Best UK Beauty Sites and how to save money

Happy Bank Holiday Monday everyone! I've been planning this post for a while and scheduled it last week without realising today was a bank holiday so if you are planning a splurge - now is the time! The majority of my spending is done online because more often than not there will be a discount code flying around or my favourite brands are only sold online but yeah mainly the discount codes, with an expensive beauty habit I need all the money off I can get! I’ve put together a list of my favourite online shops for beauty and skincare and what I like to buy from them! A lot of the brands crossover but some sites have better offers/more frequent offers/a better loyalty card etc. so I’ve tried to make it as detailed as possible without writing a dissertation on it!

Boots

Probably my most used beauty site and where half my wages seem to disappear every month - good old Boots! As well as shopping frequently in their stores I seem to make orders regularly too as a lot of my local stores don’t stock what I want!

Best time to buy?

Anytime! Boots always have 3 for 2 or buy one get one half price offers on but I also like to wait for a coupon with a points offer like 400 points when you spend £40 (easily done)! The advantage card is my favourite loyalty card and the points add up quickly so you can treat yourself and feel a little less guilty! Oh and they do the best Christmas/Boxing Day sale but you need to get in quick!

Brands to check out?

Soap and Glory, Bondi Sands (their dry tanning oil is amazing and exclusive to Boots), No7 (Perfect Light translucent setting powder in particular), SEVENTEEN, NYX, Smashbox, Origins, Liz Earle…I’ll stop now!

Beauty Bay

Ah Beauty Bay, probably the most controversial of the shops I’ve listed as a lot of people seem to complain about their delivery service. I’ve never had a problem though and they are my favourite place to get my Makeup Geek and Zoeva fix! They don’t usually have many offers on, things go out of stock fast and bear in mind that discount codes don’t work on a lot of items because they are excluded but delivery is quick (for me anyway) and they have a great range of hard to find brands!  

Best time to buy?

Wait until you have a few things in your basket – their deluxe gifts are brilliant, I’ve gotten a High Definition Eye and Brow palette and a deluxe Kevyn Aucoin Flesh Tone lip pencil before and been really impressed with both! The best offer I’ve seen was the half price Makeup Geek sale but as I’ve mentioned, things went out of stock fast and I know people had trouble getting it to apply to their basket (they have also now upped their prices too)! See my Makeup Geek collection here! 

Brands to check out?

Makeup Geek and Zoeva as previously mentioned as well as Morphe LA Girl, Z palette and Spectrum! Gerard Cosmetics are next on my hit list and I may have placed an order on Friday with the money off spend code Beauty Bay have up for the weekend!

Escentual

I love Escentual for their skincare offers, they seem to have a new one every week and a great range of products from some of my favourite brands!

Best time to buy?

Wait for a big percentage off – they do them all the time and I think the most I’ve got off was 25% which was applied to everything on site! Their 1/3 off French pharmacy offers are also very regular and great for stocking up on your faves!

Brands to check out? Hylamide, Vichy, Eucerin, La Roche Posay, Bioderma. 

Cult Beauty

A little more luxe and edited, Cult Beauty stock - you guessed it - cult beauty and skincare products!  

Best time to buy?

Wait for the gift with purchase offer! I always splurge on things I’ve been wanting for a while when this offer comes round then feel a little less guilty because the GWP is always filled with loads of new products to try from amazing brands! I am hoping they have another one soon because I have my eye on quite a few things!

Brands to check out? Pixi, Becca, Huda Beauty, Beauty Blender, Anastasia Beverly Hills, OUAI, MOA, Stila.

Feel Unique

Another great site that stocks loads of brands and always seems to have an offer on or 10% off! They also have a new Pick ‘n’ mix service where you can try five samples of products out for £3.95 shipping then get the money back on your next order!

Best time to buy?

Wait for 10% off site wide or a save on spend offer and have a splurge!  They also do 10% off for students if you have an account with something like Unidays (but this can’t be used with other offers!)

Brands to check out? Urban Decay, Estee Lauder, Giorgio Armani.

