Mid-Week Pamper Treats: Tropic Skincare Clear Skin & Deep Hydration Face Masks review #MultiMasking

The long weekend is rapidly approaching, so now's a great time to treat your skin to a little mid-week pampering to get it in tip-top condition for the Easter festivities. My face masks of choice this week are both from Tropic Skincare for some serious Multi-Masking action!

Spring is a really weird time for my skin as it's battling against a combination of sunnier, warmer weather, with cooler, blustery winds and those chilly April showers. Add to that a sprinkling of breakouts that are triggered by my immune system going into overdrive as hayfever season hits, and it's safe to say that my skin has not been looking its best lately.

Help is on hand though from these two pots of joy from Tropic Skincare, a British and vegan-friendly natural skincare brand that regular readers will know that I'm particularly fond of. I've been putting two of their bestselling face masks through their paces, so keep on reading if you're curious to find out more about them!

Tropic Skincare Clear Skin Blemish-Fighting Mask* (50ml, £20, link)

I do love it when a brand names a product so accurately because this mask is all about blitzing those zits and delivering a clearer complexion. Tropic's Clear Skin Blemish-Fighting Mask is a multi-award winner for a reason; it balances sebum production which is particularly useful if you suffer from an excessively oily T-zone like I often do; tightens pores; helps to reduce redness, and quickly says a fond farewell to any blemishes that may have set up shop on your face. 

As you can see in the pot (and in my multi-masking selfie pic below), this mask is green in colour thanks to a blend of Green Clay and Spiriluna which help to draw out all of those stubborn impurities and blackheads. There's also Bamboo Charcoal, Goji Berry extract, Ginger, Cinnamon and Salicylic Acid included to refine pores and kill off any bacteria that are linked to causing breakouts in the first place. The texture is thick with a fresh herbal scent, and it's easy to apply with fingers or a spatula/mask brush. 

You can apply this mask to just your T-zone or dab it onto any stubborn individual blemishes, as well as using it all-over if you're particularly acne prone. Allow 10-20 minutes for it to work its magic before washing off, and voila, you should see a noticeable difference right away, especially on the T-zone. I could see that my pores looked much smaller and clearer, and any under-the-surface spots quickly rose to the top the next day which made it easier for me to deal with them. Use this treatment no more than twice a week as it's quite potent and although it didn't make my skin feel stripped afterwards, I'd still recommend following up with a hydrating mist and moisturiser or face oil, to keep your skin from drying out later on.

From L-R: Tropic Skincare Deep Hydration and Clear Skin Face Masks

Tropic Skincare Deep Hydration Soothing Cooling Mask* (50ml, £20, link)

One that's excellent for all skin types to try but particularly well suited for very dry skin, is the Deep Hydration Soothing Cooling Mask, which as you might have already guessed, is brilliant for instantly hydrating and soothing the skin. Rich in antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatory ingredients such as Ressurection Flower, Allantoin and Wild Australian Superberries (Riberries, Muntries and Pepperberries), this super creamy-gel mask is a beautiful moisturising treat for the skin, especially if it's feeling dry, irritated or dehydrated. 

Texture-wise, it feels like a rich, thick and creamy moisturiser that you can leave on for 20-30 minutes (the perfect opportunity to enjoy a relaxing cuppa or catch up a short Netflix episode). It has a fresh, slightly berryish scent and feels wonderfully cooling - I can see myself reaching for this a lot over the next couple of months if we have a hot Summer, as it would be a fantastic post-sun treat for parched skin.

Once rinsed off, my skin felt so much happier with a plumped up, thoroughly hydrated glow about it!

These two masks are great for multi-masking with if you have combination skin - simply apply the Clear Skin Mask to your T-zone and any blemishes, and then add the Deep Hydration Mask to the cheeks/outer drier areas/around the nose etc for a quick and easy facial!

Shop the full range of skincare and more at tropicskincare.com

Are you a fan of multi-masking?

Follow me on: BlogLovin' | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Read more

Tried & Tested: Dr. Hauschka Clarifying Intensive Treatment for Acne / Blemish Prone Skin review

If I had a pound for every person who told me that my skin would 'magically' clear up once I hit my mid-20s, I'd be an incredibly wealthy woman! Sadly though, neither happened (sigh) and whilst my complexion is certainly less spotty than when I was a teenager, it's still prone to some annoying, confidence-busting breakouts as an adult.

During my teen years, my skin was as moody as I was; it was easily irritated, often angry at the world and would flare up at a moment's notice for no reason at all (yeah, I didn't handle puberty well at all!). I was lucky enough that I had never had severe acne, but a mild amount was more than enough to knock what little self-confidence I had in myself, and I quickly became very conscious about it.

Moving forward to the present day and my skin is a lot clearer thanks to a better diet and skincare routine, but I still experience regular stress and hormone-related breakouts. I've been dealing with a particularly bad one recently due to exams stress, so it's been the ideal time for me to test out a product that I've always wanted to try from Dr. Hauschka, their Clarifying Intensive Treatment. 

What Is It?

Designed as a specialised treatment for acne and blemish-prone skin, Dr. Hauschka's Clarifying Treatment has been developed to support unbalanced skin. Now, if you're familiar with Dr. Hauschka, they have a very different natural approach to skincare than most other green beauty brands. Their formulas are carefully 'rhythmitised' to work in harmony with the skin and its natural 28-day renewal cycle. You can read more about this in further detail here.

