Review: REN ClearCalm 3 Anti-Blemish Cleanser

I bought this REN Cleanser a few weeks ago, as my skin was feeling a little temperamental and was breaking out left, right and centre. This cleanser is marketed by REN as a "purifying, antibacterial cleanser formulated to combat and help prevent breakouts and blemishes" (From RENSkincare.com) - which sounded like something my skin needed. I have been using this cleanser for the past few weeks and I thought I would share my thoughts on it.

The cleanser is a clay based cleanser, which is surprisingly creamy. I usually use one pump and massage it all over my face after I have cleansed with the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm. It spreads around the face nicely and is easy to massage. The product has no fragrances, which I like as I don't like using perfumed products on my face. After washing it off, my skin doesn't feel dried out or tight. It leaves my skin feeling refreshed and clean. With daily use, this has definitely helped clear up my breakout and helped to balance out my skin, which I am so happy about. This cleanser costs £18 for 150ml, which I think is reasonable as you get a large amount of product. I bought mine from Salon Skincare, as they were selling it for 10% off (making it £16.20).

I really like REN, as their skincare is 'clean' and does not contain things like parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance and colours, etc. I don't know that much about deciphering ingredients, but you often hear that you should avoid products with parabens, mineral oil, etc, and my theory is the less, the better. I am definitely going to look into more of their products and I even came across a REN Skincare Masterclass, which is at Liberty tomorrow and managed to get booked onto a session, which I am super excited about.

Have you tried any products from REN?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

NOTD: Pistachio Ice Cream

3 coats of Makeup Academy Nail Polish in 'Pistachio Ice Cream'

Hello everyone, how are you all? It's been a while!

I picked up this Makeup Academy nail polish from Superdrug for the bargain price of £1. I was drawn in by the new packaging, which has a similar resemblance to Essie packaging and I loved the look of the pretty minty green colour, which is one of my favourite colours to wear on my nails during the Spring and Summer.

The colour looks slightly more green in the bottle, but the nail polish is a really pretty pastel mint. The colour is very similar to American Apparel's Office, which is one of my favourite mint nail polishes. The formula of this nail polish was quite thin and runny. It applied very streakily on the first coat and became generally opaque with a few sparse patches on the second coat. I found applying three coats gave perfect opacity. The brush is very small and thin, which is not my favourite type of brush as I prefer the wider brushes which are easier to use. I found that each coat dried quickly and the polish has lasted well on my nails (even without a top coat). I've had it on for 3 days now and I only have a little tipwear.

Have you tried any nail polishes by Makeup Academy?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Review: Indeed Labs Hydraluron and Pepta-Bright

I bought these products from Indeed Labs after they were given a thumbs up by Caroline Hirons, which basically meant that they were automatically added to my mental shopping list. I really like the fuss-free packaging and the tubes, as it's convenient and hygienic to use.

Hydraluron (£24.99)
After reading Caroline's cheat sheet about dry/dehydrated skin, I was convinced that my skin was dehydrated, as my 'symptoms' seemed to fit into the dehydrated category. So I thought: 'Brilliant, Hydraluron will be a much needed moisture boost for my dehydrated skin'. The texture is a gel, which sinks into the skin quickly and doesn't have a scent. Hydraluron has been raved about by a lot of people, but I was disappointed when I used this as I don't feel like it made any difference to my skin. I used it daily in the morning for about 4 weeks, but I haven't been using it for the past week or so and don't see any difference between when I use it and when I don't.

Pepta-Bright (£29.99)
My opinion of Pepta-Bright is the opposite of Hydraluron. I absolutely love this product and it definitely works. Pepta-Bright has a cream like texture and sinks into the skin quickly. I didn't find this broke me out at all. I've noticed that my post acne dark marks are not hanging around as long as they usually would and my skin tone is looking a lot more even overall.

Have you ever tried products by Indeed Labs?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

N.B. Please remember skincare is subjective. Something that may work for me, might not work for you and vice versa.

Review: Nioxin System Kit 2

My hair has never been thick, but it had recently been feeling really thin and damaged. I also felt that I could have made a wig using the hair that fell out when brushing or washing my hair! I have tried to combat this before by doing the '4 Week No Heat' Challenge and using products, such as the Lush New Shampoo Bar, but this time I decided to try the Nioxin System Kit 2, which is designed for fine, natural hair which is noticeably thinning. I'd read good reviews about this and it claims that '70% of users notice thicker, denser looking hair in 4 weeks'. I have been using this Nioxin Kit for over 1 month now and thought I would give you a run down of my thoughts on it.

The kit comes with a 150ml Cleanser, 150ml Scalp Revitaliser and 40ml Scalp and Hair Treatment - aka a shampoo, conditioner and leave in treatment. I felt that for the price of the system (Around £25), you don't get a lot of product, however the shampoo and conditioner have lasted for a month and half so far (I wash my hair with these products 2-3x a week) and I feel like there's still about half left in the bottle. I think the leave in treatment will last me ages, as I don't use much each time and I will continue to use it even once the shampoo and conditioner are finished.

The Cleanser is a green, gel like texture which kind of reminds me of a gel facial cleanser and the Revitaliser is a typical, white conditioner consistency. They both have a subtle minty smell, which isn't my favourite, but isn't too overpowering. The Cleanser lathers well and my hair felt clean, but not stripped and the Revitaliser gives the hair a nice amount of slip once applied. The Scalp and Hair Treatment is a foam-like texture, which you apply all over the scalp. I was a bit sceptical of putting it near my roots as I was worried it would make my hair greasy or feel like there was product build up, but it didn't. I was unsure how many pumps to use each time, so I generally stick to 2-3 and hope for the best. The instructions say that it "may cause temporary redness and a warming sensation following application", which scared me a little when I read it, but I have never experienced this.

During the use of this kit, I have also stopped using heat on my hair. I still blow dry my fringe, but I don't use my straighteners or curlers unless I'm going out. After using this system, my hair feels quite dry and I feel like I don't need to wash my hair as often. Every now and again, instead of using this every time I wash my hair, I have been using it twice a week and using another shampoo and deep conditioner the other time.

The Nioxin System claims to "deliver 5 effects for thicker looking hair":
1. Reduces hair fall due to breakage - I have definitely noticed that I have less hair around the shower drain after washing my hair.
2. Delivers denser-looking hair - I feel like my hair retains its natural bounce a little more and looks more voluminous. Due to less styling of my hair, I have found that my hair doesn't look as flat either.
3. Amplifies hair texture - I think that by making my hair feel drier, it has given my hair some texture. My hair no longer has that silky, slippy, first day hair feeling and instead retains my natural wave quite well.
4. Helps strengthen hair resilience against cuticle damage - In combination with using less heat on my hair, I have noticed that I have less split ends.
5. Cleanses excessive sebum from scalp - This has definitely happened, as I feel like my hair is quite dry and I feel like I need to wash my hair less often. I usually try to combat this by using a hair oil through the ends to try to help my hair retain some moisture.

I am happy that I have been using this kit. My hair will never be thick, but I have seen some great results. I am sceptical about what will happen once I finish these products and if I don't continue using them, as a lot of hair thinning products require constant use and results stop after stopping use. I will do an update a few weeks after I finish the products if there is anything to note. I can't see myself using this as my only shampoo and conditioner combination as I like to chop and change the products I use, but I would definitely repurchase the products. The kit is a great way to try these products to see if they're for you and I think you can buy each of the products individually in bigger quantities, which is also useful. If you're into SLS free and natural products, then this range will not be for you as you can see the ingredients list, above, is fairly extensive.

Have any of you tried this Nioxin System Kit?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy