Want to WAKE UP looking PRETTIER?

I always, always take my make-up off before going to bed, following a disciplined cleanse, tone, moisturise ritual. My smugness about how much care I'm taking of my skin, usually disappears however, when I wake up the next morning and look at myself in the mirror. I still always look so damn dull and dehydrated and just...blah.

Research has made me realise that it's just simply not enough. Our faces are exposed to so much sh*t even if you don't wear make-up, so they deserve extra tlc. Even if you don't have any problems right now, it's much better to prevent future forseeable problems (ageing, wrinkles, thin skin, sagging, under-eye darkness, etc), rather than dealing with them when they come.

WHY SHOULD YOU USE A NIGHT CREAM/SERUM/TREATMENT?
* During the day our skin and bodies use their energy towards protecting itself against environmental and
   psychological stress.
   During the night, our cells focus on repairing themselves from the damage sustained during the day.
- It's thus v.important to have a different product for overnight use as our bodies differing natural functions require specific care.

There's a huge market out there for night serums and creams and treatments, it's so easy to get overwhelmed. I certainly have been - I've been on the hunt for the perfect night treatment for my face for the last year or so and haven't bought anything despite researching options because there's just too much choice.
Recently, I have been steering towards natural beauty products - I have switched to an SLS/paraben/silicone free shampoo (review to come soon), using natural oils on my hair, loving Liz Earle naturally active face products, and so I decided to look into a company that is geared towards this 'natural' consciousness.

MY SKIN TYPE:
* Dry, sensitive, dull
* Dark under-eye circles - not bags
* Pigmentation around my mouth (slightly darker there)

WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR IN A NIGHT TREATMENT?
* You should always pick a treatment that is tailored towards your skin type. All skin needs moisture
   and hydration (yes, even oily skin types), but my dry skin needs more, so my number one priority is to
   choose a product that hydrates and moisturises my skin overnight
* Replenishes what my skin loses during the day from exposure to sunlight/wind/pollution etc

After doing much research, I decided to buy Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. 30ml. £36.00.

VITAL INGREDIENTS:

* Jojoba Seed Oil

* Evening Primrose Oil

* Coriander Seed Oil

* Lavender Oil (smells like this)

* Rosemary Leaf Oil

* Cucumber Fruit Extract

* Rose Flower Oil

* Jasmine Extract

* Sunflower Seed Oil

* Rosa Canina Fruit Oil

* PARABEN FREE. 

Clearly, the whole product is made up of a bunch of oils that have varying properties, all of which are soo good for our skin. 

I can't speak for people with oily skin types, I don't know if this would work for you, BUT despite the fact it has so many oils - this product does not leave the skin feeling oily or greasy at all. 

Gorgeous, luxurious packaging. A glass bottle with a glass stopper that looks pretty sitting on the dressing table. It's not travel friendly though at all - it would shatter in an instant if dropped!

  

WHAT DOES IT CLAIM TO DO? (according to the Kiehl's website - link)

* One night. A few drops. Younger-looking skin by morning.

* Replenishes skin with moisture

* Helps to recover radiance by morning

* This readily absorbed elixir helps the skin to recover radiance by morning, with skin feeling smoother and softer

* The formula instantly penetrates the skin surface to help replenish it with moisture. Our concentrate is designed to work at night; with skin hydrated, supple and soft, rest assured you can say goodnight to a tired-looking complexion. 

WHAT DO I THINK? HAS IT MADE A DIFFERENCE TO MY SKIN?
* Yes, yes and YES! Oh my goodness, my skin drinks this stuff up like it's been dying of thirst for years (which it probably has)!
* How I use it: Cleanse and tone using Liz Earle, on a dry face take a couple of drops of this and lightly press onto my skin focusing on cheeks with this oil. Do not rub it in. Wait about 30mins and then I apply my usual moisturiser although this step is optional. 
* Okay, so the first few nights I used this, I woke up in the morning and felt a little disappointed - I couldn't see any difference.
* Obviously, with any skin treatment, you have to be patient and disciplined, and so I continued using it every night.
* It was about a week into using this every night that I noticed a difference when I woke up. My skin looked very calm and balanced out if that makes any sense. I also didn't look like Darth Vader - my skin had a natural sort of radiance like I'd drunk a gazillion mls of water.
* Continued use over the last month has meant that I wake up with soft, smooth, even skin. And more importantly, my skin does not look parched. It definitely looks hydrated and moisturised and overall much healthier.
* I highly, highly, highly recommend this to people with dry, dull, dehydrated skin!
* One more thing to mention, yes it costs a little bit of money, but, you only use about 2 drops each night and so far it looks like I haven't touched it - a little goes a long way, this will last you forever, such a great investment. 

