Thursday, 19 December 2019

Skincare Review | Dermalogica

As a member of Dermalogica’s Skinfluencer programme I am very lucky to be sent some of their products to try out so here are my thoughts on some of their most classic skincare products! 
dermalogica pre cleanse microfoliant special cleansing gel skin smoothing cream skin perfect primer review

I love a good cleansing oil and this one is beautiful! It’s feels luxurious and the citrus scent is very invigorating! It makes light work of removing makeup but man does this sting when I go too near my eyes! Bit of a deal breaker for me as I like a product that does it all but I really enjoy using this on days I don’t have eye makeup on so can get away with just my normal eye make-up remover! Adding water changes the oil to a milky emulsion giving it even more oomph but I just wish it didn’t react with my eyes so bad! 

Since cleansing gels aren’t really my jam, I have to say this was the product I was least excited for but how wrong I was. This has completely changed my opinion on them! It’s a watery gel (a little goes a long way) that lathers without drying and makes my skin feel fully clean and not stripped at all. I love using this as my morning cleanse as it leaves my skin feeling calm and matte perfect for my next skincare steps and makeup. A very surprising love! 

dermalogica daily microfoliant review

This really is the standout product for me! I had heard so much hype before I tried it and it completely lives up to it! It’s a super finely milled rice-based powder that activates when in  contact with water to release Papain, Salicylic Acid and Rice Enzymes. The first time I used this I thought it was going to feel harsh but how wrong I was, this is the ultimate exfoliator and I can’t get over how gentle yet effective it is at removing dead, flaky skin and making my skin feel the smoothest and softest it has in years! 

Another favourite for me is this moisturiser! Its creamy but lightweight and serves as a great base for my makeup as well as hydrating my skin throughout the day! It is patented with Active Hydramesh Technology to give skin 48 hour’s worth of hydration and also protects against environmental stressors. I haven’t went 48 hours without doing a full skincare routine but my biggest indicator this works for me is how plump my skin still looks after a full day in a heated office!

Lastly is the skinperfect primer and I love how this contains SPF30! It’s a velvety tinted primer that works well to even out my skin tone and ensures my makeup applies smoothly, For me, it doesn’t give my makeup quite the lasting powder as the Touch in Sol No Poreblem Primer does with my nemesis (Note foundation) and with the SPF in it it’s not something I would wear if I knew there was going to be flash photography but it really does leave a lovely base and I can imagine me getting a lot of use out of this in the summer in particular! 

Overall I am super impressed with my first foray into Dermalogica skincare and I think the price point is spot on for the quality of products! My favourites are obviously the Daily Microfoliant, Special Cleansing Gel and Skin Smoothing Cream as you can tell from the reviews so they are definitely top of my recommendation list at the minute if you need any new cleansers, exfoliator or moisturisers in your routine!  

Dermalogica can be bought directly from their website as well as many UK retailers such as Look Fantastic, John Lewis and Feel Unique! 

Have you tried any Dermalogica skincare products before? Let me know your favourites! 

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

Danielle xx

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Thursday, 12 December 2019

Product Empties #22

It’s that time again! Here are my most recent empties from the last few months!

product empties reviews soap and glory nivea niod

bodycare empties nivea soap and glory review

Bodycare
Soap and Glory Clean on Me shower gel
One of my OG favourite shower products! This lasts ages and smells amazing! Forever repurchased! 

Nivea Shower Crème
Another shower favourite, Nivea is the best budget brand for shower gel and moisturiser for me! I love the fresh scent of this, it is forever repurchased! 

Nivea Soft moisturiser
Love love love this, huge tub for about £3-4, I repurchase this constantly! 

Soap and Glory Righteous Butter
This one feels a little thicker so more luxurious! Again, it smells amazing, feels very hydrating and I already have a backup! 

