Origins Make A Difference + Rejuvenating Moisturiser

£34 - here

I suffer with really bad scarring on my cheeks, and I needed a new moisturiser. I was told this would help, so BINGO, two birds with one stone. I don't touch my spots, yet they scar everytime! So unfair!

The smell of this is LOVELY. Sometimes I find Origins too overpowering, and too heavily scented, but this one is lovely. Its fruity but not too much (I'm looking at you Drink Up Intensive!!), and has quite a gel-like texture, as you can see from the second photo. Sorry for the quality of photos, I'm still getting to grips with my camera!

It is so easy to work with, and doesn't take an age to sink in, unlike other moisturisers. Paired with Effaclar Duo, I definitely notice a reduction of redness in the morning after I use this as a night cream. Some people don't think it is strong enough for a night cream, and I might have to get a heavier one soon - as you can see using it twice a day means I'm flying through the stuff!

Perfect for under make up, and I actually think it helps "glue" the make up to the face (you know what I mean!), I notice that my make up lasts longer than usual than this. A tad expensive for only 50ml, but as I keep being reminded - you only get one face! I really love this product!

I will definitely repurchase, and I definitely recommend! Do you know of any other moisturisers that help with scarring? 

Recent purchases & an update...

Sorry sorry sorry I've been so bad at posting lately, I've been SO busy at work and busy every weekend, blogging really has taken a back seat! Back to usual business now!

Quick update, I've been really bad this month in terms of spending, I try to save but I just spend spend spend! I've no idea how this happened, but I'd never really looked at Whistles before, but now I am OBSESSED and I have bought so much from there recently! Such a joke as I definitely cannot afford it! Most of them were in the sale though which makes me feel better haha!

I've just got back from holiday too, so I thought I'd include a few of those too!

Here are a few of them;

In other news I've also bought LOADS of skincare recently, I'm trying to up my routine after some heavy reading of Caroline Hirons' blog, so expect to see some posts soon! Wouldn't be a post without a mention of the weather, am I the only one that's secretly pleased its raining again? Cannot wait to wear my winter coat! 

Mulberry Bayswater in Oak Natural Leather

I recently had a bit of a splurge. I'd been eyeing up a Mulberry Bayswater for literally about 5 years, and when I received a larger payment from work one month, because they hadn't been paying me properly for two years (!!), I thought why not, I'm going to treat myself!

In short, its love. The price tag was horrendous and I still can't say out loud how much it was because it makes me feel a bit sick, but the way I look at it is that Mulberry prices are just rising and rising at the moment, so I'd better get it before it goes any higher! Proper justification maths there haha! Its an investment, its a classic bag. I didn't want to get one of those bags where you can immediately say which season it's from, I wanted one that would be timeless. After a little encouragement from Sarah and Sophie, and numerous visits to the Mulberry website, I finally took the plunge! I think buying it online meant that I could ignore the price and just click ORDER, whereas if someone in a shop had said the total, I don't think I would have been able to hand over my card! Ha!

Here it is!

I find that pictures really don't do it justice, the colour looks off and it looks weird, it is acutally a lovely golden brown, and sometimes it comes up as almost a rust colour!

I'm so glad I bought it, I was trying to decide for ages between that or a Louis Vuitton Speedy in Damier Ebene print, but I wear so many patterns generally from day to day and I didn't want it to clash!

I've now got my eye on a Michael Kors Selma tote in Ivory - I'm never satisfied!!!

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo

 Boots - £13

I'm sure you've all read A MILLION of these posts, I know I definitely have, but I am going to add my view regardless! (Obviously if you're sick of reading the same bloody reviews, as I am, click out now!).

I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. I'm on my second one already, and I really think it is 100% worth the hype. I'm currently suffering from ridiculous spot outbreaks, on my lower face cheeks and chin, and it was getting out of control. I'm yet to work out what's causing this, but I'm trying! It got to the point where it really needed to get under control, and I was getting so frustrated!

I am one of those people who even though I don't touch my spots, and I leave them alone, I ALWAYS get scarring. I don't pick it, I don't touch it, the only thing I might do is bash some Origins Super Spot Remover on it, but I always always get a scar, and its driving me mad. 

