I totally forgot to post these up in the Sunday Tittle Tattle, as promised, so here goes – the winners of the PhytoPlage giveaway. Well done – the brand will be in touch via email for your postal addresses, so do not be alarmed and do check spam if you haven’t heard after a week or so.
Lily (jivanti), Katherine (portman), Lisa (.wolf), Natasha (tashandrich), Emma (puzylo).
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A few affordable and effective deep cleansing masks that I’ve been testing out over the past few months. Actually, two of these are established “fixtures” in my beauty cupboard – the Neutrogena Visibly Clear mask and the Deep Cleansing Mask from Liz Earle – but I thought that I’d revisit them and see if they were as good as I seemed to remember. My favourite deep cleansers and clay-based masks tend to be on the pricey side (Omorovicza comes in at number one, I think, in terms of effectiveness, and I adore the Multi-Use Clay from Diptyque) and so I thought that I’d explore some options that won’t break the bank. If you want a weekly treatment that makes your skin feel de-clogged, deep-cleansed and nicely purified then one of the below might just float your boat…
Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2-in-1 Wash and Mask. When it comes to face masks for oily skin, there are hundreds of clay-based versions out there that will do the trick in terms of purifying and helping to keep skin a little clearer. What I like about the Neutrogena one is that it’s quick to work, so you can use it in the shower if you don’t have time to luxuriate in a full-length treatment, and it doesn’t feel harsh or drying. Some of the cheaper wash/masks that I’ve tried have bits of scrub in them, or a strong-smelling “antibacterial” kind of vibe, and the Neutrogena feels positively gentle in comparison! I actually think that it’s rubbish as a “wash” – Neutrogena should just market this as a mask and be done with it. As a wash, I can’t see how you get the benefits of the clay and the salicylic acid, and it’s a faff to rinse off if you’re just looking for a quick cleanse. As a clay-based mask, it’s great. It’s also only £3.50 at Boots.com, which makes it a total bargain.
Read more Deep Cleansing Mask reviews…
Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask is a newish discovery for me – I started to use it at the beginning of summer. It’s something of a revelation, for a clay treatment, because it’s bouncy and plump and almost gel-like in texture, never setting hard or completely drying. It warms up on contact with the skin, but never mind that – it’s the beautiful texture that does it for me! If you’re looking for a gentle deep cleanse that won’t dry out your skin, this is just gorgeous. Those who are spot-prone but don’t have particularly oily skin, this is a nice, inexpensive treat that’s non-aggressive and actually quite soothing, despite the scary name. £10.50 at Boots.com
Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask. This was one of the first product I tested when I started A Model Recommends, so it holds a special place in my beauty heart. I think that it smells like black olive tapenade, but it’s actually a clay mask with added manuka honey and propolis and rose-scented geranium. I get a distinct tingle with this one, and that’s with my AHA-hardened skin, so I’d personally go easy with it if I had sensitive skin, but it’s one of my favourite deep cleansing masks for PMT weeks and for when my skin is generally down in the dumps. It’s £14.50 from Liz Earle.
Have you tried any of the above? I’m about to give Lush’s Cosmetic Warrior mask a whirl this week, so I’ll let you know how I get on with that one, too. It smells rather strong, but I have it on good authority that it’s a nice little number. Any Cosmetic Warrior fans out there?
More skincare reviews….
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I have been dying to start my latest skincare trial! For a whole month, beginning today, I’ll be testing out two new additions to Olay’s excellent Regenerist Luminous range*; a Skin Tone Perfecting Serum and a Brightening and Protecting Moisturiser with SPF20. You may remember that I trialled the first products to be launched in the range (an eye cream and non-SPF moisturiser) earlier in the year and had great results – I was hoping then that the range would be expanded, and I’m really pleased to be getting a chance to preview the latest products. You can read all about my trial of the Regenerist Luminous Skin Tone Perfecting Cream and Dark Circle Correcting Eye Swirl here, but just to recap for those who don’t want to leave the page; the idea behind the range is to help brighten the skin and improve luminosity, making tone more even and giving a more refreshed and healthy look. (The range was inspired by pearls and the way that light reflected from the perfectly even-toned layers, creating that Holy Grail “lit from within” effect.)
After a bit of an irritable start with the moisturiser back in the New Year, I actually began to like it so much that I continued use long after the trial ended. I purchased a replacement pot when the trial one ran out and I used it quite a lot over the summer months in the evening, as it has a nice whack of niacinamide in it which is great for preventing dark spots and skin-tone-unevenness as well as helping to minimise damage once it has been done.
More on niacinamide…
My only real bugbear with the cream was that I prefer a more sumptuous texture whereas this has an almost “dry touch” finish to it; I came away from the trial feeling that if only the powers of the cream could be packed into a serum, there would be more flexibility to include the “brightening effect” in a wider range of skincare routines, slipping it on before whatever moisturiser you preferred almost like an invisible step. (I am a huge advocate of serums – bloody love them. I harp on about them at great length here, if you’d like to take a read.)