Nivea smooth care hand care*
This is PR from years ago that I left behind when I went to Canada and when I got home it still smelled good so I used it up! Love these and will repurchase when I finish up some more hand creams! 

skincare empties niod disciple Mario badescu review

Skincare
Skyn Iceland Arctic Hydration rubberising mask with vitamin C
This was so much fun to use! It comes with a mixing kit that you spread on your face then you peel it off after its dried. My skin felt so plump after using this and nicely hydrated. While I would like to use it again, its £10 for a single pack so out of my budget! 

Mario Badescu Aloe, Herbs and rosewater facial spray
One of my favourite facial sprays, this is a handbag essential for me and I use it constantly while I’m at work! It’s super refreshing and hydrating and I just repurchased 2 in the sales last week! See more on how much I love it here! 

Disciple Balancing Mist
This is also a really lovely calming spray but at £15 for 50ml not one I will be repurchasing! I prefer the January Labs Restorative Tonic Mist and you get more product at 118ml for £18! Love the packaging and have refilled with water to use as a plant spray J

NIOD Sanskrit Saponins
One of my favourite morning cleansers! I love this one and have repurchased many times but held back at Deciem’s recent 23% off as I have too many other cleansers to use up at the minute but will repurchase in the future for sure! 

111Skin Y Theorem Repair Serum
A lovely little serum from a Cult Beauty goody bag that felt beautiful and smelled great but at £190 for 30ml one I will not be repurchasing! 

Burt’s Bees beeswax lip balm x2 
One of my favourite lip balms, I have lost count of how many of these I have went through! Hydrating and affordable and I already have a back up J

Dr Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream 
I absolutely love Dr Jart moisturisers, they are amazing! This is such a great moisturiser, it's so calming and also perfect for under makeup! I really like this but would repurchase the Ceramidin moisturiser over this! 

Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum
This is nice but it didn’t wow me – though I might be saying that as it’s a sample size! I wouldn’t repurchase but would happily use up another sample! 

makeup empties Estée Lauder Laura mercier revlon review

Makeup
Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation
The OG number one best foundation in the world! I cannot get enough of this stuff and you can read more about why I love it so much here! Already repurchased! 

Revlon Colorstay foundation 
My affordable option to the above because I can’t afford to wear double wear every day haha. This is another long-lasting full coverage option that is usually always on offer in Boots too making it more affordable! Already using my backup! 

Laura Mercier translucent powder
Another favourite! This is my favourite setting powder, mattifying but not cakey and adds a little extra somethin somethin to my makeup! Already got a backup! 

NYX HD Finishing powder
Really enjoyed this but hit pan quickly so it didn’t last long and I prefer the No7 Perfect Light translucent powder for pressed powder. Would repurchase if on offer. 

Beauty Bakery flour powder
I was pleasantly surprised by this little sample too! It mattified better than I thought it would and even though I only got a few uses out of it I would repurchase if it had a good offer! 

Touch in Sol No-Poreblem primer 
I’m not a massive one for primer (I generally forget to put it on each morning) but this one has become a staple in my routine! It blurs pores, is mattifying and minimises the appearance of fine lines making my base look even better! I just got sent a full size of this recently through PR so have a back up ready to go! 

YSL Touche Eclat highlighter 
This took me ages to finish and to be honest I didn’t notice any difference when using it so not a repurchase for me! 

hair empties vo5 dry shampoo

Haircare 
VO5 Refresh Me Quick dry shampoo 
One of my favourite dry shampoos! It smells amazing and makes my hair look less greasy! Sadly this seems to be discontinued so this is my last bottle L

VO5 Give me Texture dry texturizing spray
This was a nice little extra touch on second day hair to make my limp locks a little better looking! Would repurchase but I think this is discontinued as well! 

empties 3d crest white secret deodorant eucalyptus

Miscellaneous
Crest 3D White 
Some Canadian favourites I can’t get anymore including this toothpaste lol best I found for gentle, effective whitening! 

Secret Clear Gel Stress Response 
Also gutted I can’t get this anymore! This is amazing on my sweaty pits and Mitchum doesn’t quite cut the mustard anymore!