If you have any product recommendations to get rid of scarring, please leave them below, I'd love to hear them!

I wanted to try this after reading all the reviews, and I think its fair to say that I was desperate for it to work!!!! Luckily, I was impressed. I think I was using it incorrectly to begin with, although it doesn't say exactly how to use it, I was just using it after my moisturiser at the end of my routine. As soon as I switched to using it before my moisturizer, as the last but one step of my routine, I noticed a difference. My spots seem to heal quicker, and my redness on my face is definitely reduced. My only problem with this is how fast I get through it, I reckon a tube lasts me 4-5 weeks, but I do use a lot of it because I have a lot of problem areas around my face!

100% recommended! 

DIOR DiorSkin Forever Fluid Foundation SPF 25 - Flawless Perfection Fusion Wear Makeup

  Foundation  - £32 from Feel Unique

It had got to the point where most of my foundations didn't match my face. They were either too dark, or too dark. Excellent shade choices there by me, not! Even though its almost (!!) spring/summer, my skin is actually at the palest I think its ever been, so a new foundation was in order to avoid the dreaded ORANGEFACEPALENECK look.

I hadn't heard much about this foundation, but I remembered reading the schpiel of it and being really interested, so I took the plunge. I was in fact a Dior foundation virgin until I bought this, I have a cream/mousse highlighter, and the infamous "Amber Lights" highlighter (see photo below, sob!!!), so I was intrigued to finally try a foundation!

I was torn between 010 and 020 shade, but after reading Yu's post I decided to go for 010, as I am super pale at the moment! One thing I will say about this foundation is that it goes a shade darker on your skin after settling, so if you're stuck between two shades definitely go for the lighter one! I'm so pleased I opted for 010 now, 020 would have been ridiculous!

I LOVE the packaging, it feels so luxurious. My only gripe is that when it finishes, I can't get into the bottle to scrape the last of it out, which is a pain. Saying that, I love the frosted glass and navy lid! 

Its definitely a "glowy" foundation. I'd say the finish is glowy, but neither matte nor dewy, just "glowy"! 

Lasting power is excellent, it really does stay in place! You're supposed to "shake" it before you use it, but I always always forget to do that, oops! Its not as runny as Vitalumiere Aqua at all, its just normal I'd say?

I'd say medium coverage, definitely not full but I tend to use 3-4 pumps to cover my whole face (guilty!), whereas some people say they can get away with 1.5 pumps, but I use A LOT!

Definitely recommended!

Sorry....

I've been absent for around 2 months now.. sorry everyone! Normal blogging will resume as usual, I'm going to try and aim for at least 2 posts a week, but I'm just so busy at the moment! Please bear with me! xoxo

Chanel Perfection Lumiere

Perfection Lumiere - £36 - Boots

I really do seem to start every bloody review with "I HAD HIGH HOPES FOR THIS FOUNDATION"... but I really really do! This was the new offering from Chanel last year, after they discontinued Pro Lumiere, which was supposed to be really good, but I never got to try it personally! I'd read quite a few raves about this foundation, and so I bought it when passing through Heathrow last year when I had a massive Chanel binge.  To be honest, I was disappointed with 3 out of the 5 products I bought, and it has made me think that maybe, Chanel is over-rated. Blasphemy I know, and I love the bronzer and the lipliner... but the other 3... they were shite if I'm honest!

Back to the review. I was so disappointed by this foundation. I picked it up in 40 Beige, which was the shade I'd wear when fake-tanned. Initially, I really liked it, its one of those foundations that tricks you in the beginning and looks amazing, but after a few hours of wear basically makes you look like a hot mess!

I have combo skin, for reference, I just found it to be patchy and made me look so blotchy! I would go as far as to say that its one of the worst foundations I've ever used! Steep claim I know, but it was just rubbish! It slid off my face and just looked so bad on me, was just patchy and awful! Staying power was horrendous and I was just thoroughly disappointed!

Hopefully this is the most negative review I'll ever have to write, as who likes to read such a whiny post, but I had to be honest! Saying that though, I really want to pick up Vitalumiere Aqua as I tried a sample and loved it! So I'll keep you updated!

