Product Review: SkinCeuticals Sheer Mineral UV Defense SPF 50

Hey LPM Lovelies,

Those of you that have been following me for a while will know that in regards to my skin, one of my biggest issues is with scarring from previous acne breakouts. A big part of my fight against my scarring is with sunscreen. I cannot stress the importance of it enough, in that I find that using it helps to prevent further darkening of the scarring I have, by protecting my face from the suns rays. 

Needless to say I am on the hunt to find the perfect sunscreen and will be testing a few out until I do. So moving onto my first sunscreen review, I present you with SkinCeuticals Sheer Mineral UV Defense SPF 50

What they say

“Sheer Mineral UV Defense SPF 50 offers breakthrough formulation technology in mineral sunscreens: a first-to-market transparent, mattifying, paraben-free SPF 50 fluid. Employing all-mineral broad-spectrum filters, SkinCeuticals fills a void in the sunscreen market by providing high UVA and UVB protection in a lightweight, ultra-sheer texture for all skin types, even very sensitive. The photoprotection of trusted broad-spectrum mineral filters is enhanced by Artemia Salina, a plankton extract that increases the skin’s defenses to heat and UV stress. This silky sheer fluid spreads evenly and dries quickly, leaving skin bare and soothed.”

The good

I have been using this daily for the last 3 months and I think it has been fantastic for protecting my face from the sun and stopping my scars from getting any darker. It's very light and sits nicely with my moisturiser without that heavy sticky feeling you can sometimes get when you layer products in the summer. 

The bad

Sadly it’s just not transparent on my dark skin! which goes against the product blurb!! It leaves a white cast on face that unfortunately results in me looking like an extra from the twilight cast! – see a swatch of my hand below. It definitely improves when I put my makeup on, but I think the mix with my foundation gives me a slight grey tinge that is only wearable when I blend like mad..

My other problem (although this is an issue with my skin rather than the product) is that if you have any sort of dry skin on your face it seems to accentuate the dry skin making it more obvious. Like I said clearly an issue I need to solve - but still it's quite annoying as by the time you put your sunscreen on you are hardly likely to run back into the bathroom to have a scrubbing session.

All in all though I think it's a great sun protector and it seems to last for quite a while, I just wish it was actually transparent.The sunscreen retails for £31.00 and is available from a number of UK stockists, see the page for details http://www.skinceuticals.co.uk/stockists.php

#74 Inlight Organic Skin Care Review

I was recently sent some skincare products from Inlight Organic Skincare which I have been using for the last month or so to see how they work. The skincare line was developed by Dr Mariano Spiezia a medical doctor, homeopath and herbalist with over 30 years of scientific research to his name. The brand is certified by the Soil Association and is 100% organic and wholly plant based.

First up is the Inlight Organic Face Cleanser which they describe as a deep skin cleanser with a mild exfoliant action which removes the outer layer of dirt and dead cells.
I was quite keen to try it as I have discovered I have a new love for oil based cleansers especially at night time when I feel like I have some spare time and really want to remove all my makeup and give my based a good massage. It looks like a cross between a balm/oil and is packed full of highly nourishing oils such as Coconut, Jojoba, Evening Primrose, Shea Butter and Olive oil as well as a particular blend of essentially oils such as lemon, green tea, ginger and lavender. I found that it deeply cleansed my face but unlike some other deep cleansers I have used in the past it didn’t leave it feeling dry or irritated. A good thing to note with this cleanser is that unlike a lot of other oil cleansers it doesn’t emulsify with water so after you have massaged it into your skin you need to remove it either using a muslin cloth or damp cotton wool. I initially wasn’t too pleased that it didn’t emulsify but after a few days I found that my skin seemed to prefer this method, It might just be that it loves the extra layer of nourishment that it leaves behind. Another thing I found is that because of some of the essential oils that it contains, I think it’s slightly more astringent than other oil cleansers I have used in the past, but I really liked this about it, as it worked perfectly for my combination skin leaving it feeling moisturised but clean. It retails at £24

I also tried out the Floral Face Tonic which is a blend of fragrant floral waters such as rose, lavender, grapefruit and chamomile. It has a very interesting smell and to me it smells more herbal than floral but I love that it is alcohol free and it helped to freshen and tone my skin without drying it out. It retails at £18

For further information or to purchase any products check out their website at www.inlight-online.co.uk

#53 A Beauty Sales Assistant Fights Back!

