Review | Palmer's Purifying Mask

*Miracle product alert!*

My skin has been going through a pretty rough time recently. I've been working really hard at confronting my anxiety and taking positive steps forward but because it's involved a lot of emotional digging and determination I think my skin has gone haywire as a result! 

This morning I decided to treat my skin to some TLC. I purchased Palmer's Purifying Mask (£5.99 at Superdrug) a month or so ago but have only just got round to testing it out, and I wish I'd made use of it sooner! I know I often fall in love with beauty products, and I don't want to sound like an over-eager blogger who can't differentiate between good/great/life changing (well, in the beauty side of life!) but believe me when I say that in terms of sorting out my skin this mask really is life changing! My skin had gotten so rough and red from bouts of dermatitis and acne that I'd honestly forgotten what it felt like to have 'normal' soft skin on my face, particularly on my chin and forehead. After using this for the first time not only did my skin look far less red, to the extent that my mum commented on how healthy my skin looked, it felt like 'normal' skin again; smooth, soft and not at all rough. A real miracle product. 

Here's a heads up on my crazy skin and its complicated requirements *sigh* I suffer from outbreaks of dermatitis on and off, particularly on my chin and forehead. Along with these unsightly rough, dry, flaky patches my chin is acne prone, involving both under the skin cystic spots and blackheads. When dermatitis and acne combine I find it really difficult to control or shift either one. Products designed for spot prone skin dry mine out even further, while products targeted at very dry skin aggravate spots. I've found the best method of cleansing for me is using a hot cloth cleanser every evening, as it gently sloughs away dead skin and flakes while soothing spots and leaving my skin well nourished. I love using face masks for an extra deep clean but have found lots irritate my sensitive, crazy combination skin which is frustrating. Not this Palmer's miracle though!

The key ingredients in Palmer's Purifying Mask are kaolin clay for deep cleansing and sweet almond oil for softening. There's a handy ingredients chart on the back of the tube detailing other main ingredients and how they benefit the skin, which I love as it makes it so easy to see whether or not it might meet your skin's needs. Alongside kaolin and almond oil are moisturising cocoa and shea butters and antioxidant Vitamin E. If you've used any of the other facial skincare products in the Palmer's range you'll know that they actually have a floral white lily fragrance, rather than chocolatey cocoa butter, which I'm a little bit saddened by because I love the original cocoa butter scent! But I guess it might be a tad overwhelming applied to the face. I've used the sensitive skin facial wash gel and calming lotion before and loved those too, so I suspected the mask would be suitable for my skin, but I didn't realise just how fab this it would be!

I applied a light layer to my chin, forehead and nose and left it on for ten minutes to let it work it's goodness. It feels completely comfortable on my sensitive skin and although it hardens slightly it isn't too tight and it doesn't hurt, which is a problem I've had with other clay based masks. I then removed it gently with a warm muslin cloth. The results really are instant. The red inflammation on my chin was almost entirely gone; the skin was no longer rough in texture at all, and all bumps and blackheads had reduced in size. I ran my finger back and forth over my chin in wonder; how did it work so fast?! I honestly can't remember a time when my skin has felt or looked as soft and healthy as normal skin does. Plump, healthy, smooth skin. The results last, as my face still feels incredibly soft now, hours after and with a layer of make-up on. Because of how smooth my face feels I was able to apply foundation with ease, with no flaking or clumping. Everything looked better, from foundation to concealer to powder. 

I am totally head over heels in love with Palmer's Purifying Mask. I can't promise it will be a miracle product for everyone who uses it, but it definitely is for me. I feel like I've finally got my skin back, even if the results don't last forever. I feel much more confident today, as the redness is gone and my skin feels so much purer and healthier. It looks so much better than usual! I'd highly recommend this if you're looking for a gentle yet effective mask on a budget, as not only is it brilliant for sensitive crazy skin like mine it's also very affordable at only £5.99. I won't be without this from now on! 

Browse Palmer's products here

Imogen x 

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Summer haul time!

I'm really loving the current weather we're having at the moment! I'm usually much more of a winter person but I grew so sick and tired of having to layer up every time I left the house that I'm fully embracing the heat and sunshine this week. I've even ventured out in shorts for the first time in about ten years, and I must say it felt quite liberating! Up until now I've always felt way too shy to get my legs out, even though I do actually like my legs a lot... Just in the comfort of my own home when in little PJ shorts. But I sucked it up, bought some £5 denim short shorts from Primark and now you can't get me out of them! 

As I was lounging in the garden this afternoon I thought it would be nice to write up a beauty haul post featuring some of the products I've been enjoying using recently. The sunshine provided some good lighting for photos and who doesn't love a haul post? 

L-R: I Love... Coconut & Cream bubble bath & shower creme, Palmer's Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze,
Ultra Dry anti-perspirant, The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil. 

As soon as summer hits I crave coconut scented goodies, and I found this giant bottle of I Love... Coconut & Cream bubble bath & shower creme in Superdrug for only £2.05. My obsession with coconut is partly due to the discovery of an absolutely amazing hair treatment sold in Sardegna. It comes in a HUGE (and I mean HUGE) white tub with a big yellow/green lid depending on whether you go for the coconut version or the herb version. It smells absolutely delicious and makes your hair feel super soft, a real treat after spending all day at the beach. My fiance's mum is from Cagliari and she introduced me to it when I first went to Sardegna five or six summers ago. The scent of coconut instantly reminds me of Cagliari and happy memories, so purchasing this I Love... Coconut & Cream cream product was a no-brainer. It smells scrummy and should last a while. 

