Review: Trilogy Organic Rosehip Oil

A super belated happy new year! I can't believe we're already mid-way through January!


I got my first bottle of the Trilogy Organic Rosehip Oil some time ago in the first BBB Beauty Edit Box, and have repurchased a few times since then. Every year, during the winter, my cheeks become really dry and flaky, which I've tried to combat with a number of different products. For the past two winters, I put Trilogy Rosehip Oil to the test and try it out to see if it would at least reduce the dryness from my cheeks. The oil itself is not too greasy and you only need 3-4 drops (using the pipette) to cover the entire face.

I've been using it twice a day (once in the morning and again before bed) since the beginning of November, testing it over time to see if it's made a difference. And has it?

I'd definitely say it has! It hasn't eradicated the dryness completely, but my skin is not flaking and it's a lot smoother and softer. I expected my skin to become a little dry because there are other factors like the crazy cold weather and as a result, central heating being turned on, which does affect how my skin behaves. I'm happy to say though, that the longer I've been using it, I've needed to use less and less and now I only apply it to problem areas (under the eyes and tops of cheeks). This has definitely changed my skincare routine and is one product I will repurchase again. I only use this during the winter months, as I found that my skin isn't as dry and flaky once the weather warms up.

Have you tried Rosehip Oil? Do you have any tips on keeping dry skin at bay once the weather gets colder?



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Eid Mubarak! and an Escentual Haul =)

A belated Eid Mubarak to all my readers! It's been a busy few days with lots of henna, baking, food and visiting relatives! Anyway, here's what I treated myself to from Escentual.com (a sort of Eid present to myself) =)


What was originally meant to be a repurchase of my Bare Minerals foundation, turned into a miniature haul from Escentual (oops!). Alongside my foundation, I also ordered the Bioderma Skincare Sample Set, which consisted of 27 sample sizes of Bioderma products. Luckily, it was on offer at £16, and I got a voucher emailed to me with a value of £20 after I had ordered. Win!

And here's what arrived in the Bioderma Sample Set. I know that I'll be taking quite a few of these miniatures on holiday with me, especially the Micelle Solution's and the Atoderm range of products.

A full list of the samples included in the set:

Sébium

• H2O Micelle Solution 10ml
• Global - Intensive Purifying Care 5ml
• Hydra - Moisturising Replenishing Care 5ml
• AKN Fluiid - Purifying Corrective Care 5ml
• Pore Refiner - Corrective Care 5ml
• Purifying and Foaming Cleansing Gel 10ml

Sensibio

• AR Anti Redness Cream 5ml
• AR BB Cream - Anti-Redness Skin-Perfecting Care 5ml
• Rich - Soothing Cream 5ml
• Light - Soothing Cream 2ml
• Forte Cream - Reddened Sensitive Cream 5ml
• H2O - Micelle Solution 10ml
• Eye Contour Gel 2ml
• DS+ Soothing Purifiying Cream 5ml

Atoderm

• PO Zinc Crème - Ultra-Soothing Cream 8ml
• Creme Lavante - Nutri-protective Cleansing Cream 10ml
• PP Baume - Ultra Nourishing Emollient Balm 8ml
• Nourishing Cream 8ml
• Atoderm PP Ultra Rich Foaming Gel 10ml

Photoderm

• AKN Mat - Mattifying Fluid SPF30 5ml
• Spot Cream SPF50+ 5ml
• AR Tinted Cream SPF50+ 5ml
• MAX Cream SPF50+ 5ml

Hydrabio

• Light - Moisturising Cream 2ml
• Rich - Moisturising Cream 5ml 
• Serum - Moisturising Concentrate 5ml

Cicabio

• Smoothing Repairing Cream 5ml

With the £20 voucher, I then placed another Escentual order for my saviour from eczema (Bioderma PO Zinc Crème) and thought I'd try out the Bioderma Sensibio DS + Soothing Purifying Cream for my eczema as it has a lightweight texture which will be much appreciated for the rest of the summer. With my purchase of the Sensibio Purifying Cream, I also got a Sensibio Micelle Solution (100ml) for free. Another win! All in all, I think my haul from Escentual will last me a good few months and I'm looking forward to trying the different Bioderma products over the holidays =)



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April Empties

I haven't done an empties post in a while, but I have accumulated a number of empty containers/tubes/tubs etc. over the past few weeks. And here is my (belated) April emptied post =)

Products that I have/will repurchase:

EOS Lip Sphere-This lip balm is the ultimate lip balm. Yes, the packaging is big (although it is cute), this product stays on my desk at home and I always reach for it when my lips need a little moisture.

