My Dermalogica Top Five........

Whilst I have always been a product junkie, my true love for a product happened when I was first introduced to Dermalogica! I have used this range for about eight years on and off and have used them professionally for about five years.

As with all ranges you have your favourites and then the ones you don't like quite as much,for whatever reason. So I just thought I would share with you my current top five products.

5th This is Tri Active cleanser, this is a fantastic brightening cleanser, it is packed with active ingredients to really make your skin appear brighter - but isn't drying at all. Fab for the spring / summer when the tinted moisturiser replaces the foundation.

4th This will have to be Ultra calming cleanser, this can be used on any skin even the most ultra sensitive. It is a mixture of a gel and a cream,feels and smells divine. It is so gentle it can be used as a makeup remover as well - so a good one for saving a bit cash and time. It is so soothing and because it is so gentle it doesn't even have to be rinsed away it can simply be wiped with a cotton pad. Great after a night out for a quick cleanse.

3rd Age Reversal Eye Cream, this is the latest product from Dermalogica and I love it. It is packed with retinol A, peptides, UGL complex to refine eye area without irritation and lots and lots more. I have only been using a couple of weeks but do really love this. The eye area feels smooth and with no dryness.

2nd Daily microfoliant - whenever I have any dry patches my skin feels a little lack lustre,this is my go to product. Guaranteed to smooth and brighten my skin in 2minutes flat. It has a mixture of phytic acid, enzymes and brightening agents. It isn't drying at all and as the name suggests can be used daily on some skins. I personally can only use it 2 to 3 times maximum each week, but it is an absolute gem.

1st Multivitamin Recovery mask - this has been described as 'ambulance in a tube' as it just seems to fix your skin. It is packed with vitamins to feed your skin - perfect to nourish your skin at any time, but works wonders if you have been feeling unwell,very tired or even hungover. This is always at hand in my bathroom and I always take a tube away with me on my hols to fix my skin in extremes of weather - definitely my number one.

Are you a Dermalogica fan?

What's in your top 5

Wendy xx

My introduction to Liz Earle........................

When Looking for some new products to review the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish kept coming up time and time again. I have a number of clients who use it and my twitter friend @bevstubbs is also a fan. So I ordered on line using the Liz Earle site.

My product arrived within a couple of days and I was delighted when I opened the box to find my pump action cleanser in a gorgeous little wash bag complete with 3 wash muslin wash cloths. I also had a lovely little extra of a 50ml Instant Boost Skin Tonic, great start.

I was a little surprised when I first went to use the cleanser as I thought for some reason it was going to be a balm type product, when it was rather like a thick cream and so silky therefore really easy to apply to your face. I massaged the product into dry skin for a minute or so and loved the aroma, it just makes you take a deep breath and inhale the aroma inducing relaxation. To my surprise all makeup - mascara and lippie included, was simply melted away and not just moved around the face like some products. Using the cleansing cloth rinsed in hot water I then polished the cleanser off in circular movements to reveal a perfectly smooth and hydrated face. I then rinsed the cloth in cold water and placed over my skin to close the pores after the cleanse.

I am a couple of weeks in now and I am still loving the Cleanse and Polish experience. I look forward to my cleanse morning and night. The mixture of cocoa butter, beeswax and other moisture binding ingredients clearly hydrate the skin and then the blend of rosmary, chamomile and eucalyptus soothe and tone the skin and create that fabulous aroma. I am a great fan of using a muslin cloth with a cleanser to give a gentle exfoliation each day.

I also gave the Instant Boost Skin Tonic a try at the same time and have to report that I was equally delighted with the results of this product. Again a fab aroma and it just felt cooling and hydrating with no stinging which is quite common in a large number of toners, this one is alcohol free. I followed the toner immediately with my serum to ensure all the goodness was locked in.

So all in all I would say that this is a great cleanser, great ingredients at a great price. Only £13.25 for the cleanser, little wash bag and 3 cleansing cloths. Definitely worth a try. You can buy this cleanser and tone and look at the rest of the range online at www.uklizearle.com

Let me know if you are a Liz Earle fan and have used any other products in the range.

