Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial

The Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial has been on my wish list for some time now for two reasons;
(1.) I really enjoy putting oily serums on my face
(2.) I'm a sucker for a cleverly named beauty product

Prior to Overnight Facial, the only Sarah Chapman product I had any experience with was the Skin Insurance tinted SPF which is a product that I basically wore daily this Summer. I loved the effect and the finish of Skin Insurance, so it only made me more keen to try more from the brand. So now I've got Overnight Facial on the go and I've been using it most nights since I got it for my birthday two weeks ago. Thanks mum.

The name is a bit of a giveaway, but this serum is designed for use at night. You just massage it in and let it do its thing while you sleep.

An oil-serum formula, Overnight Facial was developed by Sarah Chapman to allow users to recreate the 'glow' of her famous Skinesis facials in the comfort of their own home. Pretty much nothing can compare to a really good facial but after trying this product for a couple of weeks, I can confirm that it comes pretty close - if only it came complete with an Indian head massage and ambient rainforest sounds.

Since I've just turned 33, which we all know is very, very old, I have started venturing out into the world of Vitamin A. It's good timing then that Overnight Facial came into my life when it did, because it's a main feature of this serum.

On top of Vitamin A, Overnight Facial is rich in anti-inflammatory omegas, antioxidants, a cocktail of vitamins including a stabilised version of Vitamin C and a brightening complex. The formula also features something called Renovage which claims to prolong the life span of cells and Dermaxyl which boosts collagen production via an advanced peptide technology.

As well as all of these super ingredients, Overnight Facial contains a blend of jasmine, tuberose, rose and frangipani essential oils for a soothing scent. On the topic of scents, I read a few reviews of Overnight Facial that raved about the amazing way it smells but I'll admit that the first few times I tried it I didn't really even notice much of a scent. It wasn't until just the other night when I took the time to purposefully breathe in the scent after swiping it across my palms and holding my hands in front of my face that I actually understood what these people were talking about. I totally get it now. This stuff smells gorgeous.

Pretty smells aside, the reason I wanted to write this review is because I'm thus far pretty impressed with Overnight Facial. I am convinced that in the short amount of time I've been using it, it has made a definite improvement on the overall texture and plumpness of the skin on my face. My crows feet (ugh I hate that term) next to my eyes are looking a lot smoother and sort of plumped out, which is quite remarkable because I have spent a large portion of the last few months squinting, thanks to that weirdly hot and sunny summer we've just had.

The packaging has its good and not-so-good points. It looks sleek and modern and lovely,, and the airless pump means the integrity of the active ingredients isn't compromised. However, you also can't see the product at all until you pump it into your hand so you therefore can't tell when you're about to run out. Overnight Facial is £49 for 15ml, which does seem a lot for such a small amount of product but I've found that one pump is the perfect amount for my face.

If you want to try it for yourself, Overnight Facial is available at Space NK, Look Fantastic, John Lewis, Feel Unique and Sarah Chapman.

Another Review of Glossier You

I know that Glossier's cult fragrance debuted around a year ago now, but I received it for my birthday a few weeks ago so it's new to me! Truth be told I've been a little bit in love with this fragrance since my sister got it for Christmas and I'm so pleased to have a little red capped pink bottle of my own.

You is quite a departure from my usual favourite scents. The majority of my perfumes are gourmands or are at least quite heavy on the sweet notes, whereas You doesn't really have any dessert-like qualities at all. In fact, to me it's almost got a savoury edge, probably thanks to the pink pepper top notes.

The really cool thing about this scent is that it's described as a personal fragrance - in other words, it was created for the wearer to enjoy rather than to be spritzed to impress anyone else. I personally really like this sentiment and think it's a much savvier way of marketing the fragrance rather than simply saying that You is quite a subtle scent. It also makes me feel marginally better about the fact that I'll often just sit there absentmindedly sniffing my own wrist.

Officially, Glossier You consists of the following notes (notes and descriptions borrowed from Glossier):
Base
-Ambrette (comfy, warm)
-Ambrox (smooth, salty, animalistic)
-Musk (long-lasting, addictive)

Top
-Iris Root (earthy, green, woody)
-Pink Pepper (spice, sparkling)

And then the final (or first) ingredient is you and the way your skin reacts with the fragrance.

Both the concept and scent remind me of Escentric Molecules 03 which I had the pleasure of sampling back in 2015 as it was one of the goodies in the Liberty Advent Calendar. 

I have read that others compare You to Molecule 01(the original), which I haven't actually smelled but can imagine that there would be definite similarities going by what I've read about that one.
The longevity of this scent seems to have mixed reviews; some people claim it lasts and lasts whereas for others it disappears within hours. I think i'm somewhere in the middle when it comes to how long it keeps my skin scented though I do stop noticing the fragrance quite quickly. Nothing a quick wrist-whiff can't solve though.

