Interpreting Beauty Product Studies & Their Results

While I'm not a professional researcher, the topic of studies has interested me since I was taught to discuss and dissect them for Psychology in college. Obviously there's a difference between behavioural studies and those created to test skincare, haircare or make up products, but the basic questions we need to ask in order to determine just how reliable and trustworthy a study is remain the same. I'll be the first to admit that I'm drawn in by amazing trial results just as much as good reviews or recommendations for a product, but are these results always creditworthy? And should we be looking deeper than just percentages on a page?

The first thing to think about when presented with a study for a cosmetic item is- why was the study commissioned? In the commercial world where the results are readily posted onto publicity campaigns the answer will almost always be to sell more products, and this is why we need to think about whether the study is scientifically reliable or just part of the advertising.

Another thing to think about is who conducted the study? Was it the brand themselves using an in-house team (least reliable), a third party paid by the brand (more reliable) or an unrelated group conducting a study for example to compare similar products (most reliable). It is almost a guarantee that for the first two the results will be completely positive, and that moves us on to thinking about how it was conducted.

One of the most important things when looking at results is how many participants were included? The main place we see high positive percentages are in mascara adverts, like the one above. The fact that 94% saw visible lift is an amazing statistic, but follow the asterisk and we find out that these results are part of a 'consumer panel survey'- which could have only included 5 people. Even when trials have what seems like a large amount of participants- say 300, is this a good representation of the ~54 million people that live in England alone? Would the participants include a good mix of ages, skin types, hair types etc and does it indeed actually include the people to whom the product is targeted (eg mature skin for an antiwrinkle product)?

Next we move on to the study itself- how long was the study, how was it conducted and results collected? This can be tricky because unless you can find the full published study there will only be a limited amount of details available, but there are important points to take from the information we can find.
Obviously a trial of a longer duration is going to give more reliable results- I'm sure there have been many examples of when you tried a product and loved it on the first go, but as time went on you realised you didn't get on with it as well as you thought.

How the study was conducted can also make a big difference to the results- it could've been a survey that people received on a postcard to fill in and send back to be entered into a prize draw, maybe a scientific trial carried out by researchers, or even experiments on cell samples under a microscope. 'In Vivo' clinical trials performed on a whole living organism such as a person will generally give more helpful results than those studies performed on samples in an artificial environment for example 'Ex Vivo' or 'In Vitro' performed in a test tube or petri dish. For extra In Vivo study credibility points, look for phrases like 'placebo-controlled' (meaning the product was tested against another product that was meant to provide no real effects), 'blind/single blind' (meaning the participants didn't know what the product was or what it was claiming to do) and the gold standard 'double blind' (meaning neither the participants nor the researchers knew who was using a placebo and who was using the studied product). 
In terms of how the results were collected, physical measurements will always be more accurate and credible than visual observations or self assessment: someone says your hair looks shiny today, but does that mean its actually healthier? There is a wide range of scientific equipment that can measure everything from how hydrated your skin is to how much breakage your hair has undergone and can determine whether important results are just cosmetic.

Finally, we need to consider if there are any factors that might have added to the results, such as if the item was used in a particular way or other products were used at the same time. For this we need to follow the asterisks, small arrows or little numbers next to the big results to find the small print. A popular French brand claims one of it's products provides results equal to prescription skincare, on studying the fine print we find out that this claim is only true when using the product plus a 0.025% topical retinoid, something not mentioned any where else. The small print is where you can find extra information, or disclaimers, for trial results appearing in advertising and they can often help you in deciding whether the study is reliable or just a ruse.

We need not though be too cynical when it comes to interpreting results, a lot of studies do highlight just how great a product really is and I think actually what's more worrying than a sneaky study is a company who doesn't give any source at all for their claims or statistics. 

Do you go on studies or recommendations for your purchases?

