Disappointing Products | Skincare

I rather enjoyed writing my Disappointing Products | Makeup post so thought I'd write a skincare post to go with it. First things first, though. Skincare is extremely personal and individual, and I'm in no way suggesting that the products that didn't work for me won't work for you. By all means go ahead and give them a go, experiment, find out what works for you! I have particularly tricky skin that acts all sorts of crazy on a daily basis so this post is very much based on my personal experiences. I have a rather marvelous blend of acne, dermatitis, shine, and sensitivity to deal with, so it's probably no wonder I can't use some of the products others seem to love! *violins* 

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution £4.99

The micellar craze is still going strong it seems! Until picking up L'Oreal's Micellar Solution I'd been using B's offering available at Superdrug which I really liked. I thought I'd give L'Oreal's offering a go, seeing as it claims to 'act as a purifying magnet on skin's surface to capture and draw out excess oil and impurities'. Sounds good, right? I have quite a few blemishes most days so I like anything that helps unclog my pores and freshen my skin. I'm a big fan of double cleansing, so I usually use a water followed by a hot cloth cleanser. 

While L'Oreal Micellar Solution did make my skin feel soft and cleansed, and therefore worked well initially as a pre-cleanser, it brought me out in even more spots. As in, a sudden face full of spots, all over, that refused to budge. The horror! I gave the bottle the benefit of the doubt and used it again a couple of times but the same thing happened. I noticed on Twitter that someone mentioned this might contain mineral oil and that this could be the culprit? Either way I've relegated this to eye makeup removal only as it was doing more harm than good!

Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Pore Purifying Clay Mask £8.99

It seems this mask is something of a favourite among other bloggers BUT I just couldn't get on board with it, mainly because it smells like hair removal cream. You know, the stuff you smother all over your legs to defuzz... It starts off smelling OK but after a few minutes the scent becomes unbearable and I just couldn't get used to it no matter how many times I tried (about four, in case you're super curious!) Maybe I have a super sensitive nose?! I haven't heard anyone else complain about this so it could be that my sense of smell is a little cray cray. I just couldn't stomach the stench. 

Pore Purifying Clay Mask contains Salicylic Acid and Dead Sea mud for deep cleansing and oil absorbing, as well as soothing Avocado and Acacia Honey to rebalance and refresh the skin. Unfortunately though, I didn't really find this did much for my complexion. My chin still looked pretty congested afterwards and my skin didn't really feel soothed or 'rebalanced'. I feel a little confused writing this review as I know so many other people love it! Sadly it just didn't work for me. 

Elemis Freshskin Skin Clear Purifying Face Wash (£11.99) & Mattifying Moisturiser (£19.99)

I'm always on the lookout for products that promise to tackle problem skin as it seems as soon as I've successfully blitzed one blemish another one appears! I spotted these lovely blue and white goodies in Superdrug and finally picked them up when they were on offer as I can't resist a bargain! The Purifying Face Wash contains 'Vitamin A, zinc and botanical actives from iris and white willow bark', which aim to 'balance and purify'. It has a really pleasant minty citrus scent which I instantly loved, but unfortunately my skin proved a little too sensitive for this. I didn't really find it to be very 'creamy' and unfortunately it left my skin looking quite dull and dry. The Mattifying Moisturiser also has a nice refreshing scent and it applies very smoothly, sinking in quickly. Unfortunately, though, my skin felt quite sensitive afterwards and dry patches in particular appeared quite red and irritated. 

I felt quite deflated with these purchases, especially considering the price tag... BUT all is not lost! My fiance absolutely loves these and uses them all the time (maybe it's the blue packaging?!) He doesn't have sensitive skin and he finds both products give a great clean feeling without stripping the skin of moisture. I was very fortunate in that Elemis contacted me to ask for feedback after I had tweeted about my experiences, and they offered to send me some products better suited to my sensitive skin which I'm in the process of testing out. So far, so very, very good! I guess this is a lesson to really take your skin type into account when shopping for skincare products. I probably should have gone for something slightly gentler and aimed at sensitive skin, but it's so tempting when you have blemishes to reach for the strongest products available! 

Garnier 5 Sec Perfect Blur £12.99

I purchased this during my 'when I am ever going to find a decent primer?' phase (concluded by the discovery of Revlon Photoready primer, which is brilliant!) and instantly regretted it. I know this little pink tube has a legion of fans, but it really didn't work on my sensitive, oily, combination skin. Firstly, it felt quite silicone-y and I detest primers that feel like plastic... Which is unfortunate as most of the high street ones tend to. I didn't see a difference in the appearance of my skin at all once applied other than a slight mattifying effect, but this didn't last long and my makeup slid off my face after only a few hours. Majorly disappointed in this *sad face* Perhaps it's just not suited to my skin type, and it does seem that anti-aging is it's main angle so alas I may have simply picked something inappropriate for my needs. It's quite expensive at £12.99 so definitely give it a good swatch if you can before purchasing, just to be sure it works for your skin type. 

