Escentual #MicellarBlindTrial

Micellar water has become a big thing in beauty recently. It cleanses, removes make-up, unclogs pores and so much more.

I've been using up small samples from various brands and I was on the search for a good micellar water to order a full-size bottle of! So, I was really excited when I received an email from Escentual, asking if I would like to take part in their 14 day #MicellarBlindTrial. I jumped at the chance!

100 people were selected and we all received 7 generous 20ml dropper bottles of micellar water, from 7 different brands...

BUT...

We do not know which is which! The bottles are simply labelled Sample A - Sample G.

How exciting?!

The brands in this trial are Dior, Caudalie, Bioderma, Nuxe, La Roche-Posay, Vichy and Avène.

I think that this is a fantastic idea and I am really excited to have been a part of the trial.

I haven't seen dropper bottles since school, this feels like a fun science experiment!

Last year, I received Taaj micellar water in one of my old beauty boxes and that stuff was great!

I found the majority of the micellar waters nice to use, except for one...

Sample B -Well, this caused me some problems! My skin flared up, went red, blotchy and a load of spots appeared, almost immediately. This may sound stupid, but after a few days break, using different micellar waters (which helped my skin recover), I decided to return to Sample B, just to check! The result, immediate bad skin, again. Confirming that it was Sample B. When I told my mum, she had a stress. I've always had sensitive skin, so the very perfumed Sample B did not go well with my skin! My sister and friend even commented a couple of times on my 'blotchy' skin. One of my sister's comments was "You haven't had spots like that in years! Eurgh!". Charming, I know. But that is how bad my skin reacted!

I have now submitted my results, via Escentual's very tough survey. It was difficult to choose a favourite, but Sample C definitely stood out to me, as it really helped to soothe, calm and cleanse my skin, particularly after my incident with Sample B. Sample C was a bit of a saviour. I would probably try all the micellar waters again, bar Sample B. Though some were quite drying. Sample A had a strong scent, which I read a lot of people were not fond of, but it was quite nice, in my opinion. All others (apart from the highly perfumed Sample B) had quite nice, refreshing scents, some almost unscented.

Thank you to Escentual, for giving us this opportunity.

I look forward to the reveal of what brands were which samples.

Have you tried micellar water?

Any recommendations?

xXx

Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier Replenishing Body Lotion and Soap

Yesterday, I received an exciting package.

What was in the package?

Well, it was 2 of Roger & Gallet's new products from their Fleur de Figuier range.

As soon as I opened the package, the gorgeous fruity fragrance wafted out! What a delightful scent.

The scent is very zesty and feminine. It's a great scent for summer days.

If you like the smell of grapefruit and fig, you'll love this range!

I received the Fleur de Figuier Soap and Fleur de Figuier Replenishing Body Lotion.

Fleur de Figuier Soap Travel Box (RRP £5.50, 100g):

Well, I'm not usually a fan of soaps, especially perfumed soaps, as my sensitive skin does not appreciate them. So, I was slightly worried about this highly perfumed soap, BUT, this is kind to my skin.

The soap comes with a plastic travel box, which is handy to store the soap and once I have finished the soap, I will use it for another soap that fits!

The soap is soft of the skin, super-lathering and the scent is strong and sensational.

Among the qualitities, this soap is 100% plant based, hypoallergenic, paraben free, dermatalogically tested, suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Fleur de Figuier Replenishing Body Lotion (RRP £12.50, 200ml):

Body lotion is always good. I have so much body lotion to get through, but this is a lovely addition to my hoard.

With 24 hour hydration, Fleur de Figuier Replenishing Body Lotion provides the skin with so much moisture, without being greasy, which is a big plus. It leaves the skin smelling lovely and the scent really lasts on the skin.

Fast absorbing and light on skin, what more could you want from a body lotion?

Infused with fig pulp, for softening and suppleness, along with a bunch of other glorious ingredients: glycerine to hydrate the skin, olive oil for its antioxidant properties and vitamin content and shea butter, for nourishing, moisturising and refreshing.

Also in the new Fleur de Figuier range, is a Fresh Fragrant Water and a Gentle Shower Cream. These are definitely on my wishlist!

