Thursday, 25 May 2017

Part 2: Zelens Power C Treatment Drops



This is the 2nd part of my blog post about a couple of Zelens products I have been trying over the last few months. The first one went up a few weeks ago about my love for Hydro Shiso, this one has been much harder to write and I needed to put a little more thought behind it so it wasn’t ready as quickly as I hoped. Life got in the way and everything. As it does :/

So, to begin. I started getting interested in Vitamin C as an ingredient towards the end of last year and had been on the lookout for a serum to introduce into my routine. I had heard many things about these drops, lots of hit and miss reviews, but with a price of £125 there was no way I could justify buying them. Then on my search I came across them selling for £40 brand new, sealed and unopened on eBay. Obviously, I had to get them.

These drops come in an oil soluble formula containing 20% Vitamin C concentration in the form of Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate. This ester, unlike L-Ascorbic acid, does not exfoliate or irritate the skin, therefore being much more suitable for sensitive skins. It can penetrate the skin fastest and unlike L-ascorbic acid it doesn’t go ‘off’ as easily due to becoming unstable when exposed to light and air. The shelf life of these drops are 6 months and for me personally I would not have used them up within that time frame. But apparently the colour of the product may turn to brown, so that’s a clear indication that the Vitamin C is no more. I would always recommend keeping products away from sunlight and heat as much as possible anyway just to help extend its life.

Zelens claims that using these drops daily will promote skin firmness and elasticity as well as reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. But for me personally the reason for me wanting to introduce Vitamin C was more surrounding the claims that it brightens and evens skin tone as well as providing antioxidant protection. My skin tends to look dull and sullen so I was hoping these would give it a good boot.

Now onto my experience, it is worth noting that during the initial introduction of these I was in the process of moving house and stress levels were high! I used 3 drops as my serum every morning before applying my moisturiser, I noticed within a few days an increase in whiteheads and skin sensitivity but I continued to persevere as I really wanted them to work for me. After a few more days of my skin being in a poor condition I decided to stop using the drops. Instead of completely ruling them out I wanted to shelve them for a little while and see how my skin played without them. Of course, my skin cleared up pretty much straight away and it went back to being happy :/ So frustrating but at the time I put it down to a few things. 1, that the Vitamin C content was too strong and I can be quite sensitive to actives so maybe it was too much for me. 2, these drops include Geranium Oil and that has been known to irritate me before even though it is supposed to have antiseptic properties and balance sebum/oil production and 3, my skin was already stressed with the move and introducing this strong product was too much at the time. As it happens I’ll never really know the answer to that!

Following my above experience, I was still determined to have a play and see if I could get the drops to work for me. So I did some research and found that using a ‘buffer’ that provides a protective, hydrating layer may help my skin accept the Vitamin C. So I started to mix with 3 drops of Hyaluronic Acid to create an emulsion. This was the game changer. I did not get any reaction and my skin continued to be happy! Hallelujah!

I trialled these drops for around 3 months in total and I used 3 drops every morning in conjunction with my beloved hyaluronic acid serum. This combination worked well and I found that the oiliness of the drops were lightweight enough for daytime use and mixed brilliantly with other products. Upon application my skin looked brighter and more glowy, so I was excited to continue use.

Unfortunately, despite my commitment to using these drops nothing really improved for me. Guaranteed upon use my skin would look healthy, bright and soft, but these effects did not last. I think I was expecting a lot more for the price. I was hoping my skin texture and dull appearance would improve and that any faded scars I had would gradually disappear. The hefty dose of Vitamin C led me to believe that it would be a powerhouse in brightening pigmentation and skin. To me the results I got were not that different to any other serum and because of that I am disappointed.

Having read up on this product I understand that it is recommended that you are consistent with use for a period of at least 6 weeks which I definitely was, so I don’t think that was the issue. But obviously that’s something to bear in mind should you wish to purchase. It’s not going to give the wow factor straight away. Of course, this product may provide fantastic protective properties against pollutants and the environmental effects on ageing in the long term, but I guess that is not something I would necessarily ‘see’ right now. Either way at £125 a pop I won’t be waiting around to find out!

Although this review isn’t the most positive I will say it certainly isn’t a bad product and of course every skin is different so I would never dissuade someone from purchasing, but for me this won’t be a repurchase. Maybe I should have persevered longer or increased the dosage to see if that made a difference but I just don't see the point of putting something on my face I'm not enjoying. So now I add a few drops to my body cream to give it a boost! Not sure if that's sensible but at least its not going to waste! I am just glad that I got to try these for £40 instead of the full price!

