Mascara and face cleansing

[KittyandTeal]

I don't usually use this board much but I know posters here can be brilliant with advice!

I currently use Chanel Le volume mascara and Clarins cleansing products for oily skin.

The problem is we are really tight on money now and I need to find a cheaper alternative to these ones. I know often you get what you pay for but its just a luxury I can't justify atm.

I have very oily skin and need advice on face wash, exfoliate, toner and a moisturiser please. I also love the volume and lift I get from the Chanel mascara.

Any suggestions of cheaper alternatives?

I really don't think you get what you pay for especially with Clarins. It's highly perfumed and you are paying for marketing, sales assts and packaging.
Cleanser especially is on your face for 20 seconds so you could use anything which doesn't irritate your skin and removes make up.
Depending on your budget, maybe Boots No 7- good quality and around £8 for a cleanser. I am using Clinique at the moment as a treat but have decided to go back to L'Oreal cleanser as I cannot honestly see any difference between a £20 cleanser and a £5 one.

You might like cleansing balms and some people here swear by Superdrug ones ( remove with a hot cloth) that are very cheap.

Mascara- Rimmel is okay as if Soap and Glory- between £6 and £10.

Oh- and if you are washing your make up off (face wash) you really don't need a toner. It's marketing hype .

I don't think toner does anything, and I've read a lot of 'experts' say same - that you get same result splashing with cold water.

I like hot cloth cleansers, and because you're using a muslin (well i use a flannel), you don't need exfoliator either

I have combination skin rather than oily. It maybe a good idea to list which ones you use as (I think clarins have a few different toners and washes etc).
I'd recommend:
Superdrug face wash for oily & combination skin £3.49 and often on offer too.
Toner - I like freedom glow Tonic for £8
Moisturiser- neutrogena visibly clear moisturiser about a fiver for day and superdrug Naturally Radiant Night cream at night is about the same price
Serum - superdrug simply pure hydrating serum £3

Love Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser but m&s have started doing one too, haven't tried it but it's definitely cheaper than LE

Thanks everyone.

That's interesting about toner. I'll try giving it a miss.

I currently use the cottonseed face wash and the ultra matt moisturiser. I've tried Clinique before but it makes my skin extra oily.

Atm I'm trying the Nivea dash wash and moisturiser for oily skin and they seem OK-ish. I need something mattifying really.

Any mascara suggestions for good volume?

These are all really helpful.

Which toner is it Kitty?

Um....the green one! For oily/combination skin.

Sorry, I'm shit with this stuff, an old friend who was a beauty therapist suggested clarins years ago for my skin that kept breaking out (she wasn't a clarins rep) so I tried it and it's worked really well for me. Just becoming way too pricey now.

I use no 7 intense volume waterproof, works really well and easily removed too.

I agree about Clarins , don't think it's worth the money at all.

Super drug so a face wash that's a Liz Earl dupe, can't remember the name but it's in a green tube. Intense Radiance?

I'm completely opposite to you and suffer with dry skin but I find Lush products brilliant. They have a whole range of reasonably priced cleansers and moisturisers that cater for all types of skin. My friend who is very into skincare and has spent £££'s on products also uses and recommends Lush. As for mascara, I do spend more on this myself as I have tried the drug store brands that are supposed to be as good but always end up disappointed and only use half the tube and buy my usual anyway so it's complete false economy. I don't know how much the Chanel one is but I'm guessing around £25 so if you want one slightly cheaper I really like Benefit Roller lash which I think is just under £20.

** do

Thanks dame. The Superdrug one has come up a few times so I'll give that a go.

Worrier I loved the benefit ones too but they are still a bit too expensive. I might be able to spend a little more if I got other stuff cheaper.

I think I've found it, but I can't find a full ingredients list anywhere! Not all toners are useless. Plenty have beneficial ingredients in them, particularly exfoliating toners. That Clarins one doesn't look like it contains anything that exciting though, and it isn't an exfoliant, but it probably would provide some additional hydration if your skin is lacking in water. Boots Botanics and the Body Shop do similar products if you just want a budget hydrating toner.

Oh, and one of the best mascaras I've ever used is £3.49:

www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Eyes/Mascara/Miss-Sporty-Lash-Millionaire-Fake-Mascara-Black/p/438505

Completely disagree with pp's about toners. That's the one stage I would never drop. Modern toners are NOTHING to do with cleansing. It's about getting good acids to exfoliate your face and prep the skin so it's able to take on serums and moisturisers as effectively as possible.

Cleanse - hot cloth cleanser so superdrug, boots botanics, the body shop all do one

Tone - use this as your exfoliating stage so you can drop a product and if you take the cleaner off with a flannel then that works. Pixi glow tonic or bravura or nip/fab extreme glycolic

Moisturiser - this is fairly trial and error but I like the body shop ones. Or get yourself to a TK Maxx or on their website and have a hunt. You can google for reviews of any you find and often decent savings

Don't ditch toners! I don't understand why the ditch the toner trend started. There are so many different options of toners in the market, some are great for hydrating the skin while others help to mattify the skin.

Regarding your question, I believe you should try either the seaweed or tea tree collection from The Body Shop. The products are quite affordable and have some interesting ingredients. They also run several promotions throughout the year, like 40% off or 3 for 2.

For mascara suggestion, there are so many great options from Maybelline, L'oreal and Max Factor.

Max factor 2000 calorie mascara. About the £7 mark, sometimes on a 3 for 2.

I was about to suggest the 2000 calorie one too, it's great!

The Boots Seventeen mascara are excellent for the price. Often on offer too.

I use the £11 La Roche Posay gel wash- it lasts forever! Think I've only gone through one tube in a year!
You literally just need a tiny amount. I've never had spot free skin til I started with this

Boots Glycerin and Rose Water for a toner and it moisturisers too leaving skin very soft and supple - £2.50ish

Wow, thanks. Some really good suggestions.

I think I'll give the max factor mascara a go, some friends have said its good too.