Caroline Hirons: skincare

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The views expressed on this site are the author's own and are provided for informational purposes only. The author makes no warranties about the suitability of any product or treatment referenced or reviewed here for any person other than herself and any reliance placed on these reviews or references by you is done so solely at your own risk. Nothing on this site shall be construed as providing dermatological, medical or other such advice and you are always advised to seek the advice of a suitable professional should you have any such concerns.

Monday, 4 July 2016

New thinking, newer practices - and skincare brands I'm loving

I have so much to blog about I honestly don't know where to start. I cannot tell you how much I am loving the industry at the moment. There is so much great newness coming out of the US in particular, that I can't wait to get it on my face, get it on client's faces, talk about it, talk to retailers about them. It's just exciting. After a couple of years down the *argan oil and sheet masks* black hole (kill me now), it's so welcome.

All of these brands, besides springing out of the West Coast (and beyond) have one thing in common: they all invoke a sense of calm to the skin and mind that seems to fit perfectly in both the current world - and they all blend beautifully into treatment rooms when used in conjunction with hi-tec brands.

Leahlani Skincare is based in Hawaii (as you do) and contains some beautiful serums, oils and and balms, none of which have disappointed thus far. My most-used products in treatments are the Champagne Serum and Bohemian Ruby Balancing Toner.

If you're in the UK you can buy Leahlani at www.reinaorganics.com/leahlani and in the US from www.leahlaniskincare.com

Mahalo Skincare is another Hawaiian-based brand (erm thanks Hawaii!) that comes prepared in beautiful hand carved glass-in-wood packaging and again like Leahlani is made of beautiful raw, natural ingredients that you literally cannot wait to get on your skin. My most-used products are currently Vacation Glow and the Mahalo Balm.

Mahalo is available in the UK from www.alyaka.com and in the US from mahalo.care

OK I know it's not brand new, but: I've nearly used up my goop Perfecting Eye Cream, and I've used either this, or Tata Harper's Restorative Eye Cream on all of my clients, who love both of them. Still not here and they don't ship to the UK (idiots), but I know they are speaking to UK retailers, so hold your breath.

Available in the US only (sigh) from goop.com/perfecting-eye-cream

Josh Rosebrook is based in LA and this Hydrating Accelerator is so beautiful that I almost want to selfishly keep it to myself. You have to smell it to believe it.

He is in select stockists in the US and is available in the UK from abeautifulworld.co.uk/josh-rosebrook

Kypris have been on the blog before but they have just released a couple of new products including a cleanser and SPF, both of which I'm loving so far. The 1000 Roses oil is beautiful for facial massage.

Available in Selfridges and on CultBeauty.com in the UK and their own site for US/overseas kyprisbeauty.com/cleanser

January Labs' Restorative Tonic Mist, along with May Lindstrom's Jasmine Garden, has come to the treatment room with me every week. Its aloe and calendula base make it great for misting pre/during and post treatment. January has also given me exclusive access to her professional peel for use in my treatments.

Available on cultbeauty.co.uk and on January's site: januarylabs.com/restorative-tonic-mist

Treatment talk would not be complete without mention of The Blue Cocoon. It has literally been used on everyone mid/post-treatment (unless contra-indicated) to the same response, which generally involves a low-level, contented exhalation of breath.
The May Lindstrom range is available in a few stockists in the UK including CultBeauty.co.uk and naturisimo.com but there is nothing like receiving the beautifully-wrapped black parcels from the woman herself: maylindstrom.com

Since I've been back in facials I've been using my clients as additional testers (with their knowledge - obviously) and they are also loving what I'm using. I'm always careful what I mix and match, you can't do a serious peel and then rock up with some random serums with conflicting ingredients, so I've been 'tail-ending' with some slightly more natural brands and the results are amazing.

I have more posts planned this week with details of products used in the treatments, including the hi-tec gang, tomorrow.

*Not a sponsored post in any way. Some links are affiliate links, which help to support this blog. If you are happy to use my links, thank you kindly. If not, simply google the brands in a new page. It's all good.

