Battle of the Toners: Pixi Glow Tonic Vs Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner

For years now, I have been incorporating the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Toner into my skincare regime. At one stage, when my skin wasn't so good, I was reaching for it on a daily basis, but nowadays it's a once or twice a week treat. It's great for when my skin is feeling dry or looking dull and lacklustre, and a quick sweep of it before bed, using a cotton pad to ensure that my entire face and neck get their hit, is all it takes to wake up with softer, smoother and brighter skin.

While I have always been more than happy with the effects of this particular toner, I have been wanting to get my hands on the Pixi Glow Tonic for longer than I care to remember. With higher levels of AHA than its Clarins counterpart, it promises more dramatic effects, and has become a cult product amongst bloggers and skincare experts alike. On a recent trip to London, I couldn't resist popping into Libery and picking up a bottle - but is it impressive enough to dethrone the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner?

Let's begin with the science.

The Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner is a fresh, fluid exfoliating lotion that brightens, smooths and softens the skin. Tamarind fruit acids eliminate impurities and dead skin cells, boosting cellular renewal, while white nettle extract helps to tighten the pores, ensuring that they appear smaller.  Regular use encourages cellular renewal, strenghtening the skin's resistance to premature ageing and leaving you with a healthy, glowing complexion. Containing glycolic, salicylic and tartaric acids in much smaller quantities than many other popular toners, this is a great option for anyone with sensitive skin. Although it does contain alcohol, this is nicely counteracted with glycerin, and there is no sense of dryness following application.

It's recommended to be used 1-2 times a week, but personally, I have used it on a daily basis with no problems.

The Pixi Glow Tonic, on the other hand, is oil and alcohol-free, which does make it that little bit more suitable for sensitive skin than its Clarins counterpart, but again, I'd recommend using it no more than  a couple of times a week if this is you.

Containing ginseng, fructose and soothing aloe vera, the Pixi Glow Tonic is also laced with witch hazel, making it slightly astringent, and better for those with acne or frequent breakouts. It does

Personally, I'm not at all a fan of the smell of this one - it's potent, and overly floral, which is not what I was expecting at all. I'm not generally keen on particularly fragrant products, but I do like a fruity aroma, and that's what I was expecting from this.

The verdict: For me, it's got to be the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner. I'm surprised to hear myself saying so, as I had great expectations for the Pixi Glow Tonic, but in all honesty, I haven't seen a great deal of difference in my skin since beginning to use it. Clarins's offering, on the other hand, is guaranteed to leave me with a soft, smooth and glowy complexion, and I can see myself continuing to repurchase it for a long while.

Do you have a favourite resurfacing toner?

XX

Holy Grail Beauty

It's not often that I will go so far as to declare a beauty product a 'Holy Grail' item, and in oder for me to do so it really does have to be something special. There are so many fantastic products out there, but often I am left with the feeling that there must be something better out there, even when it comes to the products that I love. Let's face it, there's not really such a thing as a miracle product. But upon thinking about my own beauty collection and which products I really, truly couldn't live without, I came up with these six little gems. If I love them that much, then it's only right that I should share them with you, so here goes.

Topping the list, it has to be the Elemental Herbology Eye Elixir Reparative Serum. Of all the products I own, this one has made the single most dramatic difference to both my appearance and to the way I feel about myself, and a good eye cream is most certainly not easy to find. Generally, they tend to be over-priced and promise the world, but when it comes to delivery there is usually a lot to be desired. This little beaut, however, does exactly what it claims to on the tin, reducing the appearance of dark circles and taking down puffiness like no other. The only area in which I haven't noticed as vast a difference is in the reduction of fine lines, but in my eyes (excuse the pun) there really isn't much that can be physically done about those once you've got them. I'd highly recommend this eye cream to anyone who struggles with any under-eye issues, and will continue to buy this again and again. Unfortunately it is rather pricey, but it lasts for months on end, and I'd rather pay out for one cream that actually works than five cheaper ones that don't change a jot. Full review here.

Next up is the MUA Pro Brow Kit, which at just £3.50 is an absolute bargain. Now, I know you're going to be annoyed with me for not showing you the inside, but trust me, you really wouldn't want to with the current state it's in. Let's just call it well-loved, and I'll refer you back to my full review here if you want to see it in all it's brand-new glory. The kit contains two brow shades (one lighter, one darker) and a contour which can be used beneath the browbone. There is also a rather handy pair of mini tweezers, as well as a flimsy slanted brush which I must admit, I never use. What I love about this product is that the darker brow shade is an exact match for my own, and once applied it stays put all day. I love how sculpted and groomed it leaves my brows looking, and how natural the finish is. I suppose the fact that I literally just use the one colour and the pair of tweezers is a bit of a shame, and perhaps doesn't say a lot for the product as a whole. But at a bargainous price, it gives me exactly what I want as does the job to perfection. It's rare that I will pick up the same product, day in, day out, but that's exactly what I do with this little kit, so for me it deserves HG status.

