June Favourites

First of all apologies for the lack of post on Friday - It was a hectic week and I just couldn't find the time or the brain power to crack out a post but I hope I'm forgiven. We're back today with my favourites from June '16 - so lets hop to it.

Let's kick things off with a lip combination that I've reached for most of the month shall we? I've been layering on some Maybelline ColourSensational Shine Gloss in "130 - Fuchsia Flash" over my Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in "05" for an everyday lip this month. I love it because it's a mid-tone pink so it's understated and wearable but it's still bright and looks put together. I've thrown this on for work and play and it's such a lovely low-maintenance lip combination.

We've been pretty skincare heavy here recently so I'm going to try not to harp on about these too long but there's been a couple of skincare products that have absolutely brought my skin back to life (and unfortunately, both cost a pretty penny). I've re-discovered my MV Organic Skincare Rose Plus Booster and I have no idea how this fell to the back of the class. It's essentially good skin in a bottle, no matter how lack-lustre my skin is looking I find that a couple of drops of this massaged into the skin before bed has me looking like I've been drinking my water and sleeping a lot (which lets face it - usually I haven't been).

My Tata Harper cleanser obsession continues but this month I've been mad for the Purifying one. This is a lovely, thinner than most, gel cleanser that I've just been loving for my morning cleanse. The light texture makes it quick and easy to use and whenever I use this I feel like all of the grit and grime just follows it down the plug hole when I rinse. Also - the lovely sharp citrusy scent is great for helping you wake up in the morning and for me it just adds to that "super clean" feeling.

Finally a slightly less beauty-oriented product: I recently stumbled across Next's home fragrance selection and their "White Jasmine" range smells incredible. I got the Decorative Owl Reed Diffuser and it's so cute and smells amazing but I can't find it on the website (maybe it's in store only?) so here's the standard one. I'm awful at describing scents but the packaging says that the top notes are violet leaves and plum, the mid notes are jasmine and white lily and it has a white musk and amber base. It's just a nice clean, fresh, floral scent that's not overpowering or overly girly smelling (I tend to go for more gender neutral boarding on somewhat masculine home scents and this is more on the feminine side for me).

Let’s Talk About Sheet Masks.

Specifically, a couple that I've tried recently from the brand TonyMoly. So Asian beauty products have been making the rounds lately and TonyMoly is a brand that popped up on Cult Beauty and Sephora not too long ago and I've been itching to try some bits. As much as I could have ordered pretty much everything that the brand has to offer (it all looks so interesting!) I contained myself to just 2 masks. With the promise that if I liked what I saw I'd go back for more. So what do we think?

TonyMoly Rice Mask (Clear Skin)

This is a 20-30 minute sheet mask that is supposed to make "dull skin look radiant and glowing" which I must admit, when I first unboxed this I was disappointed with as it's called "Clear Skin" and I assumed it would be clarifying in some way. Slightly misleading titles aside this is a nice mask.

It's instantly cooling on the skin and hasn't really got a scent to it so it's pleasant to use, I did notice a slight tingling sensation towards the end of the mask but nothing uncomfortable. When you take it out of the packet it's completely saturated and I didn't notice it drying off quickly at all when I wore it (I left it on for the full 30 minutes and the only bit that dried was the space between my upper lip and my nose).

The only thing I would note about this mask is that while it adheres to the skin nicely (mine didn't fall off with light movement) it is a bit awkwardly shaped and didn't fit my face as comfortably as I'd like. This obviously may not be an issue for you dependant on your face shape but the mask was a soft fabric texture and didn't really have any stretch to it at all.

The effects were actually really nice. This left my skin feel plumped and smooth and the cooling effect stuck around for a long while after removing the mask. When I first removed the mask I was a little confused that a "Clear Skin" mask didn't seem to give me any reduction in blackheads or blemishes but after actually looking at the claims it definitely does what it says on the tin.

Inci hot spots: Glycerin (hydrating), Mineral Oil (acne skins be careful - also super cheap oil and this mask isn't cheap), Glycolic Acid (chemical exfoliant), Sodium Hyaluronate (essentially man-made Hyaluronic Acid - hydrating)

TonyMoly Lemon (Brightening)

This sheet mask claims to make "dull and dark skin look radiant" which is pretty much what I'd expect from a mask labeled "Brightening" so the claims on this one look better. Again it's a 20-30 minute sheet mask and I think I left this one on even beyond the recommended 30 minutes. It has a clean citrusy scent that I personally found really pleasant throughout the masking process and again it was instantly cooling on the skin.

