All posts tagged: facial oil

Summer Skincare Routine for Dehydrated Skin

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Summer often brings a vast improvement to my mature, sensitive, dehydrated skin, but it still needs a lot of hydration this time of year.  I’ve developed a foolproof routine that adds moisture without feeling heavy or greasy.  And it’s just four steps. After cleansing, I apply Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Boosting Facial Serum.  While I wouldn’t classify it as a typical serum, it is one of the best I’ve found for quick hydration.  What it doesn’t contain is any oil or silicone (or fragrance – hurrah!), so I do find I need a separate serum over the top of it. For this, I use Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum.  It glides over skin, leaving it hydrated, soft, and balanced.  I find it also seals in the moisture benefits of the Hydraluron and preps the skin for the next stage. Even in summer, I find it beneficial to use a facial oil every day, but it does need to be a light one.  At the moment, I’m trialling my own blend, but I can recommend Nude …

Aurelia Cell Repair Night Oil

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I do love facial oils, but night-time oils and I just don’t seem to get on.  Maybe my expectations are too high, but these specialist oils are costly and I expect them to work.  I get better results from my normal daytime facial oils, and will probably give up on overnight oils altogether. Aurelia Cell Repair Night Oil promises to intensively repair skin overnight as well as make it firmer, more luminous, and hydrated.  While it does offer some immediate emollient properties upon application, I don’t find that it improves my skin beyond that.  I like a bit of scent in my products, but this is entirely over-perfumed.  It contains neroli, lavender, rose, and mandarin – all lovely essential oils, but bordering on overkill for a face product. Another minor niggle is that Aurelia’s strap line is ‘Probiotic Skincare’ – but, while a scan through the extensive list of ingredients for this night oil reveals plenty of great fruit and seed oils, I couldn’t find any mention of probiotic ingredients. Effectiveness: 2 – it does feel nice on the skin, but …

Sisley Dreams

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I probably spend too much time thinking about how I’d live if I inherited lot of money.  Of course, I’d be responsible, but surely I’d be allowed a few treats.  If I ever came into an unexpected windfall, I’d be straight over to the Sisley counter for a bit of luxury. For this review, I’m leaving out the usual rating system, because let’s face it, it’s all wonderful and we’d all buy it again and again if we could. First on my list is the Black Rose Precious Face Oil (£136).  It is, to me, the most perfect facial oil ever made.  It glides onto the skin while imparting the most glorious rosy scent.  And it immediately nourishes and plumps the skin beautifully.  It contains one of my favourite oils – plum kernel – which is rich in omegas and vitamin E.  It really is a gorgeously addictive product. Next I’d go for the Black Rose Cream Mask (£95.50).  If you want to appear to have perfect skin, this is your mask.  I use it before a big …

Luna Sleeping Night Oil

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I had high hopes for this product.   Sunday Riley makes one of favourite skincare products ever, and the reviews of her new night oil with retinol were favourable.  It’s expensive, as most of her products are, but it does contain blue tansy, chia seed oil, and blackberry seed oil – none of which are cheap. I’ve used Luna Sleeping Night Oil for just over five months, and am sorry to say that I don’t see any difference in my skin.  That said, I have tried other sleeping oils and can say exactly the same about them.  I’m a huge fan of facial oils, but the overnight variety doesn’t seem to have any effect for me, which probably says more about me than it does the products. If you’re keen on a sleeping oil, I’d recommend trying an inexpensive one first, just to be sure this type of product agrees with your skin.  If you’re one of the lucky ones, you’ll probably get a huge benefit from Luna.  Sadly, I just didn’t. Effectiveness: 1 – it did …

By Terry Huile de Rose

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I am a fan of Terry de Gunzberg’s products both with YSL and under her own brand By Terry.  The Touche Eclat highlighter she created is genius, and her Terrybly Densiliss foundation is my absolute favourite.  She is a master at melding skincare and makeup together and I use and love a lot of her products. It’s no surprise, then, that By Terry Huile de Rose is a lovely facial oil.  It penetrates and plumps the skin, and it smells of fresh roses, as it should – it contains six different rose extracts.   It also contains rosehip oil, vitamin E, and sunflower oil which is rich in linoleic acid and very good for mature skin. As a facial oil, it’s fine, but I didn’t see any of the firming and pore tightening promised by the marketing, and have to say I was a little disappointed.  I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t love it, either.  And because it’s quite expensive for a facial oil, I would expect it to do what it says it’ll do. I’m not …