Bioderma Ultra-Soothing cream-This seems to be the only product that works on my eczema. I'll be repurchasing this soon as my eczema has calmed down, so I don't need to apply the cream as often. (I've decanted what I could get out from the tube into a little pot, which is why I've cut the top off).

Guerlien La Petite Robe Noire EDT-I love this scent, and I'm so glad that I got two of them in the Boots Christmas Sales. I'm not really a perfume wearer (more body sprays and mists) but this fragrance is definitely one that will repurchase.

&OtherStories Rose Revival body scrub-These body scrubs aren't very expensive (£7) but they smell amazing and have enough texture to actually exfoliate and be called a scrub. I've already got another scent waiting to be opened. If you ever get the chance, pop down to an &OtherStories store to test out the body scrubs (and their other bath and body products).

 

Products that I won't miss:

L'oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Solution-I bought this when it was on offer, so it somehow worked out better value for money than the other micellar waters available. It's a pretty good cleanser (I use it with the Kleenex cotton face cloths-a bargain find in 99p stores!) but the design of the bottle and the way it pours out means that a lot of product is being wasted. I'll be taking a look at the Garnier micellar water instead.

CND Solar Oil-I got this in the first BBB beauty edit box, and unfortunately it hasn't wowed me in any way. I like the packaging as the brush makes it easy to apply the oil to the nails and cuticles, and it smells nice, but it just didn't do anything for me. I'm sticking to my L'Occitane shea butter hand creams!

 

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Autumn/Winter Skincare

Clearly Summer has left the UK before it even began to settle in. Already I'm digging out my boots and chunky knits, ready for the cold wind and rain that is slowly arriving. Alongside changing up my wardrobe, I also adjust my skincare routine. I find that during the Winter, I get a lot of patches of dry skin on my cheeks and my eczema flares up really badly. And don't forget the chapped, cracked lips and dry hands! I've put together a little list of products that I will be using throughout the next few months to keep the Winter skin at bay!

 

L'occitane Honey Shea Butter - A handy little tub that I keep on my desk. I massage this into my nails and cuticles to keep them hydrated.

& Other Stories Punk Bouquet Body Scrub - A new body scrub that I picked up a few weeks ago on a trip to Oxford Street. This scrub smells lovely and sweet (as you'd probably have guessed by the name) and it's not too harsh on the skin (but it is exfoliating enough) =)

EOS Lipbalm - My Holy Grail lip balm. Seriously, this is better than Carmex!

Lanolips Lip Ointment - My other HG lip balm. Just as good as the EOS and it's a lot easier to carry around in my bag.

Bioderma Atoderm Nourishing Cream - This Bioderma cream is helping keep my eczema and dry skin at bay. Ever since I've come back from holiday, the eczema around my eyes has disappeared (I think it's something to do with the warmer climate), and I'm just using this around my ears and my arms and legs, as I seem to always be getting told that I have very dry skin.

L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream - I have back-ups of this hand cream. This is another HG product and I use it all the time. The Shea Butter in the hand cream helps keep my hands moisturised and nourished so I'm not constantly applying hand cream.

Do you change up your skincare for Autumn and Winter?




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July Empties

Please excuse the fact that I didn't do empties posts for May and June! Unfortunately I had a bit of a clear out and threw away all the empty products before I got round to taking pictures and blogging. There are quite a few empties this month, as I'm determined to use up a lot of my stash before buying any more products.

 

Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask - I love Lush's Fresh Face Masks! I finished this a few weeks ago, but it has lasted an absolute age! And because it's kept in the fridge, the mask was nice and cold to apply (especially as the UK seemed to have a mini heat wave!) You can see my review for Catastrophe Cosmetic here.

Soap & Glory Flake Away body scrub - A very grainy body scrub which I used mostly on my legs to try and get rid of ingrown hairs. The grains were large enough for the scrub to be abrasive, but not too big! I did like the smell (it was quite refreshing) but I definitely needed to apply moisturiser afterwards. At least I know that next time, I'll be looking to get an oil based scrub.

 

Philosophy Snow Angel shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath - I bought this nearly two years ago at the Christmas sales and only took it out at the beginning of the month. I used it as a shower gel (not keen on using it as shampoo). I don't think I'll be purchasing any Philosophy products any time soon, although I do have the Purity cleanser, which came in the BBB Edit box, to try out.

Avene Thermal Spring Water spray - Thanks to the very hot weather, I've been using this spray daily to set my (minimal) makeup in the mornings and then freshen my face throughout the day. I've already repurchased this in the 150ml size, and will be picking up the smaller sprays for my holiday. You can see my full review here.