Look Fantastic

I literally get an email from this site every day, it’s a pity most of their discount codes have a lot of excluded items but like all the websites I’ve mentioned, they have a good range of brands and other offers like free gifts on constantly! They also do a monthly beauty box which you don’t have to subscribe to for £15. I like to check any reviews at the start of the month for spoilers to see if I want it – I haven’t bought one in ages but it can include products from brands off their site so NUXE, Caudalie and Ren pop up quite a bit!

Best time to buy?

They do timed offered like the first 200 people to checkout get 20% off quite often though see above note about excluded items!

Brands to check out? Illamasqua, Deciem, Trilogy, Shiseido.

Space NK

Like Cult Beauty, Space NK to me is a little more luxe and on the expensive side of things! I have managed to get a few good things from the sale but you have to be quick as things sell out so quickly!

Best time to buy?

Wait for a £15 off £60 spend offer, the sale, or until you have enough N.centive points to get some money off!

Brands to check out? NARS, Kevyn Aucoin, Hourglass, Grown Alchemist.

Debenhams

I thought it was worth mentioning Debenhams too as they often have 10% off beauty and do a loyalty card. I never get much use out of mine but I suspect this will all change as Kat Von D is coming next month! Exciting times!

Best time to buy?

A 10% off beauty offer, they do them regularly and they last for a good few days!

Brands to check out? Too Faced, MAC, Urban Decay, Benefit, Kat Von D.

House of Fraser

Very similar to Debenhams in my opinion and I am just realising they do a loyalty card too, I don't order off these two websites as much as the ones at the start of this post so I think my points expire before I get a chance to use them! They do student discount like Feel Unique so you can get 10% off!

Best time to buy?

They do 10% off beauty offers too and a regular £10 off £50 spend when you buy one of their favourite beauty products but if you are a student, any time really!

Brands to check out? Charlotte Tilbury, Laura Geller.

Special mention also goes to ASOS who have a pretty good beauty section with brands like NARS and Illamasqua and regularly have offers on (as well as doing student discount). Marks and Spencer are great for Pixi and Emma Hardie, Cloud 10 Beauty for The Balm, The Body Shop for their 30% and 40% off codes and Superdrug for most things that Boots does as well (I just don’t have one near me so rarely shop in it!).

I’m signed up to all of these sites email newsletters and while some can be a bit overkill with how often they send them out most are great informing you of offers or new arrivals to the site! I also always google discount codes before I buy something in case I've missed an email so it’s good to check before you hit buy!

Like I said, I’ve added a brands to check out list under each online site but obviously a few of these crossover into different stores, I’ve just went with where I’ve found the best deal!

I may have also made a few orders this weekend as it was payday on Friday and there were some offers on that I couldn't resist! I post a lot of my hauls to Instagram so follow me there if that’s the type of thing you like to see!

Let me know if you bought anything this weekend! What’s your favourite online beauty site?

Danielle xx

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Wishlist #4

Hi everyone, I have another beauty wish list post today to coincide with a few new launches happening soon! As usual, its palette heavy J

Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Face Palette

I have had my eye on this for what seems like forever! It gets raves reviews, seems to be perfect for fair skin, it’s cool toned and it’s all matte! I will not be a happy bunny if this sells out before I get my hands on it! I never wanted to make a Sephora order for it because I was worried the powders would smash in transit so I’m glad the brand has finally made its way over here after months of rumours! I think it’s due for release on Debenhams online on the 13^th September and will make its way into stores in October!

Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette

See above! If you have read my blog for any length of time you might know that I like matte formulations especially when it comes to eyeshadows. For me they are just easier to wear on a day to day basis so I am all over this release like a bad rash!

Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation

A full coverage, matte, waterproof foundation from one of my favourite make up brands? Yes please! I will be hot footing it to my local Debenhams as soon as this comes in store to get matched and hope it lives up to the hype I have created in my head for it! It’s release in the UK on September 1^st!

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick

It goes without saying that Urban Decay’s huge lipstick overhaul has been one of the most exciting launches of the year! I can’t believe I haven’t actually bought one yet but there are so many I want I can’t decide! Every time I’m near a counter I swatch the life out of my hand and still can’t decide what I want! Backtalk, Wrong Number and Morning After are top of my list at the minute and I actually went to order Backtalk from Feel Unique a few weeks ago when they had 10% off but it was out of stock!

Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics

Naked Basics 2 is my favourite Urban Decay palette and contains the only shade I have ever hit pan on – Frisk – so it only seems right that I add this to my wishlist! I am loving the shade range and I know it’s another matte palette but man I really want it! Maybe one for the Christmas list! It launches in September in the US so I’m assuming the UK should be around the same time! 

Huda Beauty Lip Contour in Bombshell

I am currently loving lip pencils so after seeing a lot of hype around these they are next on my list to try! Bombshell looks like the perfect pinky nude which is a shade I wear very often and if I’m going to pay £16 for it I want it in a shade that will be in constant rotation!

Special mention also has to go to the new Too Faced/Kat Von D magnetic palette, I love the concept of this but a lot of the shades don’t appeal to me and there aren’t enough mattes for me to justify it but I think it’s an amazing idea! I’m very worried for my bank balance over the next few months! Expect to see these in a wish list purchases post soon!

If you liked this post you might like these:

Wishlist #1

Wishlist #2
Wishlist #3

Wishlist Purchases #1

Wishlist Purchases #2

Have you tried any of these products? Tell me what you are lusting after at the minute!

Danielle xx

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Yes OUAI

Morning everyone! I was recently sent some exciting hair products to try out from celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin’s new haircare brand OUAI! Looking after the likes of the Kardashians and Chrissy Teigan’s hair I had high hopes for these products and *spoiler alert* they didn’t disappoint! Called OUAI after the casual slang for yes in French, this brand is all about getting good hair (inside and out) the easy way.

First off let’s talk about the packaging. Chic, simplistic, understated and I love the hexagonal lids of the shampoo and conditioner! All the products have very generous sized packaging so even though they are more expensive than your average drugstore hair product you really are getting value for your money. OUAI products are also not tested on animals.

The OUAI Repair Shampoo* (RRP £22) is a nourishing shampoo, free from parabens and sulphates, designed to fortify breakage prone hair and leave it feeling stronger and shinier. Although I have oily hair (with dry ends) I haven’t found this too much for my roots at all and have been washing my hair as normal every second day! It leaves my hair stronger and looking shinier and works perfectly with the OUAI Repair Conditioner* (RRP £22). This is a moisturising shampoo that nourishes damaged hair without adding weight which is perfect for my fine hair! I got it cut about three weeks ago so it is in pretty good condition at the minute anyway but it grows quickly and I use heat on it every day so the ends do tend to get damaged!

OUAI’s range of shampoos share a signature scent which includes a blend of Italian lemon, Turkish rose, jasmine, iris, lily and white musk while the range of conditioners also share a signature scent – a blend of Italian lemon, bergamot, rose de mai, magnolia, lily, blackberry, cedar wood, amber, patchouli, sandalwood and white musk. I can definitely detect the slight difference in scent but they both work together so well to create a long-lasting, distinctive scent that lasts to my next wash!

The OUAI Finishing Crème* (RRP £20) is a lightweight cream I've been using on the ends of my hair, it smooth’s dry ends and gives hair extra shine! It also protects against UV rays, pollutants and heat but I felt like I was missing out on this quality the first few times I used it as I applied the crème after I was finished styling with my GHD’s. I now pop a little in damp hair before blow drying and then a little more after I've finished styling and it works so well to tame flyways while not weighing my hair down!

When I first saw the OUAI Wave Spray* (RRP £22) I almost mistook it for the hair oil because of its colour! The wave spray is a lightweight texturizing mist perfect for enhancing your natural waves to give it perfectly undone look. I unfortunately don’t have a natural wave to enhance so I rely on a wave wand to make my hair look undone! I spray this liberally through the lengths of my hair when it’s damp and a little bit into the roots then rough dry before taking different sized sections and wrapping round my wave wand. I’m so impressed with the finished result! As my hair is quite straight naturally, anytime I curl it I have to spray so much hairspray or the curl will fall out almost straight away. To properly test the “memory” claims this wave spray has I've been forgoing the hair spray and I can’t get over the results! My waves last all day, they have a gorgeous texture that doesn’t feel sticky or crunchy, it doesn’t make my hair greasy and it smells amazing too! I’ll spray some more in my hair the next day, turn upside down and scrunch upwards to get a bit more volume and texture. It’s also been forcing me out of my comfort zone as a serial hair straightener! Like the shampoo and conditioner, the wave spray contains similar notes contributing to its beautiful musky scent. A perfume with the OUAI scent will also be released next year!