So yes; it’s fair to say I’m delighted that Olay have added a serum to the Regenerist Luminous line-up. My first application will be tonight, and I’ll be using the whole range including the aforementioned moistuirser, eye cream and the SPF20 Brightening and Protecting Moisturiser for days when my skin is going to be exposed to the sun. (HA. HA. HA. Fat chance of that!) I’m particularly excited about the serum because as well as niacinamide, it includes an Olay ingredient called Sepiwhite which is an active that manages the production of excess melanin, which is what leads to dark spots. Together with the niacinamide, it should be quite the little workhorse when it comes to keeping my skintone bright and even – I’m so tempted to book a long “winter sun” weekend to really put it through its paces!
I’d like to learn a little more about this Sepiwhite, so shall endeavour to get some more facts to regale you with before the end of the trial. When I’ve finished testing, in a month’s time, there will be some before-and-after pics (notoriously hard to do when it comes to skincare, but I try!) and also a chance to test the range for yourself because I’ll have fifty of the new products to give away. The serum and SPF20 launch in January, if you manage to get your hands on them before I finish my trial then please do add your thoughts and comments to my own.
Read the previous Regenerist Luminous review posts…
*this trial and the associated posts are sponsored by Olay.
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1) I must say that I am struggling slightly with The Goldfinch. It is taking a hell of a lot of time and effort to wade through it, and I’m starting to lose heart! I know that it’s probably sacrilege to say so, because this was “book of the century” or what have you, but I’m actually getting just a little bit bored! It’s beautifully written and the characters are superb, but there’s just not quite enough going on in the action department to hold my attention. Anyone else feeling that way with The Goldfinch? Who’s finished it and loved it? Give me some hope – I’m determined to get through to the end, but I need to know that it livens up a bit – I’m just over half way through at the moment….
2) Currently burning away in my dining room; the Inner Strength candle from luxury beauty brand Aromatherapy Associates. I have always found the brand’s aromatherapy oils and unguents to be incredibly effective – the Deep Relax bath oil especially. These are clever blends that do what they say on the tin – revive, support, nourish, de-stress… Inner Strength has a beautiful combination of frankincense and cardamom to “uplift and inspire” and 10% of the proceeds go to the charity Defence Against Cancer. You can find it at Aromatherapy Associates.
3) Pets. Mr Bear having a weekend snooze, above. Actually, who am I kidding? He’s like this most of the time! Below, Dexter the Cockapoo. Taken from a a bit of a weird angle… I must try harder with next week’s pet photos – maybe something Halloween themed?!
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Currently scenting my latest rented holiday “barn” (aka “four tiny rooms-with-annoying-feature-beams”): Mrs Todd’s Figs in the Forest candle. It’s absolutely beautiful; green and fresh but with a lovely warmth from the cedar, amber and musk that have been blended into the fragrance. Think Diptyque’s Philosykos but a kind of “fireside” edition.
Mrs Todd’s candles hold a special little place in my heart because they are handmade by my friend Kim, who was spurred into producing them when she was forced to curb her own – totally out of control – luxury candle habit. She first attended a course on candle-making and then spent the next six months doing intensive research and experimentation, looking at different waxes and wicks and working with a Master Perfumer to perfect her scents.
Kim hand-blends every single candle herself to make sure that the scent lasts right down to the very last bit of wax – the Rose and Wild Mint is extra special: she pours it in layers (rose followed by mint followed by rose, etc) so that the fragrance wafts out in stages. Gorgeous.
I love it when someone follows up on a passion and turns it into a business idea; it’s so easy to just talk yourself out of bothering with a venture, adopting a kind of “why would I succeed at it?” attitude. Kim had a ridiculous candle habit that she couldn’t sustain; now she can have as many candles as she wants and she’s got a business off the ground. I’m hoping that she might branch out into luxury body oils with the same gorgeous scents – I reckon my body oil habit is far worse than my candle one!
If you’d like to take a look at Mrs Todd’s Candles then you can find Kim on Instagram and let her know you’d like to order – she sends out scent sticks free of charge, if you want to have a smell before you buy. You can also get in touch with her via email – candles are £25 each and come boxed and be-ribboned. There are two scents at the moment, Figs in the Forest and Rose and Wild Mint, but Kim tells me that two new versions will be launching this July – Walled Garden, which has the fragrance of fresh cut grass layered with lavender, thyme, lemon mint and then back to a grass layer, and also Tuberose and Citrus, blended with the scent of lemon and orange rinds along with the heady, powerful floral. I have a feeling that one may turn out to be my favourite…
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