Wednesday, 11 May 2016

Giorgio Armani Prima

For reasons known only to themselves, Armani aren't launching this in the UK until the end of September. If you live in the US however, Bob's your Uncle. So just for you... :)

When I first started in the industry, and indeed even up to the first few years of this blog, skincare made by makeup artists or couture houses was a strict no-no. The couture houses have really upped their game, being cynical you could say that it's probably because they can see the dollar signs, but also because many of them have the large financial backing of a large corporation to fund research/NPD and actually make products that are efficacious as well as aesthetically pleasing.

Armani is one of those brands, in this case collaborating with Linda Cantello who wanted to help create the perfect base for a base. If you know what I mean. :)
Prima is designed to help those of us who find that their makeup loses its lustre throughout the day, no matter what you throw at it. Prima is almost a hybrid between skincare, a CC Cream and primer, which is how I've been using it. The Glow-On Moisturising Balm, used on top of my moisturiser, makes it hold better, glow better and look better. Fundamentally, the idea is that you don't need to touch up during the day. So far so good, except for the very top 1/2 inch of my forehead or as I like to call it: 'Hot Flash Central'. That needs help from above, not Armani.

If you're of the slightly more oily persuasion, you can use the Day-Long Skin Perfector on areas where you just know you'll be shining by mid-morning such as nose, chin, forehead, eyelids or any areas specific to your skin. In this case, you are smoothed and mattified, but you have the same staying power.

The Eye & Lip Contour Perfector is for those of us concerned with wrinkles/fine lines in the lip and eye area and it has a toning/firming effect as well as helping the makeup to grip.

All three are released in the UK on 28th September but are available in the USA via Nordstrom.com starting at $70.00.

Sunday, 14 February 2016

What to Buy? Honest Beauty

This week's What to Buy? comes from Honest Beauty, the new beauty line extension from Jessica Alba's Honest brand.

I LIKE.

Honest Beauty is available from https://www.honestbeauty.com/

The store that I visited is located in The Grove, Beverly Hills.

My top is from Banana Republic http://bit.ly/1QfCxB

and my nails (always my most-asked question) are OPI Gels in Fluffy Bunny http://bit.ly/1KPm76E

Products mentioned:

https://www.honestbeauty.com/products/refreshing-gel-cleanser

https://www.honestbeauty.com/products/powder-cleanser

https://www.honestbeauty.com/products/hydrating-face-mist

https://www.honestbeauty.com/products/daily-face-moisturizer

https://www.honestbeauty.com/products/hydrating-face-cream

https://www.honestbeauty.com/products/beauty-fluid-sheer-tint

https://www.honestbeauty.com/products/face-primer

https://www.honestbeauty.com/products/cream-foundation in Linen

https://www.honestbeauty.com/products/luminizing-face-powder in Midnight Reflection and Dawn Reflection

https://www.honestbeauty.com/products/eyeliner-pencil in Truly Black

https://www.honestbeauty.com/products/mascara-lash-primer

https://www.honestbeauty.com/products/lip-gloss in Playful Kiss

OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/carolinehirons

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http://www.instagram.com/carolinehirons

Pinterest:

http://gb.pinterest.com/carolinehirons/

Bloglovin':

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Caroline Hirons c/o

Gleam Futures

6th Floor

60 Charlotte Street

London W1T 2NU

caroline@gleamfutures.com (skincare queries cannot be answered at this address)

Some links may be affiliates. This is not a sponsored post.

See my full disclaimer here:

http://bit.ly/1rpEmSq

Saturday, 8 August 2015

Pixi Skintreats International Giveaway

If you do not live in Central London, you may have missed the quiet launch of the brand new Pixi Skintreats range at their flagship store this week. It's been nearly three years since I first posted about the Glow Tonic (you can read the original review here) and since that time it has taken off in a way that no-one could predict, least of all myself and Pixi.

To celebrate the extension of the skincare range, I am totally calling in my have-Pixi-on-speed-dial-status and giving away 7 products of my choice to one lucky reader of this blog. I've picked a full routine suitable for any skin type or age.

One winner will receive the following full sizes:

Glow Tonic - obvs! (not pictured)
Nourishing Cleansing Balm - delicious
Glow Peel Pads - think Glow Tonic on speed
Glow Mud Cleanser - perfect for extra oomph in warmer weather
24K Eye Elixir - must-have
Rose Oil Blend - blissful
Glowtion Day Dew - makes anyone look alive

I will review the skincare properly after the competition in time for its nationwide launch, but in the meantime, if you would like to be in with a chance of winning all of the above, simply enter as usual via rafflecopter below.
No jumping through hoops, no following or rt'ing, just a 'Thank You' from Pixi for your amazing support of the brand.

