Vichy Idealia Life Serum Review!

One pump of the serum. 

It's a white lightweight cream texture with an illuminating iridescent sheen.

Hey Beauty Lovers! I have blogged about this new serum when it was first launched, to check out the feature click here! Now that I had a chance to use it a good few times I have really enjoyed it. I will do an updated review once I have used it a good couple of months but so far I can say that my skin drinks it up beautifully. My skin is oily/combo, but becomes dehydrated during the winter and it is also acne prone. This Vichy Idealia Life Serum  doesn't break me out, which is already a good start. I prefer using it after an exfoliating facial to hydrate the skin and inject all the goodness of this skincare product. 

This serum helps to combat fatigue, stress, overexposure to the sun, pollution, cigarette smoke and an unbalanced diet that is reflected on the skin quality. This serum is designed to accompany our modern lifestyle of constant under-sleeping, occasional junk-eating, and day-to-day stressing. Idealia Life Serum helps to lift all the pre-mature ageing signs and even out the skin-tone, revealing refined looking pores and illuminated complexion for a much younger and healthier looking skin. 

The design of the pretty pink bottle reminds me so much of that magical serum in Death Becomes Her, which freezes age and makes one stay forever young! One of my favourite 90s movies I watched over and over... And of course the scent is just the most feminine and indulging beautiful hint of rose. If you love rose scented skincare like me, you will absolutely adore this serum!

LOVE

Updated Review: Vichy Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution!

Hey Beauts! This is a make-up remover that I have been using non stop pretty much for the past 2-3 years. I go through them bottle after bottle. Vichy Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution 3 in 1 cleanses, removes make-up, and soothes. The reason I love it and it is my top favourite make-up remover, is because it's very gentle yet takes off make-up beautifully even my beloved intense black kohl eyeliners goes off easily. I still haven't tried the Bioderma which is meant to be great, but it sounds pretty much exactly the same as this one and Vichy is easily available at Boots, which I love!

LOVE

New Launch: Vichy Idealia Life Serum!

Hey Beauts! Here is a new exciting skincare product launch from Vichy! If you have been following my blog for a while you will know that I swear by some of the Vichy products, so I'm very excited about this new serum. Idealia Life Serum is a skin saviour when it comes to stress, pollution, sun, and diet - all factors that affect the skin in modern life and make it look prematurely older and duller. 

Idealia Life Serum takes care of large pores and uneven skin tone amongst other signs of skin ageing. It helps to create a radiant, fresh and younger looking skin. Pores appear tightened and skin texture smoother in four weeks. This serum is suitable for all skin types even those that are particularly sensitive as it is created with Hypoallergenic Vichy Thermal Spa Water. I was given a sample at the event to try out, so I'm looking forward to give it a go and let you know in due time what I think and how my skin is reacting to it... Full review coming soon!

LOVE

Updated Review: Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Purifying Gel!

Hey Beauts! This post is going to be helpful for those of you who have acne prone skin, skin that gets congested and pores get blocked resulting in a breakout. I have reviewed this product over two years ago when I first discovered it, and have been using it pretty much ever since - trying a few other cleansers but returning to this one. My skin used to suffer from pretty active acne breakouts, slowly I got it under control and I find that Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Purifying Gel is an easily available [I purchase mine at Boots] facial cleanser that keeps my skin clear and helps a spot to go away very quickly instead of sitting there for days like it used to. 

It has salicylic acid which helps to clear out the pores from with in, meaning it doesn't just sit on the surface of the skin but penetrates deep in the pore preventing further breakouts. This is one of those cleansers that will make your skin peel, so if you have a spot it will dry it out, clear the pore and then the old skin cells just flake off revealing a clear looking skin. If you are new to salicylic acid you will find that in the beginning you will peel a lot, then after a month when your skin will start to get clear it will only peel after spots. I highly recommend this product if you suffer from acne or regular breakouts. It has worked for me when I was frustrated with my skin, and it still works years later.

LOVE

Summer Morning Skincare for Oily/Combo and Blemish Prone Skin!

Hello Beauties, I've haven't blogged for a bit and really have missed it. I celebrated my big birthday, tho still feeling like 25 over and over and over. As I desperately needed a bit of a break, next day I woke up with a full blown flu and some irritation on my eyelids, so I haven't worn make-up in days and just now starting to recover, so that's why you haven't heard from me for a while.

