lotus to calm breakouts and refine the skin texture. Also adding hazelnut oil to the mix, this softens the skin, sealing in moisture to create balance. This oil works brilliantly because it doesn’t just tackle the impurities in your skin; it retains moisture. In a less sophisticated product, the emphasis would be on purification only, meaning that the moisture-starved skin would frantically produce more oil to compensate. With Clarins, this vicious circle is stopped in its tracks. Designed as an evening treatment, this can be layered under a night cream or just worn on its own. Used regularly, the skin regains its balance and feels under control.
But if your major concern is preparing your skin for the assault of wind, rain and the many other delights that autumn tends to bring, a good hydrating oil will become your new best friend.
Weleda’s Almond Soothing Facial Oil (£14.95) contains high quality organic almond oil and plum kernel oil. A skincare company with serious green credentials, Weleda’s Almond Facial Oil is suitable for use by vegans and is recommended for even the most sensitive skins.
This deceptively simple facial oil, renowned for its calming, healing effect on the skin, works by improving the skin’s suppleness, strengthening its natural protection against the elements. Rich in fatty acids, the almond oil prevents moisture loss and reduces redness – making it a must-have if you live in a corner of the UK where the weather takes on a somewhat biblical aspect.

You may think that serums and oils are an unnecessary add-on to a routine, but they are the foot soldiers of skincare; preventing moisture loss and calming aggravated skin; helping to boost the effectiveness of your other products, meaning you need less of them, making them go much further. In terms of getting value for money, it’s hard to argue with that logic.
Other good treatment oils include Boots Botanics Facial Oil (£9.99), REN’s Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Serum Oil (£23) and Estelle and Thild’s Facial Oil (fragrance free version) at £42.

MOISTURISER
The final change is perhaps the most obvious one: moisturiser. It’s common beauty practice to switch to something more substantial for winter. If changing from a lightweight lotion to a heavier texture worries you, the cloying creams that were once touted as suitable for dry skin are a thing of the past: skincare has progressed in leaps and bounds in terms of offering a moisturiser that won’t create more problems than it solves.
If you want a moisturiser that keeps things simple, you will love Liz Earle. Their signature Skin Repair moisturiser comes in a variety of textures, from a formulation suitable for oily skin, through normal and combination to dry and sensitive. The formulas are soothing and comforting, helping the skin find its own harmony. Using a blend of anti-oxidants (Beta-Carotene, Vitamin E) and Borage oil (a rich source of fatty acid GLA), this moisturiser’s mission is to protect your skin from drying out, and it wholeheartedly delivers on that promise. It’s a beauty industry classic and is a hard-working product that has earned its stripes. I would dub this a winter skincare must-have – it’s your insurance policy against the damage done by harsh weather, pollution and central heating.
If you’re looking for a moisturiser that will provide anti-ageing benefits as well as substantial moisture hit, Murad’s Perfecting Day Cream delivers like a face cream three times the price of its £39 cost.
Armed with SPF30, this moisturiser gives superb hydration without overwhelming the skin, making it a great buy for most skin types. Boasting ingredients such as essential fatty acids, antioxidants and lecithin, this moisturiser is a luxury-made-essential. Regular use of this moisturiser leaves your skin feeling firm, supple but most of all properly hydrated – it’s an excellent moisturiser if you’re new to skincare. There’s no tricky science to worry about – you just put it on, and let Murad do the rest.
If you make hydration the focus of your winter moisturiser, you won’t go far wrong. Other great hydrators on the market include Weleda’s Wild Rose Soothing Day Cream (£15.95), Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream (£24) and REN’s Vita Mineral Daily Supplement Moisturising Cream (£19).
There’s plenty to love about this season, and with a few small changes, you can really make a difference to how your skin looks and feels during the colder months. Spending the autumn with dry, uncomfortable skin doesn’t have to be inevitable. Making your skincare routine adaptable can leave your skin more resilient, and better able to withstand the aggressors of winter. And with your skin under control, that just leaves you with more time to ponder the truly serious questions of the season: pumpkin spice latte, or toffee nut mocha?

HELEN TOPE