REN Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm

Skin feeling the chill? If you're in need of a little something extra to soothe your face this Winter, REN have you covered with their Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm.

First things first, this balm is without a doubt the richest night treatment I've put on my face. It certainly means business and trust me when I say a little goes a very, very long way.

The balm is thick and 'oily' and offers instant relief to tight-feeling, dried out faces; the perfect product for this time of year when it can become bitterly cold and central heating saps moisture from our skin.

The recovery balm was developed to support the natural balance and moisture barrier of the skin all the while alleviating visible signs of dehydration and stress. Specially designed for use at night when the skin is most susceptible to repair and healing, it contains a range of oils including jojoba, sunflower, olive, almond, borage and linseed as well as beta-glucan, which is a moisturising anti-irritant derivative of oats.

Perfect for sensitive skins, the balm treats inflammation and dryness and has a 'balm to oil' texture. In other words, it starts as a balm formula but melts quickly into the skin on application or when warmed between finger tips.

I use the balm as the very last step at night and have found it to be particularly good after retinol use to counteract any drying effects. You really do need the tiniest amount of this- a pea sized amount is probably even too much, to give you some idea, because it is super rich. If I apply slightly more than I need it leaves me looking and feeling very oily and I find it doesn't absorb brilliantly if I overdo it.
Now that I've figured out the amount that works well for me, it's a brilliant overnight treat which my skin has been loving. I've found that it's fantastic for sore nostrils that have seen a lot of tissue-action recently too!

As a parting note, the Overnight Recovery Balm smells like absolutely nothing, which is great on one hand as it will suit virtually everyone but left me missing that little bit of sensory joy that comes with sleepy-scented night products.

REN Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm is available at any good retailers that stock REN as well as on the REN website for £40.

Weleda Skin Food; why you need it in your stash

It's nothing new (in fact it's been around for almost a century) but Weleda Skin Food is having a moment. Read on to find out why every makeup artist and Aesthetician worth their salt has a tube in their stash and you should too.

Skin Food is one of those products I'd always see on both physical and virtual shelves but never felt compelled to buy. Now that I actually own some, I totally get the hype and I'm pretty sure I don't ever want to be without it to be honest.
Supremely talented makeup artist and queen of dewy skin, Katie Jane Hughes regularly mentions Skin Food, which is actually the main reason I ordered some for myself. I think Katie's actually responsible for getting a lot of people hooked and it's easy to understand why; this stuff is quite simply brilliant.
I got my first tube in September last year and I just know it's going to become a staple in my household.

Skin Food is very, very thick and almost 'gummy' in texture, if that makes any sense at all. The formula (I don't know whether to call it a balm or a cream, because it's not really either!) can be applied basically anywhere that needs a little love. That includes elbows, knees, knuckles, cuticles , feet and even the face. In fact, my face has seen more skin food than the rest of my body has because it's exceptional on dry, flakey, generally annoyed skin.
It has both moisturising and protective qualities and you can use it on your face for everything from soothing wind-chapped lips to adding a touch of sheen to cheekbones, so it's a worthwhile addition to anyone's skincare stash.

In case you're interested to know, Skin Food is not a vegan product as it contains lanolin as well as beeswax in two forms - hydrolysed and non-hydrolysed. The ingredients are all natural as is expected from Weleda and include sunflower oil, organic calendula, organic chamomile and organic rosemary leaf and pansy extracts.

For some reason I expected Skin Food to be scentless when in fact it has quite a strong smell. It's a citrusy sort of scent and actually reminds me a little of citronella candles (you know, the ones you burn to ward off mosquitoes!) but I don't find that the smell lingers, so if you really don't like it, the way it smells shouldn't be a deal breaker.

Weleda have recently brought out more products in the Skin Food range including Skin Food Light for people who find the original formula a bit thick, a lip product and body butter. You can find it anywhere that stocks Weleda including Look Fantastic starting at £7.95 for a 30ml tube (it comes in a metal tube, which I really love).