Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream

We all know that Charlotte Tilbury makes the most exquisite make up (if you didn’t know that, where have you been?!) but did you know that she also has a fabulous line of Skincare products too?

When browsing her counters in John Lewis or pouring lover her website I can’t help but get side tracked by all the pretty rose gold housed lipsticks and palettes, foundations and bronzers and by the time I’ve added all these lovelies to my shopping basket and checked out, I’m way too broke to consider skincare.

Let me tell you now that if this sounds like you as well, well, we’ve been missing out on actual gem of a product. And yes it is skincare.

I’m talking about the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream.

Packaged absolutely exquisitely (would you expect anything else) Charlotte’s Magic Cream is an Instant Turnaround Moisturiser with SPF 15.

Housed within a chic, clear octagon shaped jar and adorned with the iconic rose gold lid this daily moisturiser is both magic by name and magic by nature.

This cult cream is based on Charlotte’s hand-made ‘backstage’ formula which was originally created to prep models’ complexions prior to their catwalk shows.

Offering and instant hit of hydration this wonder cream instantly transforms your complexion thanks to its impressive skin loving list of ingredients and hey, if its good enough for a top model its good enough for me!

This rich, multi-tasking product contains a hit of Hylauronic acid, sodium hyaluronate and wild pansy extract which helps to attract and seal-in moisture so that your skin not only feels instantly hydrated but feels wonderfully soft and moisturised all day long.

A unique, multi-tasking, anti-ageing BioNymph Peptide Complex helps to turn back the clock and battles against fine lines and wrinkles to encourage beautiful skin from within, all while fighting free radicals.

Extracts of rosehip and camellia oils along with vitamin E help to transform dull complexions while extracts of frangipani, aloe vera, damask rose and vitamin A work to combat inflammation, soothe redness and leave your skin looking luminous.

I’m sure you’ll agree that the cream boasts an impressive list of skin loving ingredients, but does it actually work?

I’m going to have to say yes.

Despite the fact that the cream is rich and thick in texture, it actually worked really well with my oily/combination skin.

Rich doesn’t have to mean ‘heavy’ and this cream is anything but. 

Lightweight and quickly absorbed, your skin really does instantly feel plumper and hydrated without any hint of residual greasiness.

The cream possesses a really delicate, botanical scent which is really pleasant to apply and my skin was left feeling lovely and soft and hydrated throughout the day.

Because of the nature of my skin I don’t tend to use night creams as I find many too heavy but actually with this cream I don’t feel that my skin needs that extra TLC at night.

It is so well looked after and pampered with the Magic Cream that simply a slightly more generous application at night time is all I need to ensure that my skin is nourished overnight.

It says on the gorgeous packaging for the Magic Cream ‘The Magic Dew of Youth and Luminosity In a Jar’ and I’d say that’s a pretty great description of this product!

Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream is a wonderful product that will help your skin to glow with radiance and luminosity and absolutely deserves your attention, so when you’re finding yourself captivated by the gorgeous new lipsticks, head over the skincare section and check this gem out.

You will be forever grateful that you did. 

After all, how can you expect your painting to look incredible if you don’t look after the canvas!

Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream is available now and costs £70.

Aromatherapy Associates Face Oil Collection

What is your skin type? Typically I’d categorise mine as being oily/combination in as much as my T- Zone is almost always oily but I sometimes suffer with dry patches on my cheeks and areas on my forehead.

However, that doesn’t mean that my skin is always oily-combination. Our skin is always changing, be-it due to factors such as stress and hormones or environmental factors such as the weather or pollution and when you skin exhibits these changes it is important to adapt your skincare regime accordingly.

While this may sound like a lot of faff (and probably expense) it is actually really important when trying to look after the overall health of your skin.

Aromatherapy Associates understand your skins changing needs and in response to such have created a fabulous and quite frankly, inspired Face Oil Collection (£53).

This cute as collection features all six of the Aromatherapy Associates Face Oils in handy 3ml discovery sizes.

Each oil features a carefully crafted blend of essential oils to help target 6 different sets of skin needs. 

Containing 100% natural ingredients these potent essential oils easily penetrate the layers of your skin to deliver targeted solutions to your skins complaints.

The Collection includes: 

Anti-Ageing Intensive Skin Treatment Oil

Anti-Ageing Fine Line Face Oil

Hydrating Revitalising Face Oil

Hydrating Nourishing Face Oil

Inner Strength Soothing Face Oil

Mattifying Refining Face Oil

As you can see from the extensive list, you have an oil for every complaint!

The Anti-Ageing Intensive Skin Treatment Oil is great for dry areas of skin and for use directly on scarred skin. It contains Rosehip Oil which works as an inti-inflammatory while wheatgerm oil which is rich in Vitamin E aids skin regeneration.

The darkest in colour of all the oils this super rich treatment is slightly too heavy for my skin but smells incredible and would be perfect for skin in need of some real nourishment.

The Anti-Ageing Fine Line Face Oil is designed to plump and boost your skins appearance thanks to its blend of apple and raspberry seed oils which act as anti-oxidants and help with your skins collagen production. 

