Clinique Take The Day Off Make-Up Remover

I'm a massive fan of Clinique's Take The Day Off Cleansing balm, in fact, it's my favourite skincare product ever. Therefore, it was only right I try out their eye make-up remover too. I love to use separate eye make up remover to my cleansers as I have sensitive eyes and they are easily irritated by products. I've heard several good things about this product such as winning the SHE Magazine Beauty Awards 2011 for best eye make-up remover, so I thought it had to be a good investment. I've used the whole bottle to make sure my review is as informative as possible.

 

Clinique's Take The Day Off Make-Up Remover for lids, lashes & lips claims to be a two-way formula that loosens the grip, then speeds up the departure of the most persistent, eye make ups, mascara and lipsticks. Even waterproof mascaras. It is also suitable contact lens wearers. It's ophthalmologist tested and perfume so it's suitable for those of you with sensitive eyes like me! Sounds pretty good eh? It comes in a lilac plastic bottle, so any clumsy moments won't leave you with a broken bottle and a floor covered in expensive solution. The cap has a lock on it similar to a medicine bottle, you push down and twist, very simple but effective at making sure your product doesn't leak if you're travelling.

 

The bottle consists of a half water based, half oil based solution. You shake the bottle up for a few seconds so that they mix together to create a cloudy consistency. You the remove the cap and apply to a cotton pad and hold over the area you want to remove make-up from. I personally found it really hard to work with, it was great for removing eye shadows and lip products in seconds. However, I have a battle trying to remover mascara, this goes for all brands of mascara and I don't even wear waterproof either. I soak the cotton pad generously and hold over my eyes for around a minute, it just removes the odd trace of mascara and it comes off all flaky; I have to use loads of product and really work with it and rub and tug to actually remove the majority of it, not good for the eye area at all!

 

I also found the product quite greasy too, I would definitely cleanse after even though it claims to be suitable for before and after, I can't see having that much oil sitting on your skin to be good for your pores. I do wear quite a few coats of mascara which could impact on why my review is so negative compared to others, however, I've not had a problem with a variety of eye make-up removers before and for the price tag of £17 for 125ml, I expected this to be better than my drugstore equivalents, not worse. I don't recommend this product at all, you can get much better for a fraction of the price. I was left really unimpressed from one of my favourite skincare brands, I'm hoping this is just a one off.

 

 

 

Clinique 3 Step Skincare Type #3 Combination Oily

As most of you will know I'm an absolute skincare junkie. However Clinique isn't unfamiliar to me and we've encountered before. Back in my early teen days when my acne first started flaring up, I was recommended Clinique's Anti-Blemish Solutions and had a really bad experience. Now my skin has matured and settled down a lot, I decided to give their ordinary range a go. I've been using the range for a few months now and wanted to share my thoughts.

I took the online consultation which matched me to mainly Anti-Blemish Solution products, obviously I wanted to steer clear of these. On the list also popped up the Type 3 Clarifying Lotion so I decided to give the equivalent products a go and hope they suited my skin type. I'd recommend getting a start kit for £20 first before you commit to buying the full size products. Mine lasted around a month but I can be quite wasteful, this should be enough time for you to test if they suit you.

What Clinique say: 'Just 3 products, 3 minutes, twice a day—it’s that easy. Cleanse. Exfoliate. Moisturise. Three simple actions, morning and night. Yet when custom-fit to your specific needs, this dermatologist-developed system reveals your skin’s best version of itself: clear, radiant, glowing. At Clinique, we believe any skin can be great skin.'

Overall opinion: I liked the range, some things more than others. I've found my skin to break out slightly initially but they do inform you of this. It leaves my skin slightly redder than my La-Roche Posay which was expected as it isn't targeted to sensitive skin. I have found my skin to produce excess oil after a few hours which is a pain but I can cope with. After a 2 months of using these products I made a decision to cut the Clarifying Lotion out of my routine and saw an improvement in redness and breakouts improvement. I recently went back to Clinique and have altered my 3 step type, but I still use the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel and love it.

