Superdrug Loves Blog - Superdrug Health and Beauty » Skin Care

Playing with Mudd

beautyh2t — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:59:15 +0000

Oily skin is driving me up the wall right now. I am trying out a variety of things to try and keep the grease levels down and help ward off the hideous amount of spots it brings. I have taken to reading everything I can get my hands on to learn more about what causes it and how best to combat it.

One of the things that came up a lot was the power or Mud, yup mud. It is a key element in the fight against greasy skin as it contains Kaolin which is a natural clay that helps draw out impurities from the skin, while still allowing the pores to breath. Masks in general are fab as a once a week or when needed treatment to give the skin a boost. Just be sure to pick the right kind of mask for your skin type:

Oily skin- go for mud or clay formulas

Dry skin- use a more creamy hydrating mask

Sensitive skin- try a light or gel style mask

Combination skin-you might need a blend, a deep cleansing mask for the T Zone and a moisturising type for your cheeks

I went down to Superdrug and picked up a sachet of Mudds original formula to try out and I had to share the results with you all. I loved this stuff, applied to a clean face slightly damp with warm water, it was easy to smooth on and there was plenty in the sachet to cover my face and neck well.

It is incredibly hard to smile or make any facial expressions when this dries on the skin. The boyf found this hilarious! After 15 minutes you just rinse the mask off with a cloth or in the shower and finish your skin care routine as normal. I was really impressed with the results from this, you can literally see it soaking up the excess oils from your face as it dries and pore dots appear.Afterwards my face felt incredibly clean and fresh, not too dry at all, just soft and clear. I am a total convert to using mud once a week, it is cheap, easy and best of all effective if like me you are oil and spot prone. These little sachets are under a pound and on a 3 for 2 right now so you can mix and match and find one that suits you.

I am now keen on trying the Superdrug Mud Therapy version as it comes in a neat little tube so I can get lots of applications and even just dab a little on any mega spots that arise- even better, they are in a 2 for £3.50 deal in Store and online now and come in an aloe vera version for sensitive skin and a raspberry enriched one that would be good for dry skin, hurrah!

Are you a fan of masks?

PS can I just mention how excited I am to get to Superdrug to try out the amazing looking new MeMeMe Blush Me! Boxed blushers, hello affordable Benefit style boxed blush. A total must have from what I have read of them!

Deafinitely Girly’s gym bag essentials

deafinitelygirly — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:04:21 +0000

Readers of my day blog Deafinitelygirly.com will know that I’ve recently joined a gym, and I’m loving it.

At previous gyms I have always shied away from doing classes – worried about not being able to hear them enough to follow and finding them intimidating.

But this time around, I decided classes would be tackled with gusto.

So, dragging along Gym Buddy and Web Whizz, we’ve been attending everything from Body Combat to a fun dance class called Zumba – the latter of which I can only do if I ignore the wooden reflection in the mirror of me trying to shake my hips.

The only problem with all this going to the gym, is it plays havoc with my skin. Sweat is not the greatest addition to my skincare routine, so I decided I needed a quick fix to help keep it spot-free and looking good, without having to drop my fitness regime.

The other problem was that the lunchtime classes don’t leave me with enough time to shower – yes, grim, I know – so I needed another quick fix that would make me acceptable in the office for the rest of the day, and not smelling like a teenage boy’s gym bag!

And so, I turned to Superdrug for help…

First up, facial wipes. I wanted ones that were gentle on my skin, but that didn’t leave too much of a residue behind. For this, I chose Simple Daily Radiance Brightening Cleansing Wipes, £3.95.

Simple Radiance Brightening Cleansing Wipes

Simple is a brand I know and trust, and I liked the ‘radiance brightening’ promise, too.

Next up, body wipes. Now, I had considered using baby wipes, but the problem with these, is you kind of end up smelling like a baby’s bottom, which in my book is almost as bad as a teenage boy’s gym bag. So instead, I opted for Halo Deodorant Wipes, available in store, which smell great, and seem to tackle sweat with ease.

