LUSH Moisturisers: Enzymion and Imperialis - Not Highly Rated

LUSH Moisturisers... I'm still undecided on this one. Do I like them? I'm so unsure. They have some very common traits that seem to feature amongst all of the LUSH Moisturisers. While I have only purchased Enzymion and Imperialis from the line-up, I have tried Gorgeous, Celestial and Vanishing Cream samples. They are heavy (yet somehow watery?), greasy and not very effective. I guess that wraps up the whole do-I-like-it thing then. The answer is no. 

Enzymion

Enzymion - the one that is designed for oily skin. Its definitely not designed for my oily skin. In fact, the ingredients are so not what my oily skin needs. Ever. The main ingredient is Cocoa Butter. This is a natural emulsifier that is generally used to moisturise and condition dry and irritated skin... What? Sure, it's nourishing and conditioning, but why is this featured as a star ingredient for this moisturiser. If I'm missing a trick here, someone please enlighten me!

Next up, this thing likes to brag about the fact that it includes a whole freshly squeezed lemon in every pot. Again, what? The thing with lemons is, they are highly acidic. These things are generally used to exfoliate and brighten dark marks. The issue being, that due to their high acidity, they are going to disrupt the pH balance of your skin. This results in over compensating oil production!

Why does my oily skin want any of this? It doesn't. Which is precisely why this thing don't work. 

A note on the fact that this moisturiser is super watery. This is never good for me. Sure, that means it spreads great, but it's so thin and watery that it just slips right off the skin. And because it is watery, it just doesn't hydrate. If anything, it leaves my skin feeling dehydrated and exposed. I am certainly not left to feel moisturised with this moisturiser (ho, ho, ho). It's a moist definitely a nothing product.

So we've established that the ingredients are just nonsense, the product isn't moisturising, it's very dehydrating. Could there actually possibly be anything else wrong with this thing? Yes. Of course there is. It doesn't bloody control oil. Surprise, surprise...

As has already been said, the moisturisers are greasy. From first spread, these things are greasy and it only gets worse from there. It both feels and looks greasy, and since it doesn't control oil, I'll become gradually more slick with grease as the day goes on.

You guess it, I couldn't continue using this thing, I hate this thing, I will never be purchasing this thing again.

Imperialis

Imperialis is one for the combination skins, for the skins that can't quite make their minds up and don't really know what they need. I know my skin type, and it's not combination, but I often tend to foray into products aimed at combination because I generally find them a little more hydrating, and this one is hydrating, hooray! 

The thing is, we're now dealing with both Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter, which are both high up on the ingredients list. This means, we're looking at super nourishing ingredients (that's great, no complaints there), but super buttery and oily textures which aren't compatible with my oily skin (that's not so great, definitely complaints there). 

But, you guessed it, greasy once more. It's greasy going on and remains greasy through the day. But there's on key difference between Imperialis and Enzymion, Imperialis actually makes my skin feel comfortable and hydrated. I like it. It's one my skin sometimes craves.

I tend to use this product before exercise, to keep my skin hydrated without being suffocated and before applying a particularly dry face mask, to make prevent my face from becoming painfully tight afterwards.

It really is quite refreshing, it's fairly soothing, it's nourishing and hydrating and it smells absolutely wonderful. While it doesn't control oil, it's one I use in situations where I'm not entirely fussed about oil control and want to feed my skin with a little hydration.

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Enzymion can be purchased from LUSH for £14.50 for 45G. Imperialis can be purchase from LUSH for £13.50 for 45G. Happy moisturising! 

BLOOM Skin Essentials: Now Essential To My Routine

Well, I give up. I've done it. I've found just the most perfect, nourishing, revitalising skincare products, that I may as well just pack in this whole blogging journey thing right now. I'm all kinds of serious. BLOOM Skin Essentials have been an absolute glimmer of light, turned into a glowing reality. These oil control pangs I've been going through? No more. These oversized pores blessing my cheeks and nose? Hugely reduced. This dull and blotchy complexion? Balanced and radiant.

The BLOOM products are cruelty free, 100% pure, organic, sustainable and recyclable botanical skincare. They contain absolutely no toxic ingredients and are preservative free, even suitable for vegetarians and vegans. I thought that none of that really mattered that much to me (apart from the recyclable thing, that's a big concern of mine), but when I see the incredible effects of using toxin-free skincare, the penny drops and I think "Yes, this is the way forward!"

