The Ultimate Glow

Just recently I feel like I've been really embracing being more glowy and less matte but only in the right areas for my face. I think I've been enjoying this look more as it doesn't make my face look so flat, and it just makes the skin look a lot healthier and bright which I've really been liking! And so I thought I'd share the products I've been using to achieve this look, because we all deserve to have a brighter, glowing look to our skin! 

The first product I like to use is one that I forgot I even had until I was clearing out my drawers is the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer which I used to be so scared to use and I think that's why it ended up at the back of drawer! Having oily skin, and using a product with shimmer or brightening properties in can seem like a recipe for disaster however, I decided to start using this as a primer everywhere except my t-zone and it has been great! It keeps the not so oily areas of my face looking dewy and so when the rest of my face decides to start producing the oil, everything all looks how it's supposed to! I think this would be a great product for anyone with dry skin!
The next product is something that I'm sure everyone is familiar with by now and most probably tried out and that is the Iconic London Illuminator. I use the shade Shine for my skin tone as it's the lightest one they sell but they do have a few different shades to choose from depending on what you want from this product! I've only used this product two different ways so far but I'm sure there's a lot more uses for it than that, and the first way I like to use this is mixed in to foundations just to give them a dewy look if they are a matte formula and I think it gives the skin a really nice healthy glow!

 The second way I use it is as a normal highlighter because there's just something about the way a liquid highlighter sinks in the skin and just looks so fresh and complete! But if you are feeling extra like me most of the time, you can always put a powder highlighter on top!!
Moving onto powder highlighters, I decided to take the plunge and buy an Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit and I bought the Sugar version. I'm in love with it and I mean I was nervous spending that sort of money on highlighters, but these truly are worth the hype! They look so amazing on the skin, because they aren't a chunky formula and with having the range of colours it gives you so much variety in one place! I also think these would look so good on the eyes but that's something that I haven't done yet.

Do any of you have your holy grail products for being glowing to the Gods? I would love to know what you recommend!

A Skincare Update

I made this post well over a year ago now all about my skincare routine, and I feel like my skincare game has changed dramatically in the past few months. I do have two products that are still the same, but everything else has been swapped out for something my skin is appreciating a lot more, which makes me and my skin happier!
My first routine of the day is of course the morning, and as someone who has oily areas to their face, I tend to find that I do produce a lot of oil at night sometimes, and so I use the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish to remove everything from my face and I have loved this product for years now! It just leaves my skin feeling so clean and fresh, and it doesn't have anything harsh in it which is great for my sensitive skin! The next product is the Mario Badescu Facial Spray and I use this straight after I've cleansed kind of like a toner, except it just puts hydration back into the skin, and with ingredients such as rose water and aloe, it feels really refreshing on the skin! I then use the Boots Time Delay Youth Maintain Eye Cream which is something I picked up because it was on offer at about £2 and I have been loving it! Since using it, my under eyes have felt a lot more hydrated, and I have also found that concealer applies easier and does not crease at all, so this product has been incredible for me!

This product is one I am still using and have been for a few years, the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ and I can honestly say that my acne scarring has been so much better for using this, and I use this everyday without fail as it just helps with any imperfections on the skin. Over the past few months, I have been trying out things from Lancome and the next product I use is the Genifique Youth Activating Serum which is a serum and I just love this because it's super hydrating, and it makes the skin look so radiant and I find that it really helps with any uneven texture on my skin! And lastly I use the Lancome Hydra Zen and since using this as my daily moisturiser, my skin feels a lot more hydrated and the skin texture has also felt a lot smoother which makes me extremely happy!

