Mac Studio Sculpt SPF15 Foundation

I’m a bit on the fence about this one. When I first went to get a sample at MAC in Cardiff, I was given NW25 which was way too dark for my skin, so I bought NW20 instead. However, this still looks a little too orange for my liking, especially in broad daylight. I’m not sure if it’s just too dark a shade, or whether I should be wearing NC instead. Either way, it’s not a good match.

No worries though, I’ll still review it.

Moa The Green Balm

I've struggled to find many reviews on this product, so I thought I’d write one myself. On the website it claims to have many uses, ranging from healing a sore throat and soothing eczema, to hair-repair and eyelash growth. It’s completely natural and smells so – very herbal, sort of like eucalyptus.

Clinique Even Better Makeup

I used to wear the old version of Rimmel's "25 hour Foundation", but the new one just doesn’t cut it – it makes my skin feel clogged and goes all powdery after a few hours. I’ve found it really difficult to find a decent foundation after getting eczema around my eyes – it’s now under control, but I still have to be careful to prevent it from coming back, so I went to a few makeup stands in Debenhams and Boots to see what was around. I ended up at Clinique, where a lovely saleslady gave me a little jar sample of “Even Better Makeup”...

Lush "Porridge" Soap

I really wanted to like this soap, but it seriously dried out my skin. I avoided using the bar directly on my body ‘cause I knew the scrubby oats would irritate me; however because it’s marketed as a soap for easily irritated skin, I decided on a whim to try it.

Philosophy "Hope in a Jar" Moisturiser

This really didn't do it for me at all. I got a sample size of this product (15mls), and never in a million years would I consider purchasing the large version – which is way overpriced at around £30. I’ve had better results from Lush moisturisers, and even Aveeno (which is a fraction of the price).

Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter

I bought this after reading an article about how busy mums discovered this product’s “magical” abilities after trying it on their faces. There had been reports of “anti-aging”, so I thought I’d give it a try as it was inexpensive and relatively easy to find.

Lush "Angels on Bare Skin" Cleanser

  

This is a lovely cleanser, made from natural ingredients (and it’s Lush, so you know it’s not tested on animals). The consistency, at first, was a little alien to me – fresh and crumbly, not gloopy and runny like most scrubs or foaming cleansers. I put this down to the fact that it’s all natural and has no preservatives (which also explains the 3 month shelf life).  The smell is also strange at first – but definitely something you can grow to love (think earthy/lavendery).

I bought this when my skin was very sore and upset, with angry spots on my cheeks and some nasty dry patches. After a few days of using it morning and night (along with Ultrabland to remove my makeup) my skin calmed down and I fell in love. I now use it every morning and I’m surprised at how gentle and effective it is. Until I discovered this little gem, I was struggling to find a balanced cleanser which gave a good, thorough clean without hurting my skin. I find my skin looks especially soothed and radiant after using this.

The only downsides to this are the packaging (typical Lush pot) which often allows water to leak in and dilute the product – most people find this very off-putting, and while I can see that it is a flaw, I actually rather like it as it loosens up the product and makes it easier to use. And also the shelf life (around 3 months). I do find it hard to use up the entire tub in this amount of time, even using it morning and night.

Consistency: Grainy and unusual. Lovely for exfoliation.
Sensitive Skin Suitability: 4.5/5
Price: £6.25 for a tub (100g)
Rating: 9/10

Burt’s Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream

I think I was setting myself up for a disaster by using this. I received it as part of a gift set for Christmas, so it wasn’t the full sized bottle (thankfully!). It smells lovely; very fresh and pepperminty, and it has a nice consistency - It’s a cream cleanser, so it doesn’t foam (this can be off-putting for me as I like my skin to feel like it’s being cleaned, but I gave it a go anyway).  I love that it’s mostly natural and BUAV approved (not tested on animals), and I find the packaging rather attractive.

Unfortunately, it ruined my skin. I should have seen this coming, if not from the words “deep cleansing”, then from the strong peppermint scent. It stung my eyes and made my skin angry, red and itchy, so I will be giving this away. I do think it would be lovely for someone with more resilient skin – not necessarily oily, as it didn’t dry me out; it just irritated/made my skin red. I’m quite disheartened by this experience as I like the idea of Burt’s Bees as a brand, but I’m now a little hesitant towards trying any other products from the line.

Consistency: Typical lotion
Sensitive Skin Suitability: 1/5
Price: About £10 for the large size
Rating: 3/10

Vichy Normaderm Hydrating Care Moisturiser

I’m constantly on the hunt for the perfect moisturiser. My ideal day moisturiser would be suitable for sensitive skin, non-comodogenic (that goes without saying), SPF at least 15, and completely colour and fragrance free. I bought this on a whim on a visit to Boots when I had a little more cash than sense to hand;

TiGi - Bed Head Urban Antidotes Level 2 Recovery Shampoo

This is officially my Holy Grail shampoo and conditioner set. Before I tried this, I had just dyed my hair blonde. Now, my natural hair colour is golden brown, so it looked simply hideous with a box-dye blonde over it. I proceeded to dye it again, with a colour close to my natural tone (what an absolute farce that was); and alas, my hair was ruined! I decided to go for the chop and start all over again, but my hair usually gets damaged when it reaches a certain length anyway, but I digress…

Greetings!

Hello, my darlings. You may call me Madame Raptor. I have taken it upon myself to review every beauty product I use, in the hope that I may be of some assistance to anyone with the same (or similar) concerns as I – sensitive skin, a generally awkward face and so on.  I hope you enjoy my reviews and that they benefit you in one way or another, be it whether you are trying, buying or avoiding products.