Introducing Glycablend from Trilogy Skincare

Last week I had the absolute pleasure of attending an event hosted by the incredibly successful skincare brand, Trilogy. This was my first time ever attending a blogger event so naturally I was quite nervous about what to expect but I really needn't have been. I was warmly greeted by Juliette who introduced the brand and the products to me (I had heard of Trilogy but hadn't tried anything out) and made me feel very welcome. Shortly we were invited into a presentation about the brand's beginnings, ethos, learning about the products and the newly formulated Age-Proof range with Glycablend, which we all had a chance to test out for ourselves. If like me and you hadn't had a great idea about Trilogy or their products, let me fill in the blanks because I think you might just fall in love with them.

Trilogy are all about natural skincare that is simple, pure and vital. They endeavour to find and use the purest natural and botanical oils and extracts to create gorgeous blends that restore and maintain the natural vitality and radiance we all yearn for our skin, without you ending up with a medicine cabinet of lotions and potions for all different skin ailments. Now when it comes to skincare, the word 'natural' and 'organic' can be thrown around by many skincare brands that in actual fact are not that natural or organic at all. Trilogy is different. Not only are they the first carbon neutral brand but they are also the first New Zealand skincare brand to achieve the NATRUE Natural Cosmetics Certification, meaning all of the ingredients are natural and some are organic (which is clearly stated for the consumer) and the process to source and manufacture these ingredients into products is environmentally friendly. This certification can also tell you that Trilogy skincare has:

• No animal testing (nor do they endorse it either)
• No synthetic fragrances or colours
• No genetically modified ingredients
• No petroleum derived products
• No silicone oils and derivatives 
• No irradiation of end products and botanical ingredients

Pretty impressive right? Now you might be thinking "You know what, I think I do know of this brand after all", and you could well be right. Trilogy skincare is largely known for their oils and their cult product, Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil. This garnered popularity after Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge (yes, really) reportedly spoke out and said she and her mother Carole Middleton, loved the product and that she used it throughout both of her pregnancies due to it being without potentially harmful retinoids. 

Now onto the whole reason why I attended the event in the first place. Trilogy have improved the formula of their Age-Proof range with their new Glycablend formula comprising of chia seeds, blueberry, strawberry and pomegranate oils. One thing that stood out to me about this brand is that they were so intent on teaching me about their chosen ingredients and how powerful they are for our skin and I really felt that I left the event with a wealth of knowledge, which hopefully I can transcend to you. The reason behind the name Glycablend is because the range is an answer to glycation; a natural process which causes healthy collagen fibres in our skin to harden and lose their elasticity as we age. In my little goodie bag, I received Age-Proof CoQ10 Booster Oil (20ml) and the Age-Proof Line Smoothing Day Cream (50ml) which both contain the Glycablend formula, as does the entire range. Now I know that I may not be the ideal demographic for this range, however I was interested in this range because I do want to introduce an anti-ageing product into my routine to help prepare my skin combat the signs of ageing but to also allow my Mum to try it out as she is the ideal demographic. Trilogy's campaign with this range is to give women products with ingredients that they know works. I found this important because my Mum knows what is good for her skin as she ages and doesn't want to look 21 by next week, she wants to look her best version of herself right now.

CoQ10 Booster Oil

First impressions:
Texture was very typical of other oils I have used in the past so no surprises there. However, the scent is AMAZING. Smoothing into my skin in the evening made me feel like I was having the most wondrous facial massage in the swankiest of spas. It didn't absorb into my skin straight away which I liked; made me feel as if it was really going to work on my skin rather than being drunk up. I left it sitting on my skin for about 15 minutes before I locked it in with my usual moisturiser. Skin felt very fresh, clean, hydrated and ready for bed.

Final thoughts:
I really have enjoyed putting this product to the test over the last week since the event. I reserved it only for night time as I don't like to put oils on my skin in the morning. I must say I did notice a difference in my skin the next morning compared to a morning where I had admittedly forgotten to put it on (and generally been quite lazy with my skincare altogether) the night before. I used all of my regular products with the oil so I know it was definitely the oil that was making a difference and my skin felt balanced and looked very well rested. In the mornings, my chin and forehead can be quite oily and feel clogged up, this did not happen at all when I used the oil so it will definitely be staying in my night time routine. The CoQ10 Booster Oil is my favourite oil I have ever tried and I would highly recommend it if you want to give your skin a pampering treat in the evenings. My Mum said she really liked the product as well and I have a feeling this little bottle of goodness will be sneaking off into her room every now and again!

Line Smoothing Day Cream

First impressions:
I used this the next day after cleansing and it glided onto my skin like a dream. I prefer the scent of the oil but by no means is the scent of this day cream off-putting, it's just preference and something I could look past. The formula didn't make my skin feel clogged or heavy at all. I like to leave my moisturiser for a little while before I do my make-up, so it'll be interesting to see how my make-up applies over the top and how it affects the finish of it too.