George Glow Shine Highlighter in Sun Ray

You may remember me mentioning this highlighter in my previous post about the George Cheeky Tint which is a dupe for Benefit's Posie Tint, and I feel another dupe alert coming on!

The Glow Shine is a luminous waterbased highlighter with a soft warm pink tone. George haven't gone all out on design with the clear glass bottle packaging but it's compact and you can easily see how much product you have left.

The consistency is much more cream than liquid so could've done with being in a pot rather than bottle but the flexible brush aids application to the cheeks, nose and browbone as only a small amount is needed. The thin cream is easy to blend out with fingers or a brush and quickly dries to a velvety finish which I find an advantage as I'm not a fan of sticky feeling face products.

From afar, this highlighter does give the 'naturally radiant glow' that George promises and is a flattering colour on my skintone- Sun Ray is close to Benefit's High Beam but with a bit of warmth from Sun Beam added in. The problem I find with this and other luminisers of the same consistency (even Benefit's) is that once blended out the tiny flecks of shimmer tend to highlight my pores, even on my cheeks where I didn’t think they were very big. To negate this I've been mixing it with a small amount of primer before application, but it's an unnecessary faff compared to a product like the Jemma Kidd All Over Radiance Cream which I can just smooth on and go.

The Glow Shine is a very close highlighter dupe to Benefit's High Beam but unfortunately one that just doesn't sit well on my skin. If this type of product does work for you then you could do worse than getting yourself down to Asda to give this a try for less than a fifth of the price of Benefit's offering!

George Glow Shine is available in-store and online from Asda for just £3.50.

Do or DIY: 2-in-1 Charcoal Facemask

I'm going to start off this beauty DIY series with the 2-in-1 Charcoal congestion busting & exfoliating face mask. 

I've tried lots of DIY facemasks over the years and only the best have stuck. When I was still at school it was like a little Sunday morning ritual for me to watch Castaway (anyone remember Castaway? Is it still on??) and slather on a homemade facemask. It might've been the lovely glowy skin that comes from living on a desert island seeping into my subconscious, but a good little facemask was the closest I was getting to a sandy beach and sun sun sun!

Now, this isn't the kind of charcoal you put on your barbecue, but big pills (or capsules) you can buy from the chemist or online for about £4 for 100. This is activated charcoal and it has a huge surface area (one teaspoon has a surface area of more than 10,000 ft) that can absorb up to 10 times its own weight and size in chemicals and toxins. Activated charcoal is one of the main treatments for poisoning in pets and humans, and I've actually found its a brilliant hangover preventer if you take a few pills with lots of water before bed!

For the mask you'll need:

- 3 or 4 Charcoal Pills or Capsules

- 1 teaspoon water

as the charcoal is our main ingredient you can mix it with a variety of other ingredients eg-

- 1 Aspirin tablet 

- Tea Tree gel to tone down blemishes  or

- A couple of drops of Glycerine for hydration

The mask above was made with Glycerine and and an Aspirin tablet, my skin has been congested but also quite dry recently so this is the combination I chose. To make your mask, first open the capsules or crush your tablets. The easiest way to crush them is between two teaspoons over your mixing container. The charcoal won't dissolve so you want to make sure you crush it the best you can, as well as drawing out toxins and congestion it will exfoliate the skin so you don't want it too gritty. Next add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well, I added just a teaspoon of water to wet the mixture and a couple of drops of glycerine to hold the hydration onto my skin.

You can put this straight onto clean skin but I like to steam my face for a few minutes first to help it get right into the pores. Also, don't wear white! The mixture is liquid and although it shouldn't be drippy it does get a bit messy to take off.

Apply the mask onto your face with a brush or fingers and let it sit for 5 -10 minutes until it dries, its very very black so don't get it too close to your nostrils or you'll have dark snot for a while after! Once its dry take a wet flannel, muslin cloth, cotton pad (or you can just use your fingers) to remove the mask, this is where the exfoliation comes in and you can massage very gently in small circles on any congested or flaky patches to make your skin super soft.

