moisturiser

TALKING POINT: Liz Earle’s reformulation of Sheer Skin Tints

Standard

Image result for liz earle skin tints

^^Reformulated product packaging

We need to talk about Liz Earle and their new tinted moisturiser. We received a PR sample of their Sheer Skin Tints a few years back and we were astonished at just how good it was. A highly pigmented tinted moisturiser with a natural finish and great coverage. It was easy to apply and easy to wear. It was lightweight and your skin felt totally natural wearing it. It was in a class of its own, somewhere between foundation and tinted moisturiser. The real miracle was for combination skin types…it continued to give good coverage throughout the day without provoking more oil production or settling into pores, which frankly is a miracle.

It immediately became our Holy Grail base product and we used it every day, extolling its virtues to everyone who would listen. Then the worst happened…we began to hear news of a reformulation. And the feedback wasn’t good. No, surely this couldn’t be! We went straight to Liz Earle to ask them about it and they confirmed this.

This is what Liz Earle had to say “The new formula visibly smooths, brightens and hydrates. It is lightweight and silicone-free,helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and imperfections, which also visibly evens skin tone.”

We went straight to our local Liz Earle counter to try it for ourselves. And we will say this. It is a totally different product, even the shades are different (even though they have the same name). It is now a very dewy finish and light coverage. Some people may like it better, but it didn’t work at all for us. It didn’t even our skin tone and separated and collected in our pores super fast. We’ll post some photos of this soon.

We’re so disappointed by this. It definitely shouldn’t be sold under the same name as it’s nothing like the original sheer skin tints. If you’re in any doubt, don’t make a £24.50 mistake and go try it out first. If you have purchased it, Liz Earle have advised that you can return it for a refund at one of their counters.

And us? We’ve tracked down all the old product we can find and bought it all. Sniff.

UNBOXING: Birchbox Dec 2015 – All That Glimmers

Standard

Image result for birchbox december 2015 bag

Unboxing? This was an unbagging. Birchbox were pretty pleased with themselves calling it the ‘Luxe Birchbag’. A glittery clutch best kept for housing your Birchbox treats rather than taking out in public anywhere! Plus it doesn’t stack hah. Happy Christmas though…

BENEFIT:  Puff off! and They’re Real Push-Up Liner Duo
Value: Approx £2 (not sure of weight)

Image result for BENEFIT: Puff off! and They're Real Push-Up Liner Duo sample

“You’ll find everything you need to perfect your peepers for party season inside this gorgeous kit! Heading out? A slick of this jet-black liner will complete any make-up look in style. The morning after? Sooth tired eyes with this de-puffing formula.”

BT INITIAL OPINION:  These samples are sooo tiny. They really should only be ‘free’ extras….we actually have the full size liner (for its waterproof qualities) and would describe it as gimmicky and hard to use.

MODELCO:  Ultra Long-Lasting Lipstick in Stiletto, 3.5g
Value: £5.17

Image result for MODELCO: Ultra Long-Lasting Lipstick in Stiletto

“This hydrating, semi-matte formula provides nourishment and long-lasting colour.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – It’s a bright red lipstick from Ozzie brand ModelCo. Not much more to say than that. It seems OK but we’re not too excited about this one.

CIATE: Paint Pot in Dangerous Affair, 5ml
Value: £3.34

Image result for CIATE: Paint Pot in Dangerous Affair, 5ml
“Super-pigmented, ultra long-lasting and a cinch to apply.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – This is a mini bottle. We love Ciate’s bottles and polishes and this is a classic wine red colour. Given the rest of this month’s Birchbox is pretty unexciting, it’s a shame this isn’t full size, but it’s cute and we like it.

MONU:  Firming Moisturiser, 30ml
Value: £16.50

Image result for MONU Firming Moisturiser

“An aromatic blend of essential oils as well as coconut oil and marine collagen work to smooth fine lines and hydrate tired skin.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Quality skincare is always welcome, but this is pricey! It would have to perform particularly well to justify the pricetag. It feels quite rich, but we’ll report back.

KORRES:  Santorini Vine Shower Gel, 40ml
Value: £1.28

Image result for KORRES: Santorini Vine Shower Gel, 40ml
“Fresh and fruity, it’s the ultimate pick-me-up on chilly winter mornings and is packed with nourishing wheat proteins to help moisturise your skin while it cleanses.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – It’s basically just a shower gel, but it does smell really great; a woody citrus that has unisex appeal and is refreshing.

BIRCHBOX EXTRA:  Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris, 2ml
Value: £2.40

Image result for BIRCHBOX EXTRA: Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris, 2ml

“Sophisticated yet fruity.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – We kind of groan a little inside when we see a perfume sample but we actually quite liked this one. It’s on the sweet side, with a fruity scent…totally different to what we’d usually choose, but we’ll happily wear this.

OVERALL VERDICT:

We were pretty underwhelmed by the selection we received this month. We thought maybe the budget had gone on the bag, but we saw the other variants of boxes that were sent out and ours is definitely the worst. Sigh. We hate massive variation in boxes as it can be so disappointing and unfair – it’s the reason we left Glossybox very fast. Basically totally uninspired, almost totally not on-theme. The Monu moisturiser is a nice inclusion but the rest of the products were low value or absolutely tiny.

Total value: £37.54

Box price: £10.00 plus £2.95 shipping (rolling month by month subscription) – although we got this on a discount offer

Note: We paid for this Birchbox with our own hard-earnt pennies

Like the look of Birchbox? Subscribe at www.birchbox.co.uk and you’ll get £5 off your first box! You’re welcome 😉