Have you tried the foundation? What did you think?

Lancôme Teint Miracle

Lancôme Teint Miracle - £27

I love love LOVE this foundation. I'd been looking for a dewy foundation for a while, and I think I hit the jackpot with this one! (excuse the cliche!). It is a lovely finish, and as I generally only work 8 hour days and live 5 minutes from where I work, I don't need one that is seriously long-wearing, and this fits the part.

I was matched to the shade 01, which I was really hesitant about at first because I generally like to use a medium-tan coloured foundation, and this was a lot lighter in colour and finish than I was used to, but I surprised myself in that I really liked it. I generally wear a heavier coverage foundation, and I'd say this is medium at the maximum, but it gives such a lovely finish that I don't mind.

It is natural, and my dad even said to me the other day "You've toned your make up down have you? It looks a lot better" - which is ridiculous as he never notices things like that, so it must be good! My boyfriend prefers it too, and although I normally scoff at their opinion (they're men, men NEVER get it), they might be right this time!

100% recommend this foundation, its not my "HG", but for a work day one its brilliant! I know I will be repurchasing time after time!

Clinique Chubby Stick - Grandest Grape

I had seen these all over the shop but they never really appealed to me, I'm not sure why. I think I just saw it as a massive crayon that would be useless to be honest, and just another fad! I think the price put me off too, I thought £16 for a massive crayon was a bit too much for my current budget!

I have no idea why I thought this, as I'll happily pay £34 ish for a foundation but not £16 for a lipstick?? Anyway onto my thoughts!

I had this is a present from my boyfriend's mother for my birthday. She LOVES them as has 4 or 5 but i'd never really been tempted as i'm more of a MAC lipstick girl! Upon application, I found that it was surprisingly moisturising, and lasted well on my lips, despite my low expectations!

I am really impressed with this, and I would repurchase myself in a different shade for those days when I just want to chuck on a moisturising balm and can't be bothered with a lipstick!

Have you tried these? Any other recommendations?

Avon Anew Vitale Day Cream

Avon Anew Vitale Day Cream - on offer for £9.99 at the moment, usually £19.50

I tend to find one moisturizer I like, and then stick with it. I'd been loyal to the Clinique dramatically different lotion, which I liked until I tried the gel version, and found it was much better for my skin, despite that I have dry combination and it is marketed for oily skin, which was weird. As much as I love that Dramatically Different Gel, I've been looking for a more budget moisturizer, as I am super poor trying to pay off my credit cards at the moment, as so as much as I love it I cannot afford to spluge £30 right now! Boring talk over.

I have been trying out quite a lot of Avon products at the moment, despite having no previous experience with the brand, and I have to say I am impressed so far! I tried one lipstick which was crap, being a MAC girl through and through the formula just didn't live up to my expectations, but I have been pleasantly surprised with Avon's skincare.

This is part of the "Vitale" range, which caters for ages 25+, and I've been really pleased with it so far. Its not too heavy and its an ideal day moisturizer, but its almost "tacky" enough to be a great base for my make-up, and I've found that paired with my Hydraluron serum, they both have made a dramatic difference to my skin.

I'd highly recommend this and I'd say its a good match for my combination skin! I've got my eye on the night cream next, and I hope its as good as this!

In other news, I'm currently trying to to learn the lyrics to Azealia Bank's "212" (late to the party, I know) because its probably the rudest song I've ever heard bar this (personal favourite, I know every single word), and I have a massive potty mouth so I think it would be a nice treat for parties! All jokes aside, its HELL OF A TUNE as my chavvy friends would say, and so catchy!

Hope everyone's having a nice week! 

Hydraluron

Hydraluron - £24.99 from Boots

I first became aware of this after seeing it on Anna & Caroline's blogs, who both raved about it. I've got to be honest, when I first started using it I was like "what the hell is all the fuss about this is doing sweet FA to my dry, dehydrated skin". I started using this the same time as I started to use my Clarisonic, and I've no idea how the two are related but since I've stopped using my Clarisonic and started to use this in a "regime" (hate that word!!!!), I've noticed a MASSIVE difference!

