Origins Super Spot Remover

I posted recently about some of the things I do in an attempt to prevent breakouts (read that post here) but when I do get a pimple I always reach for my Origins Super Spot Remover. I purchased this around Christmas time and have used it countless times since then. 

I've tried several other spot treatments from a range of price points and I have to say that this one is by far my favourite. I don't know much about the science behind it but it just seems to do what it promises to. Origins claim that it will heal the blemish, calm any redness and help to fade any scarring. 

The product itself is a clear gel which I dab on a blemish as soon as it rears it's ugly head. I apply it several times a day both under and over make up; I apply a thick layer at night before bed. When I first apply the gel I can feel a bit of a tingle but it isn't painful at all and once the gel dries it is no longer visible on the skin. 

I find that it does reduce redness and helps the spot to heal more quickly. I can't comment too much on how the Super Spot Remover helps with scarring because I tend to stop using it once the spot has gone but I will say that the mark left behind usually isn't as dark. 

My only gripe with this product is the packaging. Yes, it looks very cute but it's not particularly practical for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I always end up squeezing out too much product because it's so difficult to control that. Secondly, when I can no longer get any product out of the little bottle, there'll still be lots left. Basically the packaging results in a lot of wasted product which is frustrating considering the price. 

The Origins Super Spot remover is priced at £13.00 and available online (link) and from Origins stores and counters. I think it's worth the money but I wish they'd alter the packaging to cut down on the amount of wasted product. 

Have you tried this products? What's your favourite spot treatment?

Stace xx

June Empties - Products I've Used Up

I want to say 'this month has flown by' but I don't think June has to be honest! I've had so many different things to do this month that the 1st of June seems like a very long time ago. I think I've got a slightly more normal amount of empties this month and didn't manage to get through an awful lot of make up.

Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Wipes 

I bought these because I had a coupon so got them half price. They weren't terrible but I prefer the No7 ones.

No7 Quick Thinking Wipes

I think these are in every empties post! These are definitely my favourite face wipes.

No7 Eye Make Up Remover

This was a decent eye make up remover; it didn't sting or irritate my eyes but it does leave an oily film so if you don't like that, you probably won't like this! I've went back to Boots Botanics for eye make up remover for now but wouldn't rule out buying this again if I had a £5 off voucher.

Clinique Moisture Surge Moisturiser

I love this moisturiser but I refuse to buy the full size because it's £30 or something and I get through it so quickly. It's a very light gel like consistency so it makes a great day cream.

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap

This was the little tube I took on holiday with me so I just finished it up when I got back. I have a full sized bottle of this and it's one of my favourite face washes. 

The Body Shop Vitamin C Facial Cleansing Polish

I picked this up alongside the Vitamin C scrub that I love and it's a nice face wash. I'd definitely consider repurchasing in the future.

Origins Vita-Zing Moisturiser

This was my second tube of Vita-Zing and I do like it but I've found recently that I prefer a moisturiser with a lighter texture during the day so I think if I am going to repurchase it won't be until the winter time. 

Soap & Glory Fab Pore Facial Peel

This is not what I expected - it's basically just a clay face mask. It leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean but sometimes it reacts with my face wash and burns my skin. I think it's a bit too harsh for me.

Aussie Mega Shampoo

I love the smell of this stuff - it smells like raspberry jelly or something! It does start to build up a bit and irritate my scalp though which is annoying considering it's supposed to be a daily use shampoo. I think the Luscious Long version is better.

Johnson's Baby Shampoo

I use this as a brush cleaner and sometimes as a shampoo (if my scalp is feeling a bit sensitive) and it works well as both! I'll always have a bottle of this around.

Aveda Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother

This was just a little sample and it's a nice product but nothing special really. I prefer my Macadamia oil.

Macadamia Natural Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo

I really like this shampoo; this is the little bottle I took on holiday. I probably will repurchase this when I need to replace another product from the range or something.

Boots Expert Dry Shampoo

I like this dry shampoo but recently it seems to have gone up in price quite a bit - I remember when it was 99p. It's not the first one I'd purchase if I had the choice but I will buy it when it's on offer. It doesn't leave any residue in my hair, which I appreciate!

Garnier Intensive 7 Days Soothing Lotion in Calming Honey

I really, really enjoyed using this product. I think Calming Honey is my favourite scent/formula because it doesn't irritate my skin at all. I expect to repurchase.