Right, onto the packaging;

I LOVE this bottle. From the thick frosted pink glass to the contrasting red cap, it's almost like they created this bottle with Instagram in mind. It's even ergonomic too, with an indent to place your thumb whilst you spritz away. Handy.

The 50ml fragrance bottle is perfectly handbag friendly and I've thus far had no leaking incidents whilst transporting it which is always a bonus. After all, I want You on me and not on my stuff.

If you've not already tried You, it can be ordered online at Glossier for £45 where it qualifies for free delivery as it's over the £25 threshold. There is also a kitsh solid perfume compact version which is £19.

In terms of other Glossier products I've tried, I like the Cloud Paint and Generation G matte lipstick (I have shade Cake and it's a very wearable and sheer your-lips-but-better nude) and don't mind my Coconut Balm Dot Com. I regularly use Boy Brow too, that's a fantastic, super quick and convenient brow product. I've also tried the Milky Jelly Cleanser (meh) and really didn't get on with the Body Hero products, though I think I'm in the minority there!

I think I'll be a long term fan of Glossier You though and am definitely keen to see what the brand will do next.

Kate Somerville DermalQuench Liquid Lift

I'm going to put my hand up right now and say that this is one skincare product that has instantly wowed me. And by instant, I mean instant. We know that most serums and post-cleansing treatments and face creams have an accumulative effect. They work over time so you've got to wait it out and really give them a chance to work before you see any real benefit. While Liquid Lift does have ingredients that benefit the skin in the long term (I'll get to that bit later), it's the instant gratification that this product provides that has me impressed, and to be honest, a little surprised. It's not that I wasn't expecting great things (I've lusted over Kate Somerville products for literally years) it's that I've been taken back a bit by how much my skin loved this immediately after the first spray.

For total transparency, I actually ordered this by accident. Not one of those 'oh I tripped and fell with my credit card in my hand while feeding the baby in a sleep deprived stupor at 2am' kind of accidents but a genuine accident! I'd been reading all about Kate Somerville's Liquid Lift Retinol and, since I've recently started incorporating retinol into my skincare routines, decided I'd take advantage of a certain very well known Blogger's 30% off discount and try it for myself. Unbeknownst to me, I'd actually ordered the Liquid Lift sans retinol and it turns out the retinol version isn't currently available to those of us this side of the pond. I noticed pretty quickly after I'd placed the order that I had in fact ordered the wrong product but made the executive decision to let it be and see how things played out. Let's just say I'm pretty glad I did.

First and foremost, Liquid Lift is a spray. Rather than a quaint, gentle spritz though, this is more like a full-on blast. I mean you really do get a blast of product, right in the face, in the greatest way possible. I think the last time I felt a sensation like that was probably during a facial because I've certainly not applied product to my face like that in the comfort of my own home before.
The reason the product comes out at what feels like a million miles an hour is down to the delivery system which uses A 70 Propellant which is described on the Kate Somerville site as 'an Isobutane-Propane blend that evaporates when product is expelled from container, and dissipates prior to contact with skin.' 
The actual product itself is essentially a cream powered by Hyaluronic Acid and Oxygen. The Oxygen in the formula is delivered to the skin via 'PFC-Oxygen Carriers', which is a rather compelling concept if you're interested in the scientific aspects of skincare!
The formula also includes 'rare botanical extracts' which upon closer inspection refers to Nasturtium flower, leaf and stem extract and Lavender oil. The Nasturtium may well be responsible for the wonderfully cooling, almost numbing (?) effect that Liquid Lift has on my face when first applied.Whatever it is that does this, I am 100% here for it because it feels awesome. 
To use Liquid Lift, you press down on the top of the bottle, with the nozzle aimed at your face (with eyes and mouth closed, obviously) then immediately massage the product in. It's at this point that you will feel it doing something, though may not be able to quite put your finger on it, then if you're anything like me you'll do a proper Owen Wilson-eque "Wow" at your glowing and plumped-out complexion in the mirror.
It really does seem to instantly refresh and plump my skin with a dose of glowy goodness for good measure. I've only had DermalQuench Liquid Lift for about a week so I can't comment on any long-term difference that it's made to my skin, however it is supposed to refine tone and smooth wrinkles in as little as two weeks. 
As it stands though, the glorious plumping and glowing effect that Liquid Lift instantly delivers seems to last a good few hours. I imagine it would be brilliant to use before make up too and I've read reports that it does seem to make foundation apply more smoothly and evenly. Not a bad product at all.
Kate Somerville DermalQuench Liquid Lift retailes for £80 and is available in the UK at Kate Somerville and Cult Beauty.