Wendy xx

Oxygen products and treatments - good or bad hmmmmm

For a few years now I have considered investing in an oxygen machine for the treatment room. I have heard some fabulous claims about what the oxygen can do to rejuvenate and enliven our skin. However, part of me is always a little bit hesitant as the same oxygen that helps us live, also produces free radicals which attacks our skin cells - so i have always wanted to love the idea of this burst of freshness being applied to my clients skin, but always a little wary that a short fix would actually not help the skin at all. So the jury is still out, I am still carrying out research on this machine and if the science can back up the positive claims, I know I will be very tempted to innvest as for acne/rosacea type skin it could be a godsend for the treatment room.

In the interim I decided rather than spend £5000 on a machine I would try an oxygen product to see if this would wow me.

I decided upon the Nubo plumping oxygen boost as I loved their serum 'The Essence' What i love about Nubo is that they have have taken alot of the nasties out of products that can cause irritation - so I was expecting great things. Nubo state the product will plump skin and relax tense facial muscles.

I also liked the fact that this product only had 7 ingredients, so i was hoping for a simple yet effective formula. Perflurodecalin is one of the main ingredients and is said to mimic the bloods ability to carry oxygen to the cells and improve the skin's barrier function helping to maintain skin moisture levels, triggering collagen & elastin production,killing acne bacteria - so sounding very promising indeed .

The package was very appealing visually, in a sleek little (very little)canister with a glass pippet type applicator. I have to say the applicator didn't work, it didn't draw up and dispense any product as you would expect and so i improvised and just wiped the side of the applicator to get some of the product. Instructions advised to use a small amount daily in the morning to face and neck which i did for two to three weeks. I was expecting as promised a plumped up fresh looking skin. Unfortunately this didn't materialise. My skin didn't suffer any as a result of using it I must add and although the product felt great as it was applied and didn't leave any sticky residue as alot of serums can - I didn't notice any particular improvement with my skin and at £80.00 for 15mls I have to say I was expecting a bit more bang for my buck. To add to my disappointment, I dropped the applicator one morning whilst trying to extract some of the product and dropped the pippet, as this is made out of glass this smashed which left me with a very sharp applicator :-( (a plastic one may have been better Nubo!

So this is one I won't be trying again guys, I did notice Nivea have brought out an oxygen based product priced at a very reasonable £12.99, so I will be giving this one a try and reporting back on that one.

I have to say first one of Nubo's products that I haven't particularly liked, but this is definitely not one for me. Let me know if you have tried and loved it.

Wendy xx

All about the eye's part two - The products

Are you confused about eye products? there are so many to choose to help with puffiness, dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles and on and on it goes. Hopefully this post will give you a few ideas about Dermalogica products so you can treat yourself to a fab eye treatment.

I talked about treating the skin around the eye in part one of this post as like the rest of our skin we need to cleanse, exfoliate, rebuild the skin and protect so what products can we use.

The skin around our eyes is very delicate and needs to be treated as such, so easy does it, make sure you have enough product so you don't drag the skin in this area and use your ring finger when applying creams so you don't apply too much pressure.

Eye makeup removers, oil cleansers are brilliant for gently but thoroughly removing make up.  I love Dermalogica Pre Cleanse, it is full of essential fatty acids that your skin needs and antioxidants to protect skin from free radical damage.  The oil dissolves makeup and liquifies surface oils which when you add a bit of water turns to milk and easily rinses away leaving no oily residue, just clean skin.

I always like to do a second cleanse as the first one simply removes make up and surface debris, the second can really get to work on your skin and work to keep your skin and pores healthy.  Ultra calming cleanser is a perfect choice when treating the skin around your eye.  It has an anti ozinate complex in which protects skin from the varying temperatures of this time of year, cosmetics that we use and the not so healthy diet we were indulging in over Christmas (or is this just me).  It is a mixture of a gel and a cream and is so gentle on all skin types, particularly those feeling a bit sensitised.

