Hello, my name is Sabina and I am a beautyholic
Having obsessions is not lovely at all but having little ones it’s acceptable. 2 years ago it was about being skinny, last summer about having skin that’s too white- hence the (still) full drawer of St. Tropez tanning mousse, then there was a brief obsession for lingerie and so on. My latest preoccupation is finding the perfect beauty products. Not that such thing exist, but I have to try.
Before moving to London I used to have perfect skin. Most people claim I still do but there are some things on my face that *I* notice and that make me really angry. My girlfriends tell me that I have no clue what skin problems are and that my face is perfect. My best friend- who is a guy- says I’m crazy. And I say those blemishes need to go away and I shall not stop until I’ve won this war.
In a attempt to go to the root of the problem and find out what’s causing those nasty pimples to pop up on my face I started going to various skin clinics in London. The biggest disappointment was The Private Clinic on Harley Street where the lady looking at my skin was a complete amateur and didn’t seem to take her job very seriously. She then went on describing microdermabrasion and a glycol acid treatment after having heard from me that I have sensitive skin!
This week I’ve tested out Destination Skin and fortunately this one went better. Karen took a good look at my skin and did some scanner tests. According to her I have combination/ dehydrated, not dry skin, my skin’s texture and pores are ‘“fantastic”, no wrinkles, and no sun damage. She concluded my spots are definitely hormonal and told me that treatments and products will not banish them completely but will keep them under control. The interesting part, however, was her prescription: 7 products for my daily morning and evening routine and 3 courses of treatments including laser treatments, vitamin C facials and glycol peels. “And it all comes down to £1,750”. I nearly fell off my chair and not so much because of the price but because of what she’d previously mentioned. Let me remind you: “perfect skin texture, no sun damage, blah, blah and the products will not banish the spots.” Then why pay £1,750?
Because they make you feel like you really need all those products and those treatments. Because your skin is great but it could be even better and they obviously have the best thing for you. Although for one moment the idea of handing her my credit card crossed my mind, I mentally slapped myself, thanked her and left the place feeling rather dazed and somewhat confused. But because I am crazy, as my best friend says, I didn’t give up and came up with a plan B of my own. Good thing I kept the prescription so I could go home and start a thorough research on various products having the same ingredients as the ones she recommend, sans the ridiculous price tag.
And I have found them. And ordered them today actually. A bunch of lotions and potions that will arrive tomorrow at my office. Now, to clear something up: the products I found might not work, but they might as well “destroy” my blemishes. The point is that I’ve chosen them, I looked at all the ingredients and I didn’t simply take something that was offered to me by someone who “knows better” but who- excuse me for saying this- has far worse skin than I do.
The second part of my obsession with beauty products is a fairly recent discovery of mine which is called amodelrecommends.com. Ruth is a model who tests all sorts of beauty products and then uploads the reviews on YouTube. Simple as that, but so addictive. Because she is good, she gives great reviews and advice, she’s funny and most important- she has amazing skin. I really think her website and YouTube channels are worth checking at least for getting some great make-up tutorials. I admit that I’ve spent hours watching her videos so I have to give a little warning for you to know what to expect.
And in case you were wondering what miraculous products I’ve ordered, I though of making a list for you to have a peek. Don’t, for one moment, imagine that I don’t own any beauty products and thus I’ve decided to buy everything in sight. It’s just that I thought of doing a “spring clean” and changing pretty much everything- hence the quite impressive number of products. Bear in mind that some of them were on my wish list for a while but never got the chance to try them since there’s always something new and exciting coming up.
There will be more posts on beauty products, skincare and make-up because I’ve neglected this department lately- despite my obsession with everything beauty. Without further ado, enjoy Ruth’s blog and feel free to have a look at my list as well.
PS: Your tips are welcome, you know where to find me.
List
Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser
REN Hydra-calm Youth Defense Serum
Dermalogica Solar Defense Booster SPF 30
Clarins Hydraquench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase
Darphin Hydraskin Light Moisturizing Cream-Gel
Lierac Diopticalm
Alpha-H Micro Cleanse with 12% glycolic acid
REN F10 Smooth and Renew Peel Mask
Elemis Fresh Skin Face Mask Duo
Agera Antibacterial Peptide Cream
Bioderma Crealine H2O Micelle Solution (will stock up next week when I’m in Paris)
Guerlain Meteorites Base Perfectrice Pearls
Tom Ford Cheek Colour
(All available from lookfantastic.com/ except Guerlain and Tom Ford which you can get in Harrods)
