What I Use for My Dry Skincare Routine?

Has winter lasted a year? My skin is not liking the wet and most definitely breezy weather we are having in the UK at the moment. (Standard British weather comment) I have had a complete shake up of my skin care over the past few months and currently loving the new products I have been using on my dry skin.
Estée Lauder Daywear Cream - I received this as part of a goodie back from Debenhams. One of the first Estee Lauder skincare products that I have tried and can tell the difference from more inexpensive products that I have previously tested out.  A really good consistency that had worked wonders for the dry patches around my nose without being too heavy or makes my makeup slide off my face.
No7 Protect and Perfect Intense Advance Nigh Cream - Never realised how long that name is. I was in need of a good night cream I had only really dabbled in the cheap and cheerful brands from the high street for night creams and so never truly got the hype. My skin has taken a beaten recently so I am so happy I found this, I love No 7 skincare  in general and can't believe I had tried this before.
Lancôme Tonique Douceur - Another new skin care brand for me. Debenhams had Lancôme on promotion so I thought I would pick a good toner up after I had run out of my beloved No 7 one. Really lightweight but works wonders my skin leaving it feeling clean, fresh and hydrated.
No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing brush. I bought this back in the Clarisonic hype days and I go through stages of using this. If you hold steady and go through the breakout phase I think these brushes are great I use mine when I have a shower and has really helped in exfoliating my dry skin.  I think this might be why I am loving applying my foundation at the moment, dry flaky skin doesn't go with Victoria Secret Glow.
Dermalogica Foam Wash - I have been using this with my No 7 Cleansing Brush. This does a great job of foaming and helping to deep cleanse the skin. I had a drawer of samples that I was working through when I noticed this little gem. I like products that have a more of a chemist look about them and Dermalogica is perfect for anyone that is really struggling with their skin.  It's a shame this is not as readily available as other face washes.

No7 City Lights Beauty Collection

No 7 is such a unique brand to me.  Not because I have some emotional connection or a quirky anecdote that I can share but their products very rarely disappoint.  I haven't tried any of their bath products that I can remember but some of my all time favourite makeup and skincare are No 7.  I was lucky enough to receive the No 7 City Lights Beauty Collection from my parents this year.Included was 250ml No7 Beautiful Skin Blissful Body Wash, like all of the No7 products this has a really fresh, clean scent that I don't think very many people would find offensive.
Bath - 200ml No7 Beautiful Skin Perfecting Body Polish which has a good amount of scrub that you know this will help exfoliate that skin though as all body scrubs I would not recommend for the face.  200ml No7 Protect and Perfect Intense Advanced Body Serum, leave your skin feeling so soft you just want to walk around stroking your own arm.       
Skincare - 50ml No7 Protect and Perfect Intense Advance Day Cream I have used this before and is a staple in my mums skincare routine too.  50ml No7 Protect and Perfect Intense Advance Night Crream, I was in need of a good night cream and you can feel the difference between the two creams. Perfect for my dry skin I already have noticed a positive difference.
Makeup - 30ml No7 Airbrush Away Primer great for making your makeup last longer but not silicon based like most primers this one helps to moisturise the skin as it prolongs your makeup.  10ml No7 Gel Finish Nail Polish in Deep Wine for me a great Winter colour but for those that get their nails done professionally probably not going to be a winner for them. 7ml No7 Midnight Lash Mascara in Black No7 mascaras are my favourite, the wands are perfect for lengthening and the formulas always last well on me so really happy there was one included.  Double bonus its in Black and not a wacky glittery purple.  Finally 2.8g No7 Lovely Lips Lip Balm in Parisian Pink again a fabulous addition for me as I prefer something light on my lips.  I was surprised not to see a matte formula included as they are super popular at the moment but I guess they went with the bestseller.
I love the presentation of this gift, as the name would suggest its a mini city creating a skyscraper effect with the different shape boxes. I was slightly shocked my Dad picked this up for me as the outside box is covered in black glitter, he was probably washing his hands for a week afterwards. 

