My Current Spot Saviours

Recently my skin has been playing up a lot and you guys know how difficult it is to actually pin point why it's happening, and it's probably just having a moment. A moment with a face full of spots though feels like a lifetime. For the past couple of weeks I've been getting patches of spots, especially on my chin and they're those horrible under the skin ones which are just bloody painful. Unfortunately there's not much you can do about those under the skin ones, other than to try and soothe it and get it out from under the skin somehow. These four products pictured are what I've been using, in attempt, to try and save my skin. Just look at how they colour coordinate together in these pictures, that makes me happy *loser*.

First the Garnier Pure Active Anti-Spot Exfoliating Scrub which I have been using every other day since I purchased it. I have really been enjoying this product, it's really quite invigorating but I like that as it feels as if you're really getting to work on those spots. After using this my face feels squeaky clean and ready for either the rest of my morning or evening routine, depending on when I use this product. Next the Boots Skin Clear Ultra Rapid Action Spot Gel which is a relatively new product I've been using but I always like to have a spot gel on my bedside table. I haven't tried this one before and it was on offer recently at Boots so I thought I'd give it a go. It's in a squeezy tube with a thin nozzle so it's really easy to determine how much product you get out. I wouldn't say this is my most favourite spot gel but it's not the worst. It helps soothe and calm down the redness of angry spots which I like and I make sure I apply this every evening before bed.

A slightly more expensive product I love is the Malin & Goetz 10% sulfur paste which I've had for quite some time now. It's definitely on it's last legs, as it's now quite dry, however I love this product. I use a cotton bud to apply this to those big, nasty spots before going to bed. This isn't really a day time spot get as it leaves a white residue on your face for quite sometime before sinking in. This really helps reduce the size of the spot and also helps to soothe. I like to use this product on my bigger spots and the spot gel on smaller ones. Finally Sudocrem Skin Care Cream which was previously sent to me and I have previously written about. Using Sudocrem on spots is just a cult beauty hack that everybody should know. This particular version is aimed slightly more at spots and is just a really soothing product. I either apply this and really rub it in or apply it in the evenings, but don't rub it in and let it sink in over night. Sometime I do a face mask in this product as it just generally helps your skin in several ways.

There's the four products I've been religiously using for the past few weeks to try and sort my face out! I'm going to touch wood now but I do think it is working and my skin is clearing up which is fab. Let me know your favourite cult spot saviours in the comments as I'd love to try them, if I haven't already!

Disappointing Products #5

I recently ran out of my Clearasil spot pads (not the correct name but I've forgotten!) so whilst in Superdrug I saw these ones, for a fraction of the price, so thought I would give them a go. I do love my Clearasil ones but when you use them twice a day, they do disappear quickly therefore can be expensive to keep repurchasing. Hence why I thought I would give these ones a go due to mainly the price tag but they do claim pretty much the same thing.

The first day I started using these I wasn't impressed, now with only a few pads left, my opinion hasn't changed. I first opened these and the top pad was pretty much dry. These pads are supposed to be soaked in whatever formula is in the tub, I understand the top one may be difficult to keep soaked in, but for it to be dry I was disappointed in. As I carried on using these, they did start to become more wet, therefore soaked in product, but only after using the top few.

I've been using these twice a day ever since I picked them up and can say that I haven't noticed a huge difference in my skin. These are supposed to clear and refresh your complexion, I can't say I haven't noticed any difference but if any it's very slight. The tea tree scent I personally find very refreshing anyway, so I think the scent of these pads more than the formula is what I prefer, especially in the mornings. In terms of a clear complexion, my skin has been relatively clear recently but I'm not entirely convinced that it's down to this product.

Overall I have enjoyed using these more in the morning but I can say that I wouldn't repurchase this product. The Clearasil ones are 10 times better than these so I will definitely stick to what I know next time. Although you know me, I do like to try out a variety of products before settling my decision. Let me know if you've tried this product and your thoughts on it :-)

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Spot Wand

Another blemish/spot product I hear you say, well yes but I had actually ran out so this purchase was necessary. Although I feel I went into a bit of shock as I had run out so I now have three, just in case. I believe this product is actually a blast from my past as I remember using this back when I was a teenager. But recently a friend was talking about this exact product and it made me want to try it all over again.

