Elemis Skincare Buys

My usual skincare routine generally consists mostly of fairly cheap, drugstore products, and to be honest, for every day, I’m pretty happy with what I use. But sometimes it’s nice to splash out a little bit and have some more expensive products that you can treat yourself to. A while back now, I went to Champneys Forest Mere (one of my favourite places for total relaxation!) for a day of rest, relaxation and indulgent spa treatments, with a good friend before her wedding. As well as enjoying the use of the pool, hot tub, relaxation rooms and a cheeky treatment or two, we were also able to take part in a session with an Elemis therapist. She was absolutely brilliant, and led us through a skincare routine using different Elemis products, so we could try them out for ourselves and see what we thought. She also offered plenty of advice on the types of products that would suit us individually and answered any questions we had on any other products that took our fancy.

I had never had much opportunity to try any Elemis products before, so I really enjoyed being taught how to use different items and experiencing how they felt on my skin. I loved trying them out so much that, at the end of the session, I decided I wanted to treat myself to a couple of things. Something that we had used in the demonstration that I particularly loved was the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel, which exfoliates and purifies tired, lacklustre skin. It is non-abrasive and leaves skin feeling soft, revitalised and radiant. Natural fruit enzymes of exfoliating Papaya and calming Pineapple smooth and clarify the complexion. The rinse-off cream also contains nourishing Milk Protein, anti-oxidant rich Vitamin E and Marine Algae to moisturise, repair and protect skin. 

This peel smells incredible and feels so smooth on your skin. It feels like a real treat when you use it – after applying to your face, you are meant to leave it for 10-15 minutes and then remove with lukewarm water, so you really feel like you’re giving your skin an indulgent spa treatment. I can often find that harsh exfoliators leave my skin feeling red and sensitive, but this peel felt gentle, leaving my skin glowing and radiant afterwards. 

The other product I wanted to buy was body oil. Originally, I really liked the idea of the Frangipani Monoi Body Oil because it smells incredible! But after talking to the Elemis therapist about the kinds of things I wanted to use it for, she suggested trying the Musclease Active Body Oil instead. It combines the richness of the sea with the power of aroma and with a powerful synergy of Maritime Pine, Sea Buckthorn, Sea Fennel extracts and Rosemary Essential Oil, it can be used to help ease muscle pain and stressed joints.

I must admit, it doesn’t smell the best (especially compared to the Frangipani!) but it really does seem to help with my aching muscles and joints. I get a lot of body pain from having Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and although it’s not going to get rid of that pain, I think the act of moisturising it into my back, legs and shoulders really helps ease some of the tension associated with chronic pain. Now all I need is for someone else to do the massaging for me!

At the time I bought these products, the Elemis section in the spa were running an offer whereby you would receive a bag full of goodies if you bought two Elemis products. Not one to pass up on some freebies, I, of course, jumped at the chance to receive my free gift. It came presented in a gorgeous silver make-up bag with turquoise edging, which I am more than happy to use for make-up and toiletries when I go away. 

Inside were four Elemis miniatures – Rehydrating Ginseng Toner, Skin Nourishing Shower Cream, Dynamic Resurfacing Serum and Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash. I’m a sucker for a miniature product and think it’s a nice way to try out products for a while before you decide if you’re going to buy a full-size one.

The toner feels light and cooling on your skin and doesn’t feel harsh like some toners can. I love how refreshed my skin feels after I’ve used this product and as someone who can get slightly dry skin in places, this really seems to help add hydration.

The shower cream definitely feels like an extravagant treat for me, as I’m so used to using a £1.99 bottle of shower gel from Superdrug or Boots! But this Elemis one feels luxurious and moisturising, with a gentle comforting scent that I think is perfect for an evening shower before bed. Looking at other reviews of this, it seems it is really good for those with dry skin conditions, so I might have to recommend it to my sister to try.