The entire BLOOM range is available in the Essentials Kit. Naturally, this is what I bagged myself. It contains 5 of the most wonderful products I've ever encountered:

• GLOW Daily Glow Tonic (Oil Cleanser)
• POLISH Everyday Brightening Polish (Exfoliant + Face Mask) 
• HYDRATE Hydrating Botanical Mist (Mist Toner/Essence)
• NOURISH Essential Facial Serum (Facial Oil)
• RESTORE Eye Cream (Yeah... exactly what it says on the jar, really)

These products are adapted for your particular skin type (Dry/Combination/Oily). This is particularly pertinent to the POLISH and NOURISH products, as these will vary to account for your skin's needs. For example, I picked up the Oily Range which contains a much rougher POLISH to help exfoliate and clear my much larger build-up of sebum. If you don't know your skin type, you can take BLOOM's test here. 

GLOW

As we all know by now, I'm a big purveyor of oil cleansing, and GLOW is definitely one I would push for anyone with a love for oils. It's a wonderfully thick oil, that is absolutely soft and nourishing to skin, effectively removing any trace of dirt or make-up while leaving skin, you guess it, glowing.

This is a completely natural oil, and because of this, it's unlike any other oil I've ever used before. It's thick and gloopy and downright wonderful. As it is a pure oil, you won't be able to remove this cleanser with just water. Oil and water don't mix, remember? Instead, you'll want to use a muslin cloth. I found The Organic Pharmacy's Organic Muslin Cloth to be a perfect partner. You'll want something thick and gentle to help pick up the oil and remove it from your skin.

It's also suggested to mix this oil with the POLISH exfoliant, which is exactly what I did, and boy, did I love it. You simply take a few drops of GLOW and a few sprinkles of POLISH and mix them together to form a paste. Massage the paste onto damp skin, without applying any real pressure, just gently glide your fingertips over your face and remove one again with the muslin cloth.

I have, honestly, the most glowing and radiant skin I've ever seen. I look so much brighter and clearer when using GLOW and combining it with POLISH just gives me the freshest feeling imaginable. As it's non-astringent, it leaves skin very hydrated and soft, leaving me with a very well-nourished and well-fed sensation. 

Don't get my started on the smell. I revel in the smell. This little family of products all have a very similar scent and it's one I just can't get enough of. It's fresh and natural and an absolute treat to be putting on your skin.

GLOW can be purchased individually for $22.00 / 4OZ. (that's 118ML, for us Brits). 

POLISH

With this collection, I find it quite difficult to pick favourites, but I've got to say, this product trumps all. POLISH is a multi-purpose product that can be used as both an exfoliant to buff away dead skin sells and soften skin, and also a face mask to draw out impurities and deeply cleanse. And it excels at both.

As mentioned above, combining POLISH with GLOW can make a lovely custom paste which is gentle enough to be used daily. The oily version is a rougher, but nothing our thick skins aren't meant to handle, as it is in no way harsh. It leaves skin softer and smoother by taking away the layer of build-up from excessive oil production.

POLISH (for oily skins) has a wonderfully grainy feel. It uses very finely ground and milled rice powder, chamomile petals and coriander powder. None of it is hard or clunky, it's all soft and gentle. Exactly what we want.

Now BLOOM recommends also mixing this product with GLOW to use as a face mask. But I don't play by the rules. I like to mix it with water as I find it to be a lot more extracting. My nose gets incredibly congested and this mask is the master at decongestion. After removing, all the gunk that was clogging my pores is extracted and I'm left with much clearer, more breathable skin.

A cute little wooden spoon is supplied with this mask. 1-2 scoops is enough for a daily exfoliate, and 3-4 scoops is enough to cover your entire face for the mask.

While this mask does dry and become hard on skin (only with water; with oil it will remain soft), it is in no way tight or uncomfortable. Yes, it is a bit of a pain to remove, so bring out the muslin cloth yet again. But once removed, my face is absolutely wonderful. My skin tone is completely balanced. I have no inflammation or redness, I'm just glowing and I'm clear and I'm fresh and I'm lovely.