My evening routine does also include a couple of the same products including the facial spray and eye cream, but there are also a couple of different products. To remove my makeup, I still used the beloved Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil as I feel like it really gets rid of all the makeup so quickly and easily! I also love the fact that it's an oil with a pump which means mess free and just simple to use even when taking my makeup off feels like a chore! And the last product I like to use at night time is the night version of my day moisturiser, which is the Lancome Hydra Zen Nuit and this is the best night moisturiser I've ever used, it leaves my skin completely hydrated and it after regular use it even makes the skin look more luminous in the mornings!
There are also other products I thought I'd mention even though I don't use them everyday, but some of you may find them helpful in your routine as well! I have two different face masks that I like to use, the first being L'Oreal Pure Clay Detox mask and this is designed to deeply cleanse the pores and leave the face "detoxed" without drying the skin out! I love to use them directly on blemishes to really draw them out, or I use this in the places on my face such as my nose and cheeks where my pores are a little bigger just to cleanse them thoroughly. The other mask I like to use is the Manuka Doctor ApiClear Peel Off mask which has been a lifesaver for me since buying it! This mask is designed for congested skin and as someone who suffers with acne and scarring, this has really helped clear up my skin and it also leaves it feeling soft and glowing which is always a bonus!

The are two more products that I like to add into my routine and the first one is from La Roche Posay Lotion Micro Exfoliant and this is something that I only use one or twice a week as an exfoliating method. I find that this really gets deep in the pores especially on my nose and after using this, it just makes my skin feel so much smoother which makes applying making a lot easier! And the final product that I like to use is the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion which is a product people know about due to Kylie Jenner, and I love this because it dries out spots overnight and really helps to clear up any spots that are just appearing! This product just helps me to worry less abut anything popping up on my face, and so I feel so much better about my skin in general!
Have any of you used any of these products or can recommend anything else to add to my skincare routine? I'd love to know what products you like to use on yourselves!

The Everyday Face

I've always been someone who enjoys putting on makeup and takes my time doing it because it's therapeutic in a way, but just recently I have found myself putting on less and less makeup. I'm not sure if it's to reduce the time it takes me to get ready, or whether it's just because when I put on a full face of makeup I do look different! But either way, I thought I would share with you what I've been putting on my face as a basic everyday routine!

I swear by primer and just rceently I have been reaching for either the Nivea Men Post Shave balm (which I do think really works for my skin) or the Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Primer and these both just help the longevity of my makeup but if you want something to help fill pores, then the Soap and Glory one would be the better option for you! When it comes to foundation, I usually switch between a few different ones but my ski has been so dry and flaky in the mornings but will soon turn oily throughout the day and so nearly everyday I have been wearing the L'Oreal Infallible 24H foundation which I loved so much when I first bought and kind of just forgot about it but I need to go and buy a new bottle of this because I have nearly finished it all now! I find that this foundation is full coverage and that I don't use anywhere near as much concealer as I would with other foundations which is a bonus for me and it also just looks lovely on the skin and wears so well throughout the day!
As for concealer, I never find myself using anything besides the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer because it conceals everything perfectly and is a light enough shade for my whole face which is rare for a drugstore concealer! But I don't think I need to rave about this, because everyone has time and time again and I'm sure you've all tried it before now! Due to being oily, I do have to set my face, and for my under eye area I tend to lean towards using the MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Natural in Light because it sets the area for the whole day and also gives a tiny bit more coverage so that any darkness is completely concealed. Then for the rest of my face I have been using a recent purchase which is the Rimmel Match Perfection Silky Loose Powder and I find it stops my face from looking oily for most of the day, but I also love this because it's transparent meaning there is no extra coverage added to my face but also loose powders can be used for the "baking" method of the oilier areas of the face.

On a day to day basis I don't contour my face but I will bronze up just stop myself from looking like a ghost and bring a little dimension back to the face, and for this I have been leaning towards The Body Shop Honey Bronzer which I have loved for a long time now and I use the lightest shade because I find that isn't harsh on my skin and doesn't look orange at all which of course is a bonus! And if for any reason, I decide I want to wear blush, I will use the Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in the shade Nude Mauve which has a sheen to it so it colour as well as a little highlight which for me is a great 2 in 1!
For my brows, even though I keep my face simple, I will still use my beloved Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Blonde to shape and fill them in and then to set them in place I use the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper which adds a little more volume as such tot he brows but you can trust this to set the brows in place for the whole day and a little more without being uncomfortable! Then for my eyes, I have been wearing either no eyeshadow or just a a matte skin tone shade to keep my eyelids from creasing throughout the day, but I have been using mascara for the top and bottom lashes to define my eyes. For the bottom lashes I always use the L'Oreal Telescopic just because the brush is so small and works perfectly for under the eye without getting mascara everywhere and then for my top lashes I don't have a specific mascara that I use, but I have been loving the Revlon Volume and Length and the Lash Sensational which both work well and can be built up to make the lashes look more dramatic if that's something you like to do!

