Double Cleanse Pixi X Caroline Hirons

In the last few years, I've become a skincare junkie! I'm always trying to better my skincare, having suffered with acne for over 10 years, I'm very selective in the skincare I use. I've followed Caroline Hirons for a while too, she's a skincare genius and when I heard that she was teaming up with Pixi, a raved about skincare brand, I knew I had to try whatever she was making. She created a double cleanse product. I'm a big fan of double cleansing so I was thrilled to see this is what she was creating.

For anyone who is unaware of what double cleansing actually is, it's essentially cleaning your skin twice. For example, if I was to remove my makeup with either an oil cleanser or a micellar water, that would be my first cleanse.The first cleanse is to remove SPF, moisturiser from the morning, makeup etc. Then I would go ahead and cleanse my skin a second time with maybe a foam or cream cleanser. The second cleanse is to actually clean the skin.

So overall my thoughts on the product, the packaging is really nice, the tub is divided into two halves in a ying yang design. Half of the tub is a hard balm that when applied to the face or hands, melts almost immediately and the other half a cleansing cream. The balm/oil is really nice, it doesn't feel greasy, doesn't leave any residue and it removes my makeup really well. It doesn't budge my Inglot 77 gel liner, but not much does. The cream cleanser is lovely too. It's a little heavier than you'd expect but I really like it.

It does what it says on the tin, or rather, lovely packaging, but I'm not sure I'll repurchase it. I ordered it from Beauty Bay for €30.95. I found I went through it really quickly, especially the balm half. I actually used the cream cleanser half as my morning cleanser too and both halves ran out, pretty much at the same time. I reckon, you'd probably get about 6 - 8 weeks with this, depending on how much balm you need to remove your makeup. I like that it's a very simple product, it's not complicated. It's unscented and it's good for your skin. And while I like the product, I just don't love it, I can't put my finger on it, so I'm not sure I'd repurchase. However, if you need a cleanser that is very simple and has good ingredients then this is definitely worth checking out!

Erin X

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Shiseido Ibuki Cleanser Review

I had never tried anything from Shiseido before trying this cleanser and it certainly made a great first impression of the brand. I received this as part of goody bag at an event and I was delighted with it. It was a big decent size and lasted me ages.

This cleanser is from the IBUKI range. It's a cream cleanser that foams up when you add a little water. It is fragranced but doesn't make my sensitive skin react in any way. It smells beautiful, fresh and somewhat floral. I'm not big on skincare that has an overpowering scent to it but this is actually beautiful.

The Pros

• It gives you a really squeaky clean feeling
• It doesn't leave a greasy residue
• A little goes a very long way, a pea sized amount will do your entire face
• It feels super rich and luxurious
• It suits all skin types
• You can use it both morning and night
• It does it's job!

The Cons

• I actually don't have anything negative to say about this cleanser except maybe the price is a bit steep. It's €38.50 for 125ml. However I do think it's worth it and it will last you absolutely ages.
• It's difficult to find online, your best bet is to go into a store and find it, I've seen it in Debenhams and Shaws. The only place I seen it online was on feel unique! 

Overall
I personally love using it with my electronic cleansing brush as it lathers up really well and leaves my skin super soft and smooth. This is definitely a cleanser that I think is worth the money and lives up to the hype. I definitely will be repurchasing it as some stage.

SO have you tried this cleanser? Or anything else from Shiseido's skincare range? Tell me your thoughts in the comments! 

Erin X 

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Kinvara Absolute Cleansing Oil Review

Over the last two years my love for cleansing oils have grown and grown. I now pretty much only using cleansing oils to remove my makeup. Micellar water is grand and all but I just never find it as good as a cleansing oil. Over the last year, there's pretty much only been one oil that I've been using and that is the Kinvara Absolute Cleansing Oil.

How do you use it? Pump 1 or 2 drops onto your hands, warm it up slightly and apply it directly do your face. I usually use about 3 pumps as my eye makeup can be really heavy! I then message it onto my face for a minute or so and then wash it off with a hot face cloth. Make sure it is quite hot as I find if you use cold water or lukewarm water the oil almost sets or turns into a solid balm. You get a much better cleanse when the water is slightly hotter!

