skin rescue

It's been quiet on the Dolly Mixture front of late, namely because I've been busy with the day job, and secondly I've been away. In the sun. Lucky me! This blog post addresses post holiday skin. A healthy dose of rays leaves your complexion looking sunkissed, but it can also leave it looking and feeling dry especially if a long haul flight is in the mix.

These two tubes over just a week have undoubtedly rebooted my skin after a 2 week road trip in Southern California - beautiful, but sizzling, constant air con and an 11 hour flight. Yes, my skin demands a staycation, but my mind and body demand something else! My skin was a little blemished touching down from my trip, so I looked to the deep cleansing qualities of Emma Hardie's new Amazing Face Instant Radiance Mask. It's a mask that doubles up as a great prep before going out, or a night treatment if you're staying in. Once removed skin looks tighter in pore size and hydrated and blemishes seem to clear up quickly. I've used it three times this week, as it's so rich and indulgent and feels like pay-back for neglecting my skin. Darphin's Vitalskin  Replumping Energic Emulsion is the perfect everyday moisturiser. Its light application belies its hydrating benefits. My skin's barrier looks strengthened and plumpness has been restored. Together they've rebooted my skin, and I need to thank them for that.

Emma Hardie Instant Radiance Mask, £36 www.emmahardie.com
Darphin Replumping Energic Emulsion, £39 www.darphin.co.uk

The F1 of cleansing

Having a nosey around a girlfriend’s bathroom the other week I came across her Clarisonic Cleansing Brush. Now, of course, I’ve heard of it, but casually put it down to another three figure expensive gizmo that promised the Holy Grail that is skin radiance. But being a cleansing freak, believing it’s the cornerstone of great skin, I asked if I could buy a new brush head and borrow it for a week whilst she was on holiday. And by golly, I’m glad I did. The difference it makes to the appearance of your skin is super visible. In my opinion faster and longer lasting than any radiance boosting serum.  In fact, it’s so essential I now regard it as my facial toothbrush. The thought of not cleansing with it is too horrifying to contemplate!

Up swinging to the recently launched Clarisonic Aria Sonic Skin Cleansing Brush, it’s fun and easy to use. I simply apply normal cleanser to my skin – although in the box was a Lancome Gel Eclat Clarifying Cleanser which was a nice bonus, and let the brush oscillate and vibrate gently to its sonic technology. With three speeds from sensitive through to supercharged for an extra boost, it gives a cute little warning noise when you should move the brush to another area of your face. It automatically switches off after one or two minutes depending on your cleaning cycle. Truly the F1 of cleansing – it produces over 300 movements per second, my skin is in pole position for reduced pores and improved skin tone. Celebration indeed. 

Clarisonic Aria is priced at £155.

www.clarisonic.co.uk

    

Skin's little miracle worker

I’m not too sure how I landed this sample, maybe as a cover mount on the front of a magazine or in a goodie bag, but however it came into my being,  I love it. So much so, I’m going to gift myself a full sized one. Up until now I haven’t really found a Flash Balm that rivals Clarins, but Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm from Elemis certainly gives it a run for its beauty money.

Classed as a ‘hybrid moisturiser’ its wizardry is in its vitamin complex that helps protect against moisture loss. Upon application it  somehow gives the skin a dash of youthfulness. It’s come to my rescue a couple of times when I’ve used it the morning after a (very) late night before. And by golly, it does switch on an inner light without leaving the skin looking overly dewy – read a shiny finish. If you want super fresh looking skin that belies its feeling tired, then make this your new staple.

Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm, £32.

www.timetospa.co.uk

Estee Lauder's undercover agent

This may not look overly exciting, it’s just a concealer after all, but it’s an essential if you suffer breakouts or blemishes. Its coverage and the ability not to go AWOL half way through the day is commendable. Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-in-Place High Cover Concealer SPF35 – yep, it’s a mouthful, is new to the Double Wear tribe and the mother of all concealers. Creamy in texture, yet lightweight upon application, it boasts a built-in setting powder and immediately covers any flaws minus the cakey-ness. And without endless layering. There's nothing worse than concealer grabbing more attention than the spot! Going beyond the odd breakout, it also helps with scars and diminishing the appearance of tattoos. Water, sweat and humidity resistant it’s available in nine shades. Blemishes be scared. Very scared.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place High Cover Concealer SPF35 costs £21.

www.esteelauder.co.uk

How to do wake-me-up skin

If you make any New Year resolutions for your skin next year let it be, ‘I will buy Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream Foundation.’ Honestly, it will wipe away the sins of 2013. Well, nearly! CC stands for colouring correcting and this little tube of wizardry contains three pigments that give an airbrush action. I’ve been mixing it with my moisturiser and it really does give a wake-me-up-before-you-go-go kind of radiance to the complexion. Colour pigments include apricot for anti-fatigue, green to combat anti-redness and white to help diminish dark spots. And by golly, it does seem to disguise all of these skin disrupting trio. It’s an oil-free formula so works for every skin type and has an inclusion of an SPF15. Available in four shades, it’s your new must-have and for a penny less than a tenner, it's a January bargain too!

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream Foundation, £9.99 available from 23^rd January

the cream-off to pollution

I don’t normally go cock-a-hoop over a cleanser, but as the cornerstone of all good skincare, I’d like to platform Clarins Extra-Comfort Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream. My skin gets it very fair share of pollutants. Commuting and working in the city I’m sure my pores are begging for their own oxygen masks. To be honest, I’ve always used a wash-off cleanser as I like that fresh feeling skin water can bring, plus psychologically it makes skin feel clean. But I’m doing a somersault on that thinking after trying this cream of cleansers.

The ritual is somewhat different. It’s suggested you take a small amount in the palms of your hands and bring it to skin temperature by rubbing briefly. Apply the cream to a dry face. Now, this is the fun bit. Lift hands briskly off the face, repeating this movement around 7 times from the middle of the face to the sides, then 5 times on each side of the neck. The cleanser thickens and creates a ‘suction’ effect to lift off make-up and pollution without irritating the skin. I then wipe off with a muslin cloth. I like it for two reasons. The formulation is very velvety and comforting with nourishing ingredients of jojoba oil and mango and shea butter. It feels lovely if skin is particularly parched. And secondly my skin has taken on a bloom. It may well be that slap and tickle suction action that revs up skin circulation, but then again it maybe Moringa Seed – the anti-pollution active ingredient. Then again, it may be a combination of both. Who cares – it works!

Clarins Extra-Comfort Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream, £25

www.clarins.com

Skin saviour

Skin comes in for a battering this time of year. Central heating. Cold winds. Dilated capillaries. So any skin cream with the word treatment in gets my attention. And if it's got Age Support too, then as far as I'm concerned it's a winner!

Emma Hardie's Amazing Face Age Support Treatment Cream is a super duper anti-ageing cream that really does cocoon the skin in plenty of loveliness. It looks gloopy, but blends and sinks in like the lightest of soufflés that actually belies its hydrating qualities. My skin has been feeling the effects of colder weather and warm rooms lately. It's left its mark with tiny crazy paving type lines running across my skin. I hasten to add this is when expected under a magnifying mirror - but nevertheless, my skin needed ER - or more appropriately EH. I swear my skin let out a very long 'aahhh' when I first applied it. A youthful looking glow was imparted, my skin felt hydrated immediately. Oh what bliss! Furthermore, skin looked visibly stronger - like it had been lifting dumbbells. Reddening reduced and skin looked healthier and plumper. I'm evangelical about it, pray to its skin alter twice a day and atonement has come.

