Actually Honest - skin care and make up reviews

[Bonnie Bisou]

Hi just been reading through this (came from The SH discussion) & loving the recommendations I've been using tretinoin for a few months after buying it in Spain but wondering where you order yours online from? Can you PM me too please? Thanks so much!

Could I also have details on ordering please

 

[ZLT123]

Love this thread! I used to follow the advice of SH/CH but can't stand either of them now.

I've suffered from acne on and off for years. Last year I had terrible hormonal acne on my jaw line and following Dr Sam's acne advice videos has completely cleared it - I can't believe the drastic difference! I used an avene cleanser and moisturiser morning and night, acnecide in the morning and avene triacneal in the evening. Much more of a simple, cheaper routine than a lot of stuff recommended by SH/CH. I always get the French pharmacy stuff from Escentual when they have a third off. I've since switched to Dr Sam's cleanser and moisturiser as i loved her advice so much and that works great too.

The only thing I think is missing is something to help with blackheads on my nose. It also gets a little oily in the day but nothing too unmanageable. Any product advice?

Moving onto makeup, what does everyone think of tubing mascara? I had never tried it but bought a Clinique one recently and I find it much more effort to remove although I'm sure I've seen people say it is meant to be easier?

Sorry this is so long!!

Do you have dr sams night serum? I’d 100% recommended it and would swap it for her moisturiser as Has the niaciminde and zinc in it already but with added azaelic acid, and retinol too. Use a simple moisturiser instead, like cerave or la Roche posay toleriane!

an exfoliater would help too with oil and blackhead build up... either in acid form or physical. Anything with salicylic acid in it is epic! My fav is ren ready steady glow

 

[Bonnie Bisou]

I will send you a pm with the pharmacy details!
[/QUOTE]
Could I also have details on ordering , please

 

[Gem_woody]

I use la roche posay effaclar duo spf 30 in the mornings. Is this a good enough spf protection for my face?

 

[Meg1912]

I use la roche posay effaclar duo spf 30 in the mornings. Is this a good enough spf protection for my face?

Had I known when I was 18, what I know nowadays, I definitely would've applied spf 50 tbh! I use this one and absolutely swear by it. They also have a tinted version, which I use during colder months when I'm pale. It's like a very lightweight foundation and I love it! They're a bit pricey, but last ages and they're really great!

 

[Gem_woody]

Thanks meg, is it greasy? That's my main issue with spfs, I feel like they break me out. Which is why I use la roche posay--that seems to keep spots under control. I'm 28 so hopefully it's not too late to get my skin care sorted . I only really sunbathe on holiday once a year in which case I use the anthelios spf50 from la roche posay.

In terms of other skincare, I use liz earle c&p (or the aldi lacura one) to remove makeup, pixie glow tonic occasionally, and I don't really have a go-to moisturiser. I've recently started using the la roche posay hyalu b5 serum which is lovely.
For the last 4 years I have a major problem with eczema around my eyes when im stressed (it's so depressing). it gives me lines under my eyes and I swear it made my dark circles worse- my worst feature. I tend to use aveeno as an eye cream when this flares up. But I probably should be using a proper eye cream. Even though i don't flare up as much nowadays, I feel so ugly/tired/old and don't want to look in the mirror anymore. Maybe I need to see a therapist
Oops didn't mean to ramble that much

 

[Frankensooze]

A dermatologist will tell you the following, spf every. Single. Day.
Spots etc, one vitamin e capsule every day, supermarket brand is fine, NOTHING abrasive. Six weeks to see an improvement.
I use the ordinary retinol, it's as good as the expensive retinol from any other brand.
Be aware that if you use a lot of product on your hair, it will get on your face, at night. Counsel of perfection, clean pillowcase every night.
Lecture over.

 

[Skeptic220]

Love this thread! I used to follow the advice of SH/CH but can't stand either of them now.

I've suffered from acne on and off for years. Last year I had terrible hormonal acne on my jaw line and following Dr Sam's acne advice videos has completely cleared it - I can't believe the drastic difference! I used an avene cleanser and moisturiser morning and night, acnecide in the morning and avene triacneal in the evening. Much more of a simple, cheaper routine than a lot of stuff recommended by SH/CH. I always get the French pharmacy stuff from Escentual when they have a third off. I've since switched to Dr Sam's cleanser and moisturiser as i loved her advice so much and that works great too.

The only thing I think is missing is something to help with blackheads on my nose. It also gets a little oily in the day but nothing too unmanageable. Any product advice?

Moving onto makeup, what does everyone think of tubing mascara? I had never tried it but bought a Clinique one recently and I find it much more effort to remove although I'm sure I've seen people say it is meant to be easier?

Sorry this is so long!!

