Pawpaw tinted lip balm

I have the original non-tinted version in duplicate, I think what I like the most is that I can locate it within the depths of a handbag or pocket.

I could not resist purchasing the two tinted versions, red and pink, self explanatory really.

I find that the red is somewhat orangey in tone and without careful application can look a little as if I have partaken in a rich spicey chilli with enthusiasm and at speed. The pink is suprisingly noticeable for such a pale shade but is more subtle and slightly matte in finish.

Both work well as a cheek tint.

Around £7 for a satisfyingly large and unmissable tube.

La Roche Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Stick

This is a high SPF sunscreen in a stick. I have long used sunscreens for their ability to cancel out the redness in my skin, and this product is no exception.

Here I am with no make-up below. I have an annoying inherited (thanks Mum) dark spot under my left eye in the photo, and the skin around my eyes has become exponentially redder and more teabag stained. 

I have put general sunscreen and added the LRP over the top in an effort to show how it knocks out the discolouration. As per in photographs what is so obvious to the naked eye is rarely translated in the photograph but I can see a difference

In the photograph below I have attempted to show the 3.00pm wear of makeup, the settling into the lines and the general aridness to my under eye area.

I have applied LRP on my upper and lower lids, I find that it imparts a gleam and a gloss that is somewhat flattering, with the added bonus of upping the protection from the sun and the environment.

Whilst one can purchase high SPF in stick form which are colourless, I like the pale pearlescence afforded by the LRP, I find it brightens and lightens and it is easy to apply throughout the day.

This is currently around £8 for 9g

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Oil

I was not going to review this yet, having tried it for only five nights, but I could not resist, so this is purely and simply a first impressions picture heavy post.

This is the newest face oil from Sunday Riley. This has not yet been released in this country. Caroline Hirons posted about it at the beginning of this year, and I thought, I cannot bloody wait, so I went and ordered it from Sephora - more about that at the end of the post.

So this is a facial oil which contains retinol and the other ingredients are there to help minimise the irritation which retional can cause on the skin. Confession time here, I may have an A in A-level Biology and a BSc degree but ingredients is not really my thing, I worked damned hard to get my A-levels and my degree but it is as if I can no longer work up any enthusiasm for scientific data and information, I can feel it whispering out of my brain like ether.
I am a far more intuitive purchaser of products, if I like the look of it, I buy it, however I do read blogs and general reviews which are written by far more knowledgeable people than myself, and I would urge one to look more closely at the reviews of this product if one is interested in what particular ingredients do.

The idea is to apply to clean dry skin post cleansing and before moisturising. For me I tend to apply post serum as well.

It is a deep teal blue, partly blue tansy, partly german chamomile but partly I would say CI61565 (Green 6) and CI60725 (Violet 2) although they are right at the end of the ingredients list.

Now this does have a distinctive scent, it is the german chamomile to my mind, a slightly metallic, petrolly type of scent which does dissipate, but which I like, it is certainly not a grassy chamomile scent.

The texture is a thick spreadable oil. And I love it. I know it is too early to give a proper review but my skin is clearer, more even toned, brighter.  

I bought mine from Sephora, a suprisingly easy and straightforward process, it was £75.12 so I qualified for £6 shipping (any order over £75 from Sephora qualifies for a flat rate of £6 shipping), and there was £14.94 taxes on top of that so a total of £96.06 with a guarantee of no import taxes. It is 30mls in size.

I was kept fully update at each stage of the packing, dispatching and delivery process, I ordered it on a Sunday evening and received it on the following Monday.

I will update when I have finished this. As yet no date for UK release.

Ultrasun Face Anti-Ageing & Anti-Pigmentation Sun Protections SPF50+

I wear this every day of the year, rain or shine, summer or winter, I could no more not put this product on my face than I could go without underwear, it is a given. My skin is thin and freckly, I am a child of the '70s and ran around in that summer of '76 with no sun protection and I am reaping the fallout from that now. My skin may not have many wrinkles but it is a myriad of blotchy shades, from red thread veins and healing spots to the aforementioned freckles which are now joining hands around my temples and the sides of my face.

I have worn Ultrasun Face Anti-Ageing Sun Protection SPF50+ previously to buying the newer anti-ageing & anti-pigmentation formula and was perfectly happy with it, I have done some comparision photographs below. The newer anti-ageing & anti-pigmentation formula is on the left and the anti-ageing formula is on the right.

As can be seen the newer anti-pigmentation formula is a different colour first and foremost, it has a slightly yellower hue, whereas the anti-ageing is white. 