Halo Deodorant Wipes

Then, there’s my hair – sweat and good hair days do not go hand in hand. But adding the Scandalous Fabulously Flirty Dry Shampoo, £3.50, to the equation definitely turned that around. Its corn starch formula cleverly hides any sign of exertion and my hair actually now looks better after the gym than before!

Scandalous Fabulously Flirty Dry Shampoo

And finally, there’s the problem of me having a face the colour of a beetroot!

Well, there’s not really much I could do about that – a splodge of Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, £9.99, does cover it slightly, and because it’s quite a light formulation, it also allows me to cool down further without feeling that I am clogging my pores.

Bourjois Healthy Mix

So there you have it – the DG guide to gyming it in your lunch hour and looking good in the afternoon!

Now all I have to work on, is actually looking good at the gym, rather than the uncoordinated blondie in years-old gym kit currently staring back at me in the mirror!

Can anyone fix this for me?!

Part II – Professional Finish Flawless Tan Range

Soph — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:59:13 +0000

Hi everyone, I’ve been working on a post as part of my ‘trilogy’ Summer posts for 3 days now, but for some weird reason everytime I try to save it all the photos and words jumble up! So for now, whilst I attempt to sort it out, I thought I would do the second installment on the new Professional Finish Flawless Tan range.

I have tried tons of fake tans, from the more expensive St Tropez and Fake Bake, to cheaper lotions such as L’Oreal and Rimmel. I only tend to use fake tan on special nights out/occasions, so when I use it I like it to look good and have an obvious effect!

Here’s the Flawless Tan range in their sleek black and bronze packaging! Step 1 – Exfoliation and Skin care, Step 2 - Greedy Skin Serum, Step 3 – Salon Tanning Spritzer or Salon Tanning Lotion, Step 4 - Hydrant and Gloss Finish.

The Exfoliation and Skin care is used in the shower, to get rid of dead skin and give the smoothiest base for the fake tan application. It states on the back of the bottle that it has a ‘minty’ scent to it, when I first put it on my wash mitt I couldn’t smell anything… but as soon as I started using it on my skin, the scent became really strong!

It was almost like rubbing Vicks all over me… it was quite invigorating and refreshing but also slightly odd! The lotion had little bits in like most exfoliants do, to further aid the dead skin removal.

The only thing about this was that the little bits collected by my plughole and looked like sand… as if I’d just got in the shower after going to the beach! It was easy to rinse away though so not really a problem. My skin felt nice and smooth as I washed it off, but I would recommend using a good lathering shower gel beforehand if you want to feel really clean.

The Greedy Skin Serum is used after you’ve dried yourself off from the shower. It’s a clean gel that looks a bit like the ulcer gel Bonjela (I tried to take a photo but because of it’s clear consistency it didn’t seem to show up well in photos!). You rub it into the dryest areas of your body such as your elbows, knees, ankles etc so that when you apply the fake tan it doesn’t build up on the dry areas and look uneven. The gel rubbed in easily and dried quickly and doesn’t really have much of a scent.

The fake tan is available in 2 options – the spritzer or the lotion. The spritzer comes with both clear rubber gloves and a tanning mitt, the lotion only comes with clear rubber gloves.

I found the spritzer was easier to apply than the lotion as you just spray it on and it’s easy to rub in. I didn’t use the gloves for this, only the mitt, which has a luxrious soft velvety feel which made it nice to use on the skin.

The lotion is much thicker than the spritzer, and I found it took quite a lot of time to rub the lotion in and to try and get it even. When putting it on it was also a slightly merky green colour! The gloves were really good though, they were easy to put on (unlike some rubber gloves that come free with products and are too tight!) and none of the fake tan seeped through, so I had no tan stains on my hands.

