Dermalogica Skin Perfect Primer SPF30

Promising to 'blur the lines between skincare and make-up' I was pretty chuffed to receive a couple of deluxe samples of Dermalogica's SkinPerfect Primer last week for review. I'm a bit of a primer fiend you see, Benefit's Porefessional, Smashbox's Photo Finish and La Roche-Posay's Effaclar Mat have all featured regularly in my make up routine but Dermalogica? Dermalogica is a little different. 

Dermalogica Skin Perfect Primer: €39.99

With the slight tint (provided by pearl powder and earth minerals) in this primer you could be forgiven for thinking it's more of a BB than an undercoat for foundation and truth be told I've worn it as such (and even left the house!). The velvet, soft tinted formulation has more than a little feel of silicone to it and that's what makes your foundation glide on effortlessly and stay put for the duration.  

What do the brand have to say? 

Dermalogica Skin Perfect Primer SPF30 is designed to smooth away fine lines, brighten and prime the skin. Velvety silicones create an instantly smooth surface. Neutral tint helps balance tone and enhance luminosity and radiance. Peptides and AGE Smart® actives help firm and shield against MMP and free radical damage, as sunscreens shield against sun damage.

As I say, I've only tried two (albeit deluxe) samples of Dermalogica's Primer but I'm hooked. The lavender (to my nose) scent, which might not be to everyone's taste is a first for me when it comes to primers but has added to my enjoyment of the product - I mean I'm sitting here right now, sniffing the swatch on my hand. This is definitely one on my wishlist come Pay Day this Thursday. 

What's your 'Optimus Prime'? Or do you use primer at all? Do let me know. 

Proactiv Anti Blemish 4 Piece Kit: A Four Week Trial - Week 4

Can you believe it's four weeks since we started this here Gorgebag trial? Nope, me either. It's been emotional, in that I've had to check each night and morning that Adam was using the product, that always involved him in boxers and several times plowing to music with his iPod in their waistband *shudder* There are some things even a Momma shouldn't have to see! So how have we done I hear you ask - well let's take a looksee...

Our final shot from the front sees Ad's face not hugely improved in the 4 week period. I know spots on the chin, especially large ones, can be hormone related and if there's one thing teenagers have in spades it's hormones. His overall skin tone and texture has improved though and he continues to use La Roche-Posay's Nutritic Intense with the Proactiv treatment. 

Again on the left hand side of Don Juan's kisser the skin's texture has improved but the acne remains. In the four weeks of use his frequency of breakouts has slowed down though and his skin appears to be healing in some areas. 

On the right hand side we can see that even though the number of breakouts has decreased and that skin has healed that there are a couple of really sore pimples coming to the surface. Of course, he's a teen and that happens but I had hoped that they would be cleared by this stage. 

Before Treatment

After 4 Weeks of Treatment: Twice a Day

As I've said, it's crazy to think four weeks has passed already and having had a chat with Adam he's happy to continue to use Proactiv until this 4 piece set is used up. It may have been over zealous to think that a product could work completely in one month especially since according to some lovely commenters (Thank you all, sincerely), it can take up to two months to see a marked improvement. 

For the moment we're going to continue on with the treatment (though with less of the jocks dancing supervision) and we'll put together a final post when the Proactiv kit is completely used. That seems like the fairest way to do it. 

Let me know if you've used Proactiv before and, vitally, how long it took for you to see your skin clearing. It would be really appreciated, ja? 

If you do want to give the treatment a go for your very own kisser you'll find it, still on special, on BeautyFeatures.ie  for €45.79. 

Proactiv Anti Blemish 4 Piece Kit: A Four Week Trial - Week 3

Here we are at Week 3 of the Proactiv Gorgebag Challenge and we might just have some results. Again, big thanks for all of your kind words and compliments for Ad, he's driving me nuts nodding at me Joey Tribbiani each time I read one out so, yeah, Thanks for that. (I jest, you're all wonderful). Wanna hear how we're doing? 

We're still in pretty great shape up front though you can just make out Ad's dry skin around the bridge of his nose from the Proactiv use. Thanks to Có, a very helpful commenter last week we've now started to use La Roche-Posay's brand new Nutritic Intense to help with this. It's working so well with the Proactiv system that it actually made Monday's Moments yesterday. It's that good. 

We can see on the left side of Ad's kisser that the inflammation and breakouts have calmed considerably. They're still there but are giving up the fight reluctantly and we're hoping will be even clearer with another weeks use. 

