GLAMOUR FOOD- HYDRATING SKIN TONIC

I picked up this little gem from the cosmetic section of Whole Foods, it has tons of natural interesting makeup/skincare body care products. I am a big fan of the Hydraluron serum so when I saw that this is a toner with Hyaluronic Acid I decided I needed to try it out!

Everyone gets frustrated on spending money on a toner that does -nothing. I have been through so many and only a few really worked and did anything, fortunately, this is one of them. 

Toner used to be used for cleaning the rest of your cleaner residue off. Nowadays, it no longer a relevant step in your makeup routine as most of todays cleaners wash off completely without leaving a residue. So no wonder people pick up toners and think they don't do anything, well if there is no residue from your cleanser, the toner's job is already done!

So what do toners do in the 21st century? Well to each their own but I feel like it has 2 purposes. One - to gently chemically exfoliate (like the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner which I love!) and Two- to hydrate. I know you put moisturiser to hydrate your skin, but if you add a hydrating toner before your moisturiser, your skin with thank you, no matter if you are oily, dry, combination like me.

This has a nice natural smell, comes out a little watery but you only need one pump on a cotton pad and swipe it everyday (preferably days and night) over your skin after cleaning, but before moisturising. It is very light and disappears into the skin quickly. It is completely Natural, and contains Hyaluronic Acid and antioxidants from Blueberries and Dark Chocolate (!).

I love to do this step between my cleansing and my moisturiser and although I still love my Hydraluron serum, I think it's always nice to have another option and alternate between them and for £16.96 it's simply wonderful (considering a little goes a long way).

For UK readers you can buy it in large Whole Foods shops or in the Organic Pharmacy in store on on their website here.
Organic Pharmacy Ships all over the world so have a look if they have it in your country.

What are your favourite toners?

Love, London Girl  xxx

JANUARY FAVOURITES 2014

January is a hard month, your money has disappeared after the Christmas festivities but since you indulged on everything you could over the past few months, your skin is in severe need of TCL!

Here are my skin heroes that saved my face from total chaos this month. 

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner: this stuff is simply great! I have combination skin with a nose prone to blackheads. So this toner met my needs; gentle enough on my drier areas and strong enough on my nose and blocked pores. I don't always use a toner (because usually I don't notice what it does to my skin) but this was clear from the start. Kept spots at bay and cleared the pores! No brainer!

Liz Earle's Brightening Treatment Mask: I do love my Glamglow mask, but I finished my bottle over Christmas and felt like finding a dupe for it. So I came across this little beauty. It really does what it says on the bottle, brightens and clears my skin. Similarly to the Glamglow, it is also a clay mask and even felt a little tingly whist on, but did not irritate my skin. With ingredients like Aloe Vera and Which Hazel you know you are in good hands. Plus, at £14.75 instead of £34 it is a perfect January treat!

Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre: Winter's wind and cold does not do your skin any good, so I lathered this great moisturiser every day after my Clarins toner and let it sink into my skin while I brushed my teeth, it's moisturising qualities are great, my nose was sore and almost peeling after catching a cold and it really soothed everything gently. It's not the cheapest moisturiser but a little goes a long way and it's worth the money if you suffer from dry skin in the cold months!You can see the love I gave to this tube and I'm still not giving up on it! 

Revlon's Colorburst  Matte Balms : In these dull days there is nothing better than to lighten them up with a bright lip! I have been obsessed loving Revlon's balms, they brought a hint of spring and summer to London's rainy days. My lips are usually very dry around this time of the year, so I would generally completely avoid matte lip products as they will simply highlight the cracks in my lips, however I was pleasantly surprised with these, as they are very smooth and moisturising, in fact, I would never have called them matte. I love the color Unapologetic at the moment, but I have a feeling I will get more colors soon, let me know if you want swatches and full post about them.

Balance me Radiance Oil: If all else fails, and I feel a stubborn pimple still coming though, I would attack it at night with this oil, it's so great that 90 percent of the time my pimple does not even come up to a head, it kills it dead. I only have the small size of this but it has become a must in my beauty SOS routine and I will definitely go out and buy the bigger size of this once I run out. 

Phyto 7 daily hydrating Cream : I cannot live wihtout this in windy, cold months, my hair is quite fine and hence without it, I simply can't brush it out! You need to smallest amount. I does not weigh my hair down, it is not an oil and does not leave it greasy at all. It is simply magic, and it has changed my hair routine because with it, my hair does not get nearly as knotty.

What are your favourites this time of the year?

Love, London Girl  xxx