My Everyday Moisturiser: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

I'm still a huge fan of my La Roche Posay  Effaclar Mat (review here) and still recommend it as a great mattifying moisturiser, but I've found something that I feel is more beneficial to my skin as far as moisture goes. Enter Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, my new favourite fuss free moisturiser for Combination/Oily and Oily skin gals like myself.

I first discovered this yellow bottle of goodness when I bought my Mum some Clinique skincare for Mothers Day a year or so back. I remember trying it out a few times and really liking how it didn't add any excess gunk to my face. It moisturised beautifully and left my skin not looking oily throughout the day - result! 

I stopped using my Mum's as I felt bad and happily fell in love with Effaclar Mat. 

The newest release from Clinique is their Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+, which I had seen around at work as the girls were promoting the new addition to the DD family. It reminded me of my brief affair with the gel alternative and led me to getting a bottle for myself, which I'm really glad I did!

DD gives me the same kind of mattifying feeling that the Effaclar Mat does, it's definitely not rich or dewy looking which is what I want. Make-up goes on beautifully over the top of it and my Estée Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher (review soon!) works really well underneath it. Both of these together provide the perfect base for make-up and a nice shine-free base for no make-up also. 

Unlike the Effaclar, it feels like its really moisturising my skin deep down, not just providing a mattifying layer that won't make me look like a chip pan face. My face feels plump and smooth after I use it, which I love. 

Moisture in the skin is so important, and I'd rather have moisture in my skin and be slightly oiler than to not moisturise at all just so that my skin looks matte all day. Having said that, this moisturiser controls my oil really well and gives me more of a glow than an oily look throughout the day, which I'm really happy with. 

Another great thing about this product is the price point. A massive 100ml will only set you back £29.50 (most high end moisturisers are 50ml and some cost much more for only half the amount of the Clinique) and will last a lifetime. I got mine with my employee discount and managed to snag a whopping 200ml for an absolutely bargain-ous price *very happy Chlo*. (I don't know if this size is available to buy on counter but it's not on the Clinique website! It is showing up on the Debenhams website for £37.00 but is not in stock so may have been discontinued!) I use roughly the size of a 5p coin and it does my whole face and spreads partway down my neck. 

DD is 100% Fragrance Free, as all of Clinique's products are, which is great for those who's skin is irritated by fragrance.

A fantastic, fantastic product that I really recommend if you have Combination/Oily or Oily skin. 

You can pick up the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel at any Clinique counter and online here. (The 50ml tube is £17.00).

Jake on 'Male Grooming'

So I decided to ask my ever witty boyfriend some questions about male grooming, and seeming shy at first he was unsure when thinking of answers to my questions, but he soon enjoyed me quizzing him and ended up loving his new celebrity-esque role as interview-ee LOL :-)

Just a bit of fun and a chance to introduce him on my blog....he's a big sweetie and never fails to make me laugh. Enjoy! (My side-notes will be in bold italics to explain his nonsense!!) 

What do you think about male grooming?

Excessive skincare is just feminine.

What about bodily hair?

Men are meant to be hairy. 

(Pause)

Can I just say that buying hair gel over the age of 18 should be illegal.

So what do you do to your hair?

What my hair on my head?

Yeah.

I shave my head and trim my beard with a beard trimmer.

What about skincare? Do you think it's important?

Er...I use erm.. cheap Asda toner cause I like the feeling of using loads of it. And obviously moisturiser. I can't really lie about doing face masks with you.

What moisturiser?

Cetaphil. Cause I've got a spotty boat race.

What about cleanser?

Well, I enjoy getting Chloe facials. (I cleanse, tone and moisturise his skin with all my products - and he says excessive skincare is feminine!!!)

What would you buy for your skin that you don't already for money reasons?

Slap on aftershave. Like Issey Miyake (the aftershave lotion for the face that they do) or something like that. I've gone off putting loads of stuff on my skin. Like spot treatment.

Like Clearasil?

Whats that other stuff I use? That hefty stuff that makes my skin dry?

Oh yeah, Panoxyl.

Yeah.

Why do you like having facial hair?

Errr...makes me feel more manly and it hides what spots and scars I have.

Does getting spots bother you?