Now you are all cleansed we then spoke about exfoliating this area gently, we need something to get rid of those dead skin cells but gentle enough for the eye area.  Alot of exfoliating products state that you must avoid the eye area.  This is where Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant comes in, a multi award winning product and this is one of my fall back products.  You know when you are having a one of those days when your skin just doesn't feel quite right, a bit dull, a couple of dry patches and just generally a bit yucky - well I can always rely on daily microfoliant to get me back on track.  It is a powder exfoliant that you add a little water to and then mix together until it makes a creamy foam, you then simply massage gently in circular movements to gently slough off those dead cells.  The powder has phytic acid in from rice bran along with papain from the papaya and salicylic acid to help dissolve and remove the excess of dead cells and then brightening rice, grapefruit and licorice to help even the skin tone.  After massaging for one or two minutes, remove thoroughly with water ensuring all of the product is thoroughly removed.

Now the skin is perfectly prepared to absorb the ingredients of a good mask or serum the Dermalogica hydrating booster serum can be applied first, just a couple of drops gently patted all around eye area.This is packed with hyaluronic acid which will hydrate your skin to reduce the appearance of fine lines as it can attract and hold on to water to plump up the skin, along with pro vitamin B5 which helps with repairing skin as well as also helping to hydrate.

Now apply a thin layer of Dermalogica skin hydrating mask, this is packed with botanicals to calm the skin and help to reduce any inflammation along with vitamin C and E to help heal and protect.  Now you can pop on some cool pads of cotton and relax (thats my favourite part)

Once you have woke up or after about 10 minutes rinse with warm water and apply a little toner.  The Multi active toner can be spritzed on (eyes shut at this point - probably only me that would leave them open :-)) or applied to a cotton pad and gently wiped over, this again will build on the moisture content in the skin with the Sodium PCA it has in it. Apply a little more of the serum, one or two drops will do and then finish off with an eye cream.  The Dermalogica total care is a great day time eye cream as it has light diffusers and a SPF 15 for protection in it. 

A Dermalogica Skin Rescue Kit retails at £20.00, so is great value and gives you the opportunity to try a few of the Dermalogica products without purchasing the full size bottles.

Let me know about your favourite eye products

Wendy xx


Wendy xx

Do Serums really work - part two - BIOeffect EGF Serum

I am sure at some point over the last couple of months you would have heard the buzz about The Bio Effect Serum.  I first heard about this thanks to one of my favourite Bloggers - British Beauty Blogger, after she posted a message on twitter saying that this company was giving away samples of this new Icelandic serum as part of their launch campaign.  Well worth a follow on twitter and also visiting her blog!

Being such a product junkie, you can only imagine my excitement at the idea of this company choosing to promote their new product by giving real consumers an opportunity to try this high end product for free!  This has to be one brave and confident company that they are so sure that people will love this product so much that they will talk about it and advertise it for them.  Well they do say word of mouth is the best form of advertising and that is exactly what has happened.  Anyone and everyone who has tried this serum seems to be happy to shout about it and share their experiences.

So here is mine:  After a couple of days of leaving my address with Bio Effect and receiving notification to say my sample was on its way - it arrived.  Nice neat little bottle with dropper lid, which I love as you can er control the amount of product coming out and all tucked up in a lovely grey velvety pouch - good start!  I cleansed my skin thoroughly and then went straight in for the serum and a couple of drops did my full face and neck, I did read that you didn't have to use a moisturiser with this so as this was an evening and I was going to bed, I just left it at the serum.  When I woke in the morning my skin felt hydrated and looked quite fresh.  I applied serum again after cleansing, followed with moisturiser as I needed my SPF and continued this for a few days.  I would say it was probably about day 3 that I noticed a real difference in my skin, it looked very hydrated and healthy with fine lines visibly reduced - result!  Although I do tend to have an oily T zone, I can still get some dry patches underneath if my skin is a little dehydrated and this little beauty certainly took care of this.

The ingredients didn't take long to review either, simplicity is key here - only 9 ingredients! The product has a range of water binding and anti- oxidant ingredients which clearly work at hydrating the skin and then the all important EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor), when I seen this was right at the bottom of the ingredients list I did think, how effective can this be.  However, after researching this ingredient I realised that the ingredient is so powerful that only a fraction is needed to be very effective.  The EGF, helps your skin cells to rejuvinate and encourages the healing process and cell turnover, so is great for anti aging, but would expect it to be good on problem skin to as it will help the skin heal after breakouts.