The anti-pigmentation formula has a texture to my mind which is more akin to a moisturiser, it slips and slides over the skin and sinks in easily, the anti-ageing formula is more like a sunscreen. The instructions for both formulas is to apply to clean dry skin, post am cleanse and pre- any serums or moisturisers but one needs to allow at least twenty minutes post Ultrasun application before going on to apply any serums or moisturisers to allow for maximum absorption of the Ultrasun.

And there is very little difference between the two products post application. For me the reason why I purchase and repurchase the anti-ageing & anti-pigmentation formula is because my age spots are fading and my skin looks more even in tone, and although I use many different types of products which could contribute to this overall perceived brightening of my skin, this single product is the constant re-purchase over the last two years.

Currently around £30 for 50mls from SpaceNK and from QVC

Swell Advanced Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner

I bought this following an article by Sali Hughes in the Guardian  which highlighted her top 25 products to help with signs of ageing. My hair has thinned exponentially. I look and feel my daughter's hair which is like a rope, it is weighty and heavy and bouncy and full of life, and mine is thin and frizzy and insubstantial, when I gather it all into my hands it is like a thin piece of string. I used to say about my hair that it was fine but there was a lot of it, now I say that it is fine and there is not a lot of it.

The range is manufactured without silicones, parabens or SLS and I have found that not only is my hair thicker in texture post application, but the loss of hair is less.

The range has expanded since I started to use it and now has a hair mask and a dry shampoo along side the shampoo, conditioner and advance root nutrient complex.

There is more information on the Swell haircare website and the range is also available from Marks and Spencer. The starter kit is around £20 for 50mls of the shampoo and conditioner and 25mls of the Advanced Nutrient Complex.

Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes

There is lots to recommend this book. It is informative and entertaining, I have read it start to finish but have also dipped into to it on a more random basis. There are chapters on skin care, hair care, makeup and manicures but set out in such a way that describes a scenario or a dilemma or problem with achievable solutions and options rather than a rule book.

The size is perfect a sort of souped up fat A5 size, it is comfortably chunky and heavy in the hand, the pale pink paper and black print is pleasing and easy to read - I don't have to reach for my glasses because the print is a decent size.

The photographs are few and far between which is a slight shame because they are beautifully grainy and ethereal.

If I had a criticism it would be that there are not enough photographs and I would like more information about what other women of all ages use, but then I am nosy.

This is around £15 currently

Philosophy Amazing Grace EDT

I love fragrance. I love its ability to make me feel done, it completes my beauty ritual and if I go without I feel as if I have gone without my earrings in.

However, whilst I delight in complex and interesting chypre type fragrances, a lifetime of asthma and perfume induced headaches mean that I can admire from afar but cannot partake. 

My fragrances tend to be described as "light", "every day", "gentle" and given a tendency for heavy handedness coupled with working in a hospital and getting up close and personal with unwell people on a day to day basis, this is what I require.

Hence Philosophy Amazing Grace, of which I have a stash.

Perfumes are very difficult to describe on paper, but I will do my best. So this is a light fragrance. I use the EDT but it does come in a EDP. It is a floral and a white floral to my nose, a bit of jasmine maybe? Philosophy do not seem to like to list notes, preferring to give a overall impression, so to me it smells like a gentle white floral, warm and a bit fizzy if that makes sense, there is a whiff of sherbert to it.

What I like is that I can apply and apply and there is no sense that people are recoiling. I have had many compliments but of the "what is that lovely fresh smell?" or "somebody around here smells really nice?" rather than "that's a nice perfume, what is it?".

There are various permutations of this fragrance that can be purchased, from scrubs to body lotions to hand and foot creams and body sprays and deodorant.

Around £30 for 60mls - I tend to buy in bigger kits from QVC which can work out as better value.

Diptyque Multi-Use Exfoliating Clay For the Face

Although this is a sample 5mls size, I feel that I have enough of a trial to give make some cogent and relevant points.

This is an exfoliating clay, now the "clay" I get but the "exfoliating"? Goodness it is but a whisper, there is the merest whiff of texture that is in anyway granular in the texture of this product. 

The product is a thick cream, it can be squeezed out of the tube, and is suprisingly light, but dense, it has a faintly herbal scent.

When applied to the skin, it feels as if one is applying something with clay in it, it has that cooling rather dense feeling on the skin. I apply it to clean dry skin, sometimes with a serum underneath, leave it to dry and it does dry but not to a stiff immobile mask, more like an extra layer, it sort of settles. Then I add some water and massage it around a bit and rinse off.

This is not a cheap product at £44 for what looks like a 50mls jar but it has been a joy to use, and when one has blackheads and thread veins vying for attention, a product which is gentle but effective on both skin concerns is rare.

For a far more eloquent review please read amodelrecommends

Odacite Pure Elements

So, these are tiny little bottles of facial oils designed to work on specific skin concerns, and I have accumulated a small but not insignificant hoard.