My skin is basically dry/combination, depending on the season. I have an oily T-zone and eyelids, but awful dry patches on my cheeks during winter that make my face look awful. I've noticed that since using this, the dry patches on my cheeks that were basically pretty big have almost disappeared, and my skin is so much more plumped and hydrated!

I've no idea how using it with or without the Clarisonic could make such a difference to my skin, but it really really has! For someone who was used to paying £50+ for an Estee Lauder serum, at the moment whilst I'm super poor I'll happily settle for hydraluron, and I can definitely see me continuing to buy it in the future!

Massive thumbs up, and I think £25 is reasonable! GO AND BUY.

Liz Earle instant boost skin tonic

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic - £12.50 for 200ml

Sorry for the rubbish image quality, I am trying to get back into the habit of using my DSLR but its dark when I get home from work so I'm just using my iPhone camera at the moment! #badblogger

I'd been meaning to try this product for a while, when my boyfriend's mum kindly gave it to me for my birthday this month. (I'M24NOWWHATTHEACTUALFUCK). I was excited to start using this as my skin had been in some serious need of TLC after christmas and the post-Clarisonic damage!

I've actually been really good at the moment and I've been doing a proper skincare routine, which I haven't done in months! I've noticed a real change in my skin in the past few weeks after incorporating this into my routine, and I'm not sure if its a combination of this and hydraluron, but they are a team that I do NAT want to be without as a result! It smells really nice, almost floral, and I find it really refreshing to use and it definitely wakes my skin up in the mornings!

I was worried about going back to Liz Earle after my Cleanse & Polish massacre, but I was pleasantly surprised by this, and I'm now looking at the Brightening Treatment Mask, despite the fact that it says "not suitable for sensitive skin"... awk.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation - £34 - Selfridges

Once again, this was a product that I really wanted to love after hearing brilliant reviews and reading raves on blogs such as Amelia (love her!). I think I paid £40 altogether for this foundation, including postage from Selfridges (vomit) so I really really wanted to love it! I have it in the shade 6.5, which I'd originally bought thinking that it would be really dark, but its actually too light for the days where I'm wearing fake tan!

One of the main appeals of this to me was the no SPF, for photos, and the fact that it was claimed to be long-lasting with a dewy finish, which is something I am desperate to re-create at the moment! I bought this in around September time, so I've had plenty of time to test it out and puts my thoughts together! I've put off writing this review for quite a while, I'm not sure why, I think mainly because I was on the fence for quite a while; I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either!

After much usage and testing with various tools, I have come to the conclusion that I'm not a massive fan. I think £34 is quite a lot for a foundation, just above the normal £25ish I tend to pay, but as I was desperate to try it I shelled out the £40 this time! I really wanted to love it, like I mentioned, but I just felt that the staying power was average and was blotchy and patchy on my face at the end of the day, and was nowhere near the longevity I was expecting. 

I found that I wasted SO much of the product if I used the Real Techniques buffing brush, and I've also found that I needed about 4 or 5 pumps to cover my face, which meant that I was using it up really quickly! I'd say its a medium coverage, its no way sheer but its not as thick as say Double Wear either. Despite my disappointment with this offering from Armani, I am still keen to get my hands on the Maestro foundation!

So all in all, a massive disappointment and I doubt I'd repurchase! The search for the perfection foundation continues! Next on my list are Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and NARS Sheer Glow. Do you have any long-lasting dewy foundation recommendations? I'd love to hear them! 

Sure Maximum Protect Deodrant

Sure Maximum Protection Deodrant - £5.30 

Like I've mentioned before, I'm really weird when it comes to buying the basics. I hate buying normal things like deodrant, hairspray and toothpaste, I just find it such a chore! Such a lazy git! Deodrant especially, I tended just to buy the one that was on offer at the time, but thinking about it, it generally was Sure products, I'm not sure why!

I'm not a stinky person, I don't have a BO problem and I do regularly wash, but I can sweat a lot in the day, as I find that my office is bloody boiling and so in the winter its a massive shock to go from sub temperatures to a bloody oven, so I tend to sweat. Not stinky sweat, just a bit, but I was always paranoid that it would smell and would be rushing to the toilets to check my pits! LUSH image for you there, sorry readers!