This one didn't give my skin any tingling at all (I left it on for longer because I was anticipating a tingle but it never happened). That said I did get some of the mask on my lips and they felt strange (almost like a slightly numbed feeling) for a little while after I'd removed the mask. There's the same issue with the fit (TonyMoly do a whole range of sheet masks and I'd imagine they just switch up the liquid and keep the actual sheet the same for each different one) and this one stayed wet throughout the whole process.

For results I find that this mask left my skin unbelievably soft and smooth. Again there was no reduction in the redness or amount of blemishes on the skin but this mask did reduce the swelling a little and made the surface of the blemish smooth (so much easier to hide under concealer the next day). Of the two I'd say this is my favourite.

Inci hot spots: Glycerin (hydrating), Glycolic Acid (chemical exfoliant), Fragrance (sensitive skins be careful)

In The Queue - Inside My Backups and "To Be Tested" Drawer (Part 1 - Skincare)

So I, like many other beauty obsessives in this world, have a drawer in my stash dedicated to products that aren't in my rotation at the moment for one reason or another. Some of these are products that are tried and tested and that I just can't be without and others are items I've acquired that haven't made it into the testing arena yet (While I do have options open I try not to have everything open at once). I'm going to be rotating some new things in soon so I figured it would be a good idea to let you all know what's in there so if you're itching to hear about something I can prioritise that.

The Backups.

In the backups drawer I'm sure you'll be surprised to hear that I'm hoarding a few cleansers. I've got a full sized Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel, a gel-to-oil cleanser with a lovely light rose-y scent that I fell in love with from the word go. I've also got a full size of the Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser in here, again it's a gel cleanser but I prefer to emulsify with this one - I'm currently working my way through the last drops of a trial size I had. I've stashed away not one but two mini's of the Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel, which is really similar to the Oskia in texture but maybe a bit heavier, I love these for travel. Finally for cleansers, there's a mini of the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm, this was the first skincare product I properly got obsessive with and it's a lovely light, citrus-y scented balm cleanser.

The only other skincare products I have in backup are the Balance Me Congested Skin Serum, and a mini Omorovica Queen of Hungary Mist. I panic purchased the Balance Me serum as I had a trial size that I've been using for ages and I was convinced it was going to run out much quicker than it seems to be doing. With the queen of Hungary it's one of those products that I use and enjoy but I'd never pay for. This particular bottle was a gift with purchase and it's lovely, but it's completely unnecessary and very expensive for a refreshing mist.

To Be Tested

I find it difficult to give things a fair test if I have too much on rotation but I still pick up interesting bits so that when I have time to test things I have products ready. At the moment I'm hoarding a Clarins HydraQuench Cream (normal to dry skin), a Skin Blossom Gentle Face Wash and a Barefoot SOS Repair + Renew Light Moisturising Lotion. Again, I have a tonne of minis that are just waiting for me to break into them: Aurelia Miracle Cleanser, Clarins HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase, Vasanti BrightenUp Enzyme Face Rejuvenstor Exfoliating Cleanser, Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover, and the Alpha H Essential Hydration Cream. If there's anything anyone's wanting to see on here soon I can pop that on the to do list. :)

Head To Head - Affordable Cleansing Oils

We seem to be in the midst of a minor skincare takeover at the moment here in the Jodie May Beauty head quarters (sorry to the more makeup obsessed readers) and today will be no exception to that. Us bloggers are always harping on about "dupes" for other products but some times I think we forget to compare things in the same price bracket, so I'm here to rectify that. starting with a couple of oil cleansers:

In the left corner, we have my old faithful: The Superfacialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil, and on the right we have No7's Beautiful Skin Cleansing Oil. Both of these cleansers are around the £10-£11 mark and are available in the UK from Boots. Una Brennan gives you 200ml compared to No7's 150ml so on price-per-ml the UB is slightly more affordable, but how do they perform head to head?

