Skinceuticals Advanced Brightening UV Defense SPF 50 Review

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I'm sure you know by now, that I'm a huge fan of Skinceuticals. They might not be the cheapest but their products are always high quality and effective. So I was excited to be sent their latest SPF to try. I've been using it for the last couple of months (it's almost empty) so I thought it was time for a review. 

This chemical SPF is unique as not only does it protect from the sun but it contains active ingredients to improve pigmentation and even out skin tone. The ingredients are 1% Tranexamic Acid and 2% Niacinamide. Now I've heard of Niacinamide before and use it daily in my skincare routine but Tranexamic Acid was a new one to me - in skincare anyway! Tranexamic Acid is also used as a medication to prevent excessive bleeding (I'm pretty sure I've had it in the past for my Endometriosis). I initially thought it was strange to have an acid in a SPF, as I assumed that it was an exfoliant. Then I did some research and realised it's not an exfoliant at all! Tranexamic acid is actually brilliant to help fade pigmentation and discolouration, just like Niacinamide. So pairing them together is a brilliant idea. 

Now on to the how the SPF performs. It's a beautiful, lightweight lotion consistency that absorbs quickly and completely into skin, leaving no white cast. I'm obviously very pale skinned so can't say for certain but I do think this would be suitable for darker skin tones. It doesn't leave skin looking or feeling greasy, just well hydrated. I've had no pilling issues from it regardless of what products I used underneath, which is always a big plus for me. So it's perfect to reapply during the day and wear under makeup. As I have freckles which always come out in summer no matter how much I stay out of the sun and lather on the SPF, it's been hard to judge if this has made a difference to my skin tone. But I know that having Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid will help fade any new freckles quickly so that's definitely a bonus! 

All in all, I've really been impressed with this SPF and would definitely recommend it, especially if you're wanting to fade pigmentation. 

Skinceuticals Advanced Brightening UV Defense SPF 50 is available from Skinceuticals and Skin City for £45.

Murad Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector Review

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I don't know about you but dark circles are the bane of my life! I spent years trying different eye creams to no avail and settled with trying to cover them up with colour correctors and concealer but nothing ever really did the trick. That was until I found Drunk Elephant C-Tango eye cream. It actually worked, my dark circles were gone! But after Drunk Elephant's recent behaviour in relation to the Black Lives Matter movement, I no longer wish to support them. Luckily for me, I found a replacement just at the right time! 

I'm of course talking about Murad's new Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector. This serum contains gold-stabilized L-ascorbic acid Vitamin C which is a special complex that is more stable and efficient. It also contains algae extracts to de-puff and soothe and cucumber extract to smooth skin. It's a lightweight, hydrating serum that is golden in colour which is brilliant as you get the added bonus of it brightening your eye area by colour correcting it. For me, this makes it a product to use in the morning, rather than at night. I've been using this for about 9 weeks now and have been really impressed with the results. It's helped keep my dark circles away, making it an ideal replacement for C-Tango. I think the Murad serum will last longer too as you don't need as much product as it's easier to spread as it's more lightweight. 

Just a little extra point, regarding dark circles. A lot of the time dark circles can't be fully treated by over the counter products as they're caused by lack of sleep or are hereditary or are because the skin in that area is very thin and translucent. In some cases, under eye "tear trough" filler can help. But don't underestimate the power of a good night's sleep! For me though, this serum has been effective and I'll certainly repurchase it.

Murad Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector serum can be bought from Murad, Space NK, Cult Beauty, Skin City and Feel Unique for £56. 

Dermalogica Active Clay Cleanser Review

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Dermalogica's Active Clay Cleanser is designed for oily skin, like mine. It contains a mix of Kaolin clay and Activated Binchotan Charcoal to help absorb oil and impurities from the skin. It also contains Prebiotics and botanical lipids to help balance skins microbiome. Having a balanced microbiome is essential to have healthy skin. Think of it like the good bacteria in your gut but for you face. 

The texture of the cleanser is absolutely wonderful. It's light, almost mousse-like and feels super cooling when applied. It has a subtle citrus scent, which I love. I like to apply the cleanser and leave it on for a minute or two, usually whilst I clean my teeth. If feels really luxurious to use.  The cleanser rinses off easily and leaves skin feeling super soft and fresh. I found it really effective at clarifying my skin and getting rid of any oil but without being harsh or stripping. It gives the effects of a clay face mask instantly without leaving skin feeling tight. For me, it's a perfect morning cleanser as it leaves my skin looking and feeling great! It's brilliant to leave pores looking clear and refined. I highly recommend it if you have oily skin.

