7 Beauty Myths Debunked

Updated May 2020

1. Alcohol is such a common ingredient so it can't be that bad. False! There are some good alcohols like stearyl alcohol and cetearyl alcohol which are great for the skin, particularly dry skin because they are emollient (moisturising.) These alcohols are also used as a thickener to improve the texture of a product and to keep the ingredients stable. 

However it is denatured alcohol otherwise known as SD alcohol, isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol which is a problematic ingredient, especially if it's listed in top three on an ingredient list because that means there's a large amount of it in the product. Denatured alcohol is used in cosmetics for a quick-drying feel or to immediately degrease skin for a matte finish while feeling weightless on skin. While it sounds like a hero ingredient for oily skin types looking for ways to control oil, denatured alcohol can actually cause enlarged pores and bumps and dry out the skin because it's too harsh. It can strip the skin of essential lipids, proteins and fats which maintain the skin barrier resulting in a weak skin barrier that's prone to inflammation and irritation.  It can also create even more oiliness because the immediate de-greasing effect is eventually counteracted, leaving your skin looking even more shiny. It's also been said that alcohol helps other ingredients such as retinol and Vitamin C absorb into the skin more efficiently. While it does enhance absorption of ingredients, the alcohol also destroys the skin barrier and it's not worth the negative effect it has on the skin.

2. Mineral Oil is bad for the skin- Not always! If you have acne prone skin you may want to  avoid it but it's good for dry or sensitive skin types*

Mineral oil is a transparent, odorless oil derived from petroleum. It’s then purified to become cosmetic grade mineral oil. Mineral oils are used in cosmetic products for it's moisturising properties.  Mineral oil contain large molecules making it difficult to penetrated the layers of skin and instead will sit on top of the skin. This enables it to trap moisture and prevent it from leaving your body, so that the skin feels more moisturised and less dry. This protective layer on the skin creates a barrier against environment stressors such as wind and pollution. Some people do use products that contains mineral oil to form an 'occulsive barrier' that seals all their nightime products underneath while they sleep.

Another reason why mineral oil is al used in cosmetics is because of the low likelihood of causing a skin reaction (making it a good choice for sensitive skin) and the fact that it doesn't spoil in hot, humid climates. It’s completely safe, soothing and non-sensitising. Mineral oil is actually classed as as low on the comedogenic scale (0-2) which means that by itself it's not pore clogging. However mineral oil can trap other ingredients onto the top layer of the epidermis which can lead to clogged pores if that ingredient is known to clog pores. Heavier products such as face balms and ointment tend to be heavy and are more occulsive  which may make some acne and rosea prone skin worse. In this case choose lighter formulas or perhaps avoid using this ingredient.

Conclusion- It is safe to use. It's good for dry skin but may aggrate acne prone skin or those with rosea espeically if it's a balm testure. It's best when used by itself eg vaseline or in a product that contains other ingredients that are low on the comedogenic scale. 

Photo by Becky Fantham on Unsplash

3. The Natural is better fallacy. Natural Skin and body care products are often claimed to be better for you as they don't contain 'chemicals.' However natural does not equal better. Arsenic is a natural chemical but it's posionous and fatal to us even if it's just rubbed onto the skin. It's better to look at the ingredients lists for common irritants like essential oils particularly lavender.  Mint essential oils can also be irritating if you have sensitive or acne prone skin so avoid using peppermint, eucalyptus and spearmint. Citrus essential oils are also irritants, they include lemon, orange, bergamot and lemongrass. 

4. Do not assume that expensive products will work better. Yes high end brands will have more money to invest in the latest technology and invest in quality ingredients but it is possible to find something that works and doesn't cost the earth. For example award winning brand The Ordinary was a game changer by making skincare products such as oils, AHAs and BHA's at affordable prices. Skincare brand Garden of Wisdom and The Inky List rival The Ordinary with their affordable pricing, although I haven't tried any of  their products yet I've read lots of good reviews. I love Simple skincare because they cater to my sensitive skin, their products are often fragrance free and they can be found in any drugstore. I also like Aveeno because I've never reacted to their products and they're fairly gentle on the skin. In fact in the Eve Lom cleansing Balm is the main ingredient is mineral oil which is quite inexpensive and yet the product retails at £55.

