Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Summer Trialing


Summer is the time for beach combing, bike riding, melon eating...and apparently product testing. Warmer weather means less dry, sensitive skin for me, so as long as I stay out of the sun, I tend to take these 3 months to test out new skincare bits.

Starting on the left, let me contradict myself on the first product. I am merely trying out Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream since I picked it up last month; no connection to my seasonal skincare theory. My typical cuticle treatment of choice is coconut oil, but I find this is convenient to carry around in my bag. It isn't very emollient but I like that as it doesn't melt or separate in the heat. Did I mention it smells amazing too? Lemon is one of my favorite scents of all time so I just open this up to take a whiff.

Next is a product that was in my May Favorites post; the Neutrogena Clear Face liquid-lotion sunscreen. I try to give skincare a 3-4 month test run before incorporating it into my main routine and this may fit the summer bill. Worth noting is its lack of hydrating properties; this would certainly not be enough on its own for me come autumn/winter. A lightweight, effective and inexpensive SPF option still.

A complete impulse purchase from Target is the No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water. When I lived in France, I tried the famous Bioderma micellar water and hated it. It burned my eyes and didn't remove my waterproof mascara whatsoever. I know I am probably the only blogger in the world who dislikes Bioderma but it just didn't work for me. In fact, I have yet to stumble across a micellar water that does. First impression of this No7 offering is it smells like alcohol...but I want to give it a fair run despite the cynic in me!

Lastly we have a Sephora 100 point perk I received in April. The Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum is meant to fade sunspots, acne scars and general skin discoloration. This serum contains 2% hydroquinone, which works as the lightening agent. I have been using this on my acne scars nightly since June and unfortunately have not seen noticeable improvement. This sample size is almost out, so I may move onto something else. Scars take a long time to fade though so I don't discount this serum. It does contain a decent amount of alcohol; a known irritant so for that reason I won't be shelling out for the full size.

Have you been trying any new things this summer?