Review: Avène Micellar Cleansing Lotion

Micellar cleansing waters have literally revolutionalised the way I remove my makeup. I always double cleanse at night and micellar lotions are the perfect second cleanse in my routine.

I love Avène. It’s an amazing brand and their products have done wonders for my skin recently so I had really high hopes for the Avène Micellar Lotion*. As with all Avène products, this micellar water is made using silica rich Avène Thermal Spring Water. It’s suitable for sensitive skin and removes makeup without irritating or altering the skin’s natural protective barrier.

Now honestly speaking this isn’t the best micellar water I’ve tried. It really doesn’t budge stubborn eye makeup and if like me you wear a medium/full coverage foundation then this won’t get remove it in its entirety. And this is me speaking after already washing my face, I’d hate to imagine what it’d be like if this was the only product I used to remove my makeup.

However it’s not all bad news. Although it doesn’t perform well as a makeup remover, it makes the perfect toner. It’s gentle and hydrating and makes my skin feel plump and refreshed after I use it. Since my skin is so unpredictable it’s important that I don’t use anything too strong in the morning and this is gentle but effective so gets a thumbs up from me.

Avène Micellar Lotion is available to buy from Boots, priced at £12.50/200ml. Have you tried this cleansing water before?

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Superduper Spot Removers: Darphin Blemish Gel + Avene TriAcneal Review

These two are quite honestly my miracle spot treatments. My skin is seriously spot-prone and unfortunately it’s all hormonal. So whilst there’s nothing I can do to stop my spots popping up, there are things I can do to make sure they’re not around for long.

Darphin Skin Mat Blemish Clearing Gel* is a clear fast-drying gel that contains salicylic acid and essential oils. The gel is designed to purify the skin, dry and clear blemishes and helps prevent new breakouts. I’ve found that it dramatically reduces swelling if an angry spot appears and in turn makes it a lot less painful.

It also tends to reduce the length of time a spot is visible on the skin. Typically spots take about 5-7 days to disappear but when I use this they’re on their way out within 3-4 days.

Used together with the Avene TriAcneal it’s like a super duperspot remover. The TriAcneal tingles when you apply it, and again it’s great at reducing spot size and appearance. It’s designed to smooth scars too, but I honestly haven’t noticed any scar reduction in the last 6 months or so.

I can 100% say that my skin is the best it’s looked in the last two years and it’s mainly down to these two wonders. The only issue people may find with them is that they’re each around the £22-23 mark. I realise that they’re not the cheapest but you seriously need the tiniest amount of both of them so they’ll last ages!

Darphin Skin Mat Blemish Clearing Gel is available to buy from the Darphin website, priced at £22/15ml, although it’s currently on sale on the Feel Unique website. Avene TriAcneal usually retails at £23/30ml from Boots, however it’s also on sale right now on the Escentual website.

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What I Bought: Collective Beauty Haul

I know that a lot of bloggers are on a spending ban right now but most certainly am not, so here’s what I’ve picked up recently.

TOPSHOP

Louise Gray for Topshop Brush Set - £32

I was instantly drawn to these when I hit the makeup section in Topshop. I can’t find the link for them as I think they’ve sold out, but the set contains powder, blush, foundation, eyeliner and eye shadow brushes.

Lips in Rumour Has it - £8

I’ve been wanting to try Topshop lipsticks for a while as everyone raves about them and I’ve finally come across a colour that’s flattering for my skin tone. Rumour Has It is a dusty rose with a velvet finish.

THE BODY SHOP

Foundation Brush - £12

I picked up this foundation brush as I wanted something to apply facemasks with. I have a few TBS brushes already and they’re really good quality.

Lip Care Translucent - £8.50

I’ve been looking at this online for a while now and even though I don’t need to add another balm to my collection I couldn’t help but grab it.

 

Vineyard Peach Body Scrub - £6.50

This smells edible really nice. As I’ve said before I love scrubs and since this was half price in the sale it would have been rude of me not to pick it up!

JOHN LEWIS

bareMinerals Original Foundation - £24

My foundation is getting a bit low so I decided it was time to pick up a replacement. #bbloggerxmas girls will know that this is my Holy Grail foundation – I absolutely love it. The price is pretty average for a premium/high-end brand, and an 8g tub lasts me about a year so it’s really cost effective.

bareMinerals Tinted Mineral Veil - £24

I’ve wanted to try this for absolutely ages, and got the girl at the counter to try some on me and it’s even better than I expected. I think £24 is a little steep since it’s the same price as the foundation, but since I’ll only need a small amount I can see it lasting even longer than a year.

MARKS & SPENCER BEAUTY

Philip Kingsley Body & Shine Trial Pack - £15

Everyone always raves about the elasticizer so I picked up this kit so I could give it a go. I stupidly didn’t read the part that says ‘body & shine’ so this isn’t exactly for my hair type, but I’ll use it all anyway.

Tara Smith Feed The Root Shampoo & Conditioner - £10 each. Shining Moment Glosser - £12

Last month I attended a Tara Smith Blogger Event and was given some samples of her shampoo and conditioner (review to follow!). I’ve fallen in love with the sulphate-free formula and had to get some more. They’re a bit more than I’d usually pay but definitely worth it.

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Multi Usage Dry Oil - £29.50

Multi-use = Lola loves. I swapped with someone for the sample that came in a Glossybox last year and my hair was literally addicted. It smells amazing and applies like a dream.

REN Invisible Pore Detox Mask - £18

It was a big toss up between this and the Glycolatic Radiance Renewal Mask, but I think I prefer this. I’d tried both but I have a few enzyme masks already and this one is perfect for my oily skin.

Pure Instant Radiance Skin Exfoliator - £6

I’ve read some good reviews on the Marks & Spencer beauty range and a girl can never have too many exfoliators, so for just £6 this definitely had to accompany me to the till.

Perlier Honey Silk Effect Body Oil - £17.50

Yes, another body oil. It's a cruel, cruel addiction. It smells and feels amazing!

ESCENTUAL

Avene Cleanance K Cream-Gel - £8.40 (Sale price)

I love the Avene Cleanance range and had to get this during the Escentual sale.

Avene TriAcneal - £18.40 (Sale price)

I’ve got a post coming up about this so I won’t go into too much detail, but this stuff is amazing for spot/acne-prone skin.

L’Occitane Skin Supple Oil - £23.20 (Sale price)

This is one of my most favourite body oils. In fact I kept the empty bottle when I ran out of the last one because I was too upset to chuck it in the bin – sad, but true. You can read my review of it here.

Lanolips

I actually bought this on a FB swapping group. A girl had two, sealed, original tubes and was selling them for less than the price of one tube in Boots so it would have been rude not to buy!

Jemma Kidd Lipstick Duo in Eve - £2.50

I have another one of these and I adore it so picked up another one since it was such a bargain. I accidentally put the wrong colour in my basket but I think this is quite cute anyway.

So that’s how I’ve bankrupted treated myself this month so expect some reviews very soon!

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