September empties:
Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm - Nice, smooth, does the job. Good value for money. But offers no thrills or joy in using it. This will most likely be repurchased, but I much prefer Emma Hardie cleansing balm. That one smells like heaven.
Studio 10 Primer - not an empty, I just didn't use this up within a year so it's time for it to go. This is very silicone heavy.
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation in 52 Vanilla - my favourite high street foundation for dry to normal skin. Moisturising, light, leaves the skin glowy. Light coverage and natural looking. Doesn't stay on for the whole day but that's fine with me.
Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo - SLS free, smells lightly of coconuts, my hair seems to love it. Repurchased already.
Tata Harper Restorative Eye Creme - lovely. Light, creamy texture, botanical/ herbal smell reminds me of Dr Hauschka skincare. Lasted me for about 4 months, used twice a day. Expensive, but repurchase worthy.
Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Univeral Daily Peel - This is the strongest acid treatment I have used so far. It's actually a blend of five AHA and BHA acids.You will definitely feel a strong tingling which subsides once you apply the second pad. Ah-mazing. Again, expensive, but was using this as a treat once in a blue moon and not daily. Repurchase worthy, but not yet because I have a gazillion of other acids to go through.
Hydraluron - oldie but goodie. Hydrating serum with hialuronic acid. I like that's in the tube, I like that it's more goopy than other almost liquidy serums.
October empties:
Korres Basil and Lemon shower gel - didn't like the smell. Others smell soo much nicer, especiall Japanese Rose one.
Tresseme heat protection styling spray - great value for money. Repurchased already.
Vichy water-proof makeup remover - didn't like it very much. Too oily and stung my eyes.
Ren Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream - like most of Ren moisturisers, I really liked it.
Emma Hardie vit C intense daily serum - this only has got 2% of vit C in it so it's hardly intense. Second ingredient on it's list is niacinamide so together with vit C it has a brightening effect. This has a tendency to ball up so one has to wait until it's fully sunk in (which it does quite quickly) and then apply a moisturiser. I quite liked it, but I don't think it's worth it's full price (£49) I myself got it last boxing day in M&S. I believe it was less than £20 for a gift set which also had a full size of vit C cream, mini moringa and mini facial oil. So watch out for those deals.
Emma Hardie Moringa cleansing balm - I like the small 50ml pots, so I always repurchase the trio of these. This is my holy grail, favourite balm cleanser EVER. I will always come back to it as long as they make it. Takes the makeup off well. I can also do a second cleanse with it. I leave it on my skin for longer as a softening nourishing mask. Smells great. Yeah. Love it. My husband loves using it too!
Nip + Fab glycolic fix pads - These were sent to me by Glamour Beauty Club. I've tried the extreme night time ones before. They're both okay. Nice convenient packaging.
aaand I tried some eye cream samples. Samples are great for eye creams, you only need a tiny bit, so they last for a good week. Both Kiehl's Midnight Recovery and Dr Barbara Sturm were nice and creamy but not too heavy. I don't think I will purchase the full sizes. I'm on the lookout for something really great. Zelens perhaps?
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Summer always seems to be a quiet time for beauty industry and my wallet certainly was grateful for it since I spent the big £££ on CH +CultBeauty box in May and then I would just pick up a few pieces throughout the summer where and when needed. I was also a bit more into clothing, especially shoe shopping :)
From top to bottom, left to right: 1. Red Funday Print Long Sleeve Jumper, New Look (totally youtube inspired purchase) 2. Denim Shrunken Jacket, Asos. 3. Adina Casual Pocket Skirt, Whistles. 4. Chuck Taylor Leather Polka Dot Shoes, Converse 5. Clarks Colindale Silver Boots (sold out, sorry).
And my top 5 beauty pick this summer were:
1. Zelens Power D. Review coming this month, this will be perfect for upcoming colder months because it's a nourishing protecting strengthening lightweight facial oil/
2. Indie Lee Co Q 10 Lotion. Review here
3. Clinique Super City Block SPF40
4. Mac lipstick in Vegas Volt (discontinued, sorry!)
5. Pur Volume Vixen Mascara (love the travel mini sized one)
Long time no see! I've been busy enjoying the last bits of summer while they lasted and then was slammed with work right after. Not complaining, but I have missed blogging!
Anyways, let's get to it.
Anyways, let's get to it.
L'Oreal Elive Colour Protect Low Shampoo - this love affair has ended badly. While gentle and nourishing this shampoo does not wash out dry shampoo properly and my hair gets greasy faster. I will not repurchase these. I am currently using Khiel's Amino Acid Shampoo which is great.