Moving on to the serum, I’ll start by saying that this is something that would ordinarily be way out of my price range (at £88 for a bottle), so it was nice to have the opportunity to just give it a try. The serum feels light and fresh and absorbs quickly into the skin. You don’t need much per application, as a little will go a long way, which I guess will help the product to last a bit longer and give you better value for money. From the small amount I’ve used so far, it does seem to improve to look of my skin and has helped it feel smoother and brighter. Unfortunately I just couldn’t stretch to rebuying this particular product to continue trying it though.

The last product in the bag was the facial wash, which is currently on offer on the Elemis website. It’s a nice gentle cleanser, which feels luxurious to use. And like with the other Elemis products, it definitely seems to make my skin feel nourished and bright without being too harsh or drying. Again, it’s probably more than I would usually spend on a cleanser, but as a treat now and again it’s definitely something I would go back to.

So that’s all of the products I bought from Elemis when I went to Champneys. If you ever get the chance to take part in some sort of master class or session with an Elemis therapist (even if it’s just on one of their counters) I would definitely recommend it because I learnt so much and found some great new products to try out on my skin. I’m really enjoying using all of the products I came away with and Elemis is certainly a brand I will go back to if I’m ever looking for a bit of a treat for myself.

Are you a fan of Elemis products? Which ones would you recommend trying?

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Clinique iD Blogger Event

*I was invited to have a skin consultation and makeover and hear about Clinique iD, but bought my own products and all opinions are my own

A couple of Saturdays ago, I was invited down to the Clinique counter in Boots at The Oracle Reading to find out more about the release of the Clinique iD™ moisturiser. I’d seen it advertised, but didn’t really know anything about it, so was interested to find out more. So after checking out some of the shops in The Oracle, and having a bit of lunch with my Mum in Pizza Express, we made our way to Boots where I met up with Kirsty from Unseen Beauty (another blogger from the South East Bloggers Circle) and Mariam, who works for Clinique and was organising the event. 

As there were only two of us, we were able to have individual consultations with the Clinique staff, which meant we could really find out about the best products for each of us. We started off by going through a skin consultation in order to find out about the type of skin we have and our main areas of concern. I chatted to Mariam about the fact I have relatively ‘normal’ skin, which can get a bit dry sometimes, and that my main issues were dark under-eye circles and my skin generally looking dull and tired.  

After we’d gone through all the questions, Mariam took me through a typical skincare routine using Clinique products that were suitable for my skin type. We started by using the Sonic Cleansing Brush with the foaming facial soap, which felt amazing on my skin. I’ve never used an electronic cleansing tool before, but after trying this one out I’m very tempted to save up for one for myself. The only thing is, I tend to use Micellar Water at the moment, which they don’t work with, and so I would have to change my cleanser. My next product was the Clarifying Lotion 2, which sweeps away pollution, grime and dulling flakes to reveal smoother, clearer skin. It’s a bit like a toner, but as well as toning it exfoliates at the same time.

Then it was time to be introduced to the new Clinique iD™ moisturiser. This is a completely customisable hydration system, which is based around Clinique’s signature Dramatically Different Moisturiser lotions. The idea is that each and every Clinique customer is unique, and therefore one type of moisturiser simply isn’t going to suit everyone. This is where Clinique iD comes in. It offers 15 different combinations of active ingredients that hydrate and treat your skin specific to your concern.

You begin by picking your base, which is in the larger, outer bottle. There’s a Moisturising Lotion, which offers 8-hour skin-strengthening hydration and suits very dry to dry combination skin; an Oil-Control Gel, perfect for combination to oily skin, as it promises 8-hour oil-free hydration; and lastly, a Hydrating Jelly, which is lightweight and oil-free, suitable for all skin types and gives 24-hour hydration repair as well as pollution protection. After trying a couple of these on the back of my hand, I opted to go for the Hydrating Jelly, as I liked the light consistency. 

