Review: Liz Earle Naturally Active Skin Care

Introduction

Hey! Today I'm going to be writing a review on the Liz Earle Naturally Active Skin Care products that I own. A lot of people have asked me to do a review so here it is! If you have any questions that I didn't answer in this post, feel free to comment below and I'll reply as soon as possible.

At around the beginning of January, I purchased the trial sized kit for dry/sensitive skin which you can find here. It comes with 30ml of Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, 50ml of Instant Boost Skin Tonic, 15ml of Skin Repair Moisturiser, 15ml of Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask, 2 pure muslin cloths and a lovely little bag to keep it in. I decided to purchase the trial sized kit because my skin is very sensitive and pretty much every skin care product I've ever used has irritated my skin. I really recommend getting the trial sized kit if you're interested in using Liz Earle as you do get quite a lot of product so it lasts for quite a while (mine lasted me for a month) and you can see how they really work for you.

I'm going to be writing seperate reviews for all of the different products I own but in this paragraph I'm just going to talk about what's similar in all of the products to avoid repeating myself all the time! One thing is that they all smell so good. It's a really unique smell, kind of minty and like a spa! Please don't be worried about the smell like I was. I was wary of using them because my extremely sensitive skin and fragrances really don't get on. Luckily, these didn't irritate my skin! While we're on that note, I'd just like to mention that none of these products dried out or irritated my skin whereas almost everything I've used in the past has. All of these products are packed full of naturally active ingredients which are extremely beneficial for your skin. I'd also just like to mention that the packaging of all of the products is so nice. They're a gorgeous light mint color and they just look so pretty! Okay then, let's get onto the seperate product reviews!

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser


What Liz Earle says:
'Cleanses and gently exfoliates for smoother, clearer skin' 

What I say:
You've probably already heard so much about this cleanser already, it's one of the most famous cleansers out there, it's won so many awards and I can see why. Liz Earle only offers one cleanser because it's designed to work for all ages and all skin types and from the reviews I've read on it, that's pretty much true. I can obviously only say how it's worked for me personally but I've read plently of reviews from people with different skin types and it's worked for almost every single one of them.

The cleanser comes in a long cylinder tube with a pump dispenser. The actual product is a thick, white cream.

I love applying this. It feels like you're giving yourself a facial everyday! The cleanser has two steps: cleansing and polishing. First, you cleanse. You take about a pump or more depending on how much makeup you're wearing. Anyway, you take about a pump and massage it all over your face in circular motions. It feels so nice and moisturising! Then, you polish. You take your muslin cloth, soak it in hot water and gently polish your face with it in circular motions. Not only does this remove the cleanser, you're also gently exfoliating your face! You finish by splashing your face with cold water. This may sound like a long process but it's really not, it only takes me about five minutes, which is really good considering you're cleansing and exfoliating. It's designed to take makeup off as well but I can't really comment on that considering I only wear mascara. I did use it to take off mascara and although it did work well, I prefer using an eye makeup remover before using this to avoid smearing mascara all over my face and the muslin cloth.

I really like this cleanser. It makes my skin so smooth, soft and clean after using it. It's the only cleanser that hasn't made my face feel tight, dry or stripped of its natural oils after use! I also love how the muslin cloth is gentle enough to use everyday. With my sensitive skin, I've found it impossible to find an exfoliator that isn't too harsh for my skin. However, with the muslin cloth, it's not going to irritate my skin and I can decide how much pressure I apply on my skin. It's perfect!


Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic


What Liz Earle says:
'Revitalises, soothes and tones for instant radiance'

What I say:
I've always wanted to use a toner in my skin care routine. Some people think it's just an unnecessary step but I think it's quite important. It removes any traces of dirt, makeup and cleanser, and in this case with the Skin Tonic, refrishes, soothes and brightens your skin. However, I've never been able to use a toner as most of them contain alcohol and dry out my skin like crazy. Luckily, this one is alcohol free and actually hydrates and adds moisture to your skin, so that's a huge thumbs up!