That's all I've been using on my face recently, let me know if any of you use these products or if you're like me and use more makeup for different occasions instead of a day to day basis, I would love to know!

Inside the Skincare Drawer

I'm always intrigued to know what other people use in their skincare routines, and mine is something that I don't think I've ever shared on my blog! I do admit, that some products do get changed around and I'm still trying to use everything I feel is necessary but I'm still not 100% with my routine, is anyone? I thought I would share it with you all anyway and maybe some of you lovely people could give me product suggestions, but skincare is something that I really want to completely happy with, you only get one face after all!
So my skin type is oily/combination, sensitive and acne prone, could the combo get any worse? I don't think so! So obviously my main concerns are keeping oil at bay while making sure that acne and redness is reduced as much as possible! I do also suffer from small dry patches which can be a right pain and so I use a mixture of products to target different things! My AM routine starts with the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish which I have been using for as long as I can remember, and I think I'm now on something like my fourth or bottle and that's when you know you love it well! I just find that my skin feels super clean whenever I use this and it's so gentle on my skin -  I do think I use the light version though! But this is a great cleanser for anyone who is starting out in their skincare routine because it's almost a one size fits all! I don't have one toner that I necessarily stick to, but at the moment I have been reaching for my Lush Tea Tree Toner Water because my acne has been playing up and it soothes my skin, while helping to dry out the blemishes! I also have the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic, which brightens up my complexion whenever I use it and this is also great for people with sensitive skin because it contains no alcohol!

I have two serums that I like to use, one of them is The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Serum and I find that this one is great because it hydrates the dry patches on my skin, therefore making the application of any makeup on top a lot easier however I am now on my second bottle of the L'Oreal Skin Perfection Serum which I found really helped the way my skin looked and felt, which is does claim to do! For a drugstore serum it can be seen as a little pricey, but honestly for the price it is worth it! My skin looked healthier and fresher all the time, I do need to pick up a new bottle thinking about it! When I do remember to wear an eye cream, the one I reach for is The Body Shop Vitamin C Eye Reviver Duo which holds a cream in one side and a liquid the other, and what I love about this is that the side with the liquid also has a metal roller ball, so when you put it on it really soothes and cools the eye area! As far moisturiser goes, there is only one that I've been reaching for just recently, and that is The Body Shop Vitamin C Moisturiser which makes me skin look so healthy and glowing while giving it enough moisture to tackle my dry patches but not take my oily areas over board! This also smells so fruity which I love, the only thing I wish this did have was some kind of SPF, but it's great for everything else so I can't complain!
Now moving onto my PM routine, this contains fewer products and because I mostly finish work at 1am, it does mean that I tend to skip steps which I know I shouldn't do! Anyway, to remove the mess on my face, I use The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil that everyone has raved about because it really is that good! It does remove almost all my makeup, aside from waterproof mascara (which we all know is a pain) and I just massage it into the skin before taking it off with a wet muslin cloth, it's as easy as that! I do sometimes use the Garnier Micellar Water after my first cleanse to make sure that everything is gone, especially when I've been wearing foundations like Estee Lauder Double Wear, which really clings to the skin! This micellar could be used as a cleanser on it's own but for me I don't feel like this cleans my skin thoroughly enough! 
Something that has become an absolute holy grail since entering my routine is the Dermalogica Clear Start Overnight Treatment which has really helped with most of my acne, but I will admit that for me this wasn't an overnight transformation with my skin, and I know if I have forgotten to use it because my skin will hate me! Along with this, I will sometimes use the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo and these two together just tackle blemishes to the best of their ability! I do need to find something to help fade my scars now though, oh how I love my skin! The final step in my nightly routine is to use The Body Shop Bouncy Sleeping Mask which I love! This product is something that I feel I will repurchase again and again because I've found that it has really helped how my skin looks in the morning, because it's a mask that sinks in overnight to really plump and brighten the skin! This could be seen as pretty pricey for the brand but I would honestly recommend this to everyone and their dogs!

