I’ve
been getting a lot of promotional emails from Escentual at the minute about
their French Pharmacy month so I thought I’d chat today about my favourite French
Pharmacy brands and products before the up to 1/3 off offer is over this Sunday!
I was introduced to this brand just before Christmas and I absolutely love how gentle it is! The
shampoo is a lot more watery than any other brands I’ve tried and lathers up
better on the second wash. My hair always feels super soft and looks shiny when
I use these but what I’m most impressed about with these is how much less
tangled my hair is! I’ve never used anything that makes it as easy to brush through
as when I use this! The scent is really gentle too and not overly perfumed and the
range is so gentle it can be used on all ages!
I’d
never tried a dry shampoo for dark hair until this and I’m impressed. It doesn’t
spray tinted but I leave it for two minutes like its recommended then give it a
quick rub into my scalp and brush through and my once greasy second day hairs
looks shiny again with no white cast! I love the scent of this too; it’s really
refreshing and instantly recognisable as Klorane!
I’m
sure you’ve heard me talk about this countless times but I can’t be without it
in my body care stash! It’s not a fancy moisturiser but I sometimes get itchy
legs at the most random times for no reason whatsoever and this is the only
thing that calms my scratching down and offers me relief! It also helps with
any dry skin patches I get and it’s so basic but 100% effective and another product
I always stock up on!
This
is a really refreshing, calming spray that I use either as a toner or just
after toning my face before applying moisturiser. It works really well with my blemish
prone skin and targets excess oiliness as well without drying my skin out!
This
is another old favourite of mine and one I have went more bottles than I care to remember! It’s so hydrating, lightweight and smoothing and I think everyone should
have this in their stash!
It sinks
in really quickly and I always go back to this as it works so well with my
oily/combo skin! I talked about it in this Forever Repurchased post too!
Excuse
the really old packaging of this and I’ve probably had it longer than is
recommended but a little goes a long way and I don’t like throwing out things
when they still work! This helps dry out spots without drying out the skin
around it and is something I always go back to when I have a stubborn spot that
just won’t budge! I’ve linked the newer version which I haven’t tried but I’m
sure it’s just as good and I really like the Cleanance range from Avene in
general!
That’s
it for my French Pharmacy favourites! I’m trying to save money at the minute (it’s
not going well this month!) but it’s so tempting to stock up when Escentual do this
1/3 off promotion! Definitely take advantage of it if you want to try anything
new!
Recently,
I was asked if I’d like to try some products from the BeautyRX by Dr. Schultz
line and being the skincare junkie that I am, I couldn’t resist! The brand was formed
by Dr. Neal Schultz; an NYC dermatologist with over 35 years’ experience best
known for his award winning, gentle but effective glycolic exfoliants, in
order to offer them to people who couldn’t see him at his practice!
Although
the brand is known for its chemical exfoliants, I went with a few products that
I was running out of to see how they fared on my oily/combo, acne prone skin
and after testing them out over the last 4 weeks here’s what I think!
This
is an alcohol free toner and makeup remover that’s formulated for normal, dry
and combination skin. It contains Sodium PCA which attracts water molecules to
the skin to help maintain hydration as well as Cypress tree bark extract, a
natural astringent that leaves skin feeling fresh. I generally don’t mind
alcohol in my skincare but toner is the one product I like to be alcohol free
and this fits the bill perfectly.
This
is great at removing any leftover makeup or dirt from my face after cleansing (I
always miss bits on my neck and near my ears!) and feels really refreshing. It
doesn’t leave any residue on my skin but does leave my skin feeling soft and
ready for the next step in my routine.
Its different
to any other toner packaging I have in that it comes in a spray bottle which I love
because I waste less product – I find 6-7 sprays onto a cotton pad is perfect
for me and you can spray this onto your face during the day too if you wish –
the mist is very fine and sprays evenly so its brilliant if you want a refresh!
I do detect a light fragrance with this which I personally love but bare that
in mind if you like fragrance free products!
