If you saw my What's In My Travel Makeup Bag post the other week, you'll know that I travel (reasonably) light when it comes to the makeup I take away with me on holiday. Well, the same is true for skincare. While I like to make sure I have everything I need to keep my skin cleansed, moisturised and protected from the sun while I'm away, I tend not to bother with masks, serums, exfoliators or any of the "extras" that form part of my weekly routine when I'm at home. As a result, while I don't return from my holidays with terrible skin, I definitely feel as though it's in need of a bit of a pamper when I do get home.
My recent travels were no exception. With my skin feeling a little congested, dull and dry from my two weeks in the sunshine, I was excited to get back to my stash and give myself a mini facial. I loved the way my skin looked and felt afterwards, so I thought I would share what I used. So here it is - my post holiday skincare routine.
Step 1: Garnier Micellar Water
What did we do before Micellar Water was a thing? Seriously, how did we ever manage to get our skin clean enough?! Whether I'm at home or away, I'm never without this product, and it's always the first step of my evening routine to make sure I've swept away every last trace of makeup before moving on to actually cleansing my face. My favourite Micellar Water is the original Garnier one. I find it so effective at removing makeup, even waterproof mascara, but it doesn't dry out or irritate my skin in the slightest. I like to soak a large cotton pad or two in the product and gently wipe them over my face until it's completely makeup free.
I have a couple of cleansers on the go at the moment. The one I took with me on holiday was the Jurlique Radiant Skin Foaming Cleanser, so purely in the interests of giving my skin a break, I decided to switch back to the Image Skincare one for my post holiday skincare routine. I wrote in more detail about this product a while back, but essentially it is a gentle yet effective product, leaving my face feeling thoroughly cleansed, yet still soft. Exactly what I wanted for my slightly stressed, post holiday skin!
With my skin thoroughly cleansed, it was time to start giving it that little bit of TLC it had been missing during my holiday. Just before I went away, I was sent the Manuka Doctor 24k Gold & Manuka Honey facial peel to try, and now seemed like the perfect time. Housed in a very pretty white and gold tube, there is an addictive smell to this product that I can't quite put my finger on - sweet yet fresh. It's also lots of fun to use, applying as a pure golden mask that's perfect for face mask selfies, if those are your thing!
The product contains Kaolin Clay to draw impurities out of the skin, Hyaluronic Acid to moisturise, Vitamin E for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, Manuka Honey to boost moisturisation and elastin, and Purified Bee Venom to nurture natural collagen formation and increase skin's elasticity. As per the instructions, I applied a thin layer of the mask and allowed it to dry, and I found that this took a little less time than the 20 minutes indicated.
When I peeled the mask away - again, fun to do! - I was impressed with how much brighter my skin looked, and by how smooth it felt. Having neglected exfoliation during my holiday, it had been a little dull and somewhat rough in texture, and this sorted it out straight away. I love this product and will definitely be incorporating it into my regular routine as a one or twice weekly treat.
Another product I had recently been sent was this luxurious looking face oil from Antipodes. Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, it feels incredibly nourishing on the skin yet still absorbs quickly without leaving any stickiness behind. The Organic Avocado Oil in this can apparently boost collagen production by up to 51%, while also reducing the appearance of fine lines, age spots and scars and nurturing the skin with essential fatty acids and key vitamins. In addition to this, the Rosehip Oil adds moisture and helps to repair parched and damaged skin - definitely what I needed post holiday!
Having only used this product a handful of times so far, I can't say anything about its long term benefits, but it feels wonderful to use - so much so that I find myself looking forward to getting ready for bed at night just so that I can put this on! My face is lapping this stuff up, and because it's suitable for all complexions, it's not upsetting the balance of my combination skin. Again, a product I've fallen in love with at first use and one which will be incorporated into my routine for the foreseeable future - nightly, in this case.
No night time routine is complete without eye cream! The No 7 Protect & Perfect eye cream is one I always go back to - in fact, you could say the same for the whole range. Eye creams can be tricky as it is the one area where fine lines tend to show the most for a lot of people, and it can be difficult to find an eye cream that really makes a huge difference. This one is no miracle worker, but it does a decent job at keeping my under eye area hydrated and fine lines softened. I don't suffer from puffiness or bad dark circles, but it's designed to target those as well, with its combination of peptides, antioxidants and pro-retinol Retinyl Palmitate.