5. Oily Skin does not need moisturising and you shouldn't use oil on oily skin -Wrong!

Your skin still needs hydration whatever the type. With oily skin you will find that the oil lubricates the skin but does not provide moisture. (This is why dehydrated skin and dry skin also get mixed up. Dehydrated skin lacks water not oil. Dry skin types just lacks oil.) A common mistake is to avoid oils and just use cleansers that end up removing the natural oil (sebum) in the skin. Unfortunately this will just prompt the skin to overcompensate for this dryness and produce more oil! The Oil Cleansing Method is based on the idea that like disolves like-  meaning that oil is able to dissolve and remove excess oil/sebum, clear out clogged pores and remove waterproof makeup and dead skin. Oil cleansing can help regulate oil production by balancing the skin and maintaing hydration. For oily skin types jojoba oil is supposed to be good balancing oils and reducing acne.

6.  The SPF in my foundation is all I need- Wrong! While it's great that some foundations have SPF, often they're too low to adequately protect your skin against the sun (e.g. SPF15, SPF20.) While foundations with higher SPF of 30 and above are better they still need to be liberally applied on the face but we don't tend to apply foundation this way so we apply too little.

So what should you do instead? Either apply sunscreen underneath your foundation or try layering products with SPF in them. Layering products means that the layer will become thick enough to protect your face from the sun. To layer products, one of them must be at least SPF30 and applied liberally all over the face. Choose products for your skin type and layer them by texture. For example if you have oily skin, a lightweight, matte finish moisturiser with SPF 30 can be generously applied first, then a primer with sunscreen and finally a liquid or powder foundation with sunscreen. If you want to add an eye cream with SPF, apply it after your SPF moisturiser and then put on makeup.

Note: Beware of SPF maths! Applying an moisturiser with SPF 30, and then a primer with SPF 15, and then a foundation with SPF 25 doesn’t add up to SPF 70 but it does give more sun protection which is the most important thing.


7. The white specks under your nails means you have a calcium deficiency-Wrong!

Credit Almay

These white blotches are called Leukonychia punctata. They are caused by damage to the base of the nail also known as the matrix. Nails consist of cells containing large amount of sturdy protein called keratin. These cells grow outwards to form fingernails and toenails. Any damage to the matrix will stop any newly formed keratin filled cells from bonding together properly. This resuts in a small white blotch  at the bottom of the nail. The blotch moves upwards as it begins to grow. The damage or trauma to the nail can be from excessive tapping, chewing nails, smacking a table, even a vigorious manicure or slamming a finger in the door. We don't tend to make the connection as to what caused the white blotch because our nails take so long to grow. It can take up to 6 weeks for the damage in the matrix to grow and manifest itself as a white spot in the nail. By then we've forgotton about the time we smacked the table in frustration or tapped our fingers in impatience or nervously chewed our nails at an interview or had a vigorius manicure. These blotches are like nail bruises. Simple white blotches on the nails aren't harmful and they will grow out but it can take up to 8 months. However if the nail is completely white it could be sign of someting serious such as liver cirrhosis, kidney failure or heart disease, so it's best to go and see a doctor.

Refrences
2. *Brydie Dermatologists settle the mineral oil debate. / Paula's Choice Ingredients Dictory /Dr Dray The Truth about mineral oil in skincare
5.Healthline Oil Cleansing Method How it Works Healthline Jojoba Oil & Acne Does it Work? / Bustle Beauty Myths we need to leave behind. 
7. The Naked Scientist Myth: why we get white spots on our nails / Wikipedia Leukonychia/ The Sun Do you have white marks on your nails?

Christmas Skincare & Fragrance Gift Guide

If you're just browsing, working through your christmas gift list or buying a cheeky treat for yourself (ssshh!) I hope this gift guide is helpful to anyone reading and looking for gift ideas.

Avene Sensitive Skin Saviour Kit £20 // Alpha H With Love Kit £25
Dermalogica Breakout Clearing Kit £23.75 // Clarins Radiance Expert Skincare Gift Set £17.50
Vichy Aqualia Christmas Coffret £16. 65 // Ole Henriksen All Four Love Set 3 Mini Gift Set £15.30

For teenage acne skin this Dermalogica Breakout Clearing kit will do the trick, it contains a foaming wash (50ml) toner (50ml) daytime treatment (15ml) matte moisturiser SPF15 (15ml) and an overnight treatment (15ml). Alpha H liquid gold is highly rated but so expensive so this is a very affordable option to try out and at £25 it's a bargain! The kit contains liquid gold 50ml, essential hydration cream (30ml) and a balancing cleanser (30ml). The Clarins Radiance Expert Skincare gift set sounds like good value for money too coming in at £17.50 and contains Pure Melt Cleansing Gel (30ml)  Beauty Flash Balm (15ml) Renew-Plus Body Serum and a mini lip gloss prodige in 04. 

Avene and Vichy are both aimed at sensitive skins. The Avene set includes two 50ml Extremely gentle cleansing lotions, Thermal spring water 50ml and skin recovery cream (50ml.) The Vichy set sounds perfect for beating dehydrated, winter skin and includes Aqualia Thermal Light 50m, Aqualia Thermal Awakening Eye Balm 15ml and Aqualia Thermal Night Spa 15ml. The Ole Henriksen All for love is an anti ageing skincare set and includes Sheer Transformation a lightweight moisturiser with multi fruit AHAs  (7g,) an invigorating night treatment with AHA (7ml) a Truth serum collagen booster (15ml.) and African red tea foaming cleanser (45ml.)

Soap & Glory Girl-o-whirl £12// Caudalie Travel Set £12.50
Nuxe Travel Kit Gift Set £13.50 // Sanctuary Just Because Gift Set £10.50
Decleor Aroma Lisse Discovery Kit  £17.60 // Burt's Bees Natures Best Beeswax Gift Set £19.99

Many gift sets under £25 are travel kits which means you can sample the products and get a feel of the brand and if those products suit you. They also make a lovely gift to someone who wouldn't normally treat themselves to the more high end brands such as Caudalie, Nuxe and Decleor.

The Caudalie Travel Kit is £12.50 and pretty much contains everything anyone would need. The Kit consists of  Micellar Cleansing Water (30ml), Vinosource Moisturising Sorbet (10ml), Gentle Conditioning Shampoo (30ml), Rose des Vignes Shower Gel (30ml)  Nourishing Body Lotion (30ml) and Divine Oil (3ml.)

The Nuxe Travel Kit Gift Set is £13.50 and includes Reve De Miel Face Cleansing Gel (15ml), Creme Prodigieuse (15ml), Huile Prodigieuse (10ml), Reve De Miel Hand And Nail Cream (15ml,) Prodigieux Shower oil (30ml.)

The Decleor Aroma Lisse Discovery Kit contains a Decleor Aroma Cleanse 3-in-1 Cleansing Foam (50ml), Aromessence Mandarine Oil Serum (5ml), Aroma Lisse Cream (15ml)1000 Grain Body Exfoliator (50ml) and Aroma Confort Moisturising Body Milk (50ml.) It comes in at £17.60 & Look Fantastic is offering a free Decleor gift too.

The Burts Bees Natures Best Beeswax Gift Set includes a Vitamin E and Peppermint Lip Balm, (4.25g), Wild Cherry Lip Balm (4.25g) Lip Shimmer Rhubarb (2.6g) Intense Hydration Day Lotion (50g) Soapbark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream (170g) and  Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream (15g.)

The next two items are from Boots who are doing a 3 for 2 offer on gifts.
The Sanctuary Just Because Gift contains four generously sized products for just over a tenner. The gift includes a Cleansing Burst Body Wash (75ml)  Gentle Polish Body Scrub (50ml)  Luxurious body butter (50ml) and a Velvety hand cream (30ml.)

Soap & Glory's Girl -O-whirl Gift set has really cool packaging. It comes in 3 tins that you can swivel around to form a different girl in different clothing and I'm sure could be reused afterwards. The kit  includes Rich and Famous Shower & Bath Body Wash (75ml) Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub Body Polish (50ml) Smoothie Star Body Buttercream (50ml) a Smoothie Star Hydrating Hand Cream (50ml) and a shower puff.
*Boots have knocked down the price of The Soap and Glory The Whole Glam Lot Limited Edition Suitcase containing 10 full sized items. It is now £30 instead of £60. See more Here

Charlotte Tilbury The Gift of Goddess Skin £150// Charlotte Tilbury Magic Skin Trilogy Day & Night Eye Cream Set £195
Kiehl's Jeremyville Ltd Ed. Bodycare set £30 //Origins Your Perfect World £40 (worth £68)
Eve Lom The Radiant Ritual £50 // Cowshed Ultimate Hamper £100
First Aid Beauty Peace Joy & Fab Kit £44 // Emma Hardie All Star Collection £85 


If you're after luxury then Charlotte Tilbury is it. She has two gift sets both feature her 'magic cream.' The Gift of Goddess Skin trio set includes a Goddess clay mask, Magic cream that reduces the appearance of wrinkles and smooths the skin and Wonderglow that gives skin healthy glow. The Magic Skin Trilogy gift set contains magic cream, magic night cream and magic eye rescue cream.