Firstly I love the concept of this product, the fact that it has a day and a night feature appeals to me. It makes it a really easy product for travelling or just popping into your handbag when you feel like you might need it. This has doe foot applicators on both ends which make it easy to apply as you can apply the product right onto the spot easily. As you can probably tell from the name of this product it does have a tea tree scent but it's really not overpowering. Yes you can smell it but it quickly disappears and like I said not strong at all.

I have really been enjoying using this spot wand and I have seen a difference in the appearance of my spots. I find this works better on the smaller spots that I appear and maybe not on those pesky, huge ones. On application this can sometimes make my spots tingle, as most spot products do, but as I've said in previous posts I feel like this means it's working in some way. I find that you can easily apply this over your make up, obviously using the day end, and it works plus doesn't ruin your make up either. The night end is a lot more creamy and I am really impressed with the results when I wake up in the morning.

One downside is the fact that this product doesn't last very long, especially if you're going to be using it everyday. Although on the other hand it is a really cheap spot product, priced at only £3.59. So there are definitely pros and cons of this product, as there are with most, but I would definitely recommend this one.

Overall this is a perfectly good product which really does help with those smaller spots. If you haven't tried this spot gel then I would definitely recommend it. I know not all spot gels work the same for everyone but this one is cheap so not much is too wasted if it doesn't work for you. Let me know if you've tried this product before and if you haven't you can check it out here from Boots :-)

Disappointing Products #4

I purchased this product on a whim in a recent Boots haul due to running out of my ex everyday face wash. I thought this would be a good alternative as it's also aimed at spot prone skin which is exactly what I have. It was also on offer for around £3 I believe so was a good bargain!

There really isn't much to report about this product in all honesty, apart from the fact that it does absolutely nothing for my skin. I used this everyday since I received it and not in anyway did it help my spots. It didn't make them any worse but at the time my skin was pretty bad and there was no difference. I persisted with the product, as I mentioned for at least two weeks, and still nothing. I would like to think from any skin care product that in that time frame you would at least start to see some change in your skin. Unfortunately this product just didn't for me in particular. I guess the wash still cleans my face so there is potential I may still use it for that factor only. But I will definitely have to invest in another face wash that benefits spot prone skin as this one just does not at all. Obviously this could differ from person to person and it may well work on your skin, these are just my personal opinions and views after using it.

Overall I will not be purchasing this product again and probably wouldn't even look at this range ever again. Clearly because it just doesn't work well with my skin type and doesn't fulfil the claims it is supposed too. Let me know if you've tried this product and your thoughts, I'd love to hear :-)

Origins Super Spot Remover

I've actually had this product for a really long time and it wasn't until recently that I realised I had never written a blog post about it before. This was a product that I had wanted to get my hands on for a very long time and I then splurged my Boots points to buy it. For a spot remover gel I do find it expensive as I believe it is £13 and I must admit to begin with I was like woah, this pot is tiny! I will tell you now, a little does go a long way.

So yes this is a small 10ml squeezy tube which to begin with I was like, seriously? £13 for this teeny tiny tube? But as I mentioned a little goes a long way and you can see how little I have used already, and I've had this for quite some time now. Around the time I purchased this product it was being absolutely raved about in the blogging community which was what made me buy it in the end. I believe this product is still raved about a lot as one of the best spot gels.

I use this most evenings, especially when I have larger spots as I find this product to work better on those kind of spots. You know those huge, red pesky things and also the ones that hurt. I find this spot gel super soothing hence why I think this works so well on the larger, more painful ones. Once applied this is cooling and then it sets pretty quickly on the spot. Once it has dried it does do the standard "make my spot area really stiff" thing, which can be seen as annoying but I do get that feeling that it's actually working because of this.

In the morning, after using this product, I find my spot(s) to have reduced in redness and 9 times out of 10 are not painful anymore. The look of the spot just makes me feel less paranoid about them in general, which is such a huge thing when you suffer with spot prone skin. I can find that this product dries out spots but not all the time which I know sounds weird. But if this is the case and a spot is dried out after using this product then the following night I will just make sure to not use this product again on that particular spot.

