Cloud Skin – The Newest Skincare Trend

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Aromatherapy Associates Mattifying Deep Cleanse Face Wash, balance, blurred, blurring, cloud, Cloud skin, complexion, Elemis Superfood Berry Boost Mask, Evolve Organic Beauty True Balance Lotion, influencers, lotion, make-up, matte, oil, oily, pores, Refinery Mattifying Moisturiser, skin, skincare, SkinCeuticals Oil Shield UV Defence Sunscreen SPF 50, smooth, soft, TikTok, viral

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*sigh*

Another day, another viral skincare trend. 

Last week, we were all trying to make ourselves look as though we had doughnut glaze on our faces, while this week, it’s ‘cloud skin’ we’re all striving for. 

So what is cloud skin and how can we achieve it? Cloud skin is all about a soft, matte finish on the skin which looks blurred, soft-focus and ethereal. Think of cherubs on a cloud and you get the idea. And surprisingly, it’s not as difficult to achieve as it might sound, providing you use the right combination of skincare and make-up. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of products which should definitely be in your cloud-skin arsenal:

Aromatherapy Associates Mattifying Deep Cleanse Face Wash

Every good artist knows that the quality of the canvas is of utmost importance and the same can be said for our faces. Using a mattifying wash is essential in achieving cloud skin, and this one from Aromatherapy Associates is one of the best. It contains lavender and tea tree, which are natural antibacterial essential oils, whilst jojoba helps to balance the skin. It will remove makeup and leave skin feeling balanced, toned and deeply cleansed. 

Refinery Mattifying Moisturiser

Many people make the mistake of thinking that oily skin doesn’t need moisturiser, but that’s rarely the case, and moisturising oily skin can actually help to rebalance your complexion. This moisturiser from Refinery is a light and easily absorbed moisturiser to instantly reduce shine, resulting in matte looking skin. It contains pumpkin seed extract which reduces shine with special optical effects while oat kernel flour soothes and protects skin. 

SkinCeuticals Oil Shield UV Defence Sunscreen SPF 50

Even if you want your skin to look like a cloud, you still need protection from the sun! This SPF from SkinCeuticals offers broad-spectrum SPF50 protection while helping to mattify the skin. It’s an invisible lotion which offers a lightweight, residue-free formula with mattifying properties to help reduce skin oiliness. It contains silica silicate, which absorbs sebum for a light-scattering and blurring effect, perfect for use under make-up to achieve cloud skin. 

Elemis Superfood Berry Boost Mask

If you struggle with imbalanced skin, you’re going to find it difficult to maintain the cloud skin look throughout the day. This mask from Elemis helps to draw out skin impurities whilst gently exfoliating to leave the complexion looking balanced and smooth, and will help to soak up excess oil in 10 minutes. It contains omega-rich fatty acids derived from berries and a prebiotic, naturally derived from sugar, which helps to maintain balance in the skin’s microflora for a healthier looking complexion.

Evolve Organic Beauty True Balance Lotion

Cloud skin relies on looking smooth and soft, as well as having a matte finish, and this lotion from Evolve Organic Beauty can help you to achieve that. It contains ingredients which are clinically proven to tighten and reduce the appearance of pores as well as having a mattifying, firming and moisturising effect. Avocado extract helps to limit excessive oil production by inhibiting an oil producing enzyme (5 alpha-reductase) and therefore reducing the shiny appearance of the t-zone, while hyaluronic acid helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, making the skin look fresher with an improved skin tone, and reduces the appearance of pores.

How to Prep Dry Skin Before Applying Makeup

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ageing skin, antioxidant, balm, cleanser, complexion, dead skin cells, dehydrated, Dermalogica Hydro Masque Exfoliant, Dermalogica Skin Perfect Primer SPF30, drier skin, dry skin, dryness, Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm, Elemis Superfood Kefir-Tea Mist, Evolve Organic Beauty Daily Renew Facial Cream, fermented, flaky, kefir, make-up, makeup, mist, moisture, moisturising, oil-based, patchy, prep, prime, primer, rooibos tea, skin, spray, Vegan

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Unless you’re lucky enough to have the least problematic skin on the planet, every skin type will have it’s own issues when it comes to make-up application. Ageing skin can struggle with heavier formulas which weigh down the skin while those with oily skin may struggle to get their make-up to last the full day. Today, however, we’re focusing on dry skin and what you can do to prep your skin before applying make-up to ensure that you get the best covering with no patchiness or flaking. 

Choose the Correct Cleanser

If you already have dry skin, the last thing you want to do is choose a cleanser which has ingredients which will further dehydrate your face. We’d recommend using a cleansing oil oir balm, such as Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm, to start the cleansing process. Cleansers with an oil or balm texture will help to melt away daily dirt and make-up without stripping the skin’s natural oils and will leave your skin nourished and soothed, with a radiant glow. 

Gently Exfoliate

One of the main issues with applying base products such as foundation to dry skin is that the first place it will cling to is areas of dryness. This will leave your base looking patchy and uneven and it may even appear flaky. The most important thing that you can do to avoid this is gently exfoliating the skin with something like Dermalogica Hydro Masque Exfoliant. This will ensure that dead skin cells are sloughed away and your face is a clean canvas on which to paint. 

Properly Moisturise

If you have dry skin, there’s a good chance that you already have a moisturiser in your daily routine, but is it rich enough to properly nourish a dehydrated complexion? Opting for a moisturiser which is specifically formulated to deal with dry skin, such as Evolve Organic Beauty Daily Renew Facial Cream will ensure that your skin isn’t just drinking in the moisture but still remaining thirsty. 

Prime Your Skin

Many people are under the illusion that cleansing and moisturising is enough, but using a primer is especially important if you have dry skin and want your make-up to sit nicely. Dermalogica Skin Perfect Primer SPF30 will help to smooth away fine lines, brighten and prime for flawless skin and to prepare for make-up application. It’s formulated for use on drier or prematurely ageing skin and will ensure that your skin stays hydrated all day. It also provides broad-spectrum sun protection to prevent harmful UV rays from doing further damage. 

Use a Hydrating Setting Spray

Setting sprays are used quite commonly, but a huge amount of them are alcohol based, making them dehydrating, and therefore bad for dry skin. Imagine doing all of the above to get your skin and make-up on point, only to spray it with something to dry it out?! Elemis Superfood Kefir-Tea Mist is a hydrating 4-in-1 treatment mist, infused with antioxidant rich rooibos tea extract and vegan, soy-derived kefir ferment to help soothe and brighten the complexion.  It may also be used as a setting spray to lock makeup in place and revitalise the skin throughout the day.

Busting More Beauty Myths

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chemicals, cleansing, damage, deficiency, follicle, hair, harmful rays, hypoallergenic, ingredients, irritant, irritating, make up, make-up, makeup, misinformation, Myth, nail polish, nails, natural, natural ingredients, oxygen, safe, sensitive skin, shave, Shaving, sleep, sunscreen, synthetic, thicker, Vitamin D

Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash

Back in 2019, we wrote this post where we looked at some of the oldest and most persistent beauty myths around and gave you the truths behind them. The beauty industry seems to be awash with untruths about what is and isn’t good for you and your skin, and there are many more myths out there which need to be debunked, so we’ve come up with five more myths and the reality behind them: 

“Using sunscreen all year round causes vitamin D deficiency”

Sunscreen’s effect on vitamin D levels is actually minimal for most people. The truth is that everyone is at risk for vitamin D deficiency whether they have lighter skin tones or darker skin tones, even among people who live in sunny climates and are outdoors year-around. Skipping sunscreen is a case where the risk significantly outweighs the reward, so it just doesn’t make any sense to do in hopes of increasing your vitamin D levels.

“Wearing makeup every day is bad for your skin”

While wearing lots of makeup can be cumbersome for the skin on your face, wearing makeup consistently won’t actually make your skin worse. Granted, a day with no makeup feels great, but the real culprit of skin damage is not consistently washing your makeup off and leaving makeup on overnight. And no, using a face wipe won’t do the trick, either! Make sure you use a proper make-up removing cleanser and the effect of your make-up on the skin should be minimal. 

“Shaving makes your hair grow back thicker”

This is one of THE most persistent (and if we’re honest, IRRITATING!) beauty myths out there. Shaving will not make your hair grow back thicker, faster, or darker. The growth of hair is controlled by the follicle, and shaving doesn’t affect the follicle or growth pattern whatsoever. Your hair just might appear more stubbly because the blade cuts the hair at the thickest part. There are products which can help to slow the regrowth, but there’s no need to worry about turning into a yeti just from shaving! 

“Nail polish harms nails because it prevents them from breathing”

Nails are dead cells. The reality is that nails do not actually “breathe”; they receive their nutrients and oxygen from the bloodstream and not the air. If your nails are feeling weak and damaged, especially after having gel polish or extensions, using Protein Formula For Nails No:4 can help to restructure and strengthen damaged nails, whilst hydrating and promoting healthy nails.

“Natural ingredients are better for sensitive skin”

If you have sensitive skin, it can be easy to think that ingredients which are derived from natural sources will be less irritating than those which aren’t. However, this is simply not true. Some of our most potent products are made almost entirely from natural ingredients and in fact, it’s important to be selective about ALL ingredients, not just the synthetic ones. There are lots of synthetic ingredients proven to be hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin. And even if a synthetic ingredient has the potential for irritation, cosmetic chemists have the ability to remove the allergenic portion of the ingredient in a lab, making it more tolerable for your skin.

Reboot Your Routine for 2020

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anti ageing, broad spectrum, cleanse, compleion, complimentary, daily, dirt, double cleanse, excess, grime, lightweight, make-up, oil, production, products, protection, reboot, routine, sebum, skin, skin kit, SPF, sun

Photo by Kim Carpenter on Unsplash

When it comes to a beauty routine, it’s really easy to get stuck in a rut. You’ve invested in products and you want to make the most of them so you stick with them steadfastly, even if they’re not the best thing for your skin. Rebooting your beauty routine means taking a look at what your skin needs in the here and now, rather than what it needed when you bought the product that you’re currently using, and gives you a chance to assess what would be best for your complexion. Here are five ways in which you can can you reboot your routine and give your skin a much-needed boost.

Keep it Simple

Something we see quite often is people building a beauty routine and adding in more products as they go along, so that by the time they decide to reboot they’re using far more products than they really need to. Stripping back your routine and looking at the basics of what your skin really needs will help you to form a baseline which you can add to if you really need to to or just stick to a cleanse, tone and moisturise routine if that’s what’s working for you.

Think About the Here and Now

As we said in our introduction, rebooting your routine is very much about what your skin needs right now. Skincare needs change throughout the year; you may have invested in your current routine at a time where your skin was super dry whereas now you’re dealing with excess sebum production or a time when breakout to a problem when now anti-ageing properties are more of a concern. Keeping your skin care air current is one of the most important things that you can do for your skin.

SPF is Non-Negotiable

If you asked us what the single most important product in a daily skin routine is, you may be surprised to hear the answer always will be SPF. Even with our relatively weak English sun, protecting your skin from its harmful rays is the most important thing you can do on a daily basis, even above and beyond the cleanse, tone and moisturise routine. Invest in a sun cream which is both lightweight and broad spectrum, and make sure you use it every single day even when it’s grey and rainy outside.

Use Complimentary Products

While we would never suggest that skincare only works if you use every product from the same range, you do often find that products from the same range are formulated to work well together. If you find the product which works well for your skin and there are other product which compliment it, there’s a good chance that these will work well for your skin too. Pure Beauty offers several different skin kits which contain miniatures of full-sized products, which allow you to try a range of of beauty treatments before you invest in the larger version.

Ditch the Wipes

We know how simple it is to reach for a packet of face wipes, at the end of a long day, especially when the last thing you want to do is take your makeup off instead of sinking into bed a couple of minutes earlier. However, aside from the fact that face wipes are doing horrendous amounts of damage to the planet, they’re also not that great for your skin either. Using a face wipe basically allows you to transfer the makeup and grime around your face, and doesn’t really cleanse your complexion very well at all. Instead we would suggest opting for the double cleanse, using an oil or balm to melt away makeup and grime, followed by a gel mousse or cream for a deep cleanse. This is especially important if you wear heavy makeup up and a daily SPF as it will help to lessen the risk of breakouts.

Look after your eyes the Pure Beauty way

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active, algae, amino acid complex, anti-ageing formula, anti-inflammatory properties, Baikal Skullcap Root Extract, Blue Flower Linseed, brightens, brighter, busy, chamomile and arnica, Christmas parties, combo, cooling applicator, cooling cream-gel, cornflower water, dark circles, decleor, Decleor Jasmine Eye Cream, delicate skin, dermalogica, Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift, dry, Elemis, Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment, Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks, Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Eye Balm, energise, eye contour area, Eyes, face, fans, fatigue, fine lines, fragile, gel, gentle formula, healthier, hyaluronic acid, hydrate, hydration, ideas, illuminating, improving skin tone a, jasmin, life, lightweight, look, lush, magic mix, make-up, moisture, moisturising eye balm, Mother Nature, nourishes, Omega-rich apricot oil, Padina Pavonica, party, plankton extract, protective barrier, puffiness, refreshes, sea water extracts, skin, smoothed, sparkle, Stimulating caffeine, stressed, supports, targets, tired, tired eyes, TLC, under-eye luminosity, Vitamins B3 and CG, wild indigo, winter, wrinkles, youthful

We are often so busy making sure our faces are cared for, that our eyes are left out of the picture. During the winter the delicate skin around your eyes needs a little more TLC than usual, and we have some ideas that could earn you life your look.

If the Christmas parties have started, the Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Eye Balm could be what you need. This lush, illuminating, moisturising eye balm brightens and refreshes tired eyes and can make you sparkle. Soothing chamomile and arnica help reduce the appearance of dark circles which can get worse when we party too hard. Omega-rich apricot oil nourishes the eye contour area and thanks to the cooling applicator, you can use underneath or on top of make-up.

We are big fans of the Decleor Hydra Floral Ever Fresh Hydrating Wide-Open Eye Gel and for good reason. This lightweight, anti-ageing formula creates a youthful look and thanks to cornflower water and baikal skullcap root extract, fatigue is minimised, puffiness is eased, and those fine lines are smoothed away. The gentle formula also acts as a protective barrier so you have a brighter, healthier and younger looking appearance, however tired you might be.

There is no doubt that this time of year is busy, and that’s where the Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift comes into play. This active, cooling cream-gel works with your skin to brighten and energise the eye area, and with sea water extracts and algae added into the magic mix, puffiness and dark circles are gone. One key ingredient is wild indigo that brings anti-inflammatory properties to the table and helps brighten skin by increasing under-eye luminosity, improving skin tone and reducing those pesky dark circles. Mother Nature at her very best, and you at your best too.

For something a little extra, you could consider the Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment that targets the fine lines and wrinkles which seem to look worse when you are tired and stressed. Super active padina pavonica and blue flower linseed help tone and firm, whilst a clever amino acid complex locks in moisture. This cool combo supports fragile skin without overloading it and is worth a try.

A real tiredness winner is the Decleor Jasmine Eye Cream that leaves your skin luminous and radiant. Jasmin fights wrinkles and lack of radiance all day long so you are left looking so much brighter. Stimulating caffeine, vitamins B3 and CG plus orange pigments help with drainage and your entire eye area is given a much-needed boost.

If time is on your side, we would suggest using the Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks once or twice a week. Packed with plankton extract, padina pavonica and chlorella, these magic masks have an instant skin-tightening effect. To ensure your skin is left looking fantastic, hyaluronic acid has been added to gently, but effectively hydrate the fragile eye area. Put on for 20 minutes, lie back and relax and when you take the mask off, you will be left with visibly smoother, intensely moisturised, happy eyes.

If would like some expert eye guidance, get in touch and we would love to help.

Team Pure Beauty