Packaging - for packaging, the winner is definitely No7. My biggest bug-bear with the UB cleansing oil is that it doesn't have a pump, it's a serious design flaw. The lack of a pump can make it a little bit awkward to use as you have to pour the liquid-y cleanser out into your hands and the No7 is much more user friendly.

Formula - This will largely come down to personal preferences, but I can say that the No7 oil feels thinner during use. Both remove makeup with easy and are quick to remove, neither leave the skin feeling dry or stripped at all. One thing I will mention for formula is that the first ingredient on the inci for the No7 is Paffafinnum Liquidum (or as it's usually reffered to: mineral oil). This is a low quality oil that comes from fossil fuels (it's essentially a by-product of petrol) and if you're prone to any kind of acne, it's an ingredient to avoid. The UB oil contains mainly sunflower seed oil and some other more natural oils and so I do feel like you're getting better quality ingredients from the UB.

All in all? For me the Una Brennan remains unbeaten. I will likely just decant it into the bottle for the No7 once I've used that up because the packaging is so much better on the No7. I still use and enjoy the No7 and it's pretty much always on offer so you can generally get a good deal on it but I just feel like the ingredients on the UB are so much better.

My Thoughts On Caroline Hirons' "Cleansing Box"

I must admit, when Caroline Hirons announced that she was releasing another Cult Beauty Box, I may have had a moment. I'm not quite at the point of booking time off work to make sure I'm available to snag my box as soon as it becomes available, but my word that woman knows how to put together a skincare collection. I was gutted that I wasn't in a place financially to commit to her Christmas Box of Dreams back in December (insert sad face emoji here) and hoped this would live up to it.

Then the reveals started, the lineup for this box looked a lot different to previous boxes. It was advertised as a "Cleansing Box" and I looked at my skincare collection (the "cleanser shelf" has become a more of a "whole and very much over-flowing cleansing cabinet") and had a good hard think. "Do I need this?" and the answer was a sound and definite "certainly not". I resisted. For about a week.

Now I don't want to fill this post with a quick look at each product because I'd like to do more in-depth reviews with them (and to be completely honest I haven't actually gotten around to trying them all out just yet), but my thoughts on the actual box are quite mixed. 

Firstly the packaging. I loved the idea of the neon green writing on the plain white background. However this design is just a cover for the box that you have to un-stick to actually open the box, and the box itself is plain white which was a little disappointing. I realise that packaging isn't everything, but it's a definite drop in quality from the last CHCB Box I purchased and when you're investing £175 into something, it's disappointing when the packaging feels cheap.

Repeats: Now I'm really happy that the Oskia Micro Exfoliating Balm made it into this box. It's definitely one of those products that I never would have picked myself but having tried it, it's lovely and I like it. But I, like many others, can't help but notice that it was also in the very first CHCB Box, and while that was around a year ago, original purchasers commented that they either didn't like it the first time around or that they'd simply not managed to use up the first one yet, so potentially a draw back.

That being said, the box is valued at £274 and is selling for £175, so you're saving pretty much £100 (36%). It's also packed full of some of my absolute favourite skincare brands: Oskia, MV Organics and Pixi have been long time loves of mine, I've recently been woo'ed by Tata Harpers range and the May Lindstrom Jasmine Garden Facial Spray that's included in this box has definitely got me itching to try more from her range.

Over all, I feel like this box is a really good investment for 3 very distinct audiences:

1. You're new to skincare, or at least new to a proper cleansing routine. You have maybe 1-3 cleansers in your current arsenal and you're wanting to dip your toe into some new/different formulas of cleanser. - This kit has almost everything. There's an oil, a cream, a balm and an eye make-up remover for cleansing steps, both a chemical and a physical exfoliant to suit your needs/preferences and then a refreshing toner in there too. Everything you need to get yourself started in proper cleansing.

2. You've got cleansing down, but your arsenal is currently heavy on budget-friendly products, and you're wanting to try some more luxury products in a way that's kinder on the purse strings. This box includes some amazing luxury brands - May Lindstrom, Oskia, Tata Harper and MV Organics are all fairly up there in price for skincare and while £175 is definitely an investment, it's a decent saving on a £274 value purchase.

