A Little Trio of Treatments

Avene Cleanance Mask - £15.00

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask - £30.00*

Superfacialist by Una Brennan Rose Intensive Moisture Mask - £8.99

Dubbed the 'triple threat facial' by Vivianna Does Makeup, I've been trialing out my own three-step, at-home, skin-loving facial treat consisting of three masks all boasting different skin-improving properties. Not to harp on about it again, but I do suffer from very temperamental skin which causes me a lot of anguish due to hormonal cystic acne, sensitivity and hyperpigmentation. My skin is horribly sensitive and reactive, so I'm always hesitant to try out new products as the introduction of too many new treatments can often leave my skin a little overwhelmed and, as such, throwing a bit of a strop.

However, I've been using this little trio for a good few weeks now and my skin seems to be enjoying its weekly pamper. First up, I start with Avene Cleanance Mask which really works to draw out all of the nasties lurking under your skin, as well as any impurities. This can feel a little sting-y on my sensitive areas, mainly around the nose, and it can leave those areas feeling a little inflamed and angry, so I tend to avoid those areas with this one and instead focus its efforts on my chin, forehead and cheek area. I suffer from breakouts mostly on my chin and jaw area, so I love using a good detoxifying clay mask on these areas to tackle the blemishes from right underneath the skin. This also contains little exfoliating beads which you can scrub off after 10-15 mins, so it always leave your skin feeling super cleansed, smooth as a baby's bum and thoroughly detoxed.

I tend to follow up Avene Cleanance Mask with the Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask which works wonders to chemically exfoliate your skin using fruit enzymes. I was warned that this might be a little much for my sensitive skin to handle, however it hasn't ever left my skin feeling irritated or sore, so I think I'm good! Again, I do refrain from applying this around my nose due to sensitivity. I've reviewed this in full, so I'm not going to go into too much detail. But basically, this leaves my skin feeling plumped up and renewed, and the next morning I'm guaranteed to have a healthy glow.

Finally, I use Super Facialist by Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask to ingest a whole load of moisture back into my skin, leaving it pepped up and feeling softer than a baby's bum. I'm not the world's biggest fan of rose scents, so I don't particularly enjoy using this, but the results are worth the 10 minutes of scrunched up faces as I try not to retch from the smell. This just feels so cool and refreshing on the skin and really injects a punched up dose of moisture back into my skin. The perfect end to my little trio of treatments.

I've found that using masks in conjunction with one another like this seems to really help make them more effective, and my skin is definitely thanking me for it. Do you use face masks in duos, trios or perhaps even quadruples? Let me know!

Current Skincare Basics

Since coming back from America, my skin has decided to throw a little tantrum (not that I can blame it) at the change in environment and climate. I've had to completely overhaul my skincare routine in an attempt to pacify my skin as it throws all sorts of problems at me - cystic acne breakouts and increased sensitivity to name just a few. The sun and simplified skincare routine in America seemed to work wonders for my skin, but perhaps the reintroduction of my whole skincare stash proved a little too much too soon and so I've been working on a new skincare routine which is a lot simpler and more compact product-wise.

With my Origins Zero Oil cleanser on its last legs, I decided to try a new cleanser from Aesop. The Fabulous Face Cleanser is actually targeted at slightly dry, sensitive skin but its olive oil base seems to work in soothing my irritated skin, leaving it feeling baby soft without a hint of dryness or tightness that some cleansers can leave. It doesn't really foam up, which I'm not used to, but it does clean away all traces of dirt and oil. I haven't been using this for terribly long yet, but I do have high hopes for this cleanser. If anything, it looks super pretty chilling in its pharmacy style glass bottle by my sink.

Toner-wise, I've reverted back to LUSH Tea Tree Water which I strayed away from over the past few months. It's packed with tea tree and this usually is a wonder for me in sorting out troubled, blemished skin so I'm hoping it doesn't let me down this time. I spray a good 8-10 sprays on a cotton pad, swipe all over my face and get on with the rest of my routine. I have been alternating this with an exfoliating toner, but that's a whole other post in itself...

I'm trying to limit the different numbers of serums and treatments that I'm using, at least until my skin is back in check, but I've been trying out HealGel Face* for a good few weeks now and it's something that I'm thoroughly enjoying. I use this both morning and evening after toning and before moisturiser. It's essentially an anti-ageing treatment, but it also claims to help with uneven skin tone which is right up my street. It's a gel-cream consistency and sinks into my skin beautifully, leaving it feeling so soft and hydrated.

In my new simplified skincare routine, I wanted a moisturiser that wasn't too heavy or rich, but equally I need something that does pack a bit of a moisture punch now that we're getting into the colder months. Origins GinZing Moisturiser does just that. Again, it's a gel-cream consistency which my oily skin just loves. It makes for the perfect base to apply my makeup as it does sink in quickly, but I'm not totally sold on the energy boosting claims. It's still early days with this one, so I'll be sure to report back...

Of course, alongside this skincare arsenal I've been trying out spot treatments like nobody's business and I'm still struggling to find something that lives up to its claims.

What do you do when your skin throws a tantrum? Do you have any go-to products? Help me!

A Skincare Haul

Indeed Labs Hydraluron 30ml - £24.99

Indeed Labs Peptabright 30ml - £29.99

Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil 45ml - £28.50

Last week I may have taken full advantage of Boot's 3 for 2 across most skincare offer, and ordered these 3 bad boys to add to my ever-growing skincare collection. I've been after Hydraluron by Indeed Labs in particular ever since I saw it receive a rave review by skincare guru Caroline Hirons. Any product given the thumbs up by her is instantly added to my mental 'to-buy' list. I'm looking forward to seeing if this lives up to its cult status amongst beauty bloggers, I don't think I've read of anyone not liking this yet! No pressure then, Hydraluron.

I popped another product by Indeed Labs into my virtual trolley, one which I haven't heard quite as much praise about yet. As far as I know, Pepta-Bright is the newest addition to Indeed Labs' skincare line and is marketed as an intense brightening treatment. I'm pinning all my hopes on this fading scars on my chin area, and I noticed it's also recently received a mention from the Hirons - can only be a good thing!

I deliberated for a good half an hour trying to decide which 3rd item to choose, determined to get my money's worth! This always happens when I shop. For weeks, I see products and remind myself that I need them. And then when it comes to the actual shopping, my mind goes blank and I have no idea who I am never mind which face oil I saw last week and wanted to buy! I settled for Trilogy Organic Rosehip Oil as I don't actually own a full-sized facial oil and this one sounds perfect for my skin.

Have you tried any of these products or indulged in any cheeky wee purchases lately?

 

PS: You can find me on Bloglovin | Twitter | Baobella

JolieBox June 2012 - Birthday Box

2 weeks after its dispatch, I finally received my first JolieBox. I unsubscribed to GlossyBox last month and since this month's JolieBox is their birthday edition box, I figured it was as good a time as any to subscribe. I know there's been a lot of frustration and anger surrounding the delays with the box, but I'm not going to talk about that here because I'm really pleased with this box so I'm keeping it positive! The box costs £10 a month plus £2.95 P&P, and you receive 4-5 luxury samples.

There were 2 different box designs this month. I had already googled the spoilers to death, so I knew that I wanted the orange box and I'm so pleased I received this design. It's bright and colourful and will look super lovely as storage in my room.

As if the orange box hadn't pleased me enough, I opened the box to find the products in a cute little draw-string bag - more handy storage! I'm a sucker for pretty packaging, and JolieBox has definitely impressed me in that aspect.

Time for the exciting bit! I received 5 products this month plus the additional nail file.

1. Leonor Greyl Volumizing Shampoo - I'm really excited to have received this as I do have fine, limp hair and I've been looking into buying a volumizing shampoo for a while now. I tried to find the RRP online but I can't find a UK stockist, so if you have better luck than me then please let me know!

2. Institut Esthederm Bronz Repair - I've heard great things about this brand and the sample size tube will come in handy when I go on holiday in September. The anti-wrinkle aspect isn't something which I'd particularly go out of my way to find in a product, but I'm looking forward to trying this anyway.

3. Elysambre Long Eyelashes Mascara - I was really hoping to receive one of the Elysambre lipsticks, so I was a little disappointed to receive the mascara. I got it in a brown shade, and since I don't own any brown mascaras this might come in handy for a "no make-up" make-up day instead of my usual intense black mascaras. The thing I do love about this brand is that they use 99% natural ingredients, which is great.

4. L'Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream - I already talked about this in my June Favourites post, as I received it in my Latest in Beauty skincare box. I love it, so I'm glad I've got a second mini pot because they're so handy for traveling and it means I can pop one in my handbag, and keep one at home.