The Body Shop White Musk Sumptuous Shower Gel & Smooth Satin Body Lotion

I bought these ages ago and have only just used them up. The body lotion isn't particularly moisturising but it's useful for layering and dries quickly. The shower get is just a typical shower gel really. I don't think I'd repurchase unless they were on sale.

The Body Shop Shower Gels in Papaya & Satsuma

I should point out that I didn't use three full bottles of shower gel this month, I took Satsuma on holiday and finished up Papaya at the beginning of the month. I often use shower gels from The Body Shop so I imagine I'll be repurchasing these, especially Satsuma; it smells so fruity!

Clinique High Impact Mascara

This was just a little sample. I used to buy this mascara all the time and it's nice but I've tried better mascaras in the past year/eighteen months.

Dior Addict Lip Polish in 001

The wand on this lip gloss is so weird - it rolls. I didn't like the scent/taste of this so I'll not be repurchasing but the shade is nice and natural and it does smooth out the look of your lips if you struggle with lines. 

Boots Conditioning Nail Polish Remover Pads

This is not technically an 'empty' - I just hate these things too much to use them!

Valentino Valentine EDP

This was a Glossybox sample, I believe. It smells quite nice but I don't think I'll ever buy it for myself.

Essie Fill The Gap Base Coat

I'm so sad that this has become too gloopy to use and I will probably repurchase it at some point but I'm trying something else right now (watch out for my haul post tomorrow!)

So...did you use up a lot of products this month?

Stace xx

Tag: 42 Beauty Questions I

I've spotted this on a few different blogs and it's been a while since I did a tag so I thought I'd do it even though I've technically not been tagged to do it. I'm basically using this as a procrastination tool! Answering questions about yourself is always fun though, right? 

First up, skincare:

1) How many times do you wash your face daily?

Usually once (in the shower). I use a micellar water solution otherwise.

2) What skin type do you have?
I'd say normal/combination. It used to be much oilier and then it was dry; now it's somewhere in between.

3) What is your current facial wash?
Clinique Mild Liquid Facial Soap. For some reason my skin just loves this stuff!

4) Do you exfoliate? 
I do.

5) What brand do you use?
I'm using Soap & Glory's The Greatest Scrub of All right now but I don't love it. The Body Shop's Vitamin C Microdermabrasion is much better.

6) What moisturiser do you use?
Origins Vita-Zing in the morning and Clean & Clear Dual Action at night.

7) Do you have freckles?
Nope.

8) Do you use eye cream?
I've been trying lots of samples but I'm not using one religiously at the moment. Feel free to recommend one!

9) Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
I've never had acne but I do get the occasional spot (usually on my chin).

10) Did you ever have to use Pro-Activ?
Nope - I live in the UK and that always makes me think of Flora Pro-Active...

To be continued!

Stace xx

September Empties: Quick Reviews!

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover - I love this eye make up remover - it's the best I've tried. I realise that the oily feeling this leaves can be annoying for some but I'd rather have that than really irritated eyes. I solve the problem by removing my eye make up first, then my face make up and then sweeping a teeny bit of toner over my eye area to get rid of the oiliness. This is the only eye make up remover I've tried which takes off all my mascara without me having to rub half of my lashes off. I will definitely be repurchasing!


Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask - when I first got this, I loved it and would have given it a rave review. I used it a couple of times a week in the shower after exfoliating my face with the Gentle Exfoliator from the same line. My skin looked brighter and felt amazing. However, I feel that this stopped working as well for me over time. After the first month I found it began making less and less difference and that my skin went back to looking a bit dull and breakouts kept popping up. Also, when I got to the end of the product the texture went very strange. This product has a funny texture anyway but it seemed to separate a bit and wasn't fun to use. I might buy it again in the future but will only use it occasionally rather than every week. 


Liz Earle Gentle Exfoliator - this is a really nice product and I think it did a good job of exfoliating my skin. I'm not entirely sure it's as good as my HG scrub (The Body Shop's Vitamin C Microdermabrasion) and I think it began to become less effective the more I used it, like with the Brightening Mask. I will probably repurchase this in the future but I have another scrub waiting in the wings to get on with right now.


Lush Tea Tree Toner - I don't have the packaging for this as the spray had broken so I'd put it in a different bottle anyway. This is a nice toner; I initially thought it would be a bit harsh for my skin but it was fine. I would sweep it over my t-zone after cleansing and it left that area feeling fresh and oil free. I might repurchase but I'm going to try using a cleanser which needs to be rinsed off so won't need a toner with that.