The smell of the tan was really random… it reminded me of a foreign supermarket?! Which I know isn’t a great description, but it wasn’t an unpleasant smell. The tan is meant to be left on for 6-8 hours to deepen in colour before washing it off, and like most products it did smell a bit whilst drying but it wasn’t overpowering.

Legs after using the Lotion

When I washed it off, I found that the lotion had left a stronger tan colour, however in some places despite using the Greedy Skin Serum it had collected in places and looked really dirty.

Arm after using the Spritzer

The spritzer left a much more even colour but it wasn’t as prominent, I would definitely have to spray a lot more next time to get an obvious tan colour.

To finish, the Hydrant and Gloss Finish is a moisturiser that is meant to lock in the colour and leave the skin feeling soft and shiny. I liked the moisturiser and would use it again but I wouldn’t say it was any better than any other moisturisers I have. If I were just buying the fake tan I would be likely to just use a moisturiser I have at home rather than spend money buying this just because it’s from the range.

Overall I enjoyed trying the range and I would probably choose the sprizer over the lotion because of its easy application. I would recommend the lotion for people wanting a deeper colour who have the time and patience to apply it evenly. The whole range works well together and some of these products are currently reduced, so now is definitely the time to give them a go!

Treat Mate: Here come the boys!

beautyh2t — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:18:47 +0000

*CATCHY/ANNOYING THEME TUNE*

Welcome back to Treat Mate my series of blogisodes for the challenge that sees my friends set up with amazing products that I was sent from Superdrug loves.

If you missed the first post where we met 3 lovely ladies try out a whole range of exciting products you can catch up here. In this installment we meet… the boys!

I live with two men who have to put up with my makeup lying about everywhere and me asking their opinions on every new product I get! So when I decided my friends deserve to be treated by sharing out my latest bundle of Superdrug goodies, I couldn’t leave them out( and I would never hear the end of it!) The Superdrugloves blog is for men and women of any age so only right that everyone gets a look in, so get ready to meet Ally and Jamie and find out what they made of their new products…

The Treats:

T Zone instant fix nose pore strips ( for blackheads)

The Mate:

Ally:

The patient boyfriend with a healthy obsession for basketball, hip hop and computer games!

First Impressions: Ally said “Are you sure these are for me! I’ve got great skin! Oh alright, I’ll give them a try!”

The Date: “Maybe I was in denial, my nose was a blackhead mess, but not anymore! It was easy to use and felt like it was doing good, looking at the back of the strip after using it made me realise what a disgrace my nose had become. Never again now I have these.”

Will they be seeing each other again? These strips turned out to be a great success with Ally saying he will definitely be getting them again if only to stop me attacking his nose and trying to get those pesky blackheads out myself! He gave them a huge 8.5 out of 10 and is very proud of his new clear nose!

So major success to start with and one happy male customer. (I have to admit I took more than a little pleasure ripping this strip off his nose!) I tried these out too and really was amazed at what all is cleared from my nose, and just how easy and quick the process was. I am looking forward to picking up the Face Strips to try out, it is buy 2 get the cheapest free right now too- bargain!

Now let’s see if we managed to make Jamie as happy with his new products…

The Treats:

Timotei Fresh and Strong Shampoo and Conditioner

The Mate:

Jamie:

A spreadsheet loving, tea drinking man with a healthy head (and face) of hair!

First Impressions: Jamie said “I liked it! The bottles looked nice, really clean and fresh.”

The Date: “It went really well, it felt fresh, like a day at the spa (!) I thought it felt really luxurious and like it was doing my hair some good.”

Will they be seeing each other again? Jamie was keen to keep using this and to buy it again, he said it was a range he hadn’t used in years but now will be a welcome addition to his shower routine, giving the shampoo and conditioner set a great 8 out of 10.

Well thanks to our male guinea pigs we have a few more products under our belt with some glowing reviews, and I have two squeaky clean and fresh flatmates to live with- thanks Superdrugloves!

Join me tomorrow for the final installment in our Treat Mate series, where you will meet…Me!

You didn’t think I could share out all these goodies and not keep a couple of things for myself now did you

Sneak preview

StephyScribble — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:09:13 +0000

For the final challenge I have used all the products that Superdrug kindly provided me to test out which ones truly outshine the rest. I am tired of my boyfriend nagging me to hurry up when I get ready in the morning. I wanted to give him a glimpse of how wonderful it feels to pamper yourself once in a while.

I think he’s a virgin to most of the products I’ve tested, but luckily he was up for the challenge.

Do boys like to pamper themselves as much as us girls?

That’s not all, I want my human guinea pig to see the difference it makes spending that little extra time in the bathroom. I may regret the decision to enlighten my beauty-ignorant boyfriend; as who knows he could end up spending more time getting ready than me. Eek!

Here is a sneak peak of the before and after. How I got there; you’ll have to wait and see.

Keep an eye out for my next post, you wouldn’t want to miss it!

Stephy Scribble

Bio Oil me up!

beautyh2t — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:24:00 +0000

I just have to declare to you all who I am in love with.

I am sorry Boyf it is not you I look forward to getting into bed with, it is my face, coated in a nice layer of Bio Oil!I just have to declare to you all who I am in love with. I am sorry Boyf it is not you I look forward to going to bed with, it is my face, coated in a nice layer of bio oil. I honestly think this stuff has turned my face around in the last year, and I am still only half way through my first ever bottle! I have a terrible time with picking, spots, scab, my nails. You name it and I could probably while away the hours picking at it. Sigh, it has plagued me all my life and it came to a head a year ago with a cheeky little white head that appeared under my eye, near the top of my cheek bone. In a particular face picking rampage I decided this white head was for the off, so I picked the poor thing clean out and what a mess it left my face in, leaving a healing scab that no amount of smoke and mirrors ( foundation and concealer!) could cover. So I had to work hard to leave it to heal, which eventually it did, leaving in its wake a big horrible uneven looking scar. I was gutted and so annoyed with myself, here was my permanent reminder of how silly I am at not leaving these blemishes in peace. So after years of hearing about bio oil and what it can do for stretchmarks and scars I decided I had to at least try it out and see if in the long term it could help me. I have never looked back! Honestly this little bottle costing me under a tenner really has changed my face, the scar has faded right now, as have other little scars I had from past picks and I continue to put it on every night as I feel it really evens out my skin tone which has always been a problem for me. I cannot sing its praises enough, I have used it on scars and stretchmarks and with continued and dedicated use it brings cracking results. It will most likely be a staple on my dresser for years to come, looking wisely down upon all the less effective lotions and potions that will get tried out and chucked in its wake. ” target=”_blank”>Bio Oil!

I honestly think this stuff has turned my face around in the last year, and I am still only half way through my first ever bottle! I have a terrible time with picking, spots, scab, my nails. You name it and I could probably while away the hours picking at it. Sigh, it has plagued me all my life and it came to a head a year ago with a cheeky little white head that appeared under my eye, near the top of my cheek bone. In a particular face picking rampage I decided this white head was for the off, so I picked the poor thing clean out and what a mess it left my face in, leaving a healing scab that no amount of smoke and mirrors ( foundation and concealer!) could cover. So I had to work hard to leave it to heal, which eventually it did, leaving in its wake a big horrible uneven looking scar.

I was gutted and so annoyed with myself, here was my permanent reminder of how silly I am at not leaving these blemishes in peace. So after years of hearing about bio oil and what it can do for stretchmarks and scars I decided I had to at least try it out and see if in the long term it could help me.

I have never looked back! Honestly this little bottle costing me under a tenner really has changed my face, the scar has faded right down. As I have other little scars I had from past picks and I continue to put it on every night as I feel it really evens out my skin tone which has always been a problem for me. I cannot sing its praises enough, I have used it on scars and stretchmarks and with continued and dedicated use it brings cracking results.