The Kiehls Jermeyville Bodycare Set is £30 and comes with Creme de Corps, a rich non-greasy, hydrating body butter,  Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, and two deluxe samples of Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser and Grapefruit Liquid Body Cleanser.

Origins Your Perfect World Set includes an Age defence moisturiser with White Tea (50ml) Antioxidant cleanser with White Tea (50ml) Age defence treatment lotion with White Tea (50ml) Age defence skin guardian with White Tea (15ml) and a travel wash bag. The contents of the Origins Your Perfect World set is worth £68 but sells for £40.

 Eve Lom The Radiant Rituals Set contains her famous cleanser (50ml) a cloth, Brightening Cream (10ml) , Rescue mask (15ml) and  Kiss Mix lip treatment (7ml.)  The set is worth £79 and sells for £50 and would be perfect for a winter skincare routine.

First Aid Beauty Peace, Joy and Fab kit contains 28 Radiance Pads, Face cleanser ( 56.7g), Ultra Repair Hydra Firm Sleeping Cream (48.1g)  Vitamin Hydrating Mist (59ml) Ultra Repair Cream (170g.) The value of the kit is £79 but sells for £44.

Finally Emma Hardie All Star Collection includes her famous Moringa cleansing balm (50ml), dual action cleansing cloth, Brilliance facial oil (5ml) Age support treatment cream (50ml) and midas touch  face serum. The contents of the gift set are worth £141 and sells for £85. Feel Unique are also throwing in a free Emma Hardie Plump & Repair Intense Lip balm with any Emma Hardie Christmas sets.
* At the time of publishing the Cowshead Hamper is sold out.

Beyonce Heat Seduction EDP set £12 // Estee Lauder Miniatures Set £18.99 
Davidorff Cool Water Gift set 30ml EDT £14.95  Calvin Klein Beauty 50ml £19.99 // Rihanna Rogue 75ml EDP Bracelet Set £15//
Britney Spears Curious Gift Set £20  
DNKY Be Delicious 3 EDP Miniature Gift Set £20 // Katy Perry Killer Queen 30ml Set £14 

There are many options available when buying perfumes on a budget of £20 or just £15, and they're not all celebrity perfumes either. Fragrance direct have a Davidoff Cool Water gift set for half price at £14.95. I love the scent of Davidoff Cool water, as the name suggests it has aquatic notes of ocean breeze, fruit and woods. The set comes with 30ml EDT bottle and a 75ml shower gel. If you're not sure what perfume someone likes then a set with a variety of different perfumes may be the way to go. This five miniature set from Estee Lauder contains the following perfumes: Pleasure (5ml) White Linen (3.5ml), Beautiful (4.7ml), Sensuous (4ml) & Modern Muse (4ml). Once I saw  Calvin Klein Beauty 50ml EDP selling for £19.99 I had to include it! It is a musky, floral fragrance containing ambriette seeds (musk mallow) Jasmine and cedar.

Superdrug have some great deals on perfumes at the moment. I love DNKY Be Delicious, (you can see my review here) and this cute trio of 7ml mini perfumes includes DKNY Be Delicious, DKNY Fresh Blossom and DKNY Be Tempted.

Onto celebrity perfumes Beyonce's Heat Seduction gift set contains 30ml EDP, body lotion  (75ml) and Shower Gel (75m.)  The perfume is a fruity, spiced musk with mandarin, dewberry, ginger flower, amber and musk. This £12 gift set is good value for money as it contains an EDP rather than the less long wearing EDT and the body lotion and shower gel are a decent size too. The Rihanna Rogue gift set is now half price at £15, it includes a generous 75ml EDT and three edgy bracelets- I think a tween or teenager would like this set. The Britney Spears Curious gift set includes 100ml body souffle as well as a 100ml bottle of Curious EDP which is a floral-vanilla- musk scent. It contains fresh lotus, magnolia, jasmine and precious woods. The Katy Perry's Killer Queen perfume trio gift set includes 30ml EDP, royal body lotion (75ml) and shower gel (75ml.) Killer Queen is described as a floriental scent: the main note is Celosia (red flower) and the base contains patchouli and liquid praline. The bottle design is absolutely stunning too.