Odacite is based in LA, but can be found at Being Content and Cult Beauty in UK. Each bottle is a 5mls blend of specific essential oils and carrier oils pertinent to a specific skin problem and the idea is to apply 2-3 drops into a moisturiser, or 2-3 drops to clean dry skin as an intensive treatment. They can be applied am and or pm.

This range appeals to me. I have a background of a partially completed professional aromatherapy course and I find that my skin seems to have more of an affinity with oils rather than serums which tend to leave me somewhat dissatisfied. 

Each of the oil serums are housed in medicinal violet glass which has specific properties to prevent deterioration, and with each oil serum, the essential oil and the carrier oil is chosen to specifically complement each other and the skin concerns, thus rosehip oil is a richer carrier oil and is partnered with ylang ylang for deep wrinkles.

I have only just started to use these so cannot give a full review other than I have found that the textures of each oil have a beautiful slip and do not aggravate my oily skin.

I have found that I tend to use one in the morning dripped into my am moisturiser but in the evening I tend to use two or three onto clean dry skin post cleansing to the areas of most concern, for example Ap+P (Apricot and Palmarosa) Fragile Capillaries and Pa+G (Papaya and Geranium) Hyperpigmentation, but on another night I may go for Po+R (Pomegranate and Rose Geranium) Hydration and Jo+L (Jojoba and Lavender) Blocked Pores.

From £25 - £45. I bought mine from Cult Beauty.

Verso Super Eye Serum

Sometimes I research and spend time with samples and testing before committing to full purchase and other times I throw caution to the wind and go ahead and buy almost without a care.

Thus it was with Verso Super Eye Serum. Being completely honest, I had received a sample with a recent Cult Beauty order and became rather interested in this Swedish brand and its emphasis on retinol as a key ingredient. I decanted the sample into a little pot and then with another order I requested another sample, which I added to the little pot.

So this is a light eye serum. And the texture really is extremely light, not watery disappearing into the skin light, but a very light gel. 

It does apply easily around the eyes without dragging, and whilst there is a little initial stinging, it quickly dissipates, and it is not unpleasant stinging if that makes sense. It does have a distinctive fresh almost floral scent which I did not like to start with but I am now used to it, and it is not a deal breaker. It is not moisturising enough on its own for my eyes, but once applied it does sink in and I go on to apply an eye cream over the top without pilling or product roll off.

I used it for four straight days, am and pm before deciding to purchase the full size. And the reasons I decided to purchase were fourfold - 

• I decided to purchase because even in the four days there was a difference in the texture of my upper and lower eyelids, imperceptible to the eye but perceptible on the finger, as I subsequently applied the product and other products on top of it, the skin has felt progressively smoother and tighter, bold claims but that is what I have noticed. 
• I do not have an eye serum, my skincare regime for my face includes a serum prior to a moisturiser, so why not use a serum around the eyes?
• I am interested in the ingredients of this product, and specifically retinyl retionate, which as I understand is a form of Vitamin A (which is what retinol is), but which is said to be eight times more effective that retinol and in skincare has been proven to reduce pigmentation spots, decrease fine lines and wrinkles and to improve skin elascticity - my eye concerns in a nutshell.
• There was an offer on BlowLtd where the first order received £10 off, and any purchase from the Verso range of £65 or over received a free Verso sample kit which contained 30mls of Verso Cleanser, Verso Day Cream and Verso Night Cream.

Full list of ingredients below - retinyl retinoate is quite far down but then maybe it has to be because of risk of irritation

This is currently £65 for 30mls. I will review this product fully when I have finished it.

Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm

I bought the Merumaya Moringa Cleansing Balm after there was a flurry of interest on the internet, and primarily after a post by facegoop in the Guardian  - I think what really appealed to me was its extremely reasonable £14.50 for 100mls (at the time) and the fact that it came in a tube. The Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, had to get in on the action as seen above, for a comparison.

It indeed comes in a squeezy tube, and the instructions are essentially apply with dry hands to a dry face, massage to allow for makeup and grim breakdown and then add water to emulsify and ultimately rinse away, so far, so any other cleansing balm.

Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm on left and Moringa Cleansing Balm on the right on an extremely dehydrated hand.

To me, the Merumaya Balm is a light gel texture, whereas the Moringa Balm is more of an oily buttery texture.

When water is added, the Merumaya Balm becomes a thin milk and the Moringa Balm becomes a thick milk.

The product removes makeup easily, its texture does afford a massage, and it does not irritate my skin at all.

