Reviews: Dermalogica Skin Care

 

 As I mentioned earlier, last month I was lucky enough to attend a day of training with world renowned professional skin care brand Dermalogica and left with a few product samples to try out. As a beauty therapist, I've used Dermalogica on my clients and I've treated myself to a few Dermalogica facials as well, but I've never had the opportunity to use their products at home, on my own skin.

I was given three products to try out - Special Cleansing Gel, a foaming cleanser that's ideal for combination skin but suitable for most skin types, Daily Microfoliant, a gentle everyday exfoliator, and Skin Smoothing Cream, a moisturiser created mainly for dry or sensitive skin. Personally, I have combination skin (specifically, dehydrated with an oily T-zone and dry cheeks) so I was interested to see how I got on with these products.

The Special Cleansing Gel was wonderfully easy to use - I've tried out a lot of cleansers that label themselves as a 'foaming face wash' that require a lot of hard work to get a tiny bit of foam, but this worked beautifully. This is a very gentle soap-free cleanser, it didn't dry out my skin or leave it feeling uncomfortably tight. However (and this may just be because I'm too used to harsh, cheap cleansers) it didn't really give me that 'clean face' feeling.

 

Left to right: Special Cleansing Gel, Daily Microfoliant, Skin Smoothing Cream

Daily Microfoliant is a very different type of exfoliator - instead of squeezing a cream from a tube, you have a powder that you rub between very wet hands to create a creamy scrub. Again, this is very gentle, and is suitable even for sensitive skin. But...this is designed to be used daily and I just can't get on board with exfoliating every single day! Maybe I've had my traditional beauty training drummed into my head too well, maybe I've heard too many over-exfoliating horror stories (tearing skin, yikes!) but I will always advise clients to exfoliate twice a week if they have oily skin, once a week for all other skin types. I know a lot of people will disagree, and I have heard 99% good things about Daily Microfoliant, but it will never be for me.

The first thing I will say about Skin Smoothing Cream is if you have oily/combination skin, try something else (if you want Dermalogica, I'd recommend Active Moist). As I mentioned, I have an oily T-zone and I decided to give this a try anyway but it's really better suited for sensitive, dry and mature skin. It is a thick cream moisturiser and it felt very heavy on my skin, almost like it wasn't going to absorb properly. Of course, my face felt soft and plump, but I could never use this on a daily basis.

I checked my skin regularly throughout the day and I immediately noticed my skin was looking brighter and more even. However, it looked slightly oilier, even on my cheeks. I would consider purchasing the Special Cleansing Gel and if I could get over my daily exfoliating fear I'd try Daily Microfoliant again, but the moisturiser is definitely not for me.

If you're considering Dermalogica for your skin care regime, I'd highly recommend Face Mapping - this is a service provided by Dermalogica therapists to analyze your skin and determine your ideal products. Many salons offer this as a free service, hoping you will purchase the products recommended to you, but you're under no obligation to do so (use the Dermalogica website to find your nearest location). Be warned, though - Dermalogica is not cheap. Prices (RRP) for the products mentioned are - Special Cleansing Gel, £25, Daily Microfoliant, £38, Skin Smoothing Cream, £43.50.

Review: Pantene Pro V Protect and Smooth Range

I'm sure most of you have now seen or heard of Pantene's reformulated hair care range. These new products fall into 3 main categories - those for fine hair, thick hair and coloured hair - and each contain products to target specific hair needs, such as volume, frizz and shine.

Pantene used to be my everyday hair range - these days they don't really cut it for me, but whenever they come out with a new product I just have to try it! So I got kind of excited when I received a selection of samples from the new Protect and Smooth range - designed specially for coloured or highlighted hair to protect from styling damage and leave hair feeling silky smooth.

