Review: Vichy | Normaderm Micellar Solution |

Vichy Micellar Solution for Acne Prone Skin // £10.50 // Available from Boots

Over the past year I've been trying out quite a few different micellar waters, some which I really didn't get on with (for example, the L'Oreal version), while others have been quite good. None of them have reached 'Holy Grail' status just yet though - not even Bioderma - but I prefer them 100% more to face wipes to take off the majority of my make up before cleansing properly and as a means to freshen up.

The only product I've tried from Vichy before is a thermal water spray, which I enjoyed during summer, so I decided they would be a good bet as the next version to try. At the time of purchase I didn't realise that they do different versions for varying skin types but as luck would have it I picked up the one for acne prone skin which is probably better suited for me as I have combo/oily skin which is prone to the odd spot or two. It also states that it is suitable for sensitive skin too.

One of the best points about this particular micellar solution is that it contains no parabens or alcohol. I'm not majorly fussy when it comes to ingredients normally, but in regards to my face I'd rather be as kind to it as possible. I also really like that its easy to dispense the product, meaning no waste or spillages and it smells nice and fresh. When tackling face make up and grime (yum) this is pretty good at getting most of it off but pretty weak at taking off eye make up, especially mascara. I've just repurchased a new eye make up remover for that which isn't the end of the world, but ideally to keep costs and my skincare routine down I would have liked it to be able to be good at taking off eye make up as well. Although there is a lack of alcohol in the ingredients, I have also found it a little drying however I think this may be down to the changing seasons too so the jury is out on that point for the moment. 

Overall, this product isn't ground breaking but it is rather nice and actually find it really similar to the one by La Roche Posay. I'm starting to feel like all micellar solutions are pretty similar bar a few bad ones, so if you like these products as part of your skincare routine this is a good one to try out. 

What products do you recommend from Vichy? xxx

My Current Skincare Regime

At the moment I'm trailing some new products to mix in with old staples, trying to find the best routine for me. My skin has been a bit up and down recently - blemish prone, scaring and oily some days and really dehydrated the next, it doesn't really know what its supposed to be doing. I'm putting it down to stress and the weather, but while I'm trying to figure it out I've been switching up my skincare to remedy the problems and also try to make my diet more healthy (essays are healthy eating's worst enemy!)

My morning routine is pretty simple. I start by washing my face with Simple's moisturising face wash, which I've had for a while and am trying to use up, followed by Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner that I got for Christmas. It smells lovely but doesn't match up to my favourite Boot's Botanics and I don't think its done much to balance out my skin so far. A full review will be up soon though once I've trailed it a bit further. Then a nice layer of much hyped up La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo to tackle the blemishes is applied as a day serum/moisturiser, followed by a little Neal's Yard Frankincense Hydrating Cream if my skin is feeling really dehydrated. Finally a blob of Clarin's Eye Contour Gel for dark circles and prep the area for make up applied with my ring finger.

The evenings are a bit more complicated but my favourite time for skincare. The majority of my make up is removed with a micellar water and cotton pads, at the moment I'm using one by La Roche Posay. Then the Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser which came with the matching toner is used to thoroughly cleanse all traces of make up and dirt in conjunction with my new No 7 Cleansing Brush, my first foray into facial brushes. There will be a full review of this at a later date but at the moment my impressions of it are good. After using the aforementioned toner, I mix a few drops of Clarins Lotus Oil in with the Neal's Yard moisturiser for extra hydration. I am in love with this oil and cannot wait to give it a full review! Finally, any blemishes are zapped with Origins Super Spot Remover.

What are your skincare staples? xxx

Review: No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water

No7 Cleansing Water for Normal/Oily Skin // £9 // 200ml

After seeing loads of rave reviews on various cleansing waters, I thought I would ditch the face wipes (which are a beauty sin to use anyway) and try them out. I chose this one to try first as I had a £5 off voucher from Boots so it was only £4 for me. I like the pump action of the bottle, however it really isn't travel friendly as although the pump is meant to lock, if it is tipped slightly I found that the bottle leaks quite a lot.

When I bought it I wasn't aware that you can't use it for eye make up as well so that was a disappointment as well as I don't want to have to add an extra product into my routine. The liquid smells a bit like simple face wipes and was gentle and cooling to apply - it is hypo-allergenic so also suitable for sensitive skin. However, I found that even with barely any make up on I had to use a lot of liquid and cotton pads to take it off and even then this product sort of pushed the product around my face rather than taking it completely off. Luckily, I like to double cleanse, so the use of face wipes and waters for me are to take away the excess of my make up and then I follow up with a thorough cleanse using Liz Earle's cleanse and polish. I wouldn't recommend using this by itself as it didn't take off my make up effectively and after use instead of leaving my face refreshed it felt like it had an oily film over it. I also havn't noticed any difference towards oil production or the tightening of pores either.

Overall this product really disappointed me and wasn't the best start into the world of water cleansers. I wouldn't recommend this product as it had a lot of cons for me and not a lot of pros - the only good thing was the pump action.

Have you tried this product before? What cleansing waters would you suggest? xxx