Bioderma Hydrabio H2O

I've been holding on to this little bottle for some time now. I was really feel torn about testing the Bioderma Hydrabio H2O. On one hand, I already use the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water and seriously love it, but on the other hand, I love a new product!

So after a few months of having this little bottle sat in my 'to try' pile of products, I decided enough is enough. I can't stand it looking at me waiting to be used! This little bottle lasted me just over a week and a half. 

Bioderma claim that their Hydrabio H2O is a 'cleansing and make-up removing water that respects the facility of sensitive skin and stimulates moisture' and states it is the ONLY dermatological micelles water that is 'perfectly compatible with the skin'.

So the first thing I tested? How well it actually removes my make up. I tested this on my normal 'everyday' face of make-up which includes foundation, powder, blusher, mascara, brow product and mascara.

Unless you only wear a super light foundation or BB cream etc, this Bioderma product is not removing your make up. I mean I'll give it some credit, it took off a lot of my actual face products, but didn't budge any of my eye make up and I had to rub pretty hard to shift my brow products too. However, that being said, when I use the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, use it AFTER I have washed my face and before I apply my moisturiser. With this in mind, for the rest of the week, I simple switched the Bioderma Hydrabio H2O in the place of my Garniner Miceller Cleansing Water, only seems fair. 

After using the Bioderma Hydrabio H2O for just over a week, morning and night in place of my Garniner, these were my thoughts...

Although the Bioderma Hydrabio H2O smells absolutely incredible (the smell to me, is just like how clean fresh air is on a summers day, yeh imagine that every day on your face lol) it wasn't enough for me to want to stop using my Garniner Miceller Cleansing Water.

Price was, the Bioderma Hydrabio H2O comes in two different sizes 100ml (£5.00) and 250ml (£10.50) vs the Garniner Miceller Cleansing Water 400ml (£4.99). Which is quite a difference.

Personally, I didn't feel that my skin benefited at all from switching over to the Bioderma Hydrabio H2O and so for that reason that I won't be switching from Garniner Miceller Cleansing Water.

DLJ

Xoxo 

Rituals Fortune Scrub Review

Sweet Orange and Cedar doesn't half smell good first thing in the morning. Although this scrub is only meant to be used once or twice a week, I found myself using it more because it smells SO good. And to be honest, it's gentle enough to use at least 4 times a week.

This tester size arrived at the perfect time for me this month. I was due to be having a fake tan a few days before my wedding and wanted to make sure that my skin was fully prepped to avoid any patchy marks. I used this for 3 or 4 days on the trot on the lead up to my fake tan and found that my tan was flawless. I have had a few spray tans in my life and I have never had such an even look and I put this down to the use of the Rituals Scrub.

Saying that, I also found that when it was time to get rid of any left over spray tan, the citrus combined with scrub also worked a treat.

Spray tanning stories aside, I'm sure you want to know a little more about this scrub other than the fact that it's great for spray tan prep and removal!

I touched on the smell of this scrub at the beginning and my oh my does it smells A-MAZING. I'd buy this scrub again just purely based on its smell. It is so fresh and sweet but not sickly at all. It leaves your skin with a subtle scent and feeling so smooth.

On application, the formula is almost like a gel which turns into a foaming exfoliating cream when it is mixed with water.

You can buy the scrub directly from Rituals for £10 for a 150ml bottle. Which I think is a great price. The once I received in my BirchBox is 70ml and although I have used it a lot, seems to have loads left.

Why I buy this? Yes! It smells great, leaves my skin feeling soft and goes a long way.

DLJ
Xoxo

Wedding Prep : Skin

IAccording to my trusty wedding countdown ap, it is now just over 3 months  until I will be standing at the front of the church saying 'I do'.

But with so little time left, I really do need to start thinking about my skin. We all know that great skin isn't just about that your putting on your face, it's also about what your putting into your body.

Kick start...
My first stop for getting going on my skin cleanse is Boots. I dropped in yesterday to pick up some Perfectil Original. These daily multivitamins are designed to compliment your normal routine and contain over 20 micro-nutrients such as B2, B3 and Biotin.

Biotin is needed for cell growth, the production of fatty acids and the metabolism of fats and amino acids (according to good old Wikipedia). So in short, it is great for strengthening hair and nails. It is part of the 'B complex' group of vitamins and can even help with your eyes and liver. I currently already take B Vitamins as I find they give me a kick when I am tried and run down. However be warned they can turn your wee an interesting greeny colour.

As well as picking up some vitamins specifically for my skin, hair and nails. I also grabbed a mammoth tub Boots own Omega Oils 3, 6 and 9. Your body cannot produce omega 3 and 6 itself even though they are really important in maintaining cells. These fats are meant to be great for improving your health including your mental ability. Topping up on omega 3, 6 and 9 can help with your immune system, which means no horrible colds and bugs for the big day!

On the outside
I have also been making some changes to my skin too. A few weeks ago I had laser eye surgery which meant I couldn't wear foundation for a whole week. At first this was just horrific. I never leave the house without make up and hate being bare faced. But I seriously cannot believe how much of a difference it made to my skin. Being able to breathe for once mean my skin was able to unclog and has been so clear ever since. With this in mind, I am going to attempt to wear no make up the week before my wedding in order to give it a kick start.

