The Body shop Seaweed day cream.

I got this Seaweed Mattifying day cream from the Body Shop a couple of months back. I got it as it was on offer (something like spend £20 on skincare and get something free). I chose this moisturiser as I have oily / combination skin and the seaweed range targets that type of skin. However, when i first tried this i found it to be a bit too dry for my skin, even though I always like to have a matte finish. The middle of my forehead tends to get really dry (it's pretty annoying as that's the only part of my face that gets dry!) and i found that using this just made it worse and was really drying it out too much.. so i didn't really use it for the past couple of months. But i have actually started using it again recently and have been loving it! It's a gel like texture and soaks in really fast, and it always leaves my skin feeling so smooth.

I'm not sure why but it doesnt seem to be drying out my skin as much at the moment. But that might be because i have also been using the Body shop Vitamin E moisture mask but only on my forehead where my skin is dry, to give it some moisture. I don't use this daily or anything though just when my skin is feeling particularly dry.. usually about once or twice a week. So i think this helps a lot when using the mattifying day cream as then my forehead doesn't get really dry! It's a bit of an odd combination using mositurisers for oily and dry skin at the same time but it seems to be working for me! It's such a pain having combination skin! i don't think moisturisers aimed at combination skin tend to do a very good job of controlling shine but also moisturising the dry parts, in my opinion they don't anyway.. maybe I'm yet to find the perfect product ? So anyway I'll stop rambling now! i really like both of these products.. I'm keen to try out some other products from the seaweed range now too. I think it works well with my skin type.. and i really like mattifying products as I absolutely can't stand looking shiny!

Daily Skincare routine

I thought I would share my current everyday skincare routine. I usually remove my makeup using The Body Shop tea tree skin clearing foaming cleanser. This is one of my favourite face washes, although there are definitely cheaper alternatives which do pretty much the same thing (the website says this face wash is £5.00 but I swear I paid £7.00 for it in store? Maybe it's changed). I then follow with the Tea tree facial toner from the same range. Again I'm confused as the website says this is £3.00 and I'm sure I paid more for it in store? Odd. Anyway..I love the body shop products, and I especially love the tea tree scent. I feel like these products are really cleansing and leave my skin feeling tingly and fresh. (I also use the face wash every morning when I wake up and I find it really refreshing.)

After these two steps, I usually follow with my Clinique dramatically different moisturising gel. I've previously reviewed this here so I won't go into much detail about it! All i will say is it's my absolute favourite moisturiser ever...but I just can't justify buying it regularly as it's so expensive and doesn't seem to last that long! This is why I've bought a new moisturiser for the time being - a much cheaper alternative - My skin moisture lotion from Tesco. I think I only paid about £1.75 for it as it was on offer! It's an average quality moisturiser I suppose...nothing special but I just got it while I am between moisturisers! It has a nice fruity scent, and I like the fact it is oil free / mattifying. 

As for the other two products; The soap and glory pore facial peel is something I use about twice a week. I've previously reviewed it here so again, I won't go into too much detail about it, but i love it! And finally, my little miracle product.. Sudocrem! Anyone who has never used this on their face, you are missing out! It's so effective at getting rid of spots. I'm pretty lucky and don't tend to get breakouts that often, but whenever I do, the first thing i do is whack a load of sudocrem on my face! It honestly works wonders. Does anyone else use any of these products? What do you think of them? 

Aveeno Skin Relief Lotion

I picked this up a couple of months back from Morrisons as it was on offer at half price. It's usually about £5.99 but it was like £2.40 ish. So i decided to try it out as my skin had been quite itchy and irritated around that time and I was looking for a moisturiser specifically aimed at irritated skin! This is the Aveeno website, I would have included a link to this particular product but for some reason I couldn't find it on the site (I'm probably just being an idiot!). 

The product is really thick and creamy which I love, and also it soaks in really well without being greasy at all. It feels amazing on the skin and so moisturising. It's definitely the best one I've tried in a while. It says it contains 'triple oat complex', and I think this is reflected in the smell of the lotion, as it smells pretty much like oats to me! It's not a bad smell but it's not a particularly nice one either... but it's not a really harsh, strong scent so it doesn't really bother me! I would recommend trying this if you have irritated, sensitive, dry or itchy skin, as it's really moisturising. It's great to use on your legs after shaving too, sometimes I find that scented moisturisers can irritate my skin especially after shaving! Have you tried this? or any of the Aveeno range? I definitely want to try other products in their range as I was very happy with this!

