Time to moisturise! What I’m currently using to moisturise my face for normal to combination/oily skin (Day + night)

Moisturising your face in particular is a very important beauty and skin health step which you shouldn’t skip. Even if you have oily acne prone skin it’s essential that you moisturise and use slightly different products for day and night time care.

Personally I have normal to oily/combination skin and when I choose a moisturiser I try a pick ones that are non-greasy, fast absorbing and that leave the skin either with a matte finish or a none-dewy, over shiny finish. But I still like to feel my skin is soft and hydrated. I don’t use oil based moisturisers as these tend to make my skin greasy.

My new favourite moisturising cream to put on my face at night (or when I know I won’t leave the house) is Garnier’s ‘PureActive Matte Control’ moisturiser which is an anti-shine moisturiser which is meant to improve the size of pores and blemishes. It contains salicylic acid and airlicium which are both active ingredients. The airlicium is a super mattifying and sebum absorbing ingredient and the salicylic acid helps control blemishes and pores. I really like this product as it really is feather light and comfortable and definitely leaves a non-shiny look to the skin. My skin has improved since using the product and it really is important to cleanse the skin before applying moisturiser, both in the morning and the night. I don’t think the formula is too harsh on the skin either, it moisturises with its active ingredients which doesn’t completely strip away the skin’s natural moisture. If you have combination to oily skin then this moisturiser is worth a try and I bought mine in Asda for £3.99 but it was on offer at the time.

For the day, I’m currently using Olay ‘Total Effects 7 in one Feather Weight Moisturiser’ and this is SPF 15 and does contain UVA protection too and are both really important. My preferred way of applying this for oily to combination skin is with a beauty sponge and dab it into the face and neck. I feel if I apply and blend with my fingers my face gets quite dewy otherwise and it does sometimes sweat off on really hot days. The smell of this moisturiser is really subtle but really nice, a very faint floral fragrance which is what I like from a day moisturiser. Another good point is the texture is really smoothing and light. I do feel my pores look a lot better and imperfections smoothed out but I haven't been completely blown away by this product.

Although I do believe that young people need to be aware of the effects of the sun as well as protecting ourselves from it, by choosing moisturisers with UVA and UVB protection, I would say that this product is not the perfect product for young skin. However, it is a good SPF cream which is not oil based. I think this moisturiser is really suited to normal to slightly dry skin types because it does give a slightly dewy look and can make the face melt for oily skin types. In the future I probably wouldn't repurchase it after I have used it because I prefer a matte finish. The moisturiser cost me about £10 and I bought it in Boots.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and we would love to hear from you.

Jasmine x

Lush's Fresh Face Mask: Cosmetic Warrior - Tried and Tested (Review)

This post is about two of my favourite things: Lush and face masks, so its a no brainer that Lush Fresh face masks are one of my face cleansing routines and I love finding new masks to try. Today I am going to give my thoughts on Cosmetic Warrior which I bought after my previous Lush face mask (Mask of Magnaminty) run out. I bought the product on Tuesday, 7th June with Amelia - to find out more about the day including getting out nails manicured and what scrumptious food we had for lunch see Amelia's post: Our Big Day Out.
So gather round with your preferred tea of choice and you could even apply your face mask.

I bought this product in Lush in Leicester, situated at 11 Gallowtree Gate, and am a regular browser and buyer in this store. The staff are always helpful and happy to give their thoughts and advice. I was recommended this product by a member staff who applied some to my hand and massaged it into the back of my hand and was surprised how smooth and creamy textured this mask, especially when masks for normal to oily skin types are normally thick and clay textured. This mask is available in 75 grams and costs £6.75 and it must be refrigerated when not in use and used within 3 weeks.

My first impressions on the product when I opened the black 100% recycled pot was the aroma of the mask, it has a pungent and strong scent. As soon as the container was opened the smell of tea tree drifts up, soon it is joined with the sweet sickly smell of honey and they mingle into a rather odd scent.  There is also a smell of raw egg which is bizarre and the smell of the product might put some off and it is definitely a draw back for the face mask.

The smooth consistency is a really highlight of this face mask, if you have skin which is more on the oily side then you will know how rare it is to come across a face mask for normal to oily skin types which is smooth and so creamy as this mask. Cosmetic Warrior is definitely very gentle and suitable for for applying to inflamed red spots without further enraging them or feeling uncomfortable and sore on them.  It is very lovely and refreshing to have a mask and skin care product that is soft, creamy and lightweight on the skin when applying and leaving to dry. 

It is important to highlight that this product is not vegan as it contains honey and free range eggs. It is approved by the Vegetarian society but is not a vegan product.

The natural ingredients contains a lot of natural antiseptic and antibacterial properties. The honey is antibacterial and the tea tree oils and the garlic are great natural antiseptics. The kaolin clay is very good at cleansing skin but is lightweight and smooth. Furthermore, there are no artificial ingredients or preservatives so it does need to be kept chilled in the fridge and used in a few weeks. 

I would recommend washing and cleansing your face before applying the mask and ensuring your skin is patted dry before application. Apply a generous layer of the product on the face, but make sure you leave areas of bare skin around the eyes and lips. Then let it set on the skin for 5-10 minutes. Just enough time to make another cup of tea! Then once dried wash off using warm water before patting the skin dry and applying moisturizer. 

Overall rating: A smooth and creamy textured mask that leaves the skin feeling smooth and clean after. However the smell of the ingredients are not complimentary and the smell of egg is detectable. 

What is your favourite face mask? Have you got a Lush face mask you cannot live without? Let me know in the comments!

Jasmine


Items mentioned: 

Cosmetic Warrior: https://uk.lush.com/products/cosmetic-warrior 

This post is not sponsored.