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Age Support Treatment Cream, £42.00
www.emmahardie.com
 

Skincare goes urban

If you read my blog regularly, you will know I’m a bit of a skin-centric. I’m just a sucker for any formulations that professes to plump, perk and pamper. All of those three things can usually be found in a mask. And I collect skin masks like a squirrel hoards nuts. To me they are an instant rejuvenator, and unlike a moisturiser, you actually take time to apply it, which makes it feel more like a pampering treatment rather than a quick slap and tickle.

Sampar is probably a brand that doesn’t sound too familiar, and that’s because it’s just been launched in the UK via Paris. Known for its trouble shooting approach to urban skin, the pretty packaging belies its arsenal.  Take their So Much To Dew Midnight Mask at £34. In a ballerina pink tube complete with integral brush (nice touch) it has the power to dermoregulate the skin’s hydration levels thanks to its Smart Hydrating Complex and Hyaluronic Acid Capsules. Apply just before bed and keep on.  If skin is dehydrated, then it will sink in quickly – it’s actually very light and more like a moisturiser in texture than a mask, so there’s no risk of staining the pillow. It smells delicious too.  Sleep and rinse upon waking. Skin looks fresh and boosted. This mask is brilliant for transitional skin, just as it’s adjusting from autumn to winter and in need of some extra TLC.  C’est maqnifique!

The Sampur skincare line is available from www.feelunique.com and www.marksandspencer.com

Box clever skin

Alpha-H is what I term an insider’s skincare brand. It’s not mass market, but if your skin IQ is sky scraper high, you will know that it’s a cosmeceutical skincare line that kicks some ass when needed. A QVC sellout and expert favourite, their Skin Loving Vitamins is a catch-all box created for middle-youth skin. Such a better phrase than mature don’t you think?!

Anyway, it’s not stop the press new in terms of containing the antioxidants vitamin of A C and E, but they come in a different guise - super surged serums. It’s also a top scoring introduction to topical vitamins which have the power to recharge, revive and replenish your complexion. Use everyday, or as and when your skin needs them. Here’s the alphabetical lowdown for ACE looking skin:

Vitamin A: A go-to-bed night time regenerating serum for skin that feels high and dry. Vitamin A is released to gradually increase cell renewal and up hydration levels. A smoother and firmer complexion can be yours upon waking.

Vitamin C: Powerful and intensive that also boasts the moisture magnet hyaluronic acid, and grape seed for pigmented skin. Regular use can improve the plight of age spots.

Vitamin E: The ‘ER’ of the serums which helps reduce inflammation as well as speeding up the healing process of post-acne scarring. Great for any skin trauma – excellent for the aftermath redness caused by the criminal act of squeezing a spot!

 

Alpha-H Skin Loving Vitamins costs £49.50

www.alpha-h.com

Tria on trial

I don’t do Botox. I don’t do fillers. But I have thought of laser. Quite a bit!  Why? Because my skin has banked quite a few summer holidays over the decades, and a few Jackson Pollock splodges have made an unwelcome appearance. And as for my collagen, everybody knows it starts losing its youthful bounce after the age of 25, and even more painfully a decade or two later. Why laser appeals is because it’s a non-invasive treatment. It uses a broad spectrum of pulsed light that penetrates deep into the skin to stimulate the cells beneath the surface. There’s no jabbing with syringes or penetration of toxins, plus  you don’t run the risk of pillow cheeks.  I’ve seen people that have had laser treatments and I’ve envied their seemingly fresh looking complexion.

So, when I was offered the opportunity to try Tria’s Skin Rejuvenating Laser at home, I said yes faster than the speed of light. This is how far technology has come. You can now be your own DIY dermatologist. At a price. It’s £450, so it’s not cheap, but to look at it another way, it works out at around the cost of four high-end facials, or a couple of Botox or filler treatments. And let’s face it, if results are reaped, great looking skin is priceless.

