My March beauty favourites video has just gone live and it comes with a big apology: I completely and utterly forgot to do a February one! The perfectionist side of my brain is begging me to film it retrospectively so that I have a “full house”, but the time-poor, desperate-to-relax side of my brain is whispering ‘do you really want to give yourself extra work to do? When you have a whole series of the American Office to watch on Netflix?’ And so I think that February Favourites will be lost forever, a blip in an otherwise faultless record. (ish. I used to miss loads of months; it’s only been the past year or so that I’ve managed to get a groove going on with the whole thing.)  

Focus of the month, or at least the first half of the month, has been Olay’s Regenerist Luminous range, because I have been finishing off my pre-launch testing for them. If you’re a regular reader you’ll know that I’ve been working with Olay over a four week period to trial the Regenerist Luminous products and record my findings; the four weeks are now over. Actually, the four weeks were over last week, but I’ve carried on using the moisturiser and eye cream twice a day which is, I suppose, a testament to how much I actually like them! Don’t get me wrong; as soon as I’d shot the “after” photograph for the “before and after” comparison, I was straight into my bag of tricks, delving about for new masks to try and lotions to faff about with, but I voluntarily kept up the twice-daily application of the Regenerist Luminous and am going to continue until they run out. Because despite my initial dislike of the range’s texture (please read here for full review post, but basically I didn’t like the “dry touch” feel of the products, preferring a dewy sheen to the more “velvet” finish that silicones seem to produce) I actually got on with the products very well indeed. No dryness, despite the dry “feel” of the cream, absolutely not one single spot, even with PMT in full-swing, and my skin definitely had a bit of a glow going on. The idea of the range is to help even out the skin tone and increase luminosity; I didn’t have any particular areas of pigmentation, so I can’t vouch for that, but an increase in luminosity? Yes. I think I may have to agree on that one.

A note, if I may, on the following “before and after” pictures: I tried to take them at the same time of day, with the same natural lighting, face each time completely bare of makeup and of skincare. Just naked face. It’s incredibly hard to do these before-and-afters, I have discovered. Easy with makeup looks, because you’re sat in exactly the same spot with exactly the same lighting, and only about half an hour has passed between the two shots, but skincare? Over a four week period? I have done my best, that’s all I can say!

And a bonus photograph, taken a few days ago:

Ah. It’s like trying to spot differences between penguins, isn’t it? It doesn’t help that I have the same gormless stare in each photo! But I think that the photographs do show up the increase in glowiness and also, if you look carefully, a decrease in little blotchy patches here and there. What do you think? I’ll be interested to know your feedback once the range launches; but for fifty of you there’s an opportunity to try the moisturiser for free. [The first fifty UK/ROI readers to email Olay with their name and address will receive a full-size Regenerist Luminous moisturiser – the email address is AMROlayLuminousoffer@diss.net. I’m afraid I have no control over this little giveaway so I won’t know when the samples have run out, but I’ll endeavour to keep on top of it and update this post if I can!] **UPDATE: samples are now gone.** Terms and conditions are at the bottom of the page.

You’ll notice that the rest of the video is somewhat haircare heavy; I have discovered the best little budget range this month. L’Oreal’s Elvive Fibrology. I say “discovered”; I should have said “read millions of rave reviews and decided to dig it out of the slush pile”. This hair thickening range from Elvive is absolutely wonderful! It really worked from the very first wash! Top banana. My hair, dried naturally, looks as though I’ve spritzed in some kind of volumising mist; blow-dried it is thick and fulsome and mane-like. Well worth a try, I’d say.

Take a look at the video to see what else I’ve been favouritising this month – there are a few old favourites that I’ve been meaning to feature for ages and a couple of new bits that have caught my eye. A nice mix. And for those who enjoyed my last “Beauty Review” video, I’m just about to start filming the next one so if you have any more suggestions, please pop them in the comments below!

Products and Notes on Video:

Beauty Reviews video with Eve Lom foundation:https://www.ruthcrilly.co.uk/2014/…

Avon Gel Polish in : http://goo.gl/kdcgLR

Bourjois Cream Blush in shade Nude Velvet: http://tidd.ly/805ae778

Japonesque Lash Comb: http://tidd.ly/1476aac7

L’Oreal Fibrology Haircare range: http://tidd.ly/85fb552f

Ojon Detox Shampoo: http://tidd.ly/cb712d0c

Lavera Almond Milk Shampoo: http://tidd.ly/37eaab6d

Studio 10 Makeup – post on website:https://www.ruthcrilly.co.uk/?p=23969

Angel Body Cream: http://tidd.ly/45351cf5

My work with Olay including blog posts and video summary has been sponsored by Olay/P&G:https://www.ruthcrilly.co.uk/2014/…