An obsession with skincare, makeup and all things beauty. Honest reviews and opinions.

Tuesday 19 May 2020

Allies Of Skin Promise Keeper Blemish Sleeping Facial Review


*This post contains affiliate links.
Space NK UK 
I've been using Allies Of Skin Promise Keeper Blemish Sleeping Facial (what a mouthful!) for about 3 months now and I've held off reviewing it until now for good reason. I have a real love / hate relationship with this product. But first let me tell you about the product itself before I get on to my thoughts about it.

To start with, if you've not heard of Allies Of Skin before - they're a high end brand that produce multi-tasking products that are jam packed with effective ingredients. They're designed to make skincare fuss free and easy to use.

So on to Promise Keeper Blemish Sleeping Facial. It's a leave on overnight treatment designed for spot prone skin like mine. It promises to help stop break outs, whilst keeping pores clear and smoothing skin. It contains a blend of acids (Mandelic & Lactic), along with antibacterial colloidal silver, soothing manuka honey, Niacinamide, organic rosehip oil, hyaluronic acid and 15 antioxidants. It comes in an air-tight pump tube.

Now on to my thoughts. The product itself is cream / serum type consistency. It's very lightweight. I find I feel a slight acid tingle when I apply it. It has a bit of an odd scent - almost like fishy plastic! I think this is down to the rosehip oil - it's a scent I really struggle with as I find it off putting. Unfortunately the scent lingers quite a bit which I'm really not keen on. The more I used it though, the more I got used to it. Obviously this scent is the natural fragrance from the ingredients as there's no added or artificial fragrance in the treatment. Lot's of people like to avoid fragrance in skincare. Personally I don't have an issue with fragrance in skincare (most of the time anyway). In fact when it comes to things like cleansers, masks and moisturisers - I like them to smell nice! It's part of the self care aspect for me - I enjoy using products with a lovely fragrance. So for me, the scent of this is a negative. Obviously for others, no fragrance is a selling point!

The treatment is designed to be the last step in your routine. Again this is something I struggled with. I found it left my skin quite sticky or tacky, enough for me to stick to my pillow even though I'd applied it hours before. I also didn't find it hydrating enough. I got round this by applying a hydrating sleeping mask over the top. Another issue I had was pilling. I had to be very careful what products I used alongside it in my routine. I found that if I really pared back my routine on nights that I used this, I wouldn't have any pilling. This fits in with AOS's ethos of having multi-use products and a simple routine. Now I'm a long routine girl at heart but I found this great to use on nights when I couldn't be bothered! I'd use this as part of a basic routine - job done! The final issue I had with it was that because it's a potent blend of acids, it's not something I could bring down on to my neck or round my eye area without it causing irritation. Which is difficult when this is technically meant to be your moisturiser / last step!

Results wise - I can't fault it, it's brilliant! The day after using, my skin always looks smooth and clear. It does a great job of clearing up spots and helping with skin texture. It's very impressive! So you can see my conundrum with it. I find it joyless and difficult to use but I love the results it gives me! So the question is, will I repurchase it? No. For me skincare has to be effective AND enjoyable AND easy to use. If this were a serum, I wouldn't hesitate to repurchase it. I don't mind a serum being boring to use as I can follow it up with a wonderful cream. But I can't handle not enjoying the last step in my routine, it takes all the self-care aspect out of it for me. Plus it's very expensive! If I'm forking out that amount of money for skincare, it's got to bring me joy!

Now the main question is - would I recommend it? YES! No question that this is an amazing, highly effective product, it's just not right for me. All of my issues with this are purely personal and certainly wouldn't be a problem for others. I would say that if you like a no nonsense routine, this would be perfect for you!

Allies Of Skin Promise Keeper Blemish Sleeping Facial is available from Space NK for £115, Cult Beauty and Feel Unique for £122.   Cult Beauty Ltd.
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Tuesday 12 May 2020

Medik8 Clarity Peptides Serum Review

*This post contains affiliate links.
Feelunique (UK)
I've been using Medik8's Clarity Peptides serum for over a month now so thought it was time for a review. I'm sure you know that I'm a huge fan of Medik8 - they're a science backed brand that produce consistently great products that give results.

Clarity Peptides is designed to give skin a natural luminosity whilst helping tackle spots too. It contains 10% Niacinamide, Crystalide Peptide and Zinc PCA. Niacinamide is a bit of a wonder ingredient as it does so much! It helps with oiliness, meaning pores look smaller and more refined. It also strengthens the skin whilst calming and soothing. It can help reduce texture and pigmentation too. Crystalide Peptide gives skin a natural glow and smoothness. Peptides are great for anti-aging. PCA Zinc increases collagen production and helps to smooth and perfect skin. All three ingredients working together are a recipe for "glass skin".