Step 1: Liquid Facial Soap (Oily Skin Formula)

The first step can comes in 2 forms - a liquid soap and a bar soap. I opted for the liquid soap version. I use one pump of these and massage it in wet hands to a lather and then gently rub onto a wet face in circular motions. When applied it instantly cools the face and causes it to tingle slightly, I think this may be just the oily version as it contains harsher ingredients to combat sebum. The wash leaves my skin well cleansed but doesn't strip it completely and leave it feeling uncomfortable and tight. I really love this product and a bottle of this has lasted me 2 months used twice a day. However I wouldn't recommended to those of you with spot prone skin as it doesn't have any spot fighting ingredients. (RRP £15.50 200ml)

Step 2: Clarifying Lotion #3

The second step is the clarifying lotion, see this as your exfoliating toner. They come in a 200ml bottle and a large 400ml bottle, I opted for the 200ml as the 400ml looks huge and I already lack space in my en-suite. You use this by applying it to a cotton pad and then gently wiping it over your face avoiding delicate areas like the eyes and mouth. This chemically exfoliates the skin and gets rid of any dead skin cells and excess dirt that the cleanser may not have caught. The product contains a lot of alcohol and if you have sensitive skin like mine, it irritates so much that is burns my skin and leaves it feeling raw and itchy. I personally wouldn't recommend this step and I'd say just go for 1 and 3 but if you think you have pretty tough skin then go for it, I like the idea behind it though, it just doesn't agree with my skin. (RRP £15.50 200ml)

Step 3: Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

The last and best step, moisturising. For types 3 & 4 you are recommended this product, the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. This is a lighter version of the + which is quite heavy and targeted at those whom have drier skin types. This is the biggest size they do and I'd highly recommend you get this one, with the pump, 2 pumps is enough for the entire face and neck, I've had mine for 3 months and I'm only about 2/3 through. The gel is really refreshing and although it says gel, it has the same consistency a moisturiser and isn't sticky and sinks into the skin nicely. It doesn't leave you looking too matte either but controls oil well. The formula doesn't irritate my skin at all and is super gentle and refreshing. (RRP £29.50 125ml)

Clinique All About Eyes

Eye creams were a product that didn't generally interest me in my teens, but as I'm getting older and my skin is changing, I've notice I tend to get some slight dry patches in my eye area. I've used cheaper eye creams in the past such as Simple but thought I should invest in something a little more high end and tailored to my specific needs. As you all know, I'm a massive Clinique junkie, and when I read up on the All About Eyes it sounded perfect for what I needed.

As always the packaging is beautiful, simple and elegant; very clean cut and clinical, something I really love about Clinique. The little glass jar is home to a a silicone-based formula which is somewhere between a cream and a primer. I dab my ring finger lightly into the jar to take a small amount and then pat it around the the eye area, concentrating on the under eyes. The formula is super silky and applies effortlessly and sets without leaving any greasy residue behind. It leaves the area feeling hydrated and soothed. Because of the consistency of the formula, it works amazing as a primer for eye shadow too!

It isn't the cheapest of eye creams considering it doesn't have any anti-wrinkle benefits. At £25 for 15ml it can be a little hit or miss, however my little jar has been going strong since December and is still not finished. One thing I dislike about this product is the format of the packaging; I would much prefer it to be in a tube as it would make it a lot easier to control the amount you're dispensing and not expose it to air as often which can weaken the effect of some of the eye creams ingredients. However, it is still a lovely eye cream and it's dual purpose make it's super useful to have in my make-up bag.

Clinque Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel

So the newest product to grace Clinique's skincare comes in the form of it's Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel. I'd seen several adverts for this product but it never really entered my want/need list. I haven't had much good experience with these kinds of products and assumed it'd be a waste of money. On my recent trip to Clinique I was informed that this was taking place of the Clarifying Lotion step which I have never been the biggest fan of. I thought I'd give it a try and see if it helped control my breakouts.

The product is effectively a spot fighting gel that can be spot-applied to spots as a treatment or all over the face as a preventative measure to prevent breakouts from occurring. The gel is to be used after cleansing the face, I recommend you use a light moisturiser after also as it's very drying. It has a fairly strong scent of alcohol, I find I have to work quickly when applying as it dries very quickly which means I probably use more than the suggested thin layer. The product is 100% allergy tested and fragrance free meaning it is suitable for sensitive and irritable skin. It controls oil well and I've seen a vast improvement in the amount of excess oil that my face produces since using this product. It also claims to reduce the appearance of pores, I find it tightens the skin quite a lot when applied but this effect isn't long lasting.

The 30ml bottle retails for £20 which is fairly pricey for this type of treatment. I also find because of the tube of the bottle which you have to squeeze to get the product out, I've gotten through my bottle in a matter of weeks which is disappointing. However, the product does an amazing job at clearing up my skin and controlling oil better than anything I've used before. It also doesn't dry your face out and leave flakiness like other stop treatments do. Therefore on that basis I would say it is well worth the money and has quickly became a permanent addition to my skincare routine.

