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

Review: Nourish Balance Mini Kit

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed the wonderful Nourish Argan Skin Rescue (click to read review), and along with that product, which as I mentioned has now become a nightly staple in my routine, I was also very kindly sent the Nourish Balance Mini Kit* to try out.

This came at a great time for me, as only recently has my skin transformed itself from 'normal' to 'combination' - my t-zone is now quite oily, and as I'm sure you've heard me mention, I've been suffering from breakouts too. So I was really excited to get started with this lovely little set, and see what good it could do for my skin. After putting it to the test for some time, as I find to be necessary with any skincare regime, I now feel ready to share my thoughts with you .

What I love about Nourish is that when creating their skincare ranges, they take into account not only the different skin-types we are all 'blessed' with, but also individual lifestyles and needs. Their natural, anti-ageing range of products aim to optimise skin health around the life that you lead as well as providing all the daily nourishment it needs to keep it in tip-top condition.

There are four different ranges available from Nourish, including 'Radiance' for normal skin, 'Protect' for dry skin, and 'Relax' for sensitive skin. As I said, I was sent the 'Balance' kit, which is aimed at combination skin.

The mini-kit contains 50ml of the Balance Detoxifying Cleanser, 50ml of the Balance Refining Toning Mist, 15ml of the Balance Nutritious Peptide Serum, and 15ml of the Balance Essential Moisturiser, and is available to buy for £24.95 - great for anyone wanting to dip their toe in the water.

Nourish Balance Detoxifying Cleanser*

This is quite a liquidy, lotion-like cream cleanser, containing a balancing blend of emollients and apple extract to leave the skin feeling fresh and clean, as well as helping to restore the skin's natural barrier.

The instructions suggest applying a small amount of this to the face with a cotton wool pad and then rinsing with cool water, but I don't personally enjoy using my cleansers this way, so instead I just massaged it into my face before removing it with a warm flannel/face cloth. When wearing makeup, it's obviously advisable to double cleanse - once to remove it, and then once to deep cleanse. I did find that this removed all traces of makeup after two cleanses, and it has such a lovely, gentle fragrance of green apple that it was a pleasure to use. It always left my skin feeling soft and well-hydrated, ready for the next step in my routine. It's 80% organic., and comes in at a bargainous £9.95 for the full-size 100ml bottle.

Nourish Balance Refining Toning Mist*

Again, this has the pleasant fragrance of apples, and comes in a spray bottle so that it can be spritzed onto the face after cleansing. I'm still going with this one, and find it refreshing in the mornings as well as being a welcome pick-me up throughout the day, so I do, on occasion, pop this one in my handbag for whenever the mood takes me. Packed with vitamins and minerals, this restores the natural pH level of the skin, which is obviously great for helping to balance things out and keep them on a level. It's also 97% organic, and for a full-size 100ml bottle you would pay just £8.95.

Nourish Balance Nutritious Peptide Serum*

This is a really light, hydrating serum which I find leaves my skin looking much brighter after use. Again, it's choc-full of nutritious vitamins and minerals, has the same delightful fragrance and helps to renew the skin's natural surface. For me, one pump is more than enough for the whole face, and I tend to apply it to my neck too. It's strange to think that in the past, I didn't bother with serums, as they are now an integral part of my daily skincare routine. It's 80% organic, and will set you back £16.95 for a full-size 30ml bottle, making it the priciest of the bunch.

Nourish Balance Essential Moisturiser*

I think this is probably my favourite product of the four. It's a light, 89% organic cream complex containing sebum-controlling properties, and sinks easily into the skin upon application, with no greasiness whatsoever. I personally find it really difficult to find suitable moisturising creams that suit both my face and neck, but this one works nicely and doesn't cause any breakouts, which for me is a rarity. The full size comes in at £14.95 for a 50ml jar.

In all, I've really enjoyed using this range, and will definitely be repurchasing. The mini kit is ideal for keeping on hand for weekends away or unexpected road-trips, and there are also full-size gift-sets available for each range, priced at £45 - that's a saving of £5.80 compared to buying each product individually.

I have to say, while I've been having some problems with breakouts and oiliness, I noticed a marked improvement in the condition of my skin within the first couple of days of use - it became much calmer and better balanced, as well as looking a lot fresher and generally healthier. Whatever your skin-type, I'd definitely recommend giving Nourish a try, as with such high levels of lovely, natural ingredients you're bound to be doing yourself a favour.

Nourish is available to buy directly from their website, and also from Feel Unique.

Do you like using natural and organic skincare?

If so, what are your favourite products?

xx

Caudalie Eau Demaquillante Cleansing Water

Selling at £9 for 100ml on the Caudalie website, which you can find here, the Eau Demaquillante Cleansing Water is a micellar solution designed to remove your makeup before cleansing. You just apply a small amount to a large cotton pad and sweep it over your face and neck, repeating as necessary until you are satisfied. In fact, you could actually use this product alone, but personally I like to either exfoliate or cleanse my skin with a hot cloth cleanser afterwards in the evenings,to ensure that my skin is completely clean. In the mornings, however, I am happy just to use this to wipe away any oil or grime that may have accumulated during the night and it leaves my skin feeling refreshed, soft and clean.

Being a micellar solution, this product is very gentle, and yet it still removes all traces of makeup with ease. This is designed for use on the eyes, too, and it doesn't sting at all, nor is it oily, which are both huge bonuses in my opinion. I have quite sensitive eyes which are easily irritated by a lot of products, and I really dislike having to use anything unneccessarily oily on my face.

I usually tend to give my skin a couple of sprays of the infamous Caudalie Beauty Elixir after use, and I feel that together, they really leave my skin feeling supple, smooth and 'awake', without a trace of oil. I then moisturise as normal.

A quick summary:

                                                    The Good                                                  

  Gentle on the skin

Gentle enough to use on the eyes

Removes all traces of makeup

Leaves skin feeling refreshed and soft

Practical and easy to use, as it doesn't require water. Perfect for use on the go.

                                                          

    The Bad

A little bit on the pricey side at £9 for just 100ml, especially as...

..100ml doesn't tend to last long

I would definitely purchase this again. I have been using a hot cloth cleanser for a while now, which I love, and while I really like the fact that I can use it to remove makeup and cleanse all in one go, I hate that I end up with mascara stains all over the muslin cloths and can never use them more than once or twice without having to throw them in the wash! It's so much better to use this Cleansing Water first, as I can dispose of the used cotton pads and then cleanse with a nice clean cloth along with my hot cloth cleanser.

If you are new to Caudalie then I would definitely recommend giving this a go, as it is one of the cheaper products available, and a 100ml bottle is not a huge commitment to make. I went for this size in order to try it out, and now I know that I will like it, I will go ahead and buy the larger one (200ml for £15).

Have you tried anything from Caudalie? 

What are your favourite skincare brands and products?

xx