Worth the Hype? | Good Genes, Sunday Riley

Its hard to believe that any 30ml product is worth £85. I mean for that you could have a spending spree in Topshop right? On seeing all the hype surrounding Sunday Riley's Good Genes, I decided it was an investment I was willing to make... Who doesn't want to fool the rest of the world into thinking they have naturally 'Good Genes'?

This is the first product that I tried from the brand. Good Genes is a leave-on serum treatment which is "formulated with key ingredients which will plump fine lines, reveal brighter, newer skin, and improve circulation for a smooth, vibrant complexion. Long term use will help restore damaged skin, reduce hyperpigmentation and scars, reduce the depth and number of line and wrinkles, even out skin tone, and increase epidermal thickness and firmness.”

Once applied I find it tingly, for me this is a plus as I feel like the product is really getting to work (apparently this is the lactic acid doing its thing!) I would suggest testing before you buy though especially if your skin is super sensitive, the acid in it could easily cause a reaction and be a waste of quite a bit of your precious money. However if your skin is hardy enough to tolerate chemical exfoliants go for it. Its seriously like an 'instant facial' in a bottle.

As I'm a student this was an incredibly naughty purchase, and as a result I cant use it all the time as I really cannot afford to. However I wouldn't want to use it every night as it is pretty strong. When I do use it I only need a tiny pea sized amount before bed- once a week. When I wake up my skin feels all glowy and soft. Perfect. 

Despite no longer being a teenager I still (sadly) have rather spot prone skin. And my skin takes forever to heal, by forever I mean weeks- but this has definitely helped cut down this healing time. I have found it has also drastically helped to decrease my pore size, especially around my nose area. My skin feels altogether brighter and smoother. This product also works fantastically with older skin. My mum, after using my bottle once went out the next day and bought her own as it works fabulously at plumping and giving the appearance of a younger, dewier more radiant skin.

Packaging wise I love how simple and clean all the products in Sunday Riley's range look, perfect for any dressing table. My boyfriend cannot stand the smell of this product, he claims it smells like dried lemons (is that a thing?) I later found out its heavy scent is a result of the Lemongrass oil. Personally I don't mind it as I know how fantastic this product is and what a difference it makes to my skin. But if you aren't one for heavily scented products this might not be for you.

This stuff is amazing, and a HUGE thumbs up from me. I know this is a pretty big investment, but in my opinion, your skin is so important - you need a good base to apply makeup to and good skin can do wonders for your confidence so its okay to spend a bit of money on it... treat yourself! However make sure you do test it out first because its strong stuff, and the smell could definitely put some people off. You'll thank me later though!
It's available here.

Love Katie x

Pixi Glow Tonic Exfoliating Toner Review

After reading about this much loved, raved about and completely sold out product many times on various beauty blogs including that of skincare goddess Caroline Hirons, I knew that, being the sheep I am I just HAD to jump on the bandwagon and give it ago! So just over a month ago I finally invested in a bottle and have been testing it out since to answer the question all of us want to know, is it really worth all the hype?

I have always struggled with 'gritty' exfoliators, as I often find my skin is too sensitive and they are too abrasive (maybe I just get too carried away with my scrubbing?), leaving it dry and sore. Either way they don't seem to work for me. On the website the product is described as being "Oxygenating. Exfoliating facial glow tonic. It helps tone, firm and tighten the skin. It removes dead skin cells for healthier looking skin. " In short is is an exfoliating toner, assisting with the removal of dead skin.

I was a bit sceptical about using a chemical cleanser having never used one before, and was worried it potentially could be harsh on the skin. However, after having used the tonic for about a month, most nights before bed. After cleansing, and before moisturising, I find it is not harsh on the skin at all. The toner gives an almost instant tingly freshness to the skin. It has a water-like consistency and when dried leaves no irritating, sticky residue behind on the skin. Over the past few weeks I have also noticed a number of longer term effects on my face, it feels noticeably smoother, brighter, pores are less noticeable, I have fewer dry patches and it seems altogether less blemished. As a result of this my makeup seems to blend into and sits on my skin more nicely than before. As a side note it is both oil and alcohol free which is a massive plus for those who suffer with either oily, dry or combination skin. 

It's a yes from me!

Pixi Glow Tonic Exfoliating Toner is priced at £18 a bottle and available online here or in the flagship Carnaby Street store. 

For some £18 may seem expensive, but for a product which works so well for most I think its a good deal. I reckon a bottle of this will last me around five/six months despite using it most nights before bed. For those students (like myself) who can't face shelling out this much for a toner its available on asos here and you can use your 10% student discount on it, score!

Lots of Love 

Katie x