"Marilyn Monroe maintained diamonds are a girl’s best
friend and Coco Chanel is said to have created the little black
dress, but for me true vintage glamour starts with flawless skin. In this
modern age of parabens, silicones, and ingredients with names as long as
your arm, the battle for the perfect face can be a minefield." - Lulu Brandy
As many of you already now I'm an avid Avène user for many many years - and I thought I would never use another brand again for any of my skin care needs. Avène is a range that combines pharmaceutical ethics with
cosmetic appeal, has its basis in dermatology treatments and was designed
specifically for the needs of sensitive, intolerant and allergy prone skin.
All Avene products are based on the soothing and non-irritating properties of
Avene Thermal Spring Water. Lately I also used Dr. Hauschka!
First, most skin care products on the market today are using ingredients that are relatively new inventions.
I'm a student of Pharmacy so I pretty much always look at the ingredients in skincare and cosmetics.
Behind the glossy images in magazines, on television and web there lies a dangerous secret. Most skincare products, even the so called “natural” ones, contain many of the same harsh chemicals used in industrial processes.
Nowadays, all one has to do is walk down the
beauty aisles of any store to see that there are literally thousands of
products out there for every imaginable purpose you could think of! Take for example cleansers: they may be plain
soap, foaming, for sensitive skin, for oily skin, for dry skin, for combination
skin, cream cleansers, cleansing wipes, cleansers with added vitamins,
cleansers with exfoliating beads...) You get the idea! And that's just
cleansing! What about day lotions, night creams, repairing serums, pimple
treatments, eye creams, exfoliating scrubs, masks, toners, etc. etc. etc.! It's overwhelming, confusing, and
can be expensive...
I have always had an interest in skincare
from the past times.
How women cared for themselves in the early 1900s? The key word: Simply!
I know that sounds crazy but oil works with the skin and women have used oil to cleanse for hundreds of years.
Why vintage skincare? Continue reading and you will get the answers...
To be honest I was really surprised in a positive way,
when I received an email from Queenie May last month. Thank you so much again! She asked if I would try
out their new skincare set: Cold Cream to cleanse and Vanishing Cream to moisturise -
simple but satisfying. But... Who is Queenie May?
The real Queenie May's photo has been found. She was a showgirl in the early 1900s.
Our moms, aunts, great aunts and grandmothers also swear by
this stuff! They said that is what they used to keep their beautiful flawless
skin, before all this new age stuff came along.
The concept of cold cream is quite ancient.
Credit for the invention is usually given to Galen, a second century Greek
physician who developed an emulsion of beeswax, oil, rose petals, and water.
The cream was designed to moisturize and condition the face, and to
help remove the harsh makeup of the period. In some
regions, cold cream is called “cream of Galen” or
“Galen's cream” in a reference to this; the “cold”
in cold cream comes from the cool, refreshing feeling that it
leaves behind.
It’s wonderful for removing makeup! After I wipe it off with
inexpensive baby wipes, I drape a hot washcloth on my face for 30 seconds or
so, then wipe again, removing the rest of the cream and gently exfoliating my
very sensitive skin.
Cold cream is quite heavy in consistency, so people with
oily skin will probably not be great fans, as it will feel very “greasy” to
them, though they can still use it as a makeup remover.
„Is a return to a more glamorous time.
Before cosmetics companies confused us with all their potions women
had a skincare ritual which was passed down from mother to daughter.
Queenie May wants to make skincare glamorous again.
With our pretty, romantic jars and our luxurious formulae, we want women to
enjoy their skincare routine.
Cold Cream - for cleansing and removing makeup.
Vanishing Cream - a luxurious moisturiser.
Our products are made from recipes of the 1930s and our
ingredients are 100% pure and natural.“
Vanishing creams get their name from the fact that they
seemed to disappear when spread onto the skin. The first commercial vanishing
cream, ‘Hazeline Snow’ was introduced by Burroughs Wellcombe in 1892. Pond’s,
whose name is most closely linked with vanishing creams, began production in
1904.
Vanishing Creams had the advantage of being non-greasy which
made them suitable for use during the day and by women with oily skin. In
addition to keeping powder on the face, they were also advertised as protecting
the skin from the elements such as ‘chapping winds’ and ‘sooty breezes’. The
presence of a humectant was also was used as the basis for claims that they
helped reduce moisture loss from dry skin.
As vanishing creams had a semi-matt finish, they could also
be used without powder to reduce the effects of oiliness and shine on skin.
This is a great primer for powder foundation. I've
been using this product for about a week now, and I've noticed a difference
already. It really leaves my skin feeling matte, taking away that combination-to-oily
feeling.
The first thing I noticed about this moisturiser was indeed
how light it was. It wasn't thick and greasy, but it wasn't runny and watery
either. The product is a bright white colour, it doesn't have any 'bits' in
it's just nice and smooth. It was easy to rub onto my face and it absorbed
nicely. It didn't leave my face looking greasy or shiny, in fact quite the
opposite effect. My skin felt lovely and soft and smooth, it was lovely.
Bringing out the glamour in every girl!
My skin afterwards felt instantly brighter, and it was left really soft and feeling very clean. I love this range and would really recommend these products. You can buy these items from Queenie, here is the link:
With love,
Idda van Munster