Ingredients:
Coco Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Isoamyl Laurate, Linoleic Acid, Isoamyl Cocoate, Phospholipids, Glycolipids, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Malpighia Emarginata (Cherry) Fruit Extract, Psidium Guajava (Guava) Fruit Extract, Ribes Nigrum (Blackcurrant) Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Lipids, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Linolenic Acid, Tocopherol, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Leaf Oil, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/CapricTriglyceride, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, CaprylylCaprylate/Caprate, Isoamyl Laurate, Linoleic Acid, Isoamyl Cocoate, Phospholipids, Glycolipids, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala (Kale) Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Malpighia Emarginata (Cherry) Fruit Extract, Psidium Guajava(Guava) Fruit Extract, Ribes Nigrum (Blackcurrant) Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Lipids, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Linolenic Acid, Tocopherol, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Leaf Oil, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool. Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/CapricTriglyceride, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, CaprylylCaprylate/Caprate, Isoamyl Laurate, Linoleic Acid, Isoamyl Cocoate, Phospholipids, Glycolipids, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala (Kale) Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Malpighia Emarginata (Cherry) Fruit Extract, Psidium Guajava(Guava) Fruit Extract, Ribes Nigrum (Blackcurrant) Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Lipids, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Linolenic Acid, Tocopherol, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Leaf Oil, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool. Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/CapricTriglyceride, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, CaprylylCaprylate/Caprate, Isoamyl Laurate, Linoleic Acid, Isoamyl Cocoate, Phospholipids, Glycolipids, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala (Kale) Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Malpighia Emarginata (Cherry) Fruit Extract, Psidium Guajava(Guava) Fruit Extract, Ribes Nigrum (Blackcurrant) Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Lipids, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Linolenic Acid, Tocopherol, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Leaf Oil, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool. Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/CapricTriglyceride, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, CaprylylCaprylate/Caprate, Isoamyl Laurate, Linoleic Acid, Isoamyl Cocoate, Phospholipids, Glycolipids, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala (Kale) Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Malpighia Emarginata (Cherry) Fruit Extract, Psidium Guajava(Guava) Fruit Extract, Ribes Nigrum (Blackcurrant) Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Lipids, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Linolenic Acid, Tocopherol, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Leaf Oil, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool.

I would be interested to hear your Vitamin C recommendations as I am on the hunt for a new serum! Also, if you have tried this please share your experiences, I would love to hear your thoughts!
You can buy these drops from Look Fantastic here for £125.00 for 30ml.

Thanks for reading xx
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Thursday, 4 May 2017

Part 1: Zelens Hydro Shiso Balancing Moisturiser


This is part 1 of my post about 2 Zelens skincare products I have been using over the last few months. Both of which have very different outcomes for me.

A little bit of background on the brand - Dr Marko Lens is the founder of Zelens, he applies his 20 years’ experience as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon into creating effective, innovative products which are both scientifically and botanically formulated without the use of animal testing or parabens. He is renowned for his knowledge in skin aging and skin cancer and continues to do clinical research in these fields. His study of Japanese Kampo medicine which is based on the powerful healing properties of botanicals clearly influences the ingredients within his products, these areas combined are what led me to having an interest in the brand.

Zelens states that each product undergoes independent clinical testing where the proof can be found on their website. Having had a look at the ‘clinical proof’ I found that it isn’t available for all products and the information isn’t given for this particular moisturiser. 15 out of the 23 products have this but I wouldn’t know how accurate the studies are. I’d like to think that the percentages given are a true depiction of the results, but who knows. 


Now onto the product itself, Hydro Shiso is a lightweight cream that is fortified with a ‘unique bioavailable lipid complex’ (I have no idea what that actually means but it sounds good :/) Ultimately it’s designed to prevent moisture loss, boost hydration and help maintain the skin’s moisture balance. Which is exactly what all moisturisers should do if you ask me, but not all brands get it right! Dr Marko Lens you most certainly have! The main active ingredient in this is the Shiso Leaf which acts as an antioxidant and helps prevent reactive skin and soothes sensitivity. Amongst other ingredients there is the inclusion of Cocoa and Cupuacu butters which initially put me off purchasing, but I have had no problems with breakouts so don’t let that stop you from trying this. These primarily come together to increase softness and promote skin elasticity.

Without beating around the bush, I can say hands down this is one of the best moisturisers I’ve tried which is slightly annoying considering it costs in the region of £50! I have always struggled to find a daytime moisturiser which sits nicely on the skin without turning me into a greaseball hours later. I can now sing hallelujah as this one fits that category completely!

Upon contact the cream melts into skin, absorbing beautifully leaving a smooth satin finish providing the perfect base for makeup. I can even skip primer with this! In my opinion this is perfect for combination/oily skins but it might not be hydrating enough for drier complexions. Although you wouldn’t want to spend a lot of money on this only to alter it I would recommend blending in a couple of drops of facial oil if you suffer with drier skin. It mixes with oils seamlessly, providing added nutritional benefits and of course adding further hydration.

