Myself and Effaclar Duo have a very close bond. It is one of the only face creams that doesn’t interfere with my makeup and create extra oil throughout the day. I did a blog post last year here about the OG one and about their Unifiant (tinted) version. This post is dedication to the latest release, the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30!
As someone with oily skin, SPF, generally does not do very well on my mush! SPF on it’s own is a no go. It tends to be thick and doesn’t absorb enough into the skin. When it’s within skincare, it can still be like this and I just find myself getting shiny pretty much instantaneously.
Because of this, I have to guiltily admit, sometimes I go without SPF on my face completely, or I use a foundation with some protection in it. I can say hand on heart that the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30 has been a bit of a revelation for me.
It comes in the same 40ml tube as the original and smells the same. It has the same gel like formula but it’s definitely a little thicker in consistency.
But, if you give it a couple of minutes, it does sink into the skin without feeling tacky or leaving a white mask on the skin.
It of course has SPF 30 and protects against UVA and UVB rays. It’s also kind to imperfections too. Now as it’s a moisturiser rather than full on sunscreen, it does mean that it doesn’t protect for as long and we generally apply it in a thinner layer. And it’s not water resistant. So it’s great for general day to day wear. But, if you’re heading to the beach or spending a lot of time directly in the sun, proper sunscreen is still the way to go.
The important part for me though that it doesn’t make my makeup slide off completely. I do get more shiner than I would if I use the original version, but nothing like I would if I was wearing full blown SPF.
Overall, I am a fan of the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30. It’s a great middle ground for me. It means I have some sort of decent protection on my face day to day, while out and about. I don’t feel as exposed.
It’s available now in pharmacies nationwide. The general price is around €19 or so. I found it on Feel Unique online here for the best price.
I already spoke about my current day time routine here. It’s only fair that I throw my night time skin care routine into the mix too 🙂
I am very proud of being someone who removes their makeup every night before sleep. No matter how tired (or typsy) I might be. For me, it’s like brushing your teeth, it just has to be done! I am not really one for makeup wipes. If I am feeling really lazy, I’ll use eye makeup remover and micellar water and call it a day. But for the most part, I like to actually wash my face.
This for me, is my current night time skin care routine. I do change up products every now and then. It’s of course part of what I do. I don’t have majorly sensitive skin either so it usually doesn’t affect my skin too radically.
I do like to extra exfoliate a couple of times each week. I’ll usually use the Waxperts Wonder Pads (which I reviewed ages ago here), or the Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer Pads. These contain AHA’s so I stick to using them at night.
If I have a breakout I use the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, which I have a review of here. It’s a bit gimmicky, but it seems to do the job. And it dries down on the skin, so you don’t get it all over your pillow which is a bonus in my book 🙂
I wear waterproof mascara on the daily, so before I wash my face I usually remove my eye makeup with an oil based cleanser.
I have been using the Botanics All Bright one for literally years. It does a great job at getting even gel liner off without too much rubbing. It doesn’t irritate my eyes and it’s as cheap as chips. You can buy it from Boots here.
For cleansing, at the moment. I have two in my bathroom. The Garnier Pure Active 3 in 1.
This can be used as a face wash, to exfoliate or a mask. I usually use this in the shower. I can wash my face with it and then pop some on as a mask while I go about my business. It is kaolin based so it dries on the skin like a clay mask. It’s been working really well for my oily skin.
If I am just washing my face and not showering I have been using the Yonka Cleansing Gel. This feels really gentle on my skin.
It is also like a spa in a plastic bottle, it smells bloody amazing.
For toner, it’s generally just the La Roche Posay Serozinc which I speak more about here. I always have a bottle of it in my skincare stash.
I use the same eye cream both day and night. My go to one over the past year or so is the La Roche Posay Ultra Toleriane Ultra Eye Contour.
I really like this stuff and it’s not super expensive either. I have a full review of it here.
Because I cannot get too heavy with moisturiser during the day because I am so oily. I usually make up for it in my night time skincare routine.
At the moment I am using (and really enjoying) the Hylamide Low Molecular HA Booster.