So I recently experienced a massive (hormonal?) breakout. Actually, it's only massive for me, my skin is typically well behaved. And even a few weeks later it feels congested with bumps along the jaw line. I am slowly and gently bringing it back to normal. If it wasn't hormonal, it could have been either Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion or Ren's Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk. Clinique's DDML I have only used a couple of times on my skin. I was aware of the not-so-great ingredients list and the smell was funny (plastic? petrol?) but the texture seemed very pleasant. Soon I realised I didn't want to risk using it and used it on my legs instead which was fine. Could two applications have clogged my skin and caused the breakout? Not sure. Especially since my skin didn't seem to react badly to it straightaway.
Could it have been Ren's Cleansing Milk? I am a big fan of Ren skincare, especially moisturisers. This cleansing cream didn't sit very well with me. It smelled great and felt very nourishing but even after using a face cloth my skin felt... not particularly clean. By no means am I a fan of squeaky clean skin, but it just felt like there was some residue left. Perhaps it was shea butter that's quite high on their ingredients list. Needless to say, I will not repurchase.
Ren's Anti-Redness serum didn't do anything except offer slight hydration. But I am not really suffering from a lot of redness. I could smell alcohol in it.
Nails Inc cuticle oil stick was lovely and I would repurchase.
Balance Me Radiance Facial Oil - full review here. I would use it happily but probably will never repurchase because there are better oils. And so many new ones to try.
Clinique Moisture Surge - such a great and pleasant texture. Hydrating. I may purchase a full jar...
Emma Hardie Moisture Boost Vit C Cream - this is a very thick cream, probably due to niacinamide. Pleasant, nourishing, brightening and didn't oxidize. It wasn't a great pick on my part for summer ut it would be great as a night cream during winter. Again, I would happily use it but wouldn't necessarily repurchase.
And finally, my favourite empty of this month was Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Milk - alas only a sample, but I am planning on purchasing this. I looved the light and milky texture yet it was super hydrating and nourishing. Just perfect. My skin looked amazing as soon as it was applied. I want to try more products from this brand.
That's it folks, thank you for reading, I will be back with summer faves next and then a few good ol' product reviews.
So. Much. Stuff. In the beginning of the month I thought I wasn't going to finish anything. Surprised myself quite a bit.
Let's jump right in...
CoLab Dry Shampoo Active - probably my favourite spray dry shampoo. Invisible, smells fresh and not overpowering. I go through a can very quickly, that's probably the only negative.
Toni&Guy Intense Softness Shampoo for normal hair - I should have known better. This was a random purchase. I just grabbed this in a supermarket without thinking, and really, I should have. Contains SLS and something else that has made my hair dry and coarse. My scalp became irritated. Yikes. Never again.
Korres Japanese Rose Shower Gel - if you like rose smell, you will love this. Beautiful fragrance. Otherwise, nothing special.
TRESemme Extra Hold Hairspray - I had this small can for years and finally finished it. It's good. I've been curling my hair more often so it was useful.
Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defense - favourite, will be repurchased. Makes my hair soft, doesn't weigh it down, smells nice, protects from the heat.
January Labs Balancing Moisture Lotion - it was lovely during the heatwave and if I felt like I needed something a bit more nourishing, I would just add a couple of drops of oil (Zelens Power D, I love thee). Husband liked this too.
Ren Flash Hydra-Boost Emulsion - this has lasted me for a really long time! I think I got bored of it for a while, forgot about it and then rediscovered it. Lovely when used in the morning as it hydrates and plumps up the skin but also feels light. This would feel lovely on mature skin.
Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel - still got 3 packs left. This is a nice treat. The skin feels smoother and brighter straight away.
Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex - I like the ingredients in this a lot (niacinamide, sodium hialuronate, matryxil 6) and it works at hydrating but I don't really like the texture, it's a tad sticky (possibly because of the niacinamide). A little goes a long way.
Clinique Pep-Start Exfoliating Cleanser - I got a sample of this with purchase. I assumed it was an acid or enzyme cleanser and was disappointed to find that it had bits in it. I still have no idea whats in it because ingredients are not listed on my sample and I can't find them on clinique website. It says that it's gentle enough to use twice a day. Uhm, no. It's got bits in and it lathers. Worked a treat on my legs though.
And finally, makeup that got old: Nars creamy concealer (good), Bourjois blush (it's alright) and MUA cream bronzer (too orange, too dark, can't remember where I got this from, I certainly did not purchase this?).
Let's jump right in...
CoLab Dry Shampoo Active - probably my favourite spray dry shampoo. Invisible, smells fresh and not overpowering. I go through a can very quickly, that's probably the only negative.