What's In It?

100% natural and organic, certified by NATRUE. Cruelty-free. Key ingredients include Sage and Mercurialis to rebalance the skin, and there's also Witch Hazel and Chicory to control moisture levels and minimise breakouts. Full ingredients: Water/Aqua, Mineral Salts/Sales, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Fragrance/Parfum, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract¹, Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Extract¹, Mercurialis Perennis Extract¹, Peridote¹. ¹in rhythmitised dilution. Free from synthetic fragrances, dyes, preservatives, mineral oils, silicones and PEGs.

Who Can Use It?

Anyone who has acne or is prone to blemish breakouts. Dr. Hauschka have two types of Clarifying Intensive Treatment based on age (one for under 25s and one for over 25s) to address the differences in the skin at those life stages, so choose the right one for you.

How Do I Use It?

Use this Clarifying Treatment instead of your usual toner for 28 days (to complete the full renewal cycle of your skin), applying after both morning and evening cleanses. Mist 3-4 pumps all over the face and gently press into the skin. 

Overall Thoughts? 

At first, I was a little sceptical as to whether this was going to do much for me. I've used a couple of Dr. Hauschka's skincare products in the past and have found them a little hit and miss to be honest, but I'm pleased to say that this is one of the good ones! I didn't see any big changes straight away though, so it's definitely something that I would recommend sticking with for the full 28 days, making sure to not miss a day for the best results. After around a week of continued use, I started to see a reduction in the size of my blemishes, and by day 15/16, pretty much all of my blemishes had gone, as well as the associated redness and inflammation. During the rest of the 28 day trial, I only had ONE new blemish pop up when I got my period (I usually get a lot more!), and this quickly subsided within the next two days.

The two downsides for me with this product is that I found it quite drying on my skin and noticed some flaky areas start to appear around my nose and chin that weren't there before. Dr. Hauschka recommend using the Clarifying Treatment four times a year to stimulate and rebalance the skin (28 day cycles each), so I'm keen to try it again in the near future, but with some more hydrating products in my routine to try and combat these dry patches. The other obvious downside is the price; at £51 for a full 28 days worth of treatment, it won't be accessible for everyone, but for those who have a higher budget for their skincare essentials, it may be a worthy investment to keep those pesky breakouts at bay. 

Dr. Hauschka Clarifying Intensive Treatment* (40ml, £51) is available from LoveLula.com

What are your favourite anti-blemish products?

Follow me on: BlogLovin' | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Read more

Worth The Hype? La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+] review

When the original Effaclar Duo by La Roche Posay was being talked about on the blogosphere, I thought it would be the answer to all of my blemish problems.  Sadly it did nothing for me, but after reading several rave reviews and a personal recommendation from a friend about the new and improved [+] formula, I decided to give it another go.

Read more

3 of the Best Hair Oils

This time last year, I had never tried hair oil treatments before. The idea of putting any kind of 'oil' into your hair seemed so strange to me, surely it would be turn your locks into a greasy mess? Why was everyone raving about them? So I tried a couple and now I can't get enough of them! I thought I'd do a quick post on three of my favourites and explain how I use them and get them to work for me:-

Moroccan Oil is the beauty classic of hair oil treatments, adored and used by countless women worldwide. I had always steered clear of it in the past due to its perfumed scent but it's one that has certainly grown on me. I received a sample 10ml bottle in a goody bag a couple of months ago and immediately had to try it. I use Moroccan Oil when my hair feels especially dry or is looking dull and unloved. The medium-thick oil consistency absorbs into the hair so well and never looks greasy or leaves any residue. I always use it after I've shampooed and towel-dried my hair, and then I'll either leave a tiny amount in my ends for an hour or so to deeply condition or for a shorter period of time before blow-drying. It always leave my hair feeling soft and looking healthy, plus the smallest amount goes such a long way.

Macadamia Oil is like Moroccan Oil's little sister and I use it in the same way (on towel dried hair, mainly before drying/styling). The 10ml sample bottle shown above was obtained through a Boudoir Prive box. It's incredibly similar in many ways to Moroccan Oil; its oil consistency is pretty much the same, it delivers nearly identical results (if I'm nit-picking, I'd say that Moroccan Oil is ever so slightly more moisturising) and a tiny amount also goes a long way. The main difference is in the scent, with Macadamia Oil being much more subtle and not as lingering as Moroccan Oil, so sometimes I prefer using this one, and it's cheaper than Moroccan too.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Oil is not strictly a hair oil as such. It's an amazing multi-purpose dry oil that also works wonders on the skin and in baths. Nuxe is a much lighter oil in consistency and I only ever use this one on dry hair to smooth away frizz and add some nourishment and gloss to my lengths. The main trick with getting this to work in the hair is to just use a very small amount, rub it between your palms first and then smooth it over the lengths. Goodbye frizz! Nuxe is great for those in-between shampoo days and for when you're in a rush and have no time for styling. It also have the best scent out of all of these in my opinion, it simply smells amazing in a light and clean kinda way.

Do you use hair oils? Which ones are your favourites?

Read more