A cringey timer shot of me ruffling my hair after washing with the Repair shampoo and conditioner and using the Wave Spray and a waving wand - hope you can see the shine! 

All OUAI Haircare products also contain what they call Smart Technology – a cocktail of nourishing ingredients including amino acids, tamarind seed, keratin, ama oil, hibiscus and jasmine to fortify strands, enhance moisture levels, repair and protect from humidity. All these elements work together to make my hair supper soft, shiny and yep I’m going to say it – swishy! Definitely a brand to try! 

You can purchase OUAI Haircare from Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic and SpaceNK. 

 

Have you tried anything from OUAI Haircare? What’s your favourite hair care brand?

 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.

See my full disclosure here.

Danielle xx

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Pamper Essentials

After getting home from holidays a few weeks ago the only thing I wanted to do was soak in the bath for half an hour and pamper myself. Unfortunately, due to a broken boiler my plans were scuppered and I was treated to a cold shower instead! With everything back in working order now I thought I take you through my usual pamper routine!

Starting with the bath, the ultimate treat is a great big Lush bath bomb to fill the bathroom with a gorgeous scent and the bath full of bubbles! I savour every Lush bath I take because I don’t take them that often as their products are so expensive. They are the most gorgeous smelling, bubbly, relaxing baths though! I think this is the So White bath bomb that I have had since Christmas, whoopsie! I used it last week and as well as smelling amazing. it made my skin feel so soft and supple! Cheaper alternatives include the magic wand I mentioned in last week’s empties post or the Soap and Glory Calm One Calm All Bubble bath.

  

While I’m waiting for the bath to fill I’ll usually dampen my hair and pop a leave in treatment on to work its magic. At the minute I’ve been using the Garnier Ultimate Blends  Strength Restorer Balm* which smells of honey and leaves my hair feeling super soft and manageable after I wash it out!

As a serial fake tan wearer, a good scrub is a necessity in my pamper routine and Soap and Glory Pulp Friction along with a pair of exfoliating gloves is the best I’ve ever tried! It has the Fruitigo fragrance and the little exfoliating beads are great at removing tan (without hurting) and it gives a good lather so I don’t feel like I am wasting product! Once I get out of the bath I will follow with a good moisturiser like Soap and Glory Righteous Butter which is a thick cream that is easily absorbed and smells amazing while keeping my skin feeling soft and supple!

To make sure I’ve got the days makeup off I’ll use a balm cleanser like the MOA Green Balm which is 100% natural and feels amazing to massage into my skin! As it’s multipurpose it can also be used to soothe bites, eczema, bruises, grazes and is suitable for sensitive skin and it’s so effective as a makeup remover.

I will then put on a facemask depending on what way my skin is looking/feeling like. The Origins Clear Improvement mask is still one of my favourites and one I use regularly when my skin just needs a refresh ready for the week ahead. I also talked about it in this post about my Skincare Saviours! I’ll also apply Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask about once a week to give my skin a real boost of hydration and I always wake up with plumper, softer skin after using this! It smells amazing!

My feet were so dry after coming back from holiday, I couldn’t wait to get my Burt’s Bees Coconut foot cream slathered all over them and I also put bed socks on for a few hours to make it more of a treatment for them! This cream smells amazing and is so thick it almost feels waxy and it makes my feet super soft within hours!

