Review - Nude Skincare

NUDE skincare has been in the headlines for reasons other than the efficacy of its products lately, with the whole Stella McCartney issue... well, they say there is no such thing as bad publicity...!The line was created by Bryan Meehan, founder of Fresh and Wild, and Ali Hewson (Mrs Bono to you and me).

After reading reviews by British Beauty Blogger about the line, my interest was piqued even more, so I was really pleased to be asked if I'd like to review a couple of products from the line for blogging purposes...

Whats so different?

The USP of the line is that it is Organic, containing Pre- and Pro-biotic elements, in addition to hyaluronic acid, Co-Q10, peptides and antioxidants. The line claims to fulfil High performance skincare needs using natural ingredients.

If you are anything like me, your knowledge of pre and pro-biotics will possibly be about gut flora and yogurty drinks which people in advert world drink before their 6.30am power jog... so I've done a little research...

Nude claim that these ingredients protect and hydrate the skin, whilst boosting its health... Probiotics=bacteria found naturally on healthy skin and Prebiotics=food for these bacteria.
The prescence of these bacteria maintain the skin in optimal condition, seals in moisture, and provides a barrier against external aggravators like pollution... They also source the active ingredients for ther range from organic sources wherever possible, and contain no parbens, sulphates, PEG's, TEA, DEA, propylene glycol, phthalates, GMO, mineral oil or silicones.

Be warned - the range is costly - reflecting the high quality ingredients? Just sayin' - don't be shocked by the prices... prepare yourself etc! Personally, I'd pay these prices for skincare, as long as they work well for me, and have in the past, but obviously, its your money!

I was sent two products from the range - Age Defence Moisturiser (£52.85; 40mls) and Advanced Eye Complex (£60.68; 15mls).

My first impression on the range when ripping open gently unwrapping the products from the parcel? I love the packaging - the pumps are also easy to control - for the eyecream, you need to use half a pump (and at £60 a bottle, you wouldn't want to waste it!) - the pump is well controlled so you can get half a pump... If I had to say something bad? Because the bottle is opaque. you can't see when you are running out.

Before we start - My skin is dry/combination, and I am 30 yrs old. My main concern is holding back the tide when it comes to ageing... so bear this in mind when considering if these products are worth trying for your needs. I've been using both products for over a month, and feel this has been ample time to see how well the products work and assess any sensitivity etc.

Age Defence Moisturiser

Active Ingredients - Orchid, milk peptides, hyaluronic acid, as well as pre and pro-biotics.


This has quite an "earthy" scent, which some might find off-putting at first, however fear not, this does not last on the skin, and actually makes a nice change from the usual chemically tinged scents some manufacturers infuse their ranges with.

Texture wise, this is quite a thick lotion, and took a fair bit of working into my skin, particularly in the T-Zone. At first it seems to sit on the skin a little, but then a couple of minutes later, that feeling goes and the lotion sinks in. I found this then left my skin feeling nicely hydrated but not greasy. It does feel quite rich, and nourishing - great for this time of year, but I think this might be slightly too heavy for me during warmer weathers, and for the same reason, proceed with caution if your skin is oily or you prefer very light creams - this may not appeal to you.

The one thing I don't like about this is that it doesn't have an SPF - to me, this is a fundamental ingredient any anti-ageing skincream should contain, as we all know how ageing the suns rays are - I avoid tanning (unless from a bottle) for this very reason. I've been either layering a sunscreen over it or using my Korres tinted moisturiser (SPF30) or some other SPF product with it, but I'd usually do this anyway. My usual skincare routine with it's various SPF's imparts a kevler like screen against the suns rays, so I doubt the lack of SPF in my moisturiser made too much impact on this, but I know a lot of people rely on their moisturiser for SPF, so bear this in mind!

The NUDE website states that this product has been tested independantly in 2007 and produced an average 63% reduction in wrinkles on test subjects... I don't actually think I have noticeable enough wrinkles (yet... just a matter of time!) apart from around my eyes, to be able to comment on this claim, but overall, the cream has made my skin feel more uniform in tone and well hydrated without feeling oily. Overall my skin looks more like I eat healthily and get a decent sleep each nigh - neither of which are the case, as I work shifts. I have experienced no sensitivity or reaction from the cream.

