Bioderma Sensibio H2O: My Thoughts

Hi Ladies. Now I'm pretty sure this product needs no introduction as it has been hyped all over the blogging world for months. I've read review after review of this product and almost every single one has been positive. I tried telling myself I didn't need it but temptation was too much and I couldn't resist popping on Ebay and ordering myself a bottle. I ordered the 'sensibio' version as my skin is quite partial to reacting to new products and I opted for a 250ml bottle instead of the 500ml version just incase I wasn't too keen on it.

If you've never heard of Bioderma before it is essentially a water based cleansing solution that removes makeup. At first I was a bit baffled by the science behind it and if I'm honest, I still am. All I know is that this is a 'micellar' solution which is basically water that contains small balls of cleansing particles. I've tried reading about it online but it's all a bit too complicated if you ask me. I never was good with science.

As Bioderma is a French product it isn't readily available to buy in the UK. I'd read that lots of bloggers had ordered it from Ebay so although I was a little dubious, I gathered it would be safe and sound. I always like to order from top-rated sellers on Ebay as I find them to be more reliable so I ended up ordering mine from this from this seller here. The service was absolutely fantastic and my package arrived the next day. It was very securely wrapped and the bottle itself was in a box full of shredded paper to keep it protected. 

I obviously couldn't wait to give it a try so I decided I would use it there and then to see what all the fuss is about. I have to admit, all of the rave reviews are absolutely right. I popped a few squirts onto a cotton pad and within a couple of seconds it began melting my makeup away including heavy eye makeup. I have been using it both morning and night since receiving it and find that two soaked cotton pads manage to completely remove every trace of makeup from my skin.

Before I recieved this product, I was using the Caudalie Cleansing Water and as much as I love it and will continue to use it, Bioderma removed my makeup so much quicker. It left no oily or sticky residue on my skin and instead left my face feeling clean and fresh. I also love that it has no scent and is very gentle on my sensitive skin.

I have really enjoyed using this product and I should have listened to the hype a bit sooner. I paid £7.75 for a 250ml bottle but I know you can get the 500ml version for around £10.00 which I don't think is too bad for such a huge bottle. I will definitely be ordering the bigger size when this one runs out.

Have you ever tried Bioderma? What do you think?

Lots of Love,

P.S - If you missed my post yesterday, I am now offering advertising on my blog. If you would like a slot for October you can have a look at the prices here.

Murad Pore Perfection Starter Kit

*Murad Pore Perfection Starter Kit - £12.50

Hi Ladies! I was recently contacted by Murad and asked if I'd like to try their Pore Perfection starter kit. As I had heard of Murad before and knew it was a high-end luxury brand, I instantly jumped at the chance and said yes. As I'm currently looking for a job there is no way I could afford to buy expensive skin care myself so I was very grateful to be given the opportunity. The kit I was sent includes four products - Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser (50ml), T-Zone Pore Refining Gel (15ml) and Energizing Pomegranate Moisturiser (30ml). They also included a Skin Perfecting Primer (5ml) which I have actually tried before when it was included in a Glossybox.

As these products are designed for people with oily skin, it is the perfect kit for me. My skin isn't super oily but I do find I get an oily t-zone so I was particularly excited to try the 'T-Zone Pore Refining Gel'. When the kit arrived in the post, I was very impressed with how it was presented in this lovely box and each of the products were cute, pink and a generous size. First impressions = excellent!

After using these products for a few weeks I feel I have got a real feel for them and want to give you my thoughts. 

First up is the Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser which is designed to cleanse and tone the skin in one simple step. I have to point out before I continue that the scent of all these products is quite strong but I didn't personally mind that. Just keep that in mind though if you aren't partial to a strong scent. I have been using this cleanser whilst having a shower for the past few weeks now and I must admit, I love it. It is a foam cleanser so when pumped onto my hand the liquid turns into a frothy white foam. I really like the idea of using foam on my face as it is less messy and fussy than a cream or gel. When applying this to my face I rub it around in circular motions and I find that a little goes a very long way. This small bottle is only 50ml but I have been using it for a few weeks now and have only used just over a quater of the bottle. It sinks into my skin perfectly and it almost felt like rubbing silk over my face. The foam feels so smooth and it instantly removed my makeup and left my skin feeling soft and supple. One thing I hate about some cleansers is the tight feeling it can leave on my skin but this did the exact opposite and left it feeling hydrated. I would definitely recommend this product and I am contemplating buying the full-size bottle when I have more money.