I’m also loving the Grown Alchemist Vanilla and Orange Peel hand cream at the minute, it absorbs so quickly (a must have for hand cream), makes my hands feel so smooth and soft and if you get a chance you need to smell this – it’s so uplifting and fresh! Oh and it has one of those metal tubes for packaging meaning I get to use my wringer when it starts running out J

  

Having a fresh mani/pedi also makes me feel pampered so although maybe not straight after I’ve covered my hands and feet in cream I will file my nails and, pop the toe separators in and pick a nail colour. I’m loving Essie Virgin Snow at the minute and it’s perfect for summer so that’s what’s been gracing my nails recently along with OPI Nail Envy (best nail polish ever) and Seche Vite over the top to make it last longer!

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

What are your pamper essentials? Have you tried anything I’ve mentioned?

Danielle xx

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Summer Lovin’ Tag

Hi everyone, I was tagged by the lovely Leanne to do the Summer Lovin’ Tag so here it is J

Favourite Perfume

I have the tiniest perfume collection because I am so picky with scents but a firm favourite of mine is DKNY Be Delicious. I wear this all year round but it’s perfect in summer because it’s so fresh and light! It lasts all day on me and I love pairing it with the matching body lotion which I’ve just ran out of! This isn’t in the photo because it’s impossible to photograph!

Favourite Lip Colour

This is a tough one for me because I love lip products! Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Lovers Coral is an old favourite and fail safe for me because it’s sheer enough to apply without a mirror but just makes me look done and I love the coral colour and shine for summer! A close second is Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk which I have become obsessed with since I got it, I love the shade and it’s so long lasting!

Favourite Drink

If I’m out it’s a gin and tonic but I drink water constantly throughout the day at work and I’m also partial to a Coke!

Favourite Blush

This is too hard, blush is probably my favourite makeup item and I own so many! I do love Hourglass Luminous Flush though, it’s so brightening and makes me look really healthy! Well I think so anyway!

Swatches l-r: Hourglass Luminous Flush, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, Revlon Lovers Coral 

Favourite Clothing Item

I’m a jeans and t-shirt kinda girl but on holidays I lived in my Topshop denim skirt and my ASOS denim pinafore in the evenings!

Favourite Movie

I do have films I like to watch at certain times of the year (Prince of Egypt at Easter and Hocus Pocus at Halloween to name a few) but none that I can think of in summer! I did use to set aside a day during the summer holidays to watch all three Mighty Ducks movies though and D2 will forever be my favourite! Can’t wait to see Suicide Squad this summer!

Favourite TV Show

All my TV shows seem to have come to an end now it’s the summer but I love Blindspot, Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones and The Vampire Diaries!

Favourite Food

Pizza for life but also anything with chicken involved! I feel like I eat bigger portions in winter but the heat in summer seems to make me fuller quicker ha! Oh and ice lolly’s are a must in summer!

Thanks to Leanne for tagging me! I find it hard to keep on top of who has done these tags but if you haven’t already done it I tag Velvet Blush, Aisha and Ela!  

Tell me some of your favourites in the comments below! 

Danielle xx

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Product Empties #11

Hi everyone, I have another bumper empties post to share with you today! Will try to get through the products as quickly as possible!

Haircare

VO5 Plump it Up Dry Shampoo

This is my favourite dry shampoo in the world! It smells amazing and there is no white cast! I do already have a backup that I’m using but it’s my last one as it seems to have disappeared from the shops again – sort it out VO5!

Makeup

No7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder in Translucent

I won’t bang on too much about this as it crops up a lot on here but it’s my absolute favourite powder as it’s so lightweight and mattifying without looking cakey! Already have two backups of this!

Max Factor Lipfinity Top Coat (Clear Balm)

I got this as part of a Lipfinity set but got rid of the first step colour ages ago because I didn’t like it! I love the clear balm though! It has a slanted tip in slim black packaging and it feels nice and hydrating and lasts a long time on my lips. It’s not too glossy and is perfect to put over matte lipsticks to keep the colour but make them feel a bit more comfortable! Won’t be repurchasing as my house is coming down with lip balms and I probably won’t in the future because the other half of the set is wasted on me!

Beauty Blender

This should maybe be in the miscellaneous section but it’s a big part of my makeup so I thought I’d include it here! Before I got this I was using the Real Techniques Miracle Sponge or my fingers to apply my foundation but this is so much better! It applies my foundation flawlessly and blends it so easily. This one is looking worse for wear now but lasted me ages and was well worth the money! I think the RT version is good if you don’t want to spend so much on a Beauty Blender but I prefer it and already have my backup out and in use!

