Serious Skincare on a Budget

Getting old is a funny thing. You can, on a good day, feel just like you did at 18 - shiny of hair, taut of skin and bursting with energy. But on a bad day? Jeez. My son came into our room the other morning, just as I was getting out of bed, and asked if I'd been crying, I looked that creased and swollen of eye. I'm not vain, but it's a bit worrying that you should wake from a good 8 hours' kip looking like you've taken a few punches in a boxing ring rather than getting some quality shut-eye.

While I'm extremely sceptical about anti-ageing treatments, I do appreciate that at my stage of life a little bit of help might be required in the skin care department. The problem is, of course, that a lot of the products lauded by the trustworthy beauty journos don't come cheap - I simply can't part with the best part of £50 for a serum. 

Thankfully there is a brilliant alternative for helping with middle aged skin issues. The Ordinary is a brand that has been making a fair bit of noise with industry insiders for some time, including a positive review from my go-to skincare guru, Sali Hughes. I finally bought some products on a recent trip to London where I visited their Covent Garden shop as I'd been a bit confused by what did what when looking on their website - it's a bit of a minefield of scientific terminology and percentages. I was pleased to be able to get some proper advice from a store assistant before making a purchase, but if you know your retinols from your AHAs you should be okay deciding which products best service your needs.

The range is essentially made up of 'generic pharma' products in the same vein of unbranded paracetamol - unlike its prettier, branded packets, it does the same job but without the big marketing spend. The Ordinary takes a similar approach, using tried and tested ingredients in its products but leaving behind anything superfluous and swapping expensive packaging for pared-down bottles and boxes. Personally, I find the simplicity of it all very pleasing, though you could get annoyed by the overblown spiel in the 'About Us' page on their website. 

If their website mission statements leaves you confused, you can read a good review of the products by Sali Hughes here, while I found this article a helpful guide to which products work best for certain skin concerns. The products I'm currently using are the Hyaluronic Acid 2% +B5. Now I have overcome my fear of the word 'acid' in the context of skincare and get what this particular type of acid does (holds moisture to keep your skin looking plump, hydrated and youthful) I'm fully on board with it and this serum seems to be doing what it promises on the bottle. I'm using it just in the morning, on clean skin before my moisturiser. Just a few drops suffice to cover the face (I'm also using it on my neck as this area of my skin seems to have borne particular brunt of the ageing process.) It leaves skin a little bit tacky but I can live with that as I think it's definitely made my skin feel softer and smoother over the short time I've been using this product.

At night I'm using the most expensive product in the The Ordinary range (a still incredibly affordable £12.70); "Buffet" is a 'multi-technology peptide serum' which can be used both at night and in the morning too under other products and make-up. Again, it has a slightly sticky consistency but it's not unpleasant, particularly as I'm using it solely at night. It promises to tackle fine lines, wrinkles and 'textural irregularities'. Oh, and 'dynamic lines' - I don't know what these are but I'm pretty sure I've got them.

Having used the serum for just a few weeks now, and in conjunction with other night-time beauty staples (Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Serum and Wildsource Apothecary Miracle Skin Oil) I honestly feel my skin looks a bit more springy and youthful (either that or I really do need to follow up that annual eye appointment - getting old is all the fun!)

With most products in the range coming in at the £5 mark, The Ordinary is certainly revolutionary in offering targeted, clinical skincare solutions at inclusive price points - the products are cheaper than similar mass-market offerings from the likes of Olay and L'Oreal, plus the packaging is more aesthetically pleasing if things like that matter to you.

Nothing can truly eradicate decades-worth of sunbathing, wine drinking, child rearing and all the other stuff that shows on our faces when we reach a certain age. But The Ordinary serums go a little way to hiding the evidence for a bit longer...

Visit the The Ordinary website here to see the full range of products. 

Made in Bristol: Wildsource Apothecary

As any blogger will tell you, it is really very nice getting to trial interesting new products. One of my blogging highlights (or indeed life highlights) was receiving a box the size of a small house filled with Burts Crisps in the post. Turns out researching new crisp flavours is really rather fun...but it wouldn't be great for me to get boxes of crisps in the post too often. 

Last week a less calorific but equally exciting package turned up in the shape of a box filled with products from new Bristol-based skincare brand Wildsource Apothecary, a brand I've been following on Instagram for a while. Made in small batches, each of the products in the collection is organic, vegan and ethical, and are crafted from locally sourced botanicals and herbs. Nestling in my beautifully packaged box were some hero products from the range: a Baobab & Calendula Hot Cloth Cleanser, a Wild Flower Facial Tonic, a Radiance Pink Clay Mask and the Miracle Skin Oil with Rosehip & Thistle.