It used to but it really doesn't anymore. I think it only matters if you care about what people think of you. But I do feel sorry for girls with bad skin.

Do you think it's more important for a woman to look after their skin than a man?

Erm... in todays society yeah. I dunno why though. I dunno why it's ended up being like that.

How do you feel about aftershave?

I like using a lot of it. It makes me feel goooooood. And my favourite is Tom Ford erm...this one....(Holds up Tom Ford - Bois Marocain) 

Boys Moroccan.

(Pause)

You're not actually going to write that down are ya?

New! Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II - Review Coming Soon...

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II* - £48 - 30ml, £65 - 50ml.

As you may have heard, the iconic Advanced Night Repair by Estée Lauder has again been reformulated and is said to be even better than ever. Working for Estée Lauder myself, I was very familiar with the old formula and the strong Lauder mantra 'The one serum beautiful skin shouldn't be without' - which is pretty much burned in my brain for eternity.  

I was so excited when I found out that it was being reformulated, and even more excited when I read and learnt about the science and technologies behind the fantastic new formula. 

I've had my bottle for less than a week, which is no where near enough time to trial and test it so that I can write a review on my results. So I will be doing a review in about a months time, but until then I thought I would dedicate this post to the history and science behind the 'little brown bottle' that is Advanced Night Repair, as it is an amazing product with a lot of incredible research, popularity and years behind it.

Night Repair advertisement from 1982.

ANR actually started out as Night Repair Cellular Recovery Complex in 1982 and was the worlds first ever repair serum. The famous brown bottle with the dropper was inspired by pharmaceuticals and designed to look medical, everything about it was groundbreaking and new, from the formula, to the texture, to the research. Estée Lauder were the first cosmetic company to understand the impact that DNA damage had on the skin, causing it to age. They also brought about the concept of 'night-time repair' and were innovators in terms of brands following suit with their own alternatives. They invented a serum and then the repair category, turning skin care into repair. They also studied the impact of environmental assaults on the skin as well as identifying the importance of skins 24-hour circadian rhythm and how clock genes help skin cells repair at exactly the right time.

Mrs Estée Lauder.

Celebrating their 30th year of ANR last year in 2012, Estée Lauder's most coveted serum now has over 30 years of research and innovation under it's belt as well as 25+ patents and patents pending worldwide, meaning no one can copy or re-create it, serious stuff!

I created this timeline to display the different variations of ANR throughout the years, starting in 1982 with Night Repair. 

1991 brought along Advanced Night Repair Protective Recovery Complex and was reformulated with anti-oxidant technologies. This formula helped to boost skins natural renewal process and help repair visible signs of ageing.

In 1998, Advanced Night Repair Whitening Recovery Complex was released in Asia only and targeted the concerns of Asian skin. This formula helped to restore the translucence and porcelain finish that youthful skin has. It helped to reduce un-even skin tone, pigmentation and dark spots to reveal a more uniform skin tone appearance.

2002 saw the release of Advanced Night Repair Eye Recovery Complex which saw the best-selling formula adapted into a gel-creme to treat the delicate skin around the eyes, which is 40% thinner than the rest of the face. This eye repair product targets lines, puffiness, dryness and dark circles. 

In 2007, an addition to the ANR family was made in the form of Advanced Night Repair Concentrate Recovery Boosting Treatment and is an intense treatment to be used for 21 nights every 3-4 weeks and that is sadly being discontinued. 

In 2009 the New Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex was born, and featured exclusive Chronolux™ technology which supports the natural synchroniztion of skins repair and protection processes at the exact right time. It also contained AGT (Alkyl Guanine Transferase) which helped to repair visible damage from smoke and pollution.

2012 featured a limited edition bottle to celebrate 30 years of Advanced Night Repair and the beginning of 2013 introduced the new Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Infusion which reduces the look of past visible damage around the eyes and penetrates quickly due to it's serum form. This serum can be used alone or under your eye cream to maximise results. This serum again features the Chronolux™ technology. This formula is more protective of the eye area as opposed to the gel-creme alternative.

As of July 29th 2013, the previous ANR became discontinued and Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II hit the shelves. I was on counter yesterday for the launch of this product and made sure that I explained the new formula to customers that used it, and to customers that were new to it also. (I'd like to stress that nothing has been taken away from the previous formula, so people who loved it before, you still will. The formula has been added to only, the smell is the same (to me) and the texture is pretty much identical.)

