Scalp Eczema

Well now here is an attractive topic to chat about...

I have suffered with eczema pretty much my whole life.  It comes and goes, flares and calms, and recently I’ve been having a real problem with eczema on my scalp.  I have had it before, but it has always been for short periods of time and has cleared up on its own, however this time I just haven’t been able to get a grip on it.

The eczema was at its worst on my hairline and continued about 3cm back from the hairline into my hair.  It then avoided my double crown and reappeared in a band around the back of my head.  I had a particularly bad patch at the back where my hairline joins my neck which was like a large, raised, crusty welt.  It was extremely flaky with small, white, dry flakes, very itchy and very noticeable.  It regularly would bleed when I scratched it.  I've input photos at the bottom of this post (at the bottom, so you can avoid them if you want)

I decided a while ago that I was going to do a blog post on my trials and (many) errors in trying to find out how to get rid of it, because I relied so heavily on other people’s recommendations online when I was doing my own research.  I find eczema is an incredibly individual experience, and what works for some doesn’t always work for others, but everyone putting their experiences out there certainly does help when you’re desperately seeking products that might help.

My story isn’t a great one.  I didn’t find a wonder product that got rid of my dry scalp, and although I’ve got it under some semblance of control, I don’t feel I’ve got rid of it completely. 

What I can offer, is quite a long list of products that didn’t help.  Not particularly positive, but it may save you a bit of the money it has cost me to reach this point!

First of all, I tried dry scalp shampoos.  These included:-

·         Wella System Professional Balance Shampoo

·         Aveeno Skin Relief Soothing Shampoo

·         E45 Dry Scalp Shampoo

·         Philip Kingsley Flaky Itchy Scalp Shampoo

·         Garnier Ultimate Blends Oat Milk Shampoo

·         Neutrogena T-Gel Shampoo (the original one)

·         L’Oreal Elvive Clay Shampoo

To cut a long story short, none of these worked for me.  The Wella System Professional shampoo was the product my hairdresser used on me in the salon and it kept my dry flakes away for a few days but I never recreated the success when I used it myself at home.  It is a lovely shampoo but it just didn't do what it said it would.

The Neutrogena shampoo did seem to work the first couple of times I used it, and it left my hair really clean.  But the 3^rd time it started to burn my scalp and made it really sore (I possibly left it on too long – about 6 minutes?) and I found the scent really unpleasant (like a car garage) so quickly gave up on it when it wasn’t giving me results.

I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the E45 and Aveeno shampoos felt, and how clean and soft they made my hair.  The Aveeno shampoo was probably the most effective of them all, but my scalp still dried out within 24 hours.

Scalp Treatments

I then tried scalp treatments:-

·         Salon Science Hydrafoliant Scalp Scrub (£12.00)

·         Wella System Professional Balance Scalp Mask (£30.00)

·         Phillip Kingsley Scalp Toner (£17.40 for 250ml)

·         Eucerin DermoCapillaire Calming Urea Scalp Treatment (£8.00)

 

The Salon Science one was useless.  The consistency of it was really bizarre and it was really difficult to apply and “scrub” into the scalp. 

The Wella Balance Scalp Mask is very pricey and quite awkward to apply as you have to apply it after shampoo, leave it for 5 minutes and then rinse it off and condition.  Having to get out of a warm shower mid-way to towel off, apply a mask section by section, hang around for 5 minutes then hop back in, is just a bit faffy.  Especially as I didn’t find it hydrated my scalp much.

The Phillip Kingsley Scalp Toner was my most used.  It didn’t get rid of my dry scalp but it would temporarily soothe it.  When my flakes got particularly bad, I used to apply it and it would hydrate the skin for several hours without making my hair greasy or sticky.  It was a good temporary fix but it takes a while to apply, it is fiddly and my god it dribbled into my eye SO many times. 

The Eucerin product was by far my most successful.  Again, it didn’t make my hair greasy or sticky and it really hydrated my dry skin.  It also wasn’t as runny or difficult to apply as the PK one.  I’m still using this one after I’ve washed my hair to keep my scalp hydrated and if I start to get a bit itchy and dry in between hair washes. (see update below)

Going Sulphate-Free

I then decided to go sulphate-free.  So I cut out Sodium Lauryl Sulfate from my shampoo.  I was SHOCKED at how many shampoos designed for dry scalps contained SLS.  As an ingredient which is known to dry skin out, it seemed so counter-productive.  ALL of the above dry scalp shampoos I have listed contained a form of SLS (except the Neutrogena one). 

The SLS free shampoos I tried were....

·         OGX (Organix) Lavender Luminescent Platinum shampoo (all OGX shampoos are SLS free) – (a lovely shampoo, cleans my hair, didn’t feel stripping and I felt it did genuinely brighten my blonde)
·         Yes to Carrots Nourishing Shampoo (not much to write home about, just a standard shampoo.)
·         Pureology Hydrate shampoo (a lovely hydrating shampoo that lathers well and felt lovely on the hair)
·         Pureology Clean Volume shampoo (this shampoo is crazy, it cleans your hair until it is mega squeaky.  Quite a nice feeling but I wouldn’t recommend it as a regular use shampoo)
·         Shea Moisture Superfruit Complex 10 in 1 Multi Benefit shampoo – (quite a moisturising shampoo.  It didn’t make my hair feel particularly light and clean but I’ll use it up, probably by pairing it with a more clarifying one)
·         OI shampoo – (this was a sample I received and I really didn’t enjoy it.  It is a pricey shampoo and yet my hair became greasy quicker than normal and felt very heavy)

For info, both the Pureology and Organix ranges are all sulphate free.

