Skincare Right Now (aka The Skincare Tag)

L-R: SkinTruth Toner, Boots No.7 Eye Make Up Remover, Estee Lauder Daywear Plus, Antipodes Divine Oil, Purity 3-1 Cleanser and Dermalogica Micro Exfoliator.

Describe your skincare routine in 5 words..

Whatever works right now
(with a word to spare)

What's your skin type?

At the moment erratic - with my hormones dipping up and down, it show more on my skin. On Monday it was so clear and glowing, I wore no base but the next day I had to put on a full base on to cover the blotchy redness. It also can be sensitive, the routine I have now is a result of a lot of misses and it's the first time in a while that my skin has reacted positive to products for a while.

What's your favourite skincare product?

Antipodes Divine Avocado and Rosehip Facial Oil has been the biggest revelation to my skin, it has been soothing and noursing to my erratic skin. I love the scent of this, I like to breath it's relaxing scent in before I massage it in. It is now an essential part of my skincare routine.

Top blemish zapper

Witch Blemish Stick - had it since I was a teenager and I haven't found anything since that really comes close and is cost effective. The formula has never changed all the time its been available, if its not broke, why fix it? (A PS - the anti-blemish primer is also a brilliant high street product, I will be reviewing this in the next coming weeks)

Face wipes - yay or nay?

They are a huge nay - I never feel fully 'cleansed' after using one, it more feels like I'm moving the dirt/grime around my face rather than cleaning. They are however better than not taking make up off at all (very useful when I used to go out in the evening and return in the morning).

Toner - yay or nay?

I used to be very anti toner, even when working for Estee Lauder. This hugely changed as I got older, I underestimated how much of a cleansing bonus they are to routine and this was merely was I found 'The one' in Etat Pur. That has now run out and I am now finishing the one I had in my stock pile.

High End Skincare or High End Makeup?

Skincare without a doubt, look after your skin and it'll glow needing less make up. I have first no make up that comes close to that glowing fresh skinned look. I would also invest in more high end foundation just because of pigments and tones (As you know I am really pale), the rest the high street does perfect.

What's the most unusual facial product you've tried?

Nothing would you believe, if I wasn't pregnant I would of offered to be a trail person for my workplace as they just launched Vampire facial there. It involves taking blood from your arm, separating the layer that’s filled with platelets and then injecting it through tiny needles into your face. It suppose to smooth and rejuvenate the face.

You're in a French Pharmacy and can only pick one item - what would it be?

I wouldn't know to be honest, I would probably in my GCSE French ask for recommendations. I do like a little hidden gem.

Tell us your skincare tip

Review your skincare with every season, skin is constantly changing (remember you get new skin cells come to the surface every 28 days). Anything can affect it: stress, seasons and as I well know at the moment, pregnancy.

Many Thanks to the awesome Lisahh-Jayne for tagging me and I open it up to anyone who wants to give it go. Stick your link in comments, I'm nosey and want to read them!








 

Apivita Anti Wrinkle Grape Face Mask

Apivita is a Marks & Spencer exclusive beauty brand, and what brilliant brand for them to have. Apivita started as a pharmacy in Athens in 1979 by husband and wife, Nikos and Niki Koutsianas, following the philosophy of of Hippocrates (a Greek who started the modern medicine movement and believed in treating the body and the mind).

For me the representive that I met at London Meet Up sold the brand for me, sun drenched fields and vineyards, I was already mentally booking my tickets there. However, I will have to settle with my grape in the face mask for now.

The mask has grape and the combination of A and E vitamins which is reported to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and expression lines while offering skin unique softness and revitalisation. Olive and sunflower natural plant oils have moisturising properties and enhance skin's elasticity and firmness.
You apply to clean skin for 10 minutes and rinse off (as I do with my a majority of my face masks I use a face cloth to wash off).

 

I will warn you know, it is a fluid mask so it can come out quicker than expected. It also has little particles of red in them so I would assume this is parts of the grape as I cannot find any information anywhere on what they are. I did like the softer touch to my skin afterwards, it felt much plumper and look liked I have had a night's rest.

 

Doing my research on the Marks & Spencer's website, they also have 20% off Beauty and Fragrance until 26th August (That's Bank Holiday Monday). The set of two sachets of masks would cost £2.40 instead of £3.00, not the biggest reduction, however if this is a sample of the rest of the range it's well worth a treat (or two).

Masterclass - Ageing and it's Effects on Cosmetics





Ageing does happen to all of us, it how we react and develop to these changes that shape us.

Cosmetics are there to highlight the best of what we have, not create something that is not there. As our bodies and skin changes over the years, the way we were cosmetics is going to change with this as our needs and wants changes. Women can still looks stunning into the later years (Helen Mirren is a brilliant example), its all about understanding what is happening and adapting techniques.

The skin changes occur over time and are gradual as the skin cell reproduction slow down. Lifestyle also plays a part to this as illness and unhealthy lifestyle can speed up these processes. Exposure to sunlight also is an ageing accelerator and why it is recommnend to put on the SPF early on. Women compared to men produce less collagen so it always seem to age faster than men.

The main changes to skin structure is the thinning of the skin due to the loss of fatty tissue, this can also make it look crepe as the skin becomes looser. It will be dryer and flakier as the skin as the cells slow down reproduction and the removal of them slows down. The skin will also look sluggish as the muscles have a reduced tension, this also leads to the winkles. Uneven melanin will also lead to patchy pigmentation of the skin know as 'age spots'.

Ageing has an effect on the blood vessels caused by the decrease in elasticity in the walls of the capillaries, instead of returning to their original shape after dilating they stay permanent. In fairer skins this appears to be pink or red on the skin, on dark skins they appear less as the surface layers are thicker and can appear as darker patches.

Anew PRO Line Corrector Treatment with A-F33

I was one of the 10,000 people who applied to try the new Avon Anew PRO Line Corrector Treatment with A-F33. The pack I got had 28 days of treatment in 6 little baby tubes, and is recommended to use day and night under moisturiser.

Avon says, "Gel lotion formulation with patented+ A-F33 for Avon's ultimate in fighting fine and deep wrinkles. 30ml.Our fastest wrinkle fighter EVER+U.S. patent. All cosmetic product results are achieved with continued use"

At the moment I noticed that my skin is now showing little signs of age, it's not as bright as it was nor as forgiving. As yet I have had no wrinkles show, the closest I have is lines on my forehead and that only comes because I know I can be expressive with my face.

When I started using this what I want from it is to even the tone of my skin, and make it look a little 'fresher'. During the day I used it with an moisturer with a SPF in and night with a little richer moisturise (which I did before this).

After a week my skin looked a lot more smoother, the lines I had on my forehead were lessened. Week two the lines were even lesson, but for me it was all about week three. I work in a dentist reception and one afternoon I got to talking about age to one person, he asked how old I was and I replied 30. He was shocked, he had me down at about 23 years old.

That to me is the ultimate validation that it was doing some good.

In the end I liked the result I had, I wanted it to smooth and freshen my skin, it did just that and I was overjoyed. I think it is a great product that can be added to an anti-ageing regime. I know that some people will stick their noses up that it is Avon, please do not let you put this off. For a product that can produce this kind of result for £30 (Currently on offer at £20), which with some premium lines will be £70 upwards, is phemoenmal.