Sure Maximum Protection claims to have 48 hours of under arm protection. You apply this at night before you go to bed and then it should last you all of the next day, and beyond. Obviously I haven't tried the two day claim but I think it would be excellent for festivals or camping trips! I have to say, it does last all day with no under arm wetness or odour. Generally, I apply it in the mornings because I forget to apply it at night (who applies deodrant before bed??) but I did do the overnight test once and I did notice that it still worked! 

The formula is a creamy twist up stick, which almost feels like a lotion when applied and dries to a powder. I don't tend to use these sorts of formulas as I prefer spray, but this one has changed my conceptions completely!! 

I have actually been using this product since the summer, and I found it to be a really really good product, I didn't have to worry at all about my deodrant, and basically, I wouldn't be without it! I think it is one of the strongest antiperspirants I've ever tried out and I really do like it and think that it is worth the extra few quid, and if you have issues with your underarms like me then this would 100% recommended! Love love LOVE.

No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser - Review

No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser - £9.95

I am super super poor at the moment so I was on the lookout for a cheap but decent cleanser, and armed with a £5 off Skincare voucher from No7, I decided to go and have a look at what they had on offer. I think £9.95 is a really reasonable price, compared to the £25+ I've paid in the past for cleansers, which essentially, do the same job. I've documented my journey with the new Liz Earle formulation of the Cleanse & Polish, which makes me react like a bitch, and Emma Hardie was over-hyped and smelt too strong for my tastes. I love the Lancome one,but I thought I'd give the high street a go!

I am pleasantly surprised by this, being a make-up snob and having no experience with No7, I really wasn't sure what to expect. I associate the brand with my mum and her lipsticks, so had no clue what the skincare was like at all. Its a generous 200ml tube, and it gets all of my make-up off in one go, even the majority of my eyelash glue too (fist pump). The texture is pretty thick, it actually reminds me of Sudocrem, it looks identical?! Smell is fine, I wasn't hit with a smack in the nostrils, and I don't have to do a second cleanse because the first one didn't get it all off!

One thing I would say though, is that the "cloth" you get with it is absolute shite and I'm definitely going to be sticking to my Liz Earle ones! For £4.95, this is brilliant, and I will definitely repurchase and wouldn't hesitate in paying full price! Well done Boots!

I've now got my eye on their new fake clarisonic  electrical cleanser, as its a snip at £25 and I won't mind so much if I hate it! I have to say, since sending my Clarisonic back and getting refund, I don't miss it at all, and my skin is improving ever day!! As always, I can't find a link for the new Boots one but I'm sure we will be sick of hearing about it soon enough when every single bloody beauty blog out there is raving / slating it!

In other news I'm gutted to be back at work, christmas flew by FAR too quickly and I'm still struggling to get out of bed in the mornings! I went out for my birthday last friday, and whilst I spent Saturday hungover on the sofa watching crap TV, my boyfriend ran a marathon! Lazy girl and bad girlfriend points to the max. Awk. Hope you're all having a nice week, and woohoooooooooooooo for the weekend, I'll be spending it on a train, long-distance is so standard now after four years!

Over and out.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - £12.25

After seeing all the blogging hype around this product within the last year or so, I finally caved and bought it, as my hair needs some serious TLC at the moment (hence all the hair-related posts!). I paid £12.25 through Feel Unique, and although I think this is quite a lot for a hair mask, I did see the difference after use, and I will hopefully use it as weekly thing.

I have really long hair, not as long as Anna, but I'd say at least nipple length, so I found that I almost had to use half a tube to get it all the way through my hair. I saw a quote from one hairstylist who said "You only need a 50p sized amount"; and to her I say, LIAR. There is no way I would get that through the ends of my hair, let alone the rest of it! I'm going to hopefully use less of next time and try to work more through the hair, as £12.25 is quite a lot for only two uses!

I tend to apply just a bit further up from where I would apply conditioner, but not directly to my roots at all because I have really oily roots, and I don't think that this would help at all.

Generally, when something is massively hyped and I jump on the bandwagon, I am massively disappointed, but I'm pleased to (finally) that this wasn't the case with this product! My hair was so smooth and silky, and noticed a massive difference.

