Murad's Summer Skincare Saviours

The return of the hot weather means I am frantically looking through my stash for products that will not only protect my skin but also cleanse, hydrate and protect it in the heat.  That means no thick heavy creams that I had stashed away for the colder months.  To help with my endeavour, the fabulous people over at Murad sent me a selection of their Summer Skincare Saviours.

The first item out of this beautiful bright neon pink pouch is the Essential C Cleanser (£10/60ml). Described as being a refreshing skin-brightening cleanser, its role is to neutralise the impact of the environment and its pollutants on skin by removing impurities, restoring radiance and optimal skin health.  I personally absolutely love the scent of this cleanser, the freshness and almost tart citrusy scent of Mandarin Orange and Grapefruit with a hint of Basil is more than enough to awaken the senses.  

It also includes Vitamins A, C and E all of which are powerful antioxidants which help to defend the skin from free radical damage.  This cleanser also uses Sodium PCA which help bind moisture to the skin which in turn keeps it looking supple and soft.  Allantoin is also used as a soothing and moisturising ingredient to help rejuvenate the skin.

So gentle on the skin that you can use it twice a day, the Essential C Cleanser is one that you squeeze into the palm of your and then create a rich creamy lather with a drop of water, then massage all over the face, neck and chest. This cleanser isn't drying on the skin, I don't feel that it strips my skin either, all of which is a huge plus point. 

The second product in this bag is the Oil and Pore Control Mattifier SPF45 (50ml/£35). During the hotter months, I always want a moisturising cream which isn't at all heavy, I save those for winter when my skin really hates the cold. From Murad comes a product which is described as being a product great for oily skin to instantly mattify and deliver 10 hours of oil and shine control whilst visibly tightening pores after just 1 minute on the skin. 

I have combination skin which gives me an oily t-zone, so this product was music to my ears. Come 2-3pm my t-zone becomes very shiny and almost oil slick like, more so in the Summer than the Winter, so I am usually reaching for the blotting paper and powder to tone down the oil. So lightweight on the skin, this product uses what are referred to as 'Oil-trapping microspheres' which mattify, smooth and blur imperfections. It uses both Avocado and African yellow wood bark extracts to help visibly reduce pore size and excess oil over time as hydrators prevent dryness.

For a long time, I have wanted a product like this, one that does the job it says it will do. I used this on some of the hottest days we have had and the difference was quite something. You can use it on top of your primer before makeup or you can use it on its own.  What I love about this is just how lightweight it is, there is no silicone feeling on the skin which I've found with other products, it literally sucks up all that excess sebum and holds on to it, so that mid-afternoon oil slick is nowhere to be seen!

The third product is the Nutrient Charged Water Gel (£50/50ml) and this has been one of my favourite Murad products to date, a full review of which you can find on my blog here. Ideal for dehydrated skin, this thirst-quenching gel is packed full of peptides, vitamins and minerals which hydrate, moisturise and soothe the skin.

Using Hydration-Release technology this gel instantly locks in moisture to plump and smooth the skin.  On my skin, I love how instantly soothing this gel feels and I find it literally glides onto the skin and absorbs within a few seconds, but if my skin is feeling particularly parched, it almost drinks it immediately on contact.  As it sinks in, there is an immediate change in how my skin feels, the nourished and moisturised feeling is left behind without being tacky or greasy to the touch.

Eye creams are a must within my skincare routine and I was delighted to find one within this package.  The Essential C Eye Cream SPF15 (15ml/£60) is a product I hadn't used before and it is one I am slowly getting to know.  Described as being an anti-ageing eye cream featuring UV protection that brightens, renews and protects the delicate stressed eye area. I like eye creams to be lightweight and where possible feel like a serum than a thick cream, this product fits somewhere in the middle of all that.

