Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer

Effective concealer in a range of shades that evens out complexion and camouflages imperfections...

There are so many concealers floating around that promise the world [and perfect skin] but I'm sure I don't need to tell you how many of them leave lots to be desired. Thankfully, this isn't one of them! 

Designed with yellow base tones, so you can mask even the most stubborn of dark circles, Bobbi Brown's creamy concealer corrects just about any discolouration. It's creamy enough to blend with ease and works well in conjunction with other brands.

As with all concealer, you should ideally pick the colour that is a step lighter than your foundation; Brown provides this product in 15 different shades, both warm and cool tones, so you're bound to find a match.

Whilst this product is great for fixing panda eyes and blotchiness, it's not so good on spots. From experience, I've found that whilst it will cover them, it tends to wear off during the day. That's not to say this product isn't durable, more that it works best on low level blemishes rather than full on breakouts. If you have skin prone to spots, I'd recommend looking elsewhere for a lighter alternative, as the concealer is quite a rich texture in itself and does start to get 'heavy' if you're slapping a lot on.

As with all Bobbi Brown products, the packaging is sleek and simple in pure black and white. This product is small enough to sit in the palm of your hand and ideal for slipping into small clutch purses or pockets.

You can pick up Bobbi's creamy concealer for around £20 in House of Fraser, John Lewis or on the Bobbi Brown website.

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Oil-Free Mattifying Lotion

Shine Reducing Lotion from Boots' Skin Clear range

There's having a healthy glow...and then there's just being downright shiny. This problem sound familiar? Thought it might...

 

As someone who has to adhere to a pretty strict diet in order to keep oily skin under control, I can tell you that I've tried just about every product on the high street that promises to banish shine. Sadly, most don't seem to understand that while you do want to keep your skin hydrated, you don't want all the extra oiliness.

 

Oil-Free Mattifying Lotion from Boots has been my go-to product to solve this dilemma for the last couple of years. It's effective, gentle enough to use every day and most importantly of all, it's cheap! There comes a point where products you're going to use day-in-day-out need to have a reasonable price tag; this stuff has just that!

 

Apply to cleansed skin and you'll immediately notice a difference. It absorbs excess oil and gives your skin a smooth, dry feel, without leave you feeling like you've stripped your skin of all moisture. It's light enough to work straight on top of when applying your makeup and leaves you with a fresh, natural complexion.

 

The Skin Clear range at Boots also features cleansers, face washes, blotting papers, scrubs and rapid spot treatments; having tried a couple of these, I feel confident in saying that the whole collection seems to be effective in providing great skin care, minus the greasiness you can find with so many of these products. Well worth giving it a try!

 

This product can be found in all Boots stores for just around £2 [so you're hardly going to break the bank!]

 

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Freederm Fast Track

Very good; but not quite THAT good

Freederm Fast Track 

Great if you have the occasional breakout; not so great if you deal with bad skin on a regular basis. Freederm Fast Track works wonders on one off bouts of spots but used regularly, it's almost like your skin builds up a resistance to it. And as for working in 3 hours...well...

The product firmly states that it is to be applied after thoroughly cleansing the affected area; fair enough...but still something of an indicator that Fast Track needs all the help it can get to work. Whilst Freederm is one of the best, widely available brands for spot prone skin, from personal experience I've found it can leave you wondering what all the fuss is about.

Naturally, any product of this nature is going to have varied results from person to person. Thankfully, I have pretty decent skin about 80% of the time, but like any other 18 year old, some days that really isn't the case. If you're lucky enough to have a clear complexion then using Freederm every now and then is great because largely, it takes care of things. However for the times when you have a week long breakout etc, very little progress seems to be made. Personally, I don't think it's asking too much for a bit of consistency from a skin care product, particularly one that claims to be a fast fix for spots. 

My best advice with this stuff would be to make sure you have a good skincare regime. The more action you take to prevent breakouts, the happier you'll be in the long run, and the less you'll find yourself relying on Fast Track. That's not to say it's a bad product - compared to most others, it does work the best - but it shouldn't be mistaken for a daily staple in your routine. Drinking plenty of water, always taking makeup off at night and a good oil free moisturiser; they should be 3 steps you take every day. Freederm Fast Track? That should only come into the equation if the aforementioned slip up and you find yourself facing a bad skin day. It works well in conjunction with other products so there's no need to throw out your cleansers and scrubs  nor is it too harsh. But seriously, don't put all your hopes in it leaving you flawless in 24 hours, let alone the 3 it states you'll see results in.

This product retails at around £6 and can be found in Boots, Tesco and on Amazon.

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Quick Fix Facials; Brightening Peel Mask

Quick Fix Facials for Dull and Uneven skin tone

Brightening Peel Mask from Quick Fix Facials

This is a spa facial for those on a really tight budget. The Quick Fix Facials range also provide a variety of masks and scrubs for most skin types.

For a product that costs well under £5, this stuff really does deliver some good results. Apply the mask liberally [don't be shy about how much to put on, too little and it won't peel properly!] and leave to set for 5-10 minutes. It couldn't be simpler. Peel away then wash away excess with warm water after use; make sure you get all traces of it off otherwise it will dry out your skin.

Though this isn't a miracle cure for dull/uneven complexions, you will see some small results after using; personally, I was more than happy with the fresh feel I got afterwards than the change in my skin tone  It's great for those of you who feel that your skin needs a real pick-me-up. 

Containing Mulberry and Papaya, the mask smells fruity, without any chemical odor you sometimes find in skincare masks. It contains various natural extracts and from my own experience, doesn't have any unpleasant effects on sensitive skin. Of course this will vary from person to person, but the product isn't too harsh provided it is only left on for the recommended time period.

Overall I've found this to be a satisfactory product, despite the fact its results can sometimes be a little underwhelming. I'd suggest that you value it for the 'fresh faced' feeling rather than for its correction of uneven skin tone. It's gentle enough to use a couple of times a week and will honestly leave you feeling like you've been woken up all over again. A nice enough product but certainly not an alternative to higher quality skincare remedies for those of you looking to improve your complexions.

Quick Fix Facial products can be found in Boots for around £3, as well as on various online retailers. 

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