Ghost Gift Set EDT 50ml £36 // Chloe Signature Gift Set EDP 75ml £75.95

Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue £69 // Marc Jacobs Decadence EDP 50ml £52 /
Giorgio Armani Si Gift Set 50ml £69.65// Miss Dior EDT 50ml £62.50

I am a big fan of Ghost's perfumes and this Ghost gift set is good value for money as it includes an EDT 50ml bottle as well as a mini sized EDT 10ml bottle, a cosmetics bag, scented candle, hand lotion, lip balm and nail polish all for £36. While Chloe is a floral-woody scent that I think a lot of people would like. It has top notes Lychee, Freesia and Peony, middle notes of Lily of the Valley, Rose and Magnolia and base notes of Virginia Cedar and Musk.The Chloe gift set contains 75ml EDP, 100ml Body Lotion and 5ml Mini EDP. The Dolce and and Gabbana Light Blue perfume is a fruity floral scent with lemons and apple and jasmine and white Rose. The Light Blue gift set comes with body cream (100ml) , and EDT rollerball (7.4ml) as well as Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue EDT (100mls)

Decadence by Marc Jacobs is more sexy and sophisticated than Daisy and Lola. The top notes are Italian plum, saffron and iris, while rose, jasmine and orris root form the heart and the base includes warm amber, vetiver and papyrus wood. The set comes with a shower gel (75ml) and I love the handbag shaped bottle too. Si by Armani was and the gift set contains Miss Dior is a floral perfume with an earthy slightly citrus element and would probably suit teens- twentysomethings. The gift set includes Eau de Toilette natural Spray 50ml and body milk 50ml. Giorgio Armani's Si smells of vanilla, patchouli,rose and freesia. The gift set contains Si Eau De Parfum bottle (50ml) as well as a mini Armani Beauty Ecstasy Mascara in Black and a mini Armani Beauty Rouge D'Armani Lip Gloss as well. It sells for £69.

Top Title photo credit: geishaboy500 Happy Christmas 2008 via photopin (license) Changes Made

Empties: Sample Edition

Garnier Moisture Match for Dull Skin (Wake Me Up)
This moisturiser is a clear gel which has a cooling effect that is very similar to anti cellulite creams. The gel actually smells like a perfume because it's so heavily fragranced and also has a strong alcoholic scent. The fragrance is fruity and fresh due to the grapefruit fruit extract and lemon fruit extract to energise you and wake you up. However the scent doesn't completely mask the strong alcoholic smell which irritated my eyes and stung a little on application probably due to the fact that alcohol denat is listed as the third ingredient. It does absorb quickly but I'm not sure how moisturising it is. It did wear well under my foundation (sleek oil free compact foundation.) It's also paraban free but does contain silicone (Dimethicone.)
Purchase? No. I like the concept behind this range- having moisturisers targeting different skin conditions but did not like the fact this has so much alcohol in it.

Merumuya Melting Cleansing Balm

This is probably the only negative review of  Merumaya's Melting cleansing balm which is such as shame as I was so excited and wanted to like it so much and it does seem to work for a lot of people. It smells like grapefruit (although there's no grapefruit instead it's citronelol: lemon.) It contains Echium Seed Oil (RevitElix ™) and Mangosteen extract too. The smell reminded me of Neals Yard's essential oil beauty products. The texture is very oily thanks to the almond oil and it's easy to massage onto dry skin while it emulsifies make up (the 'melting' part.) It then turns milky on contact with water. Then you're supposed to remove the balm with a cloth, I used one of the Liz Earle's muslin cloths. Merumaya recommend normal skins to repeat the cleanse and oiler skins to follow with Merumaya's Luxury Facial wash. Since this easily removed all of my Estée Lauder Double Wear Light foundation,  I can imagine that it would remove a much heavier foundation (i.e. Estee Lauder's Double wear foundation) without any trouble. It doesn't sting when gets into eyes. It can be used to remove eye makeup and I've read several reviews saying its fine but one who woke up with puffy eyes afterwards so I decided to err on the side of caution and to use a separate eye makeup remover instead (as I do with Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish.) The next day the red patches on my cheeks got bigger and became sore (they weren't before) and I also got six painful under the skin spots. I did actually test this on half my face and was fine so I then used it all over on a different occasion thinking I would be fine. I think those with sensitive skin or dry skin should not apply this twice in order to prevent dryness and irritation. While it's cheaper than Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish and Eve Lom, it is on the more expensive side compared to drugstore/high street cleansers, it retails at £16.50 for 100ml.