As with any product it is ultimately horses for courses. I find the Merumaya Balm has a somewhat medicinal scent which coupled with a thinner texture means that my pm cleanse where I can massage away in a reverie of thick textures and gentle scents, becomes somewhat fraught with an almost Vick's like invigorating smell, and I am instantly on the alert as my fingers skid around my face and up my nose and in my eyes as the thinner texture needs less pressure than I am used to. I also find that when I add water the product has run off my face, onto my hands and up my arms in a flash which is irritating to say the least.

Ingredients; INCI - CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, GLYCERIN, PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL, AQUA (WATER), SUCROSE LAURATE, GLYCERYL DIBEHENATE, ECHIUM PLANTAGINEUM SEED OIL, PHENOXYETHANOL, SUCROSE PALMITATE, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), SUCROSE COCOATE, SUCROSE STEARATE, CITRONELLOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, GARCINIA MANGOSTANA FRUIT EXTRACT, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, CHLORPHENESIN, TETRASODIUM EDTA, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, HEXYLENE GLYCOL.

Currently £15.50 for 100mls

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light

I bought this as a finishing powder, with the hopes of a light finishing powder which maybe could pass as an all in one powder foundation if my skin could take it.

The shade I chose is "light" unsuprisingly the palest shade.

I have mixed feelings about this product, and I think that it is more to do with my skin's short fallings rather than any failings of the product itself.

My skin is a myriad of age spots, open pores, blackheads, thread veins and this product cannot improve all of these on its own, if I apply as a powder foundation it does not have the depth of pigment to cover my imperfections, even given several coats. I also find that it does oxidise on my skin rendering the shade somewhat deeper and orangier than the swatch above suggests.

All in all I do not think that this is a bad product, I think that my expectations were somewhat higher than the product could deliver and that is my skin's short comings rather than those of the product.

Currently around £23

Neutrogena Deep Moisture Body Lotion

Whilst I may flit from skin care brand to skin care brand, like a skin care butterfly, I am pretty much loyal to one body moisturiser.

And this is it, Neutrogena Deep Moisture Body Lotion. I always pick the sensitive because it is fragrance free and I find that the scent of the non-sensitive type is rather pungent for my liking.

I like this body lotion because it is effective first and foremost. My skin feels instantly better on application, and by better I mean comfortable, hydrated, not itchy, smooth, calm. 

It applies from a pump, and is thick enough in texture to hold its shape whilst applying to the body, but thin enough to spread easily.

I have issues with the pump, I think everyone who uses it does, the pump is fine until one gets to about the last 1/4 of the bottle, when it can no longer pump the product up effectively and one has to resort to turning the bottle upside down/whacking it within an inch of its life/ hoiking out a hooked finger full from the irritatingly small bottle opening and any combination of the aforementioned. If I can be bothered I will cut into the very robust plastic. Despite this I will continue to use because it is so effective.

Around £5 for 400mls, this is available from many supermarkets and chemists and is often on offer.

Aurelia Firm & Revitalise Dry Body Oil

So it was Mothering Sunday yesterday in UK, and if I was to choose a product to give to my Mum or receive from my children, this would be it. 

This is a beautifully scented, in fact scrub that, it is totally gorgeous, the combination of neroli (or orange blossom flower), lavender, rose and mandarin are melded together in such a way that neither overwhelms the other meaning that the resulting smell to my nose at least is uplifting and soothing, calming and cheering.  

I received a small 5mls sample in an order from Aurelia and then used some Ndulge points to purchase.

It is a somewhat drier oil, in that it sinks in quite quickly but the beautiful scent remains, and it is suprisingly moisturising, I don't need to apply a moisturiser on top.

Ingredients: Coco-Caprylate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Prunus Persica (Peach) Kernel Oil, Aleurites Moluccana Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seed Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Citral*, Citronellol*, Farnesol*, Geraniol*, Limonene*, Linalool* (*naturally occurring in essential oil)

This is £48 for 100mls

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel

I purchased this on a whim as is so often the way for me. I like Oskia as a brand, it is British, the website is full of considered careful information about why ingredients are used and what function they perform.

This is a rather fun cleanser, it pumps out as a gel, not dissimilar to EA 8hr cream in looks, although the texture is definitely a gel, with a slight gel feeling and a beautiful gentle slightly rose like scent.

The gel has enough oiliness to allow slip across the skin without sinking in without a trace and then hey presto with the addition of water it becomes the most enticingly beautiful light pink milk.

Ingredients listed below;

For my skin, I tend to use it as a second cleanse pm or an am cleanse - because I have a shower am and pm it is ideal to apply and massage before stepping into the shower and allowing it to perform its magic before applying water and rinsing away.

I have used it to remove makeup but I prefer a balm cleanser as a first step.

Around £28 for 100mls , lots of interesting and informative information from the Oskia website and delightfully available now from SpaceNK