Again, on the right hand side his face has calmed right down. There is a significant change in the texture and tone of Ad's skin with a lot of the little lumps and bumps now cleared. I'll have to be completely honest and attribute some of this texture change to the serious hydrating effects of the Nutritic Intense but things are looking good. 

Our final summary for Week 3 is a positive one. Adam's skin has calmed and cleared a good deal in the past 3 weeks and although he finds the solution itself drying, the addition of a super hydrating cream has made things a lot easier. Here's hoping we've an even bigger improvement for next weeks final installment. 

Another snippet of advice: if you're planning on using Proactiv, be sure to use old towels and face cloths when washing and drying your kisser, I've just lost half a DKNY towel bale to blahhhdy bleach stains (bastadin' benzoyl peroxide) *shakes fist*. Again, should you wish to join us in the Proactiv Challenge you'll find the range on BeautyFeatures.ie with several other products to choose from too. 

See you next week for the final reveal everyone *runs off to buy tiny curtains to attach to Gorgebag's fringe*

Check out Week 1 of the challenge here and Week 2 here. 

(Am I the only one noticing that Ad's face is
 actually changing shape in front of our very 
eyes? Dude has grown about an inch since we 
started this challenge and is almost creaking 
in front of me. I'm not for one minute saying 
Proactiv is 'manning him up' but wowza he's growing fast.) 

Proactiv Anti Blemish 4 Piece Kit: A Four Week Trial

If there's one thing youngest Gorgebag is not short on it's confidence and quite rightly so, even if a Momma's opinion is a little biased. Recently though he's been plagued with breakouts as is a teenage skins wont and it's getting him down a little. In three steps, that we're hoping, might be a solution, the Proactiv Anti Blemish skincare system is going to give it its best shot to help us out. 

You might recognise Proactiv from such famous face parts as Jessica Simpson's T Zone, Katy Perry's smig and Justin Bieber's smug cheeks, the list of celebrities that have lined up to endorse this product goes on and on and yep, that's great but when Lorraine over at Beauty Features told me that's it's one of their best selling skincare products with the highest rate of repeat purchases then I knew we'd have to try it. 

Proactiv Anti Blemish 4 Piece Kit: €45.79

The Proactiv range, using the active ingredient Salicylic Acid, works in 3 steps to clear blemishes and prevent future breakouts. 

Renew: The oil free cleanser contains tiny microbeads to gently exfoliate. This is to be applied morning and evening to dampened skin. 
Revitalise: The revitalising toner helps lift any remaining residue on the skin and assists in closing the pores, making skin appear calmer. 
Repair:  There are two lotions on the 4 Piece Set, one specifically for day time and one for night. Both contain Vitamin D, E and Retinol to even skin tone and help to reduce further breakouts on the skin. 

And now to the testing: In true Blue Peter style - here's one I made earlier... 

#TotesAdorbs

We've included 'Before' photos here because over the next four weeks we're going to put Proactiv's claims to the test and use these photos side by side to judge progress. Check in next Toosdy to see how we're doing one week on. 

The Proactiv Anti Blemish skincare system is available on BeautyFeatures.ie right now should you wish to join us in this trial, I can't guarantee you'll look as devilishly handsome as teenage Rico Suave up there but we have high hopes for a clear kissers all round in a matter of weeks. 

Have you tried Proactiv already? I'd love to know what kind of results you've had. 

It's BEE-Ginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: Burt's Bees Christmas Gift Ideas

You might remember that Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm very easily made it into my top 3 of all balms a little while back. The story of the company's set up and continual growth makes for very interesting reading as does their commitment to keeping natural products natural. It's no wonder then that their products are on many a HG list, not just mine for balms. 

This Christmas season Burt's Bees have taken the sting (geddit?) out of gift buying with their beautiful pre made gift sets. If you're a natural product lover or buying for one then there's without doubt something here that'll float your boat at a price you'll like. 

I've picked out a couple of my favourites to give you a look but there's many, many more available in pharmacies, health stores, Avoca and Easons (Yes, Easons) nationwide.  

Burt's Bees Basics

Burt's Bees Tips & Toes

Burt's Bees Basics comes in two sets:

• Balm & Hand salve
• Balm & Lemon Cuticle Creme

Burt's Bees Tips & Toes contains everything you'll need for hand and foot care with:

• Almond Milk Hand Cream
• Hand Salve
• Honey & Grapeseed Hand Cream
• Coconut Foot Cream
• Lemon Cuticle Cream
• Replenishing Lip Balm

The brand have very kindly sent me the Burt's Bees Travel Basics set so you can have a looksee at exactly what's contained below. Lovely, right?

