an affordable amazing cleanser?

If, like me, you are someone who spends a considerable amount of money on skincare and it all runs out at the same time, leaving your bank card sighing at the thought of yet another contactless payment being run through the till - sound familiar? 

Yep, well that was my life & I knew something had to give as my penchant for Space NK was definitely wearing thin! 

Being a 26 year old with limited funds, yet a love for high-end products left me wondering where exactly I could've taken myself and then one day I stumbled across a Liz Earle counter, now i've seen Cleanse & Polish many a time before, its a product you've probably heard every female and their mother mention atleast once in your lifetime, and you may have even own a bottle or 2 aswell, but me, nope, i'd never even considered trying it.

I have this thing where, if something is too 'hyped' up I just wont buy it, am I the only person who does this?

But something this time caught my eye, maybe it was the very significantly lower price tag or the huge bright flash of aqua running in columns along its counter, either way I picked up my bottle and headed over to the till with my bank card squealing with a happy face and brought my first ever bottle.

Now fast forward about 5/6 months and I've gone through around 3 bottles or so now & still loving it, however i'd been really wanting to go on a skincare splurge, but my ever relenting anxious stomach told me I couldn't, so off I trailed down to boots to pick up a fresh bottle of c&p, this time I thought, seeing as I fancied a change, to go for the Rose & Lavender and very excited by the prospect of feeling like I was trying a new product even though, really it was exactly the same just with a fancy new scent! 

Anyway, I'm totally digressing from the actual reason why you clicked on this post, are you bored yet? If not heres a snippet on the actual cleanser at hand.. 

For a start, the bottle is absolute genius, you literally pump it straight into your hands which makes it so easy and mess free to use, also no wastage which is a win win imo, the cleanser is then dispersed straight into your fingers and onto dry skin you massage the creamy cleanser all over your face, even on the eye area which is amazing for me, as, even though I luuvvvv my skincare, i'm also incredibly bloody lazy and I need a product that removes everything in one go, none of this extra eye makeup remover thanks, so, yes it works wonders with removing all traces of makeup/dirt in one cleanse, however I always like to go in with a second.

For me the ingredients in this product are just so perfect for what I need in a cleanser, the beeswax & cocoa butter help sooth my dehydrated and dry skin & rosemary oil helps repair, especially if I have a flare up of acne, i'm a picker, and this helps massively reduce the healing time and redness of the actual area - another reason I love it!

When removing the product, I like to use the (warm) muslin cloths that come with the product as they are gently exfoliating and great at removing any last traces of debris from my face without stripping it or making me feel as if I've literally rubbed sandpaper on my face, or 2-3 times a week i'll add in my Clarisonic for extra cleansing and the two work REALLY well together, my skin feels absolutely amazing, just like I've had a thoroughly good facial!

Now i'm aware this is a rather rambly post but I feel like this product really deserves all the praise it can get, I really feel like it has transformed my dull, lifeless face into one that is more healthier and radiant, which makes me one chuffed little pea!

I can safely say that I think Cleanse & Polish will remain a firm staple in my bathroom cabinet for a little while longer, maybe I should delve into trying some more from the brand? 

Do you have any recommendations? Not that I need to add anymore products into my home, but a few more can't help surely? 

Frankie xo

Ren Gycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask..

One word.. HEAVENLY.

Seriously could a mask be any nicer? It literally smells like a cocktail, or a Solero lolly, anyone remember those?
This is down to the gorgeous ingredients, Natural Fruit Acids from Passion Fruit, Lemon, Grape and Pineapple,
Papain from Papaya these exfoliate the outer layer of the skin, encouraging cell turnover and smoothing fine lines, ok so i dont have 'fine lines' as of yet but this product is great for congested skin and as we all know my skin is definitely being given a huge clear out.

The consistency of the mask is light, it looks as if it would be really sticky but when you apply it to your face its actually not atall, infact it just slides on smoothly but stays perfectly, it is described as: A potent bio active peel mask designed to renew the complexion, reduce the appearance of fine lines and dramatically improve skin tone.

