Elemental Herbology Cell Food Serum

The fact that Elemental Herbology is a cruelty free brand has always warranted a big thumbs up from me, and with no parabens, sulphates, mineral oils, synthetic fragrances or artificial colours in their products it comes as no surprise that they have quickly made their way up my mental list of great skincare brands.

The Elemental Herbology Cell Food Radiance and Vitality Facial Serum* is one of the brand's best-selling products, and once you have given it a go it's not difficult to figure out why. Containing fourteen active ingredients and six anti-oxidants, this serum is packed full of nourishing goodness to get dull, parched and lacklustre skin looking back to its radiant best in no time. The anti-ageing 'power house' of proteins, vitamins and anti-oxidants provide a real boost, helping to stimulate collagen and elastin production, as well as reducing the prevalence of lines, wrinkles and dark spots.

With kombuchka to improve skin texture and diminish pigmentation, pomegranate to moisturise and nourish, and vitamins A, C and E, CoEnzyme Q10 and green tea (phew!) to fight against free radical damage and wrinkles, it's like feeding your skin a perfectly nutritionally balanced meal. But how did it actually fare when I put it to the test?

The Cell Food Serum comes in a sleek metallic bottle, making it the perfect decorative addition to any skincare shelf. But it's not just a pretty face.

Every morning and evening, I dispense a couple of drops of this onto my fingertips (using the handy pipette), and massage it into my skin after toning. It's a white liquid, which absorbs almost instantly into the skin without so much of a hint of greasiness or tackiness, meaning it won't slow you down on those days where you just don't have the time to wait around. Anyone with sensitive skin will love this, as the Aloe and Rose Damask water it contains will calm and soothe, making it the perfect partner for any and all skin-types.

The Cell Food Serum has made quite a considerable difference to my skin since I began using it, with a much more even tone and diminished dark marks (from going out in the sun without a high enough SPF on  - naughty, naughty). The best thing of all though, is the healthy, radiant glow it has given me - a much needed boost, and a welcome distraction from the pesky blemishes that have been bringing me down of late. My skin now feels healthy, comfortable, plump and well-nourished, and I'm more than happy to have this serum in my day-to-day routine.

The Elemental Herbology Cell Food Serum is available direct from Elemental Herbology, and also from Feel Unique, priced at £45. 

Have you tried anything from Elemental Herbology? What are your favourite products?

xx

The Weekly Selection

I always enjoy doing my monthly favourites, but as time has gone on I've found myself leaning more and more towards making videos about them, and once I have done that I always think twice about posting about them as well, as I feel it might be a bit much. However, I do know that some of you would much rather see a post on the topic, as a lot of people do tend to do their catching up via mobile phone on the go, and nobody wants to be blasting out a video on the tube or the train for all to hear.

So, The Weekly Selection is born. In this series of posts, I'll be sharing with you whatever has made it onto my most-loved list this week, so expect to sometimes see a few old favourites making their way in amongst my newest finds, as often I will have a bit of a root around in my collection and come across a little gem I had forgotten all about (I will always mention if this is the case).

This week, it's been all about the Elemental Herbology Bio-Cellular Super Cleanse*,  a creamy cleanser containing apple AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) to boost cell turn over and gently exfoliate the skin. I've been wanting to add some regular acid exfoliants to my routine for some while now, as I wanted to see whether doing so would help me out in the war against hormonal breakouts, and being able to work this in daily in the form of a cleanser is handy when it comes to both time and money. I've been using this as my evening cleanser, as it's great at removing every last trace of makeup, as well as giving my skin a good, deep-down clean, leaving it feeling soft, nourished and comfortable.

Continuing with the theme of acid exfoliants, I've been trialling this mini size of the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner,  a light  lotion which again this uses AHAs to break down any debris and dead skin that might block the pores. I swipe this liberally across the skin every evening, after double cleansing, and by morning my skin is baby soft and smooth. I have to say, this really seems to be doing the job when it comes to keeping blemishes to a minimum, and as an added bonus, will help to strengthen the skin's resistance to wrinkles when used regularly. I have already ordered the full-size bottle of this, as it has definitely made it to 'can't live without' status in a short space of time.

Makeup wise, my biggest obsession of the week has undoubtedly been my new Sleek Face Form Contour Kit. I went for the 'light' version, which contains a flattering matte contour powder, highlighting powder and the infamous Rose Gold blush. The bronzey contour shade is great for sculpting the face and adding a subtle wash of colour, and definitely isn't too over-powering or obvious on pale skin. The Rose Gold blush is just beautiful - a shimmery, peachy pink that is not dissimilar to Nar's cult Orgasm blush. This won't leave you looking like a glitter ball, but it will leave you with glowing cheeks - in fact, I don't really find that I need a highlighter when using this, as it does the job just fine on its own. My only gripe is that it doesn't blend as well as some of my other powder blushes, but the shade is such that I can let that slide. The highlighting powder is a pretty, subtle, champagne shade, and looks lovely dotted on top of the cheekbones on top of a more pared-down blush. Again, the effect is really natural, without a hint of overkill in sight.

Last but not least, I have fallen in love with Revlon 'Fearless' Nail Enamel, a zingy, vibrant orange-toned red that just screams summer. This goes perfectly with the Mac Lady Danger lipstick, for any of you who like to match your nail polish to your lips, and is sure to make a repeat appearance on my nails over the coming months, again and again.

What have your most loved products been this week?

xx