Face Off

Anyone else have a thing for do it all face palettes? Here are two new ones to my collection and a rundown of my thoughts on them!

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette (£49)

I finally caved and bought my first Charlotte Tilbury products about a month ago after seeing this palette online. I had held off buying any CT products up until now because the prices are extortionate but I love palettes like this as they give you the chance to try a few products from the brand in one go so I bit the bullet and ordered it! First things first this, the palette is small, smaller than it looks! It is split into different steps so steps 1, 2 and 3 are for brightening, enhancing and smoking out the eye, step 4 is for bronzing, steps 5 and 6 are for a swish and pop of blush and step 7 is highlight.

 I have to say that I am disappointed by the eyeshadows – they barely show up on my fair skin and the first two aren’t different enough in colour for me. They are super finely milled though, blend well and don’t crease – you just can’t see much of a contrast between the shades!

As well as this, the blushes are not as pigmented as I would like them to be and the size of the pans is disappointing – they are the same size as the eyeshadow pans and I would have preferred smaller eyeshadow pans if there was a way to make the blush pans bigger. Again the formula feels lovely and they do always say it’s easier to add than take away which is definitely something to stick to when it comes to blush!

Onto the positives - I LOVE the bronzer and highlighter. Way more than I thought I would! These are meant to be the same shades as the infamous Bronze and Glow which I don’t have to compare but I do know that I absolutely love this combo! I’ve been using the bronzer under my cheekbone to contour as well as over the high points on my face for a bit of an all over colour and it’s so subtle but noticeable if that makes sense? It looks very warm toned in the swatch but on my face it looks so natural, I love it!

I’ve then been using my Morphe fan brush to very lightly highlight my cheekbones and I love the effect, super subtle as I use a light hand but I’m sure you could go heavy handed and still look amazing!

This is more than I would usually spend on a palette this size considering pan size but the quality of the products is lovely. I do wish there was more variation in the eyeshadow shades though and this palette might not be an option for those with darker skin as you do have to build up quite a lot of product to see a result but it does hit the natural beauty term it’s aiming for on the head.

I ummed and ahhed for weeks before splurging and it is limited edition so not available at the minute but who knows, it could make a reappearance in the future – and hopefully with some new darker shades!

Stila Perfect Me, Perfect Hue in Light/Medium (£28)

Unlike the CT palette, this is one that does come with different shade variations! The one I have is Light/Medium and you might have seen it featured in my last wishlist post. I wasn’t actually planning on buying it, however, Cult Beauty had a GWP (I’m a sucker for offers and the last 2 have been amazing!) so even though basically everything I needed wanted was out of stock I still found my basket full and this was in it!

Now I’m not a massive fan of the Stila products I have tried in the past – the lip glazes and In the Light palette being massive disappointments for me - but when I saw these Perfect Me/Perfect Hue palettes I got heart eye emoji’s.

l-r: Artistic (base), Dazzling (highlight), Ambitious (lid), Spontaneous (crease), Mischievous (liner)

Five eyeshadows and 2 blushers for £28 seemed like a decent price point and once I had a swatch I could feel the quality! The shadows are silky soft with good pigmentation although again I wish there was more of a mid-tone shade option instead of two very light shades. The shimmer colour (Ambitious) is not as warm toned/orange in real life as the swatch and I don’t normally wear shimmer during the day but this is nice and subtle and quite golden.

l-r: Charming, Angelic

Again, this palette is smaller than I was expecting and the packaging was plastic so it feels a bit cheap, I was expecting it to be metal for some reason, I think because of the colour of the casing, but I can’t fault the formulation! The blushers are lovely and pigmented too and I love that they are both matte shades.

Overall, I really like both palettes for different reasons but I find that with the Charlotte Tilbury palette, I am reaching for mainly the bronzer and highlighter and passing on the eyeshadows in particular. The Stila palette is much more affordable and I love the fact they have thought through a range that caters to more than one skin tone.

So those are the two newest face palettes to my collection, have you tried either? What did you think?

Danielle xx

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New to Me #2 ft. Nivea, Khairpep and Bondi Sands

Hi everyone, I'm talking about a few new products I've been trying out recently today! 

Bondi Sands Self Tan Oil Liquid Gold (£14.99)

I have been absolutely loving this since I got it a couple of months ago! I tan most weeks but I usually favour lotion formulas (I have the Bondi Sands Dark Lotion too and really like it!) however I saw Lily Pebbles using this and loved the colour it gave her so decided to pick it up! It’s a lot messier than the tans I’m used to as it’s a spray and I find I have to lay a towel in the bathroom to make sure I don’t spray it everywhere. It also has no guide colour so I have to be careful that I spray it evenly then buff in with my tan mitt. I leave it to develop overnight and I am left with the most gorgeous golden glow! I would say it’s a medium colour but then I would say that even if I was using something that said it was very dark! I do have to be careful round the sides of my hands as I tend to miss a few spots there but they are easily covered and blended in! I am so impressed with how this wears off too! It lasts around 5 days on me before I feel the need to scrub and reapply and where I usually have to top up the tan on the back of my hands throughout the week when using other brands, this wears off so evenly I don’t feel I need to!