The oil is completely free of preservatives as it only contains plant oil extracts. The ingredients include, Sunflower oil, Sesame Oil,Watermelon oil, Thistle Oil, Rosemary Oil, Orange Peel Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, Cedar Wood Oil, Eucalyptus Oil and some essential oils too.  As you can see it's all organic.

I'm a big fan of the packaging too. The bottle contains 100ml of product. The bottle itself is a really hard plastic so there's no worrying about breaking it. It has a very handy pump and you can turn it left and right to open and close the pump, which means it's super easy to travel with.

Why do I like it? It is really good at removing makeup. It takes off my Inglot gel liner in no time and saves me scrubbing my face as it melts away the makeup. It also takes off all my mascara easily and best yet it doesn't leave my eyes feeling cloudy, which is a problem I've had with lots of oils. My face always feels clean and soft afterwards. It never feels dry or tight! To be honest, it's just a pure joy to use!

I'm now almost finished my second bottle and will 100% be picking up a third bottle. I haven't tried any other product from Kinvara but I am eager to try the rest of the range after having such a great result with this. The Absolute Cleansing Oil is €22.95 and can be bought HERE on their own website or in pharmacies nationwide.I picked mine up in a local pharmacy as they have a student discount!

Have you tried anything from Kinvara? Have you ever used a cleansing oil? 

Erin X

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My Current Favourite Products

You may or may not have noticed that last month was the first month since starting YouTube that I didn't upload a favourites video. The reason for this was simply because I felt like I was being forced to like 6-10 new products every month. I hadn't bought any new products and I was enjoying using up the products that were already in my stash and that I had talked about in numerous videos. Instead of boring you I didn't upload a video. So now it's been just over two months since I last shared what I've loved using recently I thought it was about time to put a post together!

Isadora Face Sculptor is one of my all time favourites products. It has a bronzer, blush and highlight and comes in the perfect size for travelling. The bronzer works really well for people who have pale skin like me because it's not too dark or overpowering. It does have a slight shimmer to it but it's not very noticeable once it's applied. The blush is a gorgeous rosey pink colour. A little will go a long way, I usually add a tiny bit and build it up. The highlighter....wow...just wow!!! This highlight is just amazing, it's lovley for daytime makeup or natural makeup because there's no chunky glitter in it, it quite literally looks like a glow from within with a little shimmer on top! Absolutely love it!

NYX Pore Filler and Shine Killer have been a staple since I recieved them. I even wrote a full post on the Shine Killer here. They perform very similarly except that the pore filler feels more like a mouse than the silcone feeling of the Shine Killer. The Pore Filler is also pigmented and the Shine Killer isn't. I've really been loving them both and rarely put on makeup without one of these under it as a base.

PS. Colour Correcting Palette is something that I've been reaching for it more and more lately. I've even hit pan on it. For €2.50 I'm going to go and stock up soon. As I mentioned in this post, I only ever really use the green shade in any of the colour correcting palettes, regardless of brand as I use it to counteract any redness on my face. I love this one from Pennys, it's light cream that's easy to blend, covers your redness but isn't so strongly pigmented that it breaks through your foundation.

B.O.N Liquid Gold is a body oil that I have been obsessed with, none of my body creams have gotten a look in since I started using it. it's an oil that feels really hydrating but it's think or sticky. I apply it just before bed at night and right after the shower. It gives a very slight glow to your skin. It makes it look really healthy. It is supposed to be really good for healing acne scars, stretch marks and loads of other things so I'll keep you posted if I notice any dramatic changes from using it.

Seventeen Stay Time Concealer is a product that I didn't really like at first. I don't find it has great coverage and for someone who suffers with acne, that's not ideal. However I really started using it under my eyes as I ran out of my NYX HD concealer and I have been so impressed by it. It's quite a light consistency so it doesn't cake up under the eyes or sit in any fine lines. It just brightens up the area which is exactly what I want it to do.

Isadora Nude Sensation Fluid Foundation is another product that I didn't like when I first started using it, I've only really started liking it in the past two weeks, but last weekend I opted for this foundation over my all time holy grail Seventeen Stay Time. SO to me that proved that I must actually really like it. I find the best way to apply it is by applying your concealer first, then foundation. I don't know why but it just sits so much better. It is quite full coverage and does feel a bit heavy on the skin. But I'm used to that so yeah, really liking so far.