Final thoughts:
Once I had worn this product a few times with my make-up layered over the top, I didn't see or notice any disruption between the two on my skin which is great. Make-up application was also not interrupted by the cream as the skin is perfectly moisturised. My foundation applied very seamlessly and didn't grab onto any dry patches which is an issue I do deal with, so its great that the cream helped with that issue. As much as I love this product, I think I will pass this into my Mum purely because I think it is better suited for her skin type and what she wants from her products. I don't have a great deal of lines on my skin yet to notice a huge difference but hopefully Mum will. I know I mentioned the smell in my first impressions but it actually grew on me the more I used it and now it doesn't bother me in the slightest. If you have mature skin and are around the same age as my Mum (she's in her 50's), I would recommend this day cream as it has great ingredients that are great for your skin and it doesn't disrupt any make-up- in fact, it makes a great base!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this review and a huge thank you to Trilogy for inviting me to their event, it was definitely a great first event for me and I'm excited to see what more wonderful products the brand has to offer in the future!

If you would like to find out more about the Age-Proof range with Glycablend, you can read about it here: http://www.trilogyproducts.com/products/range/age-proof

Trilogy Age-Proof along with their other ranges are available to buy from a wide range of stores and online retailers including John Lewis, Debenhams, Whole Foods, feelunique.com and lookfantastic.com

You can find your local stockists of Trilogy products here: http://www.trilogyproducts.com/contact-us/where-to-buy/

Have a great weekend, everyone!

P x

Face of the Day: Neutral Natural

As I was unable to post a video on my YouTube on Thursday (technical difficulties hinder us all), I thought I'd post one of these 'Face of the Day' blogs so you can see what make-up look I am wearing. Today I'm going to a viewing then to town with my friend so I just went with my everyday make-up look which is neutral eyes and nude/pink lips. This look is so easy for me to wear but still looks like I've made an effort.

Here is the finished look:

And here are the products I used:

I prepped my skin with the Neutrogena oil-free grapefruit moisturiser. I am testing this product out and so far I do like it. However, I am wondering whether because it is oil free that it doesn't moisturise the dry patches around my nose. Anyway, I love the smell of this product. It's grapefruit so it smells really zingy and fresh and I love that fresh feeling on my skin. 

On my skin I am wearing Revlon's Colour Stay foundation in 'Buff'. This is the 'Oily/Combination' skin formula and I really do like this product. It's extremely build-able meaning you can achieve both a natural look with some blemishes showing through or a completely flawless look. The only thing about this foundation is that it can be difficult to apply as with me I have found, the product sticks to dry patches around my nose and generally doesn't blend very well on my nose. It is available in Boots and Superdrug in the UK (also international I believe, but I don't know the stockists) for around £12.99.

For blemishes and under my eyes I used the Rimmel 'Wake Me Up' concealer in 'True Ivory'. This product is great for blending as it has a thin/silky texture. I wouldn't say it's great for coverage under the eyes, especially if you have dark circles or extremely obvious blue tones under them. Something like a MAC studio fix concealer or a Bobbi Brown colour corrector would be more suited for this. Overall, it is a really nice product.

To contour my face, I used Benefit's 'Hoola' bronzer. I love this product! It's a great all over bronzer because it doesn't have any shimmer so you don't have to worry about looking like a disco ball when you're wearing it. Also, because of the absence of shimmer, it doesn't amplify any blemishes you have on your skin. I've hit pan on this product (all I have left is the in the corners- Boo!) and I will most likely re-purchase it. 

For blush I used the MUA blusher in 'Shade 2'. This product is a bargain at £1 (!!!) and it's incredibly pigmented. It's a gorgeous pink- in between a bright pink and a baby pink with a little bit of shimmer running through it. I like to use this with a natural eye and lip combo just because it injects a little bit of colour to my face. 

On my eyes, I used about 4 different colours from the MUA 'Undressed' palette. This product is basically a dupe for the Urban Decay 'Naked' palette for about a quarter of the price at £4. The eyeshadows are very pigmented and just lovely. I used the lightest shade in my inner corner to brighten up my eyes, then I mixed the lightest matte shade with the second lightest shimmery shade and put this all over the lid. I then used the darkest shimmery shade as a liner on my top and bottom lash line. I didn't want to use a heavy black eyeliner as I was going as natural as possible. One downside to this palette is that you experience quite a bit of fall out. but simply wipe this away with your foundation brush. 

I used the Maybelline Falsies mascara in black for my lashes. I love this mascara so much. It is honestly the best drugstore mascara I have used. It lengthens my lashes and thickens them without making them too clumpy. I think it retails for about £6.99 in Boots and Superdrug (again- I don't know about internationally). I will always re-purchase this product. It's that good.

For my brows I just used the Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Light Brown, I think? The colour has worn off the label. But I really like this, it's just generally a good product.

On my lips I am wearing Avon's lipstick in Pout. This is a gorgeous nude pink lip which has featured on this blog before! I really like it for neutral looks. 

Finally to set my skin, I use the Rimmel 'Stay Matte' Powder in 'Transparent'. I like to keep powders transparent because I don't like to put extra colour on top of my foundation, concealer, bronzer and blusher. I simply pat this on my skin and with regular touch-ups throughout the day, I don't get shiny! I think this retails for about £3.99 in Boots and Superdrug- bargain!

So there you have it! Let me know what you think of this look and whether you have tried any of these products and what you think of them!

Thank you for reading and I'll see you in the next blog!

Paris xxx