Whether you’re a mother yourself, a grandmother, a daughter or a grandchild – I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day! It’s easy to take your family for granted – it’s a trap we all fall into from time to time – so Mother’s Day is a great way to show your female family members that you appreciate all they do for you. My mum and I haven’t always seen eye to eye, but recently, we’ve definitely gotten closer. So, when an email from Debenhams landed in my emails asking if I wanted to try out some surprise superfood skincare products with my mum, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to have some good ol’ mother daughter bonding!
All I knew about the skincare products were that they were going to be superfood goodies, but boy – I didn’t realise they’d spoil little old me and my mum so much. With goodies from Elemis, L’Occitane, Origins and Ole Henriksen, I knew this was going to be a pamper session we’d definitely enjoy – thank you Debenhams!
‘Superfood: a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being.’
Let’s have a quick chat about the difference between mine and my mum’s usual skincare routine. I have a ton of skincare products and like to change it up on a daily basis depending on my skin that particular day – redness? I have a face mask for that. Spots? Tea tree based products. Flaky skin with lots of blackheads? A harsh grit exfoliator. My skincare collection is so large that if you want it, I’ve probably got it!
My mum on the other hand is much more traditional – she has a routine that she knows works well for her and sticks to it. She’s a No7 die-hard fan (like, seriously – I don’t think she’s ever bought another brand of makeup and skin care in her life!) so I was super excited to introduce her to some new brands that I just knew she’d love.
I laid out a pamper routine of products in the bathroom and talked her through the routine as I went. Mum had already had a bath, so her skin was makeup free and clean, so I thought we’d start off with an exfoliator. Mum’s skin was already quite soft and smooth, but I thought it would probably do her good to exfoliate and get rid of any dead cells on the surface of her skin. I wanted to use quite a calm exfoliator, so I suggested she tried my Body Shop Tea Tree Exfoliator.
It was then time to try our first superfood beauty treat from Debenhams! To really make sure that every single bit of dirt, oil, sweat and any other build up of the not so nice things that like to coagulate in our pores was removed, we reached for By All Greens by Origins*. Origins is a brand known for mixing nature and science – I’ve used Origins products before and loved them. By All Greens is a clay mask, which as massaged into your face with water, turns into a creamy foam. It’s packed full of superfoods, too – spirulina, spinach and green tea all make an appearance in this cleanser, and help unclog pores and detox the skin. I absolutely adored this cleanser – it did feel like it really cleaned my skin more than other products – it’s almost like the formula really sinks into your skin – then as you wash it away, it takes all the impurities away with it! You’re left with a smooth complexion, and I thought it helped even out my redness, too.
Mum’s Beauty Tip #1: Never wash your face with soap
Mum found the fact we were cleaning our faces with ‘soap’ strange – her number one beauty tip is to never clean your face with soap. I reminded her that these weren’t soaps as such – they’re skincare products especially made FOR your face. But, what mum said is actually such a good beauty tip – you can’t wash your face with the same soap you wash your hands with. Whether it’s liquid soap or a bar of soap, soap made for your hands is going to be much harsher and potentially have some nasty chemicals inside, which isn’t going to do the skin on your face any favours!
Now that our skin was clean, it’s time to do a face mask! Face masks are probably my favourite skin care product to use – they’re different, fun, and give great results. They’re the perfect way to make a pamper feel a little bit more like a spa visit!
I was eager to try this Ole Henriksen Blue and Blackberry Enzyme Mask* – I’ve never tried this brand before, not have I ever tried a face mask with a clear, jelly like consistency – I normally stick to clay face masks or sheet masks. This face mask is meant to give you a deep hydration whilst also renewing skin cells, smoothing your skin and reducing any inflammation. The superfoods in this mask are blue and blackberry fruit extract, lavender, and papaya. This mask made a hella lot of beauty claims. Did it live it up to them? 100%. I’ve fallen in love with this face mask – my skin is unbelievably soft and hydrated – even hours after I’ve used it! It seemed to brighten my skin and also reduce redness, making my whole complexion seem healthier, glowing and even. This face mask is an absolute skincare saviour – I’m so impressed.
Mum’s Beauty Tip #2: NEVER go to sleep with your makeup on – no matter how late you get home!
Next up is a crucial stage in any skincare session – moisturise. This Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Cream* has liquorice root, vitamin C and pea extract in the ingredient list. Boy does this Ole Henriksen brand have some weird ingredients! It’s great to try products with these superfood ingredients – I feel like my skin is getting such a good detox. This moisturiser is extremely light – it’s definitely too thin for me and mum to use as a night time moisturiser, but could work well under a light, natural day time makeup look.
Last but not least, we finished up with the Elemis Superfood Facial Oil*. Oils are multifunctional, but fundamentally, the three ways to use them are; a) on its own on your face, b) a couple of drops added into your moisturiser or c) after moisturiser to lock in the hydration. A little tip from me: if you’re going to layer moisturiser and oil, always put the oil on LAST. Whilst oil can penetrate the moisturiser and reach your skin, it’s much harder for moisturiser to penetrate oil, so you won’t benefit from the moisturiser if you’re putting it on afterwards. Think of the oil as a barrier: you want to put the barrier on last, to lock in all the goodness – you don’t want to lock the goodness out!
Any regular reader of my blog will know that I absolutely love facial oils, but my mum had actually NEVER tried a facial oil before! She was a little nervous, and said it felt strange putting oil on her face, but I guess oils are a little weird the first time you use them. After using both the moisturiser and facial oil, mum said her face felt a little tighter than her normal routine, but I can’t say the same for myself. It highly hydrated my face, and I woke up with gorgeously soft skin.
FYI – this oil smells ah-mazing. I just love oils purely for the aromas – it feels like I’m in a spa every time I use it! Plus, it has broccoli and flax seed in it, so it must be good for you, right?!
Mums Beauty Tip #3: Always remember to use your skincare products on your neck, too!
Our faces might be clean, fresh and beautifully pampered but our bodies aren’t! Introducing the final step in any pamper session – body lotion. This L’Occitane en Provence ‘Almond Milk Concentrate’ body cream* is luxurious and rich – the wet, ‘milky’ formula sinks into your skin well, and smoothes over your skin with ease. You don’t need too much of it at all to cover your whole legs, so whilst it may be a little pricey if you use body lotion every day, it sure will last you a while. Plus, how cute is the packaging?!
Overall, I had such a fun time trying all of these new products from Debenhams with my Mum. Hearing her discuss her beauty routines and sharing her little tips as we went through was really interesting – although, she did make me feel guilty for knowing I occasionally forget to take my makeup off before I fall asleep.
What are the top beauty tips you’ve learnt from your mum, aunt or grandma growing up? I’d love to hear other people’s stories, too! Remember, it’s okay if Mother’s Day gives you the ick – relationships, especially with mums, are very odd things. If you’d rather switch off on social media around Mother’s Day, that is absolutely a-okay.
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