I recently also purchased the wonderful and amazing GlamGlow. I mean this stuff really is fantastic, I cannot speak highly enough about the experience I have had with this product. I did a treatment this morning and am planning on keeping this up every 2 weeks before the big day, giving me another 8 treatments! (OMG it's really coming around quickly!)

I wrote a blog about GlamGlow back in February if you are interested to read some more... (http://thehighendmakeupgirl.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/glamglow-supermud-clearing-treatment.html)

I have also finally given myself a pretty good skin routine!! It's amazing how much of a difference this has already made to my skin in just a few months. Although if you read my most recent blog on assessing your skin type, Hello Fashion Magazine suggest that you should switch things up during the month to keep your skin happy.

Everyone's skin is different and you know your skin better than anyone else, so if your happy and you have great skin, then stick it what your doing!

I will be going an updated skin care routine next week, but below is a quick overview of products I am currently using:

1. Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil - 2 times a day
2. Creme De La Mer Soft Cream - AM
3. Creme De La Mer Treatment Lotion  - AM
4. Garnier Essentials Micellar Cleansing Water - 2 times a day
5. GlamGlow - every other week

DLJ 

Xoxo

Garnier : Micellar Cleansing Water

#lovetakingitoff

Around 4 weeks ago I started using the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for sensitive skin. I actually started using this after having laser eye surgery as I wasn't allowed to get water in my eyes, which meant that using face wash was pretty difficult. I still wanted to use something to make sure that I was keeping my skin clean, even when I wasn't wearing make up. 

I picked up a bottle in my local Boots and at the time it was 1/3 off, so a bargain! 

Each bottle is 400ml and says it will do around 200 uses. After 4 weeks I'm around a 1/4 of the way through my bottle and I have been using this day and night as part of my skin routine. 

I have to admit I have been pretty impressed with this so far! It has fitted in really well with my current products and I have found that my skin has been much clearer since I started using this. In the mornings I use it after my shower and before I apply my Treatment Lotion and Soft Cream by Creme De La Mer. 

Although this bottle claims it can remove all of your make up without rinsing I still use it after my Cleansing Oil by Shu Umera to make sure my skin is 100% clean in the evenings. However, for the sake of my blog, I did try to use this once on it own to remove all of my make up. It took 3 or 4 rounds of using this to get everything off my face and it didn't fully remove my mascara. I also found it was quite difficult to get my eye liner off fully too. 

My skin feels so clean and fresh since I have been using this and I have been having less break outs. 

I would say this is a great bargain piece to add into your skin care routine. Like I said above, I wouldn't suggest it can be used to remove eye make up, especially water proof mascara. 

DLJ

Xoxo

Creme De La Mer : Soft Cream and Treatment Lotion combination

I have been using Creme de la Mer for just over a year now and I am totally addicted to their products. So far I have invested in the Moisturizing Soft Cream, the Moisturizing Gel Cream and the treatment lotion. I have also been lucky enough to sample what feels like their whole range and already have my eye on some other Creme treats.

At the moment I am using a combination of the Soft Cream and the Treatment Lotion. I reserve the Gel Cream from summer as it is much lighter. As the weather is still pretty terrible in the UK, the heating is generally on in most places so I am finding that my skin is really suffering from the dry indoors environment and the harsh cold wind outside.

The Treatment Lotion : what is it & do I need it?

Well first of all, the answer is yes, you do need it, and here's why! Described as a 'miraculous source of vitality...this rich and silky hydrator awakens the complexion and drives moisture into the skin' on the website, this lotion is applied before your moisturizer to improve texture and skintone. It makes your face feel like its been submerged in water (in a good way) and leaves it hydrated and ready for the day. And the best thing about the Treatment Lotion? Because your skin is already so hydrated, you need less moisturizer. So, really, using the Treatment Lotion is SAVING you money right? Yep, that's how I sell it to myself :)

The Moisturizing Soft Cream

Creme de la Mer have a range of three different moisturizers, The Original, The Soft Cream and the Gel Cream. In brief, the original is much thicker and needs to be 'activated' by rubbing it between your finders before application. The Gel is a lightweight gel moisturizer which is great for summer. And finally, the Soft Cream is a half way house between both of these. It provides good moisture, but isn't heavy. As I mentioned above, I like to use the Gel in the summer months and the soft cream in the colder, harsher winter months.

As a combination

Complete perfection. I was really happy with my soft cream on its own, until I discovered how much of a difference the Treatment Lotion makes. I actually had the Treatment Lotion as a sample product and as soon as I stopped using it, I found my face just didn't feel as hydrated. It felt like I was missing something in my routine and so this beautiful combination come into my life!

Want to try before you buy?

There products are quite expensive (30ml of the moisturizer is £105 and the Treatment Lotion is 150ml for £85), so it's really important that you pick the right moisturizer for your skin. If you go into any store that sells Creme de la Mer, you can get a good size sample. One of the things I love about Creme de le Mer is that their samples last well and are able to give you the ability to actually trial their products properly for a few days.

I would love to hear if you try and of the above and how you get on! Feel free to email, tweet or leave me a comment on Instagram with your thoughts!

DLJ
Xoxo