I will definitely be repurchasing this, and its a massive thumbs up from me!

(Sorry for the crap quality of these photos, I will use my DSLR again after the next couple of posts, promise!)

Kerastase Bain Divalent

Kerastase - Bain Divalent £14.05 from Feel Unique

Hair wise, I'm generally one of those girls that relies heavily on good old Head & Shoulders, as I suffer with the dreaded dandruff, but also a really sensitive, itchy scalp so I find the aloe vera version to be excellent for my hair. I was reading through the InStyle Best Beauty Buys app, and saw that this was recommended by a top hairdresser for people with oily roots yet dry ends, and this is exactly what I suffer with, so I thought I'd give it a whirl! Initially, I thought £14 was quite a lot for a shampoo, as I am one of those girls that hates paying over £6 for shampoo in Boots but will happily splurge £30 on a foundation... what is up with that?? Anyway, I had high hopes as I'd always wanted to try Kerastase, so I popped it into my basket and I was excited for it to arrive.

I did have very high expectations for this shampoo, mainly because it was highly recommended and I was desperate for a product to extend the time between washes, which for me is generally 3 days, with dry shampoo in between, probably the day after I wash it.

After the first few uses, I didn't notice a marked difference at all, and I think my ends are exactly the same, just as dry as before. I think it extended the time between washes a bit, but not enough to impress me and to warrant a crazy, discovery reaction. My problem (amongst others) is that I suffer from a really sensitive scalp, so after the first day I noticed that my scalp started to itch, which usually happens when I use heavily scented products such as Herbal Essences.

In summary, I doubt I'll be repurchasing as I found that it made my scalp itch and didn't really make a difference. 

I am going to Glastonbury in June where I won't be able to wash my hair for 6 days, and I find that dry shampoo irritates it so much, so I'd really appreciate any hair recommendations that anyone has for a sensitive scalp? Please pop them below! Hope you're all having a good week, I can't believe its only Tuesday, groan!!! 

VO5 Give Me Texture Instant Oomph Powder

VO5 Instant Oomph Powder - £4.07 from Boots, Superdrug etc.

Sorry for my massive lack of posts over the last month or so, but I've got some more coming up so hopefully I will post more regularly... as a massive blog reader myself I know that there's nothing more off-putting that a blogger who hardly / sporadically (thanks Cher) posts!

I am shit at hair. There, I said it. I have no clue and I literally have the same style every single day, a half up-half down beehive that CONSTANTLY gets me Amy Winehouse references. Just so you know, mine is definitely NAT that big. My hair is fine, but there's a lot of it. Does that make sense? Probs not. But you know what I mean. It was the discovery of the century when I found dry shampoo, as I noticed that it not only keeps the grease at bay (oily roots, dry ends, lucky me!) but also gives volume... RESULT.

I am constantly on the quest for massive hair, (for totally hair envy, look at Kelly, HOW DOES SHE DO IT), and I find that this dropped into the roots of my hair, underneath the top layer, makes a massive difference. 

It feels so weird the first time you use it, almost like you're putting sand or grit into your hair, but I am so impressed with the results and surprisingly, a 7g tube lasts a long time, I've had mine for at least 6 months and I've hardly made a dent! Highly recommended if you desire Kelly-style hair like me, and only £4.07, which I think is really reasonable!

Do you have the same hair woes as me? Please share any miracle products below! 

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm

Feel Unique - £27.20 with free delivery

I first became aware of Emma Hardie after reading skincare expert Caroline Hiron's amazing and hilarious blog, and she kept harping on about it so after a while I took the plunge. I wasn't sure what to expect as I've never tried a "balm" cleanser before, and I am basically stuck in a cleanser rut.

I was loyal until Liz Earle changed the formula of Cleanse & Polish (the Liz Earle lady lied to me on the phone and said they haven't changed the formula... they have! Apparently they've removed the almond milk). I digress. But ever since this change my skin had a massive reaction and I can no longer use it. I used the Estee Lauder Take It Away one for a while, which I liked, but when I ran out I fancied a change and I've been using the Lancome Galatéis Douceur gentle softening cleansing fluid which I really, really love and would 100% recommend, especially if you've got sensitive eyes like me.  