Bioderma Atoderm PO Zinc Creme - I've been using this cream for my eczema since I first got it. As you can see, I went to extreme measures to get every little bit of product out! I have already repurchased this as well as another Bioderma Atoderm product. You can read my review here. 

La Sultane de Saba body lotion with Argan Oil - This came in my first (and only) Birchbox back in March. I actually quite like this moisturiser as it's very light and the absorbs into the skin quite easily. The scent sort of reminds me of baby products (Johnsons baby lotion maybe?) which I didn't mind but some people might not like it. I won't be purchasing (not yet anyway) because I have plenty of body lotions and butters to use up!

 

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Review: Bioderma Atoderm PO Zinc Creme

Bioderma's Atoderm range of products were designed for very dry skin types, which also includes eczema and atopic dermatitis. Following on from the Bioderma UK launch event (blog post), I was given the opportunity to test out the Atoderm PO Zinc Crème for myself. After testing it out for over 3 months, here's what I think of the product.

 

The Atoderm PO Zinc Crème is an ultra-soothing cream specifically for irritated, very dry, sensitive skin. This pretty much describes my skin, especially when the eczema flares up. The cream itself is not too thick (which is what's usually the case with products designed for very dry skin) and absorbs into the skin quickly (great for mornings when I need to rush to get ready). I apply the cream at least twice a day on the patches of eczema near my eyes and around my ears, usually in the morning and then once again before bed. As my eczema does flare up more during colder weather (I'm not exactly sure why), I was applying more cream onto the affected areas to both soothe the eczema and stop me from itching it.

 

Since I've started using it, the patches of eczema have definitely reduced and they are not as dry and as irritated as before. This is not the product to use if you want instant results, but with consistent use over time, the eczema will lessen. I've already picked up a second one as a backup for when this one finishes!

 

 

Do you have eczema? What products do you use to keep it at bay?

 





 

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*This product was sent for review purposes. The review is based on my own thoughts and experience of using the product.

 

 

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Review: Avene Thermal Spring Water

It's been a while since I've last blogged! Work has been taking over, especially because the Summer term is the busiest with all the extra activities going on. Hopefully I'll be blogging a little more when the Summer holidays arrive! Onto the blog post =)

I've only been using this for a few months and already it has become a staple product in my daily makeup routine. The Avene Thermal Spring Water is a multipurpose products which can be used as a refreshing spray when your skin feels dry and tight. It can also help sooth sunburn and skin irritation as well as being used as a cleanser for your face.

I've actually been using it to set my makeup in the mornings, and have also been carrying it in my bag so I can use it during the day. The 50ml can makes it ideal to carry around, but it's also available in 150ml and 300ml from Boots. It's suitable for sensitive skin as it doesn't contain any fragrances or chemicals which may cause irritation (perfect for my eczema). I love that it just gives a fine mist of spring water, which helps set my mineral makeup instead of ruining it. This is definitely my go-to product this summer and it'll be perfect for the upcoming summer holidays. At the price of £3.15, it's also a product I'd recommend you try out (because you really can't go wrong at that price) =)




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Bioderma launches in the UK

The well known French skincare brand Bioderma, has launched in the UK! An interesting fact is that their most popular product, the Sensibio H20 Micellar Solution (also known as Crealine H20), is sold every six seconds across the world. Alongside the well known Sensibio range (for sensitive skin), Bioderma is launching 4 other ranges, which include: Atoderm (dry/atopic skin), Sebium (oily/acne prone skin), Photoderm (advanced sun protection) and Hydrabio (dehydrated skin). Each of the ranges are specifically designed for particular skin concerns.

A small selection of the products that will be available

Some products from the Atoderm and Hydrabio ranges

The range that most interests me is the Atoderm range, which was specifically developed for those with eczema, atopic dermatitis and also very dry skin. This is because I have eczema around my ears and under my eyes, so finding skincare products that actually work for me are a real challenge. I've used a number of products before that work for a few months, but then my skin stops benefiting from them and sometimes this makes the eczema flare up more. The great thing about Bioderma, is that all the products have been developed by pharmacists and dermatologists, so you know that the products will work, as they have been designed for different skin types (not only the usual three: dry, combination and oily). The products are paraben and phthalate free, and have a biological basis, which allows them to mimic the natural skin response and restore its natural balance.

I tried the Atoderm Crème (Nourishing Cream) on the eczema under my eye at the lauch event (as it was quite dry and starting to flake). The eczema calmed down once I had applied it and it stayed moisturised for the rest of the night. I think with long term use of the Atoderm range, the eczema might actually clear up!