Using Vitamin C and other essential nutrients which work to reverse environmental damage and defend skin from free radical damage. Then we have caffeine which works to reduce puffiness and increase skin firmness, while light diffusers help to minimise the appearance of dark circles and crow’s feet. This eye cream also contains powerful broad-spectrum sun protection and Shea Butter which helps to intensely hydrate without leaving the skin feeling greasy.

The final product I have is the award-winning Invisiblur Perfecting Shield SPF30 (30ml/£65).  Described as being an anti-ageing treatment that also blurs, primes, moisturises and protects the skin with an invisible sunscreen to reveal a smooth, blurred, flawless complexion in just one step.

A clear gel with a lightweight texture, this unique formula uses Shitake Mushroom and Mucor miehei Peptides which work to help stimulate collagen production while helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Then we have the Soft Focus Complex that blurs, softens and primes skin for a flawless complexion and perfect makeup base. It also contains Barley, Sunflower and Cucumber extracts to mimic the skin’s membrane structure, enhancing its ability to attract and retain moisture.  You can wear it on its own or under makeup and what I have found is that it really does help create that perfect base, much better than a few high-end primers I have used!  Once on the skin, it becomes instantly invisible, in so much that you apply, blend it onto the skin and it has vanished, almost like magic.  I have been using it alongside a liquid foundation, BB and CC creams and it doesn't alter how they look, but it stops the products from clinging to dry areas and looking cracked.

If you have never tried any products from Dr Murad before, then hopefully this has been quite the insight as to some of the Summer Skincare Saviours, I am really impressed with what I have tried and as you read this, I have all five of these products with me in the South of France where I have escaped for some R&R!  For other products from Dr Murad, you can look at this Murad skincare review by Pierre Michel Beauty. 

All Murad products can be found by Murad and sites such as Lookfantastic*.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Touch in SOL Metallist Sparkling Foiled Pigment eyeshadows + swatches!

If you haven't heard me go on (and on) about Touch in SOL then you are absolutely missing out.  I have been really lucky to try out pretty much everything the brand has to offer from primers and lipstick to eyeshadow and makeup setting sprays! For me, Touch in SOL is an exciting brand and it has been designed to embrace the spirit of Korean innovation. Simply put, Touch In Sol is fun, innovative and uses some of the most advanced technologies out there.

Today I am really excited to share the Metallist Sparkling Foiled Pigment Shadows with you, something I had seen a sneak preview of quite some time ago, but felt like I have had to wait forever for them to be available.  Well not any longer because I have 6 of the 7 shades available and as soon as they arrived, I was swatching them before a single photo had been taken!  Now, if you love your eyeshadows to be something really different, that does exactly what it claims it will do and is not going to annoy your bank manager with their price then these might just be the best £14 you have ever spent and they are available both online and in some stores from Boots!

A lot of brands claim to have Foiled pigment shadows and I have shared my disappoint with one or two on both my blog and instastories over recent months because they have all been pretty much a huge letdown.  Well Touch in SOL have managed to do what no other brand has done.  

Like the rest of the METALLIST range, these pioneering pigments are true to form in colour payoff and lasting wearability but their intensity doesn’t stop there.

Each minute and light reacting pigment particle with its Diamond and Pearl Powder formulation will have you caught up in a mesmerising finish of intense sparkle and noticeable high shine.

Each shadow comes encased inside its own 13g pot and thankfully it does have a lid which allows you to see through to what colour the shade is.

The six shades I have are:

• Cream Peach - is a very warm-toned, light peach orange
• Honey Brown - is a very warm-toned, light-medium brown
• Sun Aurora - is a very warm-toned, light duochrome orange
• Holo Mulberry - warm-toned, medium duochrome light brown
• Persian Rose - is a very warm-toned, medium plum
• Aurora Taupe - is a moderately warm-toned, light-medium taupe

As you can see, each of the shades has two names and for me this is because they all have Diamond and Pearl Powder as part of the formula to provide that gorgeously colourful shimmer and what I love is that the colour does change depending on how the light hits it, so on a bright sunny day, your Persian Rose shade which is a deep rose colour could look more burgundy with a hint of purple too it.  I have used each and every one of these shades and find myself flitting between Cream Peach, Honey Brown and Aurora Taupe, the two neutral shades with an incredible iridescent shimmer.

