Cold Weather Skin Saviours

If ever there's a time when my skin feels a bit dry, dehydrated and lacklustre it's at this time of year. The bitingly cold weather and central heating are recking havoc on my skin not to mention the after effects of one too many late nights in December. My skin has a tendency to get very sensitive in the cold but over the last few years I've managed to come up with an arsenal of products to keep it in tip top condition. 

Cleansing is so important in the cold, anything foaming will just strip the small amount of moisture there is in the skin. I've been using the Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil in the evenings and the Aurelia Miracle Cleanser in the mornings and as a second cleanse at night. The combination of the two have left my skin feeling fresh and clean but still plumped up, nourished and soft. 

The Clarins Special Eye Contour Balm is one I seem to come back to every winter, I spoke about it more in my Morning Skincare Routine Video which you can see here. It's rich and moisturising but still sinks in easily and sits well under makeup. I've also upped my usage of Time Bomb's Youth Juice Secret Oil from a couple of times a week to 3 or 4, I've also been piling it on on at-home, no makeup days. It too sinks in easily and the lovely scent makes it such a pleasure to use. 

I generally moisturise my body all year round but in winter I love an oil or a super rich body butter. The Bliss Lemon+Sage Body Butter is so thick it's almost solid, it takes a bit of rubbing in to get it to sink in but boy is it worth it! I've been quickly working my way through this deluxe sample tube but a full size purchase may be in order! 

Two things I definitely couldn't forgo are hand cream and lip balm, Soap & Glory Hand Food is everyones favourite for a reason, it smells lovely, is lastingly moisturising and most importantly doesn't leave a reside on the hands. The Body Shop's Coconut Lip Butter is thick and moisturising enough to heal even the most cracked lips but unfortunately does leave a bit of a pale cast on the lips. For that reason, I reserve it for overnight use and I always have super soft lips come morning!

What are your favourite cold weather products?

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Nip+Fab Bee Sting Fix Lifting Mask

I'm pretty new to lifting masks, in fact the Nip+Fab Bee Sting Fix Lifting Mask is the first one I've tried. They're designed for more mature skin, to lift and firm which is why I hadn't tried them before but seeing as this one claimed to also add a boost of hydration I thought I'd give it a go!

The mask has a clear, gel texture and spreads onto the skin easily, I left it on for about 10 minutes and then just rinsed off the excess. It can also be left on overnight for a super intensive treatment. It left my skin feeling soft, plumped up and very hydrated so I was really pleased with the results. I probably won't be using it very regularly but I'll definitely use it as and when if my skin is feeling dehydrated or as a pre-party mask to give my skin a bit of extra glow. I also think this would work really well as an in-flight mask as it's completely clear and would help protect skin from getting dehydrated and dry.

Have you ever tried a lifting mask?

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Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Night Cream

Moisturisers are a bit of a difficult one for me, I usually find them to be either not moisturising enough or far too heavy and clog my skin. I've found a few exceptions over the years that I like, but never one I've loved, until now. I've been using the Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Night Cream for just over a month now and I can honestly say it's the best I've ever tried. 

Why do I like it so much? The main reason is the formula. It feels like a thick, rich cream but the moment you start massaging it into the skin it sinks in. It doesn't disappear immediately leaving you feeling like you need to apply more but it doesn't just sit on the skin either. I often find that when night creams do that they mostly end up on my pillow! Rodial describe it as a 'plumping' moisturiser, and it definitely delivers on that account, I've been waking up every morning to cushiony soft skin. My moisturising skin serums and oils have been going untouched for the last month as I haven't felt like I've needed them, this cream has been giving my skin all the moisture it needs.  

It contains Dragon's Blood (resin from the Dragon's Blood Tree) which smooths and hydrates the skin, wonder ingredient hyaluronic acid which has the ability to hold 1000 times it's weight in water meaning your skin holds onto the moisture it already has a well as that of any products you're using. Retinol, an ingredient proven to even skin tone and pigmentation and Niacinamide which calms down  irritated skin. It also contains Shea butter which leaves skin feeling soft and nourished but is an ingredient that's best avoided if you have acne or very oily skin, for everyone else, it's fine!

I can't comment on the claim to visibly reduce fine lines in 4 weeks as I don't have any, but as I said it definitely does give a plumping effect. I have however definitely noticed my skin looking brighter and more even toned, thanks to the retinol I'm sure.

   

There is one thing I feel I need to address with this and that's the price, at £58.00 it's not exactly cheap but I do genuinely feel it's worth every penny. As I said before I've not needed to use any serums/oils along side it which is something I'd normally do, so for me this is a 3 in 1 product. As well as that I've been using it every single night for just over a month and as you can see from the picture I've only just scraped the surface, a little really does go a long way with this as it spreads so well. I've already decided that I'll be repurchasing this when it runs out but luckily for my wallet that won't be for a long time! 