Bioderma products are available to purchase at Escentual and John Bell and Croydon Pharmacy at the present time. They will be working with leading independent pharmacies and dermatologists, in order to provide tailored information and advise customers on which products are best suited for their skin concerns.





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January Empties

Another month gone by and another lot of empties to share on the blog today! Here they are!

L'Occitane 100% Pure Shea Butter Mini Tin (8ml) - This was perfect for using on my eczema and dry patches of skin during the past few weeks. When the weather gets colder, my face does get a lot drier, rather than staying it's usual combination self. The Pure Shea Butter is great as I only need to use a tiny amount, and I apply it at night so I can wake up with skin that is not dry and irritated. Even though it's a small tin, it's lasted me an absolute age (I bought it last January). I'll definitey be repurchasing this!

ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick - I bought this over a year ago, and to be honest, it's not a product that I reached for that often. In fact it's only been used up because I had to put it on my desk to remind myself to finish the product! I'm not sure which shade this is, but I think it looks like Strawberry. It's an alright product, easy to use and great to just pop on when I don't have much time, but I'm not going to be repurchasing this.

Bath & Body Works Raspberry Pink Peony PocketBac - This is the handiest little antibacterial hand gel that I have. It is fragranced, which masks the smell of the alcohol and the cute bottle and coloured gel makes it great to pop into a handbag and take it wherever I go. I have a few of these (a nice little collection of different scents) and I only wish we could buy them here in the UK!


Bath & Body Works Fragrance Spray (Warm Vanilla Sugar) - Another body mist has been used up this month! The vanilla scent wasn't overpowering, it did smell sweet, even though it was a bit artificial.

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser - So after finishing off the full size Cleanse and Polish in December, I've started to use up my sample sizes before I purchase another full size one. Basically, this cleanser is a Holy Grail product for me, and even though I might try other cleansers, I will always come back to this one.




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September Beauty Haul

As P10P:TakeII finished a few weeks ago, I have been buying quite a bit more in terms of makeup and skincare (and just general bits and bobs). Although, in my defense, I have used up more products (which will be revealed in the September Empties post at the end of the month) and therefore needed to restock as well as try a few new things. And here's what I bought!

 

Soap & Glory Flake Away travel size (Boots - £2.50). I bought the travel size tub to test out the Flake Away scrub after reading Aalia's review on her blog Hijabi With Style (check out the review here). I seem to be getting more dry and flaky skin as well as ingrown hairs, so hopefully this scrub will help with reducing the ingrown hairs and removing dead skin.

Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Peel Off Face Mask 10ml (Boots - 99p). I had a Boots Advantage Card voucher which gave me 150 points when I bought any product from the Boot's Tea Tree & Witch Hazel range, so naturally I picked up the cheapest one there. And one can never have too many face masks!

Dove Deodrant Beauty Finish (Boots - £2.45). Standard deodrant. No explanation necessary =)

 

Dermalogica Top Performer Collection (Dermalogica - £20). I had a face mapping skin analysis at the Dermalogica in Westfield Stratford to see if I should be making any changes to my skincare routine. My skin is dehydrated, I have an oily T-Zone (mostly on the nose) and I have hypo-pigmentation on my cheeks.The sales assistant recommended a few products, however I have had bad expereinces when changing my skincare routine in the past (thanks to eczema and sensitive skin) so instead of buying the full size products I bought the Top Performer collection. This is a set of travel sized products and she also kindly gave me a few samples to take away as well. I'll be trying this new routine out over the next few weeks and will blog any findings =)

Garnier Olia Hair Colour in Golden Brown (Superdrug - £6.99). A new product in stores, which is a permanent hair colour that doesn't contain ammonia. From what I've read, the formula is oil based, rather than water based which means the dye works a lot better (in simple terms) and is less damaging to the hair. Picked up the golden brown shade, but I have no idea if it will show up on my dark hair.

MAC Satin Finish Lipstick in Twig (MAC - £14) [rubbish lighting=no picture]. I went along to the Glamour Beauty Power List Live event at Selfridges in London earlier this month, mostly because I have't been to Selfridges in ages. Tickets were £10 and redeemable on any beauty purchases made on the night. I only picked up a lipstick from MAC, and I'd describe Twig as a 'my lips but better (and more pinkier)' shade. I would have also picked up the new limited edition Vaseline in Pink Bubbly, but unfortunately the ingredients list states wine extract, so I put it back.