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips 

These are admittedly really fun to use! You simply dampen your nose and stick one of the pore strips on, wait for the paper to dry and peel off gently after ten minutes or so. They have a refreshing medicinal tea tree scent that I love, but when I peeled off the first strip absolutely nothing had been removed from my nose. Not one single dot of dirt. My pores still looked clogged and there wasn't a reduction in blackheads. Major fail. I figured I might have somehow gone through the steps incorrectly, so I tried again a week later... But still, nothing. While these are fun to use and while they smell great, they did pretty much nothing at all for my skin. For £7.99 I expected a lot more and while I'll use up my pack just for the fun of walking around with a huge pore strip on my nose (only me?!) I won't be repurchasing anytime soon.

I'm penning a special skincare tag post this week so have no fear, a positive skincare haul is on its way soon! It's not all doom and gloom ;) 

Have you tried any of the above products? Have you used certain skincare products only to be disappointed? I'd love to hear your stories! 

Baci e abbracci, 
        

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Thumbs Down | Garnier Moisture Match

Argh, the dreaded moment when a popular beauty product just doesn't do it for you. I've tried my hardest to fall in love with Garnier's new range of Moisture Match facial moisturisers, having bought, tried and discarded four of the varieties on sale. Yep, four bottles, out of five. You can't accuse me of not trying! I thought if I could find the 'right one' I'd be head over heels, but alas, that just hasn't been the case. The latest addition to my Moisture Match collection is the Mattifying Fresh Cream, aimed at 'combination to oily skin'. Mattifying Fresh Cream claims to provide 24 hour hydration and boasts the tagline 'shine be gone'. I figured this sounded pretty promising for my combination shine-prone skin, what with the heatwave we've been experiencing in the UK recently. My skin has gone into major oil overload and keeping it matte is proving to be a bit of a nightmare. 

Garnier Moisture Match Mattifying Fresh Cream, £5.99 at Boots (currently on offer for £3.99)

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm afflicted with some sort of alien skin because Garnier's Moisture Match range really doesn't seem to be doing anything for me *sobs* Each of the four creams I've tried have left a bizarre tacky, sticky coating on my skin, and never seem to absorb properly. I was hoping the Mattifying Fresh Cream might be different, but unfortunately not. According to the blurb on the back of the box, it claims to have a 'tailored texture', being 'oil free' and 'quick to absorb'. It also contains a 'patented hydrating active' to deliver '24h hydration'. The 'tailored formula' contains anti-oxidising 'green tea extract' to 'leave your skin feeling beautifully smooth and mattified all day long'. Apparently you can 'feel the difference instantly'. Hmm... 

Texture wise, it starts out fairly promising. It has a light cream gel formula that doesn't seem heavy on first application, and it's very easy to rub into the skin without dragging. A little goes a long way. Yet after applying, I have to wait for what seems like forever for the cream to sink in, and even when it eventually dries it leaves behind a slide-y, silicone type of texture. I really don't tend to like silicone primers so this isn't a sensation I particularly want from my moisturiser. While the cream gel has a refreshing, pleasantly floral scent, it just doesn't agree with me texture-wise and it makes applying my make-up on top a real difficulty. 

In terms of immediate and long lasting mattifying action, I have to disagree. My skin still looks quite shiny immediately after applying and because it takes so long to sink in and leaves behind an odd coating, it doesn't seem to mattify much at all. I tested this out on my arm just to see if my face was being particularly strange, but again the cream gel took a while to sink in and left behind a noticeable plastic-y shine. I guess it does moisturise in that my skin doesn't feel dry or tight; but that's not enough to win me over I'm afraid. Can I really 'feel the difference instantly?' That would be a no from me, unfortunately. 

After cleansing I usually apply moisturiser and then The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser as a primer (non-silicone feel!) followed by foundation/BB cream and concealer. I like my moisturiser to sink in and settle pretty quickly so I can get on with applying my make-up, but when I applied foundation on top of a light layer of Mattifying Fresh Cream (skipping my usual primer to give the cream a 'fair test' when used on naked skin followed directly by foundation) the foundation sort of slid straight off and refused to 'stick' anywhere. I ended up massaging foundation around and around in circles all over my face, trying to make it anchor to my skin but it turned into a bit of a slippery mess, which isn't ideal. I do use a dusting of loose powder to set my base but I prefer my base to have some of 'stick' prior to doing so! It doesn't seem to be 'quick to absorb' for me which is a shame as this is something I like in a moisturiser. 

