New skincare

Daycol Derma Face Polish

- Vicki Leave a comment
daycol face scrub

I love trying new skincare and there is nothing more satisfying than discovering a small, more indie brand which really blows you away and that is how I feel about daycol. This is a brand that a friend of mine introduced me too and she has incredible skin so I was excited to see how it would fit into my skincare regime.

Daycol are a British skincare brand founded by Annette Heard and she has developed a range that focuses on using lovely organic ingredients to ensure our skin is well taken care of.

“There’s nothing more precious than our skin. Its condition affects our mood, feeling of wellbeing and emotions. I have created a range with natural organic ingredients, free from sulphate, paraben and alcohol to help you look great. And when we look great, we feel great.”

Daycol Derma Face Polish

daycol Derma Face Polish £25

I have been using the daycol Derma Face Polish for a few months now and I’m quite tough when it comes to reviewing face scrubs because they’re my favourite step in my routine. I like how a scrub can leave the skin feeling smooth and give it a healthy radiance but that said I also hate a scrub that is unnecessarily abrasive so this product had a whole checklist it had to meet.

daycol skincare

This face polish has a cream-like consistency and the scrubbies are tiny pieces of Volcanic Rock which are fine enough to exfoliate away those dead skin cells and leave your skin feeling smooth and promote a healthy radiance. I like that it’s not at all rough or abrasive on the skin (so it well and truly ticks that box).

Formulated with daycol’s own infusion of Bioderma3 Complex to include;

  • Apricot Kernel Oil- Apricot Kernel Oil is also high in vitamins B1, B2, B6 and beta-carotene. It has a luxuriously rich texture and is used to soften delicate and dry skin
  • Coconut Oil – Naturally high in vitamins A and E coconut oil will protect against the harmful effects of free radicals.
  • Avocado Oil – A rich source of omega-3 fatty acids (similar to those found in fish oil) it is also high in sterolin which has been shown soften skin and help prevent age spots. Avocado oil is also rich in the antioxidants vitamins A, D and E, making it useful for healing sun-damaged skin and lecithin and potassium.

daycol face scrub

So this lovely creamy face scrub feels really luxurious and after using it my skin is soft and radiant. It really feels like it makes light work of removing dead skin and you do not need to scrub your face – just gently massage into your skin allowing all the cocktail of skin loving ingredients work to their magic.

I am so pleased to have discovered a brand I haven’t heard many people talking about. Daycol has a small but well-rounded selection of products and next on my must-try list is their Ultra Rich Marine Collagen Moisturiser which sounds wonderful.

Let me know what smaller brands you have been loving.

Vichy Purete Thermale Skincare

- Vicki 2 Comments
Vichy Purete Thermale Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution

Vichy Purete Thermale Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution

This Spring Vichy added two new affordable cleansing products to their extensive skincare range, the Pureté Thermale range has been developed to protect the skin against environmental aggressors & the negative effects of pollution. This is something that affects everyone’s skin but especially if you live/work in a city.

I have been testing out these new additions for over a month now & have to say I am now fully converted to the double cleanse. So first up is the Vichy Purete Thermale Beautifying Cleansing Micellar Oil* by now most of us have heard of & tried the standard Micellar Waters, but Vichy has come out with a Micellar Oil (how exciting).

So this is recommended as a first cleanse, you apply the oil (I find two pumps is enough) to dry skin and take a few minutes to massage into the skin really breaking down makeup, grim and the dirt of the day. You then remove the oil with a hot cloth, the oil will emulsify into a milk upon contact with water, removing your makeup and leaving your face feeling soft, smooth and feeling reasonably clean.

Vichy Purete Thermale

I really like the lightweight texture of this Micellar Oil, it’s easy to massage into the skin, and it feels extremely soothing and quite cooling too. Don’t be frightened that it’s an oil, it’s in no way greasy or heavy on the skin. In fact, I have found it helps balance my oily skin and reduces sebum and breakouts.

At the heart of the formula are micelles (Micelles are attracted to dirt, grime, and oil, and they draw out impurities without drying out your skin), which gently remove waterproof makeup, impurities, sebum excess and dead cells with no need for rubbing. Also, it contains Vitamin E which provides antioxidant protection and Camellia Oil which moisturises and soothes the skin. This can be used on even sensitive skin, and the formula contains no parabens.

Then you second cleanse with the Vichy Purete Thermale Fresh Cleansing Gel* much like the cleansing micellar oil this is for all skin types and is designed to combat the negative effects of pollution on the skin. This has a totally different consistency to the oil, this is a thicker Gel but still gentle and easy to massage into the skin. You apply the Fresh Cleansing Gel to damp / wet skin, and it lathers up quite a lot, this feels so cooling and refreshing

At the heart of the formula is the expert anti-pollution complex Purisoft, which is composed of Amilite Technology to soften the effect of hard water, Glycerin to moisturise, and Moringa to cleanse dust, excess sebum and pollution from the skin.