The final step in my post holiday skincare routine was to apply a moisturiser before snuggling up in bed, and I chose an old favourite. I reviewed this Vitamin E mask almost a year ago when I first tried it, and I still love it now. Containing a blend of ingredients designed to both brighten and hydrate, including Vitamin E, Niacinamide and Adenosine, this product always seems to make me look fresh and awake in the morning after applying it the night before. The perfect finishing touch!
Do you keep up your full skincare routine on holiday, or do you opt for a good old pamper session once you get back? Or both?!
Kate x
Step 2: Image Skincare Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser*
I have a couple of cleansers on the go at the moment. The one I took with me on holiday was the Jurlique Radiant Skin Foaming Cleanser, so purely in the interests of giving my skin a break, I decided to switch back to the Image Skincare one for my post holiday skincare routine. I wrote in more detail about this product a while back, but essentially it is a gentle yet effective product, leaving my face feeling thoroughly cleansed, yet still soft. Exactly what I wanted for my slightly stressed, post holiday skin!
Step 3: Manuka Doctor 24k Gold & Manuka Honey Facial Peel*
With my skin thoroughly cleansed, it was time to start giving it that little bit of TLC it had been missing during my holiday. Just before I went away, I was sent the Manuka Doctor 24k Gold & Manuka Honey facial peel to try, and now seemed like the perfect time. Housed in a very pretty white and gold tube, there is an addictive smell to this product that I can't quite put my finger on - sweet yet fresh. It's also lots of fun to use, applying as a pure golden mask that's perfect for face mask selfies, if those are your thing!
The product contains Kaolin Clay to draw impurities out of the skin, Hyaluronic Acid to moisturise, Vitamin E for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, Manuka Honey to boost moisturisation and elastin, and Purified Bee Venom to nurture natural collagen formation and increase skin's elasticity. As per the instructions, I applied a thin layer of the mask and allowed it to dry, and I found that this took a little less time than the 20 minutes indicated.
When I peeled the mask away - again, fun to do! - I was impressed with how much brighter my skin looked, and by how smooth it felt. Having neglected exfoliation during my holiday, it had been a little dull and somewhat rough in texture, and this sorted it out straight away. I love this product and will definitely be incorporating it into my regular routine as a one or twice weekly treat.
Step 4: Antipodes Divine Avocado And Rosehip Face Oil*
Another product I had recently been sent was this luxurious looking face oil from Antipodes. Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, it feels incredibly nourishing on the skin yet still absorbs quickly without leaving any stickiness behind. The Organic Avocado Oil in this can apparently boost collagen production by up to 51%, while also reducing the appearance of fine lines, age spots and scars and nurturing the skin with essential fatty acids and key vitamins. In addition to this, the Rosehip Oil adds moisture and helps to repair parched and damaged skin - definitely what I needed post holiday!
Step 5: No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Eye Cream
No night time routine is complete without eye cream! The No 7 Protect & Perfect eye cream is one I always go back to - in fact, you could say the same for the whole range. Eye creams can be tricky as it is the one area where fine lines tend to show the most for a lot of people, and it can be difficult to find an eye cream that really makes a huge difference. This one is no miracle worker, but it does a decent job at keeping my under eye area hydrated and fine lines softened. I don't suffer from puffiness or bad dark circles, but it's designed to target those as well, with its combination of peptides, antioxidants and pro-retinol Retinyl Palmitate.
Step 6: Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask
The final step in my post holiday skincare routine was to apply a moisturiser before snuggling up in bed, and I chose an old favourite. I reviewed this Vitamin E mask almost a year ago when I first tried it, and I still love it now. Containing a blend of ingredients designed to both brighten and hydrate, including Vitamin E, Niacinamide and Adenosine, this product always seems to make me look fresh and awake in the morning after applying it the night before. The perfect finishing touch!
Do you keep up your full skincare routine on holiday, or do you opt for a good old pamper session once you get back? Or both?!
Kate x
*Gifted product. Some links may be affiliate links. This poses no extra cost to you, the customer. All opinions, as always, are my own.
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As some of you might remember, back in January, I was one of ten Thirty Plus bloggers selected to try out No7's revamped Lift & Luminate skincare range. I've now been using the products for just over a month, and I'm ready to share the results with you.
I talked about my first impressions of the range, as well as the ingredients and how they're designed to work in this post, but just in case you haven't got time to go rooting through old posts, here's a brief recap.