This mask definitely lives upto these claims in my opinion, i only just brought this and used it a few times so far and i can say its seriously cleaned my skin up, along with my Clarisonic i feel like my skin is brighter and more radiant already, after the first time using this i can say it really brought any small spots to the surface of the skin but they have faded very quickly using the Clarisonic everyday since.

Again, excuse the no make-up, i swear every post on my blog none of you see me looking 'normal' haha, i seriously need to update my blog with some photos where im not bearing all!

You can see the consistency in these photos, it gives you a lovely looking glow when your wearing the mask, not like those awful clay ones where they dry to your face and make you look awful, not to mention feel like pottery!

I thought this was going to be a peel of mask so i was suprised to see enclosed was a muslin cloth, you actually just leave the mask for 10 minutes and rinse of with the enclosed cloth dampened in warm water, i actually really like this as it doesnt dry on your face, i find it alot friendlier to my skin this way, and using the muslin cloth i know its going to completely remove impurities and any left over mask from my face.

The product does state you might feel a slight tingling when using the mask but personally i didnt feel a thing, other than pleasantness :)

The results from using the mask are:

Removes dead skin cells to renew the complexion.
Skin looks brighter, healthier, more radiant.
Helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Combats congestion, blackheads and blemishes.

Im super pleased i picked this up and i think this could be one of my favourite masks ive ever used, infact, yep it is :)

Have any of you tried REN products or the Gycolactic Mask yourselves, let me know how you got on with them!

Dont forget to enter my MAC lipstick giveaway below, you must be a follower of my blog for your entry to count!

Lots of love, Frankie xxx

Clarisonic Mia 2..

Helloo my lovelies, so as you can tell from this post title i got a beautiful little gift for christmas..

Im literally over the moon that i finally have one, ive been wanting one for years now, every birthday and christmas i ask for one and end up changing it to something else, but i asked for a suprise this year and finally recieved one!
I got the Mia2 deep pore cleansing system, i absolutely love it!

There are literally tons of reviews online about how amazing the Clarisonic is, i know its going to be a huge investment into my skincare regime, and as many of my followers no i am really into my skincare and want to look after myself as much as i possibly can, on the inside of the box it has a mini 'article' i would say of what the Clarisonic does, and how effictively it cleans your skin..

I must say i can definitely say after using this tonight for the first time i can say i do NOT clean my face thoroughly enough by manual cleansing and i have photos to back this up..

I cleaned my face with the deep pore cleanser that comes in the set, by 'cleaned' i applied it to my face and with my hands i manually cleaned what i thought was all the makeup off of my face, i then applied a 20p sized amount to the head and followed the timer on the Clarisonic, it beeps/vibrates when you need to change the area on your face, 20 seconds on your forehead, 20 seconds on the chin/nose and then 10 on each cheek and your done, i washed my cleanser off with a splash of water and then took a look at the brush

It was literally orange and dirty, considering i had 'cleaned' my face already i never expected there to be anywhere near as much residue as there was, it just goes to show you how much we really dont get down into the pores of the skin by manual cleansing!

The brush head after i washed the residue off, see how much cleaner it is!

I then swept off any remaining mascara left on with my Clarins Eye Makeup Remover and then applied my usual Origins - GinZing moisturizer, which applied like a dream, it sunk straight into my skin and plumped it back up, as the Clarisonic did leave it feeling a little tight where i had properly deep cleaned.

I have to say im absolutely blown away by this product, or should we say beauty tool, i firmly believe this will be a staple in my routine, i have heard that you can go through a 'purging' phase with the Clarisonic (basically where all the acne comes to the surface of the skin where it has lay dormant underneath it for so long) but i am happy to go through that if i can see there's is going to be real benefits from using it!

Im so pleased and will update you all every week of before and after photos of over the next month, on how i'm getting on with it, and if its worth you going out and buying one yourself.

Do any of you own a Clarisonic? i'd love to hear your thoughts, and if its worked for you or not?

Speak soon, Frankie xXx