POLISH can be purchased individually for $32.00 / 6OZ. (that's 170G, for us Brits). 

HYDRATE

Big claim, I know, but this is the best face mist ever. I'm standing by that sentiment, wholeheartedly. It's ultra-hydrating, enlightening, therapeutic, and totally moisturising. There is no better, or more effective way for me to give my skin the hydration boost it needs, than by spritzing it with this wonderful elixir.

I say spritzing, it's actually super delicate. One pump from the nozzle and the mist just very gently falls onto skin and politely kisses you on the face, followed by an instant hit of hydration. As oily as I am, keeping my skin well moisturised is usually at the back of my mind, as it usually contributes to excessive oil production. But using HYDRATE is just right and gives my face all the essential hydration it needs, helping to prevent it complaining later in the day.

It's absorption rate is fast, meaning there's little-to-no waiting around time for this little elixir to work its magic into skin. You feel the hydration boost immediately. If I'm ever feeling tight or dry or fatigued, I'll pick up this bottle and spray it all over and revel in its instantaneous hydration. 

When wet, using HYDRATE in conjunction with NOURISH is the perfect way to dilute the oil a little and help it carry into skin. It gives you a very fresh, dewy look. Something I know that we oily folk fear, as dewy always crumbles and becomes just oil. But not with these products. These products are perfect for adding glow and life into our otherwise wilfully mattified faces. 

As mentioned, this is a very therapeutic experience. I feel calmer and revitalised when breathing in this product. As it falls so delicately through the air, it becomes quite ritualistic to breath in the mist while letting it absorb into skin. It smells delightful and it's absolutely refreshing - a true delight to all the senses!

HYDRATE can be purchased individually for $28.00 / 4OZ. (that's 118ML, for us Brits). 

NOURISH

If you want oil control, look no further than this delightfully fragranced, effective and light facial oil. Oil for oily skin, you say? It's a question I hear quite often. Switching out a moisturiser for an oil has been one of the best changes my face has gone through and NOURISH is the queen of them all.

Giving my face the essential ingredients it needs, helps prevent it from overproducing oil to compensate. The brunt of this is taken on by the vetiver root and the palmrosa, which help to balance sebum levels and the brown rice powder, which helps to absorb dirt and oils without disturbing the skins natural pH balance. You can read up on the full list of organic ingredients here.

Let me tell you, it's bloody brilliant at controlling oil. Whenever I wear this, I can be absolutely secure in the knowledge that my face is shine-free, grease-free and clean. It's such a refreshing sensation. Quite literally. I now know what it is to feel fresh! It's just the lightest thing, positively weightless. So not once do I ever feel burdened or uncomfortable in this oil. Hydrating, nourishing, refreshing and light, this oil has got it all.

At the end of the day, this is an oil. It's oily, okay. The absorption rate is a little on the slow side. I'm talking an hour plus here. If I've got the time to wait around for it to absorb, which I often don't, I will go the entire day completely bare faced and without the need to touch up or blot. If I don't have the time spare, I will have to cover it with a primer, unfortunately. That helps to disguise the oil while it gets to work in the background.

My skin condition has massively improved with the use of this product. While I still rely on it to help me control oil, I look generally more smoother and brighter. As it's super moisturising and hydrating, my skin never complains and will never become inflamed or uneven. I'm well conditioned and well nourished. How aptly named!

NOURISH can be purchased individually for $40.00 / 1OZ. (that's 30ML, for us Brits). 

RESTORE

The eye area is extremely delicate and often has a dedicated product to help sooth, moisturise and care for. RESTORE is exactly that product. It's a gentle, nourishing balm that is massaged under and around the eyes to keep them supported and moisturised.

This product is incredible. I'm often very fatigued because I have very little sleep (nothing that isn't self inflicted), meaning I suffer with the heavy and dark under-eye bags. This has been the only eye product I've found that actually helps to sooth and revitalise my eyes, making them brighter and livelier after use. I look awake, I look fresh, and, most importantly, I'm bag-free.

I never realised before, that I had dark spots around my eyes. I assumed it was one of the side-effects of fair skin and UV exposure ie. freckles. But actually, it was skin damage. After using this product for a few weeks, the dark spots began to fade and then eventually disappeared entirely. I was so impressed at how effectively the product handled them, in the most delicate and nurturing way possible.