Lighter in colour and scent it is a gorgeous oil that leaves my skin looking nourished without feeling heavy.

The Hydrating Revitalising Face Oil has been created simply to make your skin glow. Its blend of Rose and Frankincense help to restore your skins vitality, leaving a healthy, glowing complexion.

This a great all-rounder of a face oil that is perfect for most skin types and smells gorgeous too.

The Hydrating Nourishing Face Oil is super nourishing oil (if you hadn’t gathered that from its name!) Rose and Sandalwood work to smooth dry skin while stimulating your circulation, resulting in healthy, soft and beautiful looking skin.

I love the warm woody scent of this oil!

Next up is the Inner Strength Soothing Face Oil. Perfect to help soothe and calm stressed or irritated skin this oil contains camomile to reduce inflammation and Baobab seed oil to encourage cell regeneration.

This has to be my favourite oil because I often suffer skin flare up’s for no apparent reason and when I do I just want something that is going to calm the irritation. This oil does that perfectly.

He lightest in colour of all 6 oils it also possesses the most delicate aroma, gently calming your skin and helping to soften and soothe irritation without causing any additional damage.

Last but by no means least is the Mattifying Refining Face Oil which has been created to help reduce shine as Ylang Ylang helps to balance your skin and Lavender imparts its anti-septic qualities.

Smelling (as you may expect) of beautiful, delicate, relaxing lavender this is my day to day go-to oil of choice.

It allows my skin to be treated to all the benefits of a rich and opulent face oil, without any oily or greasy repercussions!

The 6 piece collections costs £53 which may sound like a lot BUT you actually get £83 worth of facial oils for that.

On top of that each bottle contains enough oil for an entire weeks worth of use which a pretty decent amount of time to road test each one.

The collection is great in several ways.

 It can be bought and used as travel sizes when you’re jet setting but don’t want to take full sized bottles in your suitcase.

Its fab if you are looking to try a facial oil but aren’t sure which one would be best suited to your skin, so it allows you the opportunity to try several before committing to a full size bottle.

It is also perfect to be used in the way I mentioned at the start of my piece- as a capsule of oils that can be swapped and changed depending your skins individual, daily needs.

The Aromatherapy Associates Face Oil Collection is available now and costs £53.

Frances Prescott Tri-Balm

I love a good cleanse and am always on the hunt for fab new cleansers.

When a press release for the new Tri-Balm by Frances Prescott landed in my inbox I knew I had to try it.

This innovative, chic and unique looking cleanser claims to cleanse, exfoliate AND moisturise in one go, hence the ‘tri’ part of its name.

The luxurious balm is essentially a solid stick cleansing balm which melts onto your skin then emulsifies into a milky cleanser once warm water is introduced.

Inspired by the healing powers of nature the balm is cruelty-free and contains no harmful chemicals, parabens, silicones or synthetics.

It does however contain a host of skin loving ingredients to help gently cleanse, condition and nourish your skin.

The balm contains a cocktail of botanical oils enriched with starflower, NorOmega Gold, beeswax and oats to gently melt away your makeup and impurities to effectively cleanse your skin, leaving it feeling soft and clean without a hint of tightness.

Pumpkin enzymes which are high in AHA’s gently exfoliate the skin to reveal brighter, softer, healthier skin and hyaluronic acid, sweet almond oil and Vitamin E work to deeply nourish, hydrate and plump your skin.

If that wasn’t enough, it also contains collagen stimulating ingredients to help promote a healthy, youthful complexion, calendula to soothe irritation and blackcurrant to neutralise free radicals and help to protect your skin.

It all sounds a bit too good to be true doesn’t it.  A 3-in-1 cleanser that does the job of traditionally three separate products.

You can probably see now why I was so eager to try it!

So firstly can I say that I adore the way this has been packaged and marketed. 

Resembling more of a solid deodorant in design and look than a traditional cleansing balm it is eye-catching, distinctive and screams high end luxury.

The balm itself smells beautiful- light, soft and ever-so slightly citrusy which tantalises and awakens your senses!

In terms of application, you can apply the balm straight to your face from the stick which twists up at the bottom to reveal more of the product when required, or (and perhaps slightly more hygienically) you can use clean, dry fingers to remove an appropriate amount of the balm from the stick and then apply to your face.

Light and non-greasy the balm gets to work straight away to break down any residual make up left on the skin, gently and effectively lifting it from your skin.

Once you have massaged it onto your skin for as long as you see fit, simply splash with warm water to emulsify and watch as the balm is transformed into a gentle, milky cleanser.

I LOVE this balm. It is one of the only cleansers I’ve ever used that leaves my skin feeling like its already been moisturised immediately after use, which is incredible really.

It cleanses so deeply yet so gently it doesn’t strip your skin of its natural oils and leaves it feeling wonderfully soft and smooth.

It is a truly gorgeous product and if (like me) you’re a fan of cleansing balms then know that I’m not exaggerating when I say that you NEED to give Tri-Balm a go.

If you’re not sure that a cleansing balm is for you then I’m gonna stick my neck out and say that this is the product that will change your mind. Truly.

Frances Prescott’s Tri-Balm is available now at Liberty London and on their website where it costs £46.