SKINCARE HAUL | YOUTOPIA BEAUTY

The last time I went out on a deliberate skincare haul was about two years ago,  a few weeks after I discovered Caroline Hirons' blog. When I say 'deliberate' I mean I was in search of performance skincare products I could use to target/treat particular areas of my skin. Setting out to the Youtopia Beauty store in search of products reminded me of that time two years ago, only difference was I was doing this in Lagos. I love how much the Nigerian beauty industry has grown since I started out blogging, so many knowledgeable beauty stores out there now! A few months ago I shared all about Youtopia Beauty in this Out and About post here, so you already know how I feel about this store and its owner. With this haul I was after an exfoliator, something to treat spots and an eye cream. So after chatting it up with the owner whilst browsing the shelves, I left with the products pictures above all from her recommendation.

Radha Beauty Vitamin C Serum - 10,500*

Like I mentioned in the Out and About post, the owner of Youtopia Beauty swears by Vitamin C for the skin. The anti-ageing and brightening benefits speak for themselves really. She advised that I use this every morning right after I get out the shower and before I apply anything to my face. So I use this, then my SPF50 face cream and then a primer before I apply my makeup. Sunscreen is a MUST with this. I absolutely love this serum, it is currently at Holy Grail (HG) status for me! I really believe this, along with a couple other products I will mention in this post, has literally transformed the texture of my skin. It is advised that you store this in a cool place, so I keep mine in the fridge just to be safe. Why in the fridge you ask? Well because Vitamin C oxidizes in the heat and with our weather (especially the last few months, good Lord it's felt like an oven 'round here), to ensure it remains effective and prevent it from oxidizing, it needs to be stored in a refrigerator.

ZO by Zain Obagi Exfoliating Polish - N13,000

This exfoliator, I LOVE! I can literally feel the difference on my skin right after I use it. I apply it to my face using my finger tips and work it in gently, using circular motions. It gives off a lovely warm sensation when you first work it in and it's got micro beads that aren't harsh on my skin. I only have good things to say about this product, my skin feels noticeably smoother right after. It was recommended I use it once a week, but I currently use it twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays). I will probably scale back to once a week, after a couple more months. But this stuff combined with the Radha VitC serum are the star products for me. I also use the Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic once a day, at night. And I think all three (ZO Exfoliator, Radha VitC Serum & Pixi Glow) have made a remarkable difference to my skin. I used to get little, barely noticeable, rashes down my forehead just between my lashes. But since I switched up my skincare routine and stayed consistent, they've disappeared and my skin overall feels really smooth. I may need to type up an updated skincare routine, but I really believe consistency is the secret here. No matter how amazing a product is, if you do not use it consistently it won't work for you. The Pixi Glow (not pictured) I got last year while on holiday, but only used it off and on, mainly because I wasn't noticing a visible difference, but now that I am back on it and using it consistently, I have seen it work. Pixi Glow is also available at Youtopia Beauty.

Clinicians Complex Retinol Eye Cream - N12,000

I had read and heard all about the benefits of incorporating an eye-cream in your nightime routine. The owner asked if I suffered from dark circles around my eyes and I said no, so she recommended I get this one. Now I feel as though I should have got the one that had retinol as well as brightening properties, just so I have a well-rounded eye cream... Perhaps I'll go back and get that.

Katialis Antibacterial/Antifungal Ointment - N3,000

Funny story about this spot cream, the owner's kids' nanny suffered from terrible acne, like big ones. She noticed that she always applied some white thing on them and later realised the acne started drying up quickly. So, one day, she broke out in spots and asked the nanny if she could use her spot cream. She used it, and in two days everything dried up. So she asked her nanny on her next trip home to buy quite a few so she could stock it in the store. How I find this effective is if you use it right when you feel the pimple starting to 'form'. You know when it's barely a pimple but the area hurts and is elevated? Yup, that's when this spot treatment works best.  This spot treatment takes literally 2-3 days to dry up the spot before it forms and then the area doesn't hurt. From my experience, I'd strongly advice you stop using the treatment after 2-3 days and switch to something that heals scabs/wound like tea-tree oil, to prevent scarring. In a case where the spot has fully formed, wash your face at night, apply Katialis and you will notice a visible difference the next day.

You know what's weird, when I was looking for a spot treatment, the owner recommended this and another one. This one she said worked faster but has the tendency to leave a scar, the other one worked slower but will also reduce the appearance of scarring. So she wasn't far from the truth about Katialis.

Discount Code

I got a discount for you guys! Youtopia Beauty have graciously agreed to offer all BiL Readers 10% off all Radha beauty products, including the VitaminC Serum! The offer lasts for one week, so it will end 14th of June, 2016. This offer is valid in-store or telephone orders.

The code to use is: RADHA10

Whilst typing up this review post, it occurred to me that I don't review products as much as I used to. So it made me reflect a little and my reason for that would be because not much has 'wowed' me in a while. I always want to be 100% honest and if something doesn't impress me, I'm not just going to type up a review for the sake of it. But I will continue to share products I purchase, my first impressions and definitely review products I like.

Hope you enjoyed this post!

What new skincare products have you purchased recently?

Ez xxX