Face by HealGEL

HealGel is a brand I really really like.  The first thing that always catches my attention with the products from this range is the packaging, if you read my review of HealGel Eye then you will know I really rated it because it kind of looks like it has come from some very old fashioned pharmacy with its design and typeface and for me that really stood out.  The bottle itself is also as eye-catching and mimics the design of the box as you can see.

HealGel Face is a product I have been using a few times a week for a good few months now and the lovely people at HealGel say the following about this product:

"HealGel Face is an exceptional anti-ageing formula designed to smooth, firm and replenish to give instantly plumper, revitalised looking skin.

Arnica and Madecassoside are suspended in liposomes with powerful peptides and biodynes to initiate a uniquely soothing and collagen boosting process. HealGel Face also contains a unique blend of Omega Oils to replenish dehydrated skin and restore elasticity. To this another vital dimension is added; a powerful three part hyaluronic acid complex provides a plumping and tightening effect".

Well if that isn't enough to make you want to try it, I don't know what is.  To date both HealGel Eye and Face are really lightweight, the cream for me is more like a serum and once on the skin it is absorbed really quickly leaving no trace behind that it was really ever there other than this wonderful scent which appears from the natural oils, it is one of those scents that you most definitely get when you have been to a spa, instantly relaxing and you just know it is doing something good.

The bottle as you can see has a pump dispenser which I personally am a huge fan of, I believe products with pump dispensers are created this way because one pump from this is sufficient enough to cover your entire face and when you do so, I find it is instantly cooling on the skin, which is a really nice sensation.   Once on the face the notable difference in my skin is quite something, soft and smooth to the touch and on my cheeks where I often suffer from dry patches, HealGel Face is excellent in assisting me with moisturising that part of the skin, especially if I have just exfoliated and the same effect when I use it on the sides of my nose, which again I have issues with dry skin.

You can purchase HealGel Face for £48.00 and I will be sad when my tube runs out because I absolutely love using it.

What do you think of HealGel Face? 

Have you tried any products from within the HealGel Range?

HealGel was created by a team of leading British plastic and cosmetic surgeons with the help of a renowned dermatological biochemist and a well known actor. They wanted to create products that helped them with their work, and to be able to provide the reassurance of genuinely effective skin care.  

Bodhi and Birch Neroli Lucé Revitalising Face Oil

Facial oils have become something if a fascination to me, ever since I was first introduced to them by balance me a good few months ago.  As something with combination skin leading towards the oily side, I never would have imagined that I could use a face oil, always believing that it would leave my skin looking more like an oil slick than ever before, turns out I was very wrong about that and infact my skin reacts really well to all of the oils I have tried so far.

Bodhi is a company I am slowly learning about as I make my way through some of their products. Having fallen for their Mint The Refreshing Bath and Shower Therapy which I've shared HERE, I have equally become quite fond of the product I am sharing with you today and that is the Neroli Lucé Revitalising Face Oil.

Described as follows:

Revitalise and rebalance with skin-toning Tunisian Neroli, rejuvenating Frankincense and restorative Sea Buckthorn oil.

Instantly absorbed to nourish and hydrate skin leaving it toned and radiant without feeling greasy. Vital vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids help revive a lacklustre complexion, increase elasticity, boost resilience and rebalance the skin’s natural hydration system.

So as an oil it is quite surprising that it doesn't leave your skin feeling oily, that was always my fear, instead what it does is immediately absorb itself into your skin, almost on contact.  Bodhi say this oil will do many things and these are just some them:

• Combat oily zones and eradicate dry patches - well yes it does, much more than I hoped it world and my dry cheeks have been banished and at the end of a working day my nose and the rest if my tone no longer have a shine to them.
• Help to tone, tighten and refine pores - I don't have this problem anyway (I don't thin) so I can't really comment on whether it does or not
• Rebalance the skins natural hydration system - I have to say that when I do use this, my skin feels wonderfully soft and smooth all day long

The most important thing for me about this oil is the scent, no matter how good something is, if I don't like the scent of it, chances are I won't use it.  This however I do really really like the scent of, it is one of those uplifting scents that makes you go "aaahhh" as you smell it and it uses a whole range if ingredients. 

Starting with Neroli which is sourced in Tunisia, Neroli is sourced from bitter orange tees and more importantly their fragrant blossoms.  Add to that:

• Frankincense which you can most definitely smell and as an oil it helps with the general skin tone and condition while reducing oily skin, rejuvenating the more mature skin.
• Sea Buckthorn oil is used to help boost the healing of skin and help combat wrinkles
• Grapeseed Oil is a lightweight oil which absorbs super quick into the skin and it helps encourage the production of elastin and hyaluronic acid.  It is also said to help the skin retain firmness and you fullness for longer
• Apricot Kernel Oil is known for its abilities to soothe and nourish the skin wilts helping it to retain elasticity and suppleness, not to mention the fact it is rich in 6 Vitamins including A, and E
• Jojoba which helps to balance your sebum production, unclog pores and is anti-inflammatory to boot.
• Finally there is Evening Primrose Oil which helps to restore brighteness to the skin without clogging your pores.

