Review: Clinique Super City Block daily face protector

A few posts ago, I had mentioned the Clinique Super City Block daily face protector as something that I use practically every day. It's an SPF 40 sunscreen, and I've been using it for about 4 months now. Enough time, I think, to give a good review. :)

It comes in a 40ml tube (see picture below). And since you only need a small amount, this tube has lasted me nicely.

 

Now I've always been a bit wary about putting heavy sunscreen lotions on my face for fear of break-outs. So I read about this product online, and given that Clinique products have not given my skin any problems in the past, I decided to give it a shot. Even so, I only purchased this after using a sample for a week.

As you can see from the picture below, when you first squeeze it out of the tube, it has a slight tint to it.

However, the tint starts to disappear once you start to blend it out, and once you've finished doing that, it's barely noticeable.

As I mentioned earlier, you only need a small amount with this. The consistency is neither too thick nor too runny, but if you put too much on, it can tend to look a little greasy. It's a bit of a weird one though, because if you have some dry patches on your skin, it can stick to them as well. So I recommend moisturising your skin thoroughly before putting this on.

And although I said that the tint isn't noticeable once it's blended in, if you have a medium to dark complexion, it might be harder for you to do so. My skin is somewhere between an NC 25 and 30, so if you're darker, I would recommend trying out a sample before you buy it.

With regard to the actual protection - Clinique says that this protects against UVA/UVB rays as well as environmental aggressors such as pollution. I don't live in a polluted city, so I can't vouch for the second bit, but I do feel like it protects my face very well against the sun. I wore it on holiday in Bournemouth and it was fantastic.

So all-in-all, I definitely recommend this as a face sunscreen for dry to normal/combination skin. The only thing that goes against it is if you have darker skin, in which case it might leave a bit of a whitish/pearly cast. And if you do buy it, be sure to use a small amount to avoid looking disco ball. :)

You can buy this product on the Clinique website or at Boots. It retails for £16.00, and also comes in a SPF 25 version if you're interested. 

I hope this review was helpful, and I'd love to know what sunscreen you use!

Update + how expensive is your face

Hi everyone! A lot has been happening in the past few weeks, hence the lack of regular updates. Thanks for sticking with me, though! Firstly - I'm blogging from India at the moment! I got 3 weeks off work and decided to come home for a holiday. It's been a year since I've been back, so it fees lovely to be amongst my friends and family again. I flew over on Saturday, and it's taken me a couple of days to get over the jet lag! Anyway, now that I'm here, I also intend on buying a lot of things that I won't get back in the UK. I already got some stuff yesterday, but it's only my first week back, and I'll probably do a collective haul in the next couple of weeks before I fly out again!

Anyway, that was the update! Now for the second part of the post. I've been seeing a lot of the 'How expensive is your face' tag on blogs and Youtbe and thought I would do one of my own. :) Now I've only included products that I use everyday - except for the eyeliner and mascara, which I'll use sometimes depending on my mood. So I've taken two totals - one with them included and one without. I've also put links to each of the products so you can check them out if you want.

Clean & Clear dual action moisturiser - £2.99 (link)
Clinique Super City Block SPF 40 - £16.00 (link)
Chapstick (cherry) - £1.05 (link)
MAC Studio Finish concealer (NC30) - £14.50 (link)
Lakme Radiance Compact (Natural Pearl) - Rs. 99 = £1.12 (link)

Total = £35.66

Rimmel Exaggerate Automatic Waterproof Eye Definer (Noir) - £3.99 (link)
Max Factor 2000 Calorie mascara (Black) - £7.99 (link)

Total with the above = £47.64

Have to say, I'm quite happy with this total! I know a lot of people's totals have crossed £100. But then again, I don't do a full face of makeup everyday, so I'm not surprised. So have you done this tag yet? What do you think your total will be?

Review: Clean and Clear face wash and moisturiser

Hi everybody! In case you hadn't noticed, I've changed the name of my blog! I'm still going to be posting a lot of beauty-related things, but also want to post on fashion, lifestyle and food-related topics. So I thought I would make the title a lot more open-ended. :) The blog design still leaves a lot to be desired, but that will have to wait, because I have a lot going on at the moment and hardly any time!

Today's products are from the Clean & Clear range, and they are the Clean & Clear exfoliating daily wash and the Clean & Clear dual action moisturiser. They are something that I have been using every day for almost one year now.

Now, before I go into the review, just a little bit of information about my skin - because skin care is different for everyone, and if you have skin different from mine, this might not have the same results for you. I have combination skin - my cheeks are dry, and my forehead gets oily by the middle of the day. It's not sensitive skin in the sense that it gets red or irritated easily, but it does react to heavy products and I have to be careful about what I put on my face (even the dry areas) because I will get breakouts.

Onto the review!

Clean and Clear exfoliating daily wash
Before I started using this face wash, I was using the Boots witch hazel foaming cleaner. I would not recommend that one at all. In just a couple of weeks, my skin had dry patches - in the middle of summer! So when I found the Clean & Clear one, I figured I'd give it a shot because it seemed to be formulated for skin similar to mine but was still gentle enough for daily use. And having used it for a year now, I can safely say that  it has become my favorite. It not only does a great job of cleansing the skin, but it leaves skin feeling soft and fresh. It doesn't dry out my cheeks at all - despite using it twice a day. The little beads in it are not abrasive in the least, and it's nice to know that I'm exfoliating my skin just a little bit with every wash. Plus you only need a tiny amount, so the 150ml lasts forever! I just bought my second tube the other day, and I still have a little left in my first one.
My verdict: Definitely buy this is you have skin similar to mine. It's inexpensive, lasts a very long time, and most importantly, does everything that it promises.
Available for £3.20 at Boots

Clean and Clear dual action moisturiser
This is my all-time favorite moisturiser. Seriously. If they ever discontinue it, I will personally go down to the Johnson&Johnson offices and picket. I've had such a problem finding good moisturisers in the past. Either they've been too light, or too greasy. I've had so many break me out, and others didn't make any difference to my skin. This one, though, is everything I would want in a moisturiser.
It is an oil-free moisturiser with a light consistency, but it still moisturises the skin really, really well. It gets absorbed into the skin so fast, and it doesn't leave any sort of greasy shine or residue. It also has salicylic acid in it, which is meant to treat breakouts, so I have no problem putting it over them. 
It's one of the few products that I feel I can put a liberal amount on without fear of it looking like too much or causing any problems. I do have to do that in winter, because my skin like everyone else's gets drier then and needs more moisture. So this would not be the best moisturiser for dry skin, but for my kind of skin, it's fantastic. The only thing is that it leaves a 'tingly' sort of feeling when you first put it on. Personally, I find this to be quite refreshing and cooling, but it might catch you by surprise. It doesn't last though, so it really isn't a big deal.
In terms of quantity, you get 100ml of product in one tube! That is a lot, especially when you consider the fact that most moisturisers come in 50ml-80ml tubes or bottles.
My verdict: If you're looking for an oil-free moisturiser that has been formulated to work with acne-prone skin, look no further.
Available for £2.99 at Boots

I hope this was useful! I know I've been really gushy in this post, but I really do love these products. And when I find something that works well for me, I have to share it, because I know how frustrating it is to find a perfect fot for skin! Have a great weekend, everyone. :)

Cleansers and toners: Nivea and Garnier

I know it's been a while, but a lot has happened since November! I've moved cities for a new job - well I'm 6 months in so it isn't really 'new' anymore, but you know what I mean! I am keen on starting up Beauty Bunting again, though, so this me doing just that!

In this post, I'm going to be talking about my all-time favorite make-up removal products - Nivea Daily Essentials Cleansing Lotion and Garnier Fresh Essentials Refreshing Toner.

I've lost count of the number of times I've purchased these, so you're going to be getting a comprehensive review here!

Let's start off with Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Cleansing Lotion.

This is a cream cleanser that I use with cotton pads like the ones in the above picture. It's not too thick or too runny, which makes it perfect for removing face make-up. I also use it to remove eye make-up, which is does extremely well. I've used more 'water-like' specialist eye make-up removers in the past, and I have to say, I prefer this one to all of them. The creamy consistency doesn't feel harsh on the skin (nothing worse than tugging and pulling at the eye area!) and you don't need a whole lot of product to do the job. As far as fragrance goes - it's nothing fruity or floral, but pleasant enough. It smells more like a lotion than a cleanser, which I think is a good thing.

This cleanser really does take off everything; foundation, concealer, mascara, lipstick - you name it! The only flipside to it is that this isn't one of those cleansers you can use on its own. You need to wash it off afterwards, otherwise it might cause breakouts. I have fairly sensitive, combination skin, and found that if I didn't wash my face after using this, my skin felt kind of greasy. Maybe if you have dry skin, it'll be different for you - but I think on general principle, you need to wash your face at the end of the day anyway!

All in all, I think this is a fantastic, great value product. You get 200ml for less than £4.00. I wanted to link to it on the Boots website, but it isn't listed there for some reason! It should be available in the bigger Boots stores in the cleansers section though - I've never had a problem getting hold of it.

Now,  moving on to Step 2 - Garnier Fresh Essentials Refreshing Toner.

I use this toner after I have cleansed and washed my face. It's a wonderfully cooling toner, that leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh. It also catches any last traces of make-up that might still be lingering (eyeliner, I'm looking at you!)

According to the bottle, it's supposed to have grapefruit and Pro-Vitamin B5. I think it's the grapefruit that gives it its fresh scent which I really enjoy. I like to soak cotton pads with it and place them on my closed eyes. It doesn't irritate them at all, but actually makes for a very relaxing experience!

I was also impressed with the fact that this toner doesn't dry out my skin. Although I have combination skin, my cheeks can get pretty dry here in the UK, and I was apprehensive when I used this for the first time, but I've had no issues so far. I really recommend this product.

You can get it online on Feelunique for £4.03 but it's about 80p or so cheaper if you pop into your local Boots.

Hope this was useful, have a nice day!