I also have a few other products that I use in my skincare, just not so regularly and the first of these is the Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic Mask which I could sing and dance about for days because it's that good! I slap a good layer of this on, and it's so cooling and soothing on the skin, that I never want to take it off! But seriously, this has ingredients in that are really good for the skin, and I find that once I've washed this off, my skin looked less red and acne prone which for me is incredible! I also like to exfoliate every two to three days to keep my pores clear and take away any dead skin (tmi?) and for this I tend to use the Garnier Pure Active Exfoliating Scrub which is designed for people with oily and acne prone skin and so I'll keep using this until I find something better! Some of you may have noticed no face wipes yet and I technically don't own any for the face, but I do have a packet of the Simple Kind to Eyes Wipes and the only time I really use these are when I've been wearing an excessive amount of eye makeup that I want to remove before going in with my oil cleanser, as it just makes it a lot easier! And I find that these ones don't aggravate my eye area too much which is always a bonus!
I hope you all enjoyed a little look into my skincare! Do any of you have any suggestions to what to add in or replace, I'm always looking to try new products! Or do any of you use some of the products that I do? I'd love to know!

Not For Me

I must say that I have bought my fair share of raved about products and non raved about products that I have used and not enjoyed but kept using them anyway! Sound familiar? Probably. Well I thought it was about time to share the products that I continue to use for the sake of having them but wouldn't rush back out to buy!

Probably the most expensive of the bunch and something that I hardly ever use is the Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner, and in a way I feel like this is a love it or loathe it product due to the many mixed reviews! And I have myself done a full review on this (read here) and my opinions haven't really changed too much, I just don't think this works well on my oliy lids as it tends to either spread and smudge or disappear completely! And I really can't get down with the technique of getting the 'perfect feline flick' with this either!

A truly raved about product from L'Oreal is there True Match foundation, and I honestly feel like the only person who doesn't like this and there were multiple reasons for this. The colours - despite their being a lot in the range - were all too dark for me and so whenever I wore it, the bronzer would come out to make my neck match my face! And not only does the colour not work for me but this foundation formula just doesn't work with my skin - it highlights dry patches that I didn't even know I had and just doesn't blend into the skin well so I was rather disappointed and have since given this product away to a friend who will get a lot more use than I ever I would from it!

A product that I have had since the launch of is the Maybelline Colour Tattoos and I remember going to pick almost every colour that they had at the time and one that I have barely ever used is the shape Eternal Gold. Now I'm not a massive fan of glitter and shimmer, so matte looks work for me but saying this some shades in the range such as On and On Bronze which is possibly my favourite, do contain some glitter but there is just something a bit too glitzy about Eternal Gold and I feel like I will only ever use it as some kind of fancy dress make up!

Miss Manga Mascara by L'Oreal? Possibly one of the most hyped up mascaras this year as far as the drugstore goes, and honestly it took me a while to purchase this but I did end up doing it! Now I have to say here is always something kind of disappointing about hyped products, as I seem to find flaws but in terms of this mascara, it just really does not work for me. The brush, in my opinion is far too big for my eyes and so I ended up smudging it around my eye but I also found that the more I tried to layer or separate my lashes with the wand, the clumpier it became and that's not enjoyable for anyone! However there is no fault with the formula, I just wish the wand was different but some you win, some you lose! 

In a previous post about blusher, I did mention that myself and cream blusher are not a good duo however I went against my better judgment and purchased the Topshop Cream Blush in Afternoon Tea a while back! Now the colour and pigmentation of the blush is something to be admired for a blusher that is so reasonably priced but cream formulas seem to just hate my skin! I honestly found no way of putting this on and making it look at least reasonable and so it has been thrown to the back of the drawer in hopes that one day, I will be brave and try it again, but for now, it's a no from me!  

Keeping in the line with the blisters, another one that I (stupidly) purchased online was from Sleek and I got the shade Pomegranate which in the pan is a beautiful deep autumnal shade that would perfect for the time of year (in the UK at least!) The only major problem I have with this blusher is that it is way to dark for my skin tone considering I may as well be a vampire and with the pigmentation being incredible there is no way of putting this on 'lightly' so with a heavy heart, I have to admit I probably won't be using this anytime soon! 