Easy to use, you simple charge, cleanse and dry your face in the evening and run the hand held appliance with the laser light flat onto the skin over your cheeks, chin and forehead. It’s foolproof. You receive an instructional DVD for those that can be bothered to read through the booklet and there’s an advice line to call if you need any reassurance. I called it; there was a lovely lady at the other end who had knew everything about the device. Oh, and you have to register it online or by phone so you can activate it.

This story is to be continued. I’ve been using for just a few days, on the lowest setting. Next week I will increase the level, but it’s advised you use it for 8 weeks nightly with the best results occurring a few weeks after the full course. You then give your skin a 4 week break to allow maximum cellular and collagen regeneration, and then you start again. Watch this space!

Visit www.triabeauty.co.uk online for more details

Peel and reveal

Having just discovered what an absolute skin saver Aromatherapy Associates Rose Face Mask is, I’m thrilled to add to my AA repertoire. Their newly launched Polishing Essential Enzyme Peel is a superlative exfoliator which left my skin with not a flush of redness or a tingle of irritation. I’m a big fan of enzyme peels for revealing a forgotten glow, they especially benefit the complexion in the seasonal shift from summer to autumn.

The glow factor lays in fruits acids of pineapple, passionflower and grape which party together to break down dead skin cells. Post holiday tan, my complexion was looking a little ‘murky’ and one 10 minute application brought about a new lightness of being. Skin looks more uniformed in tone, whereby serum and moisturiser readily sinks in after a treatment. Use once or twice a week depending on your skin. A great skin buy!

Aromatherapy Associates Polishing Essential Enzyme Peel, £39

www.aromatherapyassociates.com

Vichy's life saver

It’s a factoid that everything enjoyable in life – eating, drinking, sunbathing partying…eventually leads to skin damage! So, unless you want to live a very, very dull life, you have to look for an antidote.

The skin boffins at Vichy have pinned the acceleration of ageing on lack of sleep, tobacco, too much sun without protection, pollution, stress, hormones and an unbalanced diet. Heck, I’m sure every one of us can tick that check list off bar one or two. Indeed, Vichy highlight that seven out of 10 women will do at least one little excess a day. But before you give up on life beyond the health food store, help is in a bottle with their Idealia Life Serum.

ID-ing four parameters of behavioural ageing: overexposed skin, overstressed skin, polluted skin and skin affected by an unbalanced diet, they have created the first ‘lifeproof’ skin idealizer. What a clever play on words! With a light and opalescent texture – it really does lock in an inner glow on application, its USP is harbouring powerful skin quality correcting molecules. Their role? They act in repairing the visible impact of your life on your skin. Now, that’s not to say a lifestyle lived to the equivalent of Iggy Pop or Ronnie Wood would wipe away deep  wrinkles and sun damage, but for a girl that likes to have a little fun this could be the perfect way of getting your skin to play by the rules – even if you’re not!

Vichy Idealia Life Serum costs £29.50 and is available nationwide from today.

Kiehl's lighten up

 

For those of you who are playing catch- up with sun damage – and let’s face it, those brown Jackson Pollock type splodges can emerge and take us by surprise on even the best protected skins, then Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Deep Moisture Clarifying Cream can help balance out uneven skin tone.

Its weapon of mass destruction is their activated vitamin C formulation that helps reduce the appearance of dark spots and even out discolouration. White birch and peony extracts make good at readdressing the problem too, and hydration is super-charged – 24 hours super charged! Use before sun protection and bag it as your new clever correction cream.

 Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Deep Moisture Clarifying Cream, £41

Available in August nationwide.

www.kiehls.co.uk

Clinique's big moisturizing makeover

 

Yellow as custard, but certainly not skin cowardly, Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion has become a cult classic since it launched in the swinging sixties. It could have even been your first introduction to a ‘serious’ dermatological developed moisturiser. Today, it’s still Clinique’s leading product and its biggest seller. So, on that bombshell why have they decided to reformulate it and introduce Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+. What does that + mean?

