Review: Grace Cole Skin Care System

Guess what? I have been in search for a new skin care system, or at least a new, magnificent stand-alone product which could compete with my all-time favourite Clinique Three-Step Skin Care System. After more that two years of usage, it is time to say good-bye, as my skin has gotten used to it (insert a heart-breaking sob here). When it comes to skin care, I am rather picky, and that's why, for the next few months, I will most likely be testing and reviewing a ton of skin care products. Definitely follow my blog to get the latest updates on that.

Now, to the point. I recently bought a tea tree & witch hazel skin care system by Grace Cole, pictured below. It consists of three steps: a foaming facial was, a cleansing tonic and a softening moisturizer.

Facial Wash

Cleansing Tonic

Moisturizer

The packaging looked really nice and caught my attention but the biggest reason why I bought it (since i hadn't done any research) was actually my friends encouraging comments about the benefits of tea tree oil. "Anything that has some tea tree in it is amazing!" Okay, at least it had always worked for her. For the price tag of around only 15 euros for all three products, I was determined to try it.

When you open the packaging, the smell of these products might surprise you. I would suggest smelling them in the store before you buy, as the have a strong, refreshing scent not all people may like. Both the facial wash and the tonic are great products. They seemed rather gentle (which I like) and my skin felt instantly fresher. The moisturiser, though, was a complete shock to me. After I had washed of the tonic and waited a while, I applied it to my face. Three seconds later, I was desperate to get it off. While the facial wash and tonic had been gentle, this was a torture in a tin.

It hurt! It stung really badly, like no other skin care product had before. It could be that only my skin's reaction to that was overly dramatic on that particular day but I certainly will not be repeating the process to check. My skin is not very problematic as it is, and while the sting could have been a sign of the product working amazingly, I have no intention to move away from my lovely Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel. End of the story.

My verdict? The price is reasonable, and the packaging contains a lot of the product. However, I would steer clear of the moisturizer, or ask for a sample to try before purchasing, as it is quite impossible to predict your skin's reaction to it. For the days when my skin will be wanting something refreshing, these will be the products for me. The search for The Product still continues.

Have you tried this skin care system? What are your thoughts on it? If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments below!

And don't forget: it's blog hoppin' time!

Review: Lush Cupcake Mask

 

Guess where I was on Friday afternoon? You are right! For the first time in my life, I checked out the Lush store. You might have already read a guest post I did for Lipstick Fridays blog about my first time at Lush. If you haven't yet, check it out to see what was my first impression!

In the above pictures, you can see my newest purchase, the famous Lush Cupcake Mask, intended for oily teenage skin, now proudly sitting in my refrigerator.

The first thing you notice about the product is that it smells absolutely amazing. If you are a fan of chocolate-y products, this will be your thing as it smells mostly like chocolate with a tiny hint of peppermint. It kind of smells like something you could eat, that's why I put a hot pink sticky note on it, saying, "Please don't eat". I wouldn't want any weird refrigerator situations!

The mask goes onto your face really smoothly. I got a tingly feeling after it was on for about 3 minutes but it was a good one. You are supposed to leave the Lush Cupcake mask on for 5 to 10 minutes. I went for about 6 as it was my first time using it. Just a tip: before applying any Lush or other new skincare products, try them out on your hand first. I have discovered an allergic reaction to some products this way, and I am incredibly glad that I didn't put them on my face!

Taking the mask off is a little bit more tricky. It came off but I would suggest keeping a toner or another facial wash around just in case. The mask is so good my face probably just didn't want to let it go!

Anyhow, what came afterwards? Incredibly good feeling, that's for sure. My skin felt instantly better, tighter and smoother. I actually saw that the size of my pores had decreased! Big points to Lush for that one.

The next morning though my skin was back to normal. Is it a drawback? Not necessarily. The feeling was incredibly good, and I would suggest using this mask before going out as for a few hours your skin will feel and look absolutely amazing. It does not have any long-lasting effect (at least not on my skin) but I still consider this a great product.

This is the start of my new Lush addiction. Probably the first step towards bankruptcy, too. What can I say? You impressed me, Lush! I can definitely recommend everybody to try the Lush Cupcake Mask, and I will most probably be repurchasing it myself. Smells so good.

What's your experience with Lush products? Have you tried Lush Cupcake Mask? Leave a comment and tell me about it!