Nivea Daily Essentials Crème Care Facial Cleansing Wipes* (RRP £2.99)

Skincare snob that I am, wipes don’t register too highly on my radar and I generally much prefer a cotton pad with a cream cleanser followed by a balm/oil and muslin cloth makeup removal routine. Wipes do however come in handy and I always tend to have a pack for when I am too tired, drunk or lazy to do my full routine and these work perfectly to remove my layers of makeup effectively. They are well soaked but I like to store them upside down so the moisture gets to the top wipe ready for use and these ones smell amazing! You all know I love the Nivea scent and these are scented with the recognisable, clean, fresh fragrance. I have very temperamental skin that can play up when I switch products but I haven’t found any increased sensitivity since using these!

Nivea Daily Essentials Crème Care Cleansing Lotion* (RRP £3.29)

I was also sent the new Nivea cleansing lotion to try and being a huge fan of the original I was excited to see how this one compared. I am happy to say that it works just as well as the older version I talked about in this post! This is my absolute favourite product to use as a first cleanse every evening as it does such a good job of removing the bulk of my makeup while feeling hydrating and not pulling on my skin. It doesn’t remove eye makeup for me as I wear waterproof mascara so I find I need to use an oil based makeup remover for my eyes but for skin this is amazing! Again it is scented with Nivea’s recognisable fragrance and again it doesn’t irritate my skin! Both products are available from most leading retailers!

Khairpep Hair Repair Serum* and Khairpep Hair Repair Masque*  

I was recently offered the chance to try these leave in hair treatments by Khairpep and although my hair isn’t damaged by colouring, I straighten it every day and have my fair share of dry and split ends. I also have a horrid habit of picking these split ends when I’m bored/procrastinating/stressed so jumped at the chance to try some new products! So first for the science bit - Khairpep was developed by a team of European scientists who discovered a long chain peptide – K18Peptide. This peptide is so small it can penetrate and bind to the inner cortex of a hair strand returning strength and elasticity to it. Both products in the range are leave in treatments and this is the only range of products to contain this ingredient that claims to repair hair damage permanently.

The serum (although it is more of a spray I would say) is recommended for those with fine hair while the masque is for thicker, drier hair and damaged ends. I have found both to be super lightweight and they have a lovely subtle fresh scent. To apply, I shampoo my hair and DO NOT use conditioner then towel dry as normal. I’ll split (no pun intended!) my hair in two then spray the serum evenly through the ends of both sections or work the masque in through the ends depending on which product I’m using. I then leave the product on for about 5 minutes and style my hair as normal.

Since using these products I've noticed a massive reduction in breakage! I used to get those little white dots at the ends of my hair that break off so easily and these are virtually gone now. I still have split ends but we all know the only thing that gets rid of those is a haircut! My ends look much healthier and thicker since using these two and I love how lightweight both products feel especially since the masque is targeted towards those with thicker hair. I can imagine these would be perfect throughout the summer when people are generally causing more damage to their hair whether it be through colouring their hair, chemical treatments, sun exposure, chlorine or just heat styling! The only negative is the price – I have the sample sizes but the full size 50 ml products are £47.50 – you don’t need much product though so definitely an investment if you are struggling with hair damage and want a long lasting solution!

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think? 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.

Danielle xx

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Product Empties #10

Hi everyone, another empties post today! Shock horror this one doesn’t contain a dry shampoo!  

Skincare

Eucerin DermatoClean 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Fluid

I got this free with a purchase in Boots quite a while ago and only recently finished it. I used this as a first cleanse and found it pretty effective at getting a layer of my makeup off ready for me to go in with a balm or oil cleanser after! It’s dearer than other micellar waters so I probably wouldn’t repurchase as it’s not a necessary part of my routine!

Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Makeup Remover

There are probably five products I can guarantee at least one of being in my empties each time I do them and this is one of them! I won’t bore you because this eye makeup remover crops up loads as it’s my favourite and I use it daily! In short, it’s gentle and effective on waterproof makeup and if you want you can read more about it here! 

Aurelia Miracle Cleanser

I included this recently in my Thinking Pink beauty products post and I really liked it! I prefer balm over cream cleansers but the scent is so refreshing and it worked so well as my second cleanse! I got this in a GWP but the full size is too expensive for me to repurchase especially when I have other cleansers I need to get through first! The scent also reminds me of Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish. I do really want to try more products from Aurelia at some stage, has anyone tried the oil?

Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment

I think I got this in a beauty box ages ago so finally got round to using it up recently and I really liked it! I can see why people spend the money on it! I was surprised by how many uses I got out of this with about three full faces then maybe one use just on my T zone! I probably wouldn’t repurchase as it's too expensive and I like my Origins Active Improvement mask just as much!

Cult 51 Immediate Effects Serum*

I was sent a few of these sachets to try and I absolutely loved them! The last sachet was included in my last empties post but in short it is a lovely gel like serum that reduced the white bumps I get under my eyes and made my eye are feel so soft! The full size is so expensive and I think this is targeted towards people with more signs of aging but it’s something I will definitely be looking back into in the future of I need more help with antiaging! These sachets lasted for ages too!

Bodycare

Soap and Glory Clean on Me Shower Gel

This is one of my absolute favourite shower gels, it smells amazing, lathers up well and leaves my skin feeling super clean and soft! It’s really affordable too and I always have a backup ready to go! I included it in a post recently here!

Soap and Glory The Scrub of Your Life

This is probably my favourite scrub after Pulp Friction, it smells amazing, lathers well and leaves my skin feeling so soft as well as doing a great job of removing my tan! Would repurchase!

Soap and Glory Hand Food Hand Cream

This is a lovely hand cream and I love the mini size as it fits perfectly in my handbag! It sinks in to my hands quickly, smells amazing and keeps my hands hydrated for a long time! I always seem to have about 10 of these as backups so already have one ready to go!

Botanics All Bright Fast Absorbing Hand Cream

This is a really light refreshing hand cream that moisturised my hands well! I think I got it on offer too so even better! I would repurchase if I didn’t have a ridiculous amount of hand cream to get through first and to be honest I’m trying to get through what I already have so I can repurchase my absolute favourite Nivea Smooth Nourishing Hand Cream!  

Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream

Another old favourite of mine this is so refreshing and light and smells amazing as well as doing a brilliant job of moisturising my body! It sinks in quickly and I always have a backup!

Makeup

Estee Lauder Double Wear in 2N1 Desert Beige

I spoke about this last month in my Don’t be Blue post and professed my love for it! It really is my favourite foundation; you just can’t beat the coverage it gives or the lasting power and mattifiying properties! I know it’s not for everyone but it is definitely for me and I had a backup sitting ready to go and will always have this in my stash!

Revlon Colourstay Foundation in Buff

Another product that gets a mention almost every empty post! This is my favourite daytime foundation because it has a great colour match for my usually pale skin, its full coverage, and long-lasting and although it’s not the cheapest drugstore foundation there is, it’s a lot cheaper than my beloved Double Wear! Already repurchased and using! Oh and it now comes with a pump! Features in this post!

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in 2 Fair

I picked this as one of my samples with my recent CT order and managed to get two uses out of it. I really liked the coverage it gave and the finish and found it to be quite long-lasting! The shade 2 was a great shade match for me when I have no tan on and I think I will definitely purchase this when I finish up a few foundations!

Haircare

Garnier Ultimate Blends The Strength Restorer Conditioner*

I’m so happy to finally be finished this conditioner! It made my hair feel softer but I got a bit sick of the smell and prefer lighter, fruitier scents to wash and conditioner my hair with! This bottle did last ages though and it’s really affordable! I have a full review of it here but I probably wouldn’t repurchase!

Dove Oxygen Moisture Root Lift Spray

I bought this because of blogger hype and while I liked it and the scent it has, I didn’t notice a difference with volume! This is not unusual for me as I have long hair and I straighten it daily so it probably does work well for others! What’s most important to me like I’ve said before about these type of sprays is that they don’t weigh my hair down even more or make it greasy and this does well on both counts! Again, I have quite the collection of volume promising products to get through so this won’t be a product I repurchase straight away but I can see myself getting it again in the future!

Mark Hill Turn up the Heat Protection Spray

This was a mini I think I got free with another purchase in Boots ages ago and as with all hair products I am happy I finished it! I can never tell if these heat protectant sprays work as I straighten my hair daily and I can never keep up with my split ends but I feel better for using this and it didn’t weigh my hair down! I find I get so bored using full size bottles of products like this so will definitely try and purchase a smaller bottle like this again but it won’t be anytime soon as I feel I could open a shop with the full and half full bottles of heat protectants I have!