So you guys might remember my recent rant on the general rudeness and unhelpfulness of beauty Sales Assistants? Well it seems one assistant has decided to fight back…..Meet Juliet from the ReVive Counter at Liberty.

It all started on another one of my beauty exploring days, I found an unmanned counter which following my last beauty shopping experience, I was obviously beyond ecstatic that there was no one there and was happily applying and fiddling away with the various Lotions and Potions on display. Next thing I hear a voice saying “Hello can I help” – if I’m being honest I think I actually groaned out loud (yes rude I know but I couldn’t help it) while frantically thinking “Aargh it’s a sales assistant – quick scan the room for exits you need to escape” unfortunately I couldn’t seem to find the immediate exit and what can I say good manners prevailed so I turned round and said yes please! I was just looking at these products because I have heard so much about them etc….. to which she asks me what my skin care concerns are and I list the usual. She then replies with “well I can’t really help you with this brand as this isn’t my counter but we have some fantastic products at ReVive that I think would be perfect for your concerns”

Ha!!!! I think - I should have known it was all a ploy to lead me over to your counter and try to sell me your brand – at this point I have already more or less decided to add her to my Sales Assistant’s Black List.

Anyway fast forward about 20 minutes and all I can say is wow! Juliet is so lovely and genuine – asking general questions about me as well as telling me about herself so much so that I feel like I have made a new friend! She simply tells me about the brand and what products she thinks would help as well as providing advice on other products outside of the brand that she thinks are great - even going as far as to speak to another counter where she offers up her sample pot so they can give me a sample of a body moisturiser that she thinks is amazing for me to try. She is helpful and informative without being at all salesy or pushy and she sends me off with a huge amount of samples to use believing that the brand will sell itself and its better for me to try and be happy before I buy. What can I say I am more than impressed and she has won me over hands down.

On the subject of the ReVive Skincare brand, which is huge in the States, I think it sounds promising and it has received rave reviews. The skincare line is based on one principle. Your skin regenerates itself every two to three weeks when you are in your 20s, but as we age, that regeneration slows to every eight or nine weeks. Dead skin cells gather on the surface and skin looks dull and worn out. So Dr. Greg Brown the founder of the brand designed ReVive products to speed up skin-cell regeneration. ReVive has recreated a molecule called EGF, or epidermal growth factor, which is produced by your body to regenerate skin cells. Using EGF, ReVive is meant to help your body naturally produce these proteins on a faster level.

Sounds pretty good but I don’t think my current budget will stretch to buying anything from the range just yet as it’s quite pricey. Has anyone tried anything from Revive? If so what did you think?

P.S Thanks Juliet for being so amazingly helpful and restoring some of my faith in Beauty Sales Assistants.

Xoxo

#33 Natures Gentle Demabrasion

I absolutely love face scrubs, I love the fact that you feel like your whole face has been scrubbed clean of all the debris and dirt! Which is why usually I always feel that the more grainy or abrasive they are then the better they are – you would think so no?

However for the last few weeks whilst working on my face overhaul I have found that all my grainy and chemical based scrubs have made my face feel a tad bit sensitive and more than a little sand blasted, which was how I found myself agreeing to buy and try out Origins Modern Friction, and what can I say I have been converted to the more smooth and less grain school of thought!

They describe it as “Natures Gentle Demabrasion - an age-smoothing exfoliation without irritation. Skin-refining Rice Starch, cushioned in cream, rapidly removes sluggish cells, uneven patches and signs of skin damage and discolourations. Lemon Oil kick starts the process of illumination. Vitamin C mops up skin-menacing free radicals. All while Aloe keeps skin calm and comfy. There's no ouch, extra steps or other complications. No redness or flaking follows. The before-and-afters are amazing. Signs of lines and size of pores appear to shrink. Skin looks perfectly polished, smooth and luminous. And the perk-me-up aromas of Bergamot and Peppermint help you look on the bright side.”
I have found that on using it twice a week (and note here that a little goes a long way) it did away with any pesky flaky bits, helped to hoover up my blocked pores, and left my skin looking smooth and polished. It also seems to be helping to even out some discolorations as well as providing a bit of a glow prior to me even putting on any makeup! And best of all, my skin has lost that sensitive scrubbed feeling. Love it…

It’s available at Origins and is priced at £28.00

#22 Anti-tan gel for darker skin - Uzuri Natural Beauty

There are certain products which on arriving through my door literally leave me buzzing with excitement. And Uzuri Anti – Tan Gel is one of them! Finally a sun protector specifically formulated for my skin type, which addresses the needs of many women of colour to maintain their natural skin tone and not go darker during the summer months.