 

Going SLS free didn’t solve my dry scalp on its own but I am persisting with them as I think they may help stop the dryness coming back.  The Pureology range is really nice and often on offer, and does everything I  need a shampoo to do without the sulphates.

So what did work?

If this was me reading this post, I’d so have scrolled right down to this point...

In the end, what worked was my prescription steroid ointment.  I am prescribed Betnovate Betamethasone, which is a topical corticosteroid. It comes in the consistency of Vaseline as it is the ointment version.

 

My scalp got so bad my entire hairline was covered in flakes, the skin was white and dry, and it was so itchy and uncomfortable.  So in a bratty little moment of desperation, I sat and chipped away at all the flakes with an old eyeliner brush and then just whacked a load of betnovate on.  When I say whacked, I mean I sat with a sectioning comb and literally sectioned off my hair centimetre by centimetre, got a bit of cream on my finger and pressed it into the scalp.  I had to really pull the hair down either side of the parting to try and get as much skin to show as possible, and I pressed it down onto the skin to try and make it absorb better.  My hair after this was G-R-E-A-S-Y. but I just tied it up in a ponytail and took the hit.  The next night I put some more on and put it up in a ponytail again.  By this point, I’d made the flakes super greasy so they were stuck to my hair and it was just one flaky, greasy mess.  It looked terrible.  But when I then washed it (in a sulphate-free shampoo) the flakes came out and my scalp stayed clear.  So far I’ve managed to keep it that way just by using the Eucerin scalp tonic, but if it flares again then I’ll probably just reapply the Betnovate again.  It’s not pretty I’m afraid, but it was genuinely the only thing that worked.

**UPDATE: A few weeks after writing this post, and my scalp eczema was pretty much back to where it was before.  As much as I said I would go back to using the Betnovate again, it just wasn't practical to keep using it as it was so greasy and made such a mess.  I've been using the Eucerin Urea Scalp Treatment and it has been the product that has gone the distance.  I apply it every time I wash my hair, and sometimes in between if my head gets dry.  It hasn't cleared it up to the point that I don't have to treat it any more, but for now it works enough to keep it at bay.  So the routine I am using now is......(1) SLS free shampoo - (2) As quickly in the shower as possible to minimise water exposure - (3) Apply Eucerin treatment by sectioning my wet hair in 1 inch sections and applying direct to my scalp - (4) dry my hair on a low heat.  The "After" photo below is after doing this routine....

A couple of other points of note...

·         I am aware that hot showers make eczema worse, but it is winter and I just am too much of a wimp to endure a lukewarm shower, so I never tried this technique of keeping my eczema at bay
·         I live in an area with hard water, which is known to irritate eczema.  I did try washing my hair at my parents’ house as they have a water softener but it didn’t seem to help.  I think this is because the scalp eczema was already pretty bad and the soft water alone wasn’t enough to get rid of it.  I’d imagine soft water is more prevention than cure.
·         The areas I can’t reach on my head are still sore and I haven’t quite decided how I am going to sort that yet.....
·         I have tried “the eczema diet” and it didn’t help my eczema so I believe mine is more environmentally triggered
·         I am a persistent and dedicated dry shampoo wearer, which I am convinced dries my scalp out.  But as I am also an only-every-4-days hair washer, I just cannot shake the habit.
·         My head is really itchy writing this post.  So some of it is probably in my head too (no pun intended)

Photographs of my scalp eczema before and after.

 *Spoiler alert* - these 2 photos are the "before"

 

.....and the after, following use of the Eucerin scalp tonic

Deciem Ordinary

Skincare has always been an area of the beauty arena that I struggle with.  I’ve suffered with eczema all my life and my skin can be quite reactive when it chooses to be.  I’m also quite disillusioned with it. I’ve tried a fair few products and over time I’ve realised you have to take the claims of skincare with a pinch of salt.  Well, not so much a pinch, more a flipping vat in some cases.

Two key things I’ve learnt are:-

1. My pores ain’t going nowhere.  I have enlarged, noticeable pores over my cheeks, RIGHT where they recommend you put your pretty little “pop” of blusher.   These delightful little holes mean I never achieve that truly flawless look as there is always a noticeable texture to my skin.  It is a gathering place for cakey makeup, and anything with a bit of shimmer just sits terribly.  As my skin is also dry, I tend to find my cheeks are completely unforgiving with a lot of foundations (especially thicker, high coverage formulas), often resulting in a cakey /cracked / craters of the moon style situation.  
2.  I am never going to have THAT skin.  You know the type I mean.  The fresh, clear, smooth skin that some girls are just blessed with.  The ones who tell you that drinking water and eating avocadoes is their secret and it’s not, they lie, it’s genes. My skin is dry, it’s rough, it’s bumpy, and when I put foundation on it tends to crack, it separates, it settles.  I’ve never had a fresh flawless face and I’ve resigned myself to the fact that it won’t ever happen.

So. This skincare post comes with a disclaimer.  None of these products gave me THAT skin.  There are no holy grail, visage transforming, wonder products listed below.  They are just products that kept my skin clear of spots, clear of reaction, clear of flakiness / dry patches and let my makeup apply decently.  They just made my skin good. 

Deciem Ordinary
A quick 4-1-1 on Deciem "The Ordinary".  Deciem have become big news in the skincare industry recently, dropping iconic products like Nanoblur, Hydraluron, Hand Chemistry...
I use Hydraluron and Hylamide serum/eye cream and I’m a massive fan of them.  However the products are P-RICEY.  So the guy who owns the brand released “The Ordinary”; a range of products which use key ingredients and nothing else.  No fillers, no fancy butters and herbs, just the key ingredient that is supposed to “work” for a certain skin complaint.  And they are so affordable.  Which in the skincare industry is a niche that needed filling in my opinion.