A lightweight,
water based, oil free moisturiser formulated for normal, oily and combination
skin, this works so well with my skin as a daily moisturiser! There are number of
ingredients in this including a patented BeautyRX compound called Triantiox – a
hydrator that helps to replace depleted moisture and visibly improve the
complexion. Other key ingredients include glycerin which helps maintain the
skins hydration, lavender extract to soothe irritation and protect skin from
the harsh environment and Vitamins C and E to provide antioxidant protection
against free radicals helping to prevent the signs of premature ageing.
I use
a pea size amount of this every morning and there is no greasy residue whatsoever,
it absorbs quickly into my skin and leaves me with a great base for makeup so I
usually find myself skipping primer. You can also use this in the evening but I
generally prefer a heavier moisturiser so have been saving this for the
morning. I can tell already that this is going to be a staple over the summer
for me when my skin tends to be on the oilier side of things – this one doesn’t
have SPF but I will layer it up with another product that does!
Last
but certainly not least is the Ultra Hydrating eye repair cream and this might
be my favourite out of the bunch! Formulated for all skin types, this is an emollient
packed; nourishing eye cream that treats and helps prevent visible signs of
ageing. It works to brighten the eye area while decreasing the appearance of
fine lines and improving tone and texture. Key ingredients include hyaluronic
acid to improve hydration and two more BeautyRX compounds – Pentabright, to
brighten and Tentrafoliant, a complex of four exfoliating ingredients (Glycolic
Acid, Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid, and Phytic Acid) to improve texture and tone.
This
is a very rich, hydrating eye cream that is perfect for night time. I sometimes
use it in the morning too but as it’s so rich I only take a tiny amount on my
ring finger and pat around my eyes. Since using this, I’ve noticed my under eye
area is much brighter and the sides of my eyes where I’ve recently noticed a
few fine lines are much more hydrated and not as noticeable. $90 is expensive
but the tub is massive so this will last ages! I know some people prefer pump
packaging and that is probably the only thing that would make this a little
better!
All
the products are dermatologist tested and come boxed and I love the chic, white
minimalistic packaging of the products themselves. The BeautyRX website is great
and has a lot more information on the ingredients included within the products.
Shipping
within the US is free on orders over $99 otherwise its $7.99 and they offer international
shipping too though its $45 via USPS!
Overall,
I am so impressed with the BeautyRX by Dr. Schultz products I had the
opportunity to try and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them! None of the products
broke me out and they do exactly what they say they are going to! Have you
tried BeautyRX by Dr. Schultz before?
*denotes
a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own. See my full
disclosure here.
Danielle xx
If you want to keep up to date with my posts, don’t forget to follow me
on
I’ve been
wanting to do a post like this for ages and the idea came from a post Jasmine
did with her mum ages ago but I finally got my mum talked into telling me why
she likes certain items of makeup and you might see a few familiar products
here because a few are firm favourites of mine too! Her response to why she uses
these products was mostly “it’s nice and I like it” so I’ve tried to expand a
little more on that but it’s safe to say she won’t be starting her own blog!
My mum
is a bit like me in that she won’t leave the house without her “face” on but
not like me in that she wants to try every new makeup product that’s released!
Some of these are new to her but a lot of them are tried and tested old
favourites and she really only spends money on makeup when it comes to
foundation and lipstick, everything else is more on the drugstore side of
things!
No7 Perfect Light Translucent loose powderis my mums go to powder and you might know that the
pressed version is my favourite too so you can see a pattern forming! She says
this helps keep her makeup in place though she will usually top up her T zone
when she’s home at lunchtime which is normal for her with her skin type.
My
aunt recently gave my mum the end of herBenefit Hoolabronzer which she has really been enjoying. She says this
gives a nice shade of bronze to her skin and I also gave her one of my minis to
use up as she really likes it!
For
blusher, she has been using the No7 Perfectly Bronzed Mozaic Bronzer for years and you can see there are quite
a lot of bronze tones here too! The one in the main photo is actually one I got
in a set and gave to my mum because I found it a bit much for my skin. She
already has a backup ready to go and you can see she really likes to use the
last of the product up – something I could learn from!
The NYX Eye and Eyebrow Pencil in Charcoal is
a recent buy for my mum. She wears eyeliner everyday but finds black shades too
harsh so always goes for a grey. This is easily put on and doesn’t drag though
she does experience some smudging like she does with all eyeliner because she
has watery eyes.
