Grease be Gone

You know that feeling when you wake up in the morning? At best, a bit groggy, at worst, zombie-like. Sometimes, your skin feels sticky and you don’t know why. You cleansed, toned and moisturised like a good girl the night before (or at least gave your face a quick swipe with a moisturising wipe when drunk) but after a night of sleep, it still feels a bit icky and greasy. I wasn’t sure why, or how to combat this feeling until I attended the Vichy event at the Ham Yard Hotel last month.

I had been looking forward to visiting the Ham Yard for a while (it came highly recommended by a particularly glamorous friend of mine) and it didn’t disappoint.

The instant I stepped inside, I realised I wanted to live there forever. Everything was pink! There were neon lights from God’s Own Junkyard! The chairs were upholstered with African-style prints in fluro brights! Safe to say I was excited.

Pushing my interior design enthusiasm to one side, I tried to focus on the real reason I was there: the launch of Vichy’s Normaderm Night Detox. Ham Yard has a built-in cinema (nice) and myself and Vichy’s other guests enjoyed a presentation as we sipped our drinks and munched popcorn.

In a nutshell, as you sleep, oily skin works harder than any other skin type. Sebum is overproduced, leaving you with that oil slick feeling in the morning. Your skin tries to renew itself, working twice as fast as it does during the day and already oily skin produces three times more sebum than normal skin types. Normaderm is powered by ‘revolutionary double-edged technology,’ tackling sebum with a potent combination of detoxifying and purifying ingredients. Eperuline, LHA, Salicylic Acid and Hepes mix with mattifying Perlite and absorbing powders to give you a smooth, matte complexion well into the day. The results are proven – 93% of women noticed an improvement in their skin’s quality.

During the day, I’ve been using Vichy’s ‘Global Anti-imperfection Hydrating Care’ moisturiser which is non comedogenic (won’t clog your pores) and paraben-free. I've found that the two products work incredibly well when used in tandem.

I was surprised at how effective Normaderm Night Detox was – I’m always overloading my skin with rich night creams and it has actually been a refreshing change to use a lighter option. Similarly, switching to a lighter day cream has really made a difference to my skin this summer – it has definitely felt less oily and greasy.

Back to the cinema: after we watched the Normaderm presentation, we were treated to a surprise viewing of film classic Grease! It was a fun end to a brilliant, informative evening.

www.vichy.co.uk

Ham Yard

Two of my favourite things: cocktails and skincare

Just in case there was any doubt

Gorge lamps

Note to self: paint zig-zags on walls

Tasty popcorn is a must for any cinematic experience, as Vichy well knows

The new Normaderm range, available at Boots

Skincare steps to success

My friend Olivia gets into the swing of things

Amaze chair

The presentation in the cinema

I went with the 3 in 1 cleanser - it makes a great mask

Grease in the word

Love the opening sequence to Grease with the Bee Gees!