Category: Beauty

Blogging about all things beauty: makeup, skincare and hair.

Sharing makeup tutorials & tips, the best beauty products & all my beauty secrets. And probably getting excited about an eyeshadow palette.

 

2021-06-07 Skincare

Skincity Review: Online Skin Consultation + Routine

Finished makeup look using brands sold at Skincity

Skincity skincare routine recommendations

Sponsored: Skincity

This is my Skincity review after using the online skincare clinic and the routine it recommended for about 1.5 months. The useful part was not just buying products; it was having a certified skin therapist choose a routine around my combination skin, sunscreen use and wish for natural skincare.

Update July 2026: the old Skincity links and individual skin-test routes used in this article no longer work as originally published. Skincity has since moved under KICKS, so I replaced the broken routes with current KICKS destinations and removed a stale product affiliate link. Links marked with * are affiliate links.

If you’ve ever dreamed of someone just telling you what products you should use to get the best out of your skin, Skincity’s online clinic was exactly that kind of service. If you are still unsure about your skin type before choosing products, start with my skin type guide and then build a routine with my Skin 101 skincare routine guide.

Skincare products chosen through Skincity online clinic

Skincity review: skincare that works because it is tailored to you

When I worked at a salon, I loved doing facials and helping customers find the right products. Our skin is our biggest organ, and I think the little time we take in pampering it is very worth it. My take on skincare is compassionate, yet dedicated. I don’t focus on the problems in my skin; I accept its unique properties. I’m not looking for perfection, I just want my skin to look and feel healthy.

That said, it’s important to choose the right products for your skin. For instance, I have combination skin with bigger pores, so it is important to treat it right to avoid pimples. Skincity helped me choose products around those needs.

At the time of my test, Skincity sold several of my favorite brands including Vita Liberata, Clarins and Jane Iredale, plus brands that had been on my wish list like Hourglass and By Terry. The range and professional help were the reason the service felt useful.

Neal's Yard Remedies skincare products recommended by Skincity

Skincity skin tests and the current KICKS route

When this review was first published, Skincity offered free skin tests for different routine sizes and SPF recommendations. The test was simple: you answered questions about your skin, wishes and routine, and a skin therapist sent product recommendations a few days later.

I chose the skin test with 6-8 products, because I like a holistic take on skincare. There was also an option for a simpler four-product routine. Once you got your results, you could check out the products without an obligation to buy.

Those exact old Skincity skin-test URLs are no longer reliable. The closest current route I found is *KICKS Digital Beauty Tools and Skin Analytics, where KICKS describes digital tools such as Skin Analytics for tailored routines. If you specifically want Skincity products, use *Skincity Skincare at KICKS.

There was also an SPF test to find a suitable sunscreen. I love physical sunscreens, which work by reflecting sun rays away from your skin. I used Maria Åkerberg’s mineral powder with SPF20; makeup and sunscreen in two steps, perfect for me. If SPF is your main concern, continue with my natural face sunscreen guide.

Personal skincare advice

In addition to the test, you could chat with skin therapists if you had questions. As a beauty therapist myself, I really value advice coming from another professional. Just like a shoemaker can fix your shoes, a skin therapist knows how to treat different skin types and issues.

Maria Åkerberg mineral powder in Pure Beige worn on the face
Wearing Maria Åkerberg’s mineral powder in Pure Beige. More makeup details at the end of this post.

My Skincity skincare routine and Neal’s Yard Remedies

I’ve now been on my Skincity skincare routine for about 1.5 months and both me and my skin are very happy. I chose natural products and got recommended Neal’s Yard Remedies products. Getting to know a new skincare brand this way was fun, and I love that someone else picked the right products for me.

Neal’s Yard Remedies products feel effective, yet gentle. The luxurious glass packaging is a big plus for me. The natural fresh scents are therapeutic; my favorite scent is the orange in the face scrub.

Since I use physical sunscreen and makeup, I always double cleanse. Oil is the best option for removing physical sunscreens, so I requested an oil cleanser as an extra. If double cleansing is relevant to your routine, my oil cleanser guide goes deeper into removing physical sunscreen and makeup.

Maria Åkerberg Pre-Cleansing Oil for removing sunscreen and makeup
Maria Åkerberg’s Pre-Cleansing Oil is great for removing sunscreen and makeup.

Here’s how my routine looked with the recommended products.

My evening skincare routine

  1. Maria Åkerberg Precleansing Oil
  2. Maria Åkerberg Gentle Foaming Wash
  3. Neal’s Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose Toner
  4. Neal’s Yard Remedies Sensitive Soothing Daily Serum
  5. Neal’s Yard Remedies Vitamin E & Avocado Night Cream
  6. Neal’s Yard Remedies White Tea Eye Gel

My morning skincare routine

  1. Splash with water
  2. Neal’s Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose Toner
  3. Neal’s Yard Remedies Sensitive Soothing Daily Serum
  4. Neal’s Yard Remedies Purifying Palmarosa Daily Moisturizer
  5. Neal’s Yard Remedies White Tea Eye Gel

My weekly skincare routine

  1. Neal’s Yard Remedies Honey & Orange Face Scrub

Notes and thoughts on the products and routine

My favorite products are the Rehydrating Rose Toner and the Sensitive Soothing Daily Serum. It’s funny, because I used to really dislike rose scent. However, the toner smells fresh and provides the perfect hydration for my skin. I take it into my palms and pat it on to my skin.

The Soothing Serum is another lovely product for hydration. It contains hyaluronic acid, borage seed oil and soothing plant extracts. I’ve talked about the importance of a hydrating serum before and that goes for all seasons. As lovely as the sun is, it dries out the skin and at least my skin appreciates all the watery hydration it can get.