Once its all washed off your skin should be smooth and completely clean! Because this is a detoxing mask it can bring congestion to the surface so will speed up any breakouts you have and you might notice a few blocked pores unblocking themselves in the next day or two. I like to use this mask at night and follow with a good thick night cream to prolong the smoothness.

Let me know if you try this mask, or have any great DIY recipes yourself!

Review: Nspa Night Repair Cream

I'm a bit of a sucker for boxed products, they make me feel that the brand cares about the message its giving out about the quality of its products and makes them look a bit more luxurious in price than they actually are. The Nspa Night Repair Cream's box caught my eye while I was in Asda looking for actual food, it was the first product I tried from this brand but the nice little box along with the affordable price made it an instant trolley necessity.

This cream is packed full of nourishing oils, Ginseng, natural Vitamin E and Ceramides that aim to repair and improve your skin while you sleep, but I like to apply this in the morning and I think Nspa are missing a trick with the branding of this product.

This is a thick but not heavy pink tinged moisturiser and it's one of those that when you try it on your hand the skin instantly looks gorgeously smooth and evened out due to the high Dimethicone content. For this reason it smooths out dry patches, reduces the look of uneven pores and looks so lovely under foundation that I don't know why this cream isn't marketed as a kind of moisturiser-primer hybrid.

It doesn't provide so much of the slip that silicone primers do, but sinks in more readily with quite a strong but not offensive scent. If like me you have large pores and combination skin that tends to dry out under foundation then this moisturiser should be next on your list to try.

This Night Repair Cream is part of the Beauty Rituals range from the Berkshire based Nirvana Spa. The range contains products labelled from 1-4 as part of a 4 step routine to cleanse, exfoliate, treat and moisturise skin, all developed by the Spa and with affordable price points.

The Nspa Night Repair Cream is available for £6 from Asda or Nirvana Spa online.

I just wanted to point out that it doesn't actually come with the little spatula, I included that to show you what the moisturiser looks like as I've nearly run out in the pot, and if you happen to know which product the spatula actually comes with don't tell anyone or I'll be embarrassed!

 

Rio Scanning Salon Laser Series: Post One

The Rio Salon Laser Scanning Hair Removal System x20 is an at home permanent hair removal tool that uses a collimated laser to destroy hair roots and prevent hair regrowth. The quoted price in my local salons for a full course of laser hair removal is upwards of £550 just for the underarms, so with the Rio System (which needs no replacement parts or accessories) coming in at around £145 from shops like Tesco Direct, Amazon and Asda Direct it seems like an absolute bargain.

I managed to pick up the Rio Salon Laser a while ago when it was on sale thinking it might be the solution to all my hairy woes, but in all honestly have been a bit scared to start using it properly! As the weather has started warming up I've decided to get it back out the cupboard and give it a proper go to review it and see how it performs on it's promise of permanent hair reduction at home. This post is an introduction to the unit and my thoughts before starting a regular routine, I'll be posting updates in the coming weeks/months to let you know how I'm getting on!

This hair removal laser destroys the hair root with a high beam of energy and scans across the skin to target up to 20 hairs at once. The Rio Salon laser is suitable for the leg, arm, underarm, chest, bikini area and face so I thought it would be perfect for tricky areas where it's difficult to see exactly which hair you're pointing the beam at.

While I'm not exactly a gorilla girl with manly fur, I do have quite dark hair in the places where its naturally coarser which makes the area very angry and sore when I shave it every day and it needs regular exfoliation to prevent ingrown hairs and dark bumps. I've tried out various waxes and do like the results but it doesn't last all that long for me and am not very keen on having to have a certain length of regrowth before waxing again (let alone not being very keen on the pain!). At the moment I shave my underarms every couple of days, sometimes a bit less depending on the weather/what I'm planning to wear to give it a bit of time to recover. The other treatment area (which I shall refer to as my 'ladyplace'...!) I shave two or three times a week as it gets particularly irritated and I don't really bother doing it unless someone’s going to see it.