There it is the No7 City Lights Collection a great present and I am sure Boots will have similar ones for mothers day and Christmas.

The Sunday Pamper - Emjoi Micro Pedi Rapid Hard Skin Remover

I know feet can be quite an awkward subject to talk about as they aren't the most glamorous body part. Every year I take the time to prep my feet and get them ready for the upcoming summer.  Ain't nobody got time for crusty heels on holiday. The Micro Pedi Rapid Hard Skin Remover is a battery operated gadget that removes hard and dead skin from the soles of your feet.  It contains a rough roller that spins round to file the areas that need attention. As you can see the rollers can be removed for cleaning the device and in order to replace the rollers once the roughness has gone.  There are three strengths of rollers that are available depending on how much TLC your feet needs Coarse, Extra Coarse and Super Coarse, The device comes with the Extra Coarse Roller.  

I use the Micro Pedi a couple of times a week maximum, be sure not to over buff the skin.  Usually I will give my feet a pamper before bed on a Sunday removing any nasty skin with the Micro Pedi then apply a thick moisturising cream or oil, pop on a pair of socks and go to sleep.  In the morning I wake up with soft, smooth skin.  Even though I saw results after the first use, this is not a miracle worker so I didn't expect to get perfect feet overnight. 

I have used various foot products to get them looking as normal as possible and this little device has by far been the best thing for them.  Though there is only one setting, the different strengths of rollers makes this product good for all types of feet. If you struggle with getting soft half-normal looking feet I would recommend the Emjoi Micro-Pedi, especially as there are always deals floating about on the Boots website.

Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

I haven't really spoken about Lush on my blog that much, compared to how much I love their products. I have been branching out and dipping my toe into the skincare whirlpool.  I say whirlpool because I know I am going to get sucked into their face masks and other lovely goodies.

Anyway, my nails have been in need of some serious TLC as of late, so I dug this little gem out of my skincare drawer.  Lush describe Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter, as a super-thick cream choc full of rich ingredients.  This feels so luxurious it is so creamy and thick and then as you massage it in turns into an oil. Because it turns into an oil it sinks quickly into the skin but you can still feel it working its magic.  I wouldn't usually be flaunting my nails about the internet but I think they are looking by far the best for a long time.  You don't just have to use the product on cuticles, the oil is designed to help very dry skin, which can be elbows, knees or even feet. 

Like always I have to comment on the scent, especially when it comes to Lush, this smells amazing.  It smells like sweet lemon tart and like other Lush products the scent doesn't fade as soon as you apply it to the skin which makes me look so weird when I go around smelling my fingers every 2 minutes. I also have to mention I have being using this everyday for months and there isn't even a dent in the amount of product.  A little definitely goes a long way and for £6.50 for 50g  I will keep repurchasing this product until they discontinue it.

Rituals Hand Balm - Ginkgo's Secret

Today I am reviewing Rituals Ginkgo's Secret Extra Rich and Repairing Hand Balm which retails for £10 for 75ml, but I got mine with a 25% discount. 
Firstly I would like to apologize for the state of this product, my blogging ways still haven't got any better and should really know by now to photograph a product before putting it in my handbag for it to be bullied by all the rubbish in there.

Way back in November I was in Rituals buying a present for my mum and I was having a sniff around. As you do. And I ended up leaving with a brand new hand cream.  I don't know how it happened to be honest as I'm not really a massive hand cream fan. 

Anyway, I believe I was taken in by the scent. It smells AMAZING, like not even like oohh this is alright. No! A-MAZ-ING! You know when you see holidays being advertised and there is always someone being massaged? This is how I imagine that massage to smell. Ok, bit weird but you get what I mean. Not at all overpowering the scent is more elegant than anything. 

