Vichy Double Glow Peel Mask

Hi everyone! How crazy is it that it's now October, I'm so happy though because I've got lots of nice things planned for this month, plus the run up to Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year! I'm that person that never even does anything for Halloween other than stay in and watch scary films, but I'm still obsessed! Recently I've been talking about how bad my skin has been so I've been trying out a few different skincare products, especially face masks because I'm so into them at the minute to try and improve it, thankfully my breakouts have calmed down now so I mostly just want to work on the texture of my skin which is very dull and dry. Vichy is a brand that I've had nothing but good experiences with in the past, but I've only really tried their makeup before so when I saw they're new face masks floating around on the internet I thought they looked so interesting and I actually tweeted about how I thought they looked really cool, so when Vichy contacted me asking if I'd like to try one of the face masks I was so excited and of course said yes! 

There is actually three variations of their new face masks and I chose the Double Glow Peel Mask* however there is also the Pore Purifying Clay Mask which is formulated with two types of white clay to absorb impurities and excess sebum and to minimise pores and purify the skin, this one is designed for those with oily to combination skin with congested and blocked pores. There is also the Quenching Mineral Mask which is a gel mask enriched with vitamin B3 and glycerin, this one has a cooling effect which provides instant hydration. I was actually so torn over the peel mask or the Quenching Mineral Mask as that one also sounded perfect for me because I do have dry skin but in the end I went for the peel mask based on the fact that my skin is SO dull and tired, definitely one of my biggest skin issues. 

The Double Glow Peel Mask that I chose is a double action face mask with volcanic rock and AHA to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells. This is said to leave skin more smooth and luminous and a pick me up for dull, tired skin. Anything that claims to leave skin luminous and smooth I'm all for because I have a lot of skin texture which prevents makeup from applying smoothly which gets me down so much!

I absolutely love the packaging, the jar feels very heavy and it looks luxurious, to me considering the packaging it does appear more high end however it does not have the high end price, you can get these from Boots for £14, they aren't as cheap as some other drug store products but I still think they're a really good price considering how it performs. You get 75ml of product as well which I think is quite a lot for a face mask plus you don't have to use too much product so I think you will get a lot of use out of this. There is a scent to this product which I did want to mention, I actually do like a scent in my products and this one doesn't bother me at all, I find that it smells quite perfumey so for those who don't like scents you may not be that keen, but I didn't find it overpowering.

One of my favourite things about this product is the gel texture of it, which I really was not expecting as it is also said to have exfoliating properties, the instructions that come with the mask actually state to apply and leave on for five minutes, then massaging into the skin after the five minutes before rinsing it off with water. What I found was that you couldn't really tell the mask was an exfoliant until you massaged it into the skin when you could actually feel what felt like a slightly beady, gritty texture. When you first apply the product it honestly feels so cooling and refreshing, I loved how it felt on the skin so much! You are advised to leave this on the skin for only five minutes which is what I was doing the first few times I'd used it, I'd seen a few people say they had left it on for longer and it made their skin a little bit red, but after a few times I left it on for about 8 minutes instead and I didn't experience any redness but I have no issues with sensitive skin, so if you do I'd definitely suggest only leaving it on for 5 minutes. When it's sitting on the skin it does start to feel tingly but I absolutely love that because I feel like it's actually working and doing something, it's not uncomfortable at all though which is something I was worried about especially because of the word 'peel' in the name it made it seem a bit scary, but thankfully it's not bad at all and it doesn't sting or anything like that!

After I massaged it into the skin and washed it off my skin definitely did feel smoother and so much more refreshed and clean, it did look brighter as well, once I'd applied a moisturiser after using this my skin looked so much nicer and healthier than normal. If you have dull and tired skin like me I'd definitely recommend trying this, I feel like it's a nice pick me up for your skin especially on days when it's looking especially dull. I actually love this I can't wait to use it more, especially in Winter! I think for the price and the amount of product you do get it is worth trying, plus if you think this particularly mask won't be suited to your skin you at least have the option of two other masks which might be more suited to you. I really want to try the Quenching Mineral Mask next after liking this one so much, especially as the weather gets colder my skin gets so much drier. Let me know in the comments if you've tried this and what you think!

*PR sample however all opinions are my own

Vichy Dermablend 3D Correction Foundation

Hi everyone! So happy that I can finally say I finished my last exam on Tuesday and I am officially no longer a university student! It's absolutely crazy to think I've finished my degree after all the stress, but three years has gone so quickly and I am just so relieved that I've actually done it! Now I feel like I can finally concentrate on my blog more which makes me so happy, it's so awful feeling like you've neglected something you enjoy so much. Anyway I'm so glad I'm doing a foundation review, I haven't done one in what feels like ages, I've had really good experiences with Vichy products recently so when they kindly sent me their 3D Correction foundation* to try I was so excited!

I really loved their Dermablend Fluid foundation formula, but this one is so different. This foundation claims to instantly correct colour and skin texture and reduce the appearance of imperfections without leaving a mask like effect. This sounded so good for me because I have uneven skin pigmentation and texture on my lower cheeks and I have never found a foundation that has helped with the appearance of that where it made a major difference. Baring in mind I do have dry skin so when I come across a foundation that promises to mask skin imperfections but it has a matte finish I'm always a bit worried that it will just dry my skin out and look flaky and gross, but thankfully this wasn't the case! I have mine in the shade 15 Opal by the way which I believe is the lightest shade of this foundation, when you see it swatched below it looks so much darker than it actually is when blended out, trust me I am so pale at the minute and this matched me so well! The only thing is I feel like the undertones are quite pink whereas I am more neutral, this was the only small issue I had with the shade but it isn't even noticeable. 

The packaging and the applicator for this foundation is so interesting, I really love the squeeze tube because you can get all the product out, but the actual nozzle (I think that's what it's called...?) where the foundation comes out is nothing that I've ever seen before. I'm guessing it's because the foundation is very thick but I actually really like it because it's so clean, sometimes with squeeze tubes they can be a bit messy and product doesn't go everywhere but that isn't the case with this one. I feel like this is perfect travel size and you know it isn't going to explode everywhere which is honestly my worst nightmare, I had a conditioner explode once in my suitcase and it was the worst experience so I can't imagine how bad it is with a foundation.

You can see here how thick the foundation is, I was actually really intimidated when I first swatched it because it has an almost clay like texture and I was worried it wouldn't blend and would just dry my skin out, but honestly when you start blending it it's so soft and easy to work with which I didn't expect at all. With the matte finish I found that it didn't leave my skin looking dry, I just made sure to use any form of moisturising primer just in case and I had no issues at all. My favourite thing about this product though is definitely the coverage, I had to many spots with exam season and this foundation made such a difference, plus it covered up my uneven skin tone and texture really well, by far the best foundation I've tried for my skin problems. I've been absolutely loving wearing this for work or when I want my foundation to stay put because the staying powder is so good. I'm so relieved to say it didn't leave me looking like I was wearing a mask either which is usually what puts me off full coverage foundations.

The foundation also has SPF25 and is oil free, plus it's also suitable for sensitive skin which is good, I think this is honestly so good for anyone who has issues with the appearance of their skin like me, if you're dry it will still work really well for you and won't dry you out, just try it with a moisturising primer and it will be fine, but I also think if you've got oily skin then this will be a dream for you because it is matte and will absorb any excess oil. The best thing about it though is the coverage, anytime I'm having a bad skin day this is definitely what I will be reaching for! I know you can buy Vichy from Boots and this foundation costs £21.50 so it's definitely not the cheapest however I think if you have specific skin problems like me then spending a bit more money for a really good product can make such a difference, so I would definitely purchase this when I run out of this bottle. I actually do really like Vichy I feel like they don't get as much credit as they deserve because all the products I've tried I've absolutely loved. I've been eyeing up some products from their new Ideal Body Collection so next time I'm in Boots I think I'm going to try the Body Dry Oil and the Body Serum Milk because I've heard such good things about them. Let me know in the comments if you've tried any Vichy products and what you think!

*PR sample however all opinions are my own

Vichy Dermablend Foundation & Setting Powder

Hi everyone! I'm doing a post today on a brand I had never actually heard of before however when I was contacted asking if I would like to try Vichy's Dermablend Foundation* and the Dermablend Setting Powder* I thought why not because I'm always open to trying new brands in the hope of finding new products that I might love. I actually did some research on these products by looking at other reviews and I found that they are quite popular with bloggers so I was hopeful that I would love them too! The brand has had a revamp along with the introduction of some new foundation shades and I am so happy to say that I successfully found a shade that works for me first time! This honestly never happens to me I'm so bad at choosing a shade for any brand and I actually got it right so I'm feeling quite pleased with myself.

Starting with the foundation I was actually a bit wary because the main focus of this foundation is it's high coverage designed to cover both minor and severe skin concerns. To me when I hear this I always think "this will not work for my dry skin", in my head I just picture full coverage foundations to be matte and to make my skin look so dull and flat. I actually find this a big issue for me because I'm really not happy with my skin, I have red pigmentation so it's quite uneven and I would love to find a foundation which covered this up well but still had a nice finish. I'm so happy to say that this didn't highlight my dry skin or make my skin look dull! Whilst it isn't the standard dewy finish that I usually opt for I do really like it, I would say it is a semi-matte finish, not totally matte however there isn't any dewiness in my opinion. 

The reason I was first impressed with this was because last week I was so ill, I had a cold and my skin felt so gross and red and I went to use a Bourjois foundation (which I love don't get me wrong) and it just didn't cover up anything because my skin was worse than usual that day, so I thought I'd try the Vichy foundation and it made such a difference, it covered up all the redness and anything that gave away that I looked ill! I can definitely vouch that it is full coverage, so if this is something you like I would suggest trying this because the finish is nice as well, plus if you're dry like me I think as long as you use a moisturising primer you will be absolutely fine, you don't need a primer that will give your make up longevity because this foundation has really good staying power anyway.

The foundation comes in a little squeezy tube, You get 30ml of product which is the standard however because of the packaging it's so compact and easy to take around with you so perfect for travelling, my only issue with the packaging is that I think these squeeze tubes can be a bit messy so you just have to be a bit more careful. 

The foundation definitely has quite a thick consistency but at the same time it is nice and easy to blend, I only used a tiny pump in the picture but you get so much product so I think value for money is so good, I got mine in the shade 15 Opal for anyone who is wondering, which is the second lightest shade and I am quite pale at the minute, so the lightest shade which is 05 Porcelain which is one of the new shades would be perfect for anyone very pale who struggles to find a match for their skin. There is 8 shades all together, so whilst there isn't a vast amount of choice I think there is something for everyone, trust me if I can find a shade to match me which I never can then it must be a good range!

Also I really want to point out that whilst this is full coverage it doesn't come across as if you're wearing a mask which is so important to me, I really hate that feeling that you have lots of make up on, I did find this to be quite natural which surprised me so it's also something I would wear during the day. It does have SPF35 so I wouldn't be inclined to wear this on a night out or anytime I would be getting pictures taken as no-one wants white flashback! 

I really want to talk about the Setting Powder because I really do not get on with powders, they always seem to give me cake face and I will hardly ever use it because of this, plus as I have dry skin I don't want to absorb any moisture that I do have! However I have fallen in love with this, this is 100% something I would go out and buy myself, it definitely has changed my relationship with powder and also taught me of what to look for in products that I might want to try in the future. 

It is a loose powder which I like and don't like at the same time, I find loose powders to be very messy which is annoying however makes it so fine resulting in zero cake face for me which I absolutely love! Even though it's white it also doesn't affect the colour of your make up, I know I am pale right now but I am not stark white and I didn't want this powder to leave that effect and thankfully it didn't. Whilst I do have dry skin after wearing make up for a while I always get my make up rubbing off and going very shiny on my cheeks and on my nose, so I have not been applying this to my full face just because my skin stays dry everywhere else all day so I don't think it's a necessity, however I have been applying it on my nose and on my cheeks to set my make up and it stays on for so much longer and I don't get the shiny face anymore. It does mattify my face a bit which I'm not overly keen on as it isn't my favourite finish which is why I only apply it on certain areas and use as little as I have to, however if you love a matte finish then you will love this. 

I was definitely surprised the fact I actually liked these products because they are typically the opposite of what I would go for, however it has encouraged me to branch out a bit more and look for different products that I wouldn't typically choose first because you never know what you might like! The foundation retails for £18 and the setting powder for £15 in Boots so they aren't drugstore price however they aren't a full on splurge, they are really nice quality though and if you are looking for full coverage or longevity then I would definitely recommend both of them, I have used the powder with other products however and I found it worked just as well, it is my favourite of the two products, whilst I do like the foundation I just really love the powder and I definitely think it will become an essential in my make up bag. Let me know in the comments if you've tried this brand and what you think!

*PR sample however all opinions are my own