Advanced Eye Complex

Active ingredients - Acacia extract, prebiotics, Co-Q10, Milk peptides and mountain ash.

Again, this comes in a great little pump, and was my favourite product of the two I recieved. The scent is a lot less strong than the face cream (which I didn't find offensive anyway). Texture wise, this is a light serum-gel type product, and it absorbed easily into the skin. Half a pump was more than enough - a little really goes a long way.

I've always had a couple of lines under my eyes since I was about 13, so I wasn't expecting those to go, but I had noticed before I started to use this that when I was laughing the laughter lines were not "bouncing back" as quickly, and I was getting the first signs of crows feet - horror!

After using this for a month, I'm definitely noticing a difference around the eye area - Its more "bouncy" (as Davina McCall demonstrates with another well known cream lol), and creases ease faster after I laugh. The initial signs of crows feet also appear less noticeable to me as well. I've been using this in the mornings, as it feels nice and light for the daytime, and my Clarins Special Eye Contour Balm in the evening, which is when that is meant to work best. this combo has worked really well for me - I had been using the Clarins cream for a good few months, with good results, and there has been an even bigger difference with the NUDE cream.

Yes, this does cost £60, but I would repurchase as this worked so well for me.

Overall Impressions - I really like the range, and I like the ideas behind it. Obviously though this is an expensive range, and is an investment, so check out other reviews too if you can - also, I'd always recommend asking for samples, to make sure you don't have a reaction to them and that they suit your skin... Of the two products I've tried I'd say I'm likely to repurchase the eye cream as it worked so well for me, and there are a couple of other products in the range I am interested in trying too - I have it on good authority that the facial cleansing oil is outstanding, and that the night time oil is a standout product, so I'm hoping to pick these up soon (Still have a tonne of Shu Uemara cleansing oil to get through lol)

If you have tried any of these then please let me know how they worked for you?

Hope this was helpful!

MizzWorthy xxx

Clarins SkinCare Review

As you know a few weeks back a few of us were invited to a fab event thrown by Clarins in Selfridges London, where amongst other things we were all given a skin analysis and sent some products to test out - you can read about the event here.

Clarins were very generous and gave us full sized products to try so we could really see how well the products work.

I personally found the skincare analysis with one of the consultants really helpful - I learned that your skin type can change with the seasons, age etc. I was told I have combination skin, which was dehydrated.

As you can see I was sent a range of products - cleanser, toner, moisturiser, night cream, eye cream and a face scrub, as well as cult beauty product Beauty Flash Balm.

The range as a whole worked well for me, and there were some definite stand out products I really liked...
Cleanser - Foaming Cleanser with Tamarind and Purifying Micro-Pearls (Combination or oily skin). This costs £15 for 125 mls. Despite using this twice a day, there is a LOT left in the tube - I'd expect a tube to last 4-6 months. Its a very fresh smelling creamy feeling cleanser which rinses easily and is not over drying on the skin. It also contains quite large "Micro-Pearls". These don't so much scrub the skin (they are too big for that), but more give it a gentle daily "polish", which feels really nice. This will not remove eye makeup - a separate remover would be needed for that, although it seemed to remove face makeup effectively. If you were wearing a particularly full cover/heavy foundation, you might need to remove with a stronger cleanser first.

Toner - Toning Lotion with Iris (Combination or oily skin). This is £15 for 200mls. Again clean smelling and it does a good job of freshening the skin. This does also appear to remove any grime left on the skin after cleansing, which is good - it preps the skin well for moisturiser and doesn't leave it feeling tight. I'd expect a bottle to last around 3-4 months with twice a day use. I personally like to tone, as I don't feel like my skin is properly "clean" if I don't... I know a lot of people skip this step though without any skin related disasters ensuing!

Face Scrub - Gentle Exfoliating Refiner This is an expensive product at £21.51 for 50mls, which is quite a smal tube, however you really do only need to use a small amount - I'd expect this tube to last me about 4 months with use once or twice per week. The grains in the scrub are very fine, so this really gets into the nooks and crannies and clears out the pores well - I'd liken this in texture to the Body Shop Vitamin C skin re-finisher, however the grains in this are even finer. It does seem to make a difference to the pores on my nose - they appear clearer for a couple of days after using the scrub. A great product, just a shame you don't get more for your money.