Hi @slugella so similar here! Also had acne on & off for years since I was 14 (29 now) & the only thing that’s sorted me out is Dr Sam’s no nonsense, simple but effective routine. Been following her advice for last 2 years & it saves me so much money no more wasting on expensive & ineffective products. I use her cleanser & sunscreen & avene tolerance emulsion or Cerave PM for my moisturiser. (I have her moisturiser but better for the depths of winter for me!). Currently also use Skinoren (Azelaic acid) in the AM & that sorts out blackheads for me! You can get it through the Boots online skin clinic or from your GP, and tretinoin in the PM that I got in Spain but running out of that now. (Hoping to source some online) I’d suggest giving Azelaic acid a go as your morning active?

Also re tubing mascara I’m curious as the thought of it being easier to get off is appealing but haven’t tried any yet. I hate taking mascara off at the end of the day haha

 

[slugella]

Do you have dr sams night serum? I’d 100% recommended it and would swap it for her moisturiser as Has the niaciminde and zinc in it already but with added azaelic acid, and retinol too. Use a simple moisturiser instead, like cerave or la Roche posay toleriane!

an exfoliater would help too with oil and blackhead build up... either in acid form or physical. Anything with salicylic acid in it is epic! My fav is ren ready steady glow

Oo I do like REN so will give that exfoliator a go! I have been tempted to try her retionol too as her other products are so good. I Think her moisturiser might work better for me in the winter though.

Hi @slugella so similar here! Also had acne on & off for years since I was 14 (29 now) & the only thing that’s sorted me out is Dr Sam’s no nonsense, simple but effective routine. Been following her advice for last 2 years & it saves me so much money no more wasting on expensive & ineffective products. I use her cleanser & sunscreen & avene tolerance emulsion or Cerave PM for my moisturiser. (I have her moisturiser but better for the depths of winter for me!). Currently also use Skinoren (Azelaic acid) in the AM & that sorts out blackheads for me! You can get it through the Boots online skin clinic or from your GP, and tretinoin in the PM that I got in Spain but running out of that now. (Hoping to source some online) I’d suggest giving Azelaic acid a go as your morning active?

Also re tubing mascara I’m curious as the thought of it being easier to get off is appealing but haven’t tried any yet. I hate taking mascara off at the end of the day haha

She is so good, I sound like a major fan girl haha but she actually saved my skin and she's much more professional than CH. I will have a look into azeliac acid

I find normal mascara pretty easy to get off, I just use coconut oil and a flannel. But I got intrigued by tubing mascara as I use eye drops in the day from working on the computer and my mascara always smudges. Whereas tubing mascara it doesn't smudge as easily, is meant to be more long lasting than regular mascara but come off very easily with just warm water. The wear is definitely better I just find it tricky to remove, I end up with flakes all over my face in the morning! So was just curious what others thought

 

[BostonFernGreen]

Love this thread! I used to follow the advice of SH/CH but can't stand either of them now.

I've suffered from acne on and off for years. Last year I had terrible hormonal acne on my jaw line and following Dr Sam's acne advice videos has completely cleared it - I can't believe the drastic difference! I used an avene cleanser and moisturiser morning and night, acnecide in the morning and avene triacneal in the evening. Much more of a simple, cheaper routine than a lot of stuff recommended by SH/CH. I always get the French pharmacy stuff from Escentual when they have a third off. I've since switched to Dr Sam's cleanser and moisturiser as i loved her advice so much and that works great too.

The only thing I think is missing is something to help with blackheads on my nose. It also gets a little oily in the day but nothing too unmanageable. Any product advice?

Moving onto makeup, what does everyone think of tubing mascara? I had never tried it but bought a Clinique one recently and I find it much more effort to remove although I'm sure I've seen people say it is meant to be easier?

Sorry this is so long!!

Have you tried salicylic acid on your nose? The stridex red tub from the USA is really good, you can cut the pads in half to make a tub last longer.

The ordinary do a salicylic acid but I didn’t really like the texture.

Salicylic acid can get down into the pore to eat up the debris (at least that’s my understanding of it!) some people do the acid followed by a clay mask.

 

[Meg1912]

Thanks meg, is it greasy? That's my main issue with spfs, I feel like they break me out. Which is why I use la roche posay--that seems to keep spots under control. I'm 28 so hopefully it's not too late to get my skin care sorted [emoji23]. I only really sunbathe on holiday once a year in which case I use the anthelios spf50 from la roche posay.

In terms of other skincare, I use liz earle c&p (or the aldi lacura one) to remove makeup, pixie glow tonic occasionally, and I don't really have a go-to moisturiser. I've recently started using the la roche posay hyalu b5 serum which is lovely.
For the last 4 years I have a major problem with eczema around my eyes when im stressed (it's so depressing). it gives me lines under my eyes and I swear it made my dark circles worse- my worst feature. I tend to use aveeno as an eye cream when this flares up. But I probably should be using a proper eye cream. Even though i don't flare up as much nowadays, I feel so ugly/tired/old and don't want to look in the mirror anymore. Maybe I need to see a therapist [emoji23]
Oops didn't mean to ramble that much [emoji28]

I personally don't find it greasy at all and it's super lightweight! Here you can read lots of reviews on a similar one with the same texture! https://www.promofarma.com/en/fotoultra-100-isdin-spot-prevent-fusion-fluid-spf50-plus-50ml/p-28424
Oh no, so sorry to hear you feel like that. [emoji852] Have you considered going to a dermatologist? It's pricey, but for me it was totally worth it. I suffered from rosacea for about 4 years, not having a clue of what it was. Then I went to one who diagnosed it straight away, prescribed a gel (1st post of this thread) and after a couple weeks of applying it every night, I hardly ever have it! And bear in mind, I had it every single day! So yeah, totally worth the investment. And that spf was also recommended by her. It's the best spf I've ever tried and all other spf 50s I had tried, left my face completely white and this one doesn't, at all!