Now before I get into my review properly, I've got a bit of a disclaimer. Prior to testing this, I'd been using Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide booster (review HERE) in my skincare routine for well over a year. So I didn't expect any drastic results from this serum as when it comes to Niacinamide results, my skin will really be in a maintenance phase.

Anyway, on to the serum itself. It comes in a squeezy tube and you get 30ml for £40. Consistency wise, it's a beautiful, milky texture that feels really silky when applied. You can feel that it has silicone (dimethicone) in it but it's very, very subtle. It's not a heavy suffocating silicone, if that makes sense! It just gives it that extra bit of smoothness as it glides on, which I love! I've not had any pilling issues with it. I layer it between a Vitamin C serum and Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense - it works brilliantly that way. I wouldn't say it's particularly hydrating - I definitely need something else after it as my skin gets very dehydrated.

I would definitely say it's maintained the results of the previous Niacinamide serum - it's kept my oiliness in check, my pores look refined and my skin is just in all round good condition. When it comes to Peptides, it's hard to judge sometimes if they're doing anything. But for me, they're always a welcome addition to my routine. I've loved using this serum and would say it's on par with my favourite Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster. They cost pretty much the same but this one is actually better value as you get 30ml whereas PC is 20ml. PC is often on offer though. I'd definitely repurchase this in the future. I've got another Niacinamide serum to test next then a bottle of PC in my stash to use up first though. I'd definitely recommend either of them! I'd say it depends on what texture you prefer as to which you go by as PC is a runny, water like consistency.

Medik8 Clarity Peptides costs £40 and is available from Medik8, Skin City and Feel Unique.

 Feelunique (UK)
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Saturday 2 May 2020

April Empties 2020

*This post contains affiliate links and PR items. 
Feelunique (UK) 
Conunat Eye Cream (PR, available HERE for £18.95) - This is a light, hydrating eye cream that contain caffeine and hyaluronic acid. It was nice enough to use but didn't wow me.
Marks out of 10: 5/10
Do I recommend it? It you're looking to hydration, yes.
Will I repurchase? No


Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster (bought myself, available from Paula's Choice, Space NK, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique and Skin City for £41) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - it's an absolutely fantastic serum. This must be bottle 5 or 6 now, which shows how much I love it! It's very lightweight, almost like water like. It absorbs easily and is really hydrating. With prolonged use it helps control oil, meaning my pores look more refined.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? I've got a bottle ready to go in my stash but I'm testing out another niacinamide serum first.


Kate Somerville Eradikate Treatment (bought myself, available from Kate Somerville, Space NK and Cult Beauty for £22) - You can read my original review of this HERE but to recap - this is a holy grail product for me. I've gone through numerous bottles of it now. It's a concentrated mix of salicylic acid and sulphur which help clear up the spot with calamine lotion to cover it and keep it clean. It can flatten and reduce spots overnight. It's potent though, I won't use it more than two days in a row else it can cause dryness.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it: Yes
Will I repurchase? Already have. This will always be in my skincare stash.


Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask (GWP, available from Fresh, Space NK, Cult Beauty for £29-77) - There's a lot of hype surrounding this mask and I can see why! It's the most beautiful texture - it's like a fluffy, smooth mousse! It's feels very cooling and tingly (in a good way) when applied. It leaves skin feeling great! Really soft and revitalised.
Marks out of 10: 9/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes


Drunk Elephant TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum (bought myself, available from Space NK and Cult Beauty for £76-113) - This is my all time favourite exfoliating serum. Nothing gives me smooth, clear skin quite like it! It's super effective but still gentle enough for me to use it daily alongside retinol.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Already have.


Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Brighten Booster (PR, available from Super Facialist and Boots for £18) - This is a lovely light serum that can be used on it's own or added to your moisturiser as a booster. It absorbs well and is nicely hydrating. It contains 1% Vitamin C so is very gentle and would be a perfect introduction to Vitamin C. I personally prefer a higher %.
Marks out of 10: 5/10
Do I recommend it? If you're a seasoned Vitamin C user, no. If you've not tried Vit C before, yes.
Will I repurchase? No.


L'oreal Revitalift Filler + Hyaluronic Acid serum (PR, available from Boots, Look Fantastic and Feel Unique for £25) - This is a nice hyaluronic acid serum. It leaves skin well hydrated and plump. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the fragrance. It's not unpleasant or particularly strong but I'm sensitive to certain scents (they give me migraines).
Marks out of 10: 6/10
Do I recommend it? Yes my issue with it is purely personal.
Will I repurchase? No, there's other hydrating serums that I prefer.