This second step is great at cleansing off my SPF. I wear SPF 30 or 50 on a daily basis and I find if I don’t cleanse properly in the evening I get really greasy skin and quite a few angry blemishes but since doing the Vichy double cleanse my skin has been looking fresh and less oily which makes me very happy.

Vichy Cleansers

This is a double cleanse I am onboard with, these leave my skin feeling cleansed, hydrated and very refreshed. Ideal for daily use, I have been using them as a double cleanse in the evening and that’s working well for me. Both formulas are gentle enough for even sensitive skin. I think they’re a great addition to the Vichy skincare line-up and are affordable too. The French sure know how to make great skincare, if you have any French Skincare recommendations, I’d love to hear them.

Vichy Purete Thermale Beautifying Cleansing Micellar Oil*

Vichy Purete Thermale Fresh Cleansing Gel*

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Elizabeth Grant Skincare

- Vicki Leave a comment
Elizabeth Grant Skincare

Elizabeth Grant Skincare

I have been trying out a few products from the brand Elizabeth Grant. This is a brand that is sold on Ideal World & I call myself a skincare addict but I had never heard of them before. I quickly learnt that Elizabeth Grant was founded in London England in 1958 and has a rich history, its a brand focused on quality and customer satisfaction and is now sold worldwide.

I’ve been trying a selection of products from the Elizabeth Grant Collagen Collection over the past two months and there are one or two products that have really stood out to me that I wanted to tell you about. I do have to say the packaging for the products in this collection is gorgeous, they feel luxurious and are very good quality. They look pretty out on my vanity and all the pots of creams come with little spatulas, which is so good for hygiene and just a great extra touch.

The 7 piece Collagen Collection included the following products,

  • Elizabeth Grant Collagen Re-Inforce Day Cream 50ml
  • Elizabeth Grant Collagen Re-Inforce Night Cream 50ml
  • Elizabeth Grant Collagen Re-Inforce Platinum 24hr Firming Eye Cream 30ml
  • Elizabeth Grant Collagen Body Firming Cream 200ml
  • Elizabeth Grant Collagen Re-Inforce Silk Edition Extreme Wrinkle Serum 30ml
  • Elizabeth Grant Collagen Reinforce Gel Eye Pads 6 packs

Elizabeth Grant Eye Pads

I really enjoy using Eye Pads / Masks & think they really help revive tired eyes & give your skin a boost of hydration especially when you’ve been burning the candle at both ends. I’ve been enjoying these Elizabeth Grant* ones &  found they’re great for puffy tired eyes, they hydrate and nourish your skin and help temporarily smooth the fine lines. They fit perfectly under my eyes & are very comfortable to wear, I leave them on as long as I can & once I take them off I pat the remaining products in around my orbital bone. I like to travel with these as they’re a great way of combating tired dark under eyes. They are great to incorporate into your pamper routine too. I get quite dehydrated under my eyes & for me its showing the first signs of ageing & those pesky fine lines are appearing so eye pads are a nice way of giving that area a little TLC.

Another stand out product from this range was the Elizabeth Grant Collagen Re-Inforce Silk Edition Extreme Wrinkle Serum*, Serum is a step I never miss out from my morning & evening routine but often it can be hard to see or feel the actual effects. From about the 3rd day of using this Elizabeth Grant Serum my skin felt so smooth and looked plumper. It feels lovely and silky and once applied its absorbed quickly in to my skin, I like to massage two pumps into my skin in the evening and I then apply my night cream on top. I don’t use this during the day as I find it a little too rich and think it works better for me at a night serum.

Elizabeth Grant Eye Cream

The Elizabeth Grant Collagen Re-Inforce Platinum 24hr Firming Eye Cream* is working wonders for me too, it looks like a cream in the jar but once you apply it to your skin it feels like a gel. It absorbs very quickly and is instantly smoothing, which is why I like to use it in the morning as I find it wears very well under makeup & provides a smooth base for concealer. The gel like consistency means its not greasy on your skin. You get a whopping 30ml of product & thats quite a lot for an eye cream this is going to keep me going for a while. I wouldn’t say is diminishes fine lines or firms the skin but it does feel hydrating it makes a nice primer for my concealer.

The other 3 products I am still trying out so expect reviews on those in the coming months. Let me know if you have tried this brand & if any of the range works for you. If you want to see more of the range you can here. Also Ideal world do lots of great offers (make sure you keep your eyes peeled for those) as this 7 piece collection was £39.99 instead of £183.94.

These products have been sent to me for my consideration. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.