To apply this, you simply pour a generous amount onto a cotton pad and sweep over your face and neck after cleansing. I love using this! It makes my skin feels hydrated, refreshed and squeaky clean! What's not to love? Also, it smells absolutely amazing - it's a really strong floral scent - but doesn't sting or irritate my skin! Huge bonus!

I think it's safe to say I'm in love with a toner.


Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser - Dry/Sensitive



What Liz Earle says:
'Intensely moisturises, smooths and protects'

What I say:
Having dry skin, moisturisers are the biggest, most important part of my skin care routine. I'm very picky with moisturisers - they have to be light weight, absorb easily and not leave my skin feeling greasy or oily but they also have to really moisturise my skin. No moisturiser has ever lived up to my extremely high expectations except for this one.

As I have naturally really dry skin, I usually end up using a whole tub of regular moisturiser in literally a week. However, with this one, I use a pea sized amount for my whole face. Yes, a pea sized amount. I never thought I would say that, but this one is just so moisturising that you don't need a lot at all. It absorbs so easily and quickly and my face doesn't feel sticky, oily or greasy after using it but my skin still feels moisturised, hydrated and soft.

I also love that they make different moisturisers for different skin types - dry/sensitive, normal/combination and combination/oily - so you're sure to find a moisturiser that fits your skins needs.


Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask


What Liz Earle says:
'Soothes and deeply rehydrates'

What I say:
I agree completely with what Liz Earle says. This thick, creamy mask really does soothe and deeply hydrate my skin - as simple as that. It's actually amazing how well it hydrates and moisturises your skin. Before I switched to Liz Earle, I was using Burt's Bees - big mistake. It broke me out and dried out my skin like crazy. But after using this, my skin was so smooth and soft!

To use this, you just smooth a thick layer of the cream to your face and neck after cleansing and relax for 10-15 minutes. I recommend doing this at night. Then, soak the muslin cloth and polish it off - just like you would with the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. Splash your face with cold water, follow with Instant Boost Skin Tonic, a small amount of Skin Repair Moisturiser and your skin will feel amazing!


Overall

Overall, I love every single one of these products and I honestly have nothing bad to say about them. I actually purchased the full sizes of all of them! They came beautifully packaged and with a book full of detailed information on all of their products.
I would really recommend these no matter what skin type you have or what age you are. If you do try these, I'd love know how they work for you!

Products I Regret Buying!

Hey! Hope you're all okay. Today I'm going to be doing my products I regret buying. I've never done one of these before so I've built up quite a big collection of products I don't like, don't use and wish I had never bought. Please bare in mind that some of these products might work well for you and you might love them, this is just my own opinion. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy it and let's get started!

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - I bought this when my eczema was really playing up on my face and I just needed something that was gentle enough to use on my face but wouldn't irritate my eczema. This didn't irritate my eczema which is good, but it didn't really do anything for my skin. I could have just washed my face with plain water and got the same results. My skin didn't feel clean, it didn't remove makeup, it felt weird and it left a greasy film across my face. Not nice!

Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion - This makes my skin feel so oily, it's unreal. I feel like I've just applied oil to my skin! It leaves my face looking and feeling horribly greasy, no matter how little I use. I have dry skin and it still made my face oily!

Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser - Exactly the same as the Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion - made my face a greasy mess! It also made my face sting and go red whenever I applied it. This claimed to help prevent spots and blemishes, but it really didn't do that for me at all. 

Clean & Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash - This stuff broke me out so bad! Luckily, I did a little test on my jaw line and within minutes - literally, minutes - I had a huge rash where I had applied it and I broke out in a few spots a little while later. I'm so glad I didn't just go ahead and apply this to my whole face without testing it first! This has a really soapy smell and I think that's what irritated my skin.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Spot Stress Control 3-in-1 Daily Cleansing Lotion - Again, this has a really strong smell and it just broke me out. I find Clean & Clear and Neutrogena products to be far too harsh for my sensitive skin.

Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub - You guys don't realise how much I wish this would work for me. I absolutely love it! It comes in a little glass jar so you can get every little bit of product out and don't have to waste any. You mix it with water to form a paste so it will last you for ages. It's fun to use, smells amazing and it makes my skin unbelievably smooth. But, it broke me out so bad! The worst I've ever broken out! I'm so upset that it didn't work. I've kept it purely for the smell - I just sit there and smell it, it's lovely. I wish they made a candle that smelt like this!

Aussie Take The Heat 3 Minute Miracle - It seems to be just me that doesn't like this. Everybody on Youtube swears by this stuff, but it didn't work for me. It made my hair super dry and frizzy!

ELF Studio Stippling Brush - This is just far too flimsy to do any proper blending or buffing which is the whole point of a stippling brush.

ELF Studio Eye Shadow "C" Brush - I bought this because I needed a good brush to pack eye shadows onto my lid. This definitely does not do that! It just doesn't pick up enough pigment.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Tinted Moisture Lotion - I hate this stuff so much! The woman in The Body Shop recommended it to me and I'm always looking for a good tinted moisturiser so I decided to buy it and give it a go. It goes on so oily and doesn't absorb into my skin at all! It just kind of sits on top of my skin and leaves me looking so greasy. Yuck!

ELF Studio Pressed Powder - I love the packaging of this. It has a mirror and comes with a little sponge - perfect for touch ups during the day! However, it's so chalky and makes my skin look and feel so dry! It might work well for you if you have oily skin though.

Avon Invisible Light Concealer - I have this in the color 'medium' because I bought it in the summer when I was tanned. What a mistake. This is orange! Literally orange. Maybe this would work for you if you was a Wotsit. Also, it settles into even the tiniest of fine lines. Lastly, it has huge specks of glitter in it. Yes, actual glitter! Not a good look.

Benefit Benetint - I bought this because of all the hype around it on Youtube. I bought the trial size version because it's pretty expensive so I figured I'll just get the small size and see if I like it. I'm so glad I didn't pay for the full size product! I hate this stuff. It dries so quickly and doesn't blend well at all, so you're left with red splotches all over your cheeks. No thanks!

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara - This is so raved about on Youtube and I had such high expectations for it but, to be honest, it was a massive fail. It's a really wet formula and clumps like crazy. I also find the curved brush really hard to work with.

NYC Show Time Volumizing Waterproof Mascara - This just doesn't work for me. It does nothing for my lashes, just makes them black and clumps them together. 

MAC Zoom Lash Mascara - All I'm going to say is clumpy, clumpy, clumpy!

Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil in 064 Stormy Grey - This is, hands down, the worst eye liner pencil I've ever purchased. It isn't very pigmented, it's very dry and tugs on my eyes and smudges a lot.

Avon Super Shock Gel Eye Liner in Blackened Metal - This gel liner is so dry! It also lacks pigmentation and has weird clumps of glitter in it so it doesn't apply smoothly at all.

Revlon Color Stay 12 Hour Eye Color Quad in 21 Silver Fox - These eye shadows are so chalky! Even when swatching them on a base, they're really unpigmented and have a lot of fall out.

No7 Stay Perfect Eye Shadow Trio in 20 Good Earth - All I'm going to say about these is that they lack so much pigmentation, they don't even show up at all when you swatch them.

Topshop Lip Glaze in Dash - I really love this color, it's a gorgeous baby pink and would look gorgeous over a nude lip, but it's so thick and sticky! Also, it highlights every little dry patch on your lip, even after I exfoliate and apply a lip balm to them.

So those are the products that I regret buying! Again, some of these might be your holy grails, and I'm glad they work for you, but I just don't like them. 

My Skin Care Routine!

I'm sorry I haven't posted for ages! I feel terrible but the amount of exams I've had at school recently has been mad. But, I'm back and with a new skin care routine!

Before I go on to tell you my current skin care routine, I'm just going to tell you a little bit about my skin. I feel as thought what skin type you have can really make a difference in how products work for you. I have dry, very sensitive skin and I also suffer from eczema which I've had since I was a baby. I don't really have eczema anymore, I just get flare ups whenever I'm ill, stressed or upset.

