The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

I'm not faithful to only one cleanser, once I finish a bottle I tend to try out something new as nothing has quite reached the 'holy-grail' standard for me yet. My latest purchase was the Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil by The Body Shop (£10).

I first heard about this after hearing Amelia Liana raving about it, and when I saw it was slightly cheaper than a lot of other good cleansers I knew I had to give it a go, and I have to say I am very impressed.
As this cleanser is an oil it feels very luxurious on the skin, and it really gives you the sense of melting any remaining makeup or dirt (yuck) off the face. I massage one pump all over my face and then remove with a flannel that's been dampened with warm water, and the result is gorgeously fresh skin.
My skin feels soft, very clean, soothed and not at all like the cleanser has been too harsh or stripping; which sometimes is the case with other products. I also love the packaging - a simple plastic bottle, but it has a pump! No mess, quick and easy.
This cleanser won't be a miracle worker if you have troublesome skin, nor is it anything groundbreaking, what it is is a good cleanser that removes impurities, refreshes the skin and would be brilliant for sensitive skin suffers. At £10 for 200ml I think it's a bargain….trust me, the bottle won't run out quickly.

Have you tried any The Body Shop

skincare?

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Merumaya Cleansing Balm | Review

I think we probably all know I'm quite big on skincare. If you have good skin then your makeup will look a million times better, you'll feel more confident and it's just generally good to look after your skin for all sorts of reasons, therefore using quality skincare that works for you is very important.
I do like to change up my skincare products, unless I find a complete 'holy grail' product. New cleansers I particularly like to try out, I've never really found one that I completely love, so my latest purchase (after hearing so many rave reviews) was the Merumaya Cleansing Balm.

I'd wanted to try a cleansing balm for ages, the Emma Hardie one was top of my wish list but with the £36 price tag I didn't dare buy it, but then I came across the Merumaya Cleansing Balm at £14.50 for 100ml I thought I'd give it a go.
Cleansing balms are oil based products that are particularly good at removing all makeup and dirt from the face. They're marketed at all skin types, even oily, but I feel dry skin would benefit the most, if you're someone looking for anti-aging properties cleansing balms are the best option also. You warm the product in your hands, then massage it gently all over your dry face and then remove with a warm, damp muslin cloth or flannel.
I can't speak for all cleansing balms, but the Merumaya Cleansing Balm leaves my face feeling more cleansed than any other product I have used before. The balm glides so smoothly onto my skin, it smells quite herbal which I love, it feels soothing and once removed my skin feels refreshed, soft, hydrated and more healthy than it did before.
I've been using this cleansing balm for over a month now and I have noticed a considerable difference in the dryness of my skin - it doesn't feel so tight now and dry patches have almost vanished. Before, I was using Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish which I did like, but all it was doing really was cleaning my skin, rather than improving the condition of it or hydrating it, the Merumaya product is different to this as the hydration in my skin has increased and although I haven't noticed a massive difference in any breakouts I may get I do feel my complexion has brightened and looks healthier.
The packaging of this product is a squeezy tube, which I really like as you can easily control how much of the balm you use (yay, no waste!), which FYI isn't much at all…a little goes a long way!
The only thing I don't like about this product is it stings when it goes in my eyes, it's not horrific but it's not comfortable. I remove my makeup with a micellar water before properly cleansing though, so I'm not too fussed!

I do love this cleanser a lot, and I'd highly recommend it, but it's important to remember everyone's skin is different. I personally think this cleanser would be amazing for pretty much everyone though - if you have dry skin it'll bring you some of that hydration you want, if you have blemishes it will sooth them, if you have oily skin the oils in the cleansing balm will help to balance things out.
The Merumaya Cleansing Balm will definitely be something I'll be repurchasing!

Have you tried cleansing balms?

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REN Clarifying Clay Cleanser | REVIEW

A couple of months ago I ran out of Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish, and although I did love that cleanser I felt I should try a new one and the C&P wasn't really making me go 'wow' when I used it anymore.

I opted for the REN Clarifying Clay mask, I'd always heard really great things about it but as it was marketed for oily skin I'd never bought it, but I saw Caroline Hirons (skincare expert) say it was absolutely fine for any skin types…so I took the plunge….and I love it.