Origins Out of Trouble Mask

When my skin is feeling rather on the spotty side and needs a bit of extra care, I like to add another product into my skincare routine to clear it up. I've never been a believer in face masks, I always used to see them as something people use for more of a cosmetic purposes and not thought they did much good from previous use. That was before I invested in my first 'high end' one in the form of a sample first.

Origins is a brand known for their natural products, the mask contains; Zinc Oxide and Sulfur which absorbs all the build up under your skin and Camphor which is super calming for the skin. The mask does three things, gets rid of oiliness, removes of dead skin cells and eliminates excess debris on the skin. The mask removes any rough texture to the skin and tackles potential outbreaks during/before they occur. The mask is targeted to those of us with problem skin prone to acne, and because of Origin's natural products, it's perfect for those of us with super sensitive skin too.

I apply the mask to a cleansed face once a week of an evening after removing my make-up. I used a index fingers length and then apply to the skin evenly avoiding the eye and mouth area. I then leave the mask on my face for 10 minutes (or usually more as I'm very forgetful). It cools the face down instantly and smells very fresh and natural like plant extracts. When it's time to remove the product, I like to use damp cotton pads or a wet muslin cloth and gently wipe away the product. I also like to splash my face with cool water once it is all removed and pat the skin dry with a clean towel.

I fell in love with this product from the first use, it's so refreshing and doesn't dry the skin out at all. Straight away my the surface of my skin had reduced in redness and irritation and overnight my blemishes have slightly reduced in size. It's quite a miracle product for me and I absolutely swear by this and recommend it to those of you with a similar skin type to me. Although it is quite pricey at £22, the bottle lasts a good time as you only need to use it once a week and it's always worth investing in good quality products that good the job properly.

Soap & Glory The Scrub Of Your Life™

Like many of you out there, I received the Soap & Glory Yule Monty gift set for Christmas. If you aren't aware of what that is exactly, it's the massive hamper Soap & Glory bring out every Christmas of a selection of their best products. In this hamper was The Scrub Of Your Life, a product that's never really interested me much before. I'm not the biggest fan of scrubs, due to the fact I'm lazy and exfoliating is usually the last thing I can be bothered to do when I'm in a rush. However, I do already own their Sugar Crush scrub which I like, but don't love.

I decided to give The Scrub Of Your Life a whirl before shaving last week, and it really surprised me. It consists of tiny fine pink beads and some fine colourless grains suspended in a clear liquid. The scrub is unlike the others from Soap & Glory, first of all it come in a squeezy tube packaging as opposed to a tub. The formula smells amazing, much like the classic perfume scent of Soap & Glory products; with notes of mandarin, peach, jasmine and rose.

It also has a much different consistency, it comes in a gel like consistency rather than a thick paste. It could also double up as a body wash as unlike other scrubs, it foams up too. I found a small amount goes a long way, with other scrubs I have to use lots and lots of products and it runs out quickly. It buffs the skin really well and get rid of any rough patches I may have, especially on the knees and elbows. It's really easy too use, I tend to just use my hands and buff in into my skin in circular motions, it also rinses off really nicely too. It prices at £7 which I think is very reasonable. It has quickly became one of my favourite scrubs and I'll more than likely repurchase it when it runs out.

Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter

I received so many Clinique goodies this Christmas and I've been more than impressed by all of them. Their Deep Comfort Body Butter is no exception. The product came in Clinique's 'Softer, Smoother Skin' gift set. 

 It's a full sized product which is a lovely surprise for a gift set as most only include sample sizes.

The packaging is typical of Clinique, a round plastic tub with a silver lid and the logo along with the name of the product. I'm glad they chose to package it in a plastic tub as opposed to glass as the tub is large and therefore it makes it lighter and more durable. Personally, I'm a fan of Clinique's packaging as it's simple yet sophisticated and sits lovely on your dressing table. The product itself looks very thick and creamy, as expected from a body butter. It appears a off white magnolia colour and is unscented; as with the rest of Clinique's products it is 100% fragrance free and allergy tested so it is suitable for all skin types, even sensitive skin. I would say this is the only downfall, I personally like body butters to have some scent to them.

So, the most important part. The body butter is fabulous. Super thick yet a little goes a longer way, it melts lovely into the skin and doesn't leave behind a sticky residue. Surprisingly, it doesn't take too long to absorb either which means you don't have to sit around for ages in your undies. It intensely moisturises the skin leaving it soft, supple and hydrated. Unlike other moisturisers I've used, my skin is still super soft hours after I've applied the product. It does wonders for my sensitive skin, unlike scented products, it doesn't give me any irritation or redness and soothes the skin after shaving.

Overall I love the product, a lot. However it's £24 price tag leaves it on the 'I really love it but can't afford to use it all the time' list. I do however think it's the best body butter I've ever and I'd highly recommend it.