I'd had a consultation about my particular skin needs via email and was assured the products in the selection would suit my skin (sometimes reactive and hormonal, currently in need of some serious TLC.) While I'm not obsessive about choosing only organic products for my skin, I do prefer to use botanical-based cleansers and creams wherever possible - I don't like to see a huge list of ingredients in the small print and I'm a big fan of brands that take a more natural approach, such as Liz Earle and REN. That said, however, I do want things to actually work and am aware that the efficacy of certain nature-led products doesn't always win against scientific formulations. 

Basically, what I'm looking for is ease, efficiency and suitability. I want a cleanser that takes every last grain of dirt of my skin without making it dry, a serum that helps me feel several years younger, a moisturiser that plumps me up and an oil that makes my skin as soft of as a baby's while lulling me towards sleep at the end of a busy day...I know, perhaps quite a big ask.

Having got big into oils when I finally realised they won't bring you out in a mass of boils, I stared off using the Miracle Skin Oil before bed, my favourite time to apply an oil (though this can be used under make-up too.) I wish smell-o-vision was a thing because I can't do justice in writing to how gorgeous this product smells. Filled with other goodies - vitamin E, grapeseed oil and ylang ylang and rose geranium essential oils) this oil is a total pleasure to use. It goes on like a dream, absorbs easily and definitely made my skin feel softer the next day. 

Next morning I replaced my usual Liz Earle Cleanser with the collection's Baobab & Calendula Hot Cloth Cleanser, another gorgeously scented product also containing sweet almond, jojoba oil and wild neroli. Perfect for mornings when you haven't got to shift make-up from your skin, this is a really calming oil cleanser that you massage into your skin and then remove with a soft cloth. I did try it in the evening too but felt it might be a bit light for dealing with makeup, though it worked well as part of the double cleanse routine I sometimes follow if I can be bothered and have the time.

The pink clay mask was really fun - I had a friend staying for the weekend when my box arrived, so naturally we disappeared off with wine to give ourselves a pamper (we'd been looking after four rather wild and excitable boys that day, so it was pretty necessary.) The mask comes in powder form that you mix with either the Wild Flower Facial Tonic or water to create a paste that you then apply to your skin. Ideally you should use a brush to do this which perhaps would make application a bit less messy. Once on, you look a bit of a fright (it was quite fun pretending to our boys that their high jinx all day had brought us out in a stress-related skin rash) but it's well worth it - after 20 minutes we rinsed our masks off to reveal baby-soft, calm skin. My friend, who lives in London, has already been badgering me to get my hands on some more.

If you love a facial mist, the Wild Flower Facial Tonic is a nice addition to your routine - we spritzed this on after our masks and before using the oil but you can also use it post cleansing. I don't normally use facial mists but with a holiday in Ibiza coming up, I can see this being a nice little product to keep in my beach bag.

It's lovely to be able to support a local business, but as I mentioned earlier, I don't want to spend money on things purely because I feel I should - I'm on a relatively tight budget and need things to offer value for money. So it's great to stumble upon a brand that is bringing good quality, ethical products to the market that - in my opinion - do really work. The products haven't launched online yet, but if you're a fan of natural skincare and would like to support a fab new range made in Bristol, keep an eye on the Instagram and website pages. 

Several days on from using my samples, my skin (previously quite stressed, suffering from PMT) feels soft, smooth and calm. The Miracle Oil in particular impressed me and I can see this becoming one of beauty staples. I can't wait to get my hands on some more...

Mustela Mother & Baby Products - Review & Giveaway!

There are lots of things the French do well - wine, cheese and pharmacies are my favourites. Yes, pharmacies. French ones are so much better than ours. With their beautifully merchandised windows (the French can make even orthopaedic sandals and pile cream look chic) and ordered, tranquil interiors, a French pharmacy is, for me, a truly exciting proposition. Unlike my local branch of Boots - which is poorly stocked, dimly lit and generally a bit dull - French pharmacies ooze efficiency and efficacy, with shelves stocked with creams and potions for every skin need and every ailment. I could spend considerable amounts of time in a French pharmacy and while I've yet to find that magical product that will transform me into a gamine left-bank beauty, I do consider this time well spent as I've picked up some amazing products that have become stalwarts of my beauty cupboard over the years.

