Dermalogica Clear Start Matte Moisturiser

Early last year I posted about this product, except then it was under a different name and in slightly different packaging. Click here to read my thoughts on the original product (!). Going from "Clean Start" to "Clear Start" might not seem like much of a leap but for teenage skin clear is certainly what I was after. We all want clean skin but that comes from a cleanser or face wash; clear skin is personally how I want my skin to look. 

Still aiming to target oily skin, not much has changed aside from the packaging. Personally, that's a good thing. This is my favourite daytime moisturiser and has been for well over a year. I can wear it alone if I'm in the sun or under make-up to give my skin a matte base. It still smells faintly like cola cubes and doesn't leave any unwanted residue.

When I was at my local Dermalogica counter I asked why the change had taken place and I was told it was to make the brand "more Dermalogica" as Clean Start was previously part of another brand. 

Once that's confirmed I will make sure I clarify that here!

This product is a 10/10 would recommend to teens and young adults who want to combat excess oil in the skin. You can buy one here (!) for £16 / 60ml.

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Previously Posted Products - Where are they now?

It's often hard to tell if a blogger has kept a lasting relationship with products - the constant influx of must-haves and holy grail items means that sometimes there's a few words and photos about a moisturiser/foundation/eyeliner and then that's it... it disappears off into the archives.
The reality is that it's not the done thing to repeat product reviews unless it's a re-purchase, but again, what do people want to read; re-buys or the newest thing on the market? It's difficult.

I thought I'd give a little bit of love to some products I've reviewed before just to ensure that you all know I really did like them and they still have a permanent spot in my make-up bag!

The Dermalogica Clear Start Welcome Matte Moisturiser (review here, click!) is still very much loved. I use it in the mornings as it provides a great base for make-up. The mattifying element means that once it has sunk in I can just buff or blend my foundation in on top and there's no slipping or sliding about! This exact moisturiser isn't available online but click here to buy the updated version of this product (!).

My HD Brows palette (review here, click!) is something I use pretty much every day - I have lost the slanted brush that came with it which is a bit of a pain but I've got a couple of brushes I can use as replacements. I use one colour strictly for my brows and then there's a darker brown that I occasionally use as a liner on my top lid.
The best bit about this palette is that I have had it since September 2011 and I still haven't hit the pan on my most used shade! That's over 2 years of use... If you're worried about the germyness then I'd like to add that I wash my brushes frequently and haven't experienced any adverse effects from not chucking it out after the recommended 6-12 months of use. Click here to buy (!)

Liz Earle's Signature Foundation (mini review here, click!) is my absolute favourite foundation for a night-out. My daily make-up doesn't require a medium coverage base so I save it for when I want to make more of an effort. It has a relatively matte finish which means I can buff in some blusher and highlighter and I don't look shiny too early on in the night - ideal for me. Click here to buy (!)

The coveted Real Techniques Stippling Brush (mini review here, click!) is definitely still in use in my house! I use it with the Liz Earle foundation and it gives a perfect finish. There's really not much more to say about this except I'm so glad I bought it. Click here to buy (!)

Finally, the Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser (featured here, click!) - when I first tried this it was in the try me kit and since then I've bought at least two more pots! This is pretty much a night cream for me but it's a daily moisturiser and isn't too heavy to be used under make-up. I love how creamy it is and how luxurious it feels as it works its magic. Click here to buy (!)

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Skincare according to...

Since I'm away with a handful of the most beautiful girls in the world (a.k.a my friends from school) I thought I'd have a little rummage through their skincare routines. We've been getting very carried away discussing our favourite products so I took the liberty of photographing their various skincare items...

 Firstly, Crisi's cleanser - it's by Eve Lom (found here, click!). This is definitely a high end cleanser but to look at Crisi's skin and how clear it is it seems to be worth the price tag. The moisturiser is Estee Lauder's Hydrationist Maximum Moisture Creme (found here, click!) and the smaller pot is Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment. This smells amazing and has avocado extracts to soothe the under eye skin and you can find it here (click!)