Toni&Guy Intense Softness Shampoo for normal hair - I should have known better. This was a random purchase. I just grabbed this in a supermarket without thinking, and really, I should have. Contains SLS and something else that has made my hair dry and coarse. My scalp became irritated. Yikes. Never again.
Korres Japanese Rose Shower Gel - if you like rose smell, you will love this. Beautiful fragrance. Otherwise, nothing special.
TRESemme Extra Hold Hairspray - I had this small can for years and finally finished it. It's good. I've been curling my hair more often so it was useful.
Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defense - favourite, will be repurchased. Makes my hair soft, doesn't weigh it down, smells nice, protects from the heat.
January Labs Balancing Moisture Lotion - it was lovely during the heatwave and if I felt like I needed something a bit more nourishing, I would just add a couple of drops of oil (Zelens Power D, I love thee). Husband liked this too.
Ren Flash Hydra-Boost Emulsion - this has lasted me for a really long time! I think I got bored of it for a while, forgot about it and then rediscovered it. Lovely when used in the morning as it hydrates and plumps up the skin but also feels light. This would feel lovely on mature skin.
Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel - still got 3 packs left. This is a nice treat. The skin feels smoother and brighter straight away.
Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex - I like the ingredients in this a lot (niacinamide, sodium hialuronate, matryxil 6) and it works at hydrating but I don't really like the texture, it's a tad sticky (possibly because of the niacinamide). A little goes a long way.
Clinique Pep-Start Exfoliating Cleanser - I got a sample of this with purchase. I assumed it was an acid or enzyme cleanser and was disappointed to find that it had bits in it. I still have no idea whats in it because ingredients are not listed on my sample and I can't find them on clinique website. It says that it's gentle enough to use twice a day. Uhm, no. It's got bits in and it lathers. Worked a treat on my legs though.
And finally, makeup that got old: Nars creamy concealer (good), Bourjois blush (it's alright) and MUA cream bronzer (too orange, too dark, can't remember where I got this from, I certainly did not purchase this?).
Quite a lot of beauty empties this month and a little bit of everything.
BODY
The Body Shop Body Butter in Jolly Orange - like all of the Body Shop butters it has a nice texture, sinks in quickly, is nourishing and moisturising. Took me AGES to finish it and in that time I went through a love/hate relationship with the smell. It's citrusy and spicy but in a rather artificial way. I will repurchase but not in this smell. It was limited edition anyway.
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum - my signature scent. Will definitely repurchase, probably the 100ml because I just have to have it in my collection. I don't care how uncool it is to love something that everyone likes. Everyone likes it for a reason.
HAIR
Co Lab Dry Shampoo in Fresh - good basic dry shampoo. I prefer the smell of Active.
Josh Wood Radiant Shine Hair Treatment Oil - I liked using this as a pre-shampoo treatment. Gorgeous smell. Amazing.
FACE. SKINCARE
Pixi + Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse - nice as always. Full review here.
Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel - this is one of the stronger acids I have tried. Proper tingling action. Visible results after one application, the skin felt much smoother but I broke out a bit too. I'm going to stick to gentler acids during summer, I think. Smells lovely.
Indie Lee CoQ 10 Toner - I miss it. Definitely worth repurchasing if one can afford it. I can't at the moment. I did some damage in the clothing sales. Full review here.
Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate sample - Nice. Hydrating. Not sticky. Wouldn't mind a full size.
UltraSun Face SPF30 - oh it's alright. I don't miss it. Comparison with other sunscreens here.
FACE. MAKEUP
Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes - I grew to really like this but it's not repurchase worthy. Do get the sample size if you're ordering from CT website!
No favourites this month. I will probably do summer favourites in a month or so.
Next post if all goes well should be all about The Ordinary advanced 2% retinoid! This week I will be using it EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Wish me luck. I will report back.
Ultrasun SPF30 Face Anti-Ageing Sun Protection for Very Sensitive Skin (18.99 for 50ml)
Description: Advanced all-in-one skin care and sun protection. A product that is raved about by make up artists the world over. Providing sun protection and moisturisation in one mattifying product. So versatile that you can use it as a primer base to your make up. Airless pump dispenser to prevent product deterioration and contamination. Incorporating the very latest skin care research and advances, Face 30 delivers very high, all day protection (UVA 98% Australian Standard and UVB SPF 30) with just one application. It is free from oils, emulsifiers and perfume reducing the risk of allergy and making it especially suitable for sensitive skins. Like all Ultrasun products, it is non-greasy, water-resistant and easy to use. (superdrug.com)
My description: A white cream that smells strongly of alcohol when applied but the smell doesn't linger. The alcohol is second in the ingredients list. I was worried about the alcohol level in this, but it this didn't seem to have any negative effect on my skin. It sinks in quickly into the skin (probably due to the alcohol), doesn't leave a white cast. While it doesn't feel greasy on application, my skin quickly becomes shiny when I use this. I very doubt it is moisturising enough to use as a moisturiser and it does nothing as a primer, even though it claims to be "A beautiful product that is a sun screen, moisturiser and primer rolled into one". Sure you can use it under make-up, but how is it a primer? All day protection? I very much doubt it.
