Beauty Guerrillas » Darphin

Suck it Up

thebeautyguerrilla — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:16:20 +0000

There’s really nothing better than a good clay mask to suck up filth and grime from deep inside pores. Darphin Purifying Aromatic Clay Mask does just that. The thick and gloopy grey gunk draws our all the impurities sitting below the surface of the skin. Used weekly this miracle mask makes skin incredibly clear and decongested patches and oily T-zones are normalised.

This is another of my Blemish Busting Month star products. I’ll be using it every week, without fail, for a long time to come. I often find that immediately after using clay based masks my skin can look a bit dull, but this mask immediately brightens my whole face. It is like 8 hours sleep in a tube. You only need a thin layer of the gloop, and it dries in 10 to 15 minutes, meaning not only can you always find time to squeeze it into your beauty routine but a tube lasts a surprisingly long time.

For my combination, slightly drab complexion this is an absolute saviour. Never have I experienced a mask which decongests so intensively and restores that healthy, post exercise glow to my skin.

Hits the Spot

thebeautyguerrilla — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:20:56 +0000

There are so many spot treatments available, it’s hard to know which is best. Well, I’ve had a sneaky preview of Darphin Stop Imperfection Blemish Clearing Gel, which will be available from July, and it is one of the best I have tried.

Not only does it actually work at reducing oil, exfoliating dead skin cells and purifying pores, it melts into the skin effortlessly. I’ve tried too many spot treatments which work fantastically but leave an obvious flaky patch where it has been dabbed on to pimples, making them suitable for night-time only. Darphin’s Blemish Clearing Gel sinks into skin and is instantly invisible. So no-one need know your face is covered with blobs of spot cream.

It also smells like it’s good for your complexion; lavender, sage and geranium makes a heavenly aroma!

Pot of Gold

thebeautyguerrilla — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:09:24 +0000

Being the beauty junkie I am, whenever my birthday or Christmas rolls around I always ask for skincare and make-up from my loved ones. Last Christmas, I handed a list of options to my long suffering partner, sent him packing to the delightful Space NK and told him to pick something for my pressie.

When Christmas day arrived I was surprised (and mega chuffed) to find he had bought me not one but two fab products from my wish-list. I’ll come to the second gift later, but for now I’m going to talk about the first; Darphin Baume Purifant… that’s purifying balm to you and me.

This little tub (and I do mean *little*) of golden yellow balm has become a bit of a bedtime ritual to me on nights when I’m feeling worse for wear. The solid block immediately melts on contact with skin into a light oil which can be spread across skin incredibly easily. The balm is said to restore radiance and reduce the appearance of skin imperfections but I can really only agree with half of this description.

After using this aromatic product I always awake the next morning to dewy, plumped up skin which feels and looks a treat, but I’ve not noticed much difference in my blemishes. With tea tree touted as a key ingredient I’m not sure why this is; perhaps the oily texture is just too much. What I do find is that it brings spots which are sitting under the surface of the skin to a head. This isn’t a bad thing; better out than in I say! At least once a pimple has reached the surface of the skin it can heal up and should disappear in a day or two.

My top tip for this product is to take a moment to have a long, deep whiff of the balm before you slather it on. It’s loaded with essential oils and the fragrance is unbelievably calming.

If you fancy something a bit different for your nightly routine, pop down to Space NK and don’t be put off by having to pay £38.00 for such a teeny pot; I’ve hardly dented mine after 5 months. Even better, get someone else to buy it for you like I did!