One thing that I really suffer from is redness - mainly on my nose - and for anyone who has this problem, you will know how annoying it is and on a whim I decided to pick up the L'Oreal Nude Magique CC Cream! Now the concept of this product is great, when applied the product is green therefore helping to neutralise the redness but when rubbed into the skin, it turns into the colour of foundation or at least someone's foundation colour! I wish this product came in a variety of shades because this is way too dark and honestly makes me look orange and so the only way I can wear this is by only applying it on the nose and then putting my normal foundation on top! 

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Complex formally known as the lipstick you all need, didn't work for me as well as it did for everyone else! I love the Colorburst Balms because they are seriously pigmented and they stay on for as long as you need them too but there was something about the shade Complex that just didn't work with my skin tone and I think this is because I am far too pale for this 'nude' but for anyone who is slightly tanned or just more tanned than myself, this would work and not look foundation on lips!

Have any if you tired any of these products? Are there any products that you regret buying or just don't use anymore?

Recent Purchases

When Boots have a 3 for 2 offer on, how can a girl resist a few new items? Now, I have to admit some of these items I didn’t even need, but if they are on the shelf, I'm probably going to end up taking them to the counter! I will point out though that not everything was bought from Boots, nor was everything bought on the one shopping trip; it was spread out over the course of three or four different occasions.

A few things I've had my eye on for a while (probably due to beauty bloggers raving about the items) and that seems to be why I buy half the stuff I don’t really need, but I do end up using it so I can’t complain! To make things a little easier because the list is quite long, I will group together items from the same brand.

REVLON

From Revlon I've picked up a few things recently and this isn’t usually a brand I go to often and I'm not sure why, because some of their products are pretty unbeatable and so I decided to go and stock up on the Revlon cosmetics. Everyone has raved about the Nearly Naked collection and instead of buying the foundation, I decided to buy the Nearly Naked Pressed Powder in the shade 010 Fair and from the few times I've used this (on top of foundation) the outcome has been incredible! I'm obviously not getting the “nearly naked” effect because the layer of foundation but it really does set the foundation while still giving me that natural colour from the powder itself. I've mainly used this as a powder that I use to touch up during the day because the packaging comes with a mirror and a foamy applicator, so it saves me carrying more than I need to! I also picked up the Photoready Skinlights Face Illuminator in the shade 100 Bare Light, and this is also something that everyone is beginning to go and buy so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and after the couple of times using this, it’s safe to say I think this will become a staple in the routine! Following in with the highlighting products, I got the Highlighting Palette in the shade 002 Rose Glow and as you would expect there is a variety of pale of pinks and shimmery whites that can act as a highlighter and blush all in one (what more could you need?!)

MAYBELLINE

Now, this brand used to be my go to, if I was in a drugstore, you would probably find me browsing this stand but just recently nothing has jumped out at me from this brand and so I haven picked up too many things from them. However what I have purchased is the Master Smoky Shadow Pencil in the shade Smoky Black and thinking back I have no idea why I picked this up but I am so glad I did! I get lazy when it comes to eyeliner and so this shadow pencil acts as my eyeliner and because it comes with a smudge applicator at one end, the shadow can be smudged out to create desired smoky or non-smoky look! Along with this, I also got The Falsies Volum’ Express mascara in Black Drama, and so far I haven’t been too fussed over this product and would probably choose to use other Maybelline mascaras over this one, but I will continue to use it and see if my opinion changes!

BOURJOIS

The only product I have ever owned from Bourjois is the Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder in 51 because it was always a brand I skipped when hunting for makeup. Alas I have loved this product so much that I am back for more from this brand! First off, I had to pick up another one of the bronzers, so I did that, and I think this product speaks for itself and I don't know of many beauty bloggers who haven't give this a try! Knowing that the bronzing powder was so good, I took it upon myself to look at a few reviews for the bronzing primer and I saw a lot of good things and so ultimately I went and picked one up. While having a browse at the Bourjois stand, I spied a foundation that intrigued me and it was the 123 Perfect Foundation in the shade 51 and this foundation supposedly has three correcting pigments to reduce dark circles, dull complexion and redness but we'll see if this really does match up to what it says and also what others have said in reviews about this product!