The range consists of a day cream, night cream, serum and eye cream. Based on the theory that skincare works #BetterTogether, No7 have taken the powerful technology from their Triple Action serum and added it to the other products, resulting in an anti-ageing range that's proven to deliver results against the three most common signs of ageing - by visibly reducing wrinkles, firming
skin and producing a more even skin tone.
So, in addition to the concentrated hit of anti-ageing goodness from the
serum - containing, among other things, hyaluronic acid to plump the
skin and powerful peptides to smooth wrinkles - you'll boost its effectiveness even further by following up with the day
or night cream. As if that wasn't enough, you also get No7's most
advanced protection against UV rays in the day cream, with SPF 15 and 5*
UVA, while the night cream is designed to work in harmony with skin's
night time renewal process to nourish and restore moisture. The eye
cream, especially formulated for the delicate skin around the eye area,
should soften crow's feet and reduce puffiness and dark circles.
As I mentioned, I've now been using the complete range for more than a month, and honestly, I couldn't be happier with the results. As a long time fan of No7's introductory anti-ageing range, Protect & Perfect, I was fairly confident that my now older skin would like Lift & Luminate too, and it certainly does. If you like to see instant results from your skincare, you should definitely check these products out, because just as the claims about the night cream state, my complexion looked plumped and refreshed from the morning after the very first use.
However, it's with continued use over several weeks that the range as a whole really comes into its own. I've been meticulous about applying eye cream, serum and day or night cream every morning and evening, conscious of the fact that I really wanted to test out this #BetterTogether theory. And you know what? I think it works!
My skin definitely feels firmer after several weeks of using these products. As for fine lines, you all know by now that I always feel the need to say how difficult I find this to judge, simply because I am always using skincare that claims to soften them! However, I feel that this range does a great job in this regard. They are all still there - it's not a miracle in a jar - but they are all still fairly faint. And here I feel I have to single out the eye cream for special praise, because I have noticed a more dramatic softening of fine lines in the eye area than anywhere else since using Lift & Luminate. Often, I find that eye creams are more disappointing when it comes to softening lines than face products are, so I will be holding onto this one for dear life.
However, it's the luminating aspect of this range, and the evening of skin tone, that I'm most impressed with. It contains a lightening complex including Indian gooseberry and Vitamin C and I think this has been something of a revelation for me. I've probably mentioned before that I'm not blessed with naturally clear and luminous skin. No product, no matter how fantastic, is going to transform me into someone who is, but after two to three weeks of using Lift & Luminate, I noticed that my skin was looking generally brighter, healthier and more even in tone. And goodness knows that's not down to my diet, because I have been very lazy on that front since Christmas! When you catch yourself in the mirror without makeup on, and you're pleasantly surprised - that to me is the sign of a skincare range that's doing well for you.
In terms of application, all these products are pleasant to use. They have the faintest hint of a clean, fresh fragrance, and the eye cream is light as a feather and absorbs pretty much instantly. The other products take a little longer, but none of them feel unduly heavy on the skin.
So, my final verdict? Well, if you wanted to try just one product, I'd say go for the eye cream, but the results I've had overall have come from using the range as a whole. So I guess that means I'm firmly in agreement with No7 - skincare really is #BetterTogether!
But don't just take my word for it. Everyone's skin is different, and if you're interested in finding out how my fellow Thirty Plus bloggers got on with the range, make sure you check out Hayley, Tracey, Alex, Jane, Louise, Lisa, Fritha, Jo and Sareta to find out their opinions.
And what about you? If you're one of the lucky winners of my giveaway, or if you've tried the products anyway, I'd love to know what you thought. Let me know in the comments! If you haven't tried the range but would like to, you can find the day cream and night cream on sale at Boots for £24.95, the serum for £27.00 and the eye cream for £17.00.
Kate x
*This post was sponsored by No7. All opinions, as always, are my own.
I've been a fan of No7 for many years. Their philosophy that beauty is not just about looking good, but about feeling ready to take on the world, is one that I can wholeheartedly get behind, and in fact, their Protect and Perfect line was my first ever introduction to anti-ageing skincare. To this day, it's still my go-to if I'm ever stuck for what to buy. I've never tried Lift & Luminate before, but having read the press release about the recent improvements to this range, I can't wait to give it a go.