The products I have tried are:

Hyaluronic Acid 2% +B5
100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed oil
Buffet
Advanced Retinoid 2%
Natural Moisturising Factors HA

The names are so random to anyone who doesn't carry a PhD in Chemistry - so much so I had to keep checking the bottles to get the right title for this post.  It all adds to the legitimacy of the products but it does also make it a bit of a nightmare in navigation. 

Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

I’ve read a lot of reviews on this product, comparing it to serums that are hyaluronic acid based.  I’ve historically used both Hydraluron and Vichy’s hydrating serum, and I don’t agree with a lot of the grievances that you can feel the “cheapness” of the Ordinary product.  In my opinion it is the same clear, slightly gloopy liquid that all of the others are.  It does have a bit more stickiness to it, but seeing as I’m after moisture for my skin, I actually enjoy its texture.  I also feel a little goes a lot longer way.  I used to squeeze a small amount of Hydraluron out and I felt like it didn’t spread brilliantly.  In comparison, I feel the Ordinary product has more slip and slide to it.  I put a similar “bulb” of product on my fingers and I feel it covers my face much better.  I don’t feel like my forehead is missing out on the party like I do with Hydraluron.  It’s definitely a “wetter” product but I like that.

 
100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed oil 

This has been my favourite of the products I’ve tried.  Previous to this, I used the Pai Rosehip oil.  I liked it but I found it to be very thick (and very orange).  Similar to my experience with Hydraluron, I felt the first place I rubbed the Pai oil got a lot more of it than the last place I rubbed it.  The Ordinary one in comparison feels lighter and runnier.  It’s a much more comfortable oil.  When I dropper it onto my fingers it is a bit of a race against time to get it on my face before it dribbles all over the place, but once I’m rubbing it onto my face, I find it spreads around much easier.  I also quite like putting a bit on my beauty blender and patting it over my foundation if it’s particularly thick or drying.  I tried that with the Pai product, but it didn’t sink in quite as well. 

Buffet

I’ll be honest, I bought this because on the Deciem website it recommends it in the routine for dry and dehydrated skin.  What it does….I’m not quite sure about.  I put it on after cleansing and toning (and retinol) and before serums and moisturiser.  It has a similar consistency to the hyaluronic acid but slightly lighter and less sticky.  It glides on beautifully, and whilst I don’t understand why I’m using it, I do enjoy using it.  The regime of Buffet, Hyaluronic Acid, then Rosehip oil leaves my skin feeling so plump and comfortable.  Caroline Hirons raves about May Lindstrom’s The Youth Dew (which, FYI, is so expensive it will make your bank balance pack up and go on the run)  and in her “Do you Need It” section, she recommends using Deciem’s Buffet and Rosehip oil as an affordable alternative.  The Youth Dew is a hydrating serum so I guess it falls into that general category.  But either way, I like it on my face!

Advanced Retinoid 2%

I am early on in my journey into retinol.  Hitting 30 last year brought with it a minor panic regarding wrinkles, cellulite, failing to hit life goals and whether my boobs were getting saggy.  As a result I started looking into anti aging skincare (and wearing sports bras to bed) and amongst the sea of brutally honest dermatologists telling me my skin was on its way down (literally, drooping off my face), retinol appeared to emerge as a product to be getting involved in.  But people talk about burning.  And peeling.  And redness.  And I'm thinking geez man, I've spent the last 30 years trying to stop my damn skin peeling off and now I'm going to buy something that makes it happen, and it is going to cost me a bomb!?  Fabulous.
So I forayed into retinol on tip toes, eyes closed, and scared.  I first bought La Roche Posay's Redermic R.  My face didn't burn, or peel, or go red although I did get a tad lazy at rubbing it in one night and woke up with a legitimate sunburn type patch on my cheek - but that was user error than product.  The Ordinary retinol product, in comparison, sounded way more harsh than the LRP, and I was scared to use it.  The consistency is a milky type liquid and I dribble out about a 1cm line of product on my finger, and I can honestly say I do enjoy this product a lot!  It has never burnt my skin or made it sore, and I do feel it has possibly smoothed it out a bit.  The results aren't drastic, hell despite my whining at the start of this world's longest paragraph, I don't really have many wrinkles so there isn't much to go off results wise.  However I am hoping I'm starting a bit of an insurance policy on my skin and helping it for the future.  I think I'll have to up the ante in the future but for now I find this product to be a really useable, gentle, effective introduction to the world of retinol.  It's 2% as well, which is reasonably high for retinol concentration (I think...don't quote me on that)

 Natural Moisturising Factors HA

This is a basic moisturiser.  There is really not an abundance to say about it as it is one bland little product.  But my my, how in love I am with this.  Prior to using this,I had been a devoted user of The Body Shop's hemp face protector.  I bought it in bulk, and I had been loyal to it for years.  But recently they sold out, and the girl in the store wasn't sure they'd be restocking.  I was pumping her for information a bit like some crazed coffee addict who had just been told all the coffee beans in the world had died - she seemed a bit scared.  She mumbled something about have I tried their Vitamin E range (which, FYI, I have and I reacted to) and I left before I embarrassed myself (further).  This story has a happy ending as the product came back into stock but it did make me think I'd better start the hunt for an alternative!  This moisturiser by Deciem doesn't claim to be anything more than just a moisturiser.  But if you're using all their acids and lactics and vitamin C and stuff then really all you need is "just a moisturiser."
It has a lovely consistency where it isn't greasy or too thick but has just enough substance to it to still feel delightful on a tight, dry face.  It smells vaguely like eczema cream, but that's fine with me (I don't think it is unpleasant, just a tad chemical rather than perfumed) and I just love to apply it.  I feel it spreads easily, it sinks in nicely without disappearing too much; makeup applies well over it.  It feels soothing and calming and blankets the skin without feeling like it sits on the skin.  It is basic but that is its beauty in my opinion.  Having had to spend way more on fragrance free, gentle, eczema friendly creams over the years, it's nice to have a budget alternative.  It has got the vibe of a sensitive skin cream but doesn't come with the overinflated sensitive skin price tag.