Pixi Skintreats are currently available in the Foubert's Place store and online at www.pixibeauty.co.uk/skintreats.
They launch nationwide on 3rd September (details to follow) and in the USA early next year.

To enter, simply do so via the widget below:

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, 12 June 2015

Muji In-store appearance - Tuesday 16th June

To celebrate the launch of Muji's great new skincare line, I am popping along to their store inside Selfridges Oxford Street next week.

What you need to know:

The event runs from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on TUESDAY 16TH JUNE in the Muji store in Selfridges Lower Ground Floor.
Attendees will receive 20% off ALL Muji stock during the evening. (Can anyone say STORAGE?)
The first 30 customers in the queue will receive a Muji Goodie Bag

www.selfridges.com/london

www.muji.com

This will probably be my last appearance before I break for the summer holidays so do come along and grab me while you can.

(Not literally, that would be borderline inappropriate.)

Monday, 18 May 2015

MUJI Skincare

Well this is certainly going to please a lot of my lovely readers. Especially those with sensitivity to fragrance and those of you on tight budgets. *calling all students*

MUJI, home of all beauty bloggers favourite storage, have relaunched their skincare and it shows great promise. It is fragrance, alcohol, paraben, dye and mineral oil free. Although that alone makes it attractive, the price point and sheer value of the products mean it is worth checking out for everyone, not just those mentioned.

Coming from the Far East, it advocates double cleansing, has a selection of essences and even sheet masks (YAY!).

There are three collections, Cleansing, Sensitive and High Moisture and prices start at £3.95 and go up to a whopping (she says sarcastically) £14.95 for the High Moisture Essence Lotion. Don't worry about the descriptions either, the soaps aren't 'soaps' of old, they're not loaded with SLS.
The Moisturising Essence for Eye Contour - second tube from the left in the picture above is worth checking out at £10.95 for 30ml.

I've added various items from the High Moisture range to my shelves and will report back but in the meantime, at these prices and sizes, it's worth checking out for yourself right now.

Your only immediate challenge is that it is exclusive to Selfridges for 3 months.

Monday, 27 April 2015

Cheat Sheet - When to use natural, when to reach for the chemicals

Before you read on - when I use the below terms I take them to mean:

Chemical-led: products that contain non-'natural' ingredients - anything.

Natural-led: products that would make the 'natural' consumer happy - may contain some non-natural ingredients, but the main bulk is natural.

Organic-led: would be endorsed by the green brigade and Gywneth.

And remember - nearly everything is technically a chemical, including water. It's how a product is marketed that makes the distinction.

One of my most-asked questions re ingredients is 'Is it natural?' and my answer is always 'Yes, if that's what you want.'

If you look closely at Instagram pictures of my routines that I've been sharing for a few months, you'll notice a pattern. I invariably tail end with natural-led products - and sandwich a lovely chemical serum in the middle.

See above for example, a Tata Harper sandwich with a Vichy and Kate Somerville filling.

This is by no means set in stone.

Exhibit B above: Clinique to massacre my makeup. That's what they should have called this product by the way, 'Massacre'. Or 'Destroyer'. I digress. Clinique removes makeup, followed by a natural-led Oskia and finished with organic-led May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon. But before May Lindstrom, comes Sunday Riley Luna. That's not made of apples y'all. In the best way.

Exhibit C above: The Organic Pharmacy Carrot Butter Cleanser - proper organic here - no faffing about - Sjal to finish, which is natural-led but by no means 'green' and chemical-led Kate Somerville Mega C serum in the middle.

Why do I do it this way?

Predominantly because:

The best eye makeup removers invariably contain chemicals - case in point: Bioderma, Nars, Clarins and Charlotte Tilbury. That's removing surface junk so it's no problem for me personally...if you want to go natural you can go down the almond oil route, but I find that a tad heavy for my baggy eyelids and the residue can make them puffy.

Second Cleansers/skin cleanser are at some point going to used for facial massage, so I steer towards good oils/milk ingredients for that. Not always, but in general/most of the time.

Acid toners/Essences are by their very definition, chemical-led. Lovely.

Eye creams can be either, although I would probably go natural-led if your only concern was dryness/dehydration and chemical for everything else.