This laser is made up of two parts that make it look a bit like a corded phone- the main unit has buttons on to control the style and intensity of the laser beam and a 'security button sequence' must be keyed in after it has been activated with a key for safety. The wand has a big button on the back that controls the laser, and on the front has two pins that must contact the skin during treatment as well as an aperture that indents the skin and acts as a guide to show you the area that’s just been treated.

The unit comes with an instruction leaflet, information guide and also a DVD that gives you all the facts and tips before you get started on lasering yourself silly. Obviously this machine wouldn’t be sold if it wasn't completely safe, though there are a few phrases that caught my apprehensive eye such as 'faint burning smell', 'smoke deposits' and 'pin prick sensation' but my mind is settled by the thought of nice smooth hair free skin. 

I think one of the biggest challenges, and the thing that put me off continuing when I'd previously thought of using this regularly is the fact that the treatment area is only 7x5mm, which needs to be overlapped by a third in a grid pattern for effective coverage, and at the highest power level the laser runs for up to 50 seconds each time. Luckily I'm only hoping to do smaller areas but it will take commitment to keep this up regularly and would probably take all day if you're planning to do your legs! You also need to shave before each treatment to make sure the laser gets down to the root, which shouldn't be a problem as treatment doesn't need to be completed every day.

My fair skin should be able to take all 5 of the power levels (according to the helpful Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype guide) subject to a patch test in each area. Due to the phases of hair growth in the areas I want to treat, hair reduction should be seen after the first couple of treatments and will start to become permanent at around 3 months. The guide suggests treating the areas every 3-4 weeks with at least 6 treatments in 6 months to see long lasting results, which seems like a long time but given the amount of time us ladies have already been tackling body hair another few months isn't going to make a world of difference.

In the next post of this series I'll have done one, maybe two treatments and will report back on how it went along with any early results. If you've ever tried laser hair removal let me know how you got on, and if you haven't then wish me luck!

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

I had heard how similar the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush is to the Buffing Brush that every blogger and her cat absolutely loves for foundation. As the Buffing brush is only available in a set I decided to buy a few others separately to add to my collection.

I so wanted to love this for foundation but I just couldn't get on with it, I feel that it moves the product around rather than buffing it in and I just can't get a nice finish with it. I really like the Stippling Brush for foundation and as so many people love this I must be doing something wrong, if you have any tips then please let me know! All isn't lost for me and this brush though as I do love it for other things- it applies and blends cream blushes like a dream, it's the perfect size for cream bronzers around the cheekbones and outside of the face, creates a lovely finish with all types of highlighter, and is great for powdering smaller areas like the T zone. I use it for so many things that I've been having to spot clean it like there's no tomorrow but I've had no shedding at all and it's still got the same silky soft texture of loveliness that it did the day I bought it.

If you're currently using a stippling brush for your cream products I would highly recommend trying out the Expert Face Brush. The bristles are densely packed but it has a tapered top so you can apply a product with one side and blend with the other, or apply with just the topmost bristles and use the brush with a firmer grip to let the bristles do the blending for you. It really is a lovely brush and doesn't compare to the others I have, especially the flat-tops!

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush is available from Boots, Superdrug and Love Make Up for £9.99.

Hirudoid Cream for Dark Circles

Now I know that everyone edits their face photos (however slightly) for the internet, you'd have to be very confident not to, but recently I have been having a little chuckle at people posting photos of their 'dark circles' when I'm sat here looking like I've been punched twice in the face.

I've always suffered from dark circles, I remember them being quite noticeable in Year 7 at school before I found makeup and they've never really got much better. I think a combination of hereditariness (yep that's a word, I googled it), late nights, starting smoking in my teens and dehydration have all taken their toll on my undereyes and at the moment they're a bit of a purpley bluey mess. Having tried every popular concealer/corrector I could afford, I took to some good old makeup and skincare forums to see what I could find out about reducing the darkness rather than covering it up, and I came across a frequent but pretty unusual recommendation- Hirudoid Cream.

