Givenchy Prisme Libre Air Sensation Loose Powder

Loose powder - it's for ladies of a certain age right?

Wrong! Forget the idea you may have of chalky, orange powder caked on that emphasises every crack and crevice. Loose powder evens out your skin tone and gives you a really polished finish.

The problem is good loose powder is hard to find and since Clinique discontinued their Gentle Light face powder I've been on a mission to find an alternative.

Well I think my search may be over. After trying a number of samples and reading lots of reviews I finally bought Givenchy Prisme Libre Air Sensation Loose Powder in Delicate Beige. I've been using it daily for a couple of weeks and I'm very impressed with the results.

It comes in a pretty square box which is divided into four compartments of four different coloured powders. The lid has the Givenchy logo on it and it isn't the easiest to screw back on. Keeping the lid closed I shake the box and some of the powder is dispensed through the holes in the top which you can then apply over foundation or on its own.

I used to use a powder brush to apply loose powder but the Givenchy beauty consultant showed me another technique which works so much better. Take the powder puff supplied and roll it gently into your face. This way you get right into the corners around your nose and eyes and it goes on much more evenly. Then brush the excess away with a fat brush. Although it may seem that you use much more powder this way I don't actually think you do as when you go in with a brush you would tap the excess away anyway before you put it on your face.

The powder smells lovely and is very finely milled so does not look chalky once its on. It is so light on my face that I don't notice it at all during the day and it has great staying power. I find I just need to touch up around my T-zone with a pressed powder mid-afternoon. It corrects colour brilliantly and leaves my skin looking and feeling silky smooth. One of the powders has illuminating particles in it but they are so delicate that you don't need to worry about looking glittery. It makes you look healthy and glowing and in photographs you look almost airbrushed!

On days when I don't want to wear a lot of make up I use the Givenchy powder instead of foundation straight onto clean, moisturised skin. Add mascara and a touch of lip gloss or cheek stain and you have lovely natural looking makeup in about a minute.

It's not cheap but it will last for ages and I've got my fingers crossed this one doesn't get discontinued. My only criticism is that the puff seems a bit flimsy and may not last as long as the powder so I will have to buy a supply of replacements.

Jimmy And Jack

Backstage in Indianapolis, 1975. Photo by Neal Preston.

The Body Shop v Superdrug Tea Tree Pads

I have been using The Body Shop Tea Tree Exfoliating Pads for just over a year and they are one of those products that I just can't do without.

Made from tamanu oil, Community Trade organic tea tree oil and Salicylic Acid (that's the stuff that does the exfoliating) they're described as two-in-one exfoliating and cleansing pads. The Body Shop recommends that you can use them for removing makeup but personally I think they're much to harsh for that and at £6.00 for 40 pads a very expensive method of cleaning your face.

What they are brilliant for is removing blackheads and ingrown hairs. For blackheads, which I really only get on my nose, I just rub the pad over the affected area and you can literally see all the gunk rising to the surface which you can then just wipe off or gently squeeze out by pressing down either side. Whatever you do don't use your nails and don't squeeze too hard. If the blackhead is too stubborn to shift then give it another rub with a pad the next day and it should eventually work its way out.

For ingrowing hairs, and they're particularly great for the bikini line, just rub the pad over the bump and you will see the hair rising to the surface until it pops out and you can remove with tweezers. Again don't go at it too vigorously - leave for a few hours and try again and eventually the hair will come out.

They're also good at getting rid of the little red bumps I sometimes get on the top of my arms. Again, I rub them over my skin and after a few days find that my skin is a lot softer and smoother.

I also use them as part of a mini facial after a face mask for removing any impurities and residual and they're perfect for taking to festivals which is the only time I have used them for cleansing my face to remove makeup, dirt, suncream lotion and sweat. They're also good for a quick, cooling wipe-down and cleaning and soothing any minor scratches, cuts and bites.

They come in a little green pot, so handy for travelling, and one side of the pad is smooth while the other is textured. They are saturated with the product and despite the tea tree oil they don't smell too overpowering.

Superdrug have a similar product but their's also contain Peppermint Oil so they smell a lot stronger. Again, these are described as cleaning pads but be aware of the peppermint - if it gets anywhere sensitive it hurts! The pads are slightly thicker than the Body Shop pads so easier to get out the pot and the exfoliating side is much rougher.

I did try these on my face but they left it feeling 'squeaky clean' which I am always wary about as I wonder how much 'good oil' has been stripped away in the cleaning process and will my face start producing even more oil to compensate.

However, they are half the price of the Body Shop pads so great for ingrowing hairs and they feel lovely rubbed over feet on a hot summers day.

You can generally find both products on offer so stock up when you can. I got my last pots of Body Shop pads on a 3 for 2 offer and the Superdrug pads on a Buy One Get One Free Offer.