Another
No7 product she is a fan of is thePrecision Lips Pencil in Nudewhich keeps her lipstick from bleeding.
She only outlines her lips and doesn’t fill them in with the lip liner as she doesn’t
want to change the colour of her lipstick. I’m the opposite and always fill my
whole lip in!
Bobbi Brown Lip Colour in Brownis the only lipstick she owns (!), I
usually buy her one for Christmas but she probably goes through about two of
these a year. She likes the colour and the formula and when she gets to the end
she digs it out with a cotton bud to make sure she gets every last bit!
Benefit Gimme Brow Volumising Brow Gel in the shade 1is another newish addition to my mum’s
routine. This is a mini from a magazine but my mum loves it and I bought her
the full size for Christmas. She says it gives her eyebrows a bit of shape and
colour which she needs as she is blonde so this is easy and quick for her.
You’ll
notice there is no primer, concealer, highlighter, eyeshadow or mascara here
because my mum doesn’t use them! She is a glasses wearer with really curly
lashes so just misses the mascara step and doesn’t see the point in the others!
How am I related to her?
Also
the makeup bag is just a Estee Lauder one she uses if she’s going on holiday, a bit
like me, her makeup lives on her dressing table or in some drawers she has! Hope
you enjoyed that post and a look into someone else's makeup collection! Do you
have any of the same products as my mum?
Danielle xx
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on
Happy Easter Monday everyone! Product Empties part 2
is here! My last batch of empties was huge so I split in in two – read part 1 here! Hopefully normal empties service will return soon, I need to stop having
such a big gap in between! Anyway here are my recent skincare and makeup
empties!
Skincare
Caudalie Moisturising Toner
This
was the never ending toner for me! That sounds negative but it isn’t! This is a
really lovely refreshing toner that felt hydrating (I always use an alcohol
free toner) and was gentle enough to use over eyes as well as skin. Would
repurchase!
This
features constantly in my empties because it is amazing at getting waterproof
eye makeup off and it’s so gentle, my eyes never sting using this and it’s so
effective – if you wear eye makeup you need to try this! It features in this
forever repurchased post too and you guessed it I’ve already repurchased and am
using and I have a backup too!
Olay Essentials Beauty Fluid
This
featured recently in my Tannng 101 post and though I don’t actually use it on
my face it’s here because it’s a skincare item. I remember years ago someone on
YouTube (Samantha Maria I think) saying they had stopped using this because it
has mineral oil in it so I stopped using it on my face. Side note – I’m awful
at looking at ingredients so I’m sure I probably use other products with
mineral oil but this one sticks out to me. Saying that, I love the scent of
this and it’s really nostalgic to me because my mum used to use it too and mineral
oil aside, it’s a really lightweight moisturiser that is perfect for prepping
my elbows, heels and hands before tan so I have repurchased!
La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +
I hate
this. I’ve went through so many tubes of the old version without the “+” and then
this one to see if it was any different and it does not work for my skin at
all. It was hailed as a miracle product back in the day but all it did to my
skin was make me breakout in little pimples so it sat for probably over a year
getting no use until I read somewhere that it was good for keratosis pilaris (bumps
on the back of your arms). I’ve used it up recently by doing that and it did
work well but no better in my opinion than a scrub and some Nivea cream which
is way cheaper so I will never repurchase this again!
Pixi Nourishing Sleep Mask
I don’t
think I ever wrote about this on my blog and I think it was because I never saw
amazing results with it like say the Glow Tonic. I can sometimes be a little
unfair to products like this but it did do what it said it would and left my
skin feeling nourished and plumped in the morning and never broke me out so for
that reason I will repurchase in the future.
Pixi Hydrating Milky Serum
I
really enjoyed using this serum, its lightweight, felt smoothing and absorbed
quickly. It was a pain in the arse for the last few weeks of use though and I
wish I had kept the original cap so I could have balanced it upside down
easier! I did manage to get every last drop though and will repurchase in the future!
