Kate Somerville DermalQuench Liquid Lift

I'm going to put my hand up right now and say that this is one skincare product that has instantly wowed me. And by instant, I mean instant. We know that most serums and post-cleansing treatments and face creams have an accumulative effect. They work over time so you've got to wait it out and really give them a chance to work before you see any real benefit. While Liquid Lift does have ingredients that benefit the skin in the long term (I'll get to that bit later), it's the instant gratification that this product provides that has me impressed, and to be honest, a little surprised. It's not that I wasn't expecting great things (I've lusted over Kate Somerville products for literally years) it's that I've been taken back a bit by how much my skin loved this immediately after the first spray.

For total transparency, I actually ordered this by accident. Not one of those 'oh I tripped and fell with my credit card in my hand while feeding the baby in a sleep deprived stupor at 2am' kind of accidents but a genuine accident! I'd been reading all about Kate Somerville's Liquid Lift Retinol and, since I've recently started incorporating retinol into my skincare routines, decided I'd take advantage of a certain very well known Blogger's 30% off discount and try it for myself. Unbeknownst to me, I'd actually ordered the Liquid Lift sans retinol and it turns out the retinol version isn't currently available to those of us this side of the pond. I noticed pretty quickly after I'd placed the order that I had in fact ordered the wrong product but made the executive decision to let it be and see how things played out. Let's just say I'm pretty glad I did.

First and foremost, Liquid Lift is a spray. Rather than a quaint, gentle spritz though, this is more like a full-on blast. I mean you really do get a blast of product, right in the face, in the greatest way possible. I think the last time I felt a sensation like that was probably during a facial because I've certainly not applied product to my face like that in the comfort of my own home before.
The reason the product comes out at what feels like a million miles an hour is down to the delivery system which uses A 70 Propellant which is described on the Kate Somerville site as 'an Isobutane-Propane blend that evaporates when product is expelled from container, and dissipates prior to contact with skin.' 
The actual product itself is essentially a cream powered by Hyaluronic Acid and Oxygen. The Oxygen in the formula is delivered to the skin via 'PFC-Oxygen Carriers', which is a rather compelling concept if you're interested in the scientific aspects of skincare!
The formula also includes 'rare botanical extracts' which upon closer inspection refers to Nasturtium flower, leaf and stem extract and Lavender oil. The Nasturtium may well be responsible for the wonderfully cooling, almost numbing (?) effect that Liquid Lift has on my face when first applied.Whatever it is that does this, I am 100% here for it because it feels awesome. 
To use Liquid Lift, you press down on the top of the bottle, with the nozzle aimed at your face (with eyes and mouth closed, obviously) then immediately massage the product in. It's at this point that you will feel it doing something, though may not be able to quite put your finger on it, then if you're anything like me you'll do a proper Owen Wilson-eque "Wow" at your glowing and plumped-out complexion in the mirror.
It really does seem to instantly refresh and plump my skin with a dose of glowy goodness for good measure. I've only had DermalQuench Liquid Lift for about a week so I can't comment on any long-term difference that it's made to my skin, however it is supposed to refine tone and smooth wrinkles in as little as two weeks. 
As it stands though, the glorious plumping and glowing effect that Liquid Lift instantly delivers seems to last a good few hours. I imagine it would be brilliant to use before make up too and I've read reports that it does seem to make foundation apply more smoothly and evenly. Not a bad product at all.
Kate Somerville DermalQuench Liquid Lift retailes for £80 and is available in the UK at Kate Somerville and Cult Beauty.

Naturally Tribal Skincare

I really enjoy discovering new green beauty brands and when I read the story behind Naturally Tribal Skincare I was keen to know more. Bound to be a favourite among clean and green skincare fans, the natural skincare brand is vegan, ethically sourced and free of synthetic additives. The current range includes body scrubs, polishes and body food - which is a thick, rich body moisturiser with a high-quality Shea butter base. 

I'm fortunate enough to be trying out the IYA Woman's Body Food at the moment and I've got to say my skin is very pleased with it in the aftermath of that intense heatwave we've just had. The Shea butter moisturiser is enriched with Bergamot, which is said to brighten dull skin, and it smells fresh and citrusy. The Shea butter really does melt into the skin and leaves it lightly fragranced. It's quite beautiful. 

Naturally Tribal Skincare products are split up into a few different ranges - Iya is the women's range and also includes an intimate shave oil, Agu is the men's range (and is enriched with cinnamon) and includes a body food and beard oil, Yara is the children's body food that's made from just two ingredients; Shea butter and coconut oil and Iyali is the family body food. The kind of all-rounder cream you'd keep in the bathroom for the whole family to use, Iyali is made from coconut oil and arnica - great for cuts and scrapes on little ones and comfortingly moisturising. I'm thinking of buying a tub of the Iyali body food in preparation for inevitable toddler accidents! The brand also have a lovely sounding range of scrubs and body polishes in their Exotic range including a rather enticing Kola Nut Scrub.

Shea butter is the core ingredient in Naturally Tribal Skincare's products but what makes it really quite special is the fact it's been ethically sourced from the Kingdom of Essan in Nigeria. The founder of the brand, qualified pharmacist Shalom Lloyd started her journey toward Naturally Tribal Skincare following the birth of her twins when one of her babies developed eczema. Adverse to the thought of smothering her child's skin in chemical emollients and steroid creams, Shalom began investigating natural skincare remedies from her African heritage. She experimented by creating natural products with a shea butter base, found the right formulation and within three days her son's skin softened and his discomfort eased. The next step in the journey was finding the right source for her Shea butter, which took Shalom to Nigeria where she now collaborates with the women of Essan by sourcing their ingredients from their community both ethically and sustainably.   The result of this collaboration is Naturally Tribal Skincare and their range of natural, high quality shea butter products. 

There's something quite comforting about knowing exactly where ingredients are sourced from and, quality products aside, I think it will really make people take notice of this brand.
You can find out more about the ethics and purchase the products at Naturally Tribal Skincare.