Hirudoid Cream is usually used for bruising, inflammation of the veins and ocassionally hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoid cream is often a suggested remedy for dark circles and while some do contain anti inflammatories like Hydrocortisone, the main ingredients are usually Balsam Peru, Bismuth Oxide (an astringent and antiseptic) and numbing agents, each of which you wouldn't really want near your eyes.

Hirudoid contains 0.3% Heparinoid which is a locally acting anticoagulant that improves blood flow and shrinks blood vessels to reduce inflammation, swelling and a dark appearance. There is also a similar Heparinoid-containing product called Hiruscar (and Hiruscar Postacne) that aims to lighten dark marks and reduce textured acne scars.

Out of the tube comes a white emollient cream that takes a little while of gently massaging and patting to get it to sink in. The directions say to massage 5-15cm of the cream into the affected area up to 4 times a day. I think even 5cm would be a bit much for my undereyes so usually use a large pea sized amount, and I apply it once or twice a day depending on how dark the area's looking (or if I remember!).

I've been using Hirudoid Cream for over couple of months and definitely notice an improvement in my dark circles, I don't think it's ever going to 'heal' them but I do notice if I forget to apply it for a day or two. I find that the cream lightens the darkness by a few shades and makes the area easier to cover so I don't have to pack on so much concealer. If you get just a small amount of darkness then this cream might be all you need instead of concealer, but because dark circles are generally an ongoing problem I think this needs to be used regularly to see results.

As far as I have researched there isn't a danger in applying Hirudoid Cream to the under eye area regularly as it works locally, although a million years of googling doesn't replace a PhD, so if anyone knows better then do let me know . A lot of creams and lotions must say 'not to be used on eye area' by law, but for a cream like this they can't tell where the affected area is and it also says not to be used on 'ano-genital regions' even though it's a popular hemorrhoid treatment. One of my friends was also recommended this cream for a black eye so I don't personally have any doubts as long as it's used sparingly.

If you're struggling with dark circles and feel like concealers really aren't cutting it, then I recommend trying this cream out to see if it makes a difference. Hirudoid Cream is relatively cheap and you'll find it in most independent chemists in the UK.

Hirudoid Cream is available from pharmacies for around £6. You can purchase from Chemist Direct for £5.99 or you might be able to find it for under £5 on eBay.

May Favourites

Not loads of favourites for May, I've been chopping and changing a bit trying new things out but these are the ones I've stuck with and loved the most over the previous month:

1. Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara £5.99- I've been loving this to throw a few coats on quickly and not having to worry too much about brushing it through or picking bits off. This has a bendy brush that prevents clumps and gets right to the tip of my lashes, and was the star of my previous post. 

2. Bourjois Cream Blusher in Rose Tender £7.99- I've also written a review of this blusher and it's in my favourites for being the one I've worn every day since I bought it. The colour is a lovely natural pink and it just needs a few dabs to apply, a few dabs to blend and it's there all day.

3. Espa 24 Hour Balancing Moisturiser* £15- For a start I love the little pot that this moisturiser comes in- a frosted glass pot with a plastic granite-style lid that makes it look eyecatching and indulgent on my skincare shelf. The moisturiser itself is a light cream with an amazing smell of thyme that aims to balance oils while it moisturises. It sinks in so quickly and also contains Irish Moss to soothe and protect the skin. I've really been enjoying using this moisturiser and its definitely helped out to even out the dry patches of my combination skin. 

4. Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream £2.25- I made the swap from Vaseline to lip butters last month and my lips have definitely been thanking me as I find I need to use this balm less frequently throughout the day and in a much smaller quantity. Even though I adore the smell of the Raspberry Rose variety I find the Caramel Cream just a little bit more hydrating and still has a lovely sweet smell.