In terms of scent, its fresh and light, although it does contain fragrance it isn’t top of the list and it hasn’t given me any problems. It smells exactly as I would want a moisturiser to smell if that makes sense?!


Guaranteed this is a lot of money to spend on a day cream especially one that doesn’t ‘do’ anything fancy, but for me the search for a good daytime moisturiser has been a long one, and this fits the bill perfectly. It also works well as a night cream, I find I use this when I want something simple and gentle so to speak. I will repurchase at some point I’m sure, but I am near the end of finishing this tube and I have a few other moisturisers I want to try!

Ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract, Phospholipids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sphingolipids, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Myristyl Malate Phosphonic Acid, Tocopherol, Polyacrylamide, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Parfum (Fragrance), Sorbitan Oleate, Laureth-7, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Levulinate, Potassium Sorbate, Linalool, Tromethamine.

Have you tried this or anything from the Zelens range? I would love to know your thoughts and recommendations! You can buy Hydro Shiso for £55 from Look Fantastic, link here


Thanks for reading xx
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Monday, 1 May 2017

Current Beauty Favourites...



I’ve been lacking in posting my beauty favourites and I totally missed the boat on posting my March Favourites as intended because I went on holiday and everything was a rush. So I thought I would do a roundup now of what I have been enjoying the last couple of months!

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel
This gel to oil cleanser has been a firm favourite for morning, it replaced my beloved Jordan Samuel Plie when that ran out. It is very similar in texture and results, but smells like soft roses and Turkish delight! I will be doing a full blog post on the 2 products I have been using from the Renaissance range as I have really enjoyed them. This has left my skin feeling smooth and plump, plus it rinses off beautifully without the need for a cloth.

IT Cosmetics CC Cream
Another new discovery for me the last couple of months is this makeup hybrid. After seeing so many positive reviews I quickly jumped at the chance to purchase when QVC were selling it recently. It isn’t as heavy as I was expecting but is highly pigmented, and leaves a smooth polished look to the skin, hiding redness and fatigue well. You will need something more to conceal any blemishes or scars, but it is perfect for spring/summer when lighter bases are desired. The thing I love about it is a little goes a long way (half a pump for me) and it blends beautifully into the skin leaving it glowing. I have the shade Light which I think is a pretty good match for my skin tone! Buying without testing is always a risk but this paid off well!  I will be doing a full review on this shortly…

La Roche Posay Anthelios Anti-Shine SPF 50 Mist
I purchased this to take away on a short trip to Barcelona knowing full well the sun would most likely be shining more than here in the UK! It has become a must have for me and I will be taking this away with me whenever I travel. It is a super fine mist which layers easily and is undetectable on the skin. I applied this after makeup and then took this handy sized bottle in my bag so I could re-apply throughout the day. There was no build up and the rays didn’t get me. I will be doing an upcoming post comparing spray SPF’s as I really think they are such a great way to keep your SPF topped up!

Revlon ColourBurst Balm Stain in Rendezvous
This lightweight lip stain has been in my bag for a few weeks now, the bright orange tint brightens up my eyes and complexion hiding any forms of tiredness! It was an everyday staple when I was in on holiday. When the sun comes out I always feel the need to wear coral! It just works for me, especially with my blonde hair. This gave moisture but was long lasting and I could apply so easily. A spring/summer must have!

Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid Lotion SPF 30
This is a new addition I bought from CVS at the very start of my trip to Hawaii and have used it every day since. It is a super runny lightweight fluid and leaves no white cast. I love that it doesn’t clog my pores and provides an excellent base for makeup, leaving a demi-matte finish. It isn’t hydrating enough to be used in place of a moisturiser but I can confidently say it has worked over the top of any moisturiser or oil. Now I need to find a way of getting it from the UK :/

OGX Renewing Argan Weightless Reviving Dry Oil
Again another product which I took on holiday. This saved my hair, preventing dryness, leaving it silky smooth and frizz free. It seemed to help detangle my locks and didn’t feel heavy or greasy. I have never managed to find a product with Argan oil that I actually liked but I think this will be a repurchase. It also added a nice shine bringing out my blonde highlights!

La Roche Posay Respectimissie Volume Mascara
This purchase was completely enabled by ‘Alex Steinherr’. I saw this on her Instagram stories and immediately wanted it! It was £10 from Feel Unique at the time so I was a happy bunny. I love everything about this mascara, the sleek packaging, the brush and the effect it has on my lashes. There is no smudging and only a few coats of this and lashes look so much longer and plumped! It doesn’t go clumpy either. This definitely isn’t waterproof (I realised this when I had a laughing fit and tears ran down my face. Along with the mascara :/) but that doesn’t bother me as it isn’t designed to be WP. 100% repurchase.

What have you been loving this month?

Thanks for reading xx


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