Samaya Kapha supplements (PR available HERE for £39) - These supplements have some amazing ingredients including Turmeric, Hyaluronic Acid, CoQ10 and Vitamins A &E. I didn't notice any drastic changes in my skin whilst taking these but it can be hard to measure with supplements. You often need a few months of taking them to see results plus what works for one, doesn't work for another.
Marks out of 10: 5/10
Do I recommend it? Yes they're worth a try
Will I repurchase? No.


Indeed Labs Squalane oil (PR, available HERE for £19.99) - This is a gorgeous light, hydrating oil. It's perfect for acne prone skin like mine. You only need a couple of drops so it lasts ages. The only downside is that it has to be used within 6 month, hence there being loads left!
Marks out of 10: 9/10
Do  I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes at some point.


MOR Marshmallow Sugar Crystal Body Scrub (PR, available HERE for £23) - This is a gorgeous body scrub. It's sugar in an oil base so isn't too harsh and is very moisturising. Smells lovely too!
Marks out of 10: 7/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Probably not as I prefer the Beauty Pie body scrub more.


BYBI Bakuchiol Booster (gifted in return for an honest review from Boots Review Panel, available HERE for £12) - This is a hydrating, light oil that absorbs quickly and easily into skin. It can be used alone or added to a moisturiser.
Marks out of 10: 7/10
Do I recommend it: Yes
Will I repurchase? Probably not as I don't use oils that often.


BYBI Strawberry Booster (gifted in return for an honest review as part of Boots Review Panel, available HERE for £12) - This is quite a thick oil so I preferred to mix it in with my moisturiser. It's great to calm and hydrate skin.
Marks out of 10: 6/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? No


REN Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Gel (bought myself, available from REN, Space NK, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic & Feel Unique for £22) - This is one of my favourite cleansers and a constant repeat purchase. It's a beautifully, runny, silky gel that lathers nicely and leaves skin super soft and clean. It's incredibly gentle. A perfect morning or second cleanse.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Already have!


Tangerine & Grapefruit Bath Bomb (gift from a friend, price / origin unknown) - This has a lovely uplifting scent and left my skin nice and soft.
Marks out of 10: 7/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Would I repurchase it? Yes


Le Couvent Des Minimes Aqua Minimes hand cream (PR part of a set, brand is available from Look Fantastic) - This is a lovely citrus scented hand cream that left my hands lovely and soft. Unfortunately the scent of this gave me a migraine (I'm sensitive to certain fragrances).
Marks out of 10: 7/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? No


Sol de Janeiro Brazilian 4Play Shower Cream-Gel (bought myself, available from Space NK, Feel Unique and Cult Beauty for £10 for this travel size) - This is a gorgeous shower gel. It's super creamy and leaves skin soft. Plus it has the same gorgeous scent as the Bum Bum cream.
Marks out of 10: 9/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Already have. 


James Read 1 Hour Tan Glow Mask Face & Body (PR, available from Feel Unique for £35) - This was the first fake tan product that I've used. I'm mega pale so have always been scared to use one in case I was left looking like an Umpah Lumpah! I tried this twice using a mitt to apply it. It's a cream consistency and applied easily. It had a slight biscuity scent but wasn't unpleasant. I left it on for an hour both times and unfortunately could barely tell a difference when I washed it off! The only obvious areas where my knuckles which looked grubby. I think that I probably didn't apply enough of the product as I was being overly cautious. I could have left it on longer (it does say 1-4 hours despite being called 1 hour) but to be honest it was too much of a faff to try it again! I'm resigned to the fact that fake tanning isn't for me. I'll stick to being ghostly pale!
Marks out of 10: 1/10
Do I recommend it? No
Will I repurchase? No.


James Read H2O Tan Mist Face (PR, available from Skin City and Feel Unique for £20) - Now this one I actually liked! It's easy to use - you spray it on your face as the last step in your skincare routine. It did say it could be used over makeup but I didn't like the idea of that so I used it on a night. It has a biscuity smell but again it's not unpleasant. It definitely gave my face a lovely natural glow. It's not particularly long lasting, especially as I use acids / retinol. I found I needed to use it daily. As much as it worked well for me - I can't be bothered with the upkeep of it, especially as I don't tan my body. It looks odd having a tanned face but pale body. Plus it meant that my foundation looked too pale so that was enough to put me off using it to be honest. Great product, just not for me! I'll be passing both tan products onto a friend.
Marks out of 10: 8/10 
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? No.