Superdrug Cleanser for Sensitive Skin - this thing lasted forever! It does a good job of removing make up but I'm not sure how suitable it is for sensitive skin. I normally use it once to remove my make up and again to cleanse my skin in the evenings before bed. I find that quite often after the second time my skin feels a bit stingy. I don't have particularly sensitive skin so I'm not sure how it would feel for someone who did have really sensitive skin. I probably won't be repurchasing this.


Origins VitaZing Moisturiser - never fear, I have a back up! This is my go to daytime moisturiser as I find it helps to even out my skintone before I put on foundation so I don't need to cake on the foundation as much. Sometimes I can just wear this with concealer on spots and under my eyes and a bit of my MAC Natural on top.


Barry M Toffee Lip Gloss - my boyfriend threw this empty in the bin because Teddy (the cat) was playing with it...anyway! I can't believe I've actually used up an entire make up product! I love this lipgloss though and if I'm wearing any sort of nude lip this is always my go to gloss. It does have some shimmer particles which can be annoying but it smells good and isn't sticky at all. I will be repurchasing once I've made my way through a few of my other nude glosses.


Aussie Mega Shampoo - I won't be repurchasing this as it gave me a horribly dry scalp. I do love the smell and it cleans my hair well so I do recommend it if you don't have a sensitive scalp like mine!


Boots Nail Varnish Remover - It's a decent remover and I would repurchase if I was in Boots. I don't really have any issues with polish removers!

Bioderma Ceraline H2O Sample - I really like this! I'd love to track down a full size bottle because it's so easy and quick to use.


No7 Cleanse & Care Eye Makeup Remover - This was an okay eye make up remover. I've already repurchased the Botanics one so won't be picking this up in a full size. It did the job but you do need to use a lot of it.


The Body Shop Body Butter in Blueberry - I have zillions of these! I will always repurchase them. 


NARS Eye Makeup Remover Sample - This is nice, it's very similar to my Botanics remover but it doesn't feel quite as oily. I probably won't purchase the full size though!


Jergens Naturals Firming Body Lotion - This is a nice product and it has lasted me a very long time. The pump means I don't use too much. I will probably be picking up another at some point.


Origins Mega Mushroom Cleanser - I tried this when my skin was feeling very irritated


Random foundation/skincare samples - none of them are anything to write home about!

Soap & Glory Clean, Girls, Clean Shower Gel - I liked this but found I needed a lot of it to lather up well.

Soap & Gory Clean On Me Shower Gel Mini - I much prefer this S&G shower gel! I'm using up all my mini sized products because I never remember to take them when I travel anyway so I might as well use them up.

Origins Perfect World Cleanser Mini - This stung my eyes so much, even when I kept it as far from my eyes as possible so I will not be buying this in a full size.

Origins Modern Friction Scrub Mini - This was also very harsh on my eyes. It was a weird texture and I don't think it worked very well at exfoliating my skin.

Bath & Body Works Pocketbac in All Star Apple - I love this! It smells amazing. I love most pocketbacs and have a nice stock pile of them!

Liz Earle Intense Nourishing Treatment Mask - This smells pretty awful but I could deal with that at the beginning as it was nice and moisturising. However, it seems to be a common problem with Liz Earle products that once you get to the end of a tube, something goes wrong. In this instance, this mask started stinging my skin. It was horrible. I'll not be buying this again either!

Clinique Pore Minimizer Thermal Active Skin Refiner Mini - This isn't really an empty - I just can't get the product out! I got some out eventually and it was way too hard to smooth onto my skin.

Woah! That's a lot of empties - it has been a month of using up what I have already opened. I've also thrown out a few MAC paint pots/liquid liners which were past their use by date or dried up.

What have you used up this month? Do you keep a record?

Stace xx

August Favourites!

Unlike last month, I have been reaching for the same products over and over again in August so I thought I'd share them with you!

Origins VitaZing

I've been using this pretty much every single day. I find that it does even out my skin tone a bit so if I'm not going anywhere, I'll just wear this. I also find I need less foundation when I'm wearing this and that it's a good base because it's not too greasy.