This is the first eye product I've used that is actually a balm. Bit crazy, right? The issue with balms is that they actually melt and become an oil. So once this balm has been massaged into the eye area, I end up with these rather wet looking eyes. The trick is, everything in moderation. I had to really reduce the amount of product I was using and I would no longer have wet eyes. The beauty of that is, the smaller the portion, the longer it lasts.

This is a wonder products that's brought me out of tired, removed my dark spots and kept my eyes completely soothed. It definitely has wonderful restorative powers.

RESTORE  can be purchased individually for $28.00 / 1OZ. (that's 7ML, for us Brits). 

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The clue is in the name really, these products are essential to my routine. Every last one of them. Which is why my second order is currently en route. You can pick up the entire range for $130.00 USD on the BLOOM Skin Essentials online store. Products can also be purchased individually, as priced above.

The Body Shop: All-in-One™ Instablur™ Universal

For make-up wearers, primers have become an essential part to face/base application. Understandably. Primers can prep the face for easier application, hold make-up for longer, blur pores and, what I would consider most important of all, control oil. The Body Shop: All-in-One™ Instablur™ Universal is a dream come true for oil control. It is not, however, a dream come true in any other department.

This is a product you will need to learn to use, persevere with, fail with, get frustrated with and then and only then, finally have mattified skin which honestly does match that 12 hour promise. You read right. 12 hours. This product controls my oil production for an entire half day cycle - maybe longer, but who can ever try? 

When you first squeeze this product out of the tube, you will be greeted by a somewhat sticky, yet fairly crumbly, translucent balm. It will fall out into your palm or your sponge in 'chunks', with a consistency that isn't quite strong enough to hold together. However you apply this product, with your fingertips or with a tool, it will fall off. It's just completely unmanageable. I use my fingertips. I take a very small piece between my index finger and thumb and begin to massage it onto my skin, moving outwards from the nose. Using my other hand, I cup this underneath my face to catch any product that falls off, and their will be product that falls off. I then repeat this process until my entire face is covered by the balm. 

If you think the horrors stop there, think again...

During the first hour after application, if you touch or move your face in any way and disturb the product, it will become unsettled on your face, returning to its original balmy form. It almost makes you appear as though you have dry, flaky skin. I do, however, have a solution for this (though that doesn't make me any happy with this product's performance). After about 20 minutes of having this product on my face, I simply brush my fingertips very quickly over my skin. I'm talking seriously light here. It seems to take away any of that excess or build-up and prevent it from clumping on your face.

So why do I even rate this? Well, it's the results. Its ability to keep me shine-free is unmatched. It lasts all day long so I don't need to worry about my face, not once. I've become far more confident and relaxed. It's a really light balm that you won't feel it on your face, nor see on your face, and one tube lasts an absolute age. You really only need 1-2 pea sized amounts of this product to cover your entire face and you'll be laughing. 

I've been through tubes and tubes of this stuff and I won't be stopping any time soon, as it is absolutely an essential.

The Body Shop: All-in-One™ Instablur™ Universal can be purchased from The Body Shop for £14.00 / 25ML. For first time The Body Shop users, make sure to check online for any discounts/offers they are currently running as they are always, always running. 

Manuka Doctor: Normalising Facial Oil and Why We Can't Get Along

This product really works. Really. My skin has been a normalised delight since using it, totally well behaved. But it smells so disagreeable and I really just can't get past that. 

This is the first facial oil I've used that actually gets fully absorbed into my skin by morning and that is a totally good thing. A lot of facial oils tend to sit atop of skin, like a barrier, not really feeding my face. Whereas the Manuka Doctor Normalising Facial Oil will be all soaked up by morning. 

Because of this, my skin has been a lot more balanced. They don't call it 'normalising' for nothing! I've been able to go completely bare skinned all day. Yup. You read right. While I do get a thin layer of film/grease/oil on my face, it's tolerable enough that I don't feel ashamed enough, not even to blot. 

So yes, it definitely works well enough. 

But, and this is a super big but, this is one disgusting smelling product. Ughhh. I honestly struggle to apply it. I dispense it form the little pipette and I have to force myself to put it onto my face. Holding my breath as I massage it into my skin and then breathing solely out of my mouth as I wish for sleep.