Purchase? No. It made my skin worse!

Body Lotions - These both lasted 2 weeks.

Aveeno body Lotion makes your skin feel so incredibly soft, however I didn't really like the smell (It's supposed to smell like oats, and although I eat porridge I couldn't really get with the smell) Purchase? I don't know. Maybe if it was on offer and if my skin was very dry- I would have to mix it with something that smelt nicer!

Garnier Body Intensive 7 days lotion  I absolutely loved the scent, it smells like Shea butter (which is one of the ingredients) sweet without being sickly. However it does contain alcohol and mineral oil which could irritate some skin types. This lotion does leave skin feeling soft  but I think Aveeno pips it to the post in the skin softening stakes and the softening effect lasts longer with Aveeno despite not having a 7 day claim. 
Purchase? Maybe if it's on offer.

Sunscreen 

Hawaiian Tropic Satin Protection Ultra Radiance SPF 15
Hawaiian Tropic Satin Protection Ultra radiance SP30 has received a lot of criticism for not actually protecting up to SPF 30 according to the Which? study testing sun lotion in 2014. This makes me a little wary of the SPF15. More confusing is that both products seem to be recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation judging by the stamp on the packaging. Anyway it smells so nice and summery, a floral scent combined with coconut and cocoa. The smell isn't overwhelming which is good as I'm sensitive to strongly perfumed cosmetics. The 'Ultra Radiance' effect is gold glitter which is noticeable in sunlight. This maybe a bit too bling/disco ball for some but it would give a glistening highlight when applied to the legs. However SPF15 is pretty low so I'd avoid this if you're pale or are going to be on the beach all day.
Purchase? Probably not, the sun protection factor is too low I usually buy SPF30-35.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream
This is L'occitane's best seller and has even been in Vogue's Top 100 beauty products as well as wining a Bella Beauty award in 2015. This is their original 20% Shea formula, and while it does make your hands feel soft and moisturised with minimal grease, I really don't like the smell, it's sort of like baby talc powder. I prefer their Jasmine version.
Purchase? This one, no, but I would buy others in the range.

Perfume

Kenzo Flower in the Air EDP
This perfume smells floral and sweet, however there is a hint of fruit (raspberries) and pink pepper that stop it being too sweet. I tend to go for fruity scents and steer away from sweet floral scents. The raspberries gives it a fruity feel, but more in a sweet way rather than the fresh, light feel of apples in DKNY Be Delicious or other citrus-y perfumes. The top notes are raspberry and pink pepper, the middle notes are floral including rose, magnolia and gardenia. The base note is white musk. This sample is actually a EDP which is unusual since most perfume samples are more often EDT. The scent was strong for the first hour but it did fade through the day. Around 8 hours later I could just about smell the scent on my wrists but no-none else would be able to.
Purchase? I haven't fallen in love with this scent and I would have to in order to spend £51+ on it for the EDP. The EDT is cheaper at around the £30 mark but again this is not a 'must have' for me.

Makeup

Everyday Minerals Face Soft Bronzer 
I got this free with a brush I bought from Everyday Minerals. I think the 'soft' in the name refers to a soft, subtle warming bronzer for light skin tones. It's a pinky orange shade that probably won't show on medium and dark skin tones. On my hand it's close to my skin tone  but on my face it is a very subtle and more orange than brown (I'm roughly Mac NC25/BB warm sand/Estee Lauder intensity one.)  I applied it over liquid foundation and again on moisturised bare skin but it didn't look good either way.
Purchase? No. It's too orange and doesn't really show up. To be honest I'd suit a darker shade.

Shampoos

L'oreal Elvive Nutrigloss Luminiser High Shine Shampoo
I have fallen in love the scent of this shampoo, it's very fresh and floral. This shampoo is labelled as a 'high shine shampoo' that uses glycogel shine sealer technology to resurface the hair fibres of impurities that disrupt light reflection and help seal the cuticles, coating hair with a weightless gloss. Typically for a shampoo that promises smooth (and therefore shiny) hair it does contain silicon (dimethicone) but is is free of MI (Methylchloroisothiazolinone)  MCI (Methylisothiazoline) preservatives that can cause an contact dermatitis allergic reaction and nerve damage. My hair was shiny after using this shampoo but because I have straight thick dark hair almost all shampoos make my hair shiny. As promised it didn't weight my hair down but I still needed to wash my hair the next day as it didn't control my oily hair.