5. Real Techniques Shader Brush £6.99- This is the first brush I've ever bought solely for concealer but I found that my fingers weren't really cutting it anymore and were making it look a bit patchy or else leaving faint finger prints which isn't really what you want. I've been using this brush under my eyes in very short sweeping motions and on blemishes by patting the concealer into them, and I'm really impressed with the way it blends without soaking up or removing the product. It took a bit of experimenting and getting used to but I'm really pleased I bought it and have only been using my fingers as a last resort!

6. Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream £8 for 30ml- This is the slightly matter version of Korean brand Lioele's Triple the Solution and, while it lacks the spf 30 and lightening ingredients, still contains a host of skin nourishing goodness. This annoyingly only comes in one colour but it's actually the lightest BB cream I own and its not miles and miles away from my own skin tone so I can get away with wearing it by itself if I want to especially at night as it really looks like skin. The Beyond the Solution glides on evenly with my fingers and is also one of the most opaque I own but I still prefer to wear it under foundation as an extra layer of moisture and cover. It contains Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen, Licorice Root and Allantoin, and although it has a slightly matte finish I don't find it too drying for my skin, so have been enjoying it when I want bit more coverage for my foundation or want it to last longer.

7. Toner (approx <£1)- This toner is coming up soon in a DIY post so I didn't want to give it away by actually telling you what it's called, but it brings skin back to it's optimum ph and balances it out while very gently exfoliating. I've been using this twice a day and am really pleased with it- my skin tone is more even, I've had less oiliness and congestion and it's really been helping with dry or flaky patches. I find acidic/exfoliating toners can be quite harsh and difficult to get on with- like the REN Clarifying Lotion, but I haven't had a problem with this one and it can be customised to suit my skin if I've got a breakout or it's more sensitive than usual which is a big plus if you've got combination skin. 

No wishlist yet for June as I've still to get a few bits from my previous wishlist and am saving up for a big NYX haul after finding even more products I want to try out!


What's on your May Favourites list? and do you have a wishlist for June?

Review: Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara

Let me start by telling you of my love for Maybelline mascaras, Maybelline Great Lash was one of the first make up products I ever owned and I still use it. I have tried other brands, most recently No7 and Lancome, but I keep coming back to Maybelline and with their ever expanding range of Volum' Expresses why would I want to leave?

Anyway, onto the Mega Plush. I first heard about this mascara in an advert in which it was described as a gel-mousse non-brittle formula. At the time I thought it sounded a bit odd and unnecessary but while doing my food shopping the next day I found myself adding it to my trolley and wondering if moussey eyelashes really are the way forward.

I already have a couple of non waterproofs from Maybelline including the Volum' Express Turbo Boost which I really like for day but if I sleep in it I wake up with about 3 very large eyelashes so was a bit apprehensive about trying a non waterproof in a new formula.
Maybelline claims that the gel-mousse formula of this mascara prevents brittle, flaky lashes as it contains 40% less hard waxes. I was hoping to see some kind of moussey texture but was disappointed on that point. The Mega Plush boasts the new patented Flexor Brush, which is very bushy but flexes in the middle to avoid clumpiness.

At first I found the brush a bit difficult as it's gentler on the lashes and deposits a lot less mascara than usual and I found that sweeping rather than wiggling gave the best results. The mascara is quite a wet formula but because the brush touches the lashes so gently they don't stick together and there's no big lumps on the lash ends. Despite it's bendiness I found the brush can still be pressed right into the roots which is good if your lashes are a bit thin there like mine.
The Mega Plush lengthens my lashes and separates them to give that one-by-one feminine and fluttery look. I haven't found any problem in layering this mascara, even when dry but for me it definitely needs more than one coat. It definitely lives up to it's claims of preventing brittleness and flakiness- the lashes stay soft and bendy and the mascara fully dries so there's no chance of stickiness. Where unfortunately the formula is let down is in holding a curl, I suppose this is because the lashes stay so supple but I do find it a bit annoying having to try and curl with the wand instead of being able to use actual curlers. 