I never thought that the scent of a product would really mean that much to me; it feels like garnish, not substance. But when the scent is as overpowering as this, it becomes an integral part of the product. Just don't make it smell bad. Smell like nothing. Just don't smell bad, please.

It's an absolutely undefinable scent. Pungent, sour and very capable of holding on. What surprises me the most is that this actually contains parfum (fragrance). What on earth did it smell like before? 

While I love its effectiveness, I can't bring myself to continue using it. I find myself suffering, dreading it, in fact. But I will stress that it did work some normalising magic on me.

Manuka Doctor Normalising Facial Oil is available from Manuka Doctor online at £19.99 for 30ML. 

Palladio: Rice Paper Tissues

Blotting is the only realistically portable and effective quick-fix measure. For me, oil is inevitable, and the only reasonable way to combat it, without lugging my entire skincare regime in my handbag or pants pocket, is blotting tissues. And these are about the most compact tissues of them all.

This tiny little cuboid of oil slurping rice can slot into just about any purse, pocket or even brazier, and if not, its lightweight cardboard packaging will allow you to crush it on in. 

The blotting sheets come in three shades of Translucent, Nude, Warm Beige, which seems like unnecessary variety to me, especially when the rice powder on these tissues has very little presence. 

One side of the tissue is sheer, this is the side used for blotting, and the other side of the tissue is dusted with rice powder, which will also be dabbed onto the face, working similarly to that of loose or pressed powder.

Taking the sheer side, I press it gently onto my forehead, nose and cheeks, moving the paper as I work. The paper will instantly pick up all grease and oil and your face will mattify like that. Next I take the powdered side and dab that gently along the same areas to finish.

Unfortunately, the powder is a bit sparse, and in some cases, there are blank tissues. But this is okay. The blotting alone is powerful enough to reduce oil.

Generally, one tissue will be enough to cover my entire face and clean up all oil. I will usually only have to do that once per day. On occasion, I have used these tissues three times in one day. Bear in mind there are only 40 sheets in a packet and average just over 11p per sheet. But blotting sheets are essential. There is no going back. Tissue paper will just not cut it. It feels disgusting and is ineffective. 

Surprisingly, these blotting tissues smell absolutely divine. It makes me enjoy using them all the more. It's a very mild, edible scent which lasts on skin after use.

Scored Effective, repurchase. I am enamoured with these tissues as there are 100% reliable. I can be reassured that using these tissues will remove all traces of grease and oil. However, I will keep my eyes open for a more effective powdered base, purely to compare the results with and without.

Palladio Rice Paper Tissues can be purchased from Beauty Naturals in Translucent/Nude/Warm Beige for £4.50 / 40 Tissues (UK Retailer). For the official listing, Palladio Beauty. 

Clarins: Cleansing Milk with Gentian, Toning Lotion with Iris, Ultra-Matte Rebalancing Lotion and Lotus Face Treatment Oil

Product: CLARINS REGIME FOR COMBINATION/OILY SKIN
Shop: CLARINS

Category: OIL CONTROL

Rating: 5/5

Now that almost feels like an unjustifiably long title. And it is. But I had a lot to fit in and the Clarins regime really qualifies itself as a 'treatment', so it did feel necessary that these products would be collated into one monster title.

Clarins is a brand that I only recently discovered in the past few months. Has it gone on some sort of promotional reboot - because I've seen that somewhere between just red with bad maroon and serif font plastered everywhere lately. It's not a pretty brand to look at. 

Browsing through their catalogue, they have a range of skincare specifically catered towards the needs of oily skin. My dream come true! Literally. And they claim that these products are actually more of a treatment, with their products gradually becoming more effective over time. Yeah, make me buy in? Actually, I found that to be quite true. 

Product: CLEANSING MILK WITH GENTIAN "COMBINATION/OILY"

Price: £19.50 / 200ML

Category: CLEANSER

URL: http://www.clarins.co.uk/cleansing-milk-with-gentian--combination-oily-skin-/C010102002.html?start=22

Now, there's a selection of cleansers catered towards oily skin, and for no particular reason (other than the fact that it comes in a ridiculously valuable value kit with the toner I was interested in), I opted for the gentian milk cleanser. This is just really a delight to apply, it's creamy and soft texture is incredibly kind to skin. My skin feels super healthy and super clean in a 'genuine', non-stripped sort of way.