Once you’ve picked your base, it is then time to choose your cartridge, which can be inserted inside the base bottle. There are five different options, each one a different colour and aimed to target distinctive skincare issues:

·     The purple cartridge is for Lines & Wrinkles - giving a concentrated dose of Whey Protein it smoothes fine lines and wrinkles, rehydrates and plumps the skin

·     The blue cartridge is for Pores & Uneven Skin Texture – with AHAs to improve skin’s texture and reveal fresher, brighter skin and tighter looking pores

·     The orange cartridge is for Fatigue – it contains Taurine to re-energise skin to minimise the signs of fatigue due to daily stressors

·     The green cartridge is for Irritation – Lactobacillus Ferment helps to provide instant and soothing relief for delicate, irritated skin

·     And the white cartridge is for Uneven Skin Tone – extracts from Japanese Angelica Root helps to provide a more even skin tone

A specially designed pump and Clinique’s Custom-Blend Chemistry Technology™ simultaneously dispenses a 10 per cent dose of targeted ingredients from the cartridge, with a 90 per cent dose of your chosen moisturiser. This has been worked out to maximise the therapeutic effect of each formula and to make sure both products absorb properly into your skin. As one of my main skin issues is dull, tired-looking skin, we decided to choose the orange ‘Fatigue’ cartridge to go with my chosen base. If only it could get rid of the physical feelings of fatigue as well!

After I’d used the Clinique iD™ moisturiser, Mariam gave me the Clinique Pep-Start™ Eye Cream to try. I’ve wanted to give it a go for ages, as I love under-eye creams that come with a roller ball and need any help I can get to make my under-eye area look wide awake and refreshed! It felt really cooling on my skin and I absolutely loved the applicator. Then, to finish off my skincare routine and begin with my make-up, I used the Superbalm Moisturising Gloss. It helps to treat undermoisturised skin, instantly relieves dryness and protects with antioxidants, as well as adding a bit of colour. 

Then it was time for a bit of a makeover. Mariam started by colour matching the Even Better Refresh™ Hydrating and Repairing Foundation to my skin, before blending it in. It gave me full-coverage but didn’t feel too heavy, which is exactly the type of foundation I look for. We decided against using any powder, so Mariam then popped a bit of eye shadow on my lids, followed by the High Impact™ Mascara, which helps to add maximum volume along with definition and length. I can be quite fussy when it comes to mascaras, but I really liked the way this one made my lashes look – they weren’t clumpy or too heavy, but looked full of volume and well defined. 

The finishing touches to my make-up look were the Chubby Stick™ Sculpting Highlight, which gave a really awesome glow across my cheekbones. And for my lips, Mariam used a Chubby Stick™ Moisturising Lip Colour Balm in Super Strawberry, which I was pleasantly surprised with. When she brought it over, I was a bit nervous because it looked quite dark and not usually a colour I would go for. But it came out looking a lot subtler than the packaging and I thought it really suited my skin tone. That’s the great thing about someone else doing your make-up for you – you find products that you wouldn’t have picked up yourself. 

And with that, we had come to the end of the event, but not before both Kirsty and I needed to make a purchase or two! Mariam had told us about an offer running on Clinique counters in Boots at the moment, where if you buy two Clinique products (one of which has to be foundation or skincare) you get a free six-piece gift worth £42. I’m never one to pass up a good offer, so, of course, I had to make a couple of purchases! I decided to treat myself to the Clinique iD™ and also the Chubby Stick™ Sculpting Highlight, and then was able to choose six items, from a range of eight different products, to take home in a cute Clinique bag, for free! If I’d decided to buy a third item, I would also have been able to take home a free full-sized bonus gift worth £17.50, so there’s definitely some bargains to be had!

After having a quick look around at the rest of the Clinique goodies on offer, it was time for us to head back home again. I had a lovely time with the Clinique ladies in Boots at The Oracle and am so happy to have been invited down there to try out their new Clinique iD™. I first started using Clinique products about twelve years ago, and even now, one of my favourite products is the Take the Day Off™ Cleansing Balm, so it was great to discover some more of their products to add to my favourites!

Are you a fan of Clinique products? Have you tried the new Clinique iD™ at all yet?

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