Caroline made me do it....

When you read the title of this post, you probably did one of three things.  You either chuckled knowingly to yourself, you rolled your eyes... or you went "Caroline who?"

If you were in the latter category then let me enlighten you.  Caroline Hirons is a skincare specialist, and is my latest obsession.  Literally, I am obsessed with a capital "O".  That woman could tell me to rub Crunchy Nut Cornflakes on my face and I'd do it.  You can check out her website here, but it should come with a health warning for your bank balance, because you will end up making purchases, I guarantee!

I think the root of my obsession stems from the fact Caroline is a very different "blogger" to my usual type (I'm not quite sure why I'm talking about bloggers as if they're love interests, but work with me).  My usual bloggers, like Fleur De Force, Zoella, Inthefrow, Beautycrush etc, are all "everyday", very attractive women, who I follow because I want to be like them.  A little shameful, but so true.  It's like having access to the tips and hints of the most popular girl at school.  How she gets her hair shiny, what lipstick she uses, what her perfume is. 

Caroline is a different vibe.  Firstly, she is older (sorry Caroline), she has kids, she has a husband, and (no offence other bloggers) she has had JOBS.  Real life jobs (one of which was at Space NK, you get the jist).  And she knows her stuff.  She gives me reasons for why I need some products, and why I don't need others.  She's shameless about what she spends on skincare, but she also tells you where not to bother to waste your money.  I feel she sits above the endorsements - she feels established enough in her own career and confident enough in her own advice that she just doesn't need all that. I don't expect her to ever don the cover of Vogue magazine, but I bet a lot of people backstage at fashion week will know her name.  She's like one of those amazing artists who spends years writing crazy good songs for other singers, and you know nothing about them even though they are a huge name in their industry, and then they emerge in their own right into the public conscience and they just have an air of legitimacy.  That's the vibe I get with Caroline.  And with all the heavy marketing, endorsements, clever PR etc...the beauty industry could do with some legitimacy.

And her advice has overhauled my skincare routine.  And I mean overhauled.  Unrecognisable. 

So I wanted to give my take on some of the "Caroline-recommendations" I've bought lately.  So I'd get comfortable, I think it's going to be a long 'un!!!

Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm

My first foray was with this cleansing balm from Merumaya.  I'd never heard of Merumaya before, but apparently they do lean towards products for sensitive skin.  I suffer with eczema and my face can be super reactive if I use the wrong stuff, so I'm always nervous to use new products.

One thing I can say for starters though is that I didn't react to this at all.  No stinging, no soreness, no eczema.  You rub a small amount of this on a dry face, then emulsify it with a bit of water, then wipe it off with a clean flannel.  (Always a clean flannel.  Caroline makes a comparison with knickers that will make you too ashamed to ever reuse a flannel.  Ever again.)

There wasn't much of a scent to this product, but I liked that.  I did find that after using it, my face felt tight and dry, even though it felt soft to the actual touch.  I was always keen to get on to the next stages of my routine, namely the moisture bit.  Having said this, I didn't find my face was actually any drier from using this.  I used up an entire tube and throughout that time my skin stayed clear and soft.  Did I find it to be glowing?  Not really.  I wouldn't say my skin looked amazing using this, but in fairness to the product, I'm not so sure my skin has the capacity to look amazing.  Unless I start cutting out my takeaways, drinking more water etc etc etc.  One thing was for definite, I had no problems with my skin whilst using this.  No spots, no dryness, no blemishes.

So as cleansing balms go, I found this to be good at what it was meant to do, and totally safe on my sensitive skin.  I bought mine from John Lewis for £15.50 and I'd definitely buy again.

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

OK, so first thing's first...the packaging of this appealed to me, and I do find this contributes to how much I like a product.  It's sad but true, and I'm all too much aware of my weakness for nice looking products.  This comes in a jar rather than a tube, and even though it set me back a whopping £22, it's definitely going to blow the Merumaya out of the water with how long it lasts.  You barely use any of this, and the jar is pretty hefty. 

The consistency is like a solid wax which you kind of dig out of the jar and then rub on to your face.  It isn't annoyingly stiff and it melts onto the face really easily without needing to do much in the way of warming it up etc.  So you just rub it in, then once again you wipe it off with a wet flannel.

The first plus point for this is that I didn't react to it.  No stinging or soreness again, no angry lumpy spots, no tiny rashy spots.  Second plus point is that this blasts through my make-up.  I wear quite heavy foundation and this balm literally dissolves it off with so much ease and my face feels so clean after using it.  I enjoy using it, and I enjoy how it leaves my skin feeling, so I find I got into the routine of using it a bit more easily.  The thought of removing my foundation any other way now seems just wrong.

Again, I do get the tight feeling after using it that I got with Merumaya, but it is ever so slightly less noticeable. 

With regard to results, I've been really impressed with my skin since using this.  I think a lot of it is down to the fact I'm finally taking all my face make up off and cleaning my face properly, but either way I have definitely noticed my face is clearer.  Probably more so than I did with Merumaya, but then this is only one step in my new routine so it's not necessarily all down to this product.

**Disclaimer here....I do not use any cleansing product to remove my eye make up, so I cannot comment on its effectiveness at doing this.  I wear way too much mascara not to use a separate eye make up remover! (For information I use Simple's nourishing eye make up remover and have sworn by it for years)**

Hydraluron
This was one of the first ever products I used that had been featured by Caroline and my full review can be found here.