I decided to update my skincare routine as it is summer, and those of us with oily/combo skin type get even oilier and pores tend to get blocked and spots and blemishes go slightly out of control. I used to have acne for years so I'm very careful with my skincare, and even though I only get a spot here and there now I still make sure to look after my skin thoroughly and not provoke any breakouts. Hot summer weather can be terrible for oily skin so I find I need problem focused skincare products.

This is my current morning skincare routine:

I start by taking off my night skincare with Vichy Purete Thermale 3in1 Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution. I lost count how many bottles I've been through, as soon as I run out I get a new one, I find it's very gentle and a great make-up remover and cleanser. It's really soothing and great for sensitive skin and eyes. Then for my eyes I like to use Avene Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover for sensitive eyes, although I use Vichy on my eyes most mornings too, I sometimes like the additional fresh and cooling effect of the gel texture on my eyelids. 

For the face, depending how my skin is feeling, if I don't have spots I cleanse my face with Vichy Purifying Foaming Water, Skin Radiance Revealer. It removes the impurities and restores skin radiance and freshness. However if I do have a spot on the radar I always wash my face with SkinCeuticals Blemish+Age Cleansing Gel, which is a decongesting cleanser for aging skin and imperfections [anything after 28 is aging in my book]. Also when ever I use this type of cleanser I always wash it off with one of those facial sponges, they give you extra bit of exfoliation. And I also like to follow up with the tonic from the same range, SkinCeuticals Blemish+Age Solution. It comes in a spray bottle, you just spray couple of times onto a cotton ball.

Then I apply Liz Earle Daily Eye Repair, which is a SPF10 Triple Eye Care with Echinacea, Borage and natural Vitamin E and Avene Cleanance K Cream-Gel over my face, which is a exfoliating moisturiser. And then do my make up or if go straight under the sun then I apply a heafty SPF like Sensai Silky Bronze Sun Protective Cream for Face SPF50, which I will blog about separately. Also I find that my lips tend to dehydrate during summer, so I use the DHC Lip Cream throughout the day topping with the spf. This routine seems to get things back on track even if I do get a few spots right at the beginning of changing climate etc after a few days my skin starts to clear up again.

LOVE

Vichy Purete Thermale Waterproof Eye Make-Up Remover for Sensitive Eyes!

When I started wearing waterproof eyeliners on a regular basis I soon realised my regular make-up remover wasn't enough... Also the previous waterproof eye make-up remover I have used were too oily and leaving an oily residue, which wasn't great for my combo/oily skin... So I gave this Vichy Waterproof Eye Make-Up Remover a go... As you can see it's been loved! I had it for a couple of months now and find it very gentle on my sensitive eye area! It takes of all of my waterproof eyeliners and mascaras, even those that are the toughest to take off... A must have if you are a lover of a nice waterproof smudgy smokey eye!

LOVE

Tips & Tricks For Combination/Oily Skin Types...

Illustration by Meme Infashionlove...

These are the tricks I picked up over the years... Having the same skin type, learning how to keep your foundation in place and how to make your eyeshadow look vivid and last long, along with many other things was groundbreaking...

1. The most significant point to start off with is that you have to understand that your skin type is more likely to be sensitive towards certain products, or specifically certain ingredients that will unfortunately make your skin go psycho bitch and give you a rather nasty break-out... This all is super frustrating... So my first advice is stop changing your skin care products all the time, don't try too many new facial creams, serums, face masks, what not... Try to simplify your skin care routine... And keep it for a good month and see how it goes... Very often you are likely to drop using a product after you have a break out, then you go and splurge on yet another over-priced skin care product in hope it will help... But it can make things worse because you keep throwing products on your face dis-balancing it more and more... You skin starts over producing oil, blocking pores, and it just goes down hill from here...

The thing is, when you break out not necessarily is it from the product you are using, sometimes it could be stress, diet, or hormones related... So instead of jumping from one product to another try to keep using one and see if your skin will calm down, sometimes it can start working... You need to monitor how your skin is reacting over a period of time... Also usually for a skincare product to start working you have to use it for a good few weeks, your skin needs to adjust and get used to the ingredients... So don't give up too fast on something, unless you are 100% sure it's bad for your skin... Vitamins A, C, D, and E are particularly important for skin... Things like Avocado, Cranberries, Kale, Oranges and Strawberries are great detoxifiers and help keeping your skin looking healthy... And of course drink plenty of water...