Clinique Deep Comfort Body Moisture

Clinique deep comfort body moisture - £18

This is the newest addition to my ever growing collection of moisturisers (I definitely have an addiction!). I generally really like Clinique products that I have previously tried, and this seemed like it would be super moisturising for dry skin. Clinique deep comfort body moisture is described on the website as 'an intensely rich and creamy body moisturiser that provides even the driest skin with relief and moisturisation'. I definitely think it lives up to this claim, it provides my skin with instant relief and my skin feels softer and just generally in better condition after using it. The moisturiser has a slight scent, I wouldn't describe it as unpleasant but it isn't neccesarily a nice smell either!

However, i think it is overpriced at £18 -  I got it at half this price thanks to my friend who works in duty free at the airport (this comes in very handy for the likes of me who is obsessed with trying new products). I definitely wouldn't ever pay full price for this as I feel there are much cheaper alternatives that are pretty much just as good, and although I do like Clinique products i feel that they are all way overpriced! Does anyone else think this? 

Skin care regime.

I decided to share my current skin care regime as my skin has been feeling great lately and I feel like I've finally found a good routine.

For the past couple of months I have been using a facewash I picked up from Morrisons it's just a cheap brand I think it was called 'so clear'. To be honest I was really impressed with it and would definitely buy it again, it was around £2.70 which is about average for a standard face wash I suppose! The past couple of days i have been using this Garnier fresh essentials cleansing gel wash. I really like the scent it's nice and refreshing, however i feel like it irritates my eyes quite a bit, and I usually like to use a face wash which will remove all my eye make up. I think with this face wash i will have to use a wipe or some other kind of makeup remover along side it. That is my only criticism, i think it works really well as a facewash to cleanse and leave skin feeling fresh, and i picked it up when it was on offer in Sainsburys so it only cost me around £1.70 which is good!

I have been using this Simple soothing facial toner for a while now and I really like it, it doesn't irritate my skin at all but it gives that nice tingly clean feeling and ensures that all traces of makeup are gone. This is one of the best toners I've tried. I've previously used Clinique clarifying lotion however I felt that really irritated my skin and sometimes felt like it was burning! I like the way this simple toner is very kind to skin and not too harsh! I will definitely be buying this again.

I've previously reviewed this here. I can't stress enough how much i love this moisturiser it's hands down the best product ever for me! I don't know how I ever lived without it, i use it 2 / 3 times a day now and it makes my skin feel amazing. I'd definitely recommend it! Pricey but worth every penny.

Anyway that's my current skin care regime and it seems to be working pretty well for me at the moment! I don't really tend to have 'problem' skin I rarely get spots so i'm quite lucky but my skin has been feeling smooth lately so I'm putting that down to my skincare! I also try to avoid wearing makeup wherever possible, as soon as I'm home i'll take it off I hate sitting about with a full face of makeup, my skin just feels greasy!

Vaseline Cocoa Butter range.

"Cocoa Butter Vitalising Gel Body Oil, used after bathing, replenishes skin and locks in moisture for naturally radiant skin."

A few weeks ago whilst out shopping with my mum I spotted the Vaseline cocoa butter range; it was on offer 2 for 1 so we both decided to get one. I couldn't choose between the cocoa butter lotion or the cocoa butter gel oil, but in the end i went with the oil for a change because I've tried so many body butters before...big mistake! I wish I had gone with the body butter as the oil is far too greasy. It smells amazing (as most cocoa butter products do!) and is definitely highly moisturising, but I find it almost unbearable to apply as it's literally so greasy, and doesn't dry for hours, resulting in it sticking to clothes and all sorts. I'm a huge fan of most vaseline products but I definitely wouldn't try this again, if i was looking for an oil I would probably opt for Johnsons baby oil as it dries in much faster. I'd like to try the Vaseline cocoa butter lotion in future though as the range smells amazing! Has anyone tried any of the cocoa butter range? Do you prefer the oil / body butter? I would quite like to try this range next as it claims to 'deliver superior moisturisation' without leaving skin feeling too greasy!