The new formula is based around two major discoveries - Purification and Lack of Sleep accelerates the Look of Ageing. 

Every night, skin cells go through a purification process called Catabolysis, which 

Estée Lauders scientists discovered peaks at night. This purification clears out cellular debris from the skin which optimises skins natural renewal. As we age, this natural purification slows down, which is where the development of ChronoluxCB™comes along, a combination of Purification and Synchronization. 

Still with me?

The lack of sleep aspect has been extensively researched by Estée Lauder and a leading university who showed that chronic lack of sleep can accelerate visible signs of skin ageing, in particular fine lines, dehydrated/dry skin and uneven skin tone. Estée Lauder are saying that they can't help you get a good nights sleep, but they can help you look like you did.

The new ANR II works Every Night, Every Day, and for Every Key Sign of Ageing. 

Every Night see's the Purification and Synchronization processes in action - ChronoluxCB™. 

Every Day a powerful blend of anti-oxidants help to neutralise free radicals and protect the skin from environmental assaults. High levels of Hyaluronic Acid help to lock in moisture and create the perfect environment for skins natural renewal. 

Every Key Sign of Ageing includes lines and wrinkles, dehydration and uneven skintone and it helps to make the skin feel smoother, stronger and look younger and more radiant. 

Advanced Night Repair has always been suitable for every age, skintype and ethnicity.

You can pick up the new ANR II at any Estée Lauder counter and online at esteelauder.co.uk.

As for my own opinion of the new formula, I can't say too much at the moment. I've only been using it a few days, but I will say that I've already noticed a very visible difference in my skin, not just in the way it looks but also in it's behaviour. Keep an eye out for my review to see what I really think!

Until then, I leave you with a few of my favourite photos of Mrs. Lauder, who in my opinion, was an incredible lady, and a beautiful one at that. I feel very honoured to work for such an amazing company who have brought so much to the industry.

I hope you enjoyed this post, please let me know if you liked it! 

I will also do an updated post on my job soon, but I will say I am really, really enjoying it!!

Twitter: twitter.com/chloemykel

Instagram: cocomykel

*Gifted to me complimentarily as an employee.

Benefit Speed Brow

Benefit Speed Brow - £13

Just a quick post about a product I am absolutely loving, my new friend Speed Brow by Benefit.

I find Benefit as a brand quite hit and miss with their products. I am a huge fan of their Erase Paste and use it almost every day, but some of their other products, mainly their base products, have disappointed me. 

I first tried this product at work, as while I was on counter I noticed in the mirror that the hairs on one eyebrow were brushed the wrong way and made it look terrible. I don't know if you know what I mean when your eyebrow hairs get out of control and go in funny directions? As Estee Lauder don't do a brow gel, I quickly popped over to Benefit, applied a quick bit of Speed Brow, and hot footed back to my counter. I was quite skeptical of the tiny brush and didn't think it looked like the best applicator but the small size allows you to be really precise and brush them with accuracy into the desired shape.

I was so impressed by how it smoothed my brows through and kept them in place all day without looking like there is any gunky product on them whatsoever. They literally didn't budge! To touch, my brows felt like they weren't going to move but they didn't feel hard or crispy at all, still soft. It also helps to smooth through the product that you've applied in your brows to help it look natural and not too harsh, but doesn't wipe the product away.

Unedited heavy swatch of Speed Brow on my hand.

Combing the product through is really easy and the colour is perfect for the shade of my brows. Speed Brow does only come in one colour but I do think it's quite universal, it's light enough for blondes and not pigmented enough to look obvious on really dark or black brows. The colour also has a taupe/ashy undertone to it which most people brows naturally have.

All in all, a really fantastic product that does what it says on the tin and one that I would happily repurchase!

You can pick up Benefit's Speed Brow at any Benefit counter and online at benefitcosmetics.co.uk.

Have you tried Speed Brow before? 

Would you recommend any other brow gels?