So, on to the verdict! I used the shampoo, conditioner and mask from this range, in one wash. The shampoo has a texture halfway between a cream and a gel, with a light, fruity scent. I found it quite hard to get a good lather with it and I needed a lot of it to get right through my hair (I have very thick, below the shoulder length hair). The conditioner however, I didn't need a lot of - it made for an interesting change, usually I can get through a bottle of conditioner in a couple of weeks! After washing off the conditioner, my hair felt instantly super smooth (always a good sign!). The mask, on application, didn't really seem like anything special - it just felt like a slightly heavier version of the conditioner.

After getting out the shower, I spritzed my hair with some of Tresemme's heat protection spray and gave it a quick blow dry until it was about 80% dry. At this point it was feeling extremely crunchy and not at all smooth - I, of course, decided I had found yet another dud hair range and went off to weep into my morning coffee. However, after it had fully dried, the results were so much better than I had expected. My hair had beautiful volume and my split ends looked as if they had disappeared. My hair felt softer, and while it wasn't shampoo ad smooth, it was damn good for a (relatively) cheap brand. I should stress though, I used the conditioner and the mask together - so I doubt the results will be quite as good using the conditioner only.

If you're wondering which of the new products are for you, Pantene have a cute little gadget on their website to diagnose your hair type and recommend the best products for your hair. And if you've tried any of the new Pantene products yourself, I'd love to hear how you got on, so let me know in the comments!

These products were provided to me by a third party. All opinions are my own. Pictures courtesy of Pantene.co.uk.

3 Things I Learned From My Dermalogica Training

As most of you will already know, when I'm not here gushing about the latest products, I'm working full time in a salon and attending college to become a qualified beauty therapist. Well, last month I was lucky enough to do some training with skin care geniuses Dermalogica - we had a full day learning about the history of the brand, the products on the market, their techniques and approaches. For a skin geek like myself, it was just so much fun and I really did learn a lot - here are the top three things that really stood out during my Dermalogica training:

The Amazing Precleanse

Precleanse is designed to be used prior to your usual cleanser to break down oils and make up and ensure a thorough cleanse. I have to admit - before my training I really didn't see what the fuss was about but I have officially been converted. As our lovely trainer explained, a lot of us these days are wearing heavy, long lasting, wax based make up, which can be incredibly resistant to our usual cleansers. So to demonstrate the power of Precleanse, she put it to the test against (wait for it...) black boot polish. Eek! She put two swatches of boot polish on her arm - on the first she used a regular Dermalogica cleanser (I believe it was Special Cleansing Gel). She cleansed once and, as you can expect, the polish barely budged. A second cleanse removed a little more, but she was still left with a great black smudge. On the second swatch however, she used Precleanse and it was gone (and I mean completely gone) in one cleanse. Amazing!

The Dermalogica Girls Really Know Their Stuff

This one might be a little obvious, and maybe a little more interesting to budding beauty therapists, but during the demonstration of a Prescriptive Facial I was just completely in awe. From the little unique touches in her treatment - such as wrapping her client in a large sheet, almost like a cocoon, rather than using a blanket - to the basic, practical, 'Oh-my-god-how-did-we-never-think-of-that' additions, we were all pretty envious of her techniques and skills. The part that really stood out to me was when she started her blackhead extractions. Now, if you're training in beauty, you'll understand how awkward it can be to get your extractions technique just right - even the more experienced girls in my salon have trouble with them from time to time. But this girl did it so quickly and made it look so easy, we all ended up getting out of our seats and crowding around her saying "How the hell are you doing this so quickly?". With that in mind, if you ever have the opportunity to get a treatment at one of Dermalogica's flagship spas, go!

 joinFITE

Maybe I was a bit dim to have not known this before, but Dermalogica are partnered with non-profit organisation joinFITE (Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship) - a wonderful organisation that helps women finance their own business through microloans in countries where it may not be the norm for women to to be entrepreneurs and may face discrimination when attempting to fund their business through traditional methods, such as bank loans. Dermalogica products with a FITE logo on the box contain a code for you to use on the joinFITE website to contribute $1 to a microloan - you can choose the country and the type of business you want it to go to and they'll send you an e-mail when the loan is financed, introducing you to the woman and the business that you've helped. Fantastic products and a fantastic cause.