Roger & Gallet products can be found in Marks & Spencer stores.

The new Fleur de Figuier range has just been released (May 2013), so get down to M&S, give them a sniff and buy, you won't be disappointed!

While you are there, check out Roger & Gallet's other products. Roger & Gallet are a great brand and I have been very impressed with all of the products that I have tried.

Treat yourself, or treat a loved one. Roger & Gallet products would make lovely gifts :)

Click here for a full list of Roger & Gallet stockists.

Have you tried Roger & Gallet?

xXx

Disclaimer: I was sent these Roger & Gallet to try out, thank you to Steph for these. As always, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Bargain French Pharmaceuticals: Escentual Sale & Bioderm Arrives in the UK

For the whole of this month (March 2013), Escentual have a fantastic sale on French pharmaceuticals.

30% sale, that is a massive 1/3 off!

There are many brands in the sale, including some of my favourites, Vichy and La Roche-Posay.

The ever-popular La Roche-Posay Effeclar range is included in the sale!

Grab yourself a bargain now, head to www.escentual.com

You can read reviews on some of my favourite Vichy and La Roche-Posay products here on my blog. Both fantastic brands!

EXCITING NEWS: BIODERM UK STOCK!!

Escentual are now stocking Bioderm. They have a wide range of products, though please note - Bioderm is excluded from the sale.

Thank you to Escentual for the lovely package they sent me :)

I'm currently treating my dry skin with the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 and it is definitely helping my poor old lady hand!

The offer is on throughout March, so there are a couple of weeks left to take advantage of this great offer.

www.escentual.com

xXx

Disclaimer: I was sent the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 for review and was very, very surprised and grateful to have received all the Bioderm samples :) All opinions are 100% honest, as ever. Thank you to Escentual for introducing me to Bioderm.

La Roche-Posay Nutritic Intense Riche

I was recently sent La Roche-Posay Nutritic Intense Riche moisturiser to try out, thanks to Steph at La Roche-Posay.
Nutritic Intense Riche is an in-depth nutri-reconstituting cream, which provides comfort, suppleness and soothing. It relieves painful sensations of very dry skin.

Designed for very dry and sensitive skin

Paraben free

Contains innovation MP-Lipids: a new generation of lipids with proven efficacy on the synthesis of moisturising factors, lipids and proteins essential to skin's comfort and protection.

Nutritic Intense Riche comes in a glass jar, which though quite heavy, does make this look all the more high-end and I do like this.

The scent is lovely and fresh. I would liken it to Savlon.

I’ve been using this on my face, as well as on dry skin when my skin is troublesome. Recently, I’ve had big problems with my right hand being dry (yes, just the right hand, weird, I know!). This usually happens in winter but this year it seems to be continuing… So, one night, I decided to try Nutritic Intense Riche on my hand. Just a small dab soothed and helped my dry skin almost immediately, which is great! The only problem that I have is due to the weight and glass jar, I am unable to carry this around on a daily basis, to soothe my dry skin when it is sore.

I use Nutritic Intense Riche as a full facial moisturiser a couple of times a week, at night, which is often enough, as the hydration is long-lasting. The moisturiser is quite thick and whilst it is not oily, every day use is not required. The contents of the jar will go a long way, which is good. I then use it whenever needed, as mentioned above, if I am suffering from patches of dry skin.

If you suffer from dry, sensitive skin, this is definitely for you.

RRP £16.50 (50ml jar), available from Boots and online retailers. 3 for 2 offer included at Boots.

OFFER: Throughout the whole month of March, Escentual have a fantastic offer on French pharmaceuticals, with 1/3 off, that’s a massive 33% discount! La Roche-Posay and my other favourite, Vichy, are both included in this! GO, QUICK! You can pick up Nutritic Intense Riche for just £11.

There are more products in the Nutritic Intense range, which you can find on the La Roche-Posay website.

I’ve tried quite a few La Roche-Posay products now and I must say, I have been impressed with them all.

Have you tried La Roche-Posay?

xXx

Disclaimer: I was sent this product for review, as it is suited to my skin type and dryness. All opinions are 100% honest.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Review

I'm sure this must be the millionth blog review of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo.

Yes, the must-have skincare product, that is fast flying off the shelves.

Last year, I was contacted by the lovely Steph, who introduced me to the brand, as well as the product. Steph had previously sent me Vichy Normaderm 3-in-1 Cleanser to try out.  You can read my review on that here.

I will admit, I had never heard of La Roche-Posay or Vichy until Steph contacted me.  So I was excited to try these out, especially after reading about them, they seemed ideal for my problem skin and I looked forward to trying brands that I would not have thought to try before.

I have a few other La Roche-Posay products and some Vichy purifying toner, which I will also be reviewing very soon.

On to Effaclar Duo.

Fantastic!

This product really does work miracles for my skin.  My skin is rather oily but can also be slightly dry at times.  I have always had issues with the odd spot here and there, which I hoped would have gone by the age of 25 but it would appear not.

I find that when I use Effaclar Duo, it really helps. My spots calm down and clear up and my skin feels great. My pores are minimised and my skin is left feeling great. I focus on my T-Zone when applying Effaclar Duo. For some reason, the creases of my nose sting a little when I get the product in them, so I try to avoid putting it in the creases now. This isn't a problem with the product, just my silly nose!

Along with the many others, I would highly recommend Effaclar Duo.

The price is a little high, at £13 from Boots but this is a 40ml tube that does last a long time. I still have a lot left and I have had this since September last year! You may be able to find it slightly cheaper, have a look around online, or for offers in stores.

Have you tried La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo?

On the subject of skincare, I have JUST finished my Vichy Normaderm 3-in-1 Cleanser...

I received this in July 2012!!!

You can read my review on Vichy's Normaderm 3-in-1 here.

I will be posting more La Roche-Posay reviews, along with the other Vichy product review very soon, so keep a look out for those.

Next time you are in Boots, check out Vichy and La Roche-Posay, they really are great brands.

xXx

 Disclaimer: I was sent this product to try out, as it was suitable for my problematic skin. All opinions are 100% honest.

Vichy Normaderm 3 in 1 Cleanser, Scrub & Mask

Tonight’s post is a review of a product which I have been testing over the past month.  I gave this product a month, to allow me to truly test run it and give an overall review.

Vichy Normaderm 3 in 1 Cleanser, Scrub & Mask.

I was very excited when I received an email from Steph at Vichy, saying that she had seen my blog and felt that this new product would be of interest to me.  I read the email, checked the press release information and thought that this sounded great for me, as it is aimed at 'sensitive imperfection-prone skin'.  My skin is problematic, I am 25 and still my skin has 'teenage' moments.  So I was very excited to give Vichy's cleanser a try :)

This product can be used either as a face cleanser and scrub, or as a face mask, which I think is a great idea.  I mostly use it as a face wash on a daily basis, then use it as a face mask once a week.

The packaging is simple, yet bright and fresh looking.

I really like the fresh smell, a slightly mild apple scent.

Another great thing about Vichy Normaderm 3 in 1 is that the micro beads in it are soft but feel as though they are working wonders.  I have previously used cleansers in which the beads have felt very rough on the skin but Vichy's beads are very gentle to the skin.  The product foams, so this adds to the comfort and ease of use.

 After use, my skin is left feeling clean, fresh and radiant.

My pores look minimised after use and my spots do improve, however, it does not have much of an affect on my oily skin.  The battle against oil continues on…

This product goes a long way, you only need to use a tiny amount to get a lot out of it.  I still have loads remaining, so I will continue to use this and see how I get on with further use.

The only thing that does put me off a little is the price.  Priced at RRP £11, it is a little expensive in comparison to other cleansers on the market but you have to remember that this is more than just a cleanser.  Considering I have been using this for just over a month, I would say that I have at least another month, maybe longer of use in this, so £11 is a good investment for your skin.

If you can get past the slightly high price, give this a try!

RRP £11.

Available at Boots and other pharmacies.

Have you tried Vichy Normaderm 3 in 1?
Are you interested in trying Vichy Normarderm 3 in 1?
I'd love to know what you thought of it!

xXx

Disclaimer: Product kindly sent to me to test by Vichy. This product was felt to be relevant to my blog and my skincare/skin type. All opinions are 100% honest.