HE-SHI EXFOLIATING BODY WASH AND FACE & BODY TANNING GEL

HE-SHI EXFOLIATING BODY WASH AND FACE & BODY TANNING GEL

He-Shi Face and Body Tanning Gel - £17.50* and Exfoliating Body Wash - £11.00*

I've been scared of tanning products for a long, long time. Every so often I dabble in them but in general, I end up looking like a streaky mess and therefore I tend to avoid them on an everyday basis. I do, however, own quite a few different brands and although I've tried lotions, sprays and mousses, i've never tried gel formula. When I was given the He-Shi Face & Body Tanning Gel to try I was excited to give it a go.

I began by using the exfoliating body wash, again from He-Shi. Oh my days this stuff smells in-credible, a really lovely berry scent. If you're not a fan of sweet smells it might not be to your taste, but it was certainly an unexpected surprise! The wash itself is a purple gel with large crystals to scrub and prep your skin. It contains fruit AHA's as well as the larger beads to exfoliate really thoroughly. It also lathers up which is a nice surprise as it makes it an effective body wash as well as exfoliator. I probably wouldn't use it if I wasn't tanning purely because it doesn't leave my skin feeling particularly moisturised like other products do. However, it is extremely effective for leaving your legs feeling smooth.

I followed by applying the He-Shi face and body tanning gel with a tanning mitt. It says not to use moisturiser beforehand which is a bit alien to me but I followed the instructions and didn't have any problems. I don't really have a technique as such, but I usually work from my legs up. The tan looks scary in the tube as it is so dark and actually turns a bit yellowwhen massaged into the skin. It does blend really smoothly and has no smell at all upon application. I find that the gel formula makes it a lot less messy than other ones I've tried. It claims to take 6-8 hours to develop so it's certainly not a quick fix tan as the colour on application is a bit peculiar. Once it has developed, it is actually quite a light shade and even on my really pale skin, I was tempted to do another layer. I still managed to end up a bit streaky but that doesn't reflect badly on the product as it is more my own lack of skill.

It claimed to last from 5-7 days but I can't argue that this is the case because i've had it on about 3 and I feel like it's faded quite a lot. 

I do actually prefer this for facial use and I might restrict myself to using this as a facial tanner in future. I feel like it gave a natural glow to my skin which cheaper products haven't been able to do. At around £18 it is on the cheaper spectrum of high end tanning products and I definitely would buy it again because I felt it gave my skin that something which is above and beyond other products i've used.

SAYING GOODBYE TO ACNE SCARRING

SAYING GOODBYE TO ACNE SCARRING

Botanics Cleansing All Bright Toner - Boots - £3.99

Bio Oil - Boots - £14.99

Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask - £30.00*

I've had bad skin for as long as I can remember. I had acne before I even started secondary school and this stayed with me until I was about 18. Over recently years, my skin has calmed down a lot and I've stopped getting such frequent, nasty blemishes. This is probably a combination of many things; namely having a better knowledge about how to look after for my skin and which products to use. 

However, I was left with horrible acne scars and although my skin has returned to normality, what was left behind was almost as bad. (almost). I've never had much confidence with my skin so although I was glad to see the back of the spots, I still wasn't happy with what I was left with.

So I went on the hunt for products to reduce acne scarring. I tried quite a lot over the years but I didn't stick with anything for long enough to see results. However, recently I've been using a combination of three products and I'm really starting to notice a difference. Okay so my skin still isn't perfect. But my pores are smaller and any marks on my face have faded considerably. I was actually advised against buying a heavy coverage foundation and told to buy a tinted moisturiser instead by a lovely MUA at Space NK. I have never been so stunned in my life!

The first thing I introduced to my routine was Bio Oil. I'm not sure what Caroline Hirons would have to say about me putting this on my face but it seems to be working. I never used to be able to use this alone as it broke me out but combined withBotanics Cleansing All Bright Toner to detox my skin, it works a treat. I have heard that it is good to combat oil with oil so this keeps my skin hydrated whilst working on my scarring. 