Dermalogica Active Clay Cleanser is available from Dermalogica, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic & Skin City for £35. 

Dermalogica Retinol Clearing Oil Review

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Dermalogica's new Retinol Clearing Oil is designed for those (like me) who want to tackle blemishes and signs of aging. It's an oil that contains a potent mix of time release Retinol and Salicylic acid. The oil is a mix of Golden Jojoba, Rosehip seed and Argan to soothe and nourish skin. 

The treatment is designed to be used at night. I was a bit worried with it being an oil, that it might cause pilling / rolling of my other products. I'm pleased to say, I had no issued with it. The oil itself is such a beautiful consistency - it's incredibly lightweight yet still nourishing. It's what I'd class as a dry oil which quickly absorbs and doesn't leave skin greasy. The oil does have a light pleasant scent which doesn't linger. 

I used this oil for just under a month and had mixed results with it. For the first couple of weeks, it worked brilliantly to keep my skin clear. It was when I hit weeks 3 & 4 that I noticed I was starting to get a number of closed comedones on my chin. I then stopped using the oil and went back to my previous separate Retinol and exfoliating serum. Within a week or two the comedones were clearing up and my skin was getting back to normal. So unfortunately this didn't work for me. Please bear in mind that I have acne which has taken a lot of trial and error to get under control. My usual routine that works for me is a 1% Retinol serum and an exfoliating serum containing 2% Salicylic acid and 10% AHA acid. Plus I usually have a month Medik8 peel which contains an even higher strength of Salicylic and AHA acids. Obviously I've not been able to have the peels for a number of months due to COVID lockdown. This is just what works for me, my skin obviously needs the higher strength products to keep my acne under control. 

So unfortunately the oil isn't quite strong enough for my needs. Dermalogica don't disclose the strength of the active ingredients but the highest salicylic acid can be is 2%. After looking at the ingredients list, the oil contains Retinyl Propionate which is a Retinoid / Retinol ester.

 This means it's a very gentle form of Retinol.  Unfortunately for me, it's just not enough to keep my acne under control. Such as shame as I really enjoyed using the oil! I liked that I could cut out a step in my routine as it was basically two products in one. I do however think it's a wonderful product that would certainly recommend for someone with occasional breakouts, rather than acne like me. 

Dermalogica Retinol Clearing Oil is available from Dermalogica, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic and Skin City for £69. 

Skinceuticals Blemish + Age Defence Serum Review

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I'm sure you know I'm a huge fan of Skinceuticals. Their science backed formulas are super efficient. On paper the Blemish + Age Defence serum sounds perfect for me. It's a serum containing a mix of glycolic, salicylic and dioic acids that work together to tackle both blemishes and signs of aging. So I was surprised when I initially didn't get on with it. It's a lightweight serum that absorbs quickly into skin. The first thing that I noticed was how strongly it smells of alcohol. Now I'm not against alcohol in skincare, especially when it's an exfoliating product as it acts as a penetration enhancer, meaning that it helps the ingredients get into you skin better. I did however find it quite overpowering. Luckily the smell dissipates very quickly. Aside from that, the consistency of the serum and how it absorbs felt great. I didn't have any pilling issues when applying further products. 

For the first couple of week of me using this - I found that it gave me some sensitivity and made my skin feel really hot when first applied. It wasn't the normal acid tingle feeling though. It was a flush of heat alongside redness to my skin. I was worried it could be a reaction so I stopped using it for a bit. However I decided to give it a second chance and I'm so glad I did! After using it again a couple more times, my skin stopped flushing and there were no issues with it at all. I even got used to the initial alcohol smell. So I think it was maybe just my skin getting used to it as it's a potent product. After that I saw nothing but great results! It helped keep my skin clear, clearer than it had been for a long time, which says a lot as I have acne. It helped shift some stubborn blocked pores that I had, as well as keeping my skin smooth. So in the end, I've been incredibly impressed with this serum and am so glad I gave it a second chance!

Skinceuticals Blemish + Age Defence serum is available from Skinceuticals & Look Fantastic for £90 and Skin City for £73.

June Empties 2020

Well we're officially halfway through the year! Isn't it flying by? Anyway here's June's empties.