Pixi Glow Tonic

Ahh, possibly one of my favourite finds of the whole Caroline experience!!  This is an exfoliating acid toner.  The first time I read those words, they horrified me.  Exfoliating using ACID?!  Quite frankly...what?  My skin is super dry and sensitive so the thought of putting acid on my face?  Grab some smelling salts, I just passed out.

But this is where Caroline is good.  She explains why I need it.  And I need it because I've always hated hated hated scrubby exfoliators, and yet as I suffer from dry skin then I should be exfoliating like a mad woman to get rid of my layers of flaky dead skin cells.  So this was the answer - use a more gentle (yes, seriously) exfoliating toner.

This cost me £18 from the Pixi website, and it uses glycolic acid to exfoliate your skin.  It is also alcohol free, which I've learnt from Caroline is super important for us dry girlies.  It's a watery dark orange liquid that you just pop on a cotton pad and wipe over your face.  I only use this at night as several people say over use is a bad idea, and I can honestly say I haven't had a flaky skin attack once since using it.  My skin feels smoother, it looks clearer, and I've had noticeably less spots (mine are usually caused by a build up of dead skin in your pores...mmm yummy).  If I ever got to the point where I had to cut my regime down for financial reasons, this would be the one thing to stay.  I love it, I love what it is designed to do, and I think my skin really benefits from it.  I've gone through 4 bottles and I'm about to purchase another one.  Caroline does talk a LOT about the P50 and Liquid Gold exfoliating toners, but at the moment my bank balance doesn't really allow me to dabble with those higher end products.  Having said that, I'm not overly fussed, as I think the Pixi tonic is working just fine for me right now.  Maybe when I hit 30 next year and freak out then I may up my product range, but for now I'm still in my 20's damnit!  Clinging on...!

Hylamide Sub-Q Eyes Advanced Serum

This is a more recent purchase, and it was a very nervous one, as my eyes are the most reactive part of my face and I've had some bad experiences with eye creams in the past (Origins literally made my eyes peel off).  This has such clinical, serious packaging (it's from the same guy who brought us Hydraluron) that I was scared to use it.  And at £27 a bottle, it was a scary prospect for my bank balance too!  Having said that, I've felt dissatisfied with my eye cream situation for a while now, as I was using Kiehl's Creamy Avocado but that has no anti-aging properties whatsoever, so I felt I was punting a lot of money on something that wasn't doing a whole lot of good.

This is a strange consistency.  It's a milky, thick liquid and it comes with a dropper.  You only need a little bit of this, and the first time I used it, it really did sting.  I was panicking a bit, and did expect to wake up the next morning looking like a mole in daylight, but I'm SO glad I stuck with it.  The stinging stopped after a couple of days of use (morning and night) and since then I've been really happy with it.

I enjoy the feel of it - it has a nourishing, oily type undertone to it which feels nice on the eyes.  I have inherited heavy hooded eyes from my mother so I wasn't expecting this to give me an instant eyelift, but I did notice my eyes seemed softer and less dry and make up sat a lot happier on my lids and under eye area.  Caroline does say there is no such thing as a miracle worker (sob!) when it comes to eye cream, and you just need to keep the eye area nourished - and I do feel this does do this really well.  Will it hold back my 30 year old panic next year?  I'm not 100% convinced.  But I think that's more to do with my own issues rather than the effectiveness of the product!!

Organic Surge Overnight Sensation Face Cream

I struggled to get my hands on this, and ended up paying about £12 from a random website to get it.  I have always sworn by my beloved Body Shop Hemp Face Protector for my moisturiser, but felt I needed to mix it up at night and go with something a bit more "night-appropriate".  Caroline doesn't rave about this product, but it was in her "budget" theme that she ran for a week or so, and she had pretty good things to say about it.

The cream is very thick (still feels like a lotion, it's not like a wax or greasy type consistency) and has a strong lavender scent.  Strong scents freak me out as fragrance to me equals sore skin, but I haven't had any irritation from this at all.  It feels very thick and nourishing when on the skin, and I do enjoy using it.  My main issue with this is that I can't really pick apart whether it is doing my skin any good.  I've started using such an involved routine over the past few months, that it could be the wonder product making the whole routine work, or it could just be a bog standard product being carried by the rest of the regime.  I think when it runs out I will have a hunt around for an alternative, although Caroline does say it's the serum you use (i.e. Hydraluron) that is more important than the moisturiser you put on top.  And I do feel bad as I feel I'm giving this a mediocre review, which I'm not sure it 100% deserves.  But sometimes a product just doesn't blow you away.  I'd probably come back to this if my skin flared, or it got very dry or sore in winter, but at the moment I'm still eagle-eyeing for something new.  Sorry Organic Surge!!

 

EX1 Invisiwear liquid foundation - new shades

When it comes to foundation, I'm fickle to a fault. I rarely stay loyal to one particular foundation, and am regularly in multiple relationships with various different brands at a time.

I feel when it comes to foundation, I've conducted extensive research over the years. There are very few drugstore foundations I haven't tried and I've tried way more premium foundation brands than my bank balance would have liked (by premium I mean Dior, Estee Lauder, Benefit).

And yet I wouldn't really say I've found my holy grail foundation.  I've been disappointed by a lot of hyped up foundations and I'm always on the hunt for a new product - nothing has kept me loyal.

So when I find a foundation I like, it's quite a big deal, and I'd definitely put the EX1 Invisiwear Foundation up there in my top 5.

