Beauty: Skin Revivals Oils

Even though argan and plant-based oils have been used in beauty treatments for centuries, it seems that over the past year face and hair oils have been hailed as the 'new' beauty miracle products.

I work in central London and as much as I love it, the commute and pollution definitely takes its toll on my skin, making it look and feel dull. This brings me to facial oils, which are known to help revitalise your skin, they dissolve impurities in the skin far better than water based products. 

At first I struggled with the idea of facial oils, I have combination skin so the thought of smothering my face in oil was not something I jumped at. However, I have now embraced these and am a bit of a fan.

The new Skin Revivals Facial Oils are 100% natural, the products that caught my eye were the Vitamin Boost, Anti-Ageing Facial Blend and of course Organic Argan Oil.

Just a couple of drops applied daily and you already feel the difference, my skin feels more hydrated and brighter.

Vitamin Boost Blend £9.50:

Any product with the word 'vitamin' in the title and I'm sold. I use this in the morning after cleansing my face, for maximum effects the tip is to apply this when your skin is still moist to help lock in the moisture. My skin does feel greasy at first, so I try to apply it early enough for it to sink in before applying my make up.

Anti-Ageing Facial Blend £11.50:

I have been applying this before bed, again after cleansing my face. I feel as though it is getting to work as I sleep which is great. I love the smell, it is a really refreshing citrus scent. This contains Evening Primrose, Argan Oil, Rosehip Oil, Sea buckthorn Oil (which consists of vitamins A and E) and Mandarin Oil.

Pure Organic Argan Oil £11.00:

Argan Oil is the magic ingredient, claimed to nourish and protect skin, hair and nails. It contains vitamin E, essential fatty acids and antioxidants as well as being renowned for its anti-ageing properties. As I have been using the other two products for my skin, I have used this on my hair and nails, it has been brilliant at helping to keep my nails strong as the weather has turned cold.

These products are all available in 25ml dropper bottles from www.beautynaturals.com

Liv x

Skincare: Top 3 Cleansing Products

I’ve always been an avid follower of the ‘Cleanse, Tone, Moisturise’ regime but back in my student days these consisted of cheap high street cleansers, toners and moisturisers until I was introduced to the brand Elemis - then everything changed and I realised the importance of using good quality skincare.

Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser

Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser

Compared to the previous cleansers I had used, this product made my skin feel really clean. Rather than just removing the top layer of makeup I could see it had got rid of all dirt and grime from the day yet without stripping the skin of moisture.

I also have the Balancing Lavender Toner which compliments this product and helps to close the pores after cleansing.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish - Hot Cloth Cleanser -

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

About two years ago I attended a beauty awards event and was so excited to see the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish in my goody bag. I had heard such great things about this product as well as the brand as a whole so had high expectations...it didn’t disappoint.

This is a much thicker cream and smells so fresh, it is made from natural ingredients such as Eucalyptus oil and Beeswax so you know it's good for your skin. After massaging one or two pumps of this on to your face you then run the muslin cloth under warm water and wipe it off, this also acts as an exfoliator.

This makes your skin feel so fresh and tingly!

Left: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish. Right: Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser

The only down side is the effort, I realise that makes me sound lazy but after a hard day the thought of smothering my face in a thick cleanser and taking time removing it with the cloth...I'd rather just use a lighter, quick cleanser you can remove with cotton pads. Therefore, I tend to use this about once a week or at the weekends to thoroughly clean my skin.

Clarisonic Mia

After much hype around the Clarisonic from the press to the celebs (Millie Mackintosh swears by it...and from looking at her glowing complexion she's a pretty good advert!) I was so happy to get a Clarisonic Mia of my own about a year ago.

I would love to say I have used it religiously ever since, but noting my earlier comment reality is I do go through phases of using it lots and then not for a while. However, when I do use it I notice the difference in my complexion. 

Clarisonic uses small sonic vibrations of up to 300 movements a second, to help clean, soften and smooth your skin. They state that you can use it up to twice a day but I would say it's probably best to use it every few days so to not over exfoliate your skin. However, the great aspect of the Clarisonic Mia is that it isn't harsh at all instead it provides gentle cleansing process but I always believe in balance and not to overdo it. 

Another great element of this product is that it alerts you to move on to the next area of your face with a series of beeps. I like this feature as it makes me feel I have spent enough time for my cheeks, forehead, nose and chin. 

One thing to note that gets me every time is that it can feel a bit ticklish especially around your nose...every time I use it on my nose I have uncontrollable giggles! 

After using it a few times a week for a few weeks my face felt noticeably smoother and looked much clearer. I also feel that it must be helping to tone my skin due to the vibrations, this will help prevent sagging and loose skin in years to come.

To conclude

Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser for everyday use, Liz Earle Cleans & Polish to really clean the skin and for deeper longer lasting results also use the Clarisonic Mia a few times a week.

Liv x