Purchase? Probably not because it didn't control my greasy hair as well as my regular Pantene shampoo. But it would be good for other hair types- such as normal or dry hair.

L'oreal Elvive Smooth & Polish perfecting Shampoo
This shampoo contains Keratin-polish to make hair smooth, control flyaways and calm static. The camellia extract also makes hair soft. As well as keratin it contains Silicon (Amodimethicone) but is MI (methylisothiazolinone) and MCI (Methylchloroisothiazolinone) free. The shampoo has a pleasant fresh floral scent (although I preferred the nutri gloss the most.) It left my hair smooth and shiny but as I said earlier that often happens with most shampoos. My hair does feel a little softer and did not get greasy until the evening of second day hair which is as good as my current Pantene shampoo. It does benefit from using a conditioner with it though as I noticed some frizz and my hair was a little drier using this.
Purchase? Yes. I would say it's best for oily hair, this is going on my shopping list, paired with a good conditioner this should be great.

B. Pure Micellar Water & B Pure Sensitive Micellar Cleansing Wipes Review

B Pure is part of Superdrug's B premium range and is cruelty free and vegan.

B Pure Micellar Water
Micellar water contains micelles, tiny round balls of cleansing molecules that float in the water. They lift dirt, make up and oil from the skin but with no need to rinse away, which is why they're so popular.  The B Pure Micellar Water is marketed as a 'Quick and easy 3 in 1 cleanser / super water 'that cleanses in just one swipe'. It claims to 'cleanse, by removing impurities and makeup, tone by restoring the ph. balance and keep the skin supple and refresh the skin with cucumber juice extract.' You can smell the cucumber but it's a pretty inoffensive smell and quite refreshing.

The directions say to use this morning and night. I had to use at least two fully soaked (ie drowned) cotton pads sometimes three, so I wouldn't say this removes dirt and makeup in one swipe as it claims to. After a few days I found this left a tacky residue on my skin which was contributing to a couple of spots on my face in random places where I never get any, such as by my ear and neck. So I went out and bought a bottle of Simple toner to use afterwards. However while the micellar water appeared to be getting all the makeup off  (the second or third pad would be clean) when I used the toner even more foundation came off. Despite this you'll be pleased to know this does remove waterproof mascara and the smell didn't make my eyes water like Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish does. Be careful not to get it in your eyes though, because it does sting. Since the bottle was tall and transparent I could see the micellar water disappearing at a fast rate. While I liked that the B Pure Micellar Water didn't have a strong smell, I wasn't impressed with how well it cleaned my face, especially when I was wearing a full face of makeup. I needed to use a lot of product as well. I would give this a 2 out of 5 and I don't think I will be repurchasing this.

Onto the B. Pure Sensitive Micellar Face Wipes which were much better. They are very wet and moist especially compared to Nivea's. I also like that the pack has a plastic lid on top of the seal because it keeps the wipes wet and fresh. Although the packaging looks very similar to their B quick 4 in 1 Cleansing wipes they are not the same and are different prices. These are targeted to those with sensitive skin and they are hypoallergic and dermatology approved. It's also free of fragrance, colour as well as being alcohol free. The packaging has the leaping bunny logo meaning that the product is cruelty free and hasn't been tested on animals.

It takes around one and a half wipes to remove a face full of makeup (liquid foundation, blush, contour, powder) and one or two for the eyes. It is really gentle on the eyes, doesn't sting and removes waterproof mascara. I've also been on the lookout for face wipes that don't contain MI or MCI preservatives that can cause contact dermatis and these B Pure Micellar Cleansing wipes don't have these ingredients. These are wonderful, effective at removing makeup and excellent value for money with 25 wipes for only a pound! What a bargain! Definitely 5/5.


 B. Pure Sensitive Micellar Cleansing wipes for £1 Superdrug online

Ingredients

Aqua, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Glycerin, PEG- 35 Castor Oil, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate.

 B. Pure Micellar Water is available at Superdrug £4.99 for 150ml though currently £2.38

Ingredients

Aqua, Peg-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Juice, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Disodium Edta, Methylpropanediol, Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Sulfite