Botanics Eucalyptus Pure Essential Oil
I got a diffuser shortly after I got home and have really been enjoying this oil in it. It’s so refreshing and stress relieving and I have already repurchased! 

the ordinary review retinoid alpha arbutin

Not quite finished 
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
Now some products that are past their sell by date unfortunately! This is a great budget option, super gentle but effective and I always wake up to plumper skin! Will repurchase in the future but using the Inkey List’s offering at the moment. 

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA  
Love this stuff but have neglected it since the end of summer and now the colour has changed! It’s great for hyperpigmentation and I love mixing this with Niacinamide! Will repurchase in the future but again going to try the Inkey List’s offereing first! 

Have you tried any of these products? Do you save your empties too? 

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

Danielle xx

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Monday, 2 December 2019

Skincare | Good Molecules by Beautylish

When brand of the moment Good Molecules got in touch a few months ago I could barely contain my excitement! Having seen the cute packaging on instagram and heard about the wonderful formulas and affordable pricing I didn’t hesitate to say yes to trying out some products! 

good molecules beautylish review

The brand is inhouse at Beautylish and aims to offer effective, affordable, science backed skincare. I was sent four products picked out specifically for my combo skin with my main concerns being acne/pigmentation and aging and here are my thoughts: 

Targeting uneven skin tone, dullness and visible pores, this toner contains licorice root extract, arbutin and Vitamin C as well as niacinamide. It is super gentle and suitable for both AM and PM, I use a cotton pad to apply but you could also pat on with your palms and it is very easily absorbed. I don’t detect any scent when using it and I love that it is alcohol free! Just enough comes out of the bottle when you tap the bottom and there is 120ml of product for $14. After continued use I do think my skin has been brighter and left over pigmentation from acne scarring has been less pronounced (I haven’t just been using this product but I do believe it has made a difference)! 

Hyaluronic acid is a staple in my routine and I am loving this offerieng from Good Molecules! It is very lightweight and sinks into the skin quickly, working well with the discoloration correcting serum in particular. It provides the start of a good base for me in the morning and helps draw moisture in making my base look fresh! At $6 this is a steal and my favourite before the Ordinary and Inkey List hyaluronic acid offerings! 

Containing tranexamic acid, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid this serum is perfect for promoting an even skin tone. Like the toner, this feels very gentle and can also be used AM or PM. It has a lovely formula, doesn’t feel tacky and also sinks in quickly. In conjunction with the toner, I have been loving this as a tag team against pigmentation and dark spots and at $12 it doesn’t break the bank! 

This 10% AHA and BHA serum has been the most surprising to me, after one night of use I couldn't believe how many clogged pores came to the surface of my skin! This one is only for use in the PM and SPF is recommended for the day after use (and obviously even if you haven’t used it the night before :P). It tingles on application for me but soon settles down though do note that it also contains citrus essential oil if that has a tendency to irritate your skin! It doesn’t bother me and I love the effects of this serum, definitely worth a try if you suffer from clogged pores and its only $6!  

Special mention to the droppers too, they are amazing! Fit perfectly in the top of the bottle and fill right up to the top when refilling – I realise this is a weird thing to get excited about but if you have ever used a dodgy dropper you will know what I mean! 

No products are tested on animals and the heavy glass packaging and wonderful contents would have you believe you are paying much more for the brand! Overall, I am so grateful I got to try these products and if you are in the market for anything I have talked about I would not hesitate to recommend! They are slowly adding more products to the lineup and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next! Beautylish also deliver to most countries worldwide and ship to the UK for free on orders over $35, customs are also added before you checkout so no nasty surprises on delivery! 

Have you tried anything from Good Molecules? 

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

Danielle xx

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Monday, 18 November 2019

Forever Repurchased #6

Hi guys, I’m back with a few more products that are regular repurchases round here so thought I’d quickly chat about them!

ouai rituals alpha h review copy

OUAI Repair Shampoo and Conditioner were originally sent to me as PR many years ago but I repurchase these regularly because I love them so much – the scent is like nothing else, so much so that I also have the perfume version! Scent aside, these are SLS free (my number one thing when looking for hair products) and leave my hair looking shiny and feeling healthy!