Before we finished our training we all got a handful of samples as well, so keep your eyes peeled for some Dermalogica reviews in the near future!

Review: Barry M Foil Effects

So I bought this back in October and I'm finally getting around to reviewing it! Barry M Foil Effects are part of their amazing Nail Effects range - every girl I know is obsessed with them! When I saw the gold shade it immediately brought to mind my favourite Trendy Nail Wraps style so I just had to pick up a bottle.

To state the obvious: Foil Effects mimic the effect of nail foils (duh) and give a gorgeous metallic nail colour. This is great if (like me) you've spent years looking for a good, affordable true gold nail colour. I've tried this out once before and got quite a few air bubbles so I would be extra vigilant in your application of this - make sure your nails are clean first and don't shake the bottle, just roll it between your hands. The lasting power was good, it lasted a few days before I got so sick of the air bubbles I had to take it off. I've been super careful in applying it tonight, so if any air bubbles appear this time around you will definitely be hearing about it!

Barry M Foil Effects are available in 3 shades - Gold (shown here), Lilac and Silver (my friend loves to layer the silver foil with Crackle Effect in Purple Rain and I have to say, it looks gorgeous!). All available from Superdrug for £3.99.

The Best Products For Your New Year's Detox

Well, we are officially into the second week of January, and I'm betting plenty of you are ready to leave your New Year's resoloutions at the door! If you're trying to detox, tone or slim down this year, this is for you - the best products and treatments available to help you on your way. Hopefully it will inspire you to keep up the good work!

Caudalie's Detoxing Treats

 I've mentioned Caudalie's Spa In A Bag: Body of Your Dreams briefly before, but it's definitely worth mentioning again. This bag of goodies contains their Crushed Cabernet Scrub, a body scrub containing 6 essential oils to fight cellulite and drain toxins, Caudalie's Contouring Concentrate, which can be used neat or mixed with your body lotion to tone skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite, and organic herbal tea, to eliminate toxins. Who says you can't enjoy detoxing?

Caudalie Spa In A Bag: Body of Your Dreams is available from Boots for £39.00.

Wrap Yourself Thin

Slimming and contouring body wraps (available from most spas and some salons - phone your locals and see what they have to offer) are great quick fixes for special occasions, but if you get regular treatments and combine them with a healthy diet and exercise, you can achieve lasting results. For most slimming wraps, your therapist will measure you before and after your treatment and tell you how much you've lost. Many also have a guarantee of how many inches you'll lose in total (such as the Universal Contour Wrap). There are so many options out there, so do a bit of research and decide what's best for you.

Spa treatments can get pricey though, so if you're on a budget, why not try Sanctuary's Trim and Tone Wrap? This DIY wrap is great for toning and eliminating toxins and in clinical trials, women lost an average of 5cm after one application. 

Sanctuary Trim and Tone Body Wrap is available from Debenhams for £25.50.

Tone Up With Soap & Glory

 If your main problem area is your thighs, this will make a great addition to your regime. Sit Tight improves circulation which speeds up the elimination of toxins and leaves you with firmer, toned thighs. Apply daily, sit down and leave it for 30 - 60 seconds - you'll feel a brief tingly, heating sensation (some have said they found this uncomfortable, but I love products like this - it lets you know it's working!). So quick and easy, it'll make a valuable contribution to your diet.

Soap & Glory Sit Tight is available from Boots for £14.30.

Take A Break

If you've got a larger budget to work with, why not consider a detoxing spa break? There are so many options out there, from a weekend to several weeks, most including healthy meals, an exercise regime and detoxing spa treatments, among plenty of other things. A great boost to your diet and a little bit of luxury, all in one. Checkout the Wellbeing Breaks offered by Champneys Spas to give you some inspiration.

If you're still looking for ideas, ASOS have a wonderful selection of detoxing products from their beauty ranges - I've spent all week lusting after them! And if you've got any great tips or HG detox products, share them in the comments!

All opinions expressed in this article are my own - I am not associated with any of the brands mentioned.