Overall this is a great spot gel for those huge, red spots that you just can't get rid of, this product is definitely a saviour for that! Yes it is expensive but in my eyes it is definitely worth it and if you can save your Boots points up then why not spend it on this product. Let me know your thoughts if you've tried this product :-)

Witch Overnight Clearing Serum

I've been pretty loyal to the Freederm Overnight Clearing Serum for quite some time but when this Witch one came out recently I couldn't help but pick it up considering I had just used up my Freederm one. This was recently on offer in Boots for around £4 which was a bit cheaper than the Freederm one so I couldn't help but give it a go.

Witch say "Witch Overnight Clearing Serum is designed to help reduce the appearance of blemishes and spots while helping to prevent future break outs. Your skin is visibly hydrated and looks more radiant and clear." I've previously used other products from Witch and have loved them so was really excited to give this one a go. The claims Witch make were exactly what I was after taking into consideration my blemishes, oily t zone and dry patches.

I apply this product last thing at night before my head hits the pillow and I'm asleep. The consistency is a light serum/cream and doesn't take long at all to settle into the skin. The pump makes it super easy to know how much product to apply to the skin and this product does go a long way. I find that I don't even need a full pump for it to cover my entire face. Due to the light consistency it doesn't feel heavy on the skin which is the last thing you want before going to sleep. It doesn't leave my skin feeling tight or irritate my current blemishes which I have found can sometimes happen with other blemish products.

I've been using this product most nights ever since I purchased and can say that I have seen results. I find this product dries up my blemishes and reduces the redness of them overnight. I can't say that the actual appearance of my blemishes are reduced but it does change the look of them in some way. The blemishes are still visible, and I know this product isn't going to clear them up completely, but they look better than they did the night before applying this product. They have dried out which is an annoying stage of blemishes but a stage in the right direction of getting rid of them. I can't say I agree with the claim about looking more radiant and only slightly agree with the hydration. On application the serum feels hydrating but come the morning I find that it's disappeared and where I have dry patches it doesn't help that out a lot. Not to say that it completely doesn't work, because it does, it just only hydrates for a short period of time.

Overall this is a great, cheaper alternative to the Freederm serum but if it was a toss up between the two I think I would opt for the Freederm one. However I will continue to enjoy this product and use it up as I am enjoying using it. If you've tried this product or any similar then leave the links below and let me know what they are :-)

Tips & Tricks #5

Firstly I have to apologise for the (very) old pot of Sudocrem I own, I think it's about time I invested in a new one but for now we will put that to one side and move on. Anyway another tip/trick for you today which is another one for you blemish prone skin people alike to me. I apologise if you don't have spot prone skin but I feel everyone gets spots at some point so hopefully these tips and tricks help you in some way at some point!

Anyway if you've never heard of Sudocrem then (well I'm sure you have) but if not then you've been hiding for some time. Yes it's mainly advertised for babies and nappy rashes but it has many other benefits as well which just aren't that hyped up. In very small writing on the front of the tub it does state that it helps acne and that's what I'm going to be talking about.

Now you know those very large, very red and very painful spots you get... well that's where this product comes in. I find this product helps those particular spots very, very well. I'm not saying it doesn't help other spots as well, I just find that it definitely helps those ones the most on me anyway. But everyone is different so you'll have to give this product a go on all types of spots and see what works best for you.

The best way to apply this product is at night, just before you go to sleep. The main key to this product is to not rub it into the spot fully. It works best if you apply it directly to the spot(s) and not too thin or too thick. Then just leave it, do not rub it in to the spot, just simply blob some onto the affected area and leave it. Yes you may look funny, hence why you apply it last thing at night, due to potentially having many white blobs all over your face.

Then when you wake up in the morning the Sudocrem will have absorbed into the spot. Firstly this leaves the spot(s) less red and less visible. Mainly this means less painful which is so much better, I mean when a spot is painful it can be really painful. But the fact that it's much less visible and red means that it's much easier to cover up for whatever you may be doing that day. The Sudocrem also leaves the spot hydrated which is such a great plus. Spots can get very dry with all of the spot treatments you have to apply so it's nice to be able to apply something to them which can actually help hydrate them slightly.