I have to say I did go into a little state of mourning when I came to the end of my sample as I loved this product.  I am saving my pennies to buy a bottle of this serum.  It isn't at the cheap end of the scale at £125, however, I wasn't on my own with loving this product- I haven't heard a single bad review , to the contrary all reviews have been extremely positive with everyone just wanting more and more of a dewy fresh looking complexion.

Keeping my fingers crossed for some new products coming from this company as we only have the serum to indulge in at the moment.

Let me know if you were one of the lucky ones to receive a free sample of BIOeffect EGF Serum!

Wendy x

All about the eye's - part one - salon and at home treatments

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, they are certainly where we are focused when having conversations, when looking in magazines at makeup, lashes etc.  Needless to say it is where most men and women notice the first signs of aging and the area we point to as one of our main areas of concern.

There is so much I could talk about to improve the skin, products and makeup tips and tricks for the eye area, I thought it would be better to do this in a few parts rather than try to embark on a post the length of  'War and peace'.

In my treatment room I offer a few different ways of treating the delicate eye area. The skin around the eyes is thinner and therefore more fragile then elsewhere on the face, it doesn't have an abundance of sebaceous (oil) glands to lubricate and keep it supple and so can easily feel and look dry.

Exfoliation is a great way to get an immediate visible result and  one you can replicate at home.  Exfoliation works to rid the skin of the dead skin cells on the surface which haven't came off naturally and make your skin look dull and make any fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable.  Its a bit like dust on a piece of furniture, when its dusty it looks dull and if it has been left there long enough it actually increases in height as the layers of dust mount up.  How different does it look when the dust has been removed, a nice sheen and its back to looking its best. The same can be said for skin which isn't regularly exfoliated, the dead skin cells work just like dust and build up on fine lines and wrinkles which increases the depth and makes them more noticable.  Once the skin has been gently exfoliated, the depth of these fine lines and wrinkles is reduced and the hydrated plumper cells which have been hiding underneath are exposed and give us a nice glow.  Easy does it, is definitely the advice I give for home exfoliation rather do little and often then go for a more severe approach.  Your skin will thank you for it. 

Another treatment option is a microcurrent treatment, commonly know as a 'non surgical facelift'.  This treatment can firm and tone the muscles around the eye, it smoothes the texture of the skin, evens out the skin tone to give a much fresher and brighter look.  Again this is a treatment where a noticable difference can be seen with just one treatment. A course of treatments will give amazing and longer lasting results. But a one off treatment for a special occasion is great.  My clients describe it as looking as if they have woke up from an amazing week long sleep, they look so bright and refreshed.

Microcurrent works in sync with your bodies own electrical impulses and gives your cells an electrical kickstart to make sure that everything can work properly.  Toxins are removed from the cells, excess fluid is drained away and the circulation is improved bringing a fresh supply of oxygen , vitamins and minerals.  I liken this treatment to a car battery which has gone flat and needs a jump start with some cables, but the car can continue to work effectively once it has had this injection of power.  Your skin cells work on a similar basis.  The A Lift machine I use can increase your skin cells metabolism by 500%, so needless to say if your skin is looking a bit sluggish  an electrical jump start could be just what it needs.

Electrical product penetration is another professional treatment which is great for this area.  This ensures that the products being used in the treatments are reaching the deeper layers of the skin rather where they can really get to work.  These products will keep working long after you leave the treatment room and your skin should keep on glowing.

Last but by no means least my old faithful which I swear by, good old massage.  If you massage the products you use into your skin, boy it will show its appreciation in a nice healthy glow!  A good facial massage can remove excess fluid, lift and tone your facial muscles, redefine a sagging jaw line and much, much more.

When I massage my own skin as well as my clients I like to start at the neck and then work my way up the face.  It is important to start with the neck as this will open up the lymph vessels which will then let any excess fluid which is causing puffiness drain away from your face.

We can't all have facials as often as we would like so I thought I would share with you a lovely relaxing and effective eye treatment you can treat yourself to at home.

1.  Gently remove any eye make up by applying an eye make up remover to a damp cotton pad, place this on the eye area and hold for a minute.  This will let the product get to work and start dissolving any make up which should then wipe away without too much effort.