Morning:

In the morning, I wash my face using just plain water. I personally don't feel the need to use a cleanser in the morning as my skin isn't oily so it's not like I wake up in the morning with lots of oils on my face. I pat my face dry with a clean towel and moisturize using Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser for dry/sensitive skin.

Night:

At night, I remove my mascara with Boots Essentials Eye Makeup Remover Lotion. I cleanse using Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. I massage this all over my face in circular motions. Then I soak the muslin cloth in a sink of hot water and take the cleanser off with the muslin cloth whilst also gently exfoliating with it. I don't wear any makeup other than mascara so I only cleanse once, but if you wear heavy face makeup, I would recommend cleansing twice. I pat my face dry with a clean towel, apply Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic onto a cotton pad and wipe it all over my face. Finally, I moisturize using Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser for dry/sensitive skin.

Mask:

Every Friday night, I use Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask. I follow my usual night routine but use the mask after cleansing and before toning. I apply a thick, even layer of this all over my face and relax for 15 minutes. Then I soak the muslin cloth in a sink of hot water and take the mask off with the muslin cloth whilst also gently exfoliating with it. This is an amazing mask for dry skin, it makes my skin feel so hydrated and soft!

Review: Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick

Hello! I have a massive review for you guys today. I felt bad for not posting for ages so I decided to do a review on my favorite lipsticks. Oops, I kind of gave away that I like them... Oh well. Hope you enjoy it! 

As you can see, I have 9 of these so obviously I must really like them! I don't know where to start with this review since there's so much to say so I guess I'll categorize everything.

Packaging: The packaging is cute. It's a really dark, glossy purple color - so dark it almost looks black. I've not had any issues with the packaging or the lipsticks breaking in the tube. 

Smell: Okay, so this is a little bit of a weird category, but I had to mention it: they do smell. It's not bad, I don't mind it, but it is a strong smell. I could even smell them when I swatched them! It smells kind of like sweets/candy.

Staying Power: These stay on forever. Literally, they do not budge. After a whole day of eating and drinking, the color was still as vibrant as it was when I put it on. No bleeding either! It's quite hard to wash off too, even with makeup remover! I had a hard time getting the swatches off - I had to scrub and scrub with soap and although they eventually faded, they were still there! If you want a lipstick that will last you all day, these are definitely for you.

Finishes: These all give you a really glossy, satin finish. The majority of them are very moisturizing and don't make your lips look chapped, even when applied without a lip balm!

Pigmentation: The pigmentation of these is amazing, especially for the red shades. You get great color pay off in just one swipe and can also build it up easily for a more vibrant color. I'll let the swatches do the talking, although my camera really doesn't do them any justice.

I took some pictures of them individually and I'm going to do my best to describe them!

026 - Vintage

I absolutely love this color. It's a nude pink and is very close to my natural lip color. However, it's my least favorite because it applies a bit gritty - like it's got grains of sugar in it or something! It's a shame because it's such a lovely color.

077 - Asia

This one applies so smoothly! It's so creamy. In the tube, it looks like a pink/mauve color, but it applies brown. I don't feel comfortable wearing brown lipstick but hey, it's always nice to have a wide color selection.

086 - Sugar Plum

This is a gorgeous fuchsia color. Not something I would wear every day but it does actually look really nice on! 

123 - True Vintage

This is a beautiful dark plum color. It's a little too dark if you swipe it all over your lips but looks amazing if you pat it on lightly with your finger tip.

124 - Bordeaux

This is quite similar to True Vintage but quite a bit darker. It's too dark, in my opinion to wear everyday though. I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing it because it is really dark.

170 - Alarm

This is your classic bright red lipstick with blue undertones. It can be applied very thickly for a very dramatic red color or you can dab it on lightly with your fingertips for a subtle red tint, which is what I like to do.

175 - Signature Red

This is so similar to Alarm, they're practically the same. I can't see a difference.