3. You're just like me. I.E you're just obsessed with skincare. You already have 300 cleansers but you don't have some of these products and if you do have any of them you'd like a backup of it. If you're in this category, I'm not sure why you're here, you clearly don't need any further convincing.

So I guess the only question left is: have you given in to the temptation?

Summer Skincare: Facial SPF's

So as the heatwave continues in the UK I've lined up some tips for upping your skincare routine to accommodate the higher temperature - that's right, we're talking about SPF again.

1. Apply a good layer of a high factor SPF to the face. I personally always wear SPF on my face (even in winter) since I'm really fair skinned. I'd normally reach for a factor 10-15 but in the summer months I never go lower than factor 45 on my face and my favourite is the Kiehl's Ultra Light UV Defence. I'm sure I don't have to go on about why I up my SPF in the summer months, but it's especially important for you if your skincare routines involve any products which contain retinols or chemical exfoliants.

2. If you're wearing makeup in the sun (which a lot of us will be - the sun will still be out when you're walking from the car park to the office and so on) find touch up products with SPF in them. If you're not the type to reach for powder products frequently, I'd just top up with another thin layer of SPF tinted moisturiser. For those who like a matte finish, there's actually a good number of SPF face powders on the market these days. For product suggestions I would recommend Benefit's Hello Flawless Powder Foundation SPF 15 and Esteé Lauders Double Wear Light Stay-In-Place Makeup SPF 10.

3. If you're really concerned, just try to keep your face out of the sun. All kinds of hats have come back into fashion recently, from caps to big rimmed sun hats, so it's easier than ever to keep your self out of the sun. It's recommended that you try to avoid being in direct sun between around 11pm-4pm as this is when the sun tends to be strongest.

4. So these last two tips are less about avoiding getting burnt and more to do with how SPF can wreak havoc on your skin if you're not using it properly. Firstly, use an SPF that is designed to be used on the face. In the same way that it's not ideal to use your body lotion as a facial moisturiser, SPF body oils and lotions aren't formulated to be ideal for the more delicate skin on your face. If you want to know everything there is to know about SPF I'd recommend you head on over to this video that Caroline Hirons did with Marko Lens of Zelens.

5. And finally: remove your SPF properly. A lot of people seem to be of the opinion that SPF products break them out, and they will if you don't take the time to properly remove them. I always double cleanse if I've applied any products with SPF in to make sure my skin is completely clean before I start with my evening skincare routine and I only ever have problems if I get lazy with my cleansing routine.

So I've Fallen Out With Suncream...

...But there's some other SPF formulas that I'm loving right now.

The sun has (finally) started to show it's face in Manchester, and it's actually been almost too hot. When I went on my annual trip to stock up on suncream I decided to stray away from my usual traditional suncreams and my P20 options in favour of some newer formats and I'm really impressed.

The format that I've been enjoying the most is one that been around for a while: oil. I like oil-base sun protection because generally they're even more moisturising than the traditional cream/lotion based formulas and they're basically goof-proof when it comes to white-casts and streaky application. The oil I've been enjoying this year is the Golden Protect Protective Oil Enriched with Shea Butter from Garnier's Ambre Solaire range. This is a light, non-greasy formula that is water resistant and moisturising on the skin. It comes in multiple sun protection factors, personally I generally go for a factor 30 across the board. I also like that this formula has a subtle sheeny finish to it that gives the skin that glow that we all want in the summer.

Nivea have a brilliant range of sun protection products and the one that really caught my eye was the Protect and Refresh Cooling Sun Mist. This is a super fine formula that is applied to the skin via an aerosol spray can. At first glance I thought that this product would be the perfect answer to the problem of topping up facial SPF throughout the day without disrupting makeup but I was a bit disappointed to find that the directions specify that you can't spray this directly onto the face. I'll still get enough use out of this since it's nice and refreshing on the skin for reapplication but I'd love to see something along the lines of this that is completely safe for use on the face.

The last sun care product that caught my eye this time around was Nivea's Lip Care Sun Protect SPF30. Again, I love Nivea's sun protection range and they're also known for their lip balms so I figured this was a pretty obvious choice. The formula is light but nicely hydrating and the scent/flavour is nice but not overpowering as well. I even really like the packaging with the pop of summery yellow and it's a great one to slip into your handbag.