I received the Rituals The Ritual of Sakura Foaming Shower Gel as a present for Christmas last year and couldn’t get over how luxurious it felt! So much so, when I got home this summer, I added a bottle into my basket! This has lasted an age and smells so delicate and beautiful, definitely recommend if you want something a bit more lavish in the shower! 

The Alpha-H Liquid Gold is one of my skincare holy grails, I am almost out of this, so I bought the supersize version! This is my favourite overnight exfoliation treatment and I always wake up so smoother, brighter, glowier skin! A staple in my skincare collection! 

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup is my OG foundation and the one I always have in my stash no matter what! Full coverage, perfecting and long lasting this is the BEST foundation for my skin and believe me I have tried a lot! Little bit pricey but worth it and there is always a 20% off code floating about somewhere!

Let me know if you have tried any of the above and what you thought!


Danielle xx
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Monday, 4 November 2019

Deciem | Black November Sale Picks

Hey guys, thought I would write up a quick post today with my picks for the Deciem Black November sale! I think it’s really cool they are doing 23% off for the entire month meaning you don’t have to panic purchase anything and you have more time to decide if you really need to make the purchase (excluding November 29th when their storers and website will be closed) – on the flipside though you can get 20% off from most other websites that sell the range at other times of the year and I do miss the  heavily discounted bundle sets they used to do as it allowed you to try out products you normally wouldn’t have thought about! Anyway – onto the products! 

deciem niod review cais sanskrit saponins

My Holy Grail products
A blue liquid that maintains healthy looking skin targeting all signs of skin ageing including textural damage, uneven skin tone, enlarged pores and a lack of radiance. This has been a constant repurchase for me over the last few years! They recently updated the formula and its as good as ever!

One of my favourite morning cleansers, this targets all forms of build-up, blemishes, congestion and impurities. The first time I used this I was a little put off by the smell but I soon got over it and I reach for it regularly in the morning! It leaves my skin feeling clean and matte but not dried out and works really well with my blemished skin! As you can see, I am almost out of mine so I will be picking another one up soon! 

I mix these two and love how they work together! The Alpha Arbutin works to reduce the look of spots and hyper pigmentation and Niacinamide is a high strength vitamin and mineral blemish formula that reduces the appearance of blemishes and congestion as well as balancing sebum. These two are amazing and again, I have repurchased many times and will definitely be picking up a few new bottles this time around too! 

Honourable mentions that I don’t have right now but 100% recommend include HIF volume and hydration support, The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG and NIOD Multi Molecular Hyaluronic Complex.

deciem the ordinary review

Products I Like
Here are a few products I really like but probably could do with using a little more as I often forget about them! I enjoy them when I use them but I could probably do with using on the regular to form a better opinion, so I’ll keep this short and sweet! 

The Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is the perfect gentle product if you are just getting into retinoids, I always wake up with plump skin! Alpha Lipoic Acid 5% is an antioxidant product providing glowy skin overnight. The Mandelic Acid 10% + HA is a gentle AHA and the 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder is brightening, tingles and is perfect to mix with your current moisturiser. All definitely worth trying out if you are in the market for any new skincare products! 

deciem review hylamide

Products I would Skip 
I evidently need to have another clear out because I do not know why I am still holding onto these products! Hylamide HA Blur and Hylamide Matte 12 don’t do anything for me in terms of priming, I don’t notice my makeup staying on any longer or my base looking any better and the Hylamide Pore Control is honestly one I’ve only used a couple of times and found it to dry out my oily/combo skin a little

I also don’t rate Petrowhat? lip balm, the texture if awful and it doesn’t feel hydrating to me, the oils don’t work for my skin and the coverage foundation was awful too! 

Explore my other Deciem related posts here and shop Deciem here!

Let me know what your favourite Deciem products are and if you are planning on picking any products up! Top of my list to try is the Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1%! 