It will most likely be a staple on my dresser for years to come, looking wisely down upon all the less effective lotions and potions that will get tried out and chucked in its wake.

Just thought I would share this little wonder with any yet to discover its magic, any old scars you need taken away I totally recommend you give this a try!

Fair skin tips for the summer!

HanaSSmith — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:23:09 +0000

Whilst Bronzers are a summer staple for girls with a healthy holiday tan, summer makeup for pale girls can be much more of a challenge. As a girl that only freckles, never tans, I know the pain of being ghostly while everyone around me slowly browns.

Fake tan is a no go for me (it just makes me look silly!) so I have to make do with what I have. Luckily for me being fair skinned has become much more popular this year thanks to pale beauties like Nicole Kidman, Nicola Roberts and Lily Cole. They’ve definitely made it easier to find a decent foundation that doesn’t leave you looking just plain orange.

I know how tough it can be to find a good summer look, so I’ve been experimenting and coming up with some tips for those of us who can’t get brown!

My top tips:

+ Whatever you do, do not overdo your foundation! For fairer skin high factor sunscreens are a must (unless you want to end up with a very unflattering pink nose) and no matter how invisible your protection is with foundation and sweltering heat it’s a recipe for disaster. Try and blend it carefully to problem areas such as under the eyes and nose, or try and brave it bare. Remember sunshine is good for your skin as

All Freckles and No Tan!

long as you stay well protected!

+ It might sound obvious but match your colour! Fair skin really shows up poorly matched foundation and bright sunshine will only make that worse. If you’re having trouble finding light enough shades then check out Maybelline’s Dream Matte Mousse range for great pale shades like Champagne, Ivory and Porcelain. (£6.99 at the moment with a 3 for 2 Deal at Superdrug!)

+ Just because we can’t bronze doesn’t mean we can’t shimmer! Pick up my current weapon of choice, Shimmer and Shade from the underrated Collection 2000. This is a great alternative to bronzers for us pale girls. Illuminate your cheek bones and under the brows with the shimmer and blush up the apples of your cheeks with the shade.

+ Heavy lipsticks are also a no-go for the summer. For pale skinned girls a really bright red lipstick can be fantastic, but on summer days is far too vampy. Switch it for a clear or light coral gloss to match your skin without drowning you out.

+ Finally, grab yourself some good makeup remover that’s gentle on the skin. Hot weather melts makeup quickly and you can end up with heavy panda eyes in the afternoon. Keep your skin and pores clear by keeping your makeup in place.

I hope these tips were helpful to all of the fair skinned beauties out there. Summer needn’t be trouble for us anymore!

Hana

xxxx

Superdrug’s Simply Pure is simply fabulous!

frangipani — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:26:00 +0000

When the lovely people at Superdrug sent me some of their new Simply Pure goodies to try I was over the moon. I’d just landed back in the UK after a year’s travelling and my skin was paying the price. I suffer from eczema and have been searching for years for gentle products that don’t aggravate it. Step forward Simply Pure, my knight in shining armour.

I’ve been using the Gentle Facial Wash, Gentle Eye Make-up Remover, Smoothing Face Scrub and Light Moisturiser for two weeks now and am simply loving the results. The Simply Pure range is specially formulated for sensitive skin. It’s fragrance and paraben free (parabens are much talked about chemicals that are becoming increasingly controversial), hypoallergenic, dermatologically approved and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. And if that wasn’t good enough the range is currently on offer starting at only £1.49.

The Gentle Eye Make-up Remover deserves a special mention because it’s really gentle but it still took off all of my eye make-up quickly and effectively. Usually eye make-up removers aggravate my eyelids and bring on my eczema, but after two weeks using this one I’ve had no problems at all (and I’ve been wearing loads of mascara) so I’ll definitely be stocking up on it. I also loved the Light Moisturiser, which really lives up to its name. It’s light and absorbs quickly, leaving skin feeling soft and refreshed. I’ve been using it twice a day for two weeks and my skin is looking great. It’s a steal right now at only £1.49 online!