Basically, the French really know their toiletries. It's not for nothing that cult pharmacy brands such as Bioderma and Biafine are held in such high esteem by beauty insiders. They really do tend to do what they say on the tin (and I can vouch for this as a longtime user of products from ranges such as La Roche Posay, Vichy and Avene.) Furthermore, they're usually very reasonably priced and - thankfully - now widely available in the UK, via larger branches of Boots and online beauty retailers. So, when I was informed about a new name on the block - Mustela - I was naturally excited to hear more (and I'm delighted to be offering my first giveaway on the blog, offering a fantastic product from the range - read on for details!)

Mustela recently launched in the UK but has been a cult name across the channel since the 1950s. It's a range specifically for mothers to be, babies and young children, providing nurturing, safe products that are completely free of chemical nasties. Products contain 92% ingredients of natural origin on average, and they are completely free of parabens, phthalates and phenoxyethanol. Now, I have to admit at this stage that I'm not the company's target audience, being neither pregnant or in possession of a small baby. However, I did trial a couple of the products on myself and my kids as there's no reason why you shouldn't use this range if you're looking for effective, natural products that won't aggravate your skin - it's particularly worth checking out if you or your child suffer from excessively dry or eczema-prone skin. 

Having spent much of the half term getting battered by cold northern winds on bracing walks up steep hills, my skin was feeling a bit drier and more aggravated than normal so I thought it would benefit from a touch of the 'Cold Cream nutri protective', a rich, soothing cream that really helped to soothe dry areas. I have to be careful what I put on my skin and wasn't sure if this would be too rich, but I used a thin layer for a couple of days as a night cream and found it restored my dry bits without bringing me out in spots. It's really designed for babies and is suitable for use right from birth. The formula is also available in a very handy stick which would be perfect for keeping in your changing bag and applying on the go if your baby's skin gets irritated by the wind or cold. 

I hate overly-perfumed toiletries and tend to associate them with aggravating skin, so I was pleased to find that Mustela's products have a very subtle,'clean' smell. We also used the '2 in 1 Hair and Body Wash' which we particularly liked - it's got a lovely, fresh, light fragrance and silky consistency that doesn't dry out skin and is ideal for use at home by all the family, particularly if any adults or older children have reactive skin that doesn't respond well to fragranced, soap-based products. The wash is soap-free and contains Avocado Perseose®, a patented ingredient of natural origin. It would also be especially convenient when travelling, helping to save precious space in your beauty bag. In our case it was the perfect addition to my son's swimming bag, rather than carting our full size shampoo and shower gel with us for use after his weekly swimming lesson.

The range includes dedicated products for pregnancy, too, as well as effective balms and washes for common complaints such as atopic eczema, nappy rash and cradle cap. I'm particularly drawn to the sun creams which I'll definitely be trialling next time I'm off somewhere hot, as both my children can react to some sun creams. Mustela's creams and sprays promise extra high protection (50+ UVB) and tolerance by even the most sensitive of skins. They're also fragrance and alcohol free and suitable for use from birth.

Baby colognes are ubiquitous on the continent, hence the Mustela range includes an 'Eau de Soin' spray, contained in a quintessentially French bottle. While I'm not sure many mums in the UK would necessarily splash out on a cologne for their little ones, this would make a cute christening present, perhaps, and it can also be used as a room spray for your nursery. Interestingly, I stumbled upon a review of the product in the Daily Mail, which recommended the fragrance for grown-ups, saying it makes a much cheaper, natural alternative to Clarins' legendary 'Eau Dynamistante' - read more here.

The range is currently available in the UK through a number of online chemists and retailers, including Bliss life, Calder Pharmacy and Essentials. Prices range from around the £3.99 mark to £17.99 for the baby cologne. 

Visit the Mustela website here to see all the products in the range and to buy online.

Giveaway!

I have one 'Soothing Comfort Balm' to giveaway if you would like to try one of Mustela's products for yourself. This moisturising chest rub is perfect for treating your baby's cold and is free of chemical nasties. Its gentle purifying scent eases discomfort and helps to soothe your baby to sleep - a bathroom cabinet essential for this time of year!

You can read more about the Soothing Comfort Balm here. To take part in the giveaway, follow me on Twitter by clicking below, or email me at luisasanders@gmail.com

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All images courtesy and copyright Mustela.