Danielle xx
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Thursday, 24 October 2019

Five Things I’m Loving | October 2019

Hey guys, hope you are all having a lovely week so far! Not sure what came on me this weekend, I finally sorted my memory card out and put my photos into folders ready for their blog posts! I don’t think I will be posting very regularly but some products do get me excited enough to want to write about them so here we are with what I have been loving this month! Incidentally, I am much more active on Instagram, and here’s my link if you want to come have a look! 
mario badescu lanolips abh clean bumble and bumble

This has been a godsend for me over the last month as I have been back working in an office setting! With the change of seasons, my skin always freaks out and gets really dehydrated and this is such a refreshing, cooling pick me up perfect throughout the day! I have gone through countless bottles of this and tried the cucumber and lavender versions too (need to try the orange next!) but this one is my favourite! 

I got this in a Cult Beauty GWP (my weakness) a couple of months ago and it’s been a staple ever since! It feels very hydrating on the lips and there is minimal reapplication as it lasts so long! The only thing I don’t love is the scent so I would try a different one next time but the formula is amazing! 

I’ve had this for ages and kept forgetting about it (usually because the bottle is so small it gets forgotten!). Now, this doesn’t do a lot for me on its own, but in conjunction with my normal dry shampoo this makes my hair look like it’s got a little somethin' somethin' going on when in reality it's day 3 and it could have done with being washed the night before! Rubs in easy and adds some lift to my roots! 

Clean Fragrance in Skin
Another recent rediscovery, I completely forgot about this set of 5 perfumes I got last Christmas! This scent is my favourite from the set and it’s so subtle but long lasting I just love it and the rollerball is so handy! I suck at describing scents but all the notes it includes are in the link if you are interested! Cannot find a UK link for it so I guess this will go on my ever-growing list of perfumes I can’t have after finishing them *sigh*

I pretty much stopped wearing eyeshadow in Canada, not sure why, probably so I could have an extra 5 minutes in bed but since I have to drive to work and get up earlier now anyway its back! This shadow recently became part of a mini project pan I am working on and I have been loving it! It is the perfect one wash colour and impossible to go overboard with! It’s an ultra-matte warm brown shade and I have a pretty hefty dent in it already so looking forward to hitting pan on this one! 

So, that’s what I have been loving this month! I would love to hear if you have tried any of these or what you are loving! 

Danielle xx
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Tuesday, 8 October 2019

Product Empties (skip a few) #21

product empties daniellesbeautyblog

It’s been a while guys! These are my favourite posts to write and I have been saving my empties since I got home in the middle of August in an old beauty box ready for the day I had enough to write this post! 

body care empties nivea soap and glory

Bodycare
One of my favourite body moisturisers, this is creamy, hydrating and smells amazing! Forever repurchased! 

Another of my favourite body care brands, I am obsessed with how fresh this scent is! Also does a great job of moisturising my skin. Forever repurchased.

Another lovely moisturiser, I prefer this scent in the body foam form more so than this moisturising cream but it was very hydrating and smoothing! Would probably repurchase if on offer!

haircare empties vo5 soap and gory klorane

Haircare
VO5 Refresh me Quick dry shampoo
One of my favourite dry shampoos THAT VO5 HAVE DISCONTINUED!!! I left this (and the next two) at home over 2 years ago when I went to Canada as they don’t have a use by date lol. I absolutely love the scent of this and it worked really well in my hair leaving no white cast, I am absolutely gutted they have discontinued it! 

Another great dry shampoo with possibly the best packaging ever haha this one also smells amazing; I love getting whiffs of it throughout the day and it works well to soak my greasy hair up too! Will repurchase!

Probably the best dry shampoo I have ever tried, it has a very fresh scent, leaves no white cast and does the best job out of the three at keeping my hair looking fresher for longer. I will certainly repurchase this but it’s also the priciest of the three so I need a cheaper replacement also because I go through A LOT of dry shampoo! Will wait to Escentual have 20% of before making a purchase! Dry shampoo recommendations around the £2 mark also welcome, I am not a fan of Batiste unfortunately! 

skincare empties nivea pixi inkey list

Skincare
If you have read my blog for a while you will be sick of hearing about this! It’s my number one first cleanse as it’s so creamy and gets the majority of my makeup off before I go in with a balm or oil! Its known as Nivea Lotion here and Canada has discontinued this but I found it in Savers at home – not a lot showing up online for it though - tell me it hasn’t been discontinued here too! Already of course repurchased! 