Once I'd finally managed to get my foundation to settle somewhat, and set everything with powder, I decided to see how my skin would fare throughout the day. Considering the slipperiness experienced when applying my foundation I wasn't feeling very optimistic about the cream's all day long mattifying promise, to be honest. Sadly, after a few hours I was already suffering from an attack of the dreaded shiny forehead/chin/nose and I had to dab at my face with blotting papers and pressed powder quite extensively to sort it out. 'Mattified all day long'? Argh, sadly not *sobs again* Long lasting mattifying action is one of the main things I look for in skin care products, along with quick absorption, so this is a huge let down for me. 

I feel awful writing this review as I really wanted to be a fan of the Moisture Match range. After all, it sounds so promising, creating a range of tailored products for different skin types, and Garnier products usually suit me to a t. In case you're wondering, the other creams I've tried from the Moisture Match range are as follows: Start Afresh (normal/dry skin, used in colder months) felt very sticky and and greasy, and sort of peeled off my skin after applying. Goodbye Dry (dry/very dry skin, to target very dry patches on cheeks) felt even more silicon-y and left my skin looking like an oil slick. Didn't absorb on dry patches at all. Protect & Glow (normal skin, purchased because of its SPF20) found this left my skin looking very shiny and feeling very sticky; again, it didn't absorb and it left a weird coating on the skin. My skin's needs change throughout the seasons, hence why I bought so many different varieties. I was certain that the one tailored for combination to oily skin would be 'the one!' for controlling shine throughout the summer. 

As much as I'd love to say how well Garnier's Mattifying Fresh Cream works for me, it just really doesn't seem to suit my skin. I've read countless positive reviews of the Moisture Match range so perhaps my skin is just being strange, or it could simply be that we all have different preferences and favour different textures/scents/finishes which is of course perfectly understandable. It's important to try things for yourself, and I'm in no way suggesting you should avoid these products, I'm just giving my honest opinion. I guess I'm quite picky when it comes to lotions and potions and unfortunately Garnier's Mattifying Fresh Cream doesn't quite tick my skin care boxes. 

Have you tried the Moisture Match range? Are you a fan? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Read more on Garnier Moisture Match here

Review | Garnier Fructis Spray-On Serum 5 in 1 with Moroccan Argan Oil

What with having highlighted hair I like to use a serum or oil to add shine and nourishment to my parched strands. I tend to prefer a thicker serum/oil as it somehow feels more satisfying to really work it into your hair, but when I saw Garnier's new Spray-On Serum 5 in 1 I was intrigued. Could a spray really deliver the same kind of nourishment as a bottle of oil or serum? Infused with nourishing Moroccan Argan Oil, it seemed like an interesting idea and so I decided to give it a go. 

Garnier Fructis Spray-On Serum 5 in 1, £3.89 (150ml)

Garnier's Spray-On Serum claims to do 5 things: smooth, add shine, tackle frizz and flyaways, act against humidity and deliver a weightless feel. According to the blurb on the back of the can it 'combines the lightness of a spray with the power of a serum'. I'll admit I was skeptical, as clearly I wouldn't be experiencing the satisfaction that comes with smoothing a liquid serum on to the slightly sad ends of my hair! But I was pleasantly surprised to find that this spray really does do a good job of achieving all five of its aims. 

My immediate impression upon spraying my freshly washed and dried hair was that my hair looked instantly smoother, with an added shine boost (tick, tick). My hair is quite fine and can be prone to flyaways, which is really irritating; this sorted them out in no time (tick). It just so happened that after using this yesterday I had to make a trip into town, in the middle of an extremely hot and humid afternoon. I felt so unbelievably uncomfortable in my long sleeved top and jeans, but when I returned home and looked in the mirror my hair still looked super sleek and tamed. Phew! Anti-humidity? Tick! I couldn't 'feel' the spray once I'd spritzed it; it doesn't leave a tacky residue, so in terms of weightless feel it also delivers on its promise. Another tick! 

While I love the finish it provides and how shiny it makes my hair look, I find it doesn't quite nourish or soften dry ends as much as liquid Argan oil infused products do, although this is perhaps understandable considering the way in which a liquid can be targeted directly at dry ends in a way that a spray can't (although I did try!) With this in mind I'd use a liquid serum first, to really coat and penetrate parched hair, and then spray my hair with Garnier's Spray-On Serum afterwards to give a really glossy finish. Bearing in mind I'm in desperate need of a haircut, the spray alone could be enough when not battling extremely dry ends that should really have been chopped off by now! *Guilty face*

As an additional bonus, Garnier's Spray-On Serum happens to smell absolutely incredible! It has a really fresh fruity scent that I can't get enough off, and for that reason alone I'd be willing to use it every day, regardless of whether or not it fulfills its promises! It smells so, so yummy. Luckily, though, it not only smells delicious, it also delivers on all five aims as labelled on the front and back of the can. A surprise success for me, I'm sure this is going to become an everyday essential. It's unique, it works and it smells amazing. A definite hair success. 

Find Garnier Fructis Spray-On Serum 5 in 1 here