Moisturiser - Hydraquench Lotion with SPF15
This is made for normal to combination skin or for hot climates, and is £30 for 50mls. I was sent this as the Hydraquench range is meant to solve issues of dehydration in the skin - in other words, you only need to use this until the skin regains its hydration levels. 1 pump of this was plently for my whole face - you can tell when you don't need to use it as it starts to feel too heavy on the skin. This took a couple of weeks before I noticed it was starting to feel too much. I still use this if I do a face mask or scrub, just to top up the moisture levels in my skin. I'd say the Hydraquench range is well worth looking into if you have dry skin. The lotion itself smells fresh, with a bit of a marine scent, but it doesn't last for long on the skin. It comes in a pump and is therefore really hygienic to use and it travels well too

Night Cream - Multi-Active Night Lotion. The Multi-active range is aimed at those of us in our thirties who are seeking to hold at bay the first signs of aging for as long as possible (sob...). In the past whenever I've used a night cream, I've always found them really thick and heavy feeling - and while that is kind of the point because your skin does all its regenerating and restoring at night, I don't want to be applying something that feels like it leaves my skin all congested. This one feels very very light, more like a serum in texture and feel - it sinks straight into the skin and is quickly absorbed. It leaves no trace of any greasy feeling on my skin at all. My skin feels softer in the morning and I look like I have slept well, even if I haven't. I really really love this product - its pricey at £40 for 50mls, which I'd expect to last for 3-4 months. I personally think it's worth this price, and its made me want to look into other products from the range in the future. Definite stand out.

Eye Cream - "Special"Eye Contour Balm - softens fine lines for dry skin. Designed for the first signs of ageing - this claims to soften fine lines, and also contains reflective pigments to give skin a more even appearance. This is another stand out product for me - I have used Clarins eye creams before and had equal success with them while I was younger - I used the eye contour balm in my 20's and did notice it made a difference, and I can say the same for this one - it worked really well for me. It won't shift dark circles as it's not designed for that, but I've noticed an improvement in the fine lines around my eyes. The area looks more hydrated and fresher, which makes this a winner in my eyes - it costs £23.49 for 20mls. You need a tiny amount each time you use it and it sinks in easily without leaving a greasy feeling on the skin. Love this one.

Beauty Flash Balm - £25 for 50ml.
Can you believe this cult product has been around for 20 years! (God this post is making me feel old!) I used to swear by this in my late teens and early twenties for a post-hangover skin pick-me-up. Then I went to uni, and could no longer afford the £25 price tag (50mls). I suppose I also started to rely more on the power of a decent concealer and foundation for perking up the skin. My mum used to top me up every couple of years with a tube and me and my sister both continue to love it. A tube lasts about 5-6 months. This is not a product I use every single day, just when my skin needs a pick-me-up - probably once or twice a week.

It can be used a few different ways. I personally like to smooth on a very thin layer - ie not rubbed completely in, but rather left on the skin and left to settle in. It can also be used as an overnight treatment when applied a bit more thickly to the skin and slept in. Basically the product brightens and hydrates the skin, leaving it feeling soft and looking well rested. Perfect for a hangover.... so perfect in fact that it didn't take long for drugstores to produce a dupe - one of which can be found in the Superdrug Natural High Range.

The Clarins original has a soft, comforting yet still clean smell.

So there you go - well done if you have made it to the end of the post - hope this has been useful!
Any recommendations for products in the range are always welcome too!

MizzWorthy xxx

I'm Off...

...In more ways than one!

I've taken a week off work just to have a break from the place and I am sooooo happy not to have to do any shifts for a week!

First of all this weekend Mr MizzWorthy's cousin has her 18th Birthday, so we're off to Southport for the weekend to stay in a hotel which his mum and dad decided to treat us to!

Then the rest of the week, I'm planning on catching up with all the reviews and blogging I want to do - I've been sent loads of products recently to test and review, so I'm going to be one busy bee! I also have a few things to give-away, including press on nails from Revlon, so please stay tuned for all that! I'm planning on trying to do more youtube vids too this week...

Oh and obviously, the highlight of the week which I am more excited about than words can possibly describe, is the Illamasqua event in Manchester - ooooh, what a lovely week!

Hope you all have a great weekend!
MizzWorthy xxx