If you know, you know! This dual phase formula makes taking waterproof eye makeup off a breeze. Forever repurchased! 

Drunk Elephant Beste No.9 Jelly Cleanser
I feel very blah about this one, its nice to use in the morning but I don't love it and it doesn't excite me  therefore I would not repurchase! 

I think this is maybe my third bottle of this, it works well on the daily for me as it’s so lightweight but it’s not quite as hydrating as I would like overnight. I absolutely hate the dropper; it never works or dispenses product and they still haven’t updated it! I will probably repurchase this in the future but maybe not to next summer, my skin needs something a little more hydrating for winter, recommendations welcome! 

As far as budget hyaluronic acids go I prefer this over the Ordinary’s offering, however, I unfortunately have expensive taste in hyaluronic acids and nothing beats NIOD or Mabel + Meg’s offerings for me. I will 100% repurchase this through as I can’t afford those back to back and this one is lovely.

I love this! Super lightweight yet very hydrating, I don’t have big dark bags (lol) but they certainly felt brighter and more even toned using this! Will repurchase in the future but I want to try their new Brighten-I eye cream first! 

Obsessed with this, it’s a must have product for me as it’s so hydrating and calming on my skin! I use this about 3 times a week - already repurchased! Also talked about it in my last blog post here!

I enjoyed using this up but didn’t find it any more mattifying that other moisturisers I have so wouldn’t repurchase a full size at this point! 

Nice physical exfoliant however every time I used this it got up my nose and I have no idea how because it doesn’t happen with other exfoliators I use – uncomfortable experience so wouldn’t repurchase! 

Got a good few uses out of this even though it's a tiny sample and I really liked it! Very hydrating and brightening but I don’t think I can get it in the UK! Would repurchase if I was back in Canada or the USA! 


makeup empties estee lauder revlon

Makeup
My number one can’t live without makeup product! I love this stuff – full coverage, long lasting and looks better the longer I wear it, already repurchased two backups because I can’t live without it! 

I used to get my mum to send me this over from home as its my favourite drugstore concealer and works so well! It’s not drying and does a great job of covering blemishes - already using my back up! 

I have repurchased this numerous times and it does a great job of giving my lashes volume and length while keeping them separated and not going flaky! I refuse to spend more than £10 on a mascara so this is perfect for me and I have already repurchased and started using my back up! 

Another product I have repurchased numerous times1 This is a great alternative to the ABH Brow Wiz through the pencil is not quite as soft! This lasts ages and makes it so easy to fill my brows in! Forever repurchased! 

beauty blender review

Miscellaneous
Gutted I can’t get these anymore! This is my favourite scent – its eucalyptus and spearmint and smells amazing, sinks in quickly and makes my hands feel clean! Have a couple of back-ups and will probably have to get someone to send me some more over when they run out! 


Sorry for the horrible used beauty blender photo above but I am obsessed with these, they are the only thing I will put my foundation on with! Leaves an even, streak free finish and worth the price tag in my opinion! Already using my back up! 

joe fresh cotton pads

Special mention - Joe Fresh cotton face pads - these are amazing! I don't normally mention the more boring type of products like this but I have been unable to find my favourite soft and gentle ones at home as I think they have been discontinued so if you have any recommendations for a cotton face pad that has indents on it (hope that makes sense) please let me know or tell me your thoughts on reusable cotton pads - are they any good? 

Congratulations if you got through all that! if you are still here I would also love to know your dry shampoo recommendations – I am not a fan of Batiste, and any hydrating serum recommendations (I usually alternate the Pixi one with Vichy Aqualia Thermal!) Thank you! 

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

Danielle xx
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