As I've nearly run out of that one too I thought I would try another one, and this was my first port of call. First impressions of this? The smell. I know some people love it but I'm really not a fan, it just smells too heavy for me if that makes sense? But I'll get that past that, its not so bad that it puts me off the product, but it is a strong smell. The instructions say to mix with warm water to get a "paste", but obviously I mixed it with too much water and just had runniness the first time I used it, idiot.  But now I've figured it out and I did notice that my skin was smoother, but it also felt so heavy and no matter how many times I cleaned my face with the cloth, I always felt like I had a sort of greasy film left on the surface of my skin after using this.

I also noticed that it didn't take all of my eye-make up off, and I wasn't even using waterproof mascara or anything, just normal MAC fluidline and some cheap mascara! I was really disappointed with this, as it meant I kept fiddling with my eyes trying to get all the remaining make up off, which irritated my eyes massively.

In a nutshell, I know that so many people "adore" this balm and now wouldn't be without it, but for me, I just find it too heavy, leaves a sort of film on my face and doesn't remove all my make up. So a thumbs down from me I'm afraid, I doubt I'll be repurchasing.

(For reference, I've been using mine for almost a month now and I reckon I'm about three quarters of the way through it).

Clarisonic Mia 2 - Review

Clarisonic Mia 2 - £130 from Space NK

I'm not going to go through the in's and out's of how a Clarisonic works, you all know the deal, and frankly I wouldn't be surprised if you're sick of reading about it, but if you're looking for a negative review, you're in luck!

I'd been wanting to try the Clarisonic Mia for over a year, but the ridiculous large price tag had put me off for a while, until I bit the bullet just before Christmas and whacked it on my credit card (I cannot save!).  I was so excited for it to arrive, but also worried because I'd read the awful reviews about how it had wrecked people's skin for months and the purging phases, etc etc. It came with a 90-day money-back guarantee, so I knew I could return it if I wasn't 100% satisfied.

My first reaction, honestly, was that I was totally underwhelmed. I don't know what I expected, but for £130 I was definitely expecting at least a much better travel case, not the rubbish piece of plastic that you get that they claim is a "case", its not, its just plastic! I was disappointed from the start, but still had high hopes of the results.

I was surprised during the first week that I didn't have any major spots. I noticed a few on my chin(s), where I never normally get them, and a few on my cheeks, but not enough to make me be like OH MY GOD CLARISONIC YOU'VE RUINED MY SKIN, so I perservered.
After about a week of using it, I realised that it actually felt quite harsh on my sensitive skin, but only on some days, and if I applied my hydraluron serum straight afterwards, it felt like burning on my skin! I thought this was odd, but put it down to my skin having a rough day. But I noticed that it kept happening, which didn't happen if I applied the serum without using the clarisonic before.

I noticed that the spots on my chin were getting worse and worse, but I put it down to a "purging" phase and carried on. Then I noticed that I was getting red rashes on my cheeks, which I never normally suffer with, so it was not going well. I was hoping for brighter skin and a better all over texture, but I was just getting sore cheeks and a spotty chin. I thought that the spots would start to clear up, but they didn't, and it just started to get worse.
I stopped using this after around 2 months of use, and my cheeks went down immediately. The spots on my chin(s) however, are still there, and despite me leaving them alone and not picking at them, they have scarred. Not what I was hoping for,

I decided to return it to SpaceNK, and I got a full refund.

In hindsight, even though I was using the "sensitive" brush head, my skin is just too sensitive for it to be used daily, or even just a few times a week. I thought about keeping it for just using maybe once a month, when I needed a deeper cleanse, but for me, £130 was just too much for a product that I wouldn't miss using.
My skin isn't even that sensitive, I'm fine with most products, its rare that I get a reaction (apart from Cleanse and Polish, I'm looking at you Liz Earle!!!), so I was really disappointed overall to have to send mine back.
But the spots, rashes and sore cheeks just weren't putting up with!

Have you tried the Clarisonic? How did you find it? I'm gutted it didn't work for me!