Well, it certainly wasn’t on a throwaway decision. Just over six years in the making, it’s taken three formulating dermatologists, 53 researchers, 100 formula trials and over 1,600 women of different skin types and ethnicity across five countries s to arrive at the results. Phew! The said results benefit skin by creating a better resistance against environmental slayers. In essence, the formulation has been modernised for the modern world. Clinique’s guiding dermatologists observed that they were seeing more patients with skin troubles such as redness, itching, breakouts, dullness and dryness…all symptoms that equalled a weakend barrier. To address, it now has a barrier strengthening complex along with new moisturising ingredients including hyaluronic acid, glycerine and urea. With super charged moisturising abilities along with re-booting qualities, it makes for a formula that’s Dramtically Different. And that’s a + sign in my skin book!

 Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ costs from £17.00 for 50ml.

www.clinique.co.uk

You glow girl!

A self confessed lover of Alpha H concentrated skincare products – concentrated meaning they give more bang for your buck in terms of ingredient percentages , I was recently introduced to their Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear with Mineral Bronzing Beads. Now, personally I don’t go big on bronzing products beyond a little powder,  as quite honestly I’ve seen so many bronzing disasters, I’d rather steer clear. But this lady is for turning, and I’d thought I’d give it a whirl.

I had no concerns about the Perfecting Daywear part of the formula. Alpha H is based on glycolic acid and mingled with the other key ingredient liquorice, work to brighten, resurface and refine pore size. Peptides help to optically diffuse the appearance of pesky lines. As with all modern thinking anti-ageing products, hyaluronic acid is also in the mix, its USP being it attracts and binds youth inducing moisture. So far, so  good.

As for the built-in glow factor, it couldn’t be more skin savvy. Microencapsulated bronzing spheres burst on application and release a blend of mineral pigments and natural light-reflecting particles. It’s described as a ‘made-to-measure’ glow, and I agree. It just lifts the skin to a higher plane whilst looking beyond natural. It’s a serum, so apply underneath your moisturiser for an extra skin boost. It's a product that's now a staple in my gleam team!

Alpha-H  Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear, £39
www.alpha-h.com
www.qvcuk.com

Lancome's super serum

There are serums and then there are super serums. Lancome’s new Advanced Genifique serum I would certainly put in a pair of Superman pants! Why? Because it has 40% more active ingredients than the original Genifique and developed using multi-omics. I confess I don’t know what that exactly means beyond working with genome biology, but it sounds impressive! Reading through the press release I got the gist that the rebooted formula is scientifically based on how genes are translated and processed, but to be honest when words such as proteomics and transcriptomics are thrown at me, I may as well be reading the script from Inception in terms of how much sense it made to me. So I decided to cut my losses and just experience it, letting my skin do the talking.

Firstly, it’s easy to apply. The pipette allows just one drop to escape at a time so you don’t end up wasting product. Feeling incredibly light on the skin, as a serum should be, it quickly disappeared preparing the complexion for the next layer of skincare. The advanced new ingredients are Adenosine which stimulates leader genes representative of cellular functions – testing shows it has a very important role in glueing cells together, Yeast extract shown to have an effect on leader involved in skin cell proliferation and Vitamin CG. This was a new one to me, but it's actually just a form of Vitamin C, although much more stable. Vitamin C itself rapidly oxidises. The anecdotal test for me was, upon the first week of using it quite a few people said my skin looked good. And that’s the only science I need!

Launched this month Lancome Advanced Genifique serum costs £58     

Clarins score an A star for their BB Cream!

Yes, beauty shelves are groaning with the weight of BB creams, but I thought I’d mention this one, as it’s new this month and from Clarins – so you just know you’re going to get more beauty bang from your buck!