Bioglan Beauty Collagen Gummies (bought myself, available HERE for £18.99) - Collagen supplement make a huge difference to my nails - they're much stronger and grow longer. These are my favourite supplements as they're just like sweets! They taste lovely. I have them on subscription from Holland and Barrett so I don't run out. You get them a bit cheaper this was too.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend them? Yes

Will I repurchase? Already have!

Juliette Has A Gun Not A Perfume (bought myself, available HERE as part of a tester set for 20 Euros) - I got this as part of a discovery tester set. If you buy a full sized perfume within 2 months of buying the tester set, you get the cost of the set knocked off the price of your perfume. It's a beautiful, clean, fresh scent. Love it.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes I've bought this in full size. 

REN Skincare Atlantic Kelp & Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash (GWP I think! Available from REN, Space NK, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique & Look Fantastic for £22 for a full sized bottle) - This shower gel is nice enough. It has a fresh scent. It leaves skin feeling soft, not stripped. It doesn't wow me though and I didn't notice any anti-fatigue benefits.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No.

Clockface Beauty Balanced Recovery Body Oil (PR, available HERE for £25) - This is a lovely body oil. It's quite thick and rich so a little goes a long way. I liked to use this when my Endometriosis is playing up as it's great to relax me.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes in the future, I've got a few body oils to get through first!

 

Medik8 Clarity Peptides serum (bought myself, available from Medik8, Skin City, Feel Unique & Look Fantastic for £40) -  You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - This is a beautiful silky serum that contains 10% Niacinamide and peptides making it brilliant to keep pores looking refined and skin looking "glass like". Love it.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes just not yet as I've got a couple of other Niacinamide serums to test first.

Skin City 24hr Rich Emulsion (PR, available HERE for £29) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - This is a gorgeous moisturiser with fantastic ingredients including Niacinamide and Ceramides. I was worried that it may be too rich for my acne prone skin but as it's an emulsion - it's actually quite a lightweight texture. It still manages to be very nourishing though. It was a perfect winter cream for my oil / dehydrated skin. Highly recommend!

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes 

Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen (bought myself, available from Cult Beauty for £30) - I've had to give up on this! It's designed to be invisible on all skin tones. As it's clear, it definitely isn't visible when applied. It feels exactly like a makeup primer as it contains silicone. At first, I loved it! It applied beautifully, feeling super smooth on my skin. It even blurred my pores. However the more I used it, the more I didn't like it. I'd say 8/10 times that I tried it, it pilled and rolled off my face. I was really careful to not use other products containing silicone prior to applying. I waited for my other products to fully a absorb and I wasn't putting makeup on top. It still pilled! The only times it didn't pill was if I only applied a small amount, as I would with a primer. It worked fine then! Unfortunately this doesn't give you adequate protection. If I applied the correct amount to give me proper protection, it pilled. So it was a complete fail for me!

Marks out of 10: 2/10

Do I recommend it? No

Will I repurchase? No.

Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defence SPF 30 (PR, available from Dermalogica, Skin City, Look Fantastic and Feel Unique for £49) - You can read my full review of this HERE but  to recap - I really struggled with this due to it being a mineral SPF. I found it too thick and heavy for my skin. It would be better suited to dry skin types. It would leave a white cast on darker skin tones.

Marks out of 10: 4/10

Do I recommend it? If you have pale dry skin and love a mineral SPF, yes. For everyone else, no.

Will I repurchase? No.

Allies of Skin Triple Hyaluronic Antioxidant Hydration serum (Gifted from Space NK as part of their NDulge reviewing program in return for an honest review. Available from Space NK for £72 and Cult Beauty for £77) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - this is a fantastic hydrating serum that's packed full of amazing ingredients. I love it!

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes I already have.

The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C & EGF serum (bought myself, available from The Inkey List, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic & Boots for £14.99) - Initially I really loved this serum. It has great ingredients - a mix of Vitamin C and peptides. It's a lightweight runny serum that absorbs really well. It doesn't have that hot dog water scent that some Vitamin C serums have. So it's a pleasure to use. Plus it's a bargain! Unfortunately I didn't really see any effects from it other than initial hydration. I think the type of vitamin C is quite gentle so would say this would be more suitable for Vitamin C beginners. It's a lovely serum, just not really suitable for my needs.   

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? If you're new to Vitamin C, yes.

Will I repurchase? No.