I also purchased a few non-beauty items this month, including an abaya and flat lace shoes (as seen in this OOTD post). A few other items include a sweatshirt from David & Goliath (perfect for the autumn weather) and a blazer from New Look (it was on sale) =)






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June Beauty Products Haul

With P10P currently going on, I seem to be finishing (or nearing the end of) quite a few of the products I would consider essentials. The two main ones being the Lush Ultrabalm and Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. I repurchased both of these over the past couple of weeks and also treated myself to a very belated post exam (and ready to graduate) present. The present being the Illamasqua cream blusher in the shade Betray. This is my first cream blusher, and Illamasqua was the brand recommended to me (and the shade was chosen by their very helpful staff at the store in Beak Street). Swatches of the blusher are to come in another blog post =)

Whilst in John Lewis, I got colour matched for the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation and recieved a 7 day sample to try out (in the shade B70, if anyone is wondering). I also got colour matched for the Nars Sheer Glow foundation (matched to Syracuse). The only question is which one do I go for? Or should I purchase something else, seeing as I'm quite happy with the foundations that I am currently using. The YSL Rouge Volupte lipsticks seem to have caught my eye too, the shades 3 (Ultimate Beige) and 23 (Luscious Pink) in particular =)


Any suggestions or recommendations? Put them in the comments below =)



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Project 10 Pan:Take II #7

The seventh product to have been used up is the Lush Ultrabalm. To see my review on this product click here. It's a savior for my dry and sensitive skin, without a super strong smell (although some people don't like it). I use this mostly on patches of eczema on my face, as well for other areas of dry skin (especially on the legs and feet). If you're looking to try this out, ask the staff at Lush for a sample when you next go in store =)

I have already repurchased this (rather than let my eczema flare up again!)



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Project 10 Pan: Take II #4

The fourth product to have been used up is The Body Shop Tea Tree Blackhead Exfoliating Wash. This is one product that I used quite a lot in the past, but after having not used it in ages, I don't think it works for me as well anymore. Mostly because my skin has become drier over the past few weeks and patches of eczema have started to flare up again. The exfoliating wash is mild enough to use at least once every two days, however it doesn't contain enough crushed apricot stones for it to be as exfoliating as I want it to be. It has a creamy consistency and isn't too thick (which is why it's called a wash rather than a mask or a scrub). The tea tree is scent is particularly strong, which I do like as it's really refreshing (especially when used in the morning).

Anyone else tried the tea tree blackhead exfoliating wash? What did you think?




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Lush Ultrabalm-Review and Comparison

Remember my Wishlist 2011 post from December? One of the products listed was the Lush Ultrabalm, that I later recieved as part of my 'not-so-secret' santa gift. After a good two months of using the balm, I think it's time to write about my experience with it.
First thing I should tell you is that I have eczema, which is basically a non-contagious skin condition that varies in symptoms according to the individual. In my case, I get patches of really dry and flaky skin which used to be on my face (near my eyes) when I was younger, but is now around my ears and hairline (I have no idea why/how it's moved). I've tried a bunch of products, from E45 to prescribed creams and lotions (that I don't remember the names of). Before Lush Ultrabalm, I was using the Body Shop Hemp Balm (mini review here) and wanted to try something new once that had been used up. I was going to purchase Lush Ultrabalm, but my friend beat me to it!

(sorry for the dodgy picture taken with the phone)

Lush Ultrabalm is packaged in an almost identical way to the Body Shop Hemp Balm, in a tin tub with a screw on lid. Because the product can become quite greasy, it's a lot easier to take some out of a tub rather than squeeze a tube, so I do like the packaging because it is practical (and easy to store). The balm itself is a lot softer than the Body Shop Hemp Balm, which makes it easier to use, as I don't have to spend ages trying to warm it up for it to come out of the tub. I love products that smell good but unlike the rest of Lush's products, the Lush Ultrabalm doesn't have a particularly nice smell, even though it is supposed to be unscented (maybe it's just the natural scent?), however it is not as strong as the Body Shop Hemp Balm, which I definitely did not like. Lush Ultrabalm is definitely working a lot better at reducing the eczema that I have around my ears. Since I've started using it, the patches of eczema have reduced and I'm not having to continuously itch behind and around my ears (which is actually quite hard to do through my hijab!). I also use the ultrabalm on other patches of dry skin especially on my feet (although I prefer to do this at night before I go to sleep).

Lush UIltrabalm works out as more expensive out of the two (for the same amount of product, 45g) although considering that the ingredients in Lush Ultrabalm (there are only three!) are all natural and vegan friendly I wouldn't mind paying the extra amount.

Anyone else tried the Lush Ultrabalm or The Body Shop Hemp Balm? Let me know what you thought of it =)



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