The Purifying Palmarosa Daily Moisturizer has been a good summer match for my skin. It absorbs quickly, controls oil and works really well under makeup.

Skincity skincare routine products for combination skin

Need changes to the routine?

When I tested the service, you could redo the skin test if you wanted totally new recommendations or felt like something was not working. You could also chat with a skin therapist if you wanted to change something. In my routine I ended up changing the facial wash; I first had the Purifying Palmarosa Wash for oily skin, but asked for a slightly more gentle cleanser and got two new product recommendations within minutes.

Neal's Yard Remedies skincare routine selected through Skincity

If you want to get your skincare in order, I still think the strongest idea here is a professional routine built around your skin, not a random product haul. Start with the current KICKS Skin Analytics route if you want a digital recommendation, or browse Skincity products at KICKS if you already know what you want.

*KICKS Digital Beauty Tools and Skin Analytics
*Skincity Skincare at KICKS

Makeup look using brands sold at Skincity

This whole makeup look was done with brands Skincity sold at the time. I’m wearing:

  • Maria Åkerberg’s mineral powder, Pure Beige
  • Jane Iredale Ellen Lipstick
  • Clarins Joli Blush in Cheeky Peach
  • Clarins Ombre 3 Couleurs palettes

For more skincare routines, product testing and daily beauty talk, you can also find me on Instagram @charlottaeve.

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2021-06-04 Reviews

Vita Liberata Heavenly Elixir Tanning Lotion – worth the hype

Vita Liberata Heavenly Elixir self tan bottle and box

pr-gift

 

Vita Liberata Heavenly Elixir is a tinted self tan I first reviewed in 2021. The promises for the product were quite high and I saw it hyped up in social media. But is it worth the hype?

Quick verdict: yes. Heavenly Elixir gave me an even, deep tan overnight, felt moisturizing on the skin and covered the usual self-tan smell with a cocoa scent.

To be perfectly honest, I expected not to like the product at all. At the very least I was sure it couldn’t beat my all time favorite product: the invisi mousse. But it just so happens that the self tan product is indeed quite heavenly. The Heavenly Elixir cream is moisturizing, the color makes it easy to blend evenly and best of all, the delicious scent totally covers the self tan odour.

Vita Liberata Heavenly Elixir self tan review product photo

Vita Liberata Heavenly Elixir review

This new product is advertised to develop over three days, through encapsulated DHA technology. You do get the color in 8 hours, but it should deepen and continue to develop after that. The cream itself has a wash-off color, which makes the application easier (because you see where you applied it).

So I apply it in the evening, sleep with it and shower in the morning. And even after shower it should somehow stay on my skin and keep working its magic. I’m not quite sure about that. I have now used it two times and I didn’t notice it changing throughout the three days. What I did notice was the beautiful deep tan it gave me in just one night. And I love it.

I have the shade Medium and my tan usually lasts nice for about a week, after which it starts to fade. I never have problems of it fading blotchy or looking bad – maybe because I never go for an over the top tan. That said, I exercise daily and shower usually two times per day. So I don’t expect miracles from self tanners. I usually keep my tan on for 1-2 weeks after, which I exfoliate my skin and redo it.

Vita Liberata Heavenly Elixir before and after self tan result

Tips for the best self tan result

  • Exfoliate your skin one day prior to applying your product
  • Apply the product with a mitt in circular motions, one area at a time:
    shins, thighs, stomach, back, decollete & hands
  • Take your time in application:
    after the product is absorbed on to your skin, go over the area one more time in circular motions
  • Don’t overdo your tan – that way it looks natural, even when it starts to wear off

Vita Liberata Heavenly Elixir tinted self tan lotion

Delicious scent, no self tan smell at all & lovely, moisturizing consistency

The cream has a sweet cocoa scent that first felt quite strong. Especially, since the invisi mousse is totally unscented. However, after a while I got used to it and now I love it. Even more so, because it really hides all the self tan odour. Usually my man can smell my self tan at some point in the night, even though it’s really mild with Vita Liberata’s products. This time – actually both times I used it – he didn’t have a clue. (He said that I fooled him, in the morning when I woke up all tanned and revealed I had put on self tan in the evening, but that’s just him being silly.)

Another thing I love about the new product is the consistency. The cream is moisturizing and feels lovely on the skin. Yet it doesn’t leave my skin sticky. That was another fear I had about this product. At this point you probably get why I had to blog about this product, and why it’s so good. I honestly had low expectations, but after trying it I knew the world (heh, or my blog readers) needed to hear about it.

Vita Liberata Heavenly Elixir tinted tanning lotion color swatch

My favorite self tans from Vita Liberata

Vita Liberata is my number one self tan brand, so I’ve written about their products before. Read more about Vita Liberata Invisi Mousse and body products, or see my post on Vita Liberata glow products and Fabulous Self Tanning Mist.

Vita Liberata Heavenly Elixir self tan and application mitt

All in all, Vita Liberata’s Heavenly Elixir is definitely in my top list of best self tanners. It gives a beautiful even tan in just one night. However, I still also love the Invisi Mousse and recommend that style of product if you don’t like scented self tanners.

For my face I use the Fabulous Self Tanning Mist, because it’s easy to mix in with my skincare products. It’s also a great product for the decollete area, if I feel like my tan starts to fade.

To conclude this post: if you’re looking for a self tan with a delicious scent and very little self-tan odour, this might just be your match.

Update: Vita Liberata has since refreshed its packaging and product range. The current Heavenly product is sold as Tinted Heavenly Tanning Elixir, so check the exact version and shade before buying.

I have listed other brands and favorite self tanners for face and body in a separate guide.

Current product link:
Vita Liberata Tinted Heavenly Tanning Elixir Medium (official Vita Liberata)

Natural self tan tips with Vita Liberata Heavenly Elixir

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