Quality wise I think this holds its ground. It is rich, thick and creamy which sinks into the skin beautifully and doesn't leave that annoying sticky residue. My hands always feel so soft after using this product, it definitely soothes rough, dry skin. I love the packaging as well. Simple yet really effective. Also, who doesn't like it when skincare comes in a box?

This cream contains Ginseng, which according to the box is a symbol for immortality, I am assuming this is what the healing ingredient is, and Ginkgo Biloba which is used to strengthen the blood vessels. I used to keep this in my handbag, as I mentioned, but now I keep this by my bed and apply it every night before going to sleep. I feel I get better results this way as our bodies work the most at night repairing skin cells and all that lovely stuff it does for us. So due to the fact it has healing ingredients, logically I think it should be used to aid our natural healing process.

I haven't tried too many things from Rituals but what I have tried, I have loved. Their products are so luxurious, I think they are perfect as gifts or even to treat yourself.  I really love the Pink range too called Ayurveda (good luck asking for that). A brilliant thing about Rituals is that they always seem to have some form of offer going on.

Relaxing Day At The Spa

All the way back on my 21st birthday, my amazing friends surprised me with a voucher for a facial and aromatherapy massage at a Dove Spa.  A couple of weeks ago I booked my session and off I went to be pampered. It was my first professional massage so I didn't really know what to expect. 

When I first arrived I was shown to a seating area and had to fill out a form. It was just checking for health problems or if I have had any surgery. The waiting room was lovely and fresh looking. There were some sale products on a little table which I had a look at and a jug of water for us to help ourselves to. I felt relaxed as soon as I walked in there.

I then had a skin diagnostic, these are free and available to anyone I believe. I found this so interesting and I'm not a big skincare buff. A little machine was used to test the hydration, moisture, skin pigmentation and skin elasticity. I also answered some general lifestyle and skin questions so that the sensitivity of my skin was analysed.  I found the elasticity of my skin the most fascinating, and the woman could tell me what side of my body I slept on due to the skin on the side of my face. I was told that based on the tests and question, my 'skin age' (it's too embarrassing to say) and that I should be wearing a minimum SPF of 30. The results showed that I should be using products more suited to my dry skin as the moisturiser that I am currently using is for sensitive skin. I was really impressed with this service and everything was explained nice and clearly for me.

I went on to have my aromatherapy massage which was definitely the best half an hour of my life. The woman that I had was really friendly so I felt really comfortable and at ease.  She asked me if there was a certain place on my back that I would like more attention with, and I told her that I had been having really back neck ache. It was weird because she moved something in my neck, and she told me that it was a knot and my neck felt very tense. I found out I had lots of knots in my neck and back so that would be why I kept pulling my neck out when I stretched. Since I've had my massage I haven't had any pain my neck at all, some people might think it's all psychological, but I honestly believe she has helped it 100%.

Lastly, I had a facial, to be honest I preferred my back massage. I think there are more techniques that can be used on the back, whereas the face is smaller so all the motions are relatively the same. I did really enjoy it though and she used some really nice products on me. I was so relaxed and I loved having the hot towel wrapped over my face (I'm being serious). I would recommend both of these treatments I was really very impressed.

As I said there were products that were used during my facial, and these were chosen by the woman to match my skin type, so this is why the skin diagnostic is important. She also recommended to me various products that she thought would be really good for me and my skin. I was interested in the eye cream as she had scared me a little about my wrinkles. I did feel that they pushed the products a little bit which is what let the whole experience down.

I obviously don't know how much the whole thing cost as it was a present but for more information visit the Dove Spa Website. There are 21 spas across the country, for me I did have to travel a bit as there it's one immediately near me, but it was worth it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and would definitely book again. I think this is a lovely gift for a friend or mum. I am also very grateful to my friends for this experience, I honestly just expected a card a maybe a drink from one or two of them. They really surprised me and I love them all for it.

