Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clarifying Lotion Review

So I bought this Clinique product a couple of weeks ago and didn't really want to write anything before I properly got a chance to use it. 

I actually first used this product about 2 years ago when I purchased the 3 Step Anti Blemish Solutions, and as a whole - I wasn't exactly impressed with the teeny bundle. The pump action foaming cleanser didn't seem to do anything, and the moisturiser felt so greasy - however the toner I loved!

What with the whole changing up my skin care routine and never really having used a toner - I thought I may as well indulge a bit. And let me tell you I am so glad I did! For the first week or so I got horrendous breakouts everywhere! But then I remembered watching a video on Youtube by the lovely DiamondsAndHeels14 about why it can be a good sign to be breaking out after using a new skincare product. So I persevered and it paid off! I'M SO GLAD! 

One thing you should be aware of with this product - it's not for the faint hearted! When you apply this to your face you get a hugely mega tingly stingy refreshing ASDFGHJKL feeling . . .  Yeah . . . So I'm pretty sure that this isn't a route to go down if you have more sensitive skin. Also the kind of annoying thing is that unlike the other toners for skin types 1 (Very Dry) - 4 (Very Oily) that come in bottles up to 400ml, the only size this one comes in is 200ml which is crappy for those of us with a new found love/obsession AND JUST WANT GALLONS OF THE STUFF! 

Don't get me wrong, it's not an instant miracle acne cure by any means, but I can't remember the last time my skin has been this consistently clear. 

X

Cheeky Little Boots Purchases

So as the title suggests - I paid a little visit to Boots :) My main reason was the fact that I had been browsing Youtube watching peoples skincare routines, and found that mine was extremely lacking! In fact, my standard exfoliate, cleanse, moisturise that I haven't ever really deviated from could be one of the reasons behind my acne. Anyway! After reading reviews for various products, I decided to go for drugstore alternatives for the moment just to save a bit of money, rather than go all out on the high end bits where a cheaper option would be just as good.

But when I got there, I was actually kind of disappointed with the lack of options. I went to the new (and much closer) shop that had opened up and was surprised that even though the shop was about twice the size of my regular one, it had about half the products. Which therefore meant that a hell of a lot of the products I had finally decided to buy weren’t even there! Boooooo!

 

So first off I got the Garnier Simply Essentials 2 in 1 Make-up Remover, and it’s one of those cool ones which you shake up to mix the two liquids (I swear I am so easily amused!) Now I’m not normally one to take my make up of separately, I usually just scrape it all off in the shower with my face scrub/cleanser. But I thought I may as well give this a go as it had had some good reviews, especially for getting off waterproof eye make-up.

When I first used this, it took about 3 cotton pads to get everything off, and I could definitely see myself using about double that after a night out! It did its job well, but because the actual make up removing bit is an oil, it left my skin feeling relatively unclean – although thankfully this did then soak in leaving my skin feel quite soft.

The only downside to this product is the packaging – when I tried to pour it onto a cotton pad it went all over the place, so now my bottle is covered in a delightful oily residue that doesn’t want to come off, and as of yet I haven’t found a way to get the entire lid off.

The Barry M stuff I got is actually for a friend – she’s just had her wisdom teeth out and I just wanted to get her a couple of bits to cheer her up. The Magnetic Nail Polishs seem like a really nice idea, but I was disappointed by the minimal shade range, they are all dark metallics and as a general rule, that is my least favourite finish. However I know that she had been meaning to get some more so I decided to save her the trouble and picked up shade 329 Magnetic Purple

The Bold Waterproof Eyeliner is another product that she really likes and had been meaning to get more colours of so I grabbed it in Bold Blue. From what she has said about the product before, they are extremely easy to put on – not like those annoyingly stubborn pencils that just feel like gouging chunks from your lids.

And as for the final nail paint, there was an offer on where if you spent over £6 on Barry M products then you’d get a Retro Nail Paint free but the only colour they had there was 5 Purple.

My next port of call was eye creams. Now I can safely say that never in my life have I used an eye cream. I don't get particularly large bags or dark circles and they are never noticeably puffy; and at 18, I can't say that I have any wrinkles. However, prevention is the key and I thought that I might as well try a couple out.

So the Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel I wasn't really that interested in, however I had read some really great things about it and lots of people recommended it, and at £1.52 I wasn't going to say no! Having only used this product once I can't say that I have noticed any difference, but I can't deny that it does make your lids feel lovely and moisturised which is never a bad thing.

Alright, well I don't know about you, but I find pretty much all Soap & Glory products irresistible. So when I saw there was a 3 for 2 offer on - I thought it would be rude to ignore it! Continuing with the eye cream theme, I picked up the Super Eyes, Super Eyes Eye Gel. Again, this stuff hasn't made much difference as of yet, but it has such a rich texture without feeling too heavy which makes it perfect for applying just before bed.

OK now this stuff is a dream! The Youth 6 in 1 Moisture Lotion smells amazing, and I'm not sure whether or not it was this, or just a collaborative effort from all the new products I've been try out, but when I woke up this morning, my skin felt and looked amazing! Not amazing enough to leave the house with no make-up on (still have a long way to get to that point!), but enough so that I actually felt a bit better about myself (jeez, how soppy?!) Anywho, this stuff definitely evened out my skin tone and made it look a lot better. Literally, if they made this stuff in litre bottles, I would buy it!

This final product was definitely a bit of luxury I wasn't used to! The No Clogs Allowed Deep Pore Detox Mask is a big step up from the occasional honey and porridge face mask I'd give myself every now and then and it gives you a pretty unique experience for first time users! With its '1 Minute Hot Poreclear Technology' I was expecting maybe a bit of a warming/tingling sensation. Well wasn't I wrong! This thing is like applying a hot flannel to your face - In a good way!! And after completely ignoring the 3-5 minute recommendation and leaving it on for my entire bath because I love the smell so much, I could definitely feel the difference when my face had dried. It felt tighter and clear and smoother and softer and all other adjectives I can think of!

I can safely say that Soap & Glory products will now be my go-to item when my skin needs a little TLC!

x

Oh hello there!

Yay! OK so I have now officially started my first (proper) blog. 

Yes I have dabbled around in the wonder that is Tumblr, but to be quite honest it turned into a bit of a chore - just selecting a bunch of pictures from my dashboard and adding them to the queue - SUCH CREATIVITY!

At the moment I'm not entirely sure what this blog is going to contain - whether it's inane ramblings, or maybe I might get my act together and decide on something! (Unlikely)

But for now - let me tell you about my day so far :)

So as I am writing this, it's 6:50 am and I haven't actually been to sleep yet, ooh make that 6:51 ;) Anywho, I gave up on the mammoth task that is tidying my bedroom and got into bed and started watching Bridesmaids. As the film finished my phone started flashing and lo and behold there it was - an email alert from Boots saying was a vacancy in my local shop.

Now a bit of background information - I have never had a job. Never. Not ever. I know, I know, I'm hella lazy, but recently I have just had this massive desire to try and sort my act out (hence the room tidying, and I'm not kidding when I say you couldn't see the floor). 

So anyway, I've applied for a few jobs, most of which have rejected me probably for my blatant lack of experience. And I don't know why I feel so excited at the prospect of working at Boots! Is my life really that mundane? To be honest I think It's just the prospect of being surrounded by make up all day long. But regardless of where/if I get a job, that is blatantly where I am heading on pay day! :D

X