 

[Justlooking19]

Has anyone tried the body shop drops of youth liquid peel? If so is it worth the money? X

 

[Meg1912]

Has anyone tried the body shop drops of youth liquid peel? If so is it worth the money? X

Had never heard of this! The reviews are amazing, so I'm totally buying this! Thanks!

https://www.influenster.com/reviews/the-body-shop-drops-of-youthtm-youth-concentrate/reviews

 

[Justlooking19]

Had never heard of this! The reviews are amazing, so I'm totally buying this! Thanks!

https://www.influenster.com/reviews/the-body-shop-drops-of-youthtm-youth-concentrate/reviews

I think I might be getting it now lol

 

[Meg1912]

I think I might be getting it now lol

Haha, yeah! Those reviews are great! [emoji2][emoji2] Maybe by the end of the bottle we'll have the skin of an 18 year old! [emoji1787][emoji1787]

 

[Gem_woody]

I personally don't find it greasy at all and it's super lightweight! Here you can read lots of reviews on a similar one with the same texture! https://www.promofarma.com/en/fotoultra-100-isdin-spot-prevent-fusion-fluid-spf50-plus-50ml/p-28424
Oh no, so sorry to hear you feel like that. [emoji852] Have you considered going to a dermatologist? It's pricey, but for me it was totally worth it. I suffered from rosacea for about 4 years, not having a clue of what it was. Then I went to one who diagnosed it straight away, prescribed a gel (1st post of this thread) and after a couple weeks of applying it every night, I hardly ever have it! And bear in mind, I had it every single day! So yeah, totally worth the investment. And that spf was also recommended by her. It's the best spf I've ever tried and all other spf 50s I had tried, left my face completely white and this one doesn't, at all!

I did see one a few years ago on the NHS but he was so unhelpful.. Wouldn't agree it was stress related and his only advice was to put vaseline on it..
However maybe I should pay to see another one and get their opinion!
I'll definitely check out that spf, thank you

 

[ZLT123]

Have you tried salicylic acid on your nose? The stridex red tub from the USA is really good, you can cut the pads in half to make a tub last longer.

The ordinary do a salicylic acid but I didn’t really like the texture.

Salicylic acid can get down into the pore to eat up the debris (at least that’s my understanding of it!) some people do the acid followed by a clay mask.

All of the ordinarys products have odd textures I think because they’re so basic

 

[NoseyP2019]

Have you tried salicylic acid on your nose? The stridex red tub from the USA is really good, you can cut the pads in half to make a tub last longer.

The ordinary do a salicylic acid but I didn’t really like the texture.

Salicylic acid can get down into the pore to eat up the debris (at least that’s my understanding of it!) some people do the acid followed by a clay mask.

I’ve got blackheads but sensitive skin. Chemical exfoliants often cause me to get broken veins/redness. Any advice on whether stridex would be too strong?

 

[ZLT123]

I’ve got blackheads but sensitive skin. Chemical exfoliants often cause me to get broken veins/redness. Any advice on whether stridex would be too strong?

Haven’t heard of stridex... let me google. Have you tried PHA’s? They’re much gentler than your usual glycolic etc options. I also really like REN ready steady glow as lactic acid isn’t too harsh either

 

[ZLT123]

Hello! Love a good skincare gossip!

So a year ago I got really into skincare products and began following Hirons and dr Sam and a few others.

I spent sooo much money on products and completely overwhelmed my skin I think...! I was prone to breakouts with dry dehydrated skin and suffer with mild rosacea too I discovered so have since gone completely back to basics and my skin looks and feels 100x better. Rosacea can mask a lot of symptoms which is confusing so I’d treat that first as skin isn’t actually dry or dehydrated and spits was because of the redness!! Def stay away from essential oils and foaming cleansers and wear spf!

First started using azaelic acid from garden of wisdom (another really good simple brand like the ordinary/inkey list) but now use la Roche posay rosaelic serum in the AM along with drunk elephant vit c (plan to replace with cheaper when runs out)

Pm serum is Dr sams nightly serum. SO GOOD. Such a decent formula too which you’d expect from a derm. Contains azaelic niacinimide, and retinoid.

Cleansers: drunk elephant slaii balm and physical exfoliant. Doesn’t irritate at all and removes make up soo well. Also use your good skin hot cloth cleanser. Really nourishing too.

Moisturiser: Cera Ve!

Such a simple routine. No mists, no 50376 layers, and skin is 95% behaving except for around time of the month.