Just like me, Charlie swears by Dermalogica products as well as their face mapping scheme and the facials they provide. All three of these products can be found here (click!), here (click!) and here (click!) although the Sheer Tint Moisture is not an SPF20 rather than 15 now.


So, no big reviews but just a few little features of different brands. Both girls get on brilliantly with these combinations. They both have incredibly clear skin and although it can't be wholly credited to these products I don't doubt that they have something to do with it!

My 2013 Aeroplane Necessities

As I'm typing this I'm impatiently tapping my feet waiting to leave for the airport hotel later this evening but hopefully as you're reading this I'll have landed back home in the UK after a week in the best place in the whole world : DISNEY WORLD! In order to get to Florida I have to go on a plane which lead me to think of last year's aeroplane favourites which you can read here (click!). However a lot can change in a year so I've updated it with my favourites from the last few months.

So, these are pretty self-explanatory (but a blog post needs a few accompanying words anyway!) ; hairbrush, hair bands and bobby pins are all to keep my hair off my face for the flight. I think I'll be opting for the messy bun because it's the quickest to fix if it needs re-doing. Toothbrush and gum are to make sure I don't have a mouth like Ghandi's flip-flop as my friend Aimee would say. I have a travel sized tube of toothpaste somewhere too! Lipbalm, moisturiser and body lotion are all to keep my skin hydrated. I'll use the body moisturiser on my hands for an intensive treatment rather than to moisturise my legs, I'm not sure how the rest of the cabin would feel if I dropped trou and asked for a leg rub!! Deodorant is pretty obvious.. no-one likes a smelly passenger.

Here are some very blurry individual photos with the details :

Superdrug Soft Touch Hair Grips (I can't find these exact hair grips but there's a similar product here) and Metal Free Hair Bands (and here), Denman D3 Strawberry Shortcake hairbrush (exact here), novelty Hello Kitty nail file.

Dermalogica Active Moist moisturiser (here), Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Intensive Body Moisturiser (here) & Dove Maximum Protection deodorant (here).

The only one I've missed out is the Nivea Lip Butter but there's a full review here (click!) and you can buy it here (click!)

This year I won't be taking any make-up on the plane with me. Sorry Virgin Atlantic, I've got my ugly face on for the next 9 hours!

It's a bit late for me to pack your favourites but tell me what they are in the comments!

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

Another, yes, another Dermalogica product. Ooooh I just love Dermalogica. This time it's the Daily Microfoliant.

I received this quite a few months ago but only recently was I informed how to use it properly. On my previous visit to the Dermalogica counter I was talking about my skin type and this was recommended to me as a daily face wash to help combat oil and get rid of build up.

This is a mini sized product so the full size product bottle looks exactly the same but bigger(...so a bit different really). 

As you can see the bottle top is like a shaker and the product comes out as a powder. The instructions on the website and the bottle say to place the rice-based powder in your hand, mix with water and make a creamy paste and then massage onto your skin, however the Dermalogica rep I spoke to demonstrated something slightly different. Instead of a creamy paste, apparently it's better to create a foamy lather. To do this you have to rub your hands together quickly with the powder and the water and let it create bubbles. It still remains a white-ish colour it's just slightly less dense when there's more air in the mixture

I much prefer using the foamy mixture rather than just a creamy paste. The texture changes slightly and although I can still feel the little grains it does feel less abrasive. With daily usage I think this is better as it prevents over-exfoliating and dry patches. It leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean without any residue left over and usually it feels a little more toned as well. I love following this with my Active Moist moisturiser to regain the elasticity in my skin once it's clean.

It has a slight scent to it which some people may not enjoy, as it's a rice based powder it smells like rice paper that's used for decorating cakes. It's a very natural, earthy kind of smell so if you don't like those kinds of fragrances this might not be ideal for you.

