Empties!

By Get Lippie

I'm having one of those weeks when all my favourite skin care items run out at the same time, and it's INFURIATING!

Champneys Spa Skin Super Rich Cleansing Balm:

Slightly grainy (and a little exfoliating as a result), I took this pot of balm on my honeymoon with me because I didn't want to use a chemical exfoliator, what with their sun-sensitivity issues and all, and I couldn't be bothered packing two products when only one can do all the work, and I've not looked back since.  A lovely rich balm with excellent cleansing properties, this is a brilliant (cheap!) cleanser, particularly if you totally ignore the instructions on the jar, and remove it properly with warm water and a face cloth, like what you are supposed to do.

Zelens PHA Bio-Peel Resurfacing Facial Pads

God, I love these. Gentler than straight glycolic acid, but still packing a tingly punch of exfoliating goodness, I start to panic every time I get past the halfway point on a jar of these.  Used after cleansing, these pads gently help your skin reset itself, and make you glow.  PHA is also humectant, so it binds moisture to your skin too, as well as resurfacing. Only drawback is the price, which is £65 for 50 pads.  I have been known to cut them in half to eke them out longer ...

Hydraluron

My love for Hydraluron is fairly widely known, this is either my third or fourth tube now, and I can't imagine life without it.  Which (bearing in mind that I was totally underwhelmed with it when I first started using it) is going some!  This is one of those products that doesn't really appear to do much whilst you're using it, then, when you've run out, you can really tell the difference - my skin is just more dull when I don't have this in my routine.  I use it to layer extra moisture into my skin, and I apply after my serum/oil, and before my moisturiser.   I panicked the other day when I realised the tube was empty, I don't mind admitting.  Yes, I am a big sad. 

Aromatherapy Associates Soothing Cleansing Balm

For days when I don't really fancy a  slightly scrubby cleanse with the Champneys Balm, this gloriously silky and gently fragranced balm cleanser does the job.  It melts makeup and grime on contact, and never leaves my skin feeling dry or stripped.  There are no bells or whistles to this balm, it is just a good, gentle, and even beautiful product.  Oh, and it's in a tube. I fupping LOVE balms that come in a tube.  Love them! MORE TUBES IN BEAUTY PACKAGING, PLEASE.  Have I mentioned how much I hate sticking my fingers into a jar of runny goop?  Well, I do.  A lot. I actually keep a teaspoon in my bathroom to actively avoid having to dip my fingers in stuff.  It's a bit weird, I know, but we have a million teaspoons for some reason.

I've had a lot of compliments on my skin recently - and I've just got through an entire winter wearing only tinted moisturiser (or the occasional CC cream -more about those soon)  which is entirely unheard of! I'm normally caked in foundation from October to April, every year, so this is massive for me, and it's (almost) entirely down to the products featured here.

What are your most repurchased products?

The Fine Print: Mixture of PR samples and repurchases

This post: Empties! originated at: Get Lippie All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Get Lippie, then this content has been stolen by a scraper

Gels from L'Occitane, Ioma and Champneys.

Confession time: I am not doing well in this heat.  I am exhausted to the point where I've actually considered getting myself admitted  to hospital just to get some damn rest (and I'm not even slightly joking), sleeping in this humidity is proving next to impossible, and when you add in that July brought some bad tidings, and well, it's not been my favourite month this year, not by a long chalk.  Things are, however, getting better as the heat starts to lessen.

These gel body products have also been helping.  Ordinarily, I don't use body lotion (I have normal skin from the neck down, so I don't need body lotions very often at all), and I definitely don't get along with gel products as a rule (up until recently, you couldn't have paid me to use a gel product on my face, however, that's a topic for a different blog post), but in this heat, these three have been a godsend.

First of all, L'Occitane Lavande Body & Massage Gel.  Ostensibly a product designed for massage, this lavender-scented gel is thick and rather viscous, but rubs in nicely and is gloriously cool in the doing so.  I like this rubbed onto the back of the neck and over the forehead to both cool and soothe on stressful days. £20 from L'Occitane stockists.

Next is Ioma Soothing Gel for Legs.  A menthol-scented gel that is simply THE most cooling thing on the planet.  It's wonderful on your feet if you've had a hard day wandering around all over, refreshing and feels cleansing, and really cools down hot limbs and extremities.  The bumpf that goes with this product claims that it is great for all kinds of skin and leg concerns (including varicose veins). Sadly I haven't been using it long enough to test any of those claims, but this feels magnificent on the skin, and the added menthol zing really adds to the cooling sensation.  On the down side, this is £55 from Harrods.

And finally, the cheap and cheerful option, which is the Champneys Energising Lime Hydrating Body Gel.  Deliciously scented with lime and peppermint (reminiscent of a mojito), this rather thin and runny gel is great for cooling chests and arms, where you can smell and enjoy the refreshing scent.  It's not quite as cooling as the Ioma gel owing to the lack of menthol in the mix, but it is a good moisturising product, and the smell is lovely.  Cheap as chips too,  it's available at Boots for £8.  Get some in!  Anyone for a cocktail?  Anyone? Anyone?

How are you managing in the hot weather?
 
The Fine Print: Mixture of PR samples and purchases.

This post: Gels from L'Occitane, Ioma and Champneys. originated at: Get Lippie All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Get Lippie, then this content has been stolen by a scraper