No7 have recently revolutionised the entire Lift & Luminate line, so there's no better time to test it out. Taking the powerful technology from their TRIPLE ACTION serum - the UK's number one serum brand - they've added it to their entire skincare range of day cream, night cream and eye cream. No7 believes that skincare works #BetterTogether, and the new and improved Lift & Luminate range is now the hardest working in their entire arsenal, proven to deliver results against the three most common signs of ageing by visibly reducing wrinkles, firming skin and producing a more even skin tone.
The technology in question comprises the following key ingredients:
Matrixyl 3000 PLUS - A powerful peptide blend which smoothes wrinkles to restore more youthful looking skin
Hyaluronic Acid - Provides skin firming benefits through its water retaining abilities
Hibiscus Extract - Rich in peptides and amino acids, helps support collagen production for smoother, firmer skin
Lightening Complex - Contains Emblica (Indian gooseberry) and Vitamin C, to even skin tone and fade pigmentation
In addition to this potent blend, the day cream contains SPF 15 and 5* UVA, offering No7's most advanced protection against damaging - and ageing - UV rays. No7 claims that use of the day cream will reveal younger looking skin in just two weeks, and will protect your skin for the future with regular use.
The night cream, which works in harmony with skin's night time renewal process to nourish and restore moisture, is supposed to offer immediately visible effects from the morning after the first use, reduced wrinkles and firmer skin after two weeks, and a more rested and radiant looking complexion after four weeks.
The eye cream is especially formulated for the delicate skin in this area, and, it's claimed, will reveal brighter looking eyes in just two weeks. With continued use, you should see crow's feet softened and dark circles and puffiness reduced.
In trials, 88% of women saw even better results from using the new day cream together with the serum, which would seem to suggest that No7 are onto something with their #BetterTogether theory. And now that the new range is available to buy in stores, they've decided to offer a group of Thirty Plus bloggers - and some of our readers - the opportunity to see for themselves. I only received the range a couple of days ago, so I'm going to give you my first impressions now. If you want to know how it works on my skin over the next few weeks, make sure you pop back at the beginning of February to find out, as I'll be posting all about it then.
I usually love the packaging of No7 skincare and this range is definitely no exception. It's neat, elegant and very easy to see which product is which thanks to the simple colour coding. The eye cream and serum have fine nozzles, making it a cinch to dispense the small amount of product you need without any waste. The day and night cream are housed in clear plastic jars. I know a lot of people worry about hygiene when you're constantly dipping your fingers into the product, but so long as your hands are clean there shouldn't really be a problem, and it certainly makes for ease of use.
My immediate impressions of these products are that they are all light to apply and quick to absorb. Fragrance is minimal, but what little is there is fresh and clean. If anything, the day cream feels slightly thicker than the night cream, but neither of them are at all heavy on the skin. I think I'm really going to enjoy using these products, and I can't wait to let you all know the results in a few weeks' time!
My immediate impressions of these products are that they are all light to apply and quick to absorb. Fragrance is minimal, but what little is there is fresh and clean. If anything, the day cream feels slightly thicker than the night cream, but neither of them are at all heavy on the skin. I think I'm really going to enjoy using these products, and I can't wait to let you all know the results in a few weeks' time!
Left - Serum, Right - Eye Cream
Left - Night Cream, Right - Day Cream
So, in the spirit of #BetterTogether, what could be more fitting than to try out these products alongside some of you? No7 are very kindly offering a full set to five of my UK based readers, so if you're interested in testing them out, make sure you enter the giveaway below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
As I mentioned, these products are available now, so if you don't win you can always head over to your local Boots (or Boots.com!) to pick them up. The day cream and night cream retail for £24.95, the eye cream for £17.00 and the 30 ml serum for £27.00. (They are also currently on 3 for 2, so now would be the perfect time to get your hands on them.)
Oh, and if you're interested in seeing what some other bloggers think of this range, then make sure you check out Hayley, Tracey, Alex, Jane, Louise, Lisa, Fritha, Jo and Sareta who are also taking part in this trial.
Are you a fan of No7 skincare? Have you tried the Lift & Luminate range, and are you as intrigued by the re-vamp as I am? And do you believe that skincare is better together, or do you prefer to mix and match your products? I would love to know!
Are you a fan of No7 skincare? Have you tried the Lift & Luminate range, and are you as intrigued by the re-vamp as I am? And do you believe that skincare is better together, or do you prefer to mix and match your products? I would love to know!
Finally, don't forget to check back here at the beginning of February to find out how I get on!
Kate x
This post was sponsored by No7. All opinions, as always, are my own.
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