2.  Using a nice gentle, hydrating cleanser  remove any remaining eye make up and clean the skin thoroughly.  Apply the product in small gentle circular movements and then rinse thoroughly with sponges or damp cotton pads moving under eye in towards the nose and then over the brow.

3.  Exfoliation next, using a product which is suitable for the eye area ( I will chat about products in next post) apply exfoliant according to product instructions.  A product which has enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids is a good option for treating fine lines and wrinkles.  Ensure all traces of exfoliant are removed I would rinse, rinse then rinse again - very gently and with warm water.

4.  Your skin is now perfectly prepared for a mask or serum or both!   If you have a great eye serum, you can apply a little of this around the eye area and then apply a mask on top of this, soak a couple of cotton pads in quite cold water, place over eyes and relax for 10 minutes.  Remove mask with damp sponges or  cotton pads, using gentle sweeping movements around the eyes.

5.  A gentle toner can be used now to freshen and hydrate the eye area and finally finish with your favourite eye cream.

Treat yourself to this routine once a week, your eyes will love you for it. 

Go on, treat yourself - let me know if you have any questions or how you get on with this at home treatment.  If you have any questions about skin or products, just let me know and I will do my best to answer.

Wendy xx

What makes a cult beauty product?

I asked myself this question, what makes a particular product a cult beauty product?  is it the gorgeous actor or actress that a magazine quotes as saying they 'couldn't live without it' or if a celebrity makeup artist quotes something as a favourite product - do we all rush out and buy it?

I have to admit, being such a product junkie, I don't need that much persuading and find that I talk myself into many a purchase all for the good of my clients and now so I can talk to you guys about it (another justification).

There is no better feeling for me, when I make a purchase and find that it really does work - it is as amazing as the hype.  But equally, there is nothing more disappointing than looking forward to a purchase and finding that for whatever reason it just doesn't do it for you.

I have to say Eve Lom Cleanser is one of these Cult beauty products that has been on my radar for quite some time and after seeing an Eve Lom Travel set for only £25.00 in the Space NK sale, how could I possibly deny myself any longer.

After using and loving my Lancome Balm to oil massage cleanser, Eve Lom did have a lot to live up to.  But in the line of duty I was prepared to give it a go.  The product comes in a pot, which I am not really keen on, for hygiene and for keeping the ingredients fresh.  I much prefer products in tubes or pump dispensers, but moving onto the product itself, I was quite taken back by the feel of the product.  I suppose I was expecting the balm to feel luxurious and silky smooth and to be honest, my first thoughts were that it felt as though I was spreading a slightly grainy vaseline all over - not really a sensation I enjoyed. I did love the smell however, natural, fresh and relaxing.   I persevered and applied and massaged into skin as instructed, you then use the muslin cloth which comes with the cleanser. After rinsing the cloth in hot water I gently placed on face and repeated three times, then using the cloth removed the product with circular movements.  I finished the cleanse by placing the cloth on my skin once again but this time after rinsing in cold water to close the pores and clarify the skin tone.  Now this part although it does sound a bit long winded, takes a couple of minutes and does make skin feel really nice.

I have used the product for almost two weeks now and I have noticed some underlying congestion developing underneath my skin particularly on my cheek area. 

The main ingredient in this product is liquid paraffin (mineral oil), whilst a natural product could potentially block pores in consumers, particularly if like me you can be prone to this anyway. The cleanser also has a lanolin derivative which again can block pores, the cocoa butter will assist in moisturising skin, with the anti bacterial addition of clove oil and the soothing and regenerative effects of chamomile oil this could potentially be a pleasing product for someone with a drier skin type.  I have a typical combination skin a little drier on the cheeks but an oily T zone  and found this product to heavy and oily for me.  The instructions advise you not to follow with a moisturiser if you have oily skin, however, I always like to apply a moisturiser to help with hydration and also the all important sun protection which should be applied hail, rain or shine. 

So all in all not a product suitable for me, so that is me back using my Lancome balm to oil massage cleanser and I must admit my skin looks and feels happier as a result.  This is one cult beauty product that I won't be purchasing again.

Love to hear your experience of this product

Wendy xx