Dramatic lips is something I've been doing a lot recently. I think after Winter I was so happy to start using bright colourful lip colours, but it's been a good few months now and I'm finding myself being drawn back to my deep plums and dark shades. Two lipsticks that I've been drawn to in particular have been MAC 'Diva' and NYX 'Dirthy Talk' Diva is a gorgeous pupley plum red shade and Dirty Talk is a really dark brown, kinda similar to the colour of Nutella...yup I just compared lipstick to nutella!

Lastly the Shiseido Ibuki Gentle Cleanser is something that I have been obsessed with. It's a cream cleanser that foams up a little and acts like a gel cleanser. My face is always squeaky clean after using it. It does feel a little dry and tight afterwards, not enough that it's uncomfortable, but definitely use a good moisturiser with it!

And that's it folks! My fave products of late! What have you been loving recently?!

Erin X

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The Best Micellar Water ?

I'm back with another battle and this time it's between Micellar waters. It seems in the last year they have become increasingly popular and so many brands have come out with their own version. So how do we to know which ones are the best? Well I've tried and tested a few popular ones and the results are in...

Up first we have probably one of the most popular micellar waters, the Garnier Micellar water! Garnier have a few different types, depending on your skin type, I used to have the pink bottle but found it very very drying on my skin. I just didn't get the hype about it at the time, then I tried the green/blue bottle as in the picture above and it was completely different, in a good way. It is aimed towards people with combination to oily and sensitive skin. I have normal to combination skin and it is quite sensitive so it's the option that suited me the most. Mt thoughts? I like it, I don't love it. I use it to remove makeup and it does the job perfectly. I never really use it as a cleanser unless I am being ridiculously lazy. This is actually probably my fourth bottle, they're available in Boots and Pennys and selected pharmacies. They range in price form about €4 to €8. I definitely would repurchase it if I needed to and by that I mean if I didn't have access to buying one of the others (the simple one).

Next up is Bioderma, who have been in Ireland just over a year now. When they first launched their micellar water, there was major major hype about it. I was gifted a small bottle like the one in the picture, at an event. I had heard so much about it, I couldn't wait to test it. But when I did I found myself quite disappointed. Now don't get me wrong, it's a great little product, it completely removes your makeup, your skin doesn't feel dry afterwards, but it was still just a micellar water. I don't know what I was expecting, but after hearing some much hype around it, I thought it would remove your makeup and then some. This is now my second sample bottle that I was also gifted and this time round, not having great expectations, I actually really liked it. At the end of the day,it's still micellar water. It leaves your face feeling clean and soft and what more could you ask for really ?

Le Mara Micellar water is by far the biggest disappointment. I really wanted to like this product, everything seemed great, it's made by an Irish company in the west, it's very affordable at €4.99, it contains things like organic sea minerals & extracts & vitamin B, there's no perfume, no parabens and no alcohol. But it stings my face like nothing else! I'm genuinely surprised I didn't have a reaction to it. My face felt very warm and uncomfortable, it's very very drying, it hurt my eyes so much  and doesn't smell very nice either. If you have sensitive skin like me give this one a miss!

I have saved the best for last, yes that's right it's the Simple Micellar water! My favourite! I picked this up because I read somewhere, a tweet maybe, that the simple micellar water was miles better than the Garnier one. So off I went to investigate which was better. I am thrilled that I picked it up, it's just amazing! What I love about it is the simplicity of it (they clearly stuck to their branding on this one) It's quite simply feels like water, not like the others, but like actual water. It doesn't smell funny, it doesn't sting my eyes and best of all, it works really really well. I only need a small amount to remove both my face and eye makeup. My skin feels fresh and squeaky clean after using it. The only downer about it is that the bottle it comes in is 200mls and I find myself running through it very quickly but at €3.99, it could be worse!

There are still a lot more Micellar waters out there that I haven't tried...yet! So tell me what's your favorite and why? 

Erin X

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My Favourite Face Masks

I like lots of different masks and use them quite regularly, depending on what my skin needs. After years of trial and error I have finally found 3 face masks that my skin loves no matter what state it's in...

First up is my all time favourite, Mask of Magnaminty from Lush. I did a full review on it HERE. I love it because, it smells incredible and my skin always feels good afterwards. My skin is brighter the next day and it stops any blemishes in its tracks. It cost just under €10 which blows my mind because it is just amazing and seems to be really popular! I also love how all of the face masks from Lush are made there in the store by one of their staff members!