The Botanics Cleansing All Bright Toner is something that I wouldn't live without. At around £4 it is an absolute bargain and it contains natural AHA's to naturally exfoliate the skin, much like some of the popular chemical exfoliating products. I like this because it is gentle enough to use twice a day and fits easily into my skincare routine. I have considered buying more expensive chemical exfoliators (Alpha H Liquid Gold, i'm looking at you) but for the moment i'll stick with this as it seems to be doing a pretty good job.

Finally, the Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask* is something that i've only recently started using but I noticed results after it's first use. I plan on doing a full review so I won't say too much, but I noticed a difference in the scarring on my face overnight.

NEW BOURJOIS RADIANCE REVEAL HEALTHY MIX FOUNDATION REVIEW

NEW BOURJOIS RADIANCE REVEAL HEALTHY MIX FOUNDATION REVIEW

Bourjois Radiance Reveal Healthy Mix Foundation Review - £9.99

Today I will be giving you my thoughts on the  New Bourjois Radiance Reveal Healthy Mix Foundation which I bought a few weeks ago. All of the foundations in the Bourjois Healthy Mix Range are well known for being fabulous so I was excited to finally get my hands on one. 

I haven't tried the original Healthy Mix or the Serum version but I decided to pick this up as I felt it would work best with my skin type. I like that they've put this in a glass bottle, even if it is a little bit less practical, and the fact that it has a pump is always a winner for me.

This foundation promises to give you a glow for 16 hours. When you first apply this, it makes your skin look incredible. It blends beautifully and really makes your skin look flawless. It does provide quite good coverage considering it isn't at all a heavy foundation. My skin tone looked really even and almost blurred, and my cheeks looked perky and fresh. This worked exceptionally well on my dehydrated, after-skiing skin but I'm finding it to works just fine on my now combination skin. 

I wouldn't quite agree that this lasts for 16 hours but it just about does me a full 9-5 day at work. That being said, I like the finish a lot more than any of my other foundations. I was shocked to find that I wasn't the lightest shade and I actually picked up shade 53 which gives me a nice hint of colour, without looking orange. 

Overall, I highly recommend this foundation and i'm annoyed that I didn't pick it up sooner. It has far overtaken any of my higher end foundations and is getting a LOT of use. I would quite like to try the serum version but I am very happy to finally have this in my routine.

AMIE BRIGHT EYES VERY GENTLE EYE MAKEUP REMOVER

AMIE BRIGHT EYES VERY GENTLE EYE MAKEUP REMOVER

Amie Bright Eyes Very Gentle Eye Makeup Remover - £4.75* - Also available at Waitrose and John Lewis. 

Since Boots decided to reinvent their Botanics range, I have been on the hunt for something to replace their soothing eye makeup remover which quickly became my all-time-favourite; until they changed the formula. Trial and error has taught me that there isn't many low- budget products which do the job as effectively as this one did so when I was offered the opportunity to trial Amie's Bright Eyes Very Gentle Eye Makeup Remover I was very happy to accept. 

Amie is a pure and natural brand, aiming to harmonise and balance the skin. Their ingredients list is very pleasing to see with lots of natural goodness and minimal nasties. Their website claims that they do not contain any parabens, mineral oils, petrochemicals, SLS and no ingredients of genetically modified origin. 

So how does the product live to up expectations? Well, if anything I think I like this more!

Your makeup is removed effortlessly with no rubbing or tugging in sight. It feels just like water on your skin, leaving no trace of oil or product behind. It smells lovely but because it is so gentle it leaves your eyes feeling clean and refreshed but not dry or tight. I tend to use one small cotton pad for each eye because I find this gets it off very efficiently.

Would I recommend this product? Yes totally! I'm super glad I tried it out as Amie is a brand I haven't heard much about but I can see myself repurchasing this many times. It has become a staple on my skincare shelf and I am definitely going to check out more by the brand