MAC Powder Blush in Coppertone - Review

MAC Powder Blush in Coppertone - £18.00
(or £15.00 for the PRO Refill Pan) at maccosmetics.co.uk

I decided to buy this MAC Powder Blush in Coppertone after seeing it on Barbara, a YouTuber who goes by the name of 'thepersianbabe' on YouTube. She is really lovely and I adore her style, I really recommend her videos! When she mentioned this in a video and said she was wearing it, it looked like a really nice accompaniment to bronzer. Coppertone is described by MAC as a 'Peach Brown' and is perfect when you want a bit of colour on your face in terms of looking 'warmer' but without having a pop of colour on the face like a pink or a coral. 

Coppertone gives a nice 'peachy tan' wash of colour to my cheeks and is the perfect accompaniment to a bright lipstick as it doesn't compete with the colour or clash. I have been wearing this a lot with my Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in Deep 4 (review here) as they go together really well. I use the bronzer under my cheekbones, on my temples and under my chin, I then use Coppertone more on the fleshy part of my cheeks and blend down towards the apples. I've especially been loving this blush for the Summer weather we've been having in the UK at the moment as I've been going for more of a bronzed look as of late (I get a tad bronzer happy!)

As you can see, it looks really natural on, although you could apply more if you wanted to. It helps to give my face a bit of a bronzed look and adds some healthy colour that looks great with everything from a nude lip or a bright lip. 

This blush has really become an everyday staple for me as it's so easy to use, you can never 'over-do it' with this blush and it works really well with my skintone. I think fair skins would get on with this really well as it has a nice neutral undertone and never looks orange. I don't think this is pigmented or bright enough to suit deeper skins however, but that it just the nature of the shade.

If you are looking for a natural, understated blush shade then Coppertone is a great one to try! It's available in all MAC stores and online at maccosmetics.co.uk. 

What's your favourite natural blush shade?

RiRi ♥'s MAC Summer - Retro Matte Lipstick in Heaux

Like many of us beauty junkies, I was so excited to get my hands on part of the RiRi ♥'s MAC Summer  collection by MAC and Rihanna. I already had my eye on the Retro Matte Lipstick in Heaux after reading descriptions online and seeing a review on Temptalia.com (linked here).

 At 12pm sharp last Thursday, I was already on the MAC website refreshing the page like a mad woman - two windows open. It took about 7 minutes for it to appear on my laptop, I don't know how everyone else found it? Naughty MAC! After it finally appeared, I swifty added Heaux and RiRi Boy to my basket but I ended up sacrificing RiRi Boy after not being sure on it. Looking back I do wish I had got it, but it's an exact dupe of MAC's Up The Amp lipstick, just in a different finish. It is also available on eBay but at extortionate prices! 

However, I was so thrilled to have been able to get one of Heaux as apparently it sold out in 15 minutes?! Crazy! I'm really happy with this lipstick as I am a massive fan of matte lipsticks, they are probably my favourite lipstick finish. 

I've found that in texture, it is the same kind of matte as my Ruby Woo lipstick by MAC. Both are 'Retro Matte' finishes, quite dry but perfect as a matte lipstick. It can gather in places due to it's dry texture if you apply too much, but a way around this is apply it in thin layers and blot in-between. 

As for the shade, I absolutely love it. It's a dark berry colour with quite pink undertones and is a real statement lipstick. Like all matte lipsticks, it wears nicely and only needs touch up's throughout the day. I would say that due to the formula, it would be wise to make sure your lips are nice and conditioned with lip balm underneath either a while before applying or just before applying and then blotted off, as the formula can make dry and flaky lips more obvious.

 In some photos it can look a lot brighter because of the flash, but I'd say the swatches below on my hands an lips portray the shade quite accurately. I love the 'RiRi' signature on the bullet, I'll be disappointed when it starts to wear down!

Swatch of Heaux on my hand (NC42 in MAC), with flash.

Me wearing MAC Lipstick in Heaux

I'm really glad I picked this shade from the collection, I had my heart set on RiRi Woo for quite a while but finally accepted the fact that it's pretty much identical to Ruby Woo and that it wasn't worth it. 

I really rate this lipstick and if you weren't lucky enough to get one, then I know that Rebel by MAC is a really close dupe for it!

Did you get anything from the RiRi ♥'s MAC Summer collection?