I was on the hunt for a setting powder that would lock down the grease on my oil-slick of a face. This certainly does that, far more so than my bareMinerals Invisible powder duo, which did next to nothing unfortunately….
While I find the loose setting powder format cumbersome, you do get the advantage of having SO much more product for the same price as a pressed setting powder. This Laura Mercier is even relatively affordable (per gram) compared to most other loose powders – a whopping 29g for £30, it will last forever. N.B. I got mine with 20% Student Discount on ASOS!
As for its performance, it certainly prevents oil from shining through in those gross bits of the face that can get super shiny, such as the middle of the forehead or around the nose. In the summertime, oil did still come through, but in Spring/Autumn/Winter and when I’m in the office, there’s no unfortunate shine in sight.
However, you have to be careful with this. I find it creases in my concealer (Glossier Stretch) under my eyes, and on my forehead it can get a liiiitle bit cakey, if I haven’t really buffed or sponged in my base that well. For that reason, I think a more hydrating loose powder (Hourglass, Becca, Charlotte Tilbury, for example…) would be better for anyone who isn’t as oily as me.
I still think this was worth the purchase, especially given how long it will last me and how little one needs to use of it for it to work.
Having used this bottle of serum up entirely, after applying every morning consistently, I believe it has made a noticeable, if slight, difference to the red marks on my face left over from spots.
Vitamin C is up there with retinol as a gold-standard skincare ingredient. It is believed to reduce age spots, dark marks and acne marks. While I can’t speak for the first two, I can say that my small red marks have gone down.
I can’t say it’s a particularly pleasant product to use, the smell is rather off putting and due to the high percentage, it can sting a little. I used it under my hydrating serum every morning straight after I had cleansed.
A Vitamin C at this strength for this price is impressive (£10 for 30ml from Victoria Health). It’s great for people, like me, in their 20s or early 30s, who want something that will start them off on the Vitamin C train without costing the earth.
I think I’ll try the Pixi Vitamin C tonic next, but I would definitely not rule out repurchasing this in the near future.
I have been through 3 of these. THREE. That is how much I rate this product. Given my ghostly visage, I use the shade fair/light. This is the only bronzer I have ever used which I find to be appropriate for my skin tone. It adds a golden-hued warmth and glow. There is absolutely nothing orange or muddy about it. It is perfect for those who wear the palest foundation shades, like myself, but built up, can also create a proper sunkissed glow to a slightly darker (than my own) skin tone.
It comes in multiple shades, although I can’t speak for how those work on much darker skin tones. What I’m sure unites all the shades is its ability to be built up from just a hint of warmth to a golden tan, without looking muddy or fake. It also lasts on the skin well, and has enough glow (not obvious sparkle) in it that it would be beautiful on dry skins, acting as a sort of illuminator.
It comes in at £25, although I have always managed to get at least 20% off on Asos, Look Fantastic, Feel Unique etc. It lasts a good while, at 7g, but not so long that you get bored by using it!
I cannot rave about this enough. I use it with my Real Techniques Powder Bleu B01 Brush (why are these not available any more!!!) on a daily basis, and could not live without it.
The Lanolips Tinted Lip Balm with SPF30 makes for a glossy (but not sticky), nourishing swipe of relatively pigmented sheeny colour. The shade ‘Perfect Nude’ would suit most skintones I expect, and is a classic ‘your lips but better’ shade.
The addition of SPF30 is great, unsurprising given the brand’s aussi roots. The idea is that the key ingredient throughout the brand, lanolin, acts as a conditioner for the lips, it moisturises and softens, without drying them out in the long run, as is the case with petroleum jelly based lip products.
I find this to be affordable (£9 for 12.5g, and widely available), and easy to wear, given its forgiving, sheeny nature and pretty, natural shade, making it a go-to day to day lip product.
HOWEVER. If you keep applying this, as you would a regular lip balm (at least how I would – I’m a lip balm addict), it builds up on the lips in a rather unpleasant, cakey way. It almost latches onto any dead skin, turning it bright pink. This is very disappointing, and for that reason, I only apply it a couple of times a day for the colour as opposed to the nourishing lip balm properties. My Dior Lip Glow remains my everyday tinted balm of choice.
This has to be the best lasting eyeshadow I have ever tried. EVERYTHING creases on me. I absolutely have to use eye primer (I think I have abnormally greasy and wrinkly eyelids for a 22 year old…) and even then, all eyeshadows crease after half a day. Aside from this one.