Decidedly more  than just a tinted moisturiser, Clarins Skin Perfecting Cream SPF25 is make-up that actually behaves like a skin treatment. Many say it, but don’t deliver it. A creamy, barely-there veil, it firstly offers 100% natural mineral sun filters from both UVA and UVB protection. I like to think of it as the Jack Bauer of skin protection – you're covered from all angles! Secondly it helps reboot skin with anti-fatigue and energising extracts. One of these is the I haven’t-heard-of-it-before Katatfray Bark. Apparently this helps stimulate natural hydration and minimise the appearance of fine lines. Finally, skin looks smoother and more even thanks to their great sounding 3D Radiance along with light-correcting pigments, which all-in-all goes to Hollywood up your skin. Shadowy areas are brightened without looking cakey. Available in three shades – light, medium and dark, I give this BB Cream an A Star!

Clarins BB Skin Perfecting Cream SPF25 costs £28  

Very skin Suti-able!

With cold winds and central heating still blasting, I’m finding skin hydration needs to clunk up into fifth gear. Whenever I find skin begging for replenishing I turn to oils. For the face, rescue has come in the form of Suti’s Organic Face Oil for Night. This British brand has been garnering lots of press attention lately, and rightly so – the quality and performance of their products can be smelt and felt instantly.

An after-hours skin comforter, you only need apply two to three drops and massage into the face to literally hear the skin inwardly shout, ‘yes, yes, oh, yes!’ Rich in texture, yet decidedly non-greasy, it’s a blend of 15 plant and flower extracts including avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, jasmine and patchouli. Deliciously scented thanks to the essential oils, I find the application works as a meditative ritual just before lights out. Come morning skin rises looking indulgently plumped like the best duckdown duvet. Perfect for all skin types, it makes for the perfect sleeping partner.

Suti Organic Face Oil For Night costs £32
www.suti.co.uk  

Shu Uemura doesn't do pores!

Just like lines and blotches on our skin, we don’t really jump for joy when we can spy large pores blighting our complexion. There’s lots of pore-less picks for the taking that boast to banish them to the naked eye, but new to the line-up, and a product surely to be snapped up by professional MUAs is Shu Uemura’s POREraser UV under base mousse.

Now, please take note of the word mousse. I pumped it with a little too much enthusiasm thinking it was a lotion – note to self: put on glasses when looking at products, and ended up with a handful of foam. But because it’s a mousse the application, as you can imagine, is fairy-touch light and delivers flawless looking skin with their hard-hitting triple complex. The complex in question is the spherical and platelet powder which reflect light therefore making the skin look porcelain perfect, flowerbud powder which absorbs sebum for a shine-less effect and sodium salicylate for a smooth and refined textured. Insta-glam with instant results makes this an instant buy in my beauty book!

Shu Uemura POREraser costs £29 and is available in beige or pink.

Available April.

www.shuuemura.co.uk

The chic cleanse

High performing skin starts with a high performing cleanser. All too often we skimp on this skin essential and spend our hard earned beauty dollars on a bling-bling cream hoping to slay wrinkles and fast forward to youth. But any facialist will tell you the cornerstone to great skincare is a killer cleanser. And skin sense tells us that a well cleansed skin will look brighter, softer and therefore more youthful.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm is one such killer cleanser. Two years in the making it doesn’t disappoint, and almost feels and smells like a treatment. Upon unscrewing the lid, the aromatic smell of their signature oils amongst them geranium, lavender and orange delightfully wafts under your nose. A feel good olfactory start and finish to the day most definitely. As for performance, I always go by the feel of a cleanser on the skin as to whether it gets my vote – some just don’t seem to cut the mustard in terms of formula, leaving pores feeling poorly cleansed and neglected. Well, no such half baked feeling with this one.  This incredibly soft balm literally melts onto the skin, and once wiped away with a damp muslin cloth, leaves skin supremely cleansed, comfortable and plumped. I would even go as far to say, skin feels chic, just like you've slipped into a very expensive dress! I’ve just experimented with the test pot (above) but can’t wait to super size!

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm suits all skin types and costs £39.50.

www.timetospa.co.uk