I simply squeeze a large hazelnut sized amount of product into my hand, spread it between my fingertips then massage it into my skin. I can quite literally feel any dirt smoothing away at my touch. Now this is a rather heavyweight cleanser, so it's crucial to actually wash this off with water after use, as a toner alone just won't cut it.

For a product that likes to name drop the fact that it's with gentian, I had to look up just exactly what gentian even is. On the site's ingredients click-through, it defines gentian as "In cosmetology, Gentian is particularly useful in skin-toning formulations". And it's extraordinary just how not helpful that is. This was proving to be quite a difficult ingredient to find any kind of relevant information on, especially when it's primary effects are achieved through ingestion. The only moderately useful piece of information I could find was posted here, which suggested that gentian is an antioxidant. Mystery solved! ... We think?  

Product: TONING LOTION WITH IRIS "COMBINATION/OILY"

Price: £19.50 / 200ML

Category: TONER

URL: http://www.clarins.co.uk/toning-lotion-with-iris--combination-oily-skin-/C010103002.html?start=12

Toning has always been a middle step that I really wish was redundant, but with the Clarins toning lotion, I can't say I really mind all that much. It is a very refreshing toner, which feels delightfully cool on skin and it's ideal for removing that pesky milk cleanser.

I actually like to apply - what's probably double what I usually apply - when it comes to this toner, as it really absorbs into the skin and leaves me looking fresh and vibrant.

Once again, a product that mentions its key ingredient in the title, but this time Clarins provided me with a very suitable answer: "An excellent astringent with normalising properties, Orris extract is found in beauty care products for skin prone to oiliness". It's worth noting that orris root is actually iris florentina, or something. But with effects like those, it's definitely an ingredient I will be keeping an eye out for in future... unless it calls itself something different. 

Product: TRULY MATTE ULTRA-MATTE REBALANCING LOTION "OILY SKIN"

Price: £26.00 / 50ML

Category: MOISTURISER

URL: http://www.clarins.co.uk/truly-matte-ultra-matte-rebalancing-lotion-oily-skin/C010402002.html?start=4

It took me a very long time to get on board with this moisturiser. But moisturising and oily skin has always been a catch 22. It really is an essential part to our skincare routines, but it's also feeding the beast. And this one is no different.

Or so I thought.

After several weeks of use, this moisturiser really came into its element. My skin feels clean and hydrated but is not nearly as prone to the slick greasy residue. I do honestly feel fresh-face. I feel like I've experienced a moisturiser for the real first time. 

I pump x3 in the mornings and x5-7 in the evenings. I always apply this moisturiser while my toner is still wet on my face so it can benefit from the same absorption effects as the toner. It sinks straight into the skin for that real deep down hydration. 

This product is in opaque packaging (officially becoming an honest peeve), so it's impossible to tell how much you have left... until it's too late, of course! 

Product: LOTUS FACE TREATMENT OIL "COMBINATION/OILY"

Price: £32.00 / 30ML

CATEGORY: OIL

URL: http://www.clarins.co.uk/lotus-face-treatment-oil--oily-combination-skin-/C010401003.html?start=1

Face oil is a thing I probably never would have looked twice at, but now, I won't look back! I adore this product. I actually gain a small amount of pleasure from using this product, both for the fact that, yes, it works and yes, it is divine on skin. 

The aim of this product is to rebalance the skin's natural oil production by providing it with essential oils and teaching it how it needs to be treated (ie. treat me). 

Using the little pipette, I simply squeeze 3-5 drops into my palm and quickly dab+rub onto my face, paying close attention to my forehead, nose and cheeks. 

Now remember, this is oil, so this will quite happily just sit on your face. Which is why this should only really be done before bed, and when you wake up in the morning, it will still be right where you left it.

After a few weeks of use, I noticed that the oil production in my face slowed right down. It takes a much longer time in the day before my skin pumps out oil. This really is something that you need to stick at. 

Once more we find a key ingredient in the product title. So what does this little number do? According to the Clarins directory: "In cosmetics, extract of lotus japonicus zymbiosome is used for its brightening properties". That isn't actually the answer I was expecting to find but I can't deny the fact that my skin has been looking more radiant lately. Thank you, lotus!