Last summer I became ever so slightly obsessed with Palmer's Natural Bronze Body Lotion and as it was on sale for half price in Boots (£2.67), and as the sun is shining, I thought I'd stock up. Out of all the gradual tans I've used this one gives the deepest colour in just one application. It's also very moisturising and has the famous Palmer's chocolaty cocoa butter scent- delicious! I've noticed that with the recent re-branded bottle there also seems to be much less of a fake tan scent which is brilliant, as after a few hours I used to be able to detect a subtle fake tan smell. Good work Palmer's! I usually apply this on alternate days, exfoliating and using a rich body cream on the 'off' days. You do have to be a bit careful around the ankles, knees and elbows though, or it can gather slightly and become darker than everywhere else. I'm really pale, as in 'mozzarella' pale as my Italian step-family like to remind me, and this is by far the best gradual tan to use when I want to go from milk bottle to tanned in record time. 

Everyone needs a good deodorant to see them through the summer, and this Sure Ultra Dry anti-perspirant spray (£2.10 at Boots) is really good at keeping me fresh and dry on sticky summer days. I absolutely hate deodorants that claim to keep you dry all day and do anything but (Garnier, I'm looking at you!) Sure's range not only smell lovely but also deliver great protection against sweat. Not the most exciting beauty item, granted, but an essential non the less! Sure and Dove have recently repackaged their cans, releasing 75ml 'compressed' bottles that claim to provide the same amount of sprays as their old 150ml cans, meaning less packaging, which is not only environmentally friendly but also handbag friendly!

I've been reaching for my little glass bottle of The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil to soothe my summer skin woes, as unfortunately the heat has caused my skin to break out even more than usual over the past week or so. This feels so cooling on spots and it really helps reduce redness without drying out the skin. As it's an oil it feels soothing and moisturising yet at the same time it works wonders at reducing spot size overnight when applied in the evening after cleansing. I love the 'clean' smell of tea tree, although it is quite strong and it does linger after applying. This little bottle (10ml) lasts ages and costs £7. 

L-R: Sleek Face Form 'Fair', MUA Blusher 'Cupcake', Seventeen Stay Time Concealer 'Extra Fair'

I've read so many positive reviews of Sleek's Face Form palette ('Fair', £9.99 at Superdrug) that I decided to give it a go and see what all the fuss is about. I haven't really experimented much at contouring as such, but I have used the matt powder as a bronzer to add a sun kissed glow to my cheeks, nose, temples and jawline. It works well and has a nice matt finish which I tend to prefer in a bronzer. I've also used the shimmer highlighter on my cheekbones and brow bone, and the coral blush on my cheeks. To be fair I've only been using this for the past two or three days, so I'm still new to it... But I'm not overly impressed as of yet. I usually love Sleek blushers as they're generally so pigmented and have an excellent colour payoff, but this coral colour seems to take a while to build up properly on my cheeks. As mentioned above, I'm naturally very pale, so usually blushers show up instantly, but this one takes some time to get going. I love the shimmery orange coral colour and it swatches very vibrantly on my hand when using my fingers, but I haven't yet mastered how best to make it work on my face. I'm going to keep using it though as I love the trio of colours and it's such a summery collection. Perhaps practice makes perfect?

Speaking of blushers, I picked up one of the new shades from MUA (£1 at Superdrug) and I'm really loving it. I chose 'Cupcake', a peachy pink matt, and as the formula is so pigmented it only takes one sweep with my blusher brush to add a wash of colour to my cheeks.  I've been using it in conjunction with my Natural Collection SunTint powder (reviewed here) and together they give a lovely subtle sun kissed look.  

Seventeen's Stay Time 18 Hour Concealer is another product I've heard good things about. I've been using Collection's Lasting Perfection concealer which is my all time favourite when it comes to covering spots and blemishes, but I'm looking forward to giving this a go and seeing how it compares. I chose 'Extra Fair' and it's a perfect match for my skin tone. I snapped it up for £4.49 at Boots. 

L-R: Maybelline Super Stay 14 HR Lipstick 'Ultimate Blush', Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick '16'

Top: Maybelline Super Stay 'Ultimate Blush', Bottom: Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate '16'

I love a good lippie and the latest additions to my collection are Maybelline's Super Stay 14 HR Lipstick in 'Ultimate Blush' (£6.99 at Boots) and Rimmel's Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in '16' (£5.49 at Boots) I'm not normally a fan of lipsticks with a pearlescent finish but I was drawn to the berry pink tone of 'Ultimate Blush' when having a swatch in Boots. It's a berry pink colour with a hint of silver, which sounds a bit weird, but it looks really nice with a bit of a tan! I'm not sure about 14 hours but it lasts for at least four or five without disappearing completely, although it does leave a bit of a predominately silver shimmer after the main pink colour wears off. I don't mind reapplying as it feels comfortable to wear and isn't at all drying, and it smells like berries which is nice! Rimmel's '16' is a pink toned coral with a matt finish, and the colour pay off is pretty intense when applied straight from the tube. I smudge it in slightly with my fingertip when I want a more subtle effect. For a long lasting lipstick it feels very moisturising and creamy, and although the initial creamy feeling wears off after a while the colour stays put for a good few hours. I'm loving vibrant colours this summer and these two beauties are currently sitting at the top of my lipstick list. 

That's all for now folks, the sun is still shining and the garden is calling! I'd love to hear what products you've been using recently and if you've used any of the above. Feel free to comment below with your top picks for summer!