Carmex

I do love my EOS lip balms but I'm using Carmex a lot this month. I think I'm addicted to the tingly feeling!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40

I've been using this a lot, particularly for nights out - I've done a full review on it here.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin in Natural Beige

This is another new foundation and I really like this for daytime (partly because it's a lot cheaper than the Chanel!). It's a touch too light for me just now but will be great come autumn and winter! I will probably review this soon :)

Milani HD Concealer in 03 Medium Honey

I love this! It's so lightweight but still covers well. I blend it in with my MAC 224 and it looks very nice.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Shadow Pencil in Rehab

This is so quick and easy to use. I find it doesn't crease on me even when I just use it alone, which is great! 

MAC Bare Slimshine, MAC Shy Girl & Barry M Toffee Lipgloss

I've pretty much been using one or more of these three every day this month. All of my brightly coloured lipsticks must be feeling neglected!

Do you have any favourite products from the month of August? Tell me about them in the comments!

Stace xx

Review/Overview of My Current Moisturisers - Origins, Clean & Clear and Embryolisse

I have three different moisturisers that I use depending on what my skin is like. My skin is combination and I am prone to breakouts, mostly on my chin (these are 'hormonal' apparently...) and sometimes get pimples in my T-zone area if I use a product that doesn't agree with my skin.


Previously I was using Dior Hydra Life Pro Youth Sorbet and was pleased with it but at £41 for 50ml it was pretty pricey and I did find that my cheeks were still a little dry from time to time.


Now I use a combination of the following...

L-R: Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre, Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser, Origins VitaZing

Product: Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre

Price: £17 for 75ml from cocobeau.co.uk

Description: "Moisturising and nourishing care product for a smooth and elastic, supper and soft skin. Apply to clean, dry skin in the mornins and/or evening. Spread gently and leave to penetrate"

What's Good About It?

This is great for moisturising any dry areas on my face and it doesn't break me out in my T-zone. It claims to be a good base for make up and this is somewhat true but only on the drier parts of my face. I tend to use a different primer on oily areas over the top of this moisturiser. I tend to use this more often at night if I've used the Origins VitaZing in the morning. If I've used the Clean & Clear at night, I'll use the Embryolisse in the morning to put some extra moisture back into my skin. I like that it comes in a tube too, it's much more hygienic.

What's Disappointing?

I'm pretty pleased with this product so I don't have too much to complain about. I guess it is a bit more difficult to track down because you have to purchase it online.

Overall Score/Comment: 9/10 - I will definitely repurchase this and I think for the price, it's definitely worth it.

Product: Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser 


Price: £3.46 for 100ml from Boots (available from most other chemists and supermarkets which stock Clean & Clear - prices will vary)


Description: Clean & Clear® Dual Action Moisturiser combines oil-free moisturisers which won’t clog pores with a proven spot-fighting ingredient to help prevent spots and blemishes.


What's Good About It?
I use if I have spots and only then. I don't use this every day because it would dry out my skin too much and also because I don't want my skin to get used to it as I feel that would make it less effective as a spot treatment. It reduces the redness of any angry looking spots so it does what it says on the tin. I can't say whether or not it prevents blemishes as I only use it when I get spots. It makes my face feel a little tingly and personally, I like that because it makes me feel that it's working. I usually only use this at night unless I have a bad spot in the morning in which case I'll use it then too.


What's Disappointing?
I can't really complain about this product as it does what it claims it will do. I suppose I wouldn't recommend using it all the time as I don't think it's moisturising enough.


Overall Score & Comment: 8/10 - I will always have a tube of this! It's unbeatable for the price and works for me.

Product: VitaZing SPF 15 Energy Boosting Moisturizer

Price: £25 for 50ml from Debenhams and other Origins stockists

Description: "Your skin hasn't a care in the world when stimulating Ginkgo Extract, firming Birch Extract and nourishing Soybean Oil fortify it with everything it needs to face the day in a positive way."

What's Good About It?

It's a nice daily moisturizer and makes a good base for most sorts of foundations (I wouldn't use it along with a really matte foundation as I think my face would look too flat - I'm not a huge fan of a matte finish!). It does seem to even out my skin tone slightly and there have been times when I have good skin that I just put a bit of MAC's MSF Natural on top. 

What's Disappointing?

I bought this because of all the hype and I don't think it's completely lived up to my expectations. Don't buy this to use as a tinted moisturiser as it, in my opinion, doesn't give any coverage. 

Overall Score & Comment: 6/10 - I like this as a moisturiser and like how it evens out my skin tone but I don't think I like it enough to buy it again.

Phew! I hope you found that interesting or at least a little bit useful!

Do you use any of these products? What do you think of them?

Stace xx