Skincare

Nivea Lotion

I won’t spend too much time on this because you are all probably sick of hearing about it by now but it’s my favourite first cleanse as it’s so creamy and hydrating and does a fantastic job of removing the bulk of my makeup! Constant repurchase and I already have a backup open!

Eucerin Aquporin Active Revitalising Eye Cream*

I’m so sad to be finished this! It’s a gorgeous lightweight gel/creme texture with a metal tip applicator that instantly depuffs my eye bags and makes me feel more awake! Will be repurchasing as soon as I finish the eye creams I’m currently using! Full review here!

Oskia Renaissance 360 Anti-Aging and Brightening Supreme Cream

This was a deluxe sample I got in a GWP at Cult Beauty and I really liked it (although I wasn’t fussed on the scent), it was lightweight, hydrating and sank in quickly ready for me to apply my makeup. It ran out a bit unexpectedly so I can see now why people get annoyed at the cleanser as you can’t see how much product is left and the bottle is weighty! I don’t think I used it long enough to see any noticeable difference in my skin and it’s a little expensive for me to commit to repurchasing!

Maple Holistics Vitamin C Anti-Aging Serum*

I really enjoyed using up this serum and found it helped add more hydration to my face especially round my nose and chin area. I loved the texture of it too, it felt quite slippy yet sank in quickly. I probably won’t repurchase as it’s more difficult to get your hands on in the UK and I’m already using other products with hyaluronic acid but if it’s easier to get a hold of for you I really recommend it! Full review here!

Caudalie Polyphenol Anti-Wrinkle Defence Serum

This little dropper bottle actually lasted me quite a long time and I really liked it! It was very lightweight and sank in quickly leaving my face feeling hydrated and refreshed! Would repurchase!

Soap and Glory Off Your Face wipes

I much prefer Soap and Glory makeup and bodycare to some of their skincare, these wipes being a prime example! I used these exclusively for wiping makeup swatches off my arms after taking photos for my blog as I hate the smell of them – it reminds me a little of toilet cleaner? I’ve had them for so long they started to dry up a little but that’s more my fault than the wipes! Will not be repurchasing and I probably got them in a set rather than purchasing them on their own in the first place! This is also probably the only negative review of a Soap and Glory product you will see on my blog and I generally love everything else! 

Nivea Daily Essentials 3 in 1 Facial Cleansing wipes

I bought these at the airport for a trip to Amsterdam ages ago and they came in so handy for a quick cleanse while I was away. I’m not a massive user of wipes so they generally take me ages to finish but these stayed moist the whole time I had them and had a lovely scent! Would definitely repurchase for another trip away!

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels

I think I got these in a beauty box quite a while back and finally got round to using them after an awful day with hay fever where my eyes were standing on me and I couldn’t stop rubbing them! These felt so cooling and relaxing and were really easy to apply. I had no issues with them sliding down my face or anything, in fact they were stuck nearly a little too tight to my bags and I had to move them a little further down to make them more comfortable makes sense? Overall, a nice treat but I find one use things like these such a waste of money so wouldn’t repurchase!

Eve Lom Cleanser

Again, I don’t normally put sachet samples in my empties as I don’t get too many uses out of them but as this is such a hyped product I thought I would include it! I got about three evening cleanses out of this as to be honest I don’t see what the fuss is about, it did a good job of cleansing my skin but it doesn’t smell great (I read someone ages ago describing it like old curry and I have to agree!) and it would be too harsh for me to use every night as it has little exfoliating particles in it! Wouldn’t repurchase it and will be sticking to my other balm cleansers like Emma Hardie Moringa!

Bodycare

Nivea Powerfruit Fresh Shower Gel

I am obsessed with the acai berry scent of this! It’s obviously not your average Nivea creme scent that I love but it’s amazing, it’s so fresh and not overly fruity! You need to pick this up and give it a sniff! Will definitely repurchase!