Two blushes I can always rely on to perk up my complexion no matter what are Nars Deep Throat (review here) and Mac Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Peachykeen. Deep Throat is a soft peachy pink which would flatter any skin tone, and Peachykeen (review here) is more of a dusky burnt peach. Both add a subtle, glowing sheen to the cheeks without making you look like a glitterball, and when I am feeling really tired and run down, or just generally having a bad face day, one of these two can always manage to sort things out and get me looking alive and awake again.

Last up, two skincare products. I reach for the Ren Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser every single morning, and it works wonders at keeping any excess oil at bay. Even better, it leaves kin feeling soft, smooth and comfortable - not dry or tight as you might expect. If you've got an oily t-zone or blemish-prone skin then this one is a must-have (full review here).  The Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner is another daily necessity for me, as containing AHAs, it gently exfoliates the skin, removing any pore-blocking debris which as a result, keeps blemishes and breakouts to a minimum. It's not a miracle worker, but then I don't think there is a product in this world that can curb hormonal breakouts completely (if there is then please do let me know!). It has, however, made a noticeable difference since I first began using it, and it leaves my skin feeling smooth and soft to boot.

Which products would you be willing to give the coveted Holy Grail Status?

xx

Review: Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner

As most of you know by now, I suffer from adult hormonal breakouts, and having tried just about everything to curb them without success, I eventually decided to give an exfoliating toner a go. I, as I'm sure many of you are too, an avid reader of Caroline Hiron's Beauty Mouth, and find her skincare advice really useful, so having trawled her site for something I might be missing and tweeting her once or twice, she recommended I give the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner a go.

Containing Tamarind extract to eliminate impurities and dead cells, and white nettle for its soothing and astringent benefits, the toner works to boost the skin's natural exfoliation process as well as tightening pores and smoothing the overall texture of the skin. You may well have heard quite a bit about AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) floating around the blogosphere over the past year or so, what with the huge hype surrounding products such as the infamous Alph H Liquid Gold. It has been largely touted as the answer to many skincare prayers, from blemishes and scarring to dryness and dehydration, and used twice weekly it is said to make quite a dramatic difference to the overall appearance and condition of the skin.

The Clarins B.E.B.T is not so dissimilar, though containing much lower levels of AHAs it is generally safe to use on a daily basis. It does say on the packaging that once or twice is enough, but personally I don't find that it makes any difference to my skin when used that sparingly. It's incredibly gentle and doesn't cause any irritation at all, but essentially it's your call - if you feel that you have particularly reactive skin then it might be an idea to start at the bottom and see how you feel about upping your weekly uses bit by bit. Just in case anyone thinks I'm going a bit crazy, Mrs Hirons herself has talked about daily use of this toner on her blog here, so do pop over and have a read of that if you are in any doubt.

I tend to use this toner in the evenings only, as I do think that twice a day might be overkill. After cleansing, I pop some of this onto a cotton pad and sweep it over my face and neck, including any congested or blemish-prone areas, wait for at least a minute until it has dried, and then continue on with the remainder of my nightly skincare routine. In the morning I wake up to soft, smooth skin that feels plump and well-hydrated.

While this hasn't completely cured me of hormonal breakouts (I don't think anything can), I have noticed a marked improvement in the general texture of my skin since I began using this, and a sure reduction in the number of blemishes I do get as well as the severity of them. I find that it generally keeps my skin feeling calm and comfortable, and I have grown quite attached to it as I like knowing that I really am removing all traces of debris and dead skin before I go to bed at night. I have completely stopped using mechanical exfoliants now, apart from on my nose, which could do with a little extra help thanks to the pesky blocked pores I tend to get there. I avoid this on the rest of my face, however, as the Clarins toner does the job nicely without irritating or exacerbating any existing breakouts.

This is a skincare must-have for me now, and I'm so glad to have discovered exfoliating toners as they really do make a world of difference to the skin, leaving it looking bright and radiant.

Have you tried any exfoliating toners? Are you a fan of AHAs? If so then do let me know your favourite products in the comments below, as I am always eager to try out new skincare gems.

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