Oskia Super 16 Serum, Restoration Oil & Renaissance Cleansing Gel

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I tend to be fairly agnostic with it comes to skincare brands.  A brand can excel at one product, and completely fail with another.  Just because someone makes a great cleanser doesn’t mean their facial oil is just as good.  But sometimes, it is.  In fact, sometimes a brand gets a lot of products just right. British skincare maker Oskia is trying hard to tempt me into brand loyalty.  So far, I’ve been impressed with every product I’ve tried, and their Super 16 Anti-Ageing Super Serum (£80) is no exception.  It boasts sixteen different nutrients and bio-actives, including hyaluronic acid and vitamin A palmitate.  There are exotic ingredients, too, such as bakuchiol and seaweed extract, all working together to deliver a nutrient boost to the skin.  With regular use, my skin is noticeably smoother, brighter, and soothed. It’s also a pleasure to use.  It sinks in quickly, relieves any dryness or tightness and is brilliant at calming upset skin.  It reduces redness and irritation better than any I’ve tried, which is amazing when you consider its anti-ageing properties. Effectiveness: …

Winter Skin Facial Oil Recipe

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It’s been very, very cold in Scotland for the last few days.  The central heating is working overtime, and the air both inside and out is harsh on the skin.  The area around my nose is red and sore.  Time for some intensive treatment. This facial oil is wonderful for dry, aggravated, red winter skin.  It’s easy to mix and bottle, and it should last a good 18 months if stored away from heat and sunlight.  Simply blend the following ingredients together and apply as needed. 1 Part Camelina Oil – This oil offers wonderful soothing properties, as well as being incredibly mild on the skin.   It’s rich in vitamin E which will help repair winter damage. 1 Part Prickly Pear Oil – This oil has unbeatable hydrating abilities.  It penetrates the skin quickly to immediately relieve dry, irritated skin.  It’s full of antioxidants which help speed up recovery. 1 Part Oat Lipid Oil – When it comes to reducing redness and irritation, oat lipid oil is hard to beat. It soothes and protects the skin with its high beta glucan content. I hope you enjoy this …

8 Steps to Fabulous Skin

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Layering skincare has been a revelation for me.  Without really noticing, I’d been slowly adding steps to my routine for the past few years.  I started with cleansers and SPF day creams.  Then I added serums and night creams. Soon after came essences and chemical exfoliants.  Early last year, I discovered the joys of facial oils, and more recently, facial mists. If I’d started with all eight steps at once, I don’t think I’d be able to appreciate how each new step/product benefitted my skin.  To be honest, I probably didn’t need all of this skincare a few years ago, but it’s become essential since I’d been edging ever closer to the big five-o.  I’ll take you through the routine that works for me.  Feel free to pick and choose the bits you feel will benefit you. Cleanser – I think I’ve mentioned before that this is my favourite type of skincare.  There are few things I love more than taking off my makeup at the end of the day and treating my skin to some much-needed care and …

Odacite Pure Elements Serums

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It might seem counterintuitive, but massaging oil onto your face a couple of times a day is great for your skin.  Applied over serum, facial oil helps to restore natural lubrication to the skin, making it appear healthy, plumped and glowing. Odacite Serums, which contain no water or silicones, are actually closer to a facial oil than a serum.  Don’t let this put you off – they work brilliantly and offer a lot of choice, depending on what your skin needs.   As my skin’s needs seem to change daily, I keep four Odacite oils on hand. Camelina – Chamomile for sensitive skin – this blend soothes and pampers stressed or irritated skin.  I use it when my skin is extra dry or chapped.  I often suffer from extremely dry eyelids, and use this oil neat with great results. Green Tea – Lemongrass for radiance boost – I use this blend when my skin needs a bit of perking up.  I find myself reaching for it on days when I’ve not had enough sleep the night before and my …