Avialable at Space NK

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REVIEW: Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel

When it comes to skincare, eye creams/gels are definitely the most recent addition to my routine so I've only tried a few. So many of them have such over ambitious and unrealistic claims, like erasing lines and rewinding the ageing process but all you really need is something that moisturises and is easily absorbed.

The Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel is super cheap and does just that, making it a great option if you're just thinking of dipping your toes into the eye product pool. As it's a gel it feels really cool and refreshing when applied, this makes it great for calming down puffiness first thing in the morning. If you want it to feel extra refreshing and depuffing, store it in the fridge. 

If you have very dry skin around the eye area, this probably won't cut it, you'll need a richer cream like the Clarins Special Eye Contour Balm, but for anyone else this would be a great product. 

Do you use an eye gel/cream as part of your skincare routine?

REVIEW: Anatomicals Spray Misty for Me Facial Spritz

I've spoken about facial sprays before, I particularly love the Caudalie ones (read more here) but I recently tried the Anatomicals Spray Misty for Me Facial Spritz and I quite like it!

It doesn't overtake my love of the Caudalie ones, but then it's quite a bit cheaper. Enriched with peppermint, rose and aloe, it soothes and refreshes the skin. I personally love the fragrance, the peppermint makes it really reviving while the rose and aloe tone it down a notch and give it a softer edge. 

The only real disadvantage with this product is the spray top, where the Caudalie ones give out a really fine mist that leaves a light veil over the skin, this is a bit heavier. Once I've spritzed it onto my face I find my the top of my hair and half of my T shirt is covered too, not great if your hair is prone to a bit of frizz! I also find it leaves skin almost wet rather that just ever so slightly damp, so if you're using it over makeup to perk up the skin you could find your mascara on the run!

I've be using mine as a toner which works really well, over all I really like it and I think I'll love it even more in the summer because of its refreshing properties!  

REVIEW: The Body Shop Aloe Eye Defence

When it comes to good quality skincare with no added nasties on a budget, I think The Body Shop is one of the best. I particularly love their Vitamin E and Aloe ranges.

I thought it would be a good time to review their Aloe Eye Defence as it's been designed for sensitive skin and my eyes are feeling particularly sensitive at the moment, are you fed up of hearing about that yet?

It has a really light texture and the formula is the mildest I've ever found. A tiny dot of it patted into the eye are immediately cools, soothes and moisturises skin. It also contains prebiotics which are supposed to 'reinforce the skin's natural barrier', I'm not sue if it does this long term but I can definitely say that skin feels a bit more resilient while it's on.

All in all it's a great budget eye cream for sensitive skin, or any skin for that matter! It's light texture makes it sink in really quickly so it creates a great base for eye makeup, because I've been using it mainly in the day time, I find it's also a good shield against the elements. In the evenings I've been using Clarins 'Special' Eye Contour Balm (full review here) which much is richer and creamier. 

Do you use an eye cream?

REVIEW: Clinique Rinse-off Foaming Cleanser

I'm not a big fan of foaming cleansers and this one only reminded me of that. I like to keep things quite positive on this blog but I do feel it's important to mention when I don't like things too.

I generally prefer cream and oil based cleansers because I find they're a lot kinder on the skin, the only time I really use foaming cleansers is if I'm travelling. I had a mini version of Clinique's Rinse-off Foaming Cleanser so I thought I might as well give it a try.

It's safe to say I really, really didn't like it! It foams up well but isn't great at removing makeup, something I always expect a cleanser to. I had to wash my face twice to get it all of and it left my skin feeling really awful. It felt tight, squeaky, uncomfortable and dry. Even after pilling on the moisturiser afterwards my skin still didn't feel quite same. 

That said, everyone's skin is different so what doesn't work for me might well work for you! 

REVIEW: Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief is a light moisturiser with a gel texture. It sinks straight into the skin as soon as it’s applied and I think it would be perfect for combination/oily but dehydrated skins.

At the moment I feel it’s not quite moisturizing enough for me because my skin is really dry due to the cold weather. As soon as I put it on, my skin just drinks it up and feels dry again. That said I do think it would be perfect for me come summer when my skin tends to loose all it’s sensitive tendencies and is prone to looking a bit shiny. It leaves skin with a matte to natural finish and works amazingly well under makeup, no overly shiny residue at all.

So I think I’ll be stashing this moisturizer away for now to use in the summer when I’ll get the most out of it!

Have you tried this moisturizer? What do you think of it?