210 - Coral In Gold

This lipstick is, quite simply, orange and is very similar to Vintage, as it applies really gritty and highlights every line or dry patch on your lips. I don't like this one and wouldn't recommend it.

220 - Retro

A beautifully pigmented bright red lipstick with orange undertones. A little bit too much for everyday use but I'm sure I'll wear it one day!

For drugstore lipsticks, they're pretty amazing! I really recommend these (apart from Vintage and Coral In Gold, I'd pass on those if I were you) and I am definitely going to buy more.

5/5 ♥

Review: MAC Zoom Lash Mascara

Wow, this mascara really didn’t do it for me. The packaging is pretty simple and it looks quite professional and sleek so I like the packaging. The color is really nice - I have it in Plush Black and it’s a really dramatic dark black. 

But, I was very disappointed with the actual product. It’s wet and ‘gloopy’. You can see in my picture how wet and gloopy it actually is! When you take the wand out of the mascara tube, you're left with this horrible mess on the end of the brush. I applied the first coat of mascara and it definitely did thicken and lengthen my lashes. It was clumpy though, and I was already disappointed. Then I applied a second coat and… Wow. It was really clumpy! After brushing through it a million times with a disposable mascara wand, my lashes looked okay but still quite spidery!

I applied it in the morning and wore it all day. I was tired when I got in at night and washed my face but didn’t bother taking off my mascara (I know, I know, but I was really tired. We're all guilty of not taking our mascara off every once in a while!). When I woke up the next morning, I looked in the mirror and was amazed. It looked exactly as it did when I put it on - long, thick and super black! And no flakes, surprisingly. 

This mascara isn’t in my favorites but I’m not going to throw it out. It looks quite nice if you apply two coats of a different mascara and then apply one coat of this MAC mascara! It really just adds a bit more drama. I would definitely not buy this again. Not worth the money at all! Sorry MAC.

1/5 ♥

Review: ELF Studio Cream Eye Liners

The colors I have are in black, gunmetal, coffee and white. I am in love with these cream eye liners! I'm not experienced with cream eye liners - in fact, I'll be honest, these are only the second cream eye liners I've owned. But, these are everything you could want in a cream eye liner! They're pigmented, easy to apply, long lasting and creamy. What more could I ask for?

The packaging of this product is gorgeous and they look very nice and professional. A little bit bulky but I'm not bothered by that at all. It comes with a twist off lid that you have to make sure you close properly or your cream eye liner will dry out. Overall, very attractive packaging! It also comes with a little brush which is very similar to the ELF Small Angled Brush, just with a shorter handle. I do prefer to use the ELF Small Angled Brush to apply this rather than the brush it comes with, but you can definitely work with the brush provided if you have to.

The colors are so pigmented! They're absolutely gorgeous. You don't need to keep going over and over to get a good, strong color. The staying power of these is pretty good, although after around five hours I noticed a little bit of smudging at the outer corners of my eyes. These are so creamy and easy to apply, too. I could never get my eye liner just right, yet with this I can achieve the perfect (well, almost!) line.

Swatches above! From left to right: coffee, gunmetal, black. I accidentally smudged the gunmetal liner at the bottom, sorry!

I really recommend these and I am definitely going to repurchase more.

5/5 ♥

Review: Clean & Clear Dual Action Oil-Free Moisturizer

I have mixed opinions on this moisturizer. It's a love/hate thing!


I was looking for a good moisturizer to use under my makeup. This is definitely not what I was looking for! It doesn't feel oil free, it feels so oily and greasy on my skin! Even if I use a little bit. And it takes ages to soak in!

It claims to 'prevent spots and blemishes' which, for me, it really doesn/t Also, whenever I put this on, it makes my skin tingle and go quite red, though I do have sensitive skin so that could be why.

This moisturizer has really helped my dry skin though. It's not magic, it's not going to work miracles and I still have a few dry patches but my skin is a lot smoother than it used to be. 

I've repurchased this twice but I don't think I'm going to repurchase it again. 

2/5 ♥