I can happily wear no primer, and by the end of the day, the pigment of this cream eyeshadow is intact. For that, it must be applauded.
I bought the shade ‘Gig’ given that it was described as a bronze, which it is, but I was expecting a warmer, truer, perhaps more golden bronze. This bronze is erring on the side of silver, with cool shimmer running through it. Nevertheless, it is still pretty, but I personally tend to opt for warmer hues.
I got this on Cult Beauty when Milk were having some sort of offer on, but even full priced, I’d say given how little product you need to achieve a gorgeous, full-on shadow look, and how much product you get, this product is a bit of a bargain.
I apply with a finger, but I sometimes will use a fluffy brush to round off the edges. The application is super quick and simple, it can easily be applied on the train etc. However, the pigment is so long-lasting, that you have to wash it off your fingers straight away!
This skin perfecting liquid exfoliant serves to resurface the skin via the Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA), salicylic. As opposed to say glycolic acid, which is soluble in water, salicylic is soluble in oil. This means it’s attracted to oil, and can penetrate deeper into pores, thus unblocking them, eating away at dead skins cells which can cause congested pores and spots.
Paula’s Choice’s offering is the best salicylic acid I’ve ever used, and I use it religiously every other night, before niacinamide serum and on nights when I’m not using a retinol. Acids are meant to work better at night, away from sunlight, as the exfoliation and removal of skin cells makes the skin more sensitive when exposed to the sun.
This leaves my skin incredibly soft and smooth, and as free of blackheads and spots as it has ever been, with help of my antibiotics. I could not be without it, and prefer the feel of a liquid toner than the 2% BHA Gel in the same range, which I used for more targeted application on spots.
This will set you back £26 for 118ml, however it can be bought on offer on Look Fantastic and even the Paula’s Choice website. I would highly recommend for anyone with oily and or spot prone skin to keep the oil production in check and maintain smooth and clear complexion.
I recently bought this cleanser upon the recommendation of Nadine Baggott in her video about tackling spots. She suggests a hydrating, gel-based cleanser for morning and after removing make-up in the evening. It’s non-foaming, very affordable, fragrance-free and unisex. It would be great on spotty skins, as it will gently hydrate, without overloading the skin as a cream cleanser might, or stripping, as a foaming cleanser or clay cleanser might. It just leaves the skin clean and balanced.
It is quite dull packaging, I must say, and I do find myself going for a pump of it thinking it’s hand soap quite often.
However, it does not leave the skin feeling tight or thirsty one bit after cleansing, most likely due to the hylauronic acid it contains. No other gel or clay cleanser I’ve tried leaves my skin feeling hydrated as this does. For this reason, it fits in really well to a very stripped back skincare routine, as it sort of does several jobs at once. It would be perfect for teens getting into skincare who need something cheap and no frills to do the job.
It will remove make-up, but I prefer to use my Clinique Take The Day Off balm and follow by a small pump of this in the evening. It won’t set you back more than £10 for 200ml, and £14 for a bigger bottle. It honestly would suit everyone, and I love it, despite its lack of glamour!
These sprays by Bumble and Bumble aim to give you that lived-in, beachy look, which I’m always after. You apply both to damp hair and tousle through, the foam spray, however, needs proper rubbing in, as it’s half-foam, half-salt spray, and can go very crispy when it’s not settled properly.
I would say the foam spray definitely delivers more in terms of volume, it really acts like a mousse would, without any of the faff, and also adds grit and salty texture. The surf spray I have used up, but I can’t say it makes a massive difference to the texture of my hair when dried, unless you really go ham with it, but at £20 a bottle I’m reluctant to do that. It works quite well overnight with damp, plaited hair and makes for fairly textured waves in the morning.
The foam spray costs £24, although both can be found with discounts on Look Fantastic and Feel Unique, but makes a more discernible difference.
As I had just repurchased my second bottle of the It Cosmetics CC+ cream, I thought I’d write about the current base products I have in my stash. As we’re on the topic of the It cosmetics, I’ll start with that. First of all, this is definitely a foundation as opposed to a CC, BB or tinted moisturiser. The coverage is excellent, medium I would say, but can be light if you use less and can be built up. What’s amazing is its radiance, with no compromises on the coverage. I have very oily skin, to the point where if I touch my forehead at around 2pm, I can feel the oil (yuck…). The glowiness of this product does not deter me, and in fact, it does a good job of finding a balance between radiance and mattifying properties. It does last on my skin well, synergises with the skin beautifully and makes me feel put together and just generally nice. I’m not a huge fan of the scent, although my first bottle definitely smelled more lemony than this one does, perhaps they’ve toned the lemon down…I wear the shade fair, I did have the shade light as I was so desperate to get my hands on it and fair was perpetually out of stock, so I bought light anyway! I almost always wear the fairest shade of any foundation, so light was too dark for me, I just had to really really blend to make it look sort of ok, and I was a bit more tanned at that point in any case. It retails for £30, so is fairly spenny but I, like everyone else, love it!