The only downside to this product is the level that seems to go to waste, but that could just be the way I'm making mine. It seems as if every time I mix mine together I'm losing a lot of it because it goes watery or it all drips out from between my fingers. If you know a better way please let me know!

You can pick up a full sized bottle here (click!) for £40.00 /75g. Just like the rest of the Dermalogica range it's not cheap but as I said in my previous posts (click here and here) I really feel like this brand is worth the money if you're trying to treat your skin properly.

Dermalogica Active Moist Moisturiser

I know it was only the other week when I reviewed Dermalogica's Clean Start SPF 15 moisturiser for younger skin but I'm back with another Dermalogica moisturiser! I bought these at the same time as one another which to some might seem stupid but after talking to the lovely lady at my local counter she said that applying the Clean Start moisturiser after washing my face in the evening was a total waste of the product since it contains SPF...and unless I'm sleeping outside in the middle of the day there really is no point. So away I walked with my little baggy full of skincare products ready to try my new babies out.

This moisturiser is aimed at those with excess oil production but as I've mentioned before my skin is not oily, oily but in the winter months I'm greeted with a little more shine than I would like when I look in the mirror! I've been using this moisturiser on days when I'm inside all day and at night after cleansing my face.

It has a soft, gel like formula but it isn't sticky like some gel moisturisers can be. It's very smooth and lightly fragranced (naturally!) with hints of lemon, lavender and cucumber. Cucumber is known for its cooling properties and it really helps calm my skin after a stressful day. Although the moisturiser comes out looking like a translucent white colour it soon goes clear and doesn't leave residue once massaged into the skin. I used this all over my face and lightly around my eyes and haven't experienced any irritation.
It doesn't provide a matte base for make-up but it hasn't interfered with my foundation application or any make-up that's applied after whether it is powder or liquid so I'm really pleased with that.


This moisturiser has an RRP of £43.00 so it's certainly not cheap but I'll 100% be repurchasing it to make sure I always have some in my drawer. I absolutely L O V E how it smells and how hydrated my skin feels afterwards.
If you want to pick up your own tube click here (!) to view the product description on the website or here (!) to view the rest of the extensive skin care range.

Dermalogica Clean Start Welcome Matte Moisturiser

I actually received a sample size of this product in a Glossybox a few months ago and bought the full size last week. At first I was tentative about it because I have quite sensitive skin but I was hooked after the first time I used it! I've never had particularly oily skin but the winter months saw my skin do a total turn around after being in and out of heating and cold ar to and from university. It's less of an issue now but I've been looking into products aimed at varying skin types than those aimed directly at "normal" skin.

This moisturiser contains oil controllers and Salicyic acid, the latter is know to help combat blemishes and is found in many products targeted specifically at clearing the skin. I'm pretty sure this range is aimed at younger, teenage skin but I can't find that clarified anywhere on the Dermalogica clean start webpage (click!) but it has the added benefit of SPF 15 (although as everybody knows all skin should be protected with an SPF, not just teenagers!) which does mean that if you're skipping make-up for a day or spending a day in the sun you can be confident that at least for a while you'll avoid any nasty sunburn!

This product has a creamy formula that's quite thin, it doesn't feel like it's blocking up my pores or clogging my skin with lashings of SPF that is sometimes the case with either products that do contain SPF or the dreaded application of sun cream on sunny days. It also has a relatively nice scent, it reminds me of cola cubes but I could be way off the mark there. It isn't too pungent or offensive to those who might prefer non-fragranced products. It sinks in quickly, doesn't leave a shine or greasy feeling and definitely does it's best at controlling oil on the skin. It doesn't affect any make-up that I apply after either so there isn't a "knock-on effect"from the mattifying properties of this moisturiser.

This moisturiser isn't cheap at £15.35 for 60ml but is currently offered with two free mini products which I also received with my purchase. You can buy it here (click!) but I'm not sure how long the offer stands for so hurry!