Eve Lom Rescue Mask

I have come out of blog - hibernation to rave particularly about this product, because I think it is just so good.

A few weeks ago, I had a family function to attend where I needed to make sure I looked fresh, normal and presentable. I had all the intention to do the right thing by doing all the beauty regime prep and get at least 10 hours sleep the night before. However, what happened was that I ended up being out four nights in a row and come the said Sunday morning, I felt and looked like a walking corpse. 

I dragged myself to the hairdressers and where the wonderful girl started to make me look somewhat human. Then when I got home, I remembered I had this Eve Lom sample from last year. Normally I would never try something new out on the day of a big event, but I still was not thinking straight and thought I'd use it.

And I fell in love. It has to be one of the best masks I have ever used. I followed the directions:

Apply a medium to thick layer to cleansed, dry skin, avoiding the eye area. Leave to set for approximately 20 minutes.

Remove by gently buffing the dry mask with your fingers using small upward circular motions, then rinse well with tepid water using a damp Muslin Cloth.

Eve Lom Rescue Mask

The product dried like clay and I could feel my skin tighten within minutes. Its also got some seaweed type bits in it which smells pretty strong. When I wiped the stuff off, I noticed that my face transformed to something bright, clear, more even toned and well rested. I was shocked at how quickly this stuff worked. I felt so much better and even managed to look decent enough for the function. Thanks to this Rescue Mask.

A full sized jar costs about £55, but you can pick up a sample from one of my favourite sites Latestinbeauty for about £6 to see how it works for you.

I am really excited about this mask and its on my christmas wish list for this year to get a full size. I would love to know what anyone else's experiences have been with this. In my opinion, its my number 1 product from Eve Lom - even ahead of their Cleansing Balm!

Dr Brandt Microdermabrasion

I went through a skin consultation recently and discovered that those brown spots that I have been moaning about for years now, was not hyperpigmentation. But some form of skin-tag' viral thing. It could only be removed via gently burning it off with laser treatment. Which is what I had done.

Although the procedure felt like a sharp hot needle burning the skin, the procedure was not as painful or dramatic as it sounds.

My face looked awful after each treatment, but the lovely lady who carried out the procedure put mineral make up on me and I felt confident enough to walk out in the public. I went to Destination Skin for my treatment who I found were heaps cheaper than other places, and really good.

Anyway, I used aloe vera products for about four days until my skin healed, but I was left with some small scars around the areas where I had treatment which I needed to work on.

I have always been told gentle exfoliation is the key to skin resurfacing, and I find the Dr Brandt Microdermabrasion exfoliating cream is amaaaazzing for this.

The beads are micro-fine and because of the treatment, I need to make sure what ever I use on my skin is ultra gentle at the moment. So what I do is; take a pea size amount in my palm, mix is with a bit of water to dilute the product, and kind of massage it on my face rather than scrub (which I think is a bad idea in general).

My skin always feels soft and smooth after using this, and my serum always sinks in better. The price is pretty steep, by I have had this for over a year I believe and I still have just under half the product left. A definite favourite for me. 

Jewellery Storage

I have a colossal amount of jewellery which is shoved in numerous boxes, containers, drawers etc. It is really annoying because I am always losing half a pair of earrings and my necklaces are always tangled.

I was out with the niece the other day and she wanted to pop into Claire's accessories. I immediately saw this jewellery holder which was reduced to a fiver, and thought this may resolve some of my jewellery headache.

It has loads of places to put/hang my necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

I have hung it above my desk, and I think I will get a couple more small ones to put on either side - or maybe a mirror with edges where I can hang my jewellery off. I'll see. The rest of my costume jewellery, which includes a ridiculous amount of indian bangles and sets, are shoved in boxes under my bed until I decide what to do with them. My more dearer/precious/sentimental jewellery are in the silver box on the desk which my sister bought for me as a present. 

I actually forgot that I had some of these pieces. It is so good to have my stuff on display to choose from every morning without having to rummage through boxes and trying to find pairs of earrings!

My current eye creams

I have the usual indian problems when it comes to skincare, including permanent dark circles. Some days they can be hidden under concealer, but most days they are just imposible to hide. I have tried an abundance of eye creams, but non which I have stuck to. The Aveda Tourmaline Charged Eye Cream has been the only one that I have repurchased for over 10 years as it is the only one I have found that works for me. But as the years go by, I find that I need something stronger. So these are the ones I am trying out at the moment.

The Eve Lom Eye Cream Creme Contour Des Yeux is my luxury eye cream. Not many reviews on the net, so I took a leap of faith when I bought it. I swear I noticed a difference within the first few days. I am on week three of using this product and my dark circles have noticeably lightened.

