The Review Post | La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo +(*)

i've said it before, and i'll say it again - i am still on the hunt for the ultimate skin-clearer-upper and spot-preventer, so when i was given the chance to try out the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+(*), i jumped at the chance. i'd heard quite a lot of rave reviews about it helping to reduce the appearance of blemished and just generally improve the look of skin, so i was quite excited to give it a whirl.

La Roche-Posay are so confident in this product helping to clear up skin that they actually offer you your money back if you don't see effects in six weeks, so when i started trying this about three weeks ago, i had pretty high hopes. it's clinically proven to 'correct the appearance of blemishes, help pores look less clogged, make skin feel smoother and fight against marks' - all skin issues that i have, and issues i can safely say have been dramatically improved since i started using this. i apply this just before i go to bed, and occasionally in the morning, too, and as this is the only new introduction into my skincare routine, i know it's this which has helped my skin clear up. my spot breakouts are now few and far between (maybe one or two new ones a week?), and when blemishes do pop up, they are nowhere near as vicious and stubborn as they have been previously, and are much less noticeable on the skin and a hell of a lot easier to disguise with makeup during the day. any redness from blemishes clears up overnight and my skin just looks all round more even. it's also feeling a lot smoother and just feels in a much more better condition than before i started using this. just a pea-sized amount is enough to cover the whole face, and it sinks into the skin really nicely and doesn't leave it looking shiny or feeling greasy.

it's safe to say that this is one of the very few skin products i've tried that has made a prolonged and noticable improvement to my skin, and one which i will definitely be repurchasing over and over, as i daren't think about what my skin would go back to without it! i'll also be on the lookout for more products to try from La Roche-Posay, so if you have any suggestions then do let me know!

if you want to pick yourself up some of this, then it's currently got 1/3 off at Escentual until the end of March, or you can pick it up in Boots as part of their 3 for 2 offer!

The Review | Lush Mask of Magnaminty

i fall in to the category of girls that has only really used lush for bath bomb supplies and had overlooked the rest of their bits and bobs in the past, but since getting fed up with skin break-outs lately and doing some internet scouring, i decided to give some of their skincare bits a whirl. i've already shared my thoughts on their Grease Lightning Spot Treatment (still doing the job, incase you were wondering), and today is the turn of the Mask of Magnaminty.

this is a deep cleansing clay mask which promises to help fight breakouts - sounds good, right? i've used this weekly for a month now and the simple question to has it helped completely prevent breakouts is no. but has it stopped them being quite so frequent and vicious? yes. combined with the Grease Lightning treatment and my regular skincare routine, i have noticed a slight reduction in my breakouts and they are definitely not as nasty or noticeable as before. sorry to be a bit gross, but this really stops my spots getting to that pussy stage - they stay calm and controlled and not at all irritating. i'll be honest in saying that i need to up my skincare regime in general, so i can't expect this to be a world wonder and completely clear my skin up by itself - i need to help myself out when it comes to that - but it's certainly helping. 

Mask of Magnaminty isn't a fresh mask, so you don't need to keep it in your fridge and it's more for use as and when you need it. it has a gorgeous pepperminty smell from the peppermint oil which is used to stimulate the skin and keep it looking bright. marigold oil and kaolin help to keep the skin feeling nourished and the honey in the mask gives it antibacterial properties. to get the mask off after application, you almost rub it in with warm water before washing away as the evening primrose seeds and aduki beans act as exfoliators for the skin, too! and the mask isn't just made for your face, it can be used for any spot-prone areas and is actually called a face and back pack rather than a face mask, so you get the jist.

if you're after something to help combat breakouts and is also completely natural, then Mask of Magnaminty is for you. i picked up the 125g tub for £5.25 and i reckon i'll get about 10-12 applications out of this - very worth the money if you ask me! 

if you have any other spot busting treatments then please let me know - i've heard a lot about the body shop tea tree range, so i think that's next on my list.