Burt’s Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing
Cream
I’ve
went through loads of these before from different Burt’s Bees sets and this is
a really lovely cleanser. It’s not as creamy as say the Rodial Stem Cell
Superfood Cleanser but it’s still lovely to massage into the skin. I love the
scent too as it’s so refreshing but the one negative thing I would say about
this is that it can sting the eyes a bit and even when I avoid my eyes the
scent can make them stream a bit! This travel size is perfect for taking away
too so I would repurchase the travel size before a full size!
This Works In Transit Camera Close Up
I got
this in a magazine and this tiny sample lasted ages! It’s a really great all-rounder
in terms of moisturising and priming for me and I would repurchase in the future.
Skin Owl Neck+
This
was part of a GWP with Cult Beauty absolutely ages ago and I’m finally
finished! I don’t know why I keep products for ages – someone tell me they do the
same? Anyway, it’s a lovely lightweight gel that was formulated specifically
for the neck and chest because these areas don’t produce oil – who knew? I used this a lot last year before I was bridesmaid
and then forgot about it until recently – nearly a year later *facepalm*. It
feels lovely, it sinks in quickly and though I don’t have a “crêpey” neck I
think this did well to further firm it. I won’t repurchase because the full size
is £56 and I think I can just get away with moisturising those areas but if an
aging neck and décolleté is a worry of yours this all natural concentrate would
be a good shout!
Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream
Another
mini sample and one that I loved! This was more lightweight than I had imagined
which wasn’t a bad thing and was just lovely to use at night time! I will
repurchase the full size in the future!
Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips
I had
seen so much hype over this so was excited to try it but it’s one of those
super thick, sticky formulas so even though it felt good on my lips I would not
repurchase the full size.
Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
My favourite
lip balm ever, I usually have at least two of these on the go and panic if I can’t
find it! It’s a really lovely natural balm that feels soothing on the lips and the
peppermint scent is lovely! Have already repurchased and probably have about
five backups too
These
have featured in my last few empties and I also have a full post on them here
but in short the more I use these the more I fall in love with them! The Detox
Clay mask works particularly well with my oily/combo acne prone skin and I love
the results it gives! My skin
looks clearer and more balanced and it removes black heads so easily! After
using the hydrating clay mask my skin feels so hydrated and soft and ready for
the products I put on top. I’ve been getting about 4 uses out of each sachet
too so great value for money – I only use these on my face now and not my body!
Tony Moly Clear Skin Rice sheet mask
To be honest
it’s been so long since I used this, I can’t really remember much about it! As
with all sheet masks I’ve used, it’s really saturated and feels lovely and cooling
on the skin. This one promised to make dull skin look radiant and glowing and I
can’t really remember if it did or not but I felt relaxed while using it! I’ve
also just read the ingredients list and there is mineral oil in it haha!
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream and Magic Eye Rescue
Some
more sachet samples I can’t really remember using – I’m so helpful aren’t I! Both
felt nice but it’s hard to know what you think with only a sample you can get a
few uses out of so I wouldn’t repurchase!
Makeup
L’Oréal Infallible Fixing Mist
I loved this when I first got it but I found the longer I had it the less well it
worked for me and to be honest I probably had it longer than the 12 month
expiry on the back! It did extend the wear of my makeup when I first got it but
the mist wasn’t that fine and you really had to shake it up or you would be
left with white dots all over your face ruining your good work so I wouldn’t
repurchase!
SEVENTEEN Stay Time Pressed Powder in Fair
I
liked this powder when I first got it and thought it did help my makeup stay
put but I don’t like the fact it’s not translucent and I find it can look a
little patchy. It also hasn’t been working well recently and although there is
still a little bit of powder left I just don’t want to use it! Won’t
repurchase! The SEVENTEEN Miracle Matte loose powder is much better!
L’Oréal Brow Artist Plumper in Translucent
This
lasted me ages and I really liked it! It has a tiny wand and set my brows well
without making them crispy. I don’t really understand the plumping bit but that’s
not what I was looking for so I would repurchase!
Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 06
I got
this in a gift set I got in the sale last Christmas so it’s lasted forever even
though it’s a mini! It feels hydrating and long lasting and 06 is a lovely nude
shade that I use to top up during the day and for a bit of colour! Would
repurchase if I saw in the sale again.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in 2 Fair
This
is the second sample I’ve had of this foundation and I find I can get three
good uses out of it! Fair is a great match for my skin when I haven’t tanned and
the foundation is really lovely – it’s not quite as full coverage as I would like
so I wouldn’t purchase a full size but it has a lovely finish and I might try a
darker shade if I can pick a sample again!