Naturally there is more information to be had about each and every one of those ingredients which can be found online.

The oil itself is exactly that, it is an oil and it has a similar constituency to Olive oil and on your skin, which is likely to be quite warm it can become quite runny, so with that in mind, one squirt of the pump is more than enough to cover your entire face.  The instructions for using this oil are that you should use it both morning and evening after cleansing and toning and massage one to two pumps over the face, blending from your décolletage up to your forehead. You can also use this oil under make-up to help even out your skin tone and reduce the mid-day shine.

Again it has this quite striking orange colour to the oil and as I've said, I am a huge fan of its scent, it is quite powerful when you first release some, but as you massage into the skin a the scent settles down and is really quite lovely, it is one of those scents that would make the most amazing distressing candle to burn when you need some time out to relax and forget about whatever it was.

If like me you were and still are sceptical as to whether it not facial oils would work for you, I can only urge you to reach out and try one, I am so glad I did because it gives me a whole new field of products to use and this one in particular is especially wonderful and is one I wouldn't hesitate to purchase for myself (after making my way through the rest of the range).

If I have managed to convince you to try this product then you can find this amazing oil for £32 (for 15 ml) on the Bodhi website.

Have you tried Bodhi? What did you think?

Avène Soothing Hydrating Serum

I was recently lucky enough to be sent the Avène Soothing Hydrating Serum (£17.00) from Escentual.com to try out and I've only been using it every day since I got it and I absolutely love it.  For those of you who are not aware, Avène are a French skincare brand and the Serum comes with the following description:

"Get a highly concentrated boost of repairing and protecting power for your skin with the Avène Soothing Hydrating Serum. This intensely soothing and hydrating formulation is ideal for sensitive skin, or skin that is easily effected by stress, pollution, or irritation. With its high concentration of Avène Thermal Spring Water, the serum works to soothe and heal the skin with each and every application. This soothing sensation has a long-lasting effect thanks to patented lipsomes, which work to diffuse the ingredients gradually into the upper layer of the skin".

This soothing Hydrating Serum doesn't contain any parabens or known skin irritants but does make use of Avène's own Thermal Spring Water which with the addition of Glycerine provides much needed nourishment to your skin, leaving it feeling hydrated, soft and supple.

This is the first product from Avène that I have tried and I have to say I am impressed.  It comes packaged inside a frosted glass bottle which houses a pump dispenser, something that I love to have on products like this because I find them much easier to use and much less wasteful not to mention more hygienic.  That said one pump of the dispenser is enough to cover your entire face and neck.  Then as directed you should apply the serum both morning and evening after cleansing and toning but before moisturising, to give your skin a total moisture boost. Its gentle calming formula is ideal for sensitive skin, or skin which is affected by stress, pollution, or irritation and living in London you can only imagine how much something like this is needed.

The serum itself has a really nice texture, it isn't oily or greasy and is not as thick as my moisturising cream, it is somewhere in the middle of being a cream and gel.  As you apply it to your skin, it absorbs itself on impact and it has a hint of fragrance which I actually really like.  As soon as you have finished you can immediately tell the difference in your skin, mine feels softer, smoother and much more moisturised in appearance not to mention brighter and more dewy in appearance.  Once I add my moisturiser I have found that my make-up literally glides onto my face.

The serum has fit itself quite nicely into my skincare routine and my skin feel much better for it.  This serum is suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive, and is great for repairing and protecting the skin. It retails for £17, but right now until the end of March you can pick it up for just £14.45 from Escentual.

What are your French Skincare must haves?

Monu Cleansing Balm

I am quite new to the world of cleansing balms having only ever used one in my entire life, so when the chance to try and test out the Monu Essential Care Cleansing Balm I jumped at the chance. Monu is a brand that I have come to really like and one I have mentioned on my blog a few times now.

So the cleansing balm is said to be "An indulgent melting balm that works to cleanse skin and remove make-up for an instant boost of radiance and vitality" and is suitable for all skin types. What you get inside this rather luxurious looking box is a 150g tub of the balm and a muslin cloth which is really soft and smooth and so white I didn't want to use it.

When it comes to use it, you are told to warm the balm in the palm of your hands before gently massaging it over your face and neck with your fingertips.  As you do this the balm is said to efficiently melt into the pores to dissolve all traces of make-up and any impurities. You then add water to emulsify the balm into a luxuriously rich and creamy milk that is said to leave your skin feeling vitalised, conditioned and utterly flawless from morning to night.