Medik8 Ultimate Recovery Bio-Cellulose Mask (PR, available from Medik8, Look Fantastic, Feel Unique for £60 & Skin City for £57 for a pack of 6) - These are some of the best single use masks I've tried. I first tried them as part of the Medik8 peels at Beauty At The Gate, which is what they were originally designed for. They're made from a biodegradable natural fibre that doesn't dry out. I find the masks to be a brilliant fit and they stay in place well too. They soaked in hyaluronic acid, zinc and rockweed algae extract to hydrate and soothe skin. After use skin is visibly hydrated and plump.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend them? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes.

 

Algenist AA Barrier Serum (bought myself, available from Space NK, Cult Beauty & Look Fantastic for £80) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - This is one of my favourite nourishing serums. It contains Niacinamide along with antioxidants. It feels so soothing when applied. This is my second bottle of it now and I've got a third ready to use!

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Already have.

Paula's Choice x Skin City Super Hydrate Overnight Mask (bought myself, available from Paula's Choice & Skin City for £7 for travel sized and £29 for full sized) - This is a nice hydrating overnight mask. I found it worked best for me applied over moisturiser rather than in place of. It's very lightweight. I did find it a bit sticky which isn't great as you end up sticking to your pillow!

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No.

Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup Melting Butter Cleanser (bought myself, available from Space NK & Cult Beauty for £29 for a full sized tub) - I really didn't like this cleanser. It smells like grease / fat which really puts me off. It's super thick and quite hard to spread over your face. It felt like spreading margarine on my face! It removes makeup well though. It definitely needs to be removed with a flannel / cloth because of how thick it is. Total fail for me.

Marks out of 10: 2/10

Do I recommend it? No.

Will I repurchase? No. Even if I liked this, I wouldn't be repurchasing as I no longer want to support Drunk Elephant after the way that acted about the BLM movement. It's the latest in a long list of things that the brand has done that I don't approve of. So I'll be taking my money elsewhere from now on. 

Evy Technology Daily UV Face Mousse SPF 30 (PR, available from Space NK & Evy.uk for £25. You can save 15% at Evy.uk using my affiliate code TORIA15) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - this is my all time favourite SPF. It's incredibly lightweight, it's hydrating, it doesn't sting my eyes, there's no white cast. no SPF scent and it never pills / rolls so is perfect to wear under makeup. Plus it doesn't break me out which is really important for my acne prone skin. It's the best!

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes, to everyone.

Will I repurchase? Yes, of course! I always have a back up so I don't run out. They now do a factor 50 version too which I'm using at the moment and will purchase in future instead of the 30. I've got a 30 in my stash to use up though so I'll probably keep that for winter. 

A.Florence Skincare Balm to Milk Cleanser (bought myself, available HERE for £33) - This is my all time favourite balm cleanser. It has the most beautiful orange scent that I find so uplifting. The texture of the balm is gorgeous too - it melts easily and is brilliant to massage your face. It removes makeup easily too. Plus it rinses clean easily. Love it!

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Already have! 

Paula's Choice Resist Daily Pore-Refining Treatment 2% BHA (bought myself, available from Paula's Choice, Space NK, Skin City & Feel Unique for £30 - shop around it's often on offer) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - this is a fantastic exfoliating toner that really keeps pores clear. It's a super lightweight, non-oily and also contains peptides for added anti-aging benefits.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes at some point. I'm testing another one at the moment.

Dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel (PR, available from Dermalogica, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic for £79 for 10 & Skin City for £70) - These are individual use AHA and enzyme peels. It's a gel texture that you apply as a mask and leave on for 3-7 minutes before washing off. I felt a bit of a tingle when first applying. My skin was left feeling soft and smooth after. I liked this but didn't find it any more effective than my usual exfoliating serum.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend them? Yes 

Will I repurchase? No.

Clinique Moisture Surge Eye serum (bought myself, available from Boots, Feel Unique & Look Fantastic for £27.50) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - This is a lovely hydrating serum. It's lightweight, easily absorbed and isn't sticky. 

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No because I want more that just hydration from an eye product. 

Elemis Pro-Collagen Neroli Cleansing Balm (bought myself, available from Feel Unique & Look Fantastic as part of a set) - This took me ages to use up and I loved every use of it! It smells absolutely amazing. I actually think I prefer this version to the original and I love that. It removes makeup brilliant and is such a treat to use.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes at some point.

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

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