I feel it's an "easy" foundation.  It goes on easily, it stays well, it has a decent coverage and it gives a nice finish. It just does what you want a good foundation to do.  No fuss. No fancy claims. And most importantly, no eye watering price tag. 
Has it changed my life?  No.  Do I wear it pretty much most days?  Absolutely.

I'm not going to barrel off into one of my lengthy reviews but the reason for this impromptu post is that this wonderful foundation have brought out NEW SHADES. Finally!

This range has always been aimed at olive toned and darker skin tones and my only sticking point had always been the shade range. I bought F200, and whilst it has a beautiful olive tone...it's way too dark. I lighten it with The Body Shop's lightening drops but it's not ideal. So when I saw they had brought out new shades...well just hallelujah really.

But there were no flipping swatches anywhere of the new shades! So I bought two shades and decided to bung a quick (rushed) post up for other people hunting for swatches.

I bought shade 2.0 and shade 5.0 and have swatched them below against my original F200. For reference I am NC25 in Mac, 52 in Bourjois, Y245 in Makeup Forever and Ceylan in Nars Sheer Glow so I've also swatched these for reference.

The EX1 web site has a shade guide but hopefully the below will provide some visual context.

For reference, this foundation is all about the yellow tones (look how gloriously yellow the 5.0 shade is!!). So if you ain't into yellow, this maybe isn't the foundation range for you.

PapayaGold Paw Paw moisturising balm

When it comes to annoying skin-related issues, the post-cold dry nose/upper lip is right up there for me.  My skin is pretty dry naturally, so when you add in a week worth of nose blowing, the skin around my nose and upper lip literally just cannot cope.  It gets sore, it goes red, and man alive does the skin flake off.  I often then pick at the skin (classy) which makes it even more sore, and sometimes even bleed (attractive).

Then what follows are several weeks of exfoliating with dry flannels, and slapping on a load of face moisturiser.  And bad nose foundation, literally for ages.  Flaky, nasty, dry foundation around my nose.  Because lets be honest, no foundation deals well with dry flakiness, whatever they may claim.

However recently, I came across (was recommended) something which helped me in my battle against the post-cold nose syndrome.  I was at a Christmas meal, and was slapping some Vaseline on my sore little schnozzle, and my friend's girlfriend was like "woah woah woah, don't use Vaseline, are you crazy!?" (OK slight exaggeration, but her reaction did make me feel a bit like I'd sat there wiping engine oil on my nose)  She then chucked me a little red tube of Paw Paw moisturising balm and told me to try that instead.  Slightly shamed by her reaction to my tin of Vaseline, I promptly went into Boots the next day and purchased a tube of Paw Paw.

I'd seen Lucas' Paw Paw ointment before, advertised as the "go to" product for celebs such as Miranda Kerr, but when I'd seen it was the same consistency as Vaseline, I just assumed it was a posh (and pricier) Vaseline.  So not worth it.

I can safely say I was wrong.  Although the Paw Paw balm is extremely similar in consistency to Vaseline, I'd say it is ever so slightly lighter in consistency.  It feels less like something you'd use to grease a squeaky door hinge, and more like something designed for your skin (no offence Vaseline).

And it works.  Slapping some of this on my nose and lips definitely killed off the post-cold effects so much faster than anything else I've used.  When I now have colds, I do find myself putting it on during the day at work (much to the intrigue of my colleague, who pointed out she normally only does this kind of thing in the privacy of her own home) but it's so good both as a preventative measure and a treatment.  My nose was definitely so much less flaky after using it.

I've also found other uses for it.  I get patches of dry scaly eczema on my hands and fingers, which are so frustrating but flare up all the time from washing up / washing my hands during the day.  I don't like to use steroid cream too much, so started putting the Paw Paw on.  I was so impressed with the result.  It doesn't clear them up as fast as the steroid cream (obviously) but because it's so moisturising and it sticks to the skin, it did such a good job of keeping the patches at bay.  I also now squeeze some on my hand with my regular hand cream, to give my usual hand cream a bit more gusto.

The tube I bought was the PapayaGold version and was £5.99 for 25g, which isn't as cheap as Vaseline, but then in my head I figure the Vaseline simply doesn't work so it's wasted money anyway.  Plus the tube has lasted me much longer than I thought it would.  I also prefer the squeezy tube to Vaseline's tin.  The tube hasn't got messy at all, and am I the only one who finds the lids of Vaseline tins SO hard to get off!?  I'm now running out of my PapayaGold, and have just bought some of the Lucas PawPaw ointment online to see how that compares (I'll keep you posted).  But either way, if you suffer from  dry skin patches or if the post-cold nose/lip happens to you, then I'd say it's worth carrying one of these around in your bag.  It's a little god send in my opinion.

The Beauty Blender

So there were a few beauty items that I bought last year which I've been holding back from blogging about, mainly because after using them for some time, I've got a serious case of "sitting on the fence" syndrome.

All of the products are much-hyped in the beauty world, rather expensive, and are items which I spent literally ages trying to decide whether to buy or not.  I researched them to within an inch of their lives and then ended up taking the plunge when I was feeling a bit down or a bit frivolous.

The first of these is the Beauty Blender, an innovative new way of applying your foundation which is supposed to give flawless, unrivalled coverage.

I blame American Youtubers for this purchase, because I swear there was a time when every. single. one. of them used one of these babies.  And the results were undeniably flawless.  I'm always intrigued by new methods of foundation application, because my own "application methods" have evolved throughout the years and always for the better.  From the wedge shaped sponge (every teenager's go to method) to the round sponge, to the paintbrush style foundation brush, to the Real Techniques bulb-ended Expert Face Brush and crashing into 2014 with the bloody amazing wide-topped Zoeva buffer brush.  I've always felt I've upgraded my method, so when this completely new concept popped onto my radar, it was a no-brainer to give it a go.  My next successful evolution could be just around the corner!

So a quick 4-1-1 on the Beauty Blender. It's a small, egg shaped, bright pink sponge, which you're supposed to squeeze in water before using.  When you squeeze it in (or under) water, it grows.  Kind of like those random flannels you get that start off the size of a tealight and then you chuck it under water and it grows into a flannel.  Except maybe not on the same scale... Anyway.  Once it is wet and "fully grown" you're supposed to towel it off and you are left with a damp, bouncy, slightly larger egg-shaped bright pink sponge.

OK, so the photo above doesn't really give you any idea of the size change as I didn't either a) compare it to the dry version or b) give a size reference.  But oh well..there it is.  All saturated in water. And bright pink.

The wider end of the "egg" is meant for applying foundation over your whole face, whereas the tapered end is for more precise application around your nose, your chin and also for concealer.

First things first, this application method does give you coverage, and plenty of it.  When I used this with any of my foundations, it always up'd the coverage compared to what I was used to with a brush.  It's also supposed to make you use less foundation as the sponge is already wet so it doesn't absorb any liquid.  I'm not sure I noticed a massive difference in the amount of foundation I was using, but it may have been because I was going in a bit heavy handed.

If I'm honest, I didn't find this the most natural and easy product to use - it certainly took quite a bit of practice and I'm still not 100% convinced by it.  You have to tap or sort-of bounce the beauty blender on to your face to apply the foundation, but for some reason it just didn't feel quite right.  I felt like I wasn't using it properly, or that I just wanted to give the foundation a good old buff.  I found myself doing some random half tap-half buff type action which probably isn't the technique the creators intended. If they'd have seen me using it, they might have cried a little bit.

The end result was that I felt the foundation was sat on my skin a bit, and it felt quite mask-like.  I also found that the dampness of the sponge actually dried my skin out.  I have the kind of skin that feels very tight after being in contact with water.  Give me 5 minutes after a shower, and if I haven't moisturised then I'll have shrivelled up like a prune.  I got a similar effect with the Beauty Blender, where I could feel as the "dampness" evaporated or was absorbed into my skin, or wherever the hell it went.  And left behind was quite a thick, dry layer of foundation, which didn't feel particularly comfortable on my skin.  Maybe this is one of those products better suited to the oilier skinned girlies out there, but if you suffer with dry skin like myself, I don't think it's the best way of putting your foundation on.

I do keep going back to this little egg sponge, because I am concerned I may be using it too heavy handed, or not trusting the tap-tap-bounce method enough, but when it comes to the success of beauty products with me, I always find the proof is in the continuous use.  If I've stopped using it within a few weeks of purchase, then to me, it's a sign it was a complete novelty product.  A novelty, or a disappointment, or I've got fed up of not quite getting how to use it.  This falls into the latter for me, and safe to say that little eggy is rolling around somewhere in the bottom of my make-up box as we speak.  Or someone could have pinched it.  I'd literally have no idea.

I think I would use this to apply foundation on areas where I need a bit more help in the coverage department, but I'm not really a fan of it as an entire face application method.  I thought I was a bit on the fence with it, but now I've sat down and written this post, I think I'm leaning a bit more towards not enjoying it.  I'll probably rediscover it next week and fall hopelessly in love with it, but if I do, I'll be sure to let you know :)

In the meantime, I'd say save your pennies on the Beauty Blender and invest in a Zoeva Buffer brush instead.

Merry Christmas with Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Set



So, someone was a lucky lady this Christmas because Santa (aka, my boyfriend) stuck these little beauties under the tree.  Let's just take a moment to gaze at their rose golden wonderness.

I have been coveting this brush set for SO long, and on various occasions have been tempted to throw caution to the proverbial wind and make a cheeky (and somewhat expensive) purchase.  But so far I've resisted, mainly due to the price (£59.99) and mainly because you are paying a premium for them being rose gold, and I've been desperately trying to curb my spending on unnecessary cosmetics. 

But this made them the perfect Christmas present, and it's safe to say I was over the flipping moon when I opened them.

Zoeva brushes have been gathering steam in the cosmetics world over the past year, and are starting to make a real name for themselves as brushes that come with a reasonable price tag, but which don't compromise on quality.

Take this set as an example.  It contains 8 brushes all finished in black and rose gold, and they arrive in a rather gorgeous leather make-up bag (which is big enough to be genuinely useful).  So that works out on average at £7.50 per brush with a free bag thrown in for good measure.  Not bad. Not bad at all.  Go in to your local drugstore and I defy you to find a decent blusher brush for under a tenner, and that's not even taking into account how goddamn pretty these are.

And with Zoeva, it's all about the little touches.  No.1 the make up bag.  No. 2 the fact each brush is wrapped in plastic and with a separate, custom shaped plastic "hood" fitted over the bristle end of the brush.  If you buy them individually then they come wrapped in the plastic and zipped up in individual bags.  You feel like you are buying brushes that are so much more high end than the price you paid.

And as a self confessed cosmetic and beauty addict, these brushes literally speak to me.  Zoeva seem to get that, for me, doing my make-up is an experience I really enjoy (sad, I know).  And I love a make-up product that I can proudly display on my dressing table (OK I don't have a dressing table, but you get the idea) and these brushes are exactly that.  Even my boyfriend agreed they looked "nice" and trust me, nice means he is impressed.  And he's a boy.  And they're make-up brushes.  Am I making my point...?

OK so let's break these down to the individual brushes....