Serums for me are nearly always chemical-led. Here's why: if you are out of your 20's and have lived any kind of life (I mean 'any', I'm not being facetious) you will have signs of ageing on your skin. And I'm sorry, but at a certain point, if you want to reverse those signs of ageing, you need to embrace the chemical. You, for 'green' reasons, may decide against that. That's 100% your prerogative obviously. But, for example, I have yet to meet a 'green, organic' product that can actually reverse sun damage, pigmentation and scarring as well as chemical-led retinoids. As much as people harp on about rosehip oil for scarring, it has nothing, nothing on retinoids available on prescription. It may be marketed as 'a natural alternative to retinol', but in reality that means that the proof has to be in the pudding, and they are just very, very different ingredients. See also: peptides.

Your serum is the product that will penetrate the most - it's the most 'active' product that you use. It's where you should embrace the chemical and be a bit more spendy.

Again, as in the above picture, there are days where I reach for something organic in the serum department - usually when I want to get my glow on, really hydrate or if I am using a particularly silicone-heavy moisturiser. Which leads me to:

Moisturisers are probably the category where I mix it up the most. I love organic/natural-led hydrating, soothing moisturisers. I like how the majority (not all) of them are under makeup and I tend to use them on days where I am applying self-tan afterwards. The lack of silicone makes for better tanning. :)

If however, I feel my face needs some oomph and a little kick, I would probably use something hi-tech. For example: a Kate Somerville/Zelens serum under a Tata Harper moisturiser works a treat. Likewise, a Tata Harper serum under a Zelens/Kate Somerville moisturiser is also a good plan. Those three brands are probably the only ones where I would use both their serum and moisturiser together without an issue, but not very often. I like to mix it up a little.

The reason I invariably mix up the final two stages is silicone. A silicone serum, followed by a silicone moisturiser, followed by either SPF and/or a silicone primer makes for the higher possibility of 'rolling'. And I hate it when my products 'roll', it makes me feel dirty and like I have to do my entire routine again. Weird maybe, but that's just me. You have to do you.

Wednesday, 22 April 2015

5 Days, 5 Faces

Having lost the will to live with the horribly bad camera in the iPhone 6 Plus, I caved and am now the proud owner of the Canon G7X - which means I am taking pics again! Loads of them. YAY.

Tata cleanse, Clinique Mild Clarifying, Tom Ford Essence, Dennis Gross MD eye, Kate Somerville Deep Tissue Repair and Tom Ford Intensive Infusion Ultra Rich moisturiser

The last five days have seen my usual swapping and changing - the only constant has been the Dennis Gross MD Ferulic + Retinol eye cream, which I am loving. Tom Ford Essence has become a regular, hard to describe exactly what it does other than to say my skin looks 'tighter' and 'fresher'. I'll do a proper review when I can form a complete sentence.

The Organic Pharmacy Carrot Butter cleanser, FAB pads, Tom Ford again, Dennis again, Kate AGAIN, albeit in the Mega-C, not Deep Tissue Repair and Sjal Cela Intuitif

If you haven't yet tried Sjal, it is really worth looking in to. It works out expensive in UK£ which I think has impeded their popularity somewhat, but the range contains some beauts.

Emma balm, Tata 2nd Cleanse, P50, Clinique Moisture Surge Spray, Dennis Eye, Sunday Riley Luna with BioEssence Water Droplet mask on top.

Ooh this was a good night. :) I literally only have to double cleanse when I wear makeup and I haven't worn a lot recently as I have better control of my diary and tend to do all my meetings in one day, so this was a real treat. The BioEssence mask compensates with extra moisture on top of Luna while it gets to work.

Tatcha oil, Dennis Gross MD Alpha Beta Pads, Bioderma Crealine spray, Dennis eye, Kate Mega-C and Lauder Revitalizing Supreme.

If you follow me on social media you'll know that I recently had a cartliage piercing that was painless to have done and then OWWW for days after. Really bad, to the point that I couldn't sleep. Ridiculous behaviour!
Anyway: the Bioderma Crealine spray worked wonders. It contains zinc, potassium and magnesium and definitely speeded up my healing time. Meanwhile, those Dennis Gross pads hidden between Tatcha and Bioderma continue to be utterly brilliant.