YSL All Hours foundation, in the shade B10, is my going out/fancy foundation. This is definitely a more full on base, and manages to last incredibly well (as the name suggests). I don’t, however, feel that it looks cakey or hugely matte really. It’s matte enough for it to be able to last, one can feel it setting on the skin, but I don’t feel like any natural radiance/glow is inhibited by it, as my natural oils do still come through later one, just in a more controlled and delayed manner. The scent of YSL foundations is lovely. I’ve had the Touche Eclat foundation as well, which I honestly found to be quite meh…Neither glowly nor sheer nor long-lasting. I managed to get the All Hours for either 15% or 20% off from John Lewis, they do their price match quite regularly and I love buying beauty from them. YSL always seems to be discounted on LookFantastic as well, so despite the hefty price tag, a deal can be sniffed out.
Now, I have temporarily put the Nars Velvet Matte skin tint to the side in favour of the It cosmetics. I had been wearing it in winter, but was finding that it was just that little bit too matte (I know, I have oily skin, I just can’t help but want to want that sweaty complexion kind of look…) I think for summer, when my skin is a literal oil slick, I will reach for this once more. It should then be the perfect base, as it’s still light and sits beautifully on the skin, but my natural oils will come through quicker than they do in winter. I wear the shade Terre Neuve, the palest, and it’s perfect for me. I don’t mean to say that this is a cakey or full coverage base, far from it. It’s light, provides a natural amount of coverage, perfect for everyday use, but if I had dry skin I’m not sure I would bother with this, as it does really keep the oil in check. I also made my way through a bottle of the Nars Sheer Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, which I ADORE. It’s so juicy and glowy, while still providing a good amount of coverage. That is definitely on my list to repurchase, maybe next winter when I’m in need of a bit of life and sheen on my skin. This is £30, but is sold on Asos so I can use my student discount, and Cult Beauty often send out 15% off codes, so again, don’t pay full price for it!
My two concealers are the Nars Soft Matte Complete concealer, and for under the eyes, the Glossier Stretch. The former, is PERFECT for spots. Long-lasting, natural, not cakey, it just meshes with the skin so well. It’s great for pin point concealing any blemishes or marks, but is far too dry for under the eyes. Everyone seems to love this concealer, and I don’t blame them – this is my second pot. They last for yonks, too. I have got the shade Light 1 Chantilly, although my first point was the second lightest shade, Vanilla, and that worked for me too. Again, grab a pot of this with a discount on Asos or Cult Beauty.
I have perpetually dark circles (they’re genetic, unfortunately), and after years of using salicylic acid and prescription spot treatments, my eyes seem to be the only place on my face where the skin is quite dry. If I don’t hydrate my skin properly with my Hyaluronic Acid serum, or slip out of using my favourite eye cream, the Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, I get flaky skin under my eyes. This concealer is juicy and sheer and radiant enough to work under my eyes, covering my bags such that they still sort of peep through, but look (and feel) hydrated and and a lot more well-rested. The shade light is a little dark for me, but as it’s not full coverage it doesn’t matter, and Glossier have since released more shades. This too lasts ages. I do use it on the rest of my face if I just want an undone, slap dash sort of vibe, but generally the Nars for my blemish marks and Glossier under the eyes work a treat for me. Glossier Stretch retails for £15, but you can get 10% off your first order with Glossier.
I’ll start by giving some background on my skin. I first started getting spots when I was around 14 or so, which is totally normal. They were average teenage spots, they only happened on occasion, and I never really thought about them.
THEN I hit 16/17, and the spots were bad. I mean, 10 cysts in each eyebrow kind of bad. I was covered in angry cysts, mainly around my chin and cheeks, with one especially nasty bout in my eyebrows. I even got a recurring infected cyst, which swelled to the size of a small grape at the end of my eyebrow on several occasions. I also had perpetual bacne – delightful.