Nivea Sun Moisturising After Sun Lotion

I bought this a few weeks ago to take on holiday and literally finished it yesterday so it has snuck into this already overloaded post! It’s not my favourite Nivea product by a long shot as it doesn’t have the usual scent that I love but it felt lovely and cooling on the few patches of sunburn I managed to get on holiday (and felt even better as I had kept it in the fridge!) It didn’t manage to help with the prickly heat I got on holiday though so I would probably try something else next time!

Soap and Glory Hand Food Hand Wash

I got this in the Christmas sale along with the big hand cream pump which it still full because I keep forgetting about it in the kitchen! I love the scent of this but probably won’t get it again to Christmas time!

Yes to Carrots Moisturising Hand Cream for Normal to Dry Skin

I absolutely hated this! I was determined to finish it though and I’m so glad I did! It’s a really runny cream that makes my hands somehow feel more dry and while it doesn’t have a strong scent, it doesn’t have a good scent! Worst hand cream I’ve ever tried, will definitely not be repurchasing!   

Ladival Sun Protection SPF 30        

I got this quite recently in the Latest in Beauty Glamour Summer Edit beauty box (what a mouthful!) and it was the perfect size for a week away! It’s not my favourite sun lotion as I found it never really sank or dried in even though it was meant to be non-greasy. I also found the spray quite messy so sprayed in into my hand to apply instead of directly on the skin. For those reasons I wouldn’t repurchase, however, it did offer great protection from the sun and kept me from getting burnt so if you can get past the tacky/sticky feeling it might be one for you! Full review here! 

Nivea Creme Tin*

I love this little tin of Nivea creme! The texture is so different to anything I’ve tried before, at first it reminds me of Sudocrem but once you start rubbing it in it goes a little more watery. It’s hard to explain but I love this for the back of my arms and find it really helps with any Keratosis Pilaris I have although I usually only apply it at night as it doesn’t sink in quickly! I got sent two of these so have already opened the second! Full review here! 

Nivea Sun SPF 30 Caring Roll On*

Another product that featured in my Poolside Essentials post a few weeks ago, this was a life saver down by the pool! I used it to reapply on areas where I felt the lotion I had applied before coming down was starting to sweat or rub off so my feet and round my bikini were replied regularly with this! It smells amazing, sank in quickly and kept my skin protected! Would repurchase!

DNKY Be Delicious Body Lotion

I love layering up this body lotion with the perfume and it lasts all day on me! It’s quite a creamy, runny consistency that’s lovely and moisturising! Be Delicious is such a fresh scent, I wear it all year round but it’s perfect for summer! I don’t have a backup of this but I will definitely buy it again in the future (usually get it in gift sets!)

Sure Maximum Protection Anti-Perspirant

I don’t think I’ve actually ever included an anti-perspirant/deodorant in my empties before but I finished this just before I was taking photos so threw it in! This is a constant repurchase for me and I actually use it at night more than during the day. The instructions say it’s more of a treatment and works best if you apply at night then I’ll just use a standard deodorant during the day. It helps protect against armpit sweat and I’d say it does a pretty good job so may be one for you if you are a Sweaty Betty like me!

Prismologie Pink O’ Clock Hand Cream and Indigo Interlude Foot Cream

I got these minis with a Space NK order a while back and really enjoyed using them! They are very strongly perfumed and I particularly liked the scent of the foot cream which has quite an aftershave scent to it! Both were lovely and hydrating and sank in quickly but I probably won’t purchase the full sizes because I have other hand and foot creams that do the same job and are much more affordable!

Misc

Lush Magic Wand Reusable Bubble Bar

I got this in a Christmas gift set and couldn’t believe how many baths it lasted me – it was originally in the shape of a pink star! I generally find Lush overpriced and refuse to buy anything unless it’s in the sale or in a gift set but this I would repurchase tomorrow! You just wave it under a running tap and it creates so many bubbles and is scented of Snow Fairy! My skin always felt so soft after having a bath with this too! It’s limited edition at Christmas but they do a flamingo one all year round!  

Congratulations if you made it to the end of that! See my last empties post here! Have you tried any of these products? What did you think of them?

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

Danielle xx

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