Miscellaneous

OSHUNWhite Spearmint Oil Pulling Kit

I was lucky enough to win these in a giveaway over on Sally’s blog and really like how they come individually packaged so you know exactly how much you should be swirling! I didn’t find the spearmint taste that strong unfortunately and fourteen days probably isn’t a long enough time to see any benefits so I’m not sure if it was a placebo effect but my mouth did feel cleaner and my teeth were starting to look whiter. These are so expensive to buy though so I would not repurchase but I do want to get some coconut oil to keep up with the oil pulling!

Have you finished up any products recently? Will you be repurchasing them?

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.

Danielle xx

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Upping my Facial SPF with Eucerin

Morning everyone! I have quite a summer appropriate post today as we’re now finally in June! I can’t speak for everyone but I know SPF is something I definitely neglect in my skincare routine so I was really grateful to be sent these Eucerin products and have been testing them out over the last month! I generally try to get by on whatever SPF is in my foundation or moisturiser of choice in the morning which really isn’t a lot so I’m feeling like I’m protecting my skin a lot more with these SPF 30 and 50 products!

We all know sun is important for our general feeling of well bring as well as the production of Vitamin D but too much sun and exposure to UV rays can lead to skin damage. UVB rays penetrate into the upper layer of the skin and cause sunburn while UVA rays penetrate more deeply into the lower layer of the skin and play a major part in premature skin aging and wrinkling and can lead to skin cancer. UVA rays can also penetrate through clouds and glass and just because I’m not sunbathing every day I don’t think I realise how much damage I may be doing my skin by not using a specific SPF. I spend a bit of time travelling to and from work in my car each day (squinting in the sun if I’ve forgotten my sunglasses!) and I feel so much better knowing I have the added benefits of a high SPF on the face!

Eucerin Sun Anti-Age Fluid in SPF 30*(RRP £20)

This is new to Eucerin’s sun protection range and I love it! It brings together UVA and UVB protection as well as hyaluronic acid to help retain moisture and reduce the appearance of existing wrinkles. It’s in a pump packaging and comes out as a light white cream that feels so hydrating and sinks in quickly leaving a lovely base for makeup application! It also has a matte finish and is suitable for sensitive skin! This is my favourite of the three products I was sent as I love how it feels and my combination skin has been lapping it up!  

Eucerin Sun Face Mattifying Fluid SPF 50*(RRP £16)

This is a very runny yellow liquid that you have to shake well before use. Again, it’s lightweight and doesn’t feel greasy as well as being water resistant. Like the Anti-Age fluid I find this to be mattifying on my skin and works well under my makeup! It is perfume free but I do smell a slight sun cream scent from it but this isn’t overpowering at all but it is the most scented out of the three products I have. The only change I would make to this product would be to put a pump on it too as I sometimes feel like I’m squeezing out too much! When I do that I just put any excess on the back of my hands as I feel like they are another area that can be quick to age so all is not lost!

Eucerin Sun CC Cream SPF 50 in Fair* (RRP £18)

This is another new addition to the sun protection range and was a pleasant surprise to me. While the first two products are skincare items I would immediately be drawn to in a shop with their mattifying properties, I am firmly on the high coverage foundation fan page so tend to ignore CC, BB, tinted moisturisers etc. This CC cream according to Eucerin, “shields skin from harmful sun rays whilst also providing a fast-absorbing colour pigment that blends into skin to create a natural matte-looking finish – perfect for the beach”. Like both products before it provides both UVA and UVB protection and can be used on its own or as a makeup base to provide more coverage. I have been testing this out on its own and have been impressed with how it makes my skin look overall. It has a lovely light texture and feels like a mousse. It does a good job of evening out my skin and providing a light colour (I think it only comes in one shade - Fair) although it doesn’t give much coverage especially to problem areas like my chin where I still get break outs. This would be perfect if I was on holiday and looking for a little coverage to help even out my skin tone during the day when I was popping to the shop or going on a day trip! I like to apply this with my fingers or a buffing brush and found I need to be careful round my hairline and eyebrows as it tends to gather here so just be careful to blend well! I don’t find it as mattifying as the other two products and I get shine round my nose after a few hours so I do need to keep a check on it! It is suitable for sensitive skin and unperfumed and I will definitely be giving it a go under my normal foundations too to see the added coverage and sun protection!

I love Eucerin’s sun protection range and find it suits my skin so well; all the products are suitable for sensitive skin and are non-comedogenic so perfect for acne prone skin! I’m not going on holiday this year but it’s so important to wear SPF even when you are just out and about at home! Don’t forget to reapply your sun protection frequently if you are sunbathing or swimming and avoid the midday sun!

See all Eucerin’s sun protection products here and you can buy them from Boots, Escentual, Look Fantastic, Feel Unique and other major retailers.

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.

Have you tried any of these products? What’s your favourite facial SPF to use?

Danielle xx

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