Next up is the T-Zone Pore Refining Gel which again, is a fab little product. Much like the cleanser, this product is going to last such a long time. I have been using it in conjunction with the cleanser for three week or four weeks and have barely touched the surface. A little goes a very long way with this product. At first, I was a bit confused as to how I was meant to use this as I have never heard of or used anything similar previously. However, after doing a bit of research I came to realise that this product is supposed to be used down the t-zone where skin is partial to excess oil. The aim of the product is for it to control shine and minimize pores. Now I can't really say I've seen a difference in the size of my pores as I'm quite lucky to not really have any. However, I can definitely say this helps to control shine which is great if you suffer with excess oil like me. I really like this and like I said earlier, it will last such a long time. The only down side is that this has the strongest scent of all three products and is even a bit too strong for my liking.

The final step of the routine is the Energizing Pomegranate Moisturiser. As with the other two products, I really love this. As someone who suffers with an oily t-zone, I always worry about using too much moisturiser as I think it can add extra oil to my skin. However, this moisturiser is so light and sinks into my skin straight away. It also left it feeling hydrated instead of heavy and oily. Again it has the standard scent but I found this to be the least offensive of all three products. 

As for the Skin Perfecting Primer, this is the one product I wasn't overly keen on. To be honest, primers just don't do it for me as I never seem to get any benefit from them. This one also has a tint to it instead of being clear and I found it was a little too dark for my skin which resulted in it looking a tad muddy. It also left my skin feeling sticky, looking shiny and didn't do much in terms of smoothing out my pores. As I say though, I don't think I have ever tried a primer I get along with. With this being said, I can look past the primer as the main products in this kit are great.

If you are interested in trying this kit, it is currently on sale for half price here making it £12.50 instead of the usual £25.00. I have really enjoyed using all of the products and would really recommend giving this a try if you have difficulty controlling oil. However, if you don't  have oily skin they have other kits for anti-ageing and blemish prone skin too so you can find something to suit. The small bottles do last a long time too so £12.50 is a real bargain for high-end skincare products. Plus I always think sample sizes are a good way to test a new skincare routine before committing to buying the full-size bottles. The full size version of this kit costs a very hefty £70.00 but I must admit, if I had that kind of money I would buy it. Maybe I should stock up on these little kits while they are on sale? Hmmmmm.

Have you ever tried anything from Murad? Do you like the look of this kit?

Lots of Love,

Lazy Girl Skincare | Caudalie Cleansing Water

Hey Ladies! If you read my haul post here, you will know that I recently received the Caudalie Cleansing Water as a gift from my boyfriend. If you read blogs regularly, I am sure you will of all heard of cleansing water by now as every man and his dog seems to be raving about it. I think it all began with Bioderma which is a cult favourite among beauty lovers. I have never tried it myself as it is quite hard to get hold of but I was intrigued by the sound of a cleansing water and the micellar particles it contains. If you don't know what 'micellar' means then you should google it as science and I do not work well together. In simple terms though, a cleansing water contains small 'micellar' particles that help to remove any dirt and grime from our skin.

When it came to deciding which cleansing water I wanted to try, I instantly thought of Caudalie. Much like Bioderma, Caudalie has been so hyped due to its infamous 'beauty elixir' that I just had to give it a go. After reading a few reviews online and doing a bit more research on how cleansing waters worked, it instantly appealed to me.

Basically, a cleansing water is for people like me who are a tad lazy when it comes to skincare and want a quick method of removing makeup at the end of the day. I realise I should be thoroughly cleansing every day but when tiredness kicks in, the last thing I want to do is stand over a sink for ten minutes splashing my face with water and getting my hair wet. As I find cleansing before bed so inconvenient, I loved the sound of a cleanser I could pop on to a cotton pad, wipe over my face and wallah, my make up is gone.

When my boyfriend ordered this for me from Feel Unique I told him to order the 100ml instead of the 200 incase I didn't like it but now I am totally regretting it. Since receiving it a few weeks ago, I have been using it morning and night to remove my makeup. I pop a few drops on to a cotton pad and sweep it over my whole face. After using it for the first time, I was amazed by how lovely it smells. Like all Caudalie products, this cleanser has an evident grape scent. I have read a lot of negative reviews saying the scent is strong, overpowering or off putting but I personally love it and think it smells fresh and clean.

I also loved how easily it removed my makeup and how refreshing it felt on my skin. I have fairly sensitive skin so it often reacts to new skincare products but this left my skin feeling fresh, soft and clean with no irritation what so ever. Admittedly, I had to use two cotton pads to thoroughly remove all of my makeup but I didn't mind as the whole process was so quick and easy. It completely removes stubborn eye makeup, leaves no oily residue and my skin  is left feeling hydrated instead of tight like a lot of cleansers can make it feel.