5. Yon-Ka Pamplemousse for Normal to Dry skin - this was the first box where JolieBox offered a customized product for those who had filled out their online beauty profiles. However due to the delay and box mix-up, we were told that we may not receive the correct customized item. I have oily, blemish-prone skin, so I was a little gutted to receive the dry formulation. But I've tested it on the back of my hand and it's not too heavy or greasy and it smells divine, so I'm hoping I'll be able to use it at night since I do still love a nourishing moisturizer at night.

There was also a JolieBox nail file as an additional bonus product.

Overall, I'm really happy with this box. If I'd have received the oily formulation of the Pamplemousse (isn't that just the best word you've ever heard?!) cream, I'd have been even happier. Even though there were a lot of problems with this month's box, I'll still continue to subscribe for next month.

Did you receive a JolieBox this month? What did you get?

Latest in Beauty box June 2012 - Skincare Stars

I ordered my first Latest in Beauty box last week, which was the June 2012 Skincare Stars box. I'm bloody obsessed with skincare products and I'm always adding new products to my already vast collection, so safe to say I was extremely excited about this box!

The box costs £8.95 + £2.95 shipping, so in total it was £11.90. The LIB themed boxes are released every other month, and they usually sell out quickly so if you want to get your hands on one, you have to be quick!

The huge pro of this beauty box is that you can see the contents before you buy, which I think is really handy, even if it does completely eliminate the element of surprise. 

I would have taken more photos of the packaging and products, but I received this box yesterday and I was too excited to take pictures, I ended up ripping everything open and quickly discarding the packaging!

Without further ado, here are the contents:

1. Etat Pur Micellar Cleansing Water - this is a full-size product of 190ml which retails at £6.40. I first heard about micellar cleansing water through the heavily blogged about Bioderma Crealine solution, and I've been dying to try it ever since! I'm a lazy girl when it comes to removing make-up, so this product is perfect for me. You just squirt some of the solution onto a cotton pad, wipe your face and eyes, and ta-da! Make-up is gone! No need for rinsing, which I think is fab. It really just feels like you're wiping your face with water, it's very gentle and so lovely.

2. Balance Me Moisture Rich Face Cream - I don't have much to say on this as it states that it is for dry/sensitive skin, and I have very un-sensitive, very oily skin! So I passed this sample along to my mum. I have heard great things about the Balance Me range, though, so it's nice to see this included in the box. The full size product retails at £24 for 50ml, and this sample was 10ml.

3. Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser - this is a 30ml sample, and the full size retails at £34 for 200ml. It claims to "smooth texture while cleansing away dullness and impurities". I've only used this once so far, but it made my skin squeaky clean (which I love) and I'm looking forward to using it more. Murad is another of those brands which I've heard a lot about, but never had the chance to try, so this was a great sample for me.

4. Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate - this is a 4ml sample which comes in a really cute bottle and has a pipette type dispenser, which I think is great for this kind of product. The full size product is 30ml and retails at £36. I'm really loving facial oils at the moment, so I'm looking forward to trying this out. It claims to reveal younger looking skin, which isn't a priority for me considering I'm only 20, but the other benefits do appeal to me - moisture replenishment and revealing radiance. I think I'll get a good few uses out of this!

5. L'Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream - this is a 15ml sample which comes in a gorgeously packaged little pot, and I just love it! The full size retails at £29 for 50ml of product. L'Occitane is another brand that I've wanted to try for a long time, but I just haven't gotten round to it! I've only used this cream a handful of times, but I do like it and I'm hoping it will spark a deeper delve into L'Occitane products. It's a nice silky consistency and isn't too heavy, which is great for my normal/oily skin as I really hate heavy feeling moisturisers.

6. Melvita Naturalift Youthful Skin Cream - again, I did pass this over to my mum as I don't feel like I need to start using anti-aging products just yet! This was another generous 15ml sample, the full size is 50ml and retails at £32. Melvita is the baby sister brand of L'Occitane, so I'm expecting to hear some good feedback from my mum on it! This cream is organic, and 99.31% of the ingredients are from a natural source, which I think is really great.

Overall, I loved this box. I love being able to try samples of products like these because frankly, they're just too expensive to buy them and end up not liking them! I find that sample sizes look much prettier in my storage boxes, too. I think my favourite product from this box is the Murad cleanser, but I do love the L'Occitane cream too. I'm looking forward to the next box already!

Did you manage to get your hands on the Skincare Stars box? What was your favourite product?