OTHER PEOPLE WHO USE IT AND LOVE IT
* Ruth aka A Model Recommends - link and link and link
* Ingrid aka Miss Glamorazzi (she has oily skin and loves it) - link
* MakeupAlley rating of 4.1 out of 5 - link


Woah, well that was quite a moutful. Overall, I am LOVING it, and I highly recommend you go to your nearest Kiehls counter and see if you can get yourself a sample to try if not the whole thing!
Have you tried this product or do you recommend any other by Kiehl's? What are your favourite night treatments?

Love, Emma xo
Currently Listening To: Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's

DIY: 50 Second, £0, Homemade Lip Scrub

So with all the pretty pink and coral lipsticks being dug out from the corners of make-up drawers now that Spring is officially here, not having soft, smooth, healthy lips is practically illegal. Not to mention highly unattractive.

I've tried and tested the Lush lip scrub and found it to be nice but I don't feel the need to re-spend 5quid on it. So I've been making my own for a quite a while now (and have forced it, quite literally, onto a couple of my friends - once they saw/felt the results they didn't mind me attacking them).

This takes, literally 50seconds to make and apply and everything can be found in your kitchen. The best thing is how amazingly it works, try it trust  me!
(Please click on the photos to see them bigger and clearer)


WHAT YOU NEED:

Sugar: Sugar will act as the exfoliant for your skin, rubbing off the dead, chapped skin. I prefer using brown sugar as the granules are bigger so the exfoliating is more thorough. 

Olive Oil: This serves as the moisturiser that absorbs into your lips and makes them extremely soft and smooth. I suppose you could try using honey aswell although I have never done this myself.

HOW TO MAKE IT:

Click picture 

1. Add one teaspoon sugar into a bowl;  2. Add olive oil to the sugar but make sure there is more sugar than oil;  3. Mix it all together and slather it onto lips. Rub gently for a few seconds making sure the sugar particles scrub the dead skin off the lips, then leave for 10mins and wash off.

CUTE LITTLE (MOTHER'S DAY) GIFT:

Click the picture

With Mother's Day just around the corner, I think this makes for a very cute little present you could add onto your existing one. Use food colouring to change the colour of it but I suggest using White Sugar if you plan to colour your scrub as the colour will show up much better (I used brown in the above photo so it doesn't look as great). Store in the fridge or a cool dry place. 

I really hope you try this and let me know how it works for you if you do!! It's so quick and easy, no hassle and no money being spent! Yay bring on Spring and hot pink lipsticks! What lip scrubs or treatments do you use? What do you think of the Lush one?

Love, Emma xo

Currently Listening To: O Re Piya - Aaja Nachle

My NOT so conventional review on the Clarisonic Mia

Anybody who's anybody has heard of it. Everybody has read and watched rave reviews on it. Googled it. Added it to your online basket and maybe even pressed check-out. And then closed the tab and reprimanded yourself for considering buying what is essentially a face brush for £120.00. And then probably argued with your inner beauty-obsessed-alter-ego that it is an investment that is worth it seeing as you spend so much on make-up anyway and what good is all that make-up if your skin underneath isn't at it's greatest and cleanest? And then decided you'll wait a little bit and someday in the future....
(And if you haven't heard of it...well I'm sure the hole you live in must be very deep indeed.)
Yes I am talking about the Clarisonic Mia. The skin cleansing brush system that has so much hype surrounding it. 
Well, naturally and unfortunately, I got suckered in to the hype. Bought it. Used it. And regretted it so bad. 
(This is a long post and I feel it is necessary to give you a bit of background on my skin so you get a better picture.) 

I got the baby pink one because proceeds from the purchase went to Breast Cancer Awareness (probs the only good thing that came out of the buy!)

What type of skin did I have before using the Clarisonic Mia?
I do not want to sound showy-offy, but thankfully I have never had any major skin problems on my face (I suffer from eczema on some parts of my body). I never suffered from acne, or even mild breakouts. It is only at that time of the month that the odd tiny spot would set up camp on my forehead - never anywhere else - and even these ones would leave after literally a day or two. My skin concerns have always been pigmentation, uneven skin tone, dark under-eye circles and dry skin but I was able to deal with these without much hassle. I had normal to dry skin and was able to try out new products and such without fear - my skin was not sensitive.


If I had good skin why did I buy the Clarisonic Mia and what were it's supposed benefits?
I had heard such good things about it from people with all types of skin and I was going through a skincare phase and was really focusing on cleaning my skin deeply. I researched the Mia for over a year and a half and kept it on my wishlist. 
I know you must all have seen or heard these a billion times before, but for those of you who haven't, here are it's claims:
*Cleanses 6x better than with your hands alone in just 60 seconds
*Works with skin, not against it, to gently message away impurities trapped within pores
*Prepares skin for better absorption of creams, serums and moisturisers
*Helps reduce oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
*Helps reduce the appearance of visible pores
*Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
*Gentle enough to use 2x a day 
What struck me as particularly interesting was that it claimed to cleanse 6x better and promised a good deep clean. I was looking at it as a strategic buy for prevention rather than to solve any skin issues. I thought of it as an investment that would help me sustain good skin, develop a squeaky clean base that would lap up all the goodness of my other skincare products and essentially help my skin look healthy and young when I am a grandma.  


So, what happened after I started using it?
So I bought mine in August while I was holidaying in America (I got it in a Nordstrom sale for $119).
First time: 
*I followed all the instructions on how to use it. Won't type them out but link you to the official website - link. 
*I was using the Neutrogena Visibily Clear 2-in-1 Cleanser and Mask cleanser at the time (Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish please forgive me) and I used this because I hadn't heard good things about the cleanser Clarisonic provided.
*My skin felt soft, smooth and very fresh, albeit a little bit dry. I applied moisturiser and went to sleep.
*I woke up the next morning and noticed that the skin around my nose felt a bit dry and patchy but I thought nothing much of it.
*By the next evening I had 2 spots on my forehead. I remember this v.clearly as I was extremely surprised as it was nowhere near that time of the month.
*So I googled this and found lots and lots of people saying that they had an initial 'purge' from using it. I assumed this was what was happening to me and despite being a bit grossed out I continued to use it.

One week later:
*I now had weird bump things on my forehead and chin - somewhere I have never ever everrr gotten any spots or problems. A bit worried that they were not going, but all the reviews said to keep going with it until all the gunk is out from the pores - to allow the purge.
*I was only using it once a day as twice a day proved too harsh for my dry skin which was now much dryer.

Increasingly self-conscious and worried about these bumps I decided to stop use for a little while to see what would happen. 
*Skin clears up. 

A month or so later:
*I decided to stop being wimpy and brought it out again to use.
*Dry patches around my nose reappear and they look horrible underneath foundation
*Bumps on forehead and chin re-appear and are worse than ever. They are underneath my skin - not fully-fledged popable spots, but weird cyst like bumps. Gross I know.
*As I had never suffered from anything like this before I got very upset, self-conscious and paranoid. It was only then that I realised how much for granted I had taken my skin before.
But I persisted and was sure that it was still a purging period and that afterwards my skin would look great.
*The bumps just get worse and worse and worse.
*Little spots started appearing in random places like my temples and underneath my eyebrows - WTF! 
*Broken capillaries around my nose which I still have to put up with now. (I didn't even know what broken capillaries were before the Clarisonic!)
*Skin is dryer than ever
*Aside from all these bad side effects I didn't get any of the good effects it claims to give!
*I stopped using it but my skin didn't clear up. I used various spot treatments and they would work for a couple of days untill bam the bumps and spots would re-appear in exactly the same places.
*As someone who could previously leave the house with a bit of under-eye concealer, blush and lipstick, I was now someone who couldn't leave without a full face of foundation. It was really horrible and for once I understood how hard it must be for people who suffer from acne.

What did I do to clear my skin up?
*As I said earlier, I used various spot treatments, but all of them yielded results that were only temporary.
*So I went on a complete detox - I used nothing on my skin at all to calm it down. (yes, I hibernated).
*This period also made me buy a long-term-lust which was Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish hot cloth cleanser. So after a couple of weeks of skin detox I started using this.
*AH-MA-ZINGGGG!! This worked like nothing else and really helped my problematic skin!!
*No they didn't disappear overnight but redness was reduced and the bumps slowly started shrinking and properly disappearing.
*Most importantly, unlike before, they didn't reappear *touchwood*!!
*It's been ages now since I've stopped using the Clarisonic on my face but I still have blemishes where the bumps were but these are easily covered with concealer.

What do I do with my Mia now?
*As I bought mine from America and was having all these problems long after I arrived back in London, I couldn't return it and felt bad about the money wasted.
*I probably could have continued using it and waited for the purge to finish, but it was getting ridiculous, was way too long and I'm clearly not brave enough slash am a very vain person lol.
*SO I now use it on my body! I use it daily with my various body washes and have found that it works much better there and leaves my skin feeling very smooth and clean with no purges!


Phoawr that was some essay huh? So overall, clearly, the Clarisonic Mia did not work for me. I now have sensitive skin on my face and am prone to break-outs and have to be careful about what products I slather on. I still don't understand why my skin reacted to it so strongly and badly but it was a headache and a half and really not worth it.
But I speak for myself only. This is how my skin reacted, it does not mean that yours will react in the same way. There cannot possibly be so much hype over a product for no reason - read the reviews on Makeup Alley here - link. Google it. Youtube it. Decide for yourself.
I just thought it was important to draw attention to the possible/potential side effects and cons incase you have been blinded by the hype and think that it can do no wrong!
I hope this has been useful to some of you! Please let me know what your thoughts on it are - Have you tried it? Thinking of trying it? Your experiences with it? Do share!!

Love, Emma xo
Currently Listening To: Paradise Lost - Brand X Music