It’s basically a serum that contains hyaluronic acid. It helps hydrate without weighing down the skin. It’s an extra step in my routine but my skin is reacting well from it. My skin is feeling a little plumper and more hydrated without my pores being clogged up. You can buy it directly from the Deciem website here.
After that settles in, I apply a light layer of the Image Vital C Hydrating Facial Oil.
It just feels so nice. I pat a dropper amount into my face and neck. Although I am oily, I do have areas of dehydration so I use the serum and the oil in the evening to help with that. The Vital C is formulated for dull, tired skin but also suitable for acne prone skin that is healing. Image skincare is stocked in salons throughout the country including Millie’s here.
The final step in my night time skin care routine then is just lip balm. I usually just use some Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.
https://i0.wp.com/beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Night-Time-Skin-Care-Routine_8139.jpg?fit=1600%2C1067&ssl=110671600Gemhttps://beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Logo.pngGem2017-03-27 19:35:352017-04-03 12:32:54Night Time Skin Care Routine Currently
When is comes to my day time skin care routine. I keep things fairly simple.
I am not a morning person at all, so I usually do my showering and deep clean my face the night before, if I am up and out early in the day. I have oily skin, with places of dehydration. I am prone to breakouts and blessed with lovely (not so lovely) large pores, that like to get blocked. As a result, I don’t like to layer too many products onto my skin. Because of this, my day time skin care routine is pretty simple.
I start out with cleansing my skin. For me, micellar water works well. I know not everyone gets along with them. Right now, I am using the Garnier Pure Active that is for oily skin prone to imperfections.
I just apply some to a cotton pad and swipe all over my skin to refresh everything and get rid of any oil build up. It is available on the Boots website here.
These large oval cotton pads from Penneys are my favourite. They are quite thin, so the product soaks both sides, but they don’t break up or become ‘fluffy’ :). I always just pick these up when I’m on the queue in Penneys. I love that they leave them beside the till 🙂
For eye cream, I have been using the La Roche Posay Toleriane Ultra for probably more than a year now.
Although I have oily skin, I tend to get some dryness under my eyes. This does a brilliant job of keeping the under eye nourished without being to heavy. I have a full review of it here, if you want to know more about it.
I don’t tend to use a toner generally during the day, but if I do it’s usually either the La Roche Posay Serozinc which I have a full review of here.
Or I do love the Pixi Glow Tonic, which again I have spoken about in more detail here. I think I need this is my life again very soon.
For moisturiser, I tend to go with something light weight that won’t disrupt my makeup. I have a couple of holy grail moisturisers that I always recommend to people with more oilier skin. The La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo, I have a full review of it here. Or the Vichy Normaderm Anti Blemish Care which I’ve reviewed in the past here. At the moment I am switching between the Dermalogica Active Moist.
And the Garnier Pure Active Sensitive Anti Blemish Soothing Moisturiser.
I have to say both of them are working really nicely for my skin. They do a good job of hydrating, but sinking in quickly with no residue.
I always use some sort of lip balm in the morning too and let it do it’s thing while I do my makeup. At the minute I have three in my everyday skincare drawer.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. I always have a tube of this on the go. I have a full blogpost on it here.
Then I have a Nivea Lip Butter.
I use this going to bed too. I love the scent 🙂
And then if I want to use a lip balm that doubles up as a lip product to leave the house in, I will reach for the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector.
I just have a mini of 01 here, which has a peachy tint to it. I love how this feels and looks on the lips.
And there you have my current day time skin care routine. I like to think it’s pretty simple, but effective. At the moment, there is no SPF included. I haven’t found one that doesn’t interfere with my makeup as of yet. I usually use a foundation with SPF in it or mix one in with the foundation I’m using.
Have you any skin care products you couldn’t live without?
https://i1.wp.com/beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Day-Time-Skin-Care-Routine_7978.jpg?fit=1600%2C1067&ssl=110671600Gemhttps://beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Logo.pngGem2017-03-15 13:00:242017-03-14 22:06:45Current Day Time Skin Care Routine
I did it! I couldn’t resist ordering a peeling blackhead mask!
