Skin Care Overhaul - Serums, Masks and Night Cream

I've been using some new skin care products over the last few days and seeing as though it's a dull, rainy Sunday I though it would be the perfect excuse to post a new blog :)


I've been keen to try a serum for a while but they all seem to be mega expensive so imagine my surprise when I picked one up in Sainsbury's for £3.99!!!

 

 

I've not used any Dirty Works products before but the packaging is reminiscent of Benefit and Soap and Glory products!

 

This should have been £7.99 but its currently half price in Sainsbury's, I'm thinking that it must be a brand exclusive to them as I've never seen it anywhere else before.

 

 

 

 

The serum itself is packaged in a 30ml silver squeezy tube (I took this in my overnight bag to a wedding on Friday, due to its small size it's brilliant for travelling!)

 

 





'Skin firming, skin smoothing and skin brightening ingredients are packed into this super serum - what more could you ask for?
This little tube of magic will help to even out surface imperfections and tighten the complexion, leaving skin looking polished and refined. Our unique formulation helps tighten wrinkles and fine lines. Beauty boosters galore, perfection knows no bounds.'


I'm only 24 so I'm not exactly covered in wrinkles but seeing as Winter is fast approaching I thought my skin could do with a well needed boost!

Directions are pretty straight forward too:

'Morning and evening smooth two pumps of the serum onto freshly cleansed face and neck. For best results apply before your daily/nightly moisturiser.'

I've never used a serum before but I was actually surprised at the texture and appearance, as you can see in the image above its a light, white fluid, for some reason, I'd got it into my head that serum's would be clear and thick so I was dubious whether this would be moisturising enough for my skin.


Because the fluid is so light it was super easy to apply and to say how light it is, its really moisturising.

Seeing as though its a tube and not a pump I squeezed two lots of serum onto the back of my hand and applied to my face just before going to bed, the next morning I woke up with the most luxuriously soft skin I've had for ages!

I suffer from combination skin so I was pleased to report that I didn't have an oily break out in the night!

I popped it on again that morning after cleansing my face as normal before applying my trusty Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturiser.

I can't comment on what effect this product has on wrinkles but its made my skin feel gorgeous (I definitely think you need to follow the instructions of applying morning and night to get the best results) and dare I say it, I think it's helped with my t-zone, I don't seem to be waking up quite as oily in the morning.

I also think you get good enough results just using this on its own, I removed my make-up Friday night and just slapped a bit of this on before my head hit the pillow and I still woke up with baby soft skin the following morning!

All in all, I would definitely repurchase this product at full price, but if it's still on offer the next time I go to Sainsbury's I will definitely be stocking up and I would recommend you do too!!

I'm going to be perfectly honest here, I've never used a night cream!!!

I always just assumed it was a scam to get more money out of us consumers so I've always just applied the same moisturiser morning and night.

However, my skin's been pretty dry lightly (I've had a cold as well which probably hasn't helped matters) so I decided to finally take the plunge and buy a night cream!

I headed to my local Boots to see what they had to offer, I looked at Olay and Simple before plumping for Nivea.

Not only was Nivea the cheapest of the 3 at £4.39 but it was also the favoured brand of Marilyn Monroe back in the day, and if it was good enough for Marilyn then it's certainly good enough for me!

I was also swayed by the fact that it was suitable for combination skin!

According to the packaging Nivea Regenerating Night Cream 'Regenerates & moisturisers for fresh feeling skin in the morning. With Vitamin E and Hydra IQ'

I liked the idea of a regenerating cream, I had visions of all sorts of wonders happening to my skin while I was asleep, its well known that Vitamin E is great for skin so I was pleased to see this included, I have absolutely no idea what Hydra IQ is though?!

The night cream is in a gorgeous little navy blue glass pot, being made of glass it is quite heavy so its probably not ideal for taking away (plus it would probably weigh your bag down!)

The lid twists off to reveal the night cream hiding under a silver foil seal.

The night cream smells like a more cucumbery version of Nivea Creme (I don't know if there is actually cucumber in it but it certainly gives off that scent!)

If I'm honest I'm not overly keen on pots of moisturiser, it seems a bit unhygienic sticking your fingers in night after night!

I was surprised at how thick this cream actually is! It does take a while to rub in but it does soak nicely into skin.

I put this on top of the Dirty Works Super Serum about an hour before I went to bed.

After about 10 minuets of applying my skin started to feel a bit greasy, not just my t-zone but all over my face which I was disappointed with to say that it was supposed to be a night cream aimed at combination skin!

I decided to grin and bare it and low and behold I woke up with soft, smooth, non greasy skin the following morning!

For the price you definitely can't complain and apart from the little mishap it does do the trick, I probably will try it again but I think it would be nice to try some other night creams to as I don't really have anything to compare this one to!


Finally, we have Sanctuary's 30 Day Thermal Transformation,

 

 

This was a sample I received in my Latest in Beauty Little Beauty Box.

 

 

I always see Sanctuary products in Boots but its never a range I've bought from before.

 

 

As it's a sample it comes in a little purple book style packaging with two sachets enclosed.

 

 



Sample #1 is a Peptide Transformation Serum and sample #2 is a Thermal Rose Clay Mask.


This two step treatment promises to 'Reveal smoother, glowing, more youthful skin' giving instant results.

For best results you're supposed to use the treatment 2-3 times a week but not on consecutive days.

I'm really glad that this comes with instructions otherwise I would have used it completley the wrong way round!!!

You apply the serum first to cleansed skin and neck and then apply the mask and leave it on for 15 minutes.

The serum was actually quite thick compared to the Diry Works one I've been using but it still absorbed into my skin really well, the serum also has a subtle scent of roses.

I was a little bit worried when I saw the colour of the rose clay mask, but rest assured it blends into skin and you're not left looking pink!

I found the mask a little runny, while applying it did drip off of my fingers and onto my bedroom floor (thank god for laminate flooring!!!) this has also got a stronger rose scent than the serum so if you're not a fan of flowery fragrances you might find this a little overpowering!

The minuet you apply the mask it starts heating up on your skin straight away which I really liked, as the recommended 15 minutes continues it does start to cool down.

This felt really nice on my face but during the last few minuets my neck started itching like mad! Once I'd removed the mask it did stop so I'm not sure what all that was about!

After the first use 'skin looks brighter and tauter, noticeably reducing 'crepey' skin'

 I don't have 'crepey' so I can't comment on its effectiveness but my skin certainly felt smooth and clean!

The full size product is £27.50 which is a bit pricey but for a treat its not so bad, it is billed as an 'Active Reverse Facial' and I suppose if you went to a spa for a facial you would be paying double the amount for a single treatment!


Enjoy the rest of your weekend!


With love,

Kimberley x