ELEMIS

I've tried a few Elemis products and I usually either love them or really really dislike them.  The Elemis Peptide4 Night Recovery Cream-Oil was a big dislike.  It seems like this cream-oil gel ingredient list really focus on fragrance instead of beneficial ingredients.  When you apply this the scent is light and dissipates over the course of the wear, but I was suprised just how many fragrance ingredients this contains as opposed to good for skin, beneficial ingredients.  This is rather light on ingredients that will help skin repair, recover, renew, and rehydrate.  I would skip this product and look for something from Elemis that is heavier on beneficial ingredients and lighter on fragrance ingredients. My review video can be seen here:

I am a relative newbie in the world of tanning, but this stuff is gold. It smells really good and glides on smoothly, to leave a clear and even (and subtle) tan from the first application. As usual, I would recommend moisturising normally first to stop drier areas tanning more. As a very pale person, I actually found that one use was a noticeable and natural enough change, so stopped there. The tan lasted well for at least a week. I am more than impressed by this lovely product!

How did it take me so long to get round to trying this? So long in fact that the sample tube I had stashed away had to be discarded (it smelt like it had gone off) and I had to get hold of another, more fresher batch. But I've used it finally and here's my verdict...

At first use I was half-expecting this to turn my face into an oil slick but unexpectedly that didn't happen. What I did notice was that my skin retained a good deal of hydration throughout the day, which even after removing my SPF etc at the end of the day and double-cleansing, my skin did not feel tight or uncomfortable. The texture was also a winner: a cross between a moisturizing gel and a cream, and with a scent which is fresh but not overpowering in any way.
The downside? Breakouts. There's a couple of ingredients in here which are acnegenic, the main one is Glyceryl Stearate SE which is pretty high up on the ingredients list. That meant for me I had to limit use to just a few times per week, otherwise my skin would not be happy! For those who are not breakout prone, it's worth giving this a try.


Selena x



~ My HG list ~

(I've sampled many 100s of skin, hair and m/u products over the last decade and a half, as I love constantly trying out new stuff - usually sample sizes via e-bay, also plenty courtesy of a friend who works at Sephora. Thought it might be useful to share my top 10 must-have products, subject to change if and when I come across something more effective)


1. Hair Loss Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Hair Oil
2. Lip Balm: Jack Black - Intense Therapy
3. Pigmentation + Anti-Ageing Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Facial Treatment Serum
4. Cleanser: 'Paula's Choice' - Skin Balancing Cleanser
5. Concealer: ‘Mac’ - Studio Finish Concealer
6. Lash Growth Serum: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Divinelash
7. Foundation/SPF: ‘Juice Beauty’ - Stem Cellular Repair (warm glow)
8. Face Scrub: ‘Sisley' - Botanical Gentle Buffing Cream
9. Moisturizer: ‘Antipodes' - Rejoice Light Day Cream
10. Hand Cream: 'Origins' - Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment

Managed to get my mitts on a trial size of this. Been wanting to try for years as I love the concept of fruit enzymes and am a big believer in their benefits...in this case both Pineapple and Papaya. I apply a dime size amount and leave on for about 15 minutes. I tried to go half an hour but that was too much for my skin and I had to wash it off due to the strong tingling sensation.

Using this twice now I have to say its most immediate effect, for me is the clarity it brings to my skin. There's a smoothness, an almost polished look that makes it seem like I've had a very mild chemical peel. There's no grains in here so it's not like a manual scrub or exfoliator, instead you have a thin consistency cream which glides on quite easily and partly vanishes by the time 15 minutes have come around, well on my skin anyway!

Ingredients-wise it's pretty decent, mostly beneficial (although too much fragrance imo) I'm just glad it's not a moisturizer as Glyceryl Stearate SE is quite an acnegenic ingredient when absorbed by the skin for extended periods. With this product it's straight on and off in next to no time, so therefore not an issue for my sometimes acne-prone skin.



Selena x



~ My HG list ~

(I've sampled many 100s of skin, hair and m/u products over the last decade and a half, as I love constantly trying out new stuff - usually sample sizes via e-bay, also plenty courtesy of a friend who works at Sephora. Thought it might be useful to share my top 10 must-have products, subject to change if and when I come across something more effective)


1. Hair Loss Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Hair Oil
2. Lip Balm: Jack Black - Intense Therapy
3. Pigmentation + Anti-Ageing Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Facial Treatment Serum
4. Cleanser: 'Paula's Choice' - Skin Balancing Cleanser
5. Concealer: ‘Mac’ - Studio Finish Concealer
6. Lash Growth Serum: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Divinelash
7. Foundation/SPF: ‘Juice Beauty’ - Stem Cellular Repair (warm glow)
8. Face Scrub: ‘Sisley' - Botanical Gentle Buffing Cream
9. Moisturizer: ‘Antipodes' - Rejoice Light Day Cream
10. Hand Cream: 'Origins' - Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment

I really wanted to love this product, but it clogged my pores after a few uses :( The smell is divine and I use it when I want to pamper my skin. Can't attest to the makeup removing properties since I only use to it dissolve my water resistant sunscreen. A little goes a long way and my skin is very soft afterwards.