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

I'm always open to different ways of taking my make-up off. I find it the most important part of my skincare routine as going to bed with make-up left of your face is the worst skincare sin going. Generally I'm very much a face wash kinda gal, having oily skin I don't like to smother it in rich products that will block my pores. To get the majority of my make-up off I'd use face wipes and then wash with a gel wash. This method seems to make my skin even more oily as it strips the skin quite badly.

I did some research and found creamy cleansers to be the best option for skin. However I'm not a fan of cream cleansers as they leave my face feeling still dirty and sticky. Recently I've read a lot about cleansing balms. Very similar but different consistency altogether. Thought I'd pick one up and give it a go.

 Clinique's Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm is a hard consistency in it's tub, it's difficult to describe but it's similar to wax. You only need to scrap off a small amount with your finger and then rub it together in your fingers, a little goes a long way. It then turns into an thick oil. You the use your fingers to massage the product all over your face. I like to do this once in the morning with a bare face and double cleanse in the evening with a face full of make-up to make sure my skin is thoroughly cleansed. You then rinse the product off with your hands or use a damp muslin cloth, and then pat dry with a towel.

I was worried it would be too rich for my skin as I have oily/combination skin so I didn't want to add excess oil to my skin. However, it does say it's suitable for all skin types which is true, when rinsed off your skin is completely clean and no oily residue is left behind.  I didn't expect much from this product but it is one of the best cleansers I have ever used. Regardless of what product I use, I usually always still have make-up left on my face when drying my face on a towel, with this stuff I haven't had that problem once. It leaves my skin super soft and not irritated, absolute pleasure for removing make-up of an evening. The formula is super gentle and fragrance free.

I only use mine on evenings although it can be used  in the mornings too. This is one of Clinique's hidden gems, and regardless of it's £21 price tag, I will repurchase over and over again. I've been using mine almost a month now and I'm only about a quarter of my way through so I'd say it's well worth the investment for your skin.

Liz Earle Skincare Regime

I'm sure most of you will have some point have heard of the famous Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. If you aren't already knowledgeable, Liz Earle are a skincare brand who practice in natural ingredients. Although the cleanser is their most popular products, there are definitely some gems amongst the rest of their collection. Liz Earle have a monthly offer of their 3 step regime for £43 with a different full sized product free for you to try.

The offer includes a full sized Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, Instant Boost Skin Tonic, Skin Repair Moisturiser and 2 muslin cloths. You also get a free full sized gift depending on what month you order. This package works out much cheaper than buying each item individually which is a bonus.

The Hot Cloth Cleanser is a creamy cleanser suitable for all skin types. With a dry face, using one pump, massage it into your skin and then use a warm damp muslin cloth wipe the product off the face using gentle circular motions. This action cleanses and exfoliates your face in one. The formula smells naturally of plant extracts and feels gentle and soothing on the skin. I found the action of having to use a cloth to remove it quite a drag but it does help to exfoliate the skin well and thoroughly remove make-up. It also prevents the soaking wet floor I seem to get when having to splash my face to remove product. It's so gentle you can even remove your eye make-up with it but I tend to used a separate remover to do this with. I do really rate this cleanser, however, because of my acne I personally need to use something with more spot fighting ingredients and this wasn't enough for me. It did help calm the redness and irritation I get with other cleansers which was good. On none spotty faces I think this would be an excellent cleanser and I would use it all the time if it wasn't for that issue.

The Skin Tonic toner is my favourite product of the range. It's a super gentle toner which can be applied to a cotton pad and gently wiped over the face closes pores and makes sure no tiny scrap of make-up or cleanser is left on the face. It smells really natural and is really soothing and refreshing on the face. Unlike other cleansers, it doesn't contain alcohol so it doesn't irritate the skin or leave it feeling tight and itchy. It really preps the skin well for moisturising. Skin is left really soft and calm, no redness in sight. I really love this product and would probably buy it on it's own.

I went for the combination/oily option for my moisturiser as I have moderately oily skin. The Skin Repair Light Moisturiser was my least favourite product. One or two pumps is enough for your whole face and it dries super quick leaving your face hydrated yet not dewy. However, I found that after only 15 minutes of using this my face was plastered in excess oil production. At first I thought I may have used too much but no matter how much I used I got the same effect. For a moisturiser targeted at oily skin, I felt like I was using something targeted for very dry skin, it left a horrible film of oil/cream all over my skin and I had to cleanse my face again to get rid of it.