I bought mine from Space NK, and it is definatley not cheap. It would be the only reason why I would hesitate to buy it again, but then then I have spent much more money on eye cream in the past with less result. Plus it is 20 ml and I reckon should last me nine months to a year as you need the tiniest amount. The consistency is slightly thicker than what I have been used to in the past, so I warm a bit of the product between my ring fingers below applying it to the eye area.

I bought the Vichy Aqualia Antiox because I thought it would be a nice cooling product for my eyes for those 'the morning after the night before' situations.

This is the only eye skincare product I took with me on my recent trip to Thailand. It is light, comes in a stick to apply and sooooo cooling. I apply it directly onto my eye area without needing to tap the product in with my fingers. It was great to use in the mornings when I woke up (we were were getting an average of 5 hours sleep a night (if that) as the cooling sensation refreshed me instantly. It was really handy to keep in my handbag and apply throughout the day to keep me refreshed and eye area moisturised. 

Cane & Austin Sunscreen

I went into Space NK a few weeks ago, seeking a sunscreen that I can use under my make up and which does not result in giving my face a grey overcast. After spending a good fifteen minutes with an assistant looking at various options, I decided to buy the
Cane & Austin Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Protect

This was purchased in blind faith and so far - touch wood- I have not regretted it. It does everything I want it to - and more. It has whopping spf of 55, with UVA and UVB. It is very runny compared to other sunscreens I have used, so I have to use it quickly before the product runs through my fingers.

I have been putting this over my serum in the mornings, before foundation. I find that I can at times skip the moisturiser as it hydrates my usually dry skin. I love how it feels on my skin and a bonus I found was that it worked as a great base for make up.

The best thing is that it goes on transparent - hallelujah!!! This is definitely coming with me in my travels :)

Talika Eyebrow Lipocils

I have always had very sparse eyebrows, and a certain 'mishap' during my uni days resulted me in burning one half off. I always feel that I look like a bit of an alien if the brows are not pencilled in. I am hoping to do some more travelling later this year, and have been thinking about what to do so that I don't crazy without make up on at the beach. So I decided to invest in the Talika Eyebrow Lipocil.

The packaging it nice - it has a mirror on one side which is handy, and the wand is flat for easy application. I have used this every night, and most mornings for about a month, and have noticed some changes. My eyebrows do seem thicker and more full, but there is some new hair growing in the 'bald patches'. I will use the whole thing, but will probably switch to Castor oil which my eyebrow treading  lady keeps demanding that I use.

The Talika website in general is pretty good, but I got mine from slapiton  - and got some free samples in my package which made me pretty excited. 

I got two sachets of hand serum treatment, and two pairs of resuable eye therapy patches. I have used these patches for a couple of years now and I love them. I keep the ones I am currently using in their custom made case to keep them cool and sanitised.

They are really cooling and refreshing. Even better if they are stuck in the fridge for a short while before use. They really help reduce bags, and I can notice a temporary reduction of the dark circles as well.

I have been pleasantly surprised with all the Talika products I have tried out in the past (their instant manicure is pretty good as well). Its a good brand, and definitely worth looking at.

Couple new additions to the skincare routine

Dry skin has plagued me ever since I took medication for adult acne. This has been going on for years now. One product that worked miracles for me to combat this is Khiel's Midnight Recovery Concentrate which I discovered last year  - I will dedicate a seperate post for this product later.

This post is dedicated for my most recent discoveries to help hydrate my skin and make it look smoother. I have been on the search for a gentle exfoliator - nothing too harsh but effective enough. I was going to pick up a Dermalogica product, but then I came across this Clarins mask which was a bit cheaper.  

About twice a week, what I have been doing is: after cleansing my skin, I'll put on a thickish layer of the Clarins Gentle Peeling  Smooth Away Cream and let it sit for a couple of minutes to dry up. Then as per instruction, I'll gently rub the mask off (over a basin, because it can get messy!). Instead of rinsing my face with water, I just swipe a gentle toner over my face, and then massage in the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. And that is it. I go to sleep with it on and in the morning my skin feels more plump, hydrated and smoother.

My foundation goes on really well the next day and my skin looks more alive. I have been using it for just over a month now, and so far I'm loving this combination. I am really lazy with the whole deep cleansing, exfoliating, and 20 minute mask routine, so this Clarins product is great for me. It works as an exfoliator, helps sort my pores out and makes the skin look fresh.

The origins mask hydrates my skin pretty well, and I think it leaves the face more soft and plump in the morning.  It contains all the skincare goodness of Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid and avacado oil. Sometimes if I squeeze too much product out, I will massage it in for a good few minutes. It can feel a little sticky to the touch but it is nothing too traumatic, and make sure you use a good face wash in the morning to get rid of all the product off your face. I have not tried them both separately but I reckon the Clarins can be a good thing to use to give the skin a boost

I feel like my skincare products are almost there now, just need the perfect cream to get rid of dark under eye circles!