REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask - 50ml - £30.00*

Now, I'm sure we would all like skin which is a little more radiant and I for one am no exception. I've always suffered with skin that is a little on the lacklustre side, to say the least. So when REN came along with this little gem, I knew I needed to give it a try. The Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask* certainly packs a punch! It's full of bio extracts - fruit acids and various acids, to be exact - which act as chemical exfoliants to slough away dead skin cells and leave skin feeling renewed and more radiant. It also claims to even out skin tone - what more could you want?

The mask itself has been likened to the consistency of jam, and I can't argue with that. It's sticky, translucent orange and does smell slightly sweet. The important thing here is not the mask's resemblance to jam, however, but its ability to live up to its ambitious claims. Does it ramp up my skin's radiance? In a word, yes. I can feel a slight tingle when I apply this to my skin, which I personally really like. For a skincare product, it's unlikely to see instant results but with this mask, I do notice that my skin looks perked up and more even immediately after using the mask. I've been using this for the past few months every week or two, and I can definitely say that my skin is more even and if I ever need a little glow boost before a special event, this is the mask that I crack out for the occasion.

I find myself using at least 1-2 pumps to cover my entire face, so I can see myself running out sooner than I'd like. But it's definitely worth the investment! At £30 for 50ml, it isn't the cheapest of products out there but as I always say, skincare should be an investment and that's something that I'll always stick by. For reference, my skin is combination/oily, prone to breakouts with sensitivity around the nose and cheeks. REN do warn that customers with sensitive skin should approach this product with caution, however it didn't flare up my sensitive areas at all.

If you're after a face mask which actually delivers on its promises, this is the one for you. Have you tried any other REN products that you'd recommend? What's your go-to product for ramping up the radiance?

Purity Skincare

 Purity Facial Wash - £4.99*

Purity Conditioning Cleansing Lotion - £4.99*

I've been trialling these products from organic skincare line Purity over the last few months. My skin has been acting up recently, going from dry and irritated, to oily and breaking out all within the space of a few days - a definite temper tantrum! So naturally, I've been seeking out skincare remedies which contain less chemical nasties and more natural goodness to try and bribe my skin to behave!

I've been using the Facial Wash as my morning cleanse and really enjoying it. I like something quite light to cleanse with in the morning as my skin does get oily throughout the day, but equally I can't seem to use anything specifically for oily skin because it dries my skin out. This face wash seems to have the balance just right, it leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh without stripping it and leaving it dry. It has quite a runny consistency and a little goes a long way!

I've been using the Conditioning Cleansing Lotion in the evenings to remove the majority of my makeup before I do a 'real cleanse'. This is a light, milky solution that you massage all over your face to remove makeup. I remove it with cotton pads, and it leaves my skin feeling baby soft. It doesn't remove all of my makeup, so I always follow up with a hot cloth cleanse. It leaves my skin feeling calmed and prepped for cleansing, and if I'm feeling really lazy then I sometimes just finish this off with a swipe of toner to remove any excess makeup then jump into bed.

Overall, I'm really impressed with this affordable skincare line and if you're in the market for natural, organic skincare products, Purity would be a great place to start!

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Purely Natural 0 Tolerance Cleanser

Purely Natural 0 Tolerance Cleanser - £6.95* - 100g

I received this cleanser a few weeks ago now, and I wasn't planning on reviewing it for at least 4-6 weeks to see how my skin got on with it. Unfortunately, I managed to use this a grand total of 2 times before I had to stop. Firstly, the brand and products sound right up my street - natural, handmade, preservative-free! I opened the tub and was instantly reminded of LUSH solid cleansers. It looks like a ball of cookie dough and you simply pinch a little bit of product off, mix with a little warm water until it forms a paste, and cleanse away. The packaging is awkward, I'm not sure if it's just me but the tub is slightly too large for my hands so using this in the shower proved to be a bit of a mission as I was concentrating on not dropping the tub!

I chose the 0 Tolerance cleanser because recently my skin has become increasingly more sensitive and I didn't want to risk irritation. I tried to use this as my morning cleanse, but as soon as I opened the tub, a pungent smell hit me straight away. I'll admit, I have a very sensitive nose when it comes to scents and I prefer things to smell neutral. I can't place fault with the cleanser because it's fragrance-free and whatever the smell is, comes from the ingredients. I did persevere and use the cleanser but I absolutely dreaded having to use it again purely because of the smell. I can't even describe it, it just wasn't pleasant and I couldn't bear to use it near my face any longer.

On the positive side, the 2 times I did use this cleanser, my skin was left soft, not feeling tight or dry, and clean. I can't comment on the long-term effects of the cleanser, but it didn't irritate my sensitive skin or dry it out. If your sense of smell is harder to offend than mine, then you might get along with this and I certainly won't be dismissing Purely Natural's other products as I do love their brand ethos and affordability.

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