Even though this is a Volum Express mascara and Maybelline promises 'mega volume' I wasn't really expecting it from this mascara. I've used my fair share and have layered 3-4 mascaras over eachother enough times to know that non-clumping and soft formulas don't tend to give much volume. Unfortunately I was right with this point, I think this mascara is lovely for day time but if you want more volume or a dramatic look then you will have to layer another over it. I don't mind that and have been using the Colossal Volum' Express waterproof but it might be an unwanted faff for some.

Despite a couple of down points I do really like this mascara. I have been comparing it with Benefit's Theyre Real over the past few weeks and I like this one a lot better! I can see how people with short or sparse lashes might like Theyre Real, but for me Mega Plush is a definite winner and not just because when I slept in Theyre Real I woke up with just 3 big eyelashes again!

Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara is available from Superdrug, Boots and all the usual places for £7.99.

Review: Bourjois Cream Blush in 03 Rose Tender

These cream blushes, for me at least, have been long awaited; having seen a review of them what feels like months ago, I knew I had to have one! I've tried a few cream blushes as I'm not a huge fan of powder but none have really stood out to me formula-wise, and if you read my blog regularly you'll know that the colour on my cheeks is often actually a lipstick!

In Boots last week I wandered over to have a swatch, or maybe two or three. Actually I might've swatched all the colours twice, but I wanted to make sure I was getting the right shade and luckily I think I chose perfectly.

The Bourjois Cream Blush pots are much smaller than I expected, smaller than a lip balm tin and the actual product inside is even littler. I like that theyve included a mirror in the lid, although I don't think I've actually used it because it is teeny tiny. I also like the magnetic closure and little bright pink nodule that makes it easier to open as it's so small.

03 Rose Tender is the pinkest of all the cream blushes, which range from light peach to a medium coral pink. This shade has a tiny corally tinge but on the cheeks becomes a lovely slightly dusky pink and has fine silver flecks which provide a very slight sheen. I think this colour works really well on my skin tone; I tend to stay away from reds and will only occasionally veer into corals, so I'm pleased with this shade to give a natural looking flush to those of us with scottish blood and non existent summers!

The finish of this blush is a skin-like semi matte look, with it's cream to powder formula it becomes silky on the cheeks and is a world away from the shiny moist balm or powdery pilling paste of some formulas. Bourjois boasts that this has an 'incredibly blendable texture' which I cant disagree with- it can be blended out to nothing or layered up for strong colour. I've been wearing this nearly every day since I bought it and have been applying with a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, using one side to apply and the other to pat and blend, or dabbing over with a Blending Sponge sometimes along with a tiny bit of liquid illuminator. It takes no time to put on and I think it would look lovely with even just a quick finger rub if you're in a hurry.

The creams have been launched to celebrate Bourjois' 150th birthday and contain Poppy extract, Mango Seed butter and Apricot kernel oil to give comfort and a smooth texture. I've found that this is really long lasting on my cheeks and I haven't felt the need to reapply throughout the day.  

I cant think of much in the way of negatives for the actual blush, but in terms of price vs product amount it's not going to win any awards-  £7.99 for 2.5g, you do only need a bit so hopefully the pot will last a long time, but considering the last cream blush I posted about was £5 for 12g it does seem a little steep! Despite (or maybe in spite of!) the price I'm very happy with my little cream blush and might hold off my NYX sampling for a little while.


The Bourjois Cream Blush is available for £7.99 from Superdrug, Boots (who currently have a £1 off offer), and also Bourjois' new Amazon Shop.

P.S Unfortunately no face pics in this post, might be the lack of good light but my camera wasn't doing this little blush justice!