Overall this is a great go to product when it comes to those particular type of spots and the tub honestly lasts ages. You can purchase different sized pots too and it's really affordable so if you want to give this product a go then it's definitely worth it and won't break the bank. This is just one of those products which is great to have in your skin care stash as it is an all rounder product. It's also such an easy product to use, just quickly applying before you go to sleep, so definitely doesn't waste any time! I hope you're enjoying the long bank holiday weekend :-)

Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots in Speckled Pink & Rain Forest Canopy

After the rather large hype of the L'Oreal Confetti top coat these beauties have now arrived on the shelves in the high street stores, Boots and Superdrug. As much as I always wanted to try the L'Oreal, I was never completely sold on it hence why it was never purchased. But as soon as these hit the shelves I went straight into my local Boots store.

When I popped into my local Boots on a lunch break only days after the launch there were only these two colour variations left. I wasn't disappointed I wanted the pink and the green just came with me also due to there being a buy one get one half price promo on Maybelline products at the time. This meant I got these two polishes for under £5, normally they are £2.99 each. The pink is called 'Speckled Pink' and the green 'Rain Forest Canopy'.

These are super duper easy to apply and although I did three coats in the pictures above you honestly could have stopped at two. It gives completely full coverage over the nail and it's not one of those nail varnishes which have the glitter bits in which you find yourself sat there for ages trying to actually get some of those bits onto your nail. The speckled parts, or polka dots, included in this nail varnish do not come out sparsely and I didn't have to do any scraping to try and get any onto the nail on the pictures above which I love about this product. You definitely get the right amount on the nail whilst still being able to see the colour included within the nail polish.

Another plus is the staying power of these polishes, usually when I paint my nails then go into work the next day they are ruined! But these seemed to last a good 3 to 4 days and even then it was only slight chipping, so I was really impressed with these. Considering the price I paid I wasn't expecting a lot from the wear but surprisingly I found it better than some of the higher end nail varnishes that I've tried.

There is one downfall to these products... the removal. At first I used my Bourjois 1 second nail varnish remover but when I pulled my finger out, the colour had removed fantastically but I was left with lovely black and white speckles all over my nail. These would literally not remove off my nails with this pot so I went to get a cotton pad and normal remover but they were still barely budging. I literally ha to scrape them off with rather a lot of force which I really didn't enjoy and it was rather time consuming.

Have you tried any of these nail polishes? I'd love to know your thoughts on them :)

Clearasil Rapid Action Pads Review

It's been a mad week back at work after having a week off for my birthday. The week off went way too quickly and to be honest I totally could have done with another week off but hey! I have the privilege of having a Saturday off, which when working in Retail seems very rare. So I thought I would finally write up this post for you.

I picked up this product after having a crisis break out of spots a few weeks back. One reason being I just wanted to try new products to try and control my spots and two because these were on offer so thought I'd give them a whirl. I've tried Clearasil products before and have loved how they worked so I had my hopes up for these. I got these from Tesco and I believe they were around £4 reduced from around £7. They are basically little pads that you wipe over a cleansed face every morning and evening. It then claims that your spots should reduce in size and redness within 4 hours. These are just so easy to use!

So I've been using them for a few weeks now, every morning and before I go to bed and I really do love them! I believe they really have helped reduce my spots and helped stop other occurring spots. My skin is very spot/blemish prone so I'm always on the look out for a new spot treatment in order to find the best option possible. This one comes pretty close but I'm still hunting. When I apply this to my face, after cleansing, over my blemishes you can feel that slight tightness and stinging sensation so as always that triggers to me that somethings working. And to me it seems as if it has been doing the job! I'm not saying that my spots instantly disappear but I do notice after a couple of days of using them on the same spot that it is visibly reduced. Spots always seem to take forever to leave my skin though. I mean I swear I still have some darker, blemish areas which have been there for months and months and months!

One downfall about this product is the smell. Now having spot prone skin I thought I'd be used to the smell of these sorts of products but this one, to me, just seemed ultra ultra strong! It may just be me, the good thing about this one bad point is that the smell doesn't linger. Once I've disposed of the pad the smell is gone so it's not overly bad.

Minus the slight downfall I would definitely recommend these pads if you have the same type of skin as me! I know different products work better or worse with different peoples skin types but if they are still on offer (I'm not sure whether they are or not!) then it's definitely worth the small dent in the purse!

I'd love to know if you've tried these and what you think of them or if you've tried any other Clearasil products within this range and your views on them! Happy Saturday everyone xo