2. Exfoliation - to keep oily skin as clear as possible and have the break-out situation under control you need to exfoliate frequently... Having said that, make sure the exfoliators are gentle! Because if they are not, they will only make your skin over produce oil and we are right back to square one... The two exfoliators I use in rotation is Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser and bareMinerals Exfoliating Treatment Cleanser... If it's that time of the month, or I get stressed and things go a little crazy on my face I start religiously using these two for a few days, one night I use Hot Cloth Cleanser, next Exfoliating Treatment Cleanser [I have done a review on it], then Hot Cloth Cleanser and so on until my skin clears out, usually takes 3-4 days for me... 

Also with this skin type as soon as you get a clear looking skin you can't get lazy with your routine and drop out of it for too long as your pores will start getting blocked again... Of course once in a while you will still get a blemish, but once you find the right skincare products for your skin you will be in control and those nasty undesired break-outs won't reappear... And those couple of spots will quickly clear up... You'll see a big and super pleasant change to your skin... 

3. Moisturising - now this is the toughest one I find... It's really difficult to find a moisturiser that is not to greasy yet will work for oily skin... Also because you exfoliate a lot, naturally you need to moisturise otherwise skin starts to feel a little tight, and usually over night it over produces oil, and you wake up looking rather greasy... So what I do is, after I use the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser I spay the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer couple of times over my face and neck... It feel very soothing and refreshing, and I love the scent of both products, very herbal and natural... Then before going to bed I apply Avene Cleanance Lotion, which is an anti-shine regulating, just on my oily bits: forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin - that keeps me from feeling dry, personally accept for my eye area I don't need any full-on moisturisers, my skin develops enough oil as it is... During the day I use Avene Cleanace Cream-gel, which is both exfoliating and hydrating... It's a great primer, and while you are wearing make-up it does its job! But during the winter I sometimes can get dry patches, in which case I like to use the Liz Earle Skin Repair Light Moisturiser, it's specifically for combination/oily skin, it's very light and gentle and sinks in to your skin without leaving a greasy filter...

4. Treatment - I'm cleansing my face in the morning and evening... In the morning I usually use Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Purifying Gel and then I use Vichy Normaderm Purifying Pore-Tightening Lotion... This I find really keeps things under control... Also when you have a blemish that is clearing up it will make it peel away... But it's a good thing, you need your old skin cells to be replaced to have a new revitalised clear looking skin... If I have a blemish coming or happening I will use Avene TriAcneal Skin Care, just on the blemish... Or the area that is affected by a few blemishes if they are all close together having a party... In the morning I would cleanse my face with Avene Cleanance Gel Soapless Cleanser, which helps to reduce excess oil...

5. And last but not least, to keep your make up looking good for longer here are a few tips and tricks! First of all when it comes to eye make-up I literally don't remember last time I haven't used some sort of primer on my eyelids... I used to be so frustrated with so many eyeshadows because they just looked so washed out on me and hardly had any pigmentation, and would crease after two hours, and wouldn't last much longer after that... A primer takes care of all these dilemmas, and transforms your eye make-up into sultry, intense, beautifully smooth make-up artist creation... The ones that I constantly use are MAC Paint Pots... They are cream eyeshadows and are fantastic as primers too... I love them because when you are in a hurry you can just leave it as it is... The Paint Pots I use the most are in Nubile and Groundwork...

Secondly, choose the right foundation... Some slide right of your skin no matter how you try to keep in in place... Stay away from luminizing foundations, as they tend to be those that will make you look like a greaseball... As well as be careful where you put highlighters, and shimmery bronzers, they will emphasise uneven skin and make your pores look huge... 

Finally, another revelation to me was the mineralised foundation! Two that I really love and would recommend for oily skin is Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15, and bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation... Those lucky ones with perfect skin can use it on its own... But for us it's a fantastic way to create an air-brushed flawless finish and set the liquid foundation in place, I feel naked without it! And if you need to touch up your oily zone during the day I suggest something like YSL Matt and Radiant Pressed Powder, or bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil... They are weightless so you can use them trough out the day without ending up looking too powdery...

***

These are all the products I use consistently, most of them for over a year now... I highly recommend them for combination/oily skin types... And I hope some of my tips will help you combat bad skin and make you look even more beautiful!

LOVE