Quick Fix Facials Purifying Charcoal Mask is another firm favourite for when my skin is acting up or when my skin is just looking dull. It clears out any congested areas and leaves your skin looking much brighter and healthier. It is also super quick, only 8-10 minutes and the magic is done. I notice the biggest difference in my skin the day after I use it. It's softer, smoother, makeup applies better and it just looks nicer.

I had been on the hunt for a good hydration mask for months and then Shiseido Firming Face Mask came into my life. A game changer. You apply it to your face after you've cleansed it, be sure that your skin is dry. Message it into your skin. At first there will be little orange/red exfoliating balls in it,but after you message it into your skin, they disappear. After only 3 minutes, wipe it all away with a dry cleansing pad. Your skin will feel so refreshed and hydrated afterwards.

There you have it my favourite face masks, what's yours ?

Erin X

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Botanics Hydration Burst Cleanser Review

Gel cleansers are fast becoming one of my favourite types of cleansers and this hydration burst cleanser from Botanics might be the reason why. Especially after removing my makeup I just feel that gel cleansers are the way to go if you want that squeaky clean feeling!

This was my first time to use anything from the Botanics skincare range and I was not disappointed. As I mentioned above, I love gel cleansers but this one is a little different. It is applied it to dry skin as a gel but once its on your skin it changes into an oil and once you add a little water to message it into your face, it emulsifies. It's also like a gel balm in a way. I tend to use this when I'm in the shower as I find it works great with my cleansing brush or as a second cleanse after removing makeup. It is specifically designed for dehydrated and sensitive skin.

Unlike other gel cleanser or even balm cleansers it doesn't leave your skin feeling dry or tight afterwards, but your skin will still feel squeaky clean. However I don't necessarily feel like it gives you a hydration burst, I just think it doesn't strip your face of oils. Which of course is a good thing. I still feel like I need my serums and moisturisers after using this. For me that's no problem and I would use them regardless.

It is suited to dehydrated and sensitive skin. It's lightly fragranced so it doesn't irritate my skin! This cleanser is priced at €8.29 and can be bought here online or in any Boots. Overall I really like the cleanser, I'm almost finished it now and would definitely repurchase!

Have you tried anything from Botanics?

Erin X

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ALDI Cleansing Brush Review

I have always wanted a facial cleansing brush ever since I knew what they were and what they did. Unfortunately the ones I found were all above €100 (yes I'm looking at you clarisionic, mia and all the rest). As a student, I could never justify it. So when I spotted this beauty one day in Aldi for only €15.99 I just had to try it. And I'm delighted I did, it's an amazing product at a fantastic price.

The brush is a really good size, it fits perfectly in your hand, it's not too heavy and runs on batteries.

It comes with six attachments, three brushes, a facial messager, a soft sponge and a wrinkle reducer. I have used the brushes and think that they are really good, they are all different. There is 1 sensitive brush, 1 normal brush and one dermabrasion brush.  I'm still only using the sensitive one as I have quite sensitive skin and don't feel a harsher brush would do my skin any good. As for the facial messager, sponge and wrinkle reducer, I actually haven't used them, they're not my thing, if you're into messaging your face I'm sure they're quite good. 

You turn it on and off by simply sliding the button up and down. When switched on it vibrates and you can then start cleaning your face. The brushes simply clip on and off so they're really easy to change and swap. I use it in the shower and have had no problems with it, even though it doesn't claim to waterproof, in my experience it is. I only use gel cleansers with the brush as I feel you get the most from it. I love the Neostrata Ultra Brightening cleanser and the Botanics Hydration Burst cleanser as they emulsify when in they come in contact with water. I think gel cleaners are the best fit for a brush like this one.

Overall I have only positive things to say about this cleansing brush. It leaves your skin feeling smooth and soft, it isn't too harsh on my sensitive skin and I can use it in the shower. I use it about 2-3 times weekly and have found my skin to be much clearer and the texture of my skin to be much smoother since starting to use it.  For the price point you simply can't go wrong with this cleansing brush!

Have you ever tried out this or any other cleansing brushes? What are your thoughts ?

Erin X

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