This cleanser is a lot more of a deeper cleanser than the C&P, which is great if you have blemish prone skin or if you live in a city with lots of pollution. I personally love this because it really feels like it's working on my skin but doesn't feel at all stripping, and as it's clay based it's quite thick which forces you to really work it into the skin. Along with clay the ingredients include sage, lactic acid and camomile water - all great things for the skin.
The cleanser aims to combat the 3 key causes of breakout, excess serum, build up of dead skin cells and blemish causing bacteria, although I don't have bad skin I do think this would work well for you if you do and help with those nasty breakouts! I have noticed the surface of my skin has been smoother since using this and my foundation always goes on a lot nicer.
This cleanser also gently exfoliates AND helps reduce the appearance of pores…WIN WIN WIN.

Overall I would highly recommend this, it retails for £18 for 150ml which isn't really cheap but it will last AGES! I've had the cleanser a couple of months and it genuinely looks like I've hardly touched it, if this was C&P it would almost have run out by now.

BUY IT HERE!

What's your cleanser of choice?

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My Top Skincare Tips

I've always looked after my skin, I like to have clean and moisturised skin. I hate the feeling of my skin feeling clogged up or dehydrated. I don't have perfect skin by any means, I get the occasional breakout like everybody else, but my skin is quite good and that's because I do take care of it, so I thought I would share with you my top skincare tips.
(please note, I am not a professional nor an expert, these are just things I have picked up and things that work for me, a lot of these tips are just common sense)

1. ALWAYS remove your makeup before bed. Not removing your makeup before bed will mean your pores get clogged up, which is the main cause for skin imperfections. Your skin needs time to breathe, during the day it's been covered in makeup or faced with outside pollution, it needs a break!
A lot of people say "your skin mends itself at night', that is complete rubbish. Your skin is repairing itself 24/7, but at night when your asleep it doesn't have makeup, pollution or sunlight on it, so it can focus on repairing.

2. DON'T use makeup wipes. I think more or less everybody I know uses makeup wipes, and I used to until about 10 months ago, and the difference I have noticed in my skin since I stopped has been amazing. Makeup wipes contain alcohol, which dries out the skin and if you have sensitive skin they will make her skin more red. Alcohol will also strip the skin, and is a breeding ground for bacteria. Stick with a non-foaming cleanser, much better for your skin and actually takes your makeup off better. Also, if you wear makeup during the day remember to double cleanse at night.

3. DO watch what you eat. About 99% of what your face is showing comes from what you eat. Basically, cut out the crap. Fast food, chocolate, sweets, microwavable meals - all are not good for your skin and if you cut them out you will notice a big difference. Cut down on dairy, so many people I know who have had problem skin and cut out dairy noticed a huge change - humans are the only species that eat and drink milk that comes from another mammal, it's not a natural thing to do.

4. DO cleanse in the morning. Washing your face in the morning is very important, you may think "but I have just been laying in bed all night, and I cleansed before bed, I don't need to do it again"…so you think bacteria doesn't breed whilst your asleep? You don't sweat? Then why do you ever change bedsheets if that is the case?

5. DON'T smoke. Like I said earlier, it's just common sense. If you smoke it decreases the amount of oxygen in your skin, not to mention the amount of rubbish you're breathing in. But hey, I guess smokers care more about cigarettes than they do for their health and skin.

6. DO take supplements. Obviously this is not crucial, but if you have problem skin I'd recommend taking some supplements that contain fish oil and/or zinc, both are brilliant for the skin.

7. DO use acidic skincare. That sounds quite scary, but acids are very good for the skin. A lot of toners will have acid in, the one I use the Michael Todd Blue Green Algae Toner which contains Hyaluronic acid which helps with cellar renewable (review here). Another brilliant one if you can afford it is Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner.
A toner should be an essential in your skincare routine.

8. DON'T use exfoliators with beads in them. These spread infection.

9. DON'T use sudocream. I know so many people use this, and I have been known to. Yes it does reduce inflammation, but in the long run it clogs pores and just sits on the skin.

10. DO invest in skincare. Now, I know not everyone can afford high end skincare, and I am one of those people. But if you are willing to spend money on clothes or accessories then why not spend it on skincare instead? You only get one face, look after it. Ideally you should have two moisturisers, and two cleansers - one each for morning and night time use.

Product everyone should own - Hydraluron Moisture Booster (I do not own this myself but I am saving up, skincare experts have said everyone should own this - hyaluronic acid can absorb up to 1000 times its weight in moisture, so if you put this on and then your moisturiser then the moisture will stay there. It also helps heal the skin, reduce bacteria, and softens the skin)

There you go, my top 10 skincare tips. I guarantee you if you do those things you WILL have better skin. I hope you found this helpful.

Will you be trying any of these things out?

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