MY VICHY FAVOURITES.

I've been loving Vichy products for quite a while now. I've been using the Normablend BB Cream for a while and has in fact become a staple for both myself and my freelance kit as it's a great lightweight product that contains Salicylic Acid meaning it's ideal for problematic skin. It gives a gorgeous skin like finish and it definitely doesn't ever look like you are wearing a lot - perfect for every day wear.

A second and an old favourite of mine is the Purete Thermale Eye Makeup Remover. This is a biphase remover so you have to shake to activate otherwise it can leave an oily residue on the skin. This is one of my all time favourite make up removers and is really affordable too. A little goes a really long way so you can make the bottle last ages. It removes the most stubborn of makeup including waterproof products and eyebrow makeup too.

I was sent the Pore Purifying Mineral Mask last year and I basically fell in love with it instantly. I prefer a clay or a gel wash of mask as opposed to a peel off mask as I can really feel the difference in my skin. This mask is infused with Kaolin and Bentonite Clay so dries quickly and draws out andy imperfections in the skin. It really reminds me of the GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Mask but with a much kinder price!

A final favourite is the Dermablend Setting Powder. It's loose and translucent so perfect for my freelance kit and perfect for everyone as it doesn't have a colour. It's perfect for setting your foundation and undereye and also for baking - it's lightweight and gives no coverage due to the colouring. I rarely use a powder so this has made its way into my kit so I'm glad I get to show everyone how great this powder is.

BENEFIT COSMETICS: BIG EASY MULTI-BALANCING COMPLEXION PERFECTOR.

I recently received the Benefit Cosmetics Big Easy Multi-Balancing Complexion Perfector. I went for shade 4 which is Medium, but this comes in shades 1-6 so it's suitable for a large variety of skin tones.

So the Big Easy is SPF 35 PA +++ (For those who are unaware PA +++ provides good UVA protection - it is the strongest grade of UVA protection available - which is great!) and contains ingredients known to help balance moisture and control oil - the perfect balance! The liquid to powder formula is lightweight and comfortable to wear, whilst providing an amazing coverage - BB creams are notoriously lightweight, and this usually means a light coverage too - however the Big Easy provides more than a light coverage and that's one of the many things that makes it so popular.

I like to moisturise and prime before using mine - be aware that it dries to a powder finish so there's no need to powder after application - you can apply with a brush, sponge or even your fingers!

I've been trying a few BB creams through the Summer months and the Big Easy is amongst my favourites. Does anyone have any recommendations of ones that they have been loving?

VICHY NORMADERM BB CLEAR.

I was looking for a BB cream to wear whilst away on holiday, and to wear on weekends if I wanted a light coverage - I wear a lot of makeup through the week and therefore wanted something lighter to wear of a weekend - this is when I went to the Vichy stand in my local Boots. I always associated Vichy with problematic skin, and as I am becoming increasingly blemish prone I decided Vichy was a good place to start. I found their Normaderm BB Clear, which was in two shades and even has an SPF 16 - picking the lighter I decided to give it a try.

The Normaderm BB Clear is listed as a corrective BB cream containing mineral pigments and 2% Salicylic Acid (commonly found in products aimed at problematic skin). It is light which is great for me usually (during and after holiday I found I couldn't use it as I tanned) and it's lightweight to wear - two of my favourite things when looking for a complexion product. I was expecting more skincare than cosmetics and I was proved wrong - the Normaderm managed to even my skin tone and give a radiance rather than a dullness that I have experienced when using other BB creams. To build the coverage, I used a lightweight powder over the top and then finished the rest of my make up and it really worked well.

The Normaderm claims to reduce any blemishes after one month of use, however I didn't get to use it for that long before it became too light - when my long awaited tan fades I'm sure I'll get to test that aspect of the product!

I'm looking forward to trying other Vichy make up products - does anyone have any recommendations?