Review: Simple – Spotless Skin!

Lois — Mon, 31 May 2010 16:56:45 +0000

Here are the lovely Simple products I received. These particular products are unique to any other skin care products I’ve seen before; this is because they have Zinc and Chamomile in them. So, what’s so good about Zinc and Chamomile?

they help to clear your skin
tame the oil in your skin
soothe your skin

Therefore, preventing you from getting spots! As for the price, these products come at a real bargain; ranging from £2.99 to £4.99 – grab them now whilst the 3 for 2 offer on skincare is still on!

After using each of the products I could tell my skin had been cleansed thoroughly, my skin had a lovely healthy looking glow to it. All of the products left my skin feeling noticeably softer and moisturised – other brands I’ve used previous to this have left my skin feeling tight and dry – I can reassure you, these products don’t do that.

The Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes did a good job at removing my make-up and if you’re in a hurry these are great for people on-the-go!
The Triple Action Face Wash did an even better job at removing make-up and dirt underneath my skin – it gave a really deep cleanse and I could definitely notice a difference in my skin after this.
The Blackhead Eliminating Face Scrub is amazing, after using this all over my face, particularly focusing on problem areas, my skin felt brand new and unbelievably smooth – try it for yourself!
The Anti-Blemish Moisturiser, I was really impressed with this, it went on easily and felt light on my skin, it soaked in fully within a few minutes leaving it feeling really moisturised and smooth. This is a really versatile moisturiser which is great for using in either the day or night.

As for the claim to “get results from day one” – this is most definitely true, the next day my skin appeared clearer and I couldn’t wait to use them all over again! After using these products for just over a week now, I can see a tremendous difference in my skin – if you stick to using them daily you really can’t go wrong. I suffer from occasional breakouts on my forehead and around my chin but by using these products I’ve seen an amazing result. A definite 5 stars all round for these products!

The Simple Truth

caroline72 — Fri, 28 May 2010 09:27:00 +0000

I was lucky enough to get to try out the new Simple teen skin range, which includes Simple Triple Action Face Wash, Simple Quick Fix Cleansing wipes, Simple Spotless Skin Blackhead Scrub and Simple Anti-Blemish Moisturiser.

I think this range is great! First using the cleansing wipes to clean away dirt and get my face ready for washing, no bad smell and didn’t dry out my skin

The face wash usually they leave my skin tight and dry but this face wash left my face feeling smooth and moisturised! It has little bits like a scrub would have that you massage into your face and helps to leave your skin lovely and clean.

The blackhead scrub is a thick-ish white creamy formula that scrubs the skin clean, perfect for hard the nose and chin and any other problem areas, you only need to use a tiny amount to get great results.

The Moisturiser was lovely and smooth! It instantly absorbs and you only need a small amount and it left my face smooth and silky!

I think this is the best teen skin range on the market, I have tried most of the brand names and they all leave a little to be desired but this range has everything you could want, and more!

Written by Caroline72 – one of our trial Insiders! Find out more about our Insider Challenge here

Superdrug Loves Blog - Superdrug Health and Beauty » Skin Care

Playing with Mudd

Most Commented Posts

Deafinitely Girly’s gym bag essentials

Related Posts

Part II – Professional Finish Flawless Tan Range

Most Commented Posts

Treat Mate: Here come the boys!

Most Commented Posts

Sneak preview

Most Commented Posts

Bio Oil me up!

Most Commented Posts

Fair skin tips for the summer!

Most Commented Posts

Superdrug’s Simply Pure is simply fabulous!

Related Posts

Review: Simple – Spotless Skin!

Most Commented Posts

The Simple Truth

Most Commented Posts