Top Three Thursdays | Foundations for Pale Skin

L-R | Bourjois Healthy Mix in Light Vanilla | Liz Earle Signature Foundation in Porcelain | Gosh Illuminating CC Cream in Porcelain

for the second installment of top three thursdays, i'm sharing my pick of the best foundations i've found for pale skin. now i'm as pasty as pasty can be, and even in the summer i don't pick up that much of a tan so i really struggle finding foundations to match my skintone, especially in the drugstore, but these are three that are probably my holy grail foundations.

first up is Bourjois Healthy Mix and i use the shade 51 Light Vanilla. as you can see from the swatches, this is the darkest of the three and slightly more pink-toned than my skin, but typically the lightest sort of shade you'll find in the drugstore and Bourjois aren't the only brand who fail at catering for us pale girls. once blended out this does more or less meet my skintone and is what you'll see me wearing in the majority of my photos (this is definitely more of a summer foundation for me), i just love the formula too much to not pick it up. this leaves my skin looking fresh and smooth and doesn't sink into pores. it also covers blemishes really well so i'm not left needing to cake on the concealer afterwards, too. this is more of a medium coverage foundation, but you can really build it up to a high coverage, i just avoid it because that's when it starts to look like it's the worst match in the world for me.  this retails at £9.99, but an offer on Bourjois more often than not so you can probably pick it up a little bit cheaper.

now my all-time favourite foundation that i have ever tried is the Liz Earle Signature Foundation in Porcelain(*) and it is the best colour match i have ever come across.unfortunately i'm nearly out of mine (sob!), but alas, the top screws off easily so i can literally scrape out every last drop so it's still going to last me a good two or three weeks - i do like a foundation where i can use every last drop. this is definitely a high coverage foundation, but doesn't feel at all heavy and cakey on the skin and is super creamy. this honestly leaves my face looking flawless with absolutely no need for concealer, even on those under eye dark circles, i can't rave about it enough. it is a little more on the pricey side at £21, but for a foundation that lasts on the skin all day and applies like a dream, it is 100% worth it and i will definitely be repurchasing as soon as i have a spare £20 floating around. 

finally, if you're after a foundation for light coverage then the GOSH Illuminating CC Cream in Porcelain is the one for you. obviously as a CC cream, this is made for colour correcting and is a primer, foundation, moisturiser and SPF all in one. this is great for a 'no makeup' makeup look and really leaves you with an even base to apply the rest of your makeup. unlike the other two, there is still a need for a little dab of concealer here or there, but this is better if you're after something that's a lot lighter and easier on the skin. it still has the staying power, so add this to the list of benefits of a CC cream and you've got the perfect all round product. this one is £8.99 but again, you can normally pick it up on 3 for 2's and all the other lovely offers that Boots and Superdrug like to entice/bankrupt spoil us with!

if any of you have other foundations which are great for pale skin then please let me know as i am always on the look out for something new to try! 

The Review Post | Origins Super Spot Remover

i am very much aware that leaving it this long before making my first Origins purchase probably makes me a bad beauty blogger, but what with having a skincare stash the size of Everest and a student shopping budget i always stopped myself even looking at their bits so that i wouldn't end up wanting anything. but recently, one little thing in particular caught my eye.

my ultimate skincare woe is aggressive spots - they'll stick around for weeks, not go down no matter what i plaster on them or how much i cleanse, and then leave a pretty unattractive mark for another couple of weeks, so armed with a Debenhams beauty voucher which my best girls got me for my birthday, i bit the Origins bullet and picked this up. 

i read a tonne of reviews from a whole lot of bloggers and not one of them had a bad thing to say about this, so i had no hesitations in ordering it, and Origins Super Spot Remover is now my new best friend. this week - Thursday evening to be precise -  two of above mentioned aggressive spots decided to take residence on my face. usually these would take a couple of days to really ripen (disgusting, i know!), hang around for a week or so and then take just as long to disappear, but these days are now well gone! i've applied some of this to the spots once or twice a day since Thursday and they have already pretty much gone. this stopped the spots right in their tracks, took away any redness and flattened them right back down to where they belong so they're easily hidden with make-up. considering it's only Sunday now, i am super, super impressed, and it hasn't dried my skin out either. 

sure, this is a teeny, tiny 10ml bottle but the smallest amount will go such a long way - a tiny drop on the tip of your finger is enough to cover 4-5 spots so i can see this lasting me a long while, and i would definitely instantly repurchase when i do run out. 

the bad thing? because this has worked so well for me, i now want to try more bits from Origins so would really appreciate any recommendations on what you think i should try.

Origins Super Spot Remover | £14