I went straight to the doctors, was eventually referred to the NHS dermatologist, where they offered me Roaccutane. At the time, I was put off by not being able to wear contact lenses, go in the sun, or drink, as I was coming to the end of Upper 6th and would soon be going to uni. So, I went for Dianette instead.
Dianette managed to get rid of the nastiest painful cysts in large quantities, and cleared up my back completely. However, spots have stayed with me ever since. I went off Dianette due to the effect it had on my mood, but went back on it in the winter of my 2nd year at uni, when my skin got much worse again.
Basically, it comes and goes, but I always have at least 3/4 spots on the go when my skin is at its best, most of the time at least one of those is a cyst, and a lot of the time I’ll have more. I am also bad for picking, and scar easily, so have been left with a smattering of red marks over my face. Luckily, the scars aren’t pitted, so I shouldn’t complain!
In the last few months, I was put on Lymecycline by my GP, as a last resort before Roaccutane, and that has been going very well – my skin is the best it has ever been, but I think that is definitely to do with my having figured out an excellent spotty/oily skin skincare routine….
Paula’s Choice Clear Extra Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution with 2% Salicylic Acid: the name is a mouthful, but this is i n c r e d i b l e. In my 5 years of skincare exploration, and on my quest to battle spots, this is the single best thing I have found which properly keeps spots at bay, and aides their healing. It also keeps the skin incredibly smooth and soft. Well worth the £26 (it’s always on offer on Look Fantastic, though). I apply this every evening, after I’ve cleansed, with my hands. If using this, it’s important to apply SPF in the morning!
Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant: this is better for targeted application, for especially large spots. I prefer a liquid to a gel exfoliant, but this is good nevertheless and will last me for ages.
Ren Cream Clay Cleanser: check out my post on my favourite cleansers for more on this! It’s my favourite, perfect AM and second PM, lovely scent, gentle and effective.
La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +: this is most definitely a cult classic. I actually did not realise until I had got through a bottle of this that this is a very light moisturiser, I don’t know if I was the only one but it’s not too clear from the packaging! I was using it as a targeted spot treatment, for which it is not strong enough. As a moisturiser, however, it’s delightfully light, dries quickly, and contains spot fighting and scar minimising ingredients such as salicylic acid. I especially love the SPF version as my summer moisturiser, it’s so light and helps spots along, doesn’t make my skin feel greasy or congested, which is key in a sweaty summer. In winter, I prefer something like the Clinique Moisture Surge, which is still light and jelly-like, but super super hydrating.
Glossier Super Greens Galaxy Pack: I have spoken about this in my Glossier post, I would say it is a fairly decent clay mask, it’s good for making your skin feel a bit firmer and cleaner, but nothing to write home about.
Garden of Wisdom’s Niacinamide Serum: this is properly affordable and I am on my second bottle. Niacinamide is known for reducing the appearance of scars, and combatting spots through oil regulation. I found this to be better than the Ordinary’s offering of niacinamide, and notice a difference in my skin when I don’t use it. It definitely helps maintain a smooth texture of skin, and I have noticed that my spots heal quicker with it. You can buy it on Victoria Health, and it’s £9. I use it morning and night.
Pai Rosehip Oil: I adore this oil, it really makes my skin feel soft, supple, and comforted. Warning – it does make your pillow a bit yellow! I pat in a few drops at the end of my routine in the evening, and it hydrates, comforts and feels nourishing and healing, rather than heavy and too oily. It smells gorgeous, and is really reasonably priced for such a lovely face oil. Check out Look Fantastic for it, it seems to be on offer often too.
A313 Retinol: now, I don’t want to get into prescription retinols. Go to Caroline Hirons, she knows a lot more than I do! I bought this off Amazon on the recommendation of the Anna Edit (absolute babe), and have since been using it every evening. You MUST wear SPF in the day with this. I honestly think this is the best Vitamin A product I’ve ever used. I used Epiduo for years, which has Adapalene in it (a form of retinol), along with Benzoyl Peroxide. Eventually, my skin became so used to it it had no effect, after years of using it on prescription. As a result, my skin has become very, very resilient, and totally hardy against strong ingredients and prescription strength topical treatments. A313 actually has, combined with antibiotics, been key in my skin clearing up. I really notice when I don’t use it, my skin feels soft as a baby’s in the morning and my red marks are slowly fading. Plus, I’m not getting new scars from the minimal spots I do get. I hope that after persevering long-term with this, my acne marks will be diminished.
35mm Beauty 