Clinique Dramatically different Moisturising Gel.

Both of my flatmates have been using this for a while, and i tried theirs the odd time and instantly fell in love with it so I had to get my hands on some Clinique dramatically different moisturising gel! I waited until Christmas to get it as it's fairly pricey (retails at £29.00 for the 125ml bottle with pump).

I'm absolutely in love with this product, I genuinely don't know how I ever survived without it. I use it at least twice a day, before I apply my makeup, and then at night after removing my makeup, cleansing and toning. I also use it blended with my MUA matte foundation to create a creamier consistency, as well as mixing it with fake tan when I apply it to my face.

This moisturiser is perfect for my combination oily skin, as it dries in quickly, leaving my skin feeling smooth and velvety but not greasy at all. I would definitely recommend it to anyone with oily or combination oily skin! It also seems to stop my skin from becoming as oily /shiny throughout the day, although this obviously helps when used in conjunction with matte makeup products! It is quite pricey but in my opinion it's worth paying for if it's a product that really works.

'Escenti cool feet' cracked heel cream.

I got this a  couple of weeks back from B&M as I was in need of a foot cream and this was an absolute bargain, it was only about 79p. I'm really impressed with it! :-)

It has a lovely peppermint smell and is really cooling as soon as you apply it. It's a really good product for tired feet especially if you've been on your feet all day! As it contains menthol and peppermint it gives a nice tingly cooling sensation which feels like it's actually working! It also absorbs really quickly and doesn't leave your feet feeling greasy which is something I hate and has put me off foot creams before! However I'm not sure exactly how moisturising it would be though in the long term as I haven't been using it for long enough. It works immediately and my feet feel instantly softer but I'm not sure that it would work for people with really cracked heels.

Anyway, overall impressed with this little bargain product, I would recommend it if you can get your hands on it :-) hope everyone's having a good week so far!

jess xxx

Asda 'young skin' matte finish moisturiser review.

A while ago when I was shopping in Asda I spotted  this moisturiser and decided to try it as I was in need of one and didn't have much money so thought I'd try a cheap one.. It only costs £1.00 which is an absolute bargain! I wasn't expecting much from it, I just needed a moisturiser to last me for a while until I bought a better one, but I was pleasantly surprised by it!

The main reason I chose this is because it promised a 'matte finish' and I tend to suffer from oily skin, so usually most moisturisers make my face greasy. This is probably the best moisturiser I've used as it leaves my skin feeling amazing.. Really velvety and not greasy at all. It dries fast and leaves a nice silky smooth effect.

However, I wouldn't recommend this for any other skin types other than oily skin as it would probably dry out the skin too much. Although this leaves a really nice effect and soft feeling on the skin I don't feel that it's very moisturising. Nevertheless I'm still impressed with it and it's a really good product considering the price! 

Hope this has been helpful :-) jess xxx

Clinique Moisture Surge tinted moisturiser review.

A while ago I got a free sample of Clinique Moisture Surge tinted moisturiser in a magazine. After trying it I was pretty impressed with it and decided to buy some, although it was a little pricey as with most of the Clinique range. I think it retails at around £23.00 however I got it for about £19.00 as my flatmate works in duty free at the airport! :-)

Although I got the same shade as the same I'd tried (no. 3), I found it to be a bit dark for my skin tone, although it's a bit of a better match when I'm wearing fake tan. So for this reason I don't tend to wear it during the day, which is mainly what I intended, as it is a tinted moisturiser and I wanted a lighter version of a foundation. Also, my skin has oily tendencies and I find that this tinted moisturiser makes my skin appear quite greasy, and if I do wear it on a night out I tend to still use foundation over the top, along with concealer and powder. I suppose it works well as an initial base but I definitely wouldn't be able to wear it alone. Perhaps it works better for people with dry/normal skin though.

My overall thoughts on this product are that it's a bit pricey for what it is and there are several others on the market for much less, for example the Garnier BB cream which I have previously reviewed. I do regret spending that much on it as I don't really use it often and I'm never particularly impressed with the results, particularly if I am only using it as a base for under the rest of my makeup.

Hope this review has been helpful! jess xo