New to the market, Uzuri natural beauty is an anti tan lotion, which has been developed with a high SP factor (SPF 40) for the darker skin types (Asian, Afro Caribbean, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern) to specifically help prevent tanning. It also protects against the harmful effects of the sun and premature skin ageing with high UVA (3 stars) and UVB protection.

It’s the brainchild of two sisters Tazeen Usmani an orthodontist and Naila Usmani a consultant dermatologist who got together to develop the product after failing to find a suitable alternative on the market. Tazeen explained that "Having an Asian skin I naturally didn't want to go any darker in the sun and tried for years to find a sun block that didn't leave an unsightly white residue on the skin"

On trying out the product I found that it was easy to apply and absorbed very quickly without me needing to rub it in. I love the fact that it’s a high SP factor of 40 but in contrast to other high factors on the market, it is a completely clear gel so it didn’t leave that horrible white residue on my skin.

It retails at £11.99 and is available to buy on the website. As if the product itself wasn’t enough, until the end of August there is an offer on their site for you to buy one and get the second half price. For further information check out their website www.uzuriskin.com

#8 I'm protected

This post is a tad bit late this week. Why? Well I was suffering from post holiday blues! I mean it was all sun, sand, sea, glorious food and sangria for a whole week…I came back and what did I get? Crappy weather and shed loads of work, happily waiting for me!!! And I swear the work had a smug look as if to say…hah!! You thought you could get a way didn’t you – well I showed you!! Cue evil laugh…ha, ha, ha…I mean is it too much for a girl to want to keep that holiday feeling going?

As they say there is no rest for the good, is there? Anyhu I have now been cheered up by a box of goodies from the folks at John Frieda with a number of lovely looking products which are meant to be good for my hair – so will keep you posted on them once I have tried them out…seriously there is nothing like pressies and beauty stuff to get me smiling again.

Now on the subject of beauty stuff – I have to say my all time favourite product from my holiday trip was my new sun protection. A friend suggested Garnier's Ambre Solaire Sheer Protect 30 for my face….and I loved it! For a long time now I have been searching for a face sun protector that wouldn’t leave me with that horrible white filmy mask due to its zinc contents and I found it with this. It was light, non greasy and absorbed easily.

Now for brown girls who don’t already know this – although being darker does provide you with a little bit of protection it doesn’t fully protect you from the sun’s harmful rays. You do need sunscreen to prevent premature skin ageing and if you have any scarring that you are trying to fade away – it’s essential that you wear sunscreen otherwise the suns rays can remove all your good work and actually encourage your marks to get darker!!!

So get protecting and remember you need it even during winter. The sheer protect retails at £9.99

Xoxo

#6 Is it because I'm not a celebrity? - Facial at Linda Meredith

It was my first year’s wedding anniversary last month – woo hoo!!! I can’t believe how the time flew by and I have to admit to still feeling like a major novice in all things marital! But the two big things I have learnt are that you are both always on the same side (yes even when they try to convince you that you don’t need the lovely shoes you just saw on sale!) and what you get out of your marriage is what you put into it, so always make an effort. Anyway in the lead up to our anniversary I decided to be helpful and leave Mr Lotions & Potions various hints lying in obvious places around the house with certain key items circled, pages folded etc – and I thought it was going really well till we decided to go with the traditional theme of anniversary gifts and seeing as the first year is paper – I realised my circled gifts wouldn’t really work anymore. Thankfully the lovely Mr Lotions & Potions decided to surprise me so not only did I get my paper gift but he also got me one of my circled items which was to have a facial at Linda Meredith!!

Now Linda Meredith is known as a facialist to the stars – and boasts a client list that reads like ‘Who’s Who’ with names such as Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss as devotees of her facials. Her bespoke facials are often described as some of the finest ones around.

