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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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.
It's that time of the month again!
L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Low Shampoo - good, I have mentioned this in favourites a while ago. While it is really gentle, it struggled to wash dry shampoo out of my hair. I ended up with a build up near my scalp... I purchased the white and red version of this for coloured hair but I will be using a clearing shampoo once a week or so. The L'Oreal shampoo also gets used up rather quickly. It's a whopping 400ml but you need 10 to 15 pumps per wash!
Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm - old favourite and holy grail. I will repurchase it when there's a discount somewhere. Am I the only one who wishes they still had the 3x 50ml pots for sale? And what's with the music on their official website? It's 2017 for Christ's sake...
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse - this took me ages to finish. Didn't want to use it on my face or my hair. It was fine on my body after shower. The smell lingered for quite a while. I wish it smelled less perfumey.
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - I repurchased this already. You can't see it in the picture but part of the bristles are about to fall out. My fault, I didn't look after it properly and it still lasted for 4 years or so. This is still my favourite to apply foundation. I will try beauty blender sometime. I swear.
Pixi Glow Mud Cleanser - also a favourite. Gentle, clearing cleanser with a bit of clay and glycolic action. Non foaming. Perfect as a second cleanse in the evening when you want something with a bit more oomph than your typical cream cleanser.
The Ordinary NMF + HA - basic good moisturizer. I will repurchase this later in the year.
The Ordinary Buffet - I grew to like this, especially for warmer weather. Nice and gentle, slightly hydrating. I still don't know if it's doing anything anti-ageing but I would use it again.
Wednesdays morning routine. Hydration + Protection.
Emma Hardie Moringa cleansing balm, The Ordinary "Buffet", Hydraluron, Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex, The Prdinary NMF and Ultrasun face spf30.
Is it too weird that I am really enjoying the accents of pink in this photo? To see more photos of my skincare routines and more, follow me on Instagram (@beautycomparisonsite)
Not that many empties this month, this is due to my trip to India where I binned or gave away stuff so I wouldn't need to travel with it back home. But...
Emma Hardie Moringa cleansing balm 50ml. My favourite cleansing balm, nothing comes close, especially smell wise. Already repurchased.
Alpha H Essential Hydration Cream, 30ml. Nice and light, really hydrating, might repurchase for summer.
Garnier Skinactive Micellar Oil Infused Wipes. Again, these were useful in India. Took off makeup and dirt with ease, a bit too rough for my eye area. Very fragrant. I have another pack of these in storage so will not repurchase any time soon.
Ren Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream. Creamy and soothing but not too heavy.
Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes. I can't deal with this. Plenty left in the tube but I hate the smudging with passion. To the bin it goes!
This is not a constant routine because I do change things up quite a bit, but I have been using the Balance Me Radiance Face Oil every day. Review coming soon.
Also pictured: Pixi + CH Double Cleanse, Ren Flash Hydro-boost emulsion, Emma Hardie Moisture Boost vit+C cream and Skyn Icelandic relief eye cream.
TGIF!
I may be slightly (or very) late to the party because both these oils have been released ages ago and there are numerous reviews online, however I thought it might be interesting to compare the two as they both promise similar effects but their ingredient list is rather different.
* I have used up the Emma Hardie Oil and trialled Clarins oil for 8 weeks before writing this comparison*
Emma Hardie Briliance Facial Oil, 30ml. is described as 'a light-weight, multi-active everyday facial oil complex, containing 9 essential oils of Palma Rose, Orange, Mint, Vanilla, Geranium, Camomile, Lemon, Rose and Lavender that help to condition, hydrate and smooth the skin's texture.
Also includes 5 plant oils, Grape Seed Oil, Apricot, Almond, Olive Oil and Sunflower Oil that contain Omega 3, to help restructure the skin and promote elasticity and moisturise. Also including theunique Camelina 'Gold of Pleasure' oil for its powerful anti-oxidant properties to protect the skin from free radicals.'
Ingredients: Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Limonene, Geraniol, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citronellol, Linalool, Bht, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citral, Farnesol.
Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil is 'a targeted treatment for dehydrated skin that tones, revitalises and restores radiance to moisture-depleted skin. Utilising the principles of aromatherapy and phytotherapy, the moisture care face oil combines plant extracts and essential oils to help balance the skin. Made from 100% pure plant extracts, this best-selling face oil contains extracts of Rosewood, Patchouli and Blue Orchid. Added Hazelnut Oil helps prevent moisture loss and the formation of fine lines. The rebalancing moisturiser for dry skin nourishes and revitalises dehydrated skin, and leaves it feeling satin soft. Suitable for dry or combination skin.'
Ingredients: Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Oil, Pogostemon Cablin (Patchouli) Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Fragrance, Dendrobium Phalaenopsis (Blue Orchid) Flower Extract, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin, Eugenol
COMPARISON
Smell: EH oil wins hands down. Just read the ingredients list and try to smell them all at once. Not too floral, not too fruity and not perfumey, ut incredibly delicious. Although it is quite strong, it relaxed and calmed me down. Clarins oil smells like potent medicinal herbs. Not a problem for me,but could be for some.
Texture: Clarins oil is lighter and sinks in much faster. If your skin is really dry, it will drink it up leaving no residue on the skin. EH is described by some websites as lightweight oil. It's not. It's heavier than Clarins. Great for facial massages. It will sink in but it will take time. That's why I barely ever used it in the morning, Even one drop mixed in with daily moisturiser would leave me glowy while with Clarins I could easily use 2-3 without becoming a grease ball.
Effect on the skin: Both oils would be a lovely addition to ones daily routine. Clarins is probably easier to use because it's so light, I wouldn't say it hydrated my skin (hello, it's an oil!) but my skin felt more balanced, protected and softer than usual. With EH my skin felt more nourished, radiant and glowy. Both oils come in 30ml glass bottles with a pipette. Both last for a long time (6-8 months with almost daily use) and cost approximately the same (Clarins Blue Orchid £33, Emma Hardie £34)
More facial oil reviews and comparisons to come! What oil are you using right now? What review would you like to see next? Care to share? Leave a comment below.
Smell: EH oil wins hands down. Just read the ingredients list and try to smell them all at once. Not too floral, not too fruity and not perfumey, ut incredibly delicious. Although it is quite strong, it relaxed and calmed me down. Clarins oil smells like potent medicinal herbs. Not a problem for me,but could be for some.
Texture: Clarins oil is lighter and sinks in much faster. If your skin is really dry, it will drink it up leaving no residue on the skin. EH is described by some websites as lightweight oil. It's not. It's heavier than Clarins. Great for facial massages. It will sink in but it will take time. That's why I barely ever used it in the morning, Even one drop mixed in with daily moisturiser would leave me glowy while with Clarins I could easily use 2-3 without becoming a grease ball.
Effect on the skin: Both oils would be a lovely addition to ones daily routine. Clarins is probably easier to use because it's so light, I wouldn't say it hydrated my skin (hello, it's an oil!) but my skin felt more balanced, protected and softer than usual. With EH my skin felt more nourished, radiant and glowy. Both oils come in 30ml glass bottles with a pipette. Both last for a long time (6-8 months with almost daily use) and cost approximately the same (Clarins Blue Orchid £33, Emma Hardie £34)
More facial oil reviews and comparisons to come! What oil are you using right now? What review would you like to see next? Care to share? Leave a comment below.
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