106 Powder

The first and biggest brush in the set is the 106 Powder brush.  It has a large rounded-off head of ultra soft bristles, which are packed loose enough to allow the flexibility needed for a good powder brush.  You need to be able to "sweep" the powder across your face, and this gives good sweep.  I've been in the market for a powder brush for some time, as I've recently started using the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish powder to set my make-up, and I need a decent brush to apply it with.  The head of this brush isn't ridiculously big, but still has enough surface area to cover your face quickly and lightly.  I like this, as sometimes powder brushes can be too big and they can lack stability.  The head can be really large and floppy and there's just no guts behind them.  The 106 brush on the other hand seems to have struck a good balance between flexibility whilst still having enough structure and density to buff the powder into the skin for a seamless finish.

102 Silk Finish

This was the brush I was most excited about in the set, and was the one I have got SO close to buying individually in the past. The bristle head is smaller than the powder brush but the bristles are much more densely packed together - I reckon this is going to be blinding at buffing foundation in.  Size-wise, it is similar to the Real Techniques Expert Face brush, but it is so much softer to the touch and has a rounder bulb type head.  I think this is going to be really good at buffing liquid foundation into smaller, more precise areas of my face or for cream based blushes or bronzers.  I swear by the Zoeva 104 Buffer Brush for applying my foundation, but do find the surface area of it to be a bit too large for certain areas of my face, so I'm thinking the 102 is going to be the answer.  It's got the same "feel" to it, but more compact.

127 Luxe Sheer Cheek

This is an absolute dupe for the MAC 168 brush, but in my opinion is so much softer and nicer to the touch.  As blusher brushes go, the bristles on this are quite loosely packed and flexible.  I think this is why it's called the "sheer" cheek, because I imagine it doesn't pack the product on your face, and I don't think this is for serious buffing.  I'm excited for this brush because I'm a bit of a blusher wimp, and go in very carefully with my blush, so this could end up being my best friend.  I think it's going to give a very sheer, gentle wash of colour.  I'm also keen to use this with my Mary Louminiser highlighting powder as I think the gentle touch of this brush is going to make it perfect for giving that effect where highlighter or blusher has just "touched" certain high points of your face.

110 Face Shape

The 110 Face Shape is a smaller version of the Silk Finish brush.  It has the same round, bulb shaped head of bristles which are densely packed to give fierce buffing power.  As with all of the brushes, the bristles are still crazy soft to the touch and there's enough flexibility in them to mean the brush will still feel gentle on the face.  This looks like the perfect brush for precise contouring, especially down the bridge of the nose.  I also think it will be good at applying liquid foundation in the more "crevice-y" parts of your face, so around your nose, across your eyelids and around the chin area.

142 Concealer Buffer

This is one of only two brushes in the set that I already own.  I bought this a few months back and reviewed it here.  This is a mini version of the Silk Finish, with the same features - the bulb head, the dense bristles, the softness.  When I bought and reviewed this originally, I wasn't a fan of it. The brush itself is gorgeous to the touch, but I have very dry skin and just find that my concealer needs that warmth from my finger to blend it in.  If I use a brush, the concealer just goes a bit too dry.  And this is no reflection on the quality of this brush, it's just it doesn't suit my skin type.  Having said that, I've been loving this brush for eyeshadow blending.  Because of the density of the bristles, partnered with the softness of the brush, this is perfect for the delicate eye area.  It buffs and blends eyeshadows like a dream, especially more stubborn cream-based eyeshadows. 

227 Luxe Soft Definer
231 Luxe Petit Crease

There are two eye brushes in the set, the 227 Luxe Soft Definer and the 231 Luxe Petit Crease.  I already own the 227 and did a mini review of it here.  This brush is a total dupe for the much-loved MAC 217 and I am so pleased to have a second one in my collection.  Much like the MAC 217, the Zoeva 227 applies eyeshadow like a dream.  It loads the colour on, it blends it well, it covers well, it gets into your creases and crevices.  As is the running theme with these brushes, it is super soft and to be honest I don't know why anyone would part with the extra money to buy the MAC version.  It does the job just as well.

The 231 has a tapered end and is a more precise brush for application of eyeshadow to the crease of your eyelid.  I have mega hooded eyes, so my crease is pretty defined already, but it also means that all of my eye make-up involves some kind of 'crease work', so this brush is going to be a welcome addition to my make-up kit.  The bristles are dense enough to give this enough "power" behind the application, but the taper means that power is being pushed into the right area.  I have very small eyes as well, and this is the perfect size to fit my eyelid.

317 Wing Liner

So the final brush in the set is the 317 Wing Liner brush.  This is such a delicate little brush of super fine bristles which taper to an ultra fine point.  I'm quite a fan of a slanted eyeliner brush like this, as I think the shape lends itself well to the application of a winged eye.  It's really tricky to find a slanted eyeliner brush which is as fine and precise as this.  As my eyes are very small and hooded, I don't have much room for liquid eyeliner so I have to keep it mega tight to my lash line and this brush is perfect for the job.  Plus the bristles are once again so soft that I don't get any irritation around my super sensitive eyes.  If you're a fan of gel eyeliner then I would totally recommend this brush.  Totally.

So the Rose Golden Luxury Set is available direct from Zoeva's website.  Bit of a warning....the postage costs are pretty steep on these brushes as they come from Germany.  Regardless of whether you're buying one brush or ten, the postage is an eye watering £7.50.  So if you can find a friend or sister or mum who wants some brushes too, maybe combine the postage, as it is priiiiicey.

You can get some of the brushes and sets from www.love-makeup.co.uk which carries a more reasonable £3.50 shipping cost to the UK, but you may notice some of the brush prices are a tiny bit more expensive than buying them direct from the Zoeva site.  So swings and roundabouts really.  Swings and roundabouts and really, really pretty rose gold brushes.