Bargain Hunting: January Sales Edition!

January - rubbish weather, lack of cash and Christmas weight gain. The only good thing about January is the sales! Here's my rundown of the best beauty offers and discounts out there at the moment, with January sales featuring heavily...

•  Too Faced, Soap & Glory, Elemis & £5 OPI - Up to 70% off in the ASOS sale - I want everything!
• Shed the Christmas pounds! - Sign up for their 3 month plan and Weight Watchers Online will waive their sign-up fee, saving you £29.95.
• Benefit, Aveda, Bliss, Lancome & more - Up to 70% off in House of Fraser's winter sale.
• Up to 50% off Fake Bake - Fake Bake's online store have up to 50% off - including Flawless tanning liquid (constantly sold out in my salon!) for just £16.00.
• Cheap perfume gift sets - Diesel Loverdose, Boss Orange and Britney Spears Fantasy, all featured in The Perfume Shop's January sale. 
• Lots of Body Shop deals - Up to 60% off body butter and up to 50% off gifts and winter essentials, in-store and online.
• Mega make up palettes & bejewelled compacts - Up to 50% off in the ELF sale.

Think I missed something? Let me know in the comments!

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Quick Reviews: MeMeMe, The Body Shop & Rimmel

Clockwise: MeMeMe Blush Me! in Pink, MeMeMe Beat The Blues in Moonbeam, Rimmel Lasting Finish Nail Polish in Purple Pulse and The Body Shop Vitamin C Facial Radiance Capsules.

 

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year! I'm back at work tomorrow so I'm using today for some last minute pampering & relaxation before the chaos returns! Just thought I'd take a few minutes to give you some 'mini reviews' on some of my Christmas gifts.

 A while back, I got a sample of these from a Body Shop at Home consultant and fell in love. Vitamin C Facial Radiance Capsules are filled with orange scented serum. Each capsule is exactly the right amount you need, so no risk of not getting the full benefits by applying too much or too little. As you apply the serum, the texture changes to a sort of light oil (but don't worry to much if you have combo skin like me, I haven't seen any negative effects from it). This stuff is great for dull, dehydrated skin - I saw a difference right away, my skin was beautifully bright and soft. Downside - the tiny jar contains just 28 capsules, so it'll only last you around a month if you use it everyday.

Rimmel's Lasting Finish nail polish in Purple Pulse is a gorgeous dark purple shade - I have to apologise as you can't really tell by the quality of this picture! I was a little disappointed with this, it looks like a bright, bold purple in the bottle but on my nails it's much darker, even like a red wine colour in some lights. I'm wearing this with a layer of sheer glitter over it, but the actual polish is a block colour. As for lasting power, combined with a base and top coat, it's lasting okay - I applied this on New Year's Eve and as of today I have a couple of tiny chips but nothing noticable.

MeMeMe Blush Me! in Pink is a sheer and shimmery baby pink shade. Packaging look familiar to you? Yep, once again, MeMeMe are taking some inspiration from Benefit, this time in the form of their famous blush boxes. As far as I know, Pink isn't a direct shade dupe but I've heard Blush Me! in Rouge is very similair to Benefit's Coralista. Anyway, this shade gives a subtle, girly glow and has decent lasting power, but isn't much to write home about.

If you're a regular reader, you'll know I've been coveting this for some time - again, MeMeMe pull it out of the bag with Beat The Blues in Moonbeam, a spot on dupe of Benefit's pricey but delightful High Beam. This pearly pink highlighter is great for illuminating pale, dull skin (like mine!). Compared to Benefit, this is a little watery and the brush is definitely much lower quality, but still usable. The shade, I think, is a little 'harder' (if that makes sense) and less pearly than High Beam, but once it's blended you can't really see the difference. I forgot to get a photo of Moonbeam and High Beam side-by-side but here's a swatch of Moonbeam alone:

(Click to enlarge) Left: MeMeMe's Moonbeam, unblended. Right: Moonbeam, blended in.

And that's everything! What Christmas goodies did you all get this year?