No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser

2012 was the year of the Hot Cloth Cleanser, Liz Earle being the main favourite. I didn't dive head first in to this craze as I wanted to test the water and see whether I liked the idea of the product.  This product comes with a muslin cloth and can be used on all skin types and is hypo-allergenic.

With the No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser you massage a pump full on to dry skin. Sometimes I would have already removed my makeup and want to use it just to cleanse the skin, but sometimes I will use it to remove my makeup especially my eye makeup. It is really gentle and has never irritated my eyes which I was so impressed with as even some products that are made for eyes can sting and make my eyes red and sore. Once I have massaged it all in, sometimes I will add an extra half a pump depending on if I feel like I need it, I soak the muslin cloth in hot water, rinse out the excess and lay the cloth over my face. These are the directions on the bottle and I actually really like doing this as it relaxes me, so would be brilliant to use in the bath. I repeat this about 3 times so my face really gets the most from the steaming process. I then use the muslin cloth in circular motions to remove the product from my face. 

I don't use this everyday as I can be quite lazy and by using other makeup removers on a cotton pad it is a lot quicker. So around 3 times a week I get this out and have a mini facial in the evening, because I do like to massage my skin a lot with the muslin cloth to help exfoliate my skin, it can leave my face red, but I do have sensitive skin so that is something to think about if you wanted to use this in the morning. I really like the thickness of the product. but it is light almost a mousse texture, making it really nice to massage in and you really don't need a lot. I also like that you can see how much is left in the bottle, you can't really see from the photograph as this was taken after I had used it only twice. There 50ml product and retails £10, as it is No7 there are always deals and money off vouchers that you can get so I think I actually paid £5 which I think is fantastic. 
I would like to try a couple of other versions after I finish this one, but I will definitely be coming back to this one and not to Liz Earle if none of them live up to this one. 

GlossyBox - September

Another month has rolled around, and with the beginning of the school/college/uni year, September can bring many changes. This month's Glossybox was themed around 'Rising Stars'and was presented in a green patterned box, rather than the simplistic pink box that most of us associate with the company. This month's box was designed by Maggie Lei, an up and coming London based illustrator.

The first thing I noticed is how all the products are of sample size, the first box that I have received that does not included a full sized product.

Lady Gaga Fame Fragrance

I'm sure I've said this before but perfume samples are not luxury products Glossybox tut tut, they are easily accesable from a range of shops. However, I did want to try this perfume so not a bad choice. I do enjoy this fragrance, it's quite a harsh scent so I would say to use this as an evening perfume.

Rodial - Glamoxy Snake Serum and 5 Minute Facial

My samples came in sashes in an evelope as opposed to a little bottle which gives me the impression that these can too be picked up at counters. On the packet there are claims of being a 'revolutionary product' as well as 'ground-breaking' both working in 2 and minutes respectively. Impressive claims, so I'm going to save these for a special ossaction where I can put them to the test as I received two sashes of each product.

Balence Me - Wonder Eye Cream

As my first Balence Me product I was quite excited because I have heard such good things about this brand. I already have an eye cream routine, you can check that out here!!, but I am looking forward to trying this out and seeing whether it will elbow out my current favourites.

Vichy - Idealia Day Care Cream

After seeing that there was already skincare treatments, I was hoping for a bit more varity than more skincare. (sorry for those skincare lovers out there)  However, I did go back to this product and open it up to have a look. I haven't properly tried it out yet but this cream smells AMAZING, along with the lovely texture I really hope this works as I think this could be the best product of the box.

Maghrabian - Hair Oil

Glossybox can read me like a book sometimes, I have been urmmm and aarring about buying a hair oil for ages. I know that they can have good results but I always worried that my hair would just become greasy and not have the deseried effect. So, I am looking forward to trying this bad boy out, the sample is only ickle and I have a lot of hair. I'll probably do a post on this so keep checking.

Overall I think there are some good brands in here but I would have preferred at least one makeup rather such a skincare heavy box, but I do think there are some good finds in here.
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