Blemish Treatments Ramble | Mariam

Spots. We all get them, and even though we all get them at different times and in different places, there's one thing we all have in common - getting rid of them as quickly as possible. Since popping spots is now strictly taboo, blemish creams, gels and ointments have hit the shelves and are more popular than ever. There's no shortage of anti-blemish products on the market, but these are specifically designed to be put on the spot itself, as a targeted means of treatment.

These are the three I've been testing recently, and how they measure up:

Manuka Doctor Apiclear Blemish Cream
Manuka Doctor is a brand originating from New Zealand, famous for its key ingredient of manuka honey, which is a fantastic antiseptic. This is strange, as it's actually a cream texture, rather than a gel, and also has no scent or stinging sensation, which might make it seem like it's not doing much at all. To be fair, if you're looking for an over-night fix, look elsewhere, because to me this has no miraculous spot-zapping properties, but what I find it is useful for is applying to spots under make-up. It leaves no residue or dryness, and ensures the spot is kept clean to heal throughout the day. You can get this product from Holland and Barett's.

Origins Super Spot Remover
This is one of the most talked-about spot treatments out there, with so many people claiming it virtually erases spots over night. It's fair to say I was so excited about trying this product, and it would also be fair to say that I was dismally disappointed. Not only did it do nothing for the spots, it only seemed to make matters worse! The gel is so astringent and completely dries out the skin surrounding the spot, and leaves the spot itself red and raw. This product also, in my opinion, exacerbates scarring. I just steer well clear of this. So sad that my first taste of Origins is such a bad one, but I really don't recommend it.

Freederm Gel
Freederm is one of the classic teenage acne skin brands, and though I've never used any other products of theirs, I really rate this spot treatment. In terms of ingredients, you could say it packs a punch because it's 4% nicotinamide which is a well known anti-inflammatory acne ingredient. I can honestly say this is one of the only spot products I've used that seems to make a difference within hours. I go to sleep with a spot that's either fully bulging or just sneaking up to the surface and I wake up either with a small and easy-to-conceal mark or no spot at all. Magic! This little tube is easily available in Boots, Superdrug and bigger supermarkets. I'd buy one right now if I were you.

Which spot-gels do the trick for you?

Mariam xx

Worth the Hype: Tangle Teezer | Mariam

It's not going to get more exciting than a hairbrush this Sunday, ladies and gentlemen, but as far as hairbrushes go, this is probably the most thrilling of the lot.

The Tangle Teezer was thought up by some guy who went on Dragon's Den. The dragons rejected him, but his product is now one of the most hyped hair tools around. It's shaped to fit inside the palm of your hand, and the bristles themselves come in two sizes, and are extremely soft and bendy. I chose the cosmic blue design, but there's loads of colours and designs to choose from, especially if you purchase on-line

I was extremely interested to see if this invention would work for me, as my hair is always so knotty after a shower. I have to say, though, that the Tangle Teezer makes combing out my hair so easy, and even quite fun. Before using the Tangle-Teezer, I used to rely on various hair oils and detanglers to make my hair manageable, but now, all it takes is a few minutes with this little beauty and my hair is soft, smooth without a knot or tangle in sight. 

I will say that the Tangle Teezer still manages to pull out a big amount of hair through brushing, but much less than with other combs or brushes I've used before. This, however, is down to the quality of my hair itself, rather than the product, so I won't knock points down for that.

All in all, if you struggle with wild and unruly hair and are tired of putting in extra product to help with this, I would really recommend the Tangle Teezer. It's not the cheapest hairbrush out there at roughly £11 a piece, but it's totally worth it. 

Do you own a Tangle Teezer? If not, would you like one?

Mariam xx