La Mer The Concentrate (free sample, available from Space NK for £155-390) - I'd been looking forward to using this sample as it was the first Le Mer product I've tried. Unfortunately (or fortunately for my bank account) it was a huge disappointment! It was the texture of it that really put me off. It feels more like a primer than a serum, it was like spreading pure silicone on my face! Now I'm not against silicone in skincare or makeup, it can be very useful but this was something else! It felt quite cloying and heavy. Not what I expected at all. I thought it would be a beautiful, light milky serum. At least it's saved me some money!
Marks out of 10: 2/10
Do I recommend it? No
Will I buy it? No.


Hello Day Sun Prime supplements (PR, available HERE for £27) - These are designed to help balance pigmentation and enhance your tan. Unfortunately as I've not been in the sun, I've not been able to tell if these work or not! The effectiveness of supplements can be so difficult to measure. I think it would be unfair for me to mark these out of 10 and recommend them or not because of this. 
Will I purchase them? No.


Skinceuticals Phloretin CF serum (PR, available from Skinceuticals & Look Fantastic for £150 or Skin City for £128) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - this is the gold standard of Vitamin C serums. Skinceuticals absolutely nail it when it comes to vitamin C, which I reflected in the price. Yes it's expensive but it's worth it, as long as it's within your budget that is! It's brilliant to give skin a bright, even glow and to help fade pigmentation.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes at some point. I've got some others I want to test first.


Bioglan Beauty Collagen gummies (bought myself, available HERE for £18.99) - You can read my review of these HERE but to recap - These are my favourite collagen supplements. They're just like a sweet! It makes such a difference to my nails when I take these - they're much stronger and healthier. 
Marks out of 10: 9/10
Do I recommend them? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes I've got them set up on monthly subscription at Holland and Barratt. They give you them at a reduced price then. Unfortunately they're out of stock at the moment so I've completely run out!


L'Occitane Shea Shower Body Oil (bought myself, available from Feel Unique for £19.50) - This was the first shower oil I've tried - it won't be the last! It's a beautiful gel / oil consistency that is super nourishing and gentle. It doesn't foam up or lather but it does emulsify with water. 
Marks out of 10: 9/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes


Beauty Pie Super Healthy Hair Repair Treatment (available HERE for £5.56 for Beauty Pie members - if you're not familiar with Beauty Pie - read my review HERE) - I used this in place of conditioner. It was ok, it left my hair soft but I didn't think it was any better than a regular conditioner. 
Marks out of 10: 5/10
Do I recommend it? For the price, yes but if you're hair is really damaged, no.
Will I repurchase? No


Kora Organics Turmeric Brightening and Exfoliating mask (GWP, available HERE for £43) - I wasn't really impressed with this. It's a physical and enzyme exfoliating mask. The physical scrub was really harsh on my skin and I usually like a scrub! It contains peppermint which is very cooling but which sometimes caused sensitivity. Plus the turmeric in it made it very messy! It can stain so I was very  cautious when using it. I ended up using it up on my body and even then I didn't manage to finish it all.
Marks out of 10: 1/10 
Do I recommend it? No
Will I repurchase? No


Dr Botanicals Lemon Superfood All-in-One Rescue Butter (PR, available from Look Fantastic for £17 for a tub) - This is a multi-use balm that can be used as a moisturiser, cleanser or treatment balm. It smells absolutely amazing - like lemons / lemongrass. I used it as a hand cream as it was super nourishing without being greasy or heavy. It would absorb instantly. 
Marks out of 10: 9/10
Do I recommend it? Yes especially if you hate greasy hand creams.
Will I repurchase? Yes.


Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Touch Hand Cream (bought myself, available from Space NK, Cult Beauty & Feel Unique for £15) - I absolutely loved this hand cream! It has the same gorgeous scent as the Bum Bum cream. It's really lightweight and absorbs instantly so there's no greasiness at all. 
Marks out of 10: 9/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes


A.Florence Skincare Skin Rehab Light moisturiser (bought myself, available HERE for £31) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - This is one of my favourite moisturisers. It's lightweight yet still incredibly nourishing and soothing. It's my go to after I've had a peel. Highly recommend. And don't worry I got every last bit out of the bottle once I'd taken this photo!
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes


REN Skincare Evercalm Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask (bought myself, available from REN, Space NK, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique and Look Fantastic for £34) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - This mask is fantastic and will always be a repeat purchase for me. It's a thick cream that instantly calms, nourishes and hydrates skin. If my skin is feeling stressed out or sensitive I always turn to this.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Already have.


And that's it for this month! Thanks for reading. 

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