Vichy Normaderm Review

 

I've been using the Vichy Normaderm Purifying Cleansing Gel, Purifying Astringent Toner and Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care for a few weeks now having taken advantage of the Boots 3 for 2 skincare offer and seeing good reviews in terms of helping improve acne. Whilst my skin hasn't got any worse from using these products as a 3-step cleanse, tone and moisturise regime, it hasn't got any better either.

 

Out of the three products the cleansing gel is the only one I MIGHT consider purchasing again...I stress might because of the price and owning cheaper alternatives that do the same job. You only need one pump to clean the whole of the face and the smell is quite nice but I think there are lots of cheaper alternatives that do the same job, if not a better job in terms of eliminating shine and cleansing pores.

The toner claims to unclog, tighten pores and give a matte finish to the skin, however I don't feel like it lived up to any of these claims! I felt like it left quite a sticky residue on my skin and I think my skin actually looks less shiny before using this.

I had high hopes for this product after reading several rave reviews about how it dried up spots and helped clear up acne etc. Vichy claim that the cream smoothes skin texture, purifies the skin and reduces the appearance of pores whilst giving a matte finish and continuous hydration for 24 hours. Again, I was bitterly disappointed, I was expecting this to at least help with my oiliness as I'd seen a few people on MUA claiming it dried up their skin too much but it actually made my oiliness even worse! On the other hand, the texture and smell is nice but I'm afraid this is not enough for me to repurchase.

Before and After Using Vichy Normaderm Products to Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise

Apologies for the extreme close up of my greasy skin but I thought it might be helpful for any of you likewise oily skinned people to see how these products actually perform.

 

1. This is my skin after removing make-up with a cleansing wipe so yeah still very oily as you can see :(

2. After using the cleansing gel you can visibly see that the skin has been cleansed well and oiliness is reduced.

3. After using the toner I think there is a slight difference in pore appearance nothing significant though.

4. After using the hydrating cream I think my skin looks more oily and pore appearance is consequently worse.

I'm sure these products may work for some people but I would not recommend using these as a 3 step skincare regime to someone with very oily skin especially considering the combined price of all three products normally would be around £30 and you can purchase much cheaper and more effective alternatives by brands such as Neutrogena. I hope this post was helpful to anyone considering purchasing any of the Normaderm products and I would love to hear your suggestions for any products that have helped you with oil or acne, so feel free to comment :)

Style Envy: Kim Kardashian

So I guess opinion is pretty divided on this lady but I personally love her! Not so much because of her career and why she's in the public eye but her inability to put a foot wrong stylewise. I am aware she probably has an entourage of fabulous people to ensure that she looks picture perfect always as I literally cannot think of a time when I have seen her with a hair out of place... she just seems to look amazing all the time. If I could own just a fraction of her entire wardrobe I would be beyond ecstatic! Let me know who's style you personally admire whether it be your someone personal to you or someone famous.

Skincare Product of The Month: St Ives. Blemish & Blackhead Control Facial Scrub

 I cannot stress how much I am in love with this product at the moment!! I cannot stop touching my skin after using it and I honestly was not a big fan of the St Ives. scrubs having tried the original body one years ago and feeling that it didn't do a whole lot in terms of cleansing my skin. I've been using this every other day of the week as my skin is in really bad shape at the moment and it feels like its literally taken layers of dead skin (gross I know!) away every time I use it.

This is typically how much I'd need to use on my whole face and as you can see from the photo below, this amount goes a long way...obviously the back of my hand is a lot smaller than my face but I actually ended up having to wipe a lot of the product off my finger after rubbing it in.

 

As you can see the scrub is packed with lots of grainy shell like particles which I suppose some people e.g. sensitive skin types may not like but I personally feel like the grainier better. With other facial scrubs I've used in the past such as Garnier, I haven't felt much difference in the texture of my skin whereas with this I could immediately feel a difference plus my skin felt lovely and clean. 

For under £5 at Boots this is well worth a try and without doubt my must-have product of the moment.

Yummy Mummy June Essentials

Just thought I would give you a peek into the essential items I've been carrying around this month. Bearing in mind I'm now borderline heavily pregnant and where I live the weather is pretty unpredictable, I've pretty much had to slog around an entire drawers worth of stuff to ensure I basically don't smell or look like death by the end of the day! What products can you not live without at the moment?

Barry M Nail Collection & Latest Haul

 

I'm a big fan of Barry M's nail polish range simply because there cheap, the formula is generally good and there's a great selection of colours, although I tend to stick to the same sort of colours as you can see. So after hearing a few beauty bloggers raving about the latest shade peach melba, I immediately popped into my nearest boots only to discover that they didn't even stock it! In the end, I resorted to buying direct from Barry M and was also tempted into purchasing two other pastel shades.

Baby Pink

This is a gorgeous candy toned pastel pink, the photo actually makes it seem less vibrant than it was though. I would say it's a slightly paler, more subtle version of the Models Own shade Pastel Pink which is exactly what I was looking for so I love this.

Blue Moon

I bought this shade as I have been desperately trying to find a pale blue or mint coloured nail polish that would suit my skin tone but unfortunately, I don't think I've succeeded! I'm sure this colour would appeal to paler or darker skin toned ladies but me and blue toned polishes maybe just aren't meant to be...

Peach Melba

I am in love with this shade and I think it would suit lots of different skin tones. The consistency isn't great, it goes on quite streaky at first but after applying two coats this wasn't even an issue.  Even my boyfriend who hates any sort of nail decoration (well just vanity in general) complimented the colour against my skin tone :)

Let me know your thoughts and whether you would like me to do any more swatches. 

Products available from: www.barrym.com

Blemish Prone Beauties

I have had very oily acne-prone skin since being in high school which has ultimately led to me having tried and tested tons of products targeted at blemish prone skin. Becoming pregnant has unfortunately meant my skin has gone back to how it was when I was a teen so expect a ton of reviews on regimes and products I have been testing!!

I've used the Body Shop's tea tree range ever since I started to get spots in my teens and I would definitely recommend the range to anyone suffering from oily or blemish prone skin who doesn't want to splash out on expensive products. I have at some point tried nearly every product from the range and the only thing I wouldn't purchase again is the concealer, purely because it didn't give me the full coverage I wanted on my previous scars and emerging blemishes. 

I'm not made of money myself so I wouldn't expect anyone to go out and buy the whole range but if you have never tried these products I would recommend trying the facial wash, toner, day lotion and night lotion. When used together as a daily skincare regime these products do wonders for my skin in terms of mattifying my complexion, reducing pore size and generally smoothing out the texture of my skin.

 

Finally, a separate ramble about the tea tree face mask...I've used it since I was a teen and it is my holy grail product for skin disasters! It makes my skin feel thoroughly cleansed and refreshed but I'd say the main benefit I experienced from using is how much it reduces redness in my skin especially where I have scarring and spots. It also lasts forever because of the consistency so I'd definitely say this is a must-have product. 

As I've stated I do have a very acne prone, oily skin type so what I've experienced will not necessarily be the same as someone with a normal or combination skin type. Would love it if you let me know what you think of the range or any alternative skincare products for problematic skin sufferers!