Pixi Sun Mist SPF30 (£18 for 80ml)
Description: An innovative way to wear sunscreen, {Pixi}’s Sun Mist is the ultimate finishing touch to your morning-time beauty routine. A sheer, featherweight spritz, this can be sprayed under or over make up (it won't disturb your handiwork) to provide sustained, broad-spectrum protection from the damaging effects of UV rays.
My description: While I love some of Pixi products, this is not one of them. First of all, the spray is not fine enough, I ended up with some droplets on my clothes. When spraying, keep this away from anything leather! Second, this made my skin SO shiny. I like dewy. I'm not a matte skin fan. But this made me look AND feel so greasy. It is better under the makeup, but then, why would I use a spray spf under make-up? The whole point is to easily top up your SPF during the day with a spritz. This doesn't work. It's great for my body, leaves a nice sheen.
Clinique Sheer City Block SPF25 and Clinique Super City Block SPF40.
These two are my favourites so far. They're both slightly tinted, not enough to cover the blemishes, but enough to even out and colour correct the skin tone. This plus a concealer is enough coverage for me, especially during summer. I find that if I use the Clinique Super City Block SPF40 without a moisturiser underneath, the tint turns darker and orange on my skin, but it is perfect with a light moisturiser like January Labs' Moisture Balancing Lotion. It also doesn't get greasy. It is oil free and although it feels rather rich upon application, it sinks in fast leaving the skin looking dewy, definitely not matte.
These two are my favourites so far. They're both slightly tinted, not enough to cover the blemishes, but enough to even out and colour correct the skin tone. This plus a concealer is enough coverage for me, especially during summer. I find that if I use the Clinique Super City Block SPF40 without a moisturiser underneath, the tint turns darker and orange on my skin, but it is perfect with a light moisturiser like January Labs' Moisture Balancing Lotion. It also doesn't get greasy. It is oil free and although it feels rather rich upon application, it sinks in fast leaving the skin looking dewy, definitely not matte.
Alpha H Protection Plus Daily SPF50+
This is also tinted, but much darker than the Clinique ones and I am not even sure if I ever will get so tan for this to suit my skintone. Feels really hydrating but my skin gets shiny very quickly with this. Too dark and greasy? Not an attractive look. This may look great on someone with olive skintone and REALLY dry and parched skin that never gets shiny or sweaty in hot weather?
This is also tinted, but much darker than the Clinique ones and I am not even sure if I ever will get so tan for this to suit my skintone. Feels really hydrating but my skin gets shiny very quickly with this. Too dark and greasy? Not an attractive look. This may look great on someone with olive skintone and REALLY dry and parched skin that never gets shiny or sweaty in hot weather?
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| Alpha H vs Clinique |
Pixi + CH double cleanse - great. Full review here.
Philip Kingsley Elizastisizer - this is another #carolinehironsmademedoit product. Nice mask/pre-wash treatment for dry coloured hair. I will repurchase.
Philip Kingsley Perfecting Spray - meh. I used this before blow drying my hair and it was alright. But I much prefer the daily defense spray from PK which I am using at the moment.
Ren Flash Rinse 1 minute vit C facial - good. full review here. It oxidised slightly in the end. Will not repurchase. I think when it comes to vit C, serums are the way to go.
Clinique City Block Sheer SPF25 - my favourite. I want to get the SPF40 from the same line but it is sold out everywhere! Argh.
More empties and stuff that just went bad:
Dr Hauschka cleansing cream and toner - both products I like and have used previously. Love the smell and how gentle they are.
MAC Prep+Prime eyelid primer - had this for too long. And there are better primers on the market.
By Terry lip gloss in cupcake glaze (?) - Nice lip gloss. Not worth the price. I did not purchase this. The smell went bad so to the bin it goes.
NYX lip liner - It was okay, I prefer a liner that stays put better. This one was... too creamy.
Eyeko eyeliner - If you're considering buying this, don't. It dried up within weeks and was difficult to use. Get the Stila stay all day eye liner instead ;)
Real Techniques brow brush - this is quite old and the bristles caved in to the brush handle, if that makes any sense.
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