Get The Glow

Hey guys, 

Its been a while since I did a post, but I had a few products I really wanted to put to the test before I blogged about them. 
I have had problems with my skin for some time, I often (triggered mainly by stress) get psoriasis on my scalp and skin. I have also had acne in the past, so my skin seems rather dull when I don’t have any make up on. The products I am posting about today were used to try and get rid of this dullness and to get a "glow" read on to find out if I had any success….

Herbal Soaps

Those of you who follow me on instagram (if you don’t then get following now... @kokobeautyuk) may have seen I tried two herbal soaps; black soap and shea butter soap. I bought both of these from @pure_herbal (instagram page) and completely replaced my usual cleanser with these for a few weeks each. 

The black soap was used for three weeks. The results allowed my marks to fade, and my skin to clear from blemishes, however post application of the soap my face never really felt fully soft and clean like it did with my cleanser, my skin also felt a little dry however I do have dry combination skin and this soap is not reccomended for dry skin. This is great for interim use when you might be having breakouts, but I would not reccomend relying solely on this, so don’t chuck out your cleanser just yet! 

The second product was the shea butter soap. This soap felt a bit sticky to apply to my face, and I felt it was quite hard to rub into my skin. If I am honest, I did not see an amazing difference using this, and I had to stop the use of the product after two weeks as my psorisis flaired up to the worst it has been. 

So these products didn’t quite live up to the expectation I had hoped, but for the value it was not a heavy price to pay. I continued my search for good products whilst out on my trip to the U.S recently.

Clarisonic

For month’s I have researched into the Clarisonic, and whilst in Lord and Taylor (5th Avenue, oh how I miss you) it seemed like the perfect time to get some in depth face to face knowledge on the product at the Clarisonic stand. I have read review after review praising this brand, and I have wanted it for some time but never wanted to give in to the price tag (they range from £100-220). I eventually ‘ummed’ and ‘ahhed’ and I gave in (thank god I have a credit card with me). 

The purchase I made is the newly launched Clarisonic Smart Profile which can be used on the face and body through the use of different attatchments. Unfortunately, I am not sure this version is out in the UK yet, so you girls may just have to wait… although the Clarisonic Plus is very similar and a close second choice to the one I would have bought. The reason I chose this is because I often get breakouts on my shoulders and back, so I thought this might be a good investment for me. The new version also comes with a pedi brush attachment which is also a bonus. I did pay a hefty price tag of $280 (ouch), but I do not regret it one bit. 

The lovely lady in Lord and Taylor gave me a few attatchments for free which was a bonus, as well as cleansers. I personally don’t see the fascination with the cleanser if I am honest, I feel the one I use already (Clarins Cottonseed Cream Cleanser) paired with my Clarisonic does a better job so don’t feel obliged to give in. 

I am currently using an attachment for deep cleansing, which I started off using twice a day. I have read many bloggers say they broke out in the beginning and I dreaded this but my breakout was very minimal. The breakout usually is all the dirt and oils trapped under your skin surfacing to the top. I now use the Clarisonic it once a day if I have worn makeup, sometimes I don’t even feel the need to use it on the days I haven't  worn make up as my skin still feels soft from the previous day. I also use the body brush twice a week on my shoulders and back, which has really helped control my breakouts and make my skin soft.

I did a comparison of how much makeup is left on my skin after removing makeup with a wipe, cleansing and toning vs the same routine with use of the Clarisonic to show the effectiveness it has of removing makeup: 

As you can see there is literally nothing left on my skin in the second picture.

Results of my skin without make-up after a month
As you can still I still have a few scars, but overall
my skin has a nice healthy glow. Note no filters were
used to take this photo, it was taken in natural light. 

I have been using the Clarisnoic daily for a month now, and I can not believe how many people have complimented me on my skin, a lot of comments to say I look glowing (I promise its for no other reason). I have found myself wear a lot less make up, as my products sink into my skin better and also blend better than they did prior to the use of this tool. My skin feels super soft and silky to touch, and I have also gained the confidence to go into the gym without tinted moisturiser anymore, and stay bare skinned(I am usually really conscice of my skin). 

I still cannot believe how great my skin looks in the morning, and when I take my make up off in the evening. I will not stop repeating this when I say, this is honestly one of the best beauty investments I have made. I am not saying go out and buy one now and you have to, I know many don’t have a fascination or need, however I can’t stress that although not a NEED once you try this you won’t look back. I can’t tell you if it work’s for everyone, it probably doesn’t but it really, REALLY worked for me. I am sold on the hype of the product, and wonder why it took me so long to give in. 

Overall this is my favourite beauty buy so far. So if you are contemplating, I hope you sway towards getting one; I promise you won’t regret it. I know there are many brands who do similar and cheaper products, however what I liked about Clarisonic is their confidence in their product and customer service (30 day money back guarantee), the range of heads available so you can change dependent on skin type or even share with your sibling/parent if you buy different attatchments. Some of the other brands also have bristles which turn, this in effect can be harsh on the skin, the Clarisonic pulses but does not turn. Finally I love that it is gentle enough on my skin to be used daily. 

Have you used any products that have lived up to their expectations? If so what were they? 

K xx

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others.