Overall, I am in love with this cleanser. Its my new go-to skincare product and I will most definitely be repurchasing it when this bottle comes to an end. It takes no effort at all to remove all of my makeup and I love the fact I can now sit in my warm bed removing my makeup instead of over the bathroom sink for ten minutes. Of course I still use regular cream or foam cleansers most mornings in the shower but for night time use, this is the perfect lazy girl product. I have even found myself using it in a morning before applying my makeup as it gives my skin an instant boost and makes me look more awake. If you haven't tried this product before, I 100% recommend you give it a try if you want a quick method of removing makeup, dirt and grime from your skin.

I got mine from the Feel Unique website here and it is available in 100 or 200ml bottles. It normally costs £9.00 for 100ml and £15.00 for 200ml but they are currently having a sale with 19% off. I just might have to stock up. 

What do you think of cleansing waters? Have you tried the Caudalie one?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and recommendations.

Lots of Love,

Yes to Carrots Nourishing Exfoliating Cleanser

Hi Ladies. I have to be honest, I am pretty lazy when it comes  to skincare. I was always a face wipes and cheap moisturiser kind of girl up until recent times when I realised how important it is to have a good skincare routine from a young age. Now as much as I hate having to faff around applying various products to my face every day, I realise it will benefit me in the long run and I am constantly on the look out for new products to try. The first 'proper' skin range I bought was from Liz Earle. The kit I bought included the infamous Cleanse & Polish but it just didn't agree with my skin so I quickly moved on to a range by Clarins. However, when I recently ran out of Clarins, I needed to find a quick and cheap replacement. This is when the 'Yes to Carrots' cleanser wormed its way into my shopping basket. I was shopping in a local supermarket when I spotted this range and the unusual name and bright packaging instantly intrigued me. If you know me, you will know I am a total sucker for packaging and I will often buy a product just because it looks pretty. As I was looking for a new cleanser anyway, I decided this would do until I got my hands on more of my beloved Clarins. It only cost around the £9.00 mark so I figured even if it was rubbish, I wouldn't have wasted too much money.

Before using the product, I decided to do a bit of research and find out more about the 'Yes to' range. At first glance, it seemed that this range was full of natural ingredients which is something I tend to look for in skincare products. Just for reference, my skin is fairly sensitive meaning that any products with chemical overload will cause my skin to react. I discovered that the Yes to brand is a company that pride themselves in producing natural skin and hair care products that are packed full of natural fruits and veggies. They currently have three other lines to accompany the Yes to Carrots range including Yes to Cucumbers, Yes to Tomatoes and Yes to Blueberries. Each of the different fruit or veggies have a specific aim for the skin. Carrots is for nourishing, Cucumbers for soothing, Tomatoes for clear skin and Blueberries for anti-ageing. I personally love this concept as there is something for everybody depending on your personal skincare needs. As well as using natural ingredients, the whole range is paraben free which is just another added bonus. As the Carrots range is for 'Nourishing', it contains almond oil and Shea Butter that help with hydrating the skin. I was slightly concerned when I first discovered this as my skin can get oily so the idea of adding oil and butter to my face seemed like a bad idea.

However, after using this product for a good few weeks now, I have to say, I'm impressed. The cleanser itself it a thick white cream with small bamboo exfoliating particles so you are essentially giving your skin a cleanse and exfoliate at once. I quite liked this concept as anything that will save me time or cut a step out of a laborious skincare routine is a winner for me. A small amount goes a long way and it lathers up nicely. I have been using a pea-sized amount, rubbing it in my hands, applying it to my face in circular motions and then allowing it to sink into my skin for a few minutes. I have found that this removes all of my makeup with ease and the small bamboo particles are very gentle but still give a nice exfoliation, removing any dead skin or dry patches. The smell is slightly strange but it is something I can deal with as it isn't a strong or offensive scent. After using this product, my skin feels soft, smooth and moisturised which could be down to the Shea Butter. A lot of the time, skin can feel tight after using a cleanser but this product doesn't leave that uncomfortable feeling at all which is a big thumbs up for me. I also suffer with red patches on my skin and since using this cleanser they have dramatically reduced and I have been left with radiant, glowy skin instead. 

Overall, I would really recommend this cleanser if you are looking for something cheap and cheerful that won't cause havoc with your skin. It is recommended for people with normal to dry skin on the Yes to website but I have combination skin and it has worked well for me. I would perhaps stay away from this if you have very oily skin and try one of the other lines instead. I think I will be trying 'Yes to Tomatoes' next as it is specifically designed for combination skin types. I bought this product in Australia but it is widely available and can be purchased from numerous UK/US websites. This particular product is currently on sale for £7.19 on the Beauty Bay website along with more of the 'Yes to' range and they also offer free worldwide delivery so what better time to snap these products up.

Lots of Love,