So introductions over – on the day of my facial – I dress with extreme care and skyscraper heels to rival some of the tallest buildings – I’m not ashamed to admit it, I was hoping to bump into some celebrity – please don’t ask me what I would have done if I had ……but alas there was no there in the waiting room when I arrived save for the numerous signed photographs on the wall from various a-list celebrities and my therapist who would be doing my facial. Now for those who are wondering, no it wasn’t Linda herself but one of her specially trained therapists whose skin by the way was so amazingly clear it was practically translucent plus it had the additional benefit of being all glowy and healthy! Wow I think, can I have whatever you just had.

My facial starts really well, with her explaining what she felt was going on with my skin and what specific products and tips would be helpful to turn my skin around but then it all went a bit sour!

While I’m lying there wrapped in my warm towels with something soothing on my closed eyelids, the door opens and a loud voice is heard telling her off for (a) having gone over my allocated facial time and (b) asking her how much longer she will be and urging her to speed it up. HOW RUDE! Obviously this meant that the rest of my facial was quite rushed and I felt completely sorry for my facialist and spent the rest of the time worrying about how much trouble she was in.

Now while I can understand that you have a business to run and need to reprimand staff if they are not able to work to timings, what I couldn’t understand was why this had to be done in the middle of my facial with me lying there (i.e. why couldn’t it wait until she finished with me or at the very least pull her out of the room and speak to her privately) and I couldn’t help but wonder and come to the conclusion that if I was someone who was deemed to be important, in other words a celebrity it wouldn’t have happened. I have to say it left me feeling slightly sad and overall the experience didn’t leave me feeling pampered or relaxed as it should have done. I was extremely disappointed....

On a positive note, my face was glowing when she finished and I felt like I had just been given a touch of what she had. Have a look at the website for facial and product details. www.lindameredith.com

Xoxo

#3 Face Rash Attack

Aaarrrgh OMG! I woke up the other day to a face that looked like it had been hit with mountain sized bumps and huge pigmentation patches …ok fine, I’m exaggerating slightly but I do have a rather unsightly rash all over my face, tiny whiteheads combined with huge pigmentation patches (seriously I have gone a couple of shades darker) Now Mr Lotions and Potions is trying to calm me down by not looking horrified and saying 'no, no, no, you don’t look scary and your face definitely doesn’t look like lumpy porridge'… but seriously girlies it was bad and the worst thing was it was all my fault!

Yes girlies, my fault – I went to get my eyebrows threaded – nothing new here seeing as I have been doing it for years. Anyway afterwards I allowed them to apply rose water to in their words “cool it down” not something I normally do – usually I wait a few hours, apply some tea tree oil and I’m usually spot free on the area. Now this is where I really went for gold in causing my own rash, I was going out so I applied some makeup without waiting for my pores to close up. Needless to say the combination of the rose water they used and my makeup caused some kind of reaction – hence the rash breakout

So I leapt into action and did the worst things imaginable – I scrubbed, steamed, masked and applied copious amounts of makeup – all of which ensured my skin looked raw and an unattractive shade of grey – now in normal situations the above routine is fine but I was simply intensifying the problem and turning what was a bad rash in a colossus problem.

Finally I walked into my local pharmacy and in desperate, strangled tones said LOOK!!! to the poor pharmacist – to which she replied “oh dear you have had an allergic reaction to something haven’t you?” While I thought - really? You don’t say Sherlock!’ anyway she promptly put me on antihistamines while telling me off for (a) not coming there earlier and (b) for attacking my face with the routine described above.

I left there with strict instructions to leave my face well alone for a while – so yes I decided to be a lot more gentle – I went home and used Liz Earle’s award winning Cleanse & Polish Cleanser which is amazingly soothing and gentle, followed by some pharmacy bought witch hazel to dry out the rash and Liz Earle’s Skin Repair Moisturiser for normal skin and thankfully my face is back to normal – aside from the pigmentation patches which I will be targeting next.

So the moral of the story is always, always do a patch test with products especially if it’s your first time using them – they really are not joking when they say that, never ever apply anything onto open pores and if you think its a reaction head straight to the doctor or pharmacist.

Xoxo