These Sparkling Foiled Pigment Shadows are absolutely everything their name says they are - sparkly, foil and pigmented.  When applying, I find it easier to use my fingertips to lightly apply to my lids and then depending on whether or not you really want that subtle look or whether you want to really get yourself noticed, you can build up the colour and then grab a blending brush to blend out any harsh lines.  The shadows don't need to be wet, they are good enough to simply open the pot, swipe and go, there is no fall-out, it doesn't itch or scratch the eye, there is no creasing and naturally when it comes to removal, you need your usual eye makeup remover to remove the shadow as you see it and then because there is a lot of sparkles, a micellar water or your normal cleanser to ensure it has all gone.

Shown below you will see some unedited swatches, they were taken on one of the hottest days of the year, so they differ in colour to that of the pots shown above and this is one of the reasons I am a huge fan of these shadows.

On the top swatch from left to right, you can see Sun Aurora, Honey Brown and Cream Peach and on the bottom swatches, again from left to right you can see Aurora Taupe, Persian Rose and Holo Mulberry.  The swatches are literally created from one finger on the pigment and then a swipe down the wrist, no need to swirl your brush or fingers around to get a hint of colour because it is there.

If a brand is going to make a pigmented foil shadow, then for me, they have to be in the league with Touch in SOL because these are simply superb and all for just £14 each from Boots and ASOS with the rest of the Touch in SOL rage being found Debenhams.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Elemis Peptide4 Plumping Pillow Facial

As a brand, Elemis is not one I have featured on this blog unless it has been within an Advent Calendar or Beauty Box which I was quite shocked by, but I am now about to put that right with the Peptide Plumping Pillow Facial which I have been using for the past few months after being given it at a blogger event.

I love a good night cream, serum, gel and so on, it is for me the best form of skincare because essentially it is lazy skincare, something that works for you as you sleep and what's more, it is usually pretty good too! At night your body temperature tends to rise as it goes into repair and recovery mode. As a result, your skin loses hydration while you sleep. This overnight mask helps seal in hydrating actives, so your skin is softer and plumped with moisture in the morning.

Wake up to skin that looks radiant and rested with the Peptide4 Plumping Pillow Facial from the luxury body and skincare brand, Elemis. Referred to as an all‐in‐one ‘facial in a jar’ that works overnight when skin is most receptive to repair, this night cream helps to restore radiance to overworked and tired skin and delivers a cooling effect when your body’s temperature rises during sleep, preventing moisture loss.

Ideal for all skin types, this Peptide4 Plumping Pillow Facial is an absolute luxury to apply, as it glides onto the skin, it creates what is referred too as a biometric veil which locks in vital moisture and to do that it uses some key ingredients which include:

• Star Arvensis™ and wild-harvested Indian Night Jasmine work overnight to help leave thirsty skin looking rehydrated and refreshed.
• Peptide4 helps to balance and support the skins barrier function encouraging the skin's natural processes, for a radiant complexion by morning.
• Night Scented Stock, Ylang Ylang and Sweet Orange help soothe the senses.

Once on the skin, this gel is so lightweight it really does feel as though there is nothing there on your skin, other than the coolness of the gel.  To use, it is said that after moisturising in an evening, you only need a pea-sized amount of this product to be applied to the face and the advice is to apply it using upward strokes, then leave it to work its magic as you sleep and wash off any residue in the morning.

I absolutely love how hydrated my skin feels after using this and I am currently using it when my skin is feeling really dry or dehydrated, rather than every single night and the difference is amazing.  It costs £49.50 for 50ml via Lookfantastic.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.