This balm smells absolutely amazing, it combimes the aromatic secent of Rose and Geranium essential oils which awaked your senses and work to stimulate their skin.  There is also Evening Primrose, Blackcurrent and Rosehip Seed Oil, all of which work together to help 

"maintain a youthful suppleness and elasticity to the skins appearance, helping you to look and feel refined all day long. The added effects of comforting Wheat Germ, Apricot and Almond oils will help calm and clean the skin".

As soon as I began to massage this into my skin I loved it. Not quite as solid as I was expecting it to be considering it is called a balm, it is quite runny so you don't need to use very much at all, it is definitely a case of a little goes a long way, the scent is simply divine, more so than I can describe to you, but think spa-like scent and you are almost there. What it does do is everything it claims to do and that is dissolve every ounce of make-up on your face including any bits of dirt and grime that you didn't think was there! Trust me, it finds it and dissolves it and that includes the quite stubborn to remove They're Real from Benefit, literally nothing gets in its way.

Then when it does come into contact with water, it emulsifies quickly and completely and washes away without leaving any residue on my face, my hands or in sink, which I am thankful for, infact the only dirt that is left behind is on poor old Mr Muslin cloth which you can put in the washing machine anyway.  As for my skin afterwards, my face is so soft and smooth I don't feel the need to run for my moisturising cream and cover myself in it, but old habits are hard to stop and as i always would do, I apply my moisturiser, safe in the knowledge that there are no nasties on my skin stopping it from doing its job.

So, if you are on the look out for a cleansing balm that will do exactly what it tells you it will do, is paraben free, not tested on animals, has no animal derivatives and consists of a 100% natural fragrance then you are reading about it right here, right now and it costs £38 for this huge tub and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Balance Me BB Natural Perfection SPF 25

I am yet to find my Holy Grail BB Cream, I have tried 3 or 4 and they were alright, but would I repurchase them, I am not too sure. When this box from Balance Me dropped through my letterbox I was quite excited when I saw what was inside. Allow me to introduce you to their very own BB Cream*, a product which sold out as soon as it became available and one I have been itching to get my paws on. I am a huge fan of the Balance Me range and I first came across the BB Cream when I got a sneak preview at the Debenhams beauty event that I was lucky to attend and which you can read about HERE.

The Balance Me BB Natural Perfection SPF 25 to give it, its proper title is described as being

"A high-tech formula designed to create a naturally active daily skin perfector that leaves skin radiant and glowing, thanks to our sophisticated mineral-based tint. To support the structure of your skin and to smooth away signs of daily wear and tear, our SPF 25 BB cream contains an innovative natural titanium dioxide-based sun filter to block out both UVA and UVB rays. Our hand-picked ingredients were chosen to both enhance the activity of our sun filter and boost complexions. We’ve blended Abyssinian and rosehip oils with anti-oxidant rich, collagen and elastin-boosting blackberry leaf extract to help firm and smooth the surface of the skin; the purest grade of hyaluronic acid to help plump and bind in moisture; spruce knot, lotus flower and violet seed extracts to help calm any redness to give you a beautifully even skin tone"

Now I am more than impressed that it has an SPF 25, the one thing I want from and in my products these days is an SPF and something around 20-25 is perfect for my face. What's more with this BB Cream is that it has, what is referred to as a five-fold action to nurture and enhance your skin and they are:

1. Prime
2. Moisturise
3. Smooth skin
4. Protect with an SPF of 25
5. Deeply hydrate

Now this cream smells incredible, as soon as you squeeze some onto your hand all of those essential oils rushing to your senses making them coming alive and it smells absolutely wonderful.

When it comes to application, it couldn't be simpler.  It can be applied directly onto your freshly cleansed skin or over a moisturiser and using your fingertips, you simply blend it to give that natural, radiant and dewy glow.  What i love about this product is that the coverage is lovely and light, it doesn't make me look orange and it does make my skin feel lovely and nourished specially given that it contains high grade natural hyaluronic acid which we know is brilliant for our skin, camellia and jojoba oils which help with moisturising your skin, rosehip oil to help calm and then Abyssian oil for smoothing and anti-ageing, add that to the SPF 25 and your skin is getting some serious protection and TLC.

I use this BB cream daily with Benefit Hello Flawless over the top and my make-up lasts all day, so on a normal working day that can be anything from 8-10 hours depending on how busy I am, again I found the staying power quite impressive.

This product hit the shelves in November and a 40ml tube retails for £26 which you can see HERE and since this product came through my letterbox I have worn it almost everyday, it is just brilliant and it leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth and moisturised not to mention looking lovely.

Have you tried this product? Would you like to try it?