December Radar Round Up
What a great bag of products! I was impressed with all but one of my December radar products.
The Matrix Biolage FiberStrong range is just incredible. It made my hair feel like silk! Soft, glossy and healthy – what more could you ask for? If your hair has taken a beating over the summer, I suggest you get your hands on some. (It’s only available at salons, though, so click here to find your nearest stockist.)
Xen Tan’s two products were just beyond. The Scent Secure Gold delivered a subtle glow, and actually DID mask the smell of self-tan completely! Hurrah! The Blending Balm was just as impressive. I can’t believe nobody else has released a product like this before. I purposefully applied some self-tan in blotches, and then watched in wonder as this clever balm blended the dark patches away. I don’t know how it works, but it does, so I really don’t care about the sciency bit. Self-tan revolution, people!
Comfort Zone never disappoints, so it was hardly surprising that the Active Pureness range was fabulous. I just love this brand – from the packaging to the formulations to the ethos behind the brand, everything is well thought-out and there is nothing unnecessary or over the top. This range smells great and delivers what it says it will. I cold easily have washed my face 4 or 5 times a day with the Cleansing Gel. It removed every last scrap of make-up without ever drying out my skin. The Spot Corrector was the ‘best in show’ for me, however. Just dab a tiny amount onto a spot a few times a day, and in two days, there will be no trace of the pesky spot whatsoever.
I have no idea why I ever stopped using Dermafix. The Brightening Exfoliant is something every girl should have in her skincare routine. It comes in a powder form to maintain the stability of the actives, so you have to add a bit of water, and work it into a paste. It’s gentle enough not to irritate the skin, but also effective enough to remove any dead skin cells. Your skin feels fresh and renewed after just one application. (Remember to wear sun protection every day when using this product, as it contains hydroxyl acids that can make your skin a bit photosensitive.)
I’m pretty happy with the effectiveness of the Tripeptox wipes as well. (I think I may have to stop pre-judging Clicks brands from now on…) They removed all traces of make-up (including waterproof mascara) and left my skin feeling soft. The wipes themselves are nice and thick, so won’t tear before you’ve finished cleansing your face (a pet hate of mine!)
The I Love Coconut and Cream Glossy Lip Balm is nearly finished. I just, ahem, love it!
Nuxe’s Huile Prodigieuse is just incredible, and my find of the month. It’s super lightweight, so absorbed almost immediately. My skin has never looked, or felt so fantastic. I did ease myself into it over a few weeks, so as it not upset my skin, but I’ve increased to using it every night now, without incident – not even one spot!
Lamelle’s Ovelle is a tricky one, as I feel I may need to take it for more than just a month to see startling results, but I did notice that my skin has been a lot less prone to sun spots over the holidays, and I think it’s down to this supplement.
I can’t wait for Vichy’s Idéalia Life Serum to launch later this month, so you can all try it. It is just incredible! I’ve been using Nuxe at night and this during the day, and I think my skin loves me for it. The serum is a soft pink colour that seems add a glow the second your apply it. My skin looks fresh and is much more plumped than usual. I also found it helped my other products absorb better. It also doesn’t flake when make-up or other creams are applied over the top.
The dud in the pack, sadly, was the Mr P Nailed It Vanilla Nail Polish Remover Wipes. Remember I wanted to know if they’d remove dark colours? Well, they don’t even remove light colours. They just smudge the polish all over your hands in a way I never knew possible. Terrible, just terrible! Sorry, Mr P, you have done anything but ‘Nail It’ with this one.
As expected, the SoyLites Massage Body SoyBalm has been used on knees and elbows as a rich moisturiser. It leaves them silky smooth and the rose, geranium and jasmine scent is just to die for!
My feet have eased into summer with ease thanks to nightly application of the Oh-Lief Natural Olive Heel Balm. I just rub a small amount onto my feet as I get into bed. It absorbs super-fast, so you won’t soil your linen.
Avon’s Ideal Flawless Matte Mousse Foundation is an absolute triumph! It glides on easily with a brush, sponge or your fingers to deliver a barely-there coverage. Don’t get me wrong, it does cover incredibly well, but you just can’t see it on your skin. This particularly excites me, as I cannot stand being able to see my foundation sitting in my pores! It is also only the second mousse foundation I have ever been able to us eon my dry skin (the other is Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse). The blurb promised that it ‘will not dry-out my skin, but instead balance the moisture levels to create a flawless canvas’. Yes, yes and yes!
Overall, that was a great month of testing. My January radar will be up next week.
PS – I never got round to reading all those magazine, though.