I’ve seen so much talk about these online over the last while. Every time I scroll through Facebook or Instagram, someone is peeling one off their faces. Now I am very aware that they may not be good for your skin, or they may damage it. But, I thought I would take one for the team and give it a bash. I’m nice like that 🙂 And let’s be honest, I am a nosey sod and really just wanted to see if it actually did anything by trying it myself.
The peeling blackhead mask I ended up getting was just the cheapest one that popped up when I typed it into eBay. I’ll leave you the link here, so you can see what the seller says about it. Do not take this as enabling, I do not want to be responsible for anything bad happening your skin!!
Obviously, I talk about it more in the video above (or you can click directly to YouTube here to watch), so I won’t bore you with details. But actually, there isn’t many. It doesn’t come with instructions or anything so I pretty much just winged the process.
The video mostly consists of peeling the blackhead mask off, so if you’re squimish, beware!
I managed to get it off in one piece. This is the mask after I pulled it off my skin:
John reckons it looks like something out of 50 Shades of Grey, I reckon it just looks gross 🙂
On a side note after taking the mask off a few hours ago, my skin feels pretty good. I didn’t have any irritation from it personally. I am not really one to have allergic reactions very often. That is definitely something to keep in mind.
I quite enjoyed making this video, so be sure to let me know what you think? And tell me, would you try it?
The Cocoa Brown Ice Goddess Shimmering Dry Body Oil is the third installment in the shimmering body oil family.
The other two offerings which I am sure you are familiar with are Golden Goddess shimmering loveliness. There’s a yellow gold one and a rose gold one to choose from. This is the first one with a more icy glow 🙂
The Cocoa Brown Ice Goddess comes in a trio with the other two. It will hopefully be available in it’s own right this year.
I was lucky enough to receive this from Cocoa Brown as a little festive treat so mine is personalised, which makes it even more special.
It comes in a 30 ml glass bottle and has the same distinctive Tahitian Gardenia fragrance that all of the Cocoa Brown products have.
The Ice Goddess has become my personal favourite out of the three oil choices. It has more of a pearl toned shimmer to it so is more flattering on my paler pink toned skin tone. I need a decent tan to rock the other two.
You just give it a shake to mix the shimmer and oil together and then apply it wherever you want some extra glow. You can even use it on your cheekbones as highlighter. The shimmer also disguises mild imperfections and makes the skin feel nice and hydrated.
As it’s a dry oil it doesn’t feel sticky once it dries down on the skin. And you can choose the amount of glow you get by how much you use and how much you work it into the skin.
The Cocoa Brown Ice Goddess Shimmering Dry Body Oil is available from Penneys around the country as well as selected pharmacies. You can also pick up the collection online from Cloud10beauty here for €14.95. The collection includes 30ml bottles of all three of the oils.
Have you tried any of them? What’s your favourite?
I had made the decision not to do Christmas gift ideas here on Beautynook this year. It hasn’t stopped me for sharing things on social media though. But, when I share product here, I want to be able to stand by it and share because I know I love it. I’m not in a position as the blogger I am that I get sent a whole load of press samples and I don’t have the cash to buy everything I would want to share. Maybe next year 🙂 I did have a bit of Christmas fomo though not going to lie, so I’ve done some research and compiled a list of Kris Kindle treats for the beauty lovers in your life, or yourself. These are not too pricey goodies that I would genuinely be happy to get off someone for Kris Kindle or as a stocking filler.
I am kind of going back on my word I know, don’t judge me. I thought Kris Kindle/ stocking fillers was a good middle ground though. Not too pricey and I can still talk Christmas beauty. So John, if you’re reading, take note 🙂
My first choices are from one of my favourite shopping destinations Spacenk. On a side note, European orders need to be made on the website by the 14th of December in order to make delivery by Christmas.
The Eve Lom Kiss Mix is a really well known and effective lip balm in the beauty world. It hydrates and leaves behind a lovely sheen on the lips too.
For Christmas this year, it comes in a really cute disco ball for £16.
Super cute and super practical. You can get it in store or directly from the website here.
Next up we have the Merry & Bright Christmas Cracker from Oskia.
The Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel is probably one of my favourite facial cleansers….ever! It is pricey though. This cracker is a really good middle ground. You get a pretty packaged gift with a really luxury product inside. The normal 100ml sized bottle is 30 quid, where as you get this 40ml bottle for £18.50. Not cheap, but a little does go a long way with this product. It is listed on the website here.
Emma Hardie who are also knows for their facial cleanser have a really cute Kris kindle appropriate gift set too.
For £25 you get a 50ml or their cult cleansing balm, a cleansing cloth and a 15ml of the Age Support moisturiser. All in a little toiletry bag. You can click here to see it on the Spacenk website.
My next choice is a variation of something I actually got myself for Christmas this year. This is just more stocking filler appropriate. It is the Aromatherapy Associates ‘My Treat’.
They have different ones to suit all budgets and requirements though. This is their Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil, again already in really pretty festive packaging. This will set you back £10 which I don’t think is too bad at all. You can get it on the website here.
My last choice from Spacenk is the Glow On The Go set from Becca.
It contains a mini but still substantial ‘Moonstone’ Shimmering Skin Perfector in pressed and liquid formula. I think any makeup fan would be delighted to open this on Christmas, me included. This is £20 from the website here.
Next up I have a few choices from Irish owned website Cloud10beauty.
The Cocoa Brown Golden Goddess Collection is a great reasonably priced stocking filler.
For €14.95 you get three shimmering dry body oils including their brand new one ‘Ice Goddess’.
Shimmering skin for the party season for whoever is lucky enough to be gifted it. You can pick this up from the Cloud10beauty website here.
The Pixi Glow Tonic is such a great addition to your skin care, so this Best Of Bright Kit, would be a great Kris Kindle for you or a beauty lover in your life :).
For €25.95 you get a 30ml of their glow tonic, 13ml of the Glow Mud Mask and a 13ml or the Glow Mud Cleanser. All full of glycolic loveliness.
My last choice from Cloud10beauty is the Real Techniques Your Picks Berlin.
This is a limited edition brush set containing their best selling brushes voted for by the fans. You get their buffing brush, contour brush, stippling brush, deluxe crease brush and the base shadow brush, I use all of these on a daily basis (except for the stippling brush). So, I thought this was a good addition to my list. It costs €29.95 from the website here.
My last website choice is Boots. You can of course go in store too. Now Boots have a huge amount of gift ideas. I just picked four things to add to my list otherwise this blogpost would go on forever 🙂
The first one is a bit pricey and probably over the average Kris Kindle budget. I thought I would add it in in case you have a little bit more to spend though.
This is the Marc Jacobs Daisy Rollerball Gift Set, We do not have enough roller ball fragrances on sale in Ireland. They are so handy and brilliant if you just want to try a perfume or just don’t want to commit to a full size bottle. This contains 3 10ml rollerballs with three different Daisy fragrances. Original Daisy, Daisy Drea and Daisy Eau so Fres. A bit steeper than the rest at €64 here. But I thought it was lovely so wanted to include it :).
Sleek Makeup are killing it this year with their gift sets. All of them are lovely. I thought the Palette Gift Set was particularly nice though so wanted to share.
This contains their Vintage Romance Palette, two True Colour lipsticks in Liqueur (on the left), Vamp (on the right), blush in Antique Blush and a makeup bag all for €28.99 here.
I thought this Molton Brown hand Cream Gift Set was really lovely.
It’s already gift wrapped and you really cannot go wrong with Molton Brown. This is €30 from the Boots website here.
I had to add in Soap & Glory here somewhere. They just do Christmas so right. There are an abundance of sets to choose from including makeup. I went with the Clean Get Away gift set for €15.
I just thought it was affordable, small and compact, so would fit in a stocking and would be easy to bring into work on Kris Kindle day 🙂 It contains travel minis of their The Righteous Butter, Clean On Me Shower Gel, Calm One, Calm All bubble bath and a mini Hand Food.
And that is my Kris Kindle for beauty lovers done! Well I could go on and on and on, but I have to stop somewhere 🙂
The important part for me though that it doesn’t make my makeup slide off completely. I do get more shiner than I would if I use the original version, but nothing like I would if I was wearing full blown SPF.