Tata cleanse, Clarins Gentle Exfoliator, Dennis - again, Vichy Aqualia Thermal, Kate Deep Tissue and Tata Repairative Moisturiser

That Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser is SO lovely. This was my attempt to bump up my hydration levels - the Vichy serum works wonders on top of the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator and Tata's Repairative Moisturiser seals the deal.

I'm looking forward to being able to get back to taking more pics, not just of skincare - in general!

Tuesday, 7 April 2015

Clinique Turnaround Revitalizing

Clinique are adding to their massively successful Turnaround range with this new franchise coming to stores this month.

Turnaround Revitalizing is made with radiance in mind - and is designed to restore glow and luminosity to skins that are showing signs of fatigue and environmental damage. That would be all of us then.

I'll be testing them out this week and reporting back in due course. On that note, I'm up at Mum's for a few days so will be testing out a lot of products, on both my skin and hers. Need to take advantage of her being a guinea pig for me while I can.

Clinique Turnaround Revitalising is on counters nationwide from 17th April. Prices start at £30.00.

Tuesday, 17 February 2015

Budget Week - Day 1 - and an extension...

So here's the thing. I fully understand that the word 'budget' is different for everyone. I do. What's budget to some, may be unattainable to others. What's 'affordable' to XX may be absolutely extortionate to YY.
I knew budget week would be popular, what I didn't expect is people arguing amongst themselves about what actually constitutes the word 'budget' across all forms of my social media. There is no need to argue! It's all good. There are plenty of products out there in all price brackets, and as the idea of a 'week' was so popular, I've decided to just extend it and include much more 'budget' (there goes that word again) finds across all of my channels forever more.

I'll still be a fussy cow, still expect great results no matter the price and include plenty of high-end gear as per usual, but expect to see more affordable/budget/bargain finds as the year goes on.

In the meantime, I thought it would be helpful to do some 'flash reviews' of the products I'm using on a daily basis (while I can keep it up!), otherwise my 'to review' pile will never subside and nothing will get done!

So....

Vichy Purite Thermale Eye Makeup Remover - £8.07 - this is good, but I had residue this morning - even after I thought I had gotten all of it off last night. Not as good as Clarins, Lancome or Tilbury.

La Roche Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel - £12.00 - this did a surprisingly good job of removing my makeup and my skin didn't feel too tight afterwards. I wouldn't be able to use it every day, it would be far too drying long-term, but it should be fine if you are particular oily - or for summer's hot and sweaty months..

Pixi Glow Tonic - £18.00 - done and dusted, kippers and custard. (I.e. - reviewed and mentioned 400 times on this blog - search here)

Organic Surge Orange Flower Toner - £7.50 - light and refreshing, it's suited to an oilier skin than mine. Nice and fresh though..it's a second tone, not an acid one...

Organic Surge Hydrating Eye Cream - £18.00 - either I've got dog-eared dry eyes or this is again, more suited for 'normal' skins, even thought it is aimed at a dryer/more mature skin. Lovely cream - maybe for someone younger, but I need more oomph.

Nuxe Detox - £47.00 (clearly not budget) - I found this for £29 yesterday on a french to english website - and now it's disappeared. Sorry!
Aside from the price, this is a great nighttime product if your skin is dull or a little drained. It would probably be worth checking out if you suffer from continuous blemishes/hormonal lumps etc. It's available in M&S too, so you can more than likely find it in your high street in the UK.

I hope this reassures those of you on tight budgets that I am trying to cater to everyone, including you. And please don't argue amongst yourselves. After last week, I'm enjoying the calm. :)

Saturday, 31 January 2015

The Month in Skincare - January

I can't believe January is at an end already! Those of you that aren't on Instagram will be unaware that I've been keeping a daily record of the products I'm using. Not so much for me, more to encourage you to mix it up a little (where you can afford to - obviously), there is never a need to only use one brand. (Although I wouldn't mix a load of retinol products. You stay classy San Diego.)

Myself, the Mr and Max are all a little under the weather so there won't be a video tomorrow - I'll aim for Monday/Tuesday - but I need to rest up.

Feel free to ask any questions about the products shown or any routines etc in the comments. Although with this cold, bear with. Yes/no will be easier than essays this weekend! :)

Also: I'm focusing more on budget skincare in February. I'd be interested to hear from you with some of your favourites. :)

Have a lovely weekend everyone!