RIMMEL

I love this brand, there is no other way to say it, and so when I see a Boots 3 for 2, I'm obviously going to come home with something from Rimmel! The Stay Matte Primer was a must have for me because I prefer a matte finish to my face most of time and also I have been looking for a new primer, and the few times I've used this, I have to say, this is definitely a keeper! I also picked up too foundations and they are ones that I have previously used and so I knew that I would be getting my money's worth out of them! The first one is the Stay Matte Perfection Foundation in the shade Ivory and the second one is the Match Perfection Foundation in the shade Ivory, and I have to admit the only reason I had to repurchase these foundation was because I got one that was a shade too light in the Match Perfection and one that was a shade too dark in the Stay Matte... As you can see, I am no good at swatch testing in drugstores, I always seem to come home and realise I've bought the wrong colour!

SEVENTEEN

How did I only find out about this brand last year? No exaggeration. So, since finding out about this brand, I haven't actually bought anything from them, and then there was something that caught my eye and I'd been debating on getting it for a while! Guess what? I bit the bullet, and got it! Well actually, I got two, and they are the Blush Stamps and I got one in Made You Look and another in Blushin'. I am so excited to use these, they look so easy to use and the colours that I have chosen also look amazing (especially in time for spring!)

OTHER

Now, the rest of the products that I bought, I only purchased one thing from the brand, and so I will group these all together. First off, who doesn't like Soap and Glory? No one, that's what I thought and as I was innocently looking at the stand for Soap and Glory, I spotted the Sugar Crush Body Wash and can I just say if you haven't smelt this scent, you need to! It is like heaven in a bottle! But obviously I had to pick one of these up to go with the Scrub and Body Butter I already have that are in the same scent!

Something that everyone has raved about for a few years now is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and it wasn't until now that I owned one of these because for so long I have used the Clinique Airbrush Concealer and I thought I would try out the Collection concealer because for the price even if I don't like it, I can't complain! I picked up the concealer in the shade Fair but I have yet to try this out!

Besides having lipsticks from Topshop, I've never thought to pick up any other make up items from them, but when I was in London a few weeks ago, I decided to try out of one of there blushers which I got in Afternoon Tea (which is one I had heard lots of good things about) and so far I love it, the colour is so pigmented and is a great pink shade ready for spring. The creamy texture is something I've never tried with a blush but I seem to be doing okay with it!

Okay, so one of the most talked about foundation for spring at the moment is the L'Oreal True Match which I got in the shade W1 Golden Ivory. I've never really tried out any L'Oreal foundations but if it's being talked about so much, I had to buy it, right? I've only used this a couple of times, and it is a little dark on my skin (but it'll be great for Summer) but it does what it says, it really does a give a finish look that matches your skin, and would look pretty flawless on people who don't have such problematic skin.

Another foundation that I'd been putting off buying for a long time now is the NARS Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc but I was browsing online and finally took the plunge and decided to order it because sadly I do not have a NARS Counter anywhere close to me. I was afraid the colour would suit me, but luckily I didn't waste my money, and I don't think it gets much better than this foundation especially for the brighter months! I can't pick out any fault in this, it gives that finish that is enough glow that is doesn't overpower, and you still use shimmers either on top or underneath! I honestly don't think I've stopped using this since it arrived in the post!

Something that got suggested to me a while back now are the egg shaped sponges you can get to apply many products and I went in the search of the Models Own ones knowing that you get two and if I didnt like them it wouldn't be too much of a waste however I came up empty handed and turned to the much loved Real Techniques and ended up buying the Miracle Sponge which I have yet to use but I'm sure I will love it because everything else from Real Techniques is brilliant!

The last thing I have to talk about is Effaclar Duo+ which I have seen a few beauty bloggers use in the past and I knew that I needed to get something to try and help out with my skin, because I have a lot of scars from previous acne problems and I also get redness and this cream is supposedly to help unclog blocked pores, correct the appearance of blemishes, refine skin texture, controls the appearance of shine and fight against the appearance of marks! I've been using this every night underneath my moistoriser since I bought this and I have noticed that the shininess that I had on my face has reduced cnsiderably as well as the appearance of some marks that I really wanted to be concealed! Hopefully with continues use, this cream will work wonders!