Overall, I really enjoyed using the cleanser and toner. I would repurchase them again and recommend to those of you wanting something gentle yet effect in your skincare regime. Now I can't speak of behalf of other skin types but I really hated the moisturiser and individually priced at £18, it was the worst product I'd ever used. I don't use Liz Earle as part of my skincare regime anymore but I passed my products onto my Mom to try and she loved them so much that she's been using them for almost a year now.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Cleanser & Moisturiser

I'm always on the hunt for the perfect skincare, and once I'd exhausted all the regular drugstore brands, I turned to more high end solutions. Since dabbling in the high end market, I've been pretty impressed, but not completely satisfied. Everything I try is too heavy for my skin and leaves me producing crazy amounts of oils or is too stripping and leaves my skin feeling tight and itchy. I'd heard good things about La Roche-Posay and decided to give their oily skin products a whirl.

I'll start with the Purifying Foaming Gel first. Targeted at oily sensitive skin it is the perfect cleanser for me. It dispenses as a gel and you only need to use a small amount and work it with some water between your hands for it to all foam up and rub into your face. It isn't at the cheap price coming in at just over £10 a bottle but a little goes a long way. I've had my bottle almost a month now and it's just gone half way through I reckon, used both morning and night. I really love this stuff, first impressions were that it didn't smell foul or overpowering like a lot of treatments for my skin type, instead it was very calming and refreshing. It lathered up really well with a little help from some water and didn't sting when massaged into my face. It did a good job at thoroughly removing any left over make-up my face wipes hadn't done. I've noticed my face is a lot calmer and I have less redness since using this product. It does a good job at leaking my face super clean and leaves it feeling refreshed without stripping it of it's oils.

Next up, the Sebo-Regulating  Mattifying Fluid. Like most 'mattifying' moisturisers, it has a gel consistency as opposed to a more creamy one. This isn't a problem except it does dry a lot quicker than other formulas so you have to work quickly when applying it. You apply an average amount and apply over a cleansed face. This is one of the more expensive moisturisers I've purchased at around £14 a pop for 40ml which lasted me 3/4 weeks used twice a day. It smells similar to the wash which I liked. It gives the skin a very matte finish and slightly minimises the appearance of pores. At first it does feel like your skin isn't quite hydrated enough but after a few minutes it feels just like any other moisturiser. This did everything it claimed to a controlled my oil production better than any other product I'd used. It didn't eliminate it completely but improved it big time. This helps immensely when wearing foundations and BB creams as I didn't need to powder as much so I could pull off a more dewy, less oily look.

Both this products used in conjunction have really cleared up my skin better than any other products I've used. I used these after testing out Vichy which left me unimpressed and I'm so glad I tried them because now I wouldn't use anything else. I'm about to repurchase both and despite the price tag they really do a good job on my skin without being harsh, it amazes me! They aren't miracle products and I'm still yet to be acne free, but in terms of skincare, this is as good as it gets for me.

Origins Super Spot Remover

I gave up on tough spot treatments a few years ago. The more things I put on them, the more irritated and inflamed they'd become. I found that keeping my regime simple and leaving out treatments worked well for me, but it wasn't quite enough. However, I've heard nothing but good things about this little gem from Origins. On my recent trip to Nottingham I poped into John Lewis and they had a special 10% offer so couldn't resist giving it a whirl.

Usually priced at £14, it isn't the cheapest of treatments at all, especially as you only get a tiny 10ml bottle. However you only need to use a tiny amount which helps. They advise you to apply a tiny amount to a cotton bud and then apply to blemishes and any lumps and bumps on the face as a treatment for occasional spots. I obviously have permanent acne but I thought I'd give it a go as anything is better than nothing right? It contains salicylic acid as do many other spot treatments so I wasn't expecting any miracles from this little bottle despite the price tag.

I'm seriously impressed with this stuff. I did everything I was told to do twice a day or once if I was wearing make-up, you can wear it under make-up but it does create a little film over the area and I didn't want to be picking at my face even more. Right from day one it got straight to work at drying out and reducing the size of my spots in a matter of hours. In fact, one pesky spot disappeared in a matter of days, incredible. I used the treatment on all kinds of spots from white heads to cystic acne which wouldn't budge, I'd say it was pretty effective of all of them. It can sting a little if the spot has broken skin at first but it quickly wears off and the cooling agent of a gel really refreshes and tightens up the skin getting to work quickly. It also works at fading the spots and the discolouration and scaring caused by them so keep applying it to them even when they look like they're on their way out! It's definitely a must have when you're having a skin crisis and your skincare routine alone isn't cutting it. It won't get rid of them in a zap but it will give you that peace of mind that they won't be sitting on your face as long as they would have done without it.