Skincare
and makeup empties done! I think I need to set a date in the diary to remind
myself to do these before they get too out of hand! Do you see any of your favourites
here?
*denotes
a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.
Danielle xx
If you want to keep up to date with my posts, don’t forget to follow me
on
Highlighters
are a funny thing to me, with my oily skin I tend to shy away from them or skip
them completely when I’m doing my makeup because I’m paranoid they will draw
attention to me (ironic since this is one of the reasons most people wear them,
no?). I remember doing my makeup for my friend’s wedding a few years ago and
thinking I’ll add a little highlighter, what can go wrong, fast forward a few
hours and I notice glitter that has dropped down my cheeks and gathered under
my eyes (ABH Sand from the contour kit by the way) and I think I made a
conscious decision then not to bother with that step. (I think I was probably
the only person that noticed the fall out and I cleared it up pretty quick with
a powder brush by the way!)
Since
then, I’ve always been extra careful with highlighter, I only use a tiny amount
and the highlighters I own all come in palettes with the only full size coming
as a free gift! So, when I was sent these two Vincent Longo highlighters I knew
I was going to be pushed firmly out of my makeup comfort zone and you know
what, I’m loving it!
I have
previously reviewed Vincent Longo Cosmetics on my blog here but very briefly,
the brand was founded in 1995 and is known for its luxurious, high performance
formulas as well as creativity and award winning products. One of my favourite
products from them is their Water Canvas Crème to Powder blush which featured
again in my Five Products I’m Loving post back in January so I was excited to
give the Vincent Longo Water Canvas Highlighter in Mermaid Muse* (RRP £32) a try.
The crème
to powder formula is quite possibly the most unique formula in makeup I’ve ever
come across and it feels absolutely beautiful on the skin! It’s moist with the
formula containing 75% Microwater – a natural seaweed polymer - pure pigment,
Vitamin E and silica. In the pan this looks like a peachy blush shade but when
on the skin it transforms into a translucent sheer but buildable skin shimmer
that promises to give a refreshing wash of luminous colour and sparkle which it
certainly does! This is a little too sparkly for me for daily wear but I’ve
been enjoying experimenting with it and can vouch for how long lasting it is
and it won’t migrate or cause fall out. The packaging is airtight so keep it
moist so make sure you close it properly after use!
Vincent Longo La Bella Luce Highlighter in Flora* (RRP £24.50) on the other hand is
something I can fully get on board with and it’s officially my favourite
highlighter! It is everything I didn’t know I needed on my face and I’m going
overboard because I love it! La Bella Luce means “beautiful light” in Italian
and that’s really what this highlighter is. It’s a very finely milled powder in
a beautiful marbled pan. Flora is a pearlescent pink that suits my skin tone
perfectly whether I have tan on or not and it’s easily buildable depending on
how much glow you want! Ethereal, candlelit and luminescent are also words that
are in the description of this product online and I could not agree more, this
gives me exactly the right amount of sheen every time I use it and it just adds
a little somethin’ somethin’ to my face! I also love the packaging; it’s a
sleek black magnetic compact with a mirror inside so perfect for travelling
with. I think I’ve finally got over my highlighter fear with this one! Trust
me, you need it!
I found it impossible to capture these properly in my swatches but I’ve
added them in any way to give you a guide! The first photo on the left shows
finger swatches of Mermaid Muse and Flora, the middle photo shows a finger swatch
of Mermaid Muse then a brush swatch using the Real Techniques duo fibre contour
brush and finally the last photo is a finger swatch of Flora then a diffused brush
swatch using a Morphe B8 fan brush.
Vincent
Longo Cosmetics are available at Cult Beauty, Feel Unique, ASOS, Beauty Expert,
Look Fantastic and HQ Hair!
Have
you tried Vincent Longo Cosmetics before? Let me know what your favourite
highlighter is in your collection!
*denotes
a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own. See my full
disclosure here.
Danielle xx
If you want to keep up to date with my posts, don’t forget to follow me
on