Burt's Bees Travel Basics Gift Set

Burt's Bees Favourites: Pomegranate 

And my final pick of the crop that just so happens to be the most expensive of the lot is the Favourites gift set in pomegranate that contains: 

• Cranberry & Pomegrante Sugar Scrub
• Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Lotion
• Pomegranate Lip Balm
• Body Wash Puff
• Body Bar

What do we think? Could they BEE any cuter? (OK, I'll stop now)

Psst: Just a quick heads up,

I stumbled across BeautyFeatures.ie

with several of these sets at reduced 

cost! If you like 'em, buzz over there quicksmart

(Swear that's the last one)

The Brains Behind your Favourite Beauty Sites - Beauty Features.ie

In this weeks instalment of The Brains Behind your Favourite Beauty Sites series we have one of the ladies that was one of the first and friendliest professional Irish women that I have had the pleasure to deal with in my quest for beauty products, Lorraine Marren.

Long before I set up this blog I was ordering my beauty fixes from Beauty Features and astonished every single time at the speed with which my booty arrived. Not only that but the second to none Customer Service that Lorraine supplies personally always brings me back. I know you're all dying to know the sca, so take it away, Lorraine!

1. What inspired you to set up your site?

I studied Multimedia in college and had a passion for business online. Having purchased beauty products online from other sites I was annoyed when I often got caught by customs charges. Convenience was the reason I would shop online and nobody in Ireland was providing this service. Eager to fill the need for top beauty brands available from the comfort of your own home, I set up BeautyFeatures.ie

2. How long have you been beautifying the country?

BeautyFeatures.ie went live in April 2010, and in April 2011 we launched BeautySkincare.ie specialising in Dermalogica. We are just about to relaunch BeautyFeatures.ie with a new site, which benefits the customer with better deals on their favourites! Can't wait to get it live!

3. What’s your favourite part of the job?

Well I’m very lucky to be able to say I Love my job, and there isn’t a morning I dread going to work. We’ve a great team, and just as it should be, beauty is fun!
If I had to pick a favourite part...it has to be testing new and exciting products...who wouldn’t Love that!? Customers reactions always make me laugh too. The amount of emails and phonecalls we receive to thank us for such a speedy service. People are shocked we can turnaround an order so quickly. It’s great to hear back from them. It's a constant reminder that the Irish are great, and we've built up strong relationships with a lot of our customers.

4. What’s the one thing about your job that people might not know?

Only our courier is outsourced. Everything is done in-house by a very small (busy) team. From packing hundreds of orders to accounts, to design, marketing and web development. What we don't know we learn, and that's what has been so exciting from day 1...it's a constant learning curve and we love it! Also, Therese, our Bronwyn Conroy trained, CBTCD Beauty Therapist is based in Dalkey, County Dublin. Therese, established her business, Calme Beauty Therapy, more than a decade ago. She specializes in acne, rosacea and sensitized skin care and holds a post graduate qualification from the International Dermal Institute. She has been putting smiles on our Dermalogica customers faces for a year now. Ask her anything. She's superb, and so passionate about skincare.

5. If you could choose just one product to recommend to a friend – what would that be?

Only ONE? Ah come on! :) ....hmm. I’d say Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant – after your first use you’ll be hooked! Soft & Smooth skin from a deep cleansing scrub gentle enough to use every day....every house in Ireland should have this product! It’s 10 years old this year and is Dermalogica’s top selling product worldwide. We sell it at nearly €9 cheaper and it lasts forever! Don’t bring it into the shower though...I learnt the hard way a few years ago :) It gets ruined.

Thanks so much, Lorraine for taking the time to chat to us. Wasn't that fascinating, folks? I for one didn't know that Therese was on board and will certainly be investigating further.

To celebrate the new site unveiling and because she rocks, Lorraine is offering an exclusive reader discount of 15% off all full priced products on the site. Enter CHERRYSUE (in capitals) at the checkout of beautyfeatures.ie and the same code for FREE Delivery on all Dermalogica orders on beautyskincare.ie! (I'll definitely be picking up that Daily Microfoliant).  Both discounts are valid until the end of May. 

Believe it or not, it gets better: she's also generously offering a whopping €50 Beauty Features voucher for one of you lucky lot! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to include your entry(ies). As ever entry is simple. Facebook Likes FTW!

Thanks again, Lorraine. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway