Product Empties #33

 

 

I have a bit of a bumper empties of mostly full size products today! I am happy to say I have managed to stick to my no buy this month – can I get a hallelujah – which has definitely helped motivate me to finish what I have and I am also really close to finishing some other products (mostly skincare) so I hope my next empties post will be 4 weeks away not 6! Anyway, onto the mini reviews! 

 

Haircare

Schwarzkopf got2b Dry Shampoo Extra Volume

They seem to slightly change the name and scent of these every time I purchase but the formula is great – no white cast or sticky residue and very affordable! Will repurchase!

 

OUAI Repair Shampoo and Conditioner

Lol at this old packaging. I bought these right before they introduced the new packaging last year when I wasn’t even finished my last bottles hence how out of date they are. I then was only washing my hair once a week for six months while on Roaccutane and was also sent some Philip Kingsley to try out so neglected these for a bit. I first received them in PR way back in 2016 and they have been in my haircare routine ever since. I have lost count of how many times I have repurchased! I loved the repair line – it made my hair, shiny, smooth and hydrated and it smells incredible - I will be heartbroken if the fine hair line doesn’t live up to it! Already repurchased the new line!

 

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer*

A pre shampoo treatment that I loved to use overnight. This really helped to reduce breakage and hydrate my dry ends! I wasn’t a huge fan of this limited edition scent and I did go through this quite quickly as I have long hair but would repurchase in the future as its often on discount! Read my full review on the Philip Kinsley haircare range here!

 

Olaplex No3

Are you sick of hearing about this one yet? Forever repurchased by me as its been such a game changer for my hair. Rebuilds bonds from heat damage making it stronger and healthier, I love this stuff and am already using my backup! Read more about it here! 

 

Skincare

I’m From Rice Toner

Love this, milky, hydrating and brightening as it contains niacinamide – wrote more about it here! Will repurchase in the future!

 

Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner

A gel like formula, this was perfect for my dehydrated and dry skin while on Roaccutane, it’s soothing and my calmed my skin. Another one I would repurchase and I wrote more about it here!

 

Scientia Peach and Glow Hydra Skin Tonic*

I really have a thing for toners hey? This one was also perfect while I was on Roaccutane as it contains tranexamic acid and bakuchiol, much gentler ingredients! It was hydrating and made my skin look more even and brighter. Also smells lightly of peach which I enjoyed! Would repurchase and I wrote more about it in this post!

 

The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Gel Wash

I wasn’t expecting to like this one so much as I thought it was going to be quite drying as its not SLS free but surprisingly it wasn’t! It felt clarifying and refreshing and my skin didn’t feel tight after use. Think my skin would like this even more in the summer and when its back fully to its oily self but won’t be a repurchase just yet as I have so many other cleansers to get through! More on it here!

 

Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defence SPF30*

Despite the word invisible being in its title, this takes a little bit of work to rub in before it is actually invisible – I am fair/light skinned so can’t speak for those of a darker skin tone though. Once it is rubbed in I really like this! It’s perfect for sensitive skin, doesn’t sweat or run into my eyes or make them sting, it doesn’t pill and it sits really well under my foundation! I am using a different one at the minute but Dermalogica have sent me a backup of this! Full review here!

 

I’m From Mugwort Mask

I am so sad to see the end of this! It’s another one of my Roaccutane skincare saviours and I can’t recommend it enough! It instantly soothes and calms my skin taking the redness out and leaving it looking clear and even! Won’t be repurchasing just yet as I have so many other masks to go through but if you have sensitive skin you need this! Recent review here!

 

Garden of Wisdom Azelaic Acid

Azelaic Acid is a strange one for me, I want to love it but sometimes I’m not sure it’s really doing anything? It’s anti-inflammatory, good for sensitive skin and rosacea, it brightens skin and helps with pigmentation and I prefer this formula to The Ordinary version but I don’t see drastic results with either. As I said, it’s a product I want to persevere with so I have repurchased the much talked about Paula’s Choice version to see what that’s like!

 

The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid*

I know this is a cult favourite for a lot of people and I have been through several bottles myself but it’s not my favourite hyaluronic acid so while I’m sure I will pick it up again some time I haven’t repurchased just yet! Nicely hydrating but packaging is not my fave! Full review here!

 

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

One of my favourite lip products ever and another product I am gutted to be finished! This has lasted me forever and a day and I am so glad it’s now available on Cult Beauty! At £19 it’s not the cheapest lip balm but it’s worth it! This really does keep my lips hydrated overnight and I wake up to them being soft, plump and flake free! Will repurchase when I finish a few other lip balms! Full review here!

 

Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes Dark Circle Radiance Concentrate

A nice little mini I got a good amount of use out of, felt hydrating and brightening but the full size is a little expensive for me right now when there are other more affordable eye creams I enjoy just as much so not a repurchase!

 

Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel

Forgot how good these were! I had a couple of samples of these and used one the other night and woke up to smooth, clear, even skin! The full pack of these is so expensive I can’t bring myself to purchase it when I have so many other treatments right now but I would for sure if I had a big event coming up! 

 

Bodycare

Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Self-Tanning Dry Oil

Another product I have repurchased a few times since discovering in 2016 – must have been quite the year for me finding products I like! This has a lovely coconut scent and leaves the most subtle medium colour! It’s a little messy as it’s a spray but there is a guide colour and it can be built up easily if you want a darker shade of tan! Wears off nicely too! Will repurchase at some point!

 

Lush Snow Fairy

A classic I get every year, it’s sickly sweet but I love it! My mum picked this up for me in the boxing Day sales (I generally find Lush overpriced so don’t buy much from them) and as I usually have about 3-4 body washes on the go at any one time it’s taken me to now to finish! Will repurchase at Christmas time again! 

 

Makeup

Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy in Spice Girl

I got this in a Sephora Favourites longer ago than I care to remember and I have finally finished it. It’s a little too on the peachy side of nude for me personally but lasts a decent amount of time on the lips. It tingles but I didn’t find I got much plumping with it. Not a repurchase! 

 

Miscellaneous

Dose & Co Pure Collagen Unflavoured Collagen Peptides

I don’t normally include supplements etc in my empties but I recently jumped on the collagen bandwagon and as it’s more of a beauty supplement I thought I would include! My skin is still doing really well after Roaccutane and to be honest I take other vitmains anyway for my hair and nails already but what I did notice with this was that my joints felt a lot better. I have been taking cod liver oil tablets since I was a teenager but being on Roaccutane can affect your joints too so I started taking this in late March and found it made a difference. I take in in water and dilute juice – tried it in tea once and it was gross! I was worried the pot wouldn’t last long but I got a good 6 weeks use daily out of the powder and repurchased the Vital Proteins collagen this time as it was on a better offer for more grams – I have to say it dissolves much better too! Will repurchase!

 

Carex Love Hearts Hand Cleansing Gel

My aunt got me this as part of my Christmas present and the hand gel itself is great, non-drying and sinks in quickly but the scent is so sweet, not for me! Will repurchase a “normal” scent next!

 

Congratulations if you made it to the end of that! Let me know if you saw any of your favourites here! Have you been finishing up products this month or buying new ones? 

 

See my last empties post here! 

 

*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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Makeup | Pixi On-The-Glow Blush Review

 

Recently, I received a PR package from Pixi with three On-The-Glow cream blush sticks* (also available on ASOS here). After I got over the cuteness of the box they came in, without even trying them I immediately thought, I am not going to like these. What can I say, I am set in my matte/powder makeup ways but, I am happy to report I could not have been more wrong about these!  

 

Like I said, I was not expecting to like these as I generally stay away from cream products. Some formulas I have tried in the past have really interfered with my foundation and made it look patchy and they haven’t lasted long on my oily skin. At the minute, my skin is still on the more normal side of things since finishing Roaccutane so that could be a reason why I am getting on so famously with these but I will be sure to update if and when my skin gets oilier to see how they fair then!

 

The blush sticks are formulated with Ginseng to revitalise and balance, Aloe Vera to soothe and calm and Fruit Extracts to nourish and renew. They are also able to be used on lips as well as cheeks and feel hydrating while giving a really natural colour to both! They come in three colours – Juicy (a bright coral), Fleur (a baby pink) and Ruby (a dark pink/red). As a fan of pink blush I was sure Fleur was going to be my favourite but Juicy has won my heart! It’s the most gorgeous brightening coral shade and I just love it! So much in fact that I also featured it last week in my Five Things I'm Loving post!

 

unedited swatches l-r: Juicy, Fleur, Ruby

These can be applied to cheeks with fingers however, personally, I prefer using a brush and the Zoeva 128 cream cheek brush is my weapon of choice! This makes it easy for me to build up to the colour I want and ensure the tint is blended easily and I love this duo! The result is the perfect amount of tint and glow which never looks greasy just dewy and healthy! The blush also lasts all day which I really wasn’t expecting but there is minimal fading for me. The stick is easy to use on the lips and again either gives a really subtle, sheer tint to them or is easily buildable if you want more impact. It’s not as long lasting on the lips as the cheeks but super easy to reapply so not an issue for me.

 

They give such a natural healthy looking flush, I honestly can’t recommend these enough if you are already a cream blush lover or you want to try one with a great formula! There is a huge amount of product in the sticks at 19g – I don’t think I will ever be able to fully finish one! The packaging feels sturdy and each blush also has a separate plastic cap on the inside to protect it and keep it from drying out! They cost £18 each but are usually on offer at around £14.40 on ASOS, Sephora UK or Look Fantastic when they have 20% off as well as Harvey Nichols. They can also be found on Pixi's website here and Pixi is a cruelty free brand!

 

Have you tried these yet? Let me know what you thought or tell me your favourite cream blush!

 

*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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Five Things I’m Loving | June 2021

 

It’s been a while since I’ve done a five things I’m loving post so here is one today for your viewing pleasure! A few items have featured recently so I will link to their full review but I haven’t put down these five products over the last month or two so they deserve some spotlight!

 

As a huge fan of the afterglow lip balms, the NARS Soft Matte Tinted lip balm in Unrestricted RRP £23 had been on my radar for a while before I finally saw it with 20% off on Boots and included it in my April Spend Report! I was so glad the shade I wanted was still in stock as annoyingly these are limited edition! I’ve linked to the rest of the shades above as Unrestricted is gone now – I am really hoping they bring this back as a permanent line because the formula is amazing! Like the name suggests, it’s matte but it’s so smooth to apply and comfortable to wear just like the afterglow balms. It applies the most perfect pink nude to my lips and just looks so chic with it being matte! It lasts a decent amount of time on the lips, isn’t drying in the slightest and the packaging is gorgeous! I am in love with this formula – you need to try it! 

 

Sticking with the lip theme, the Fenty Beauty Sheer Shiny Lipstick in Retro Rose RRP £19 is another one that’s been gracing my lips nonstop the last month! I’m working from home now and this and the NARS are just so handy to have on hand to make sure my lips have a bit of a tint before copious zoom calls. Neither of them require a mirror either! This one is obviously a lot shinier but I do have a type –  it’s another dusty pink /my lips but better shade! It’s so moisturising but also buildable if you want a bit more tint and it lasts a good amount of time on my lips too and I love the outer casing! If you are looking for a new lipstick/balm hybrid look no further than these two! Full review here!

 

A more recent addition to my makeup bag is the Pixi On-The-Glow blush stick in Juicy* RRP £18 and one I will be honest, I wasn’t expecting to love as much! Cream blush is not my go to by any means, I am a powder/matte lover but I am so impressed with this formula! It can be used on cheeks and lips and it leaves the most healthy glow and tint of colour! I use a Zoeva cream cheek brush and it adds the perfect amount every time without disturbing my base. I can’t get over how long these last either, I am getting a full 12 hours with very minimal fading though bear in mind that right now my skin is not as oily as it normally would be! On the lips it looks beautiful too though not as long lasting as the NARS or Fenty Beauty! I plan to do a few review and swatches of all three colours in the range soon!

 

Unedited swatches l-r: NARS Unrestricted, Fenty Beauty Retro Rose, Pixi Beauty Juicy

 

Next up, some skincare picks and I do have a full review of these two here but as I am almost finished them I wanted to shout them out again! The Inkey list Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser* RRP £10.99 is currently my go to morning and second cleanse. It very lightly exfoliates and boosts radiance, and leaves my skin feeling smooth and looking more even. It doesn’t leave it feeling dry or tight and it’s a generous 150ml size too! Along with that, the 15% Vitamin C and EGF Serum* RRP £14.99 is one of my most reached for serums at the minute! I just love the non-oily/greasy, lightweight formula that sinks in quickly. Only recently, I found out you are meant to wait 10 minutes before applying other skincare products on top to allow skin cells to respond to the EGF (which supports skin health and elasticity). I use this mostly in the morning where it works perfectly in my routine and under makeup too – I am working on leaving it as long as 10 minutes before continuing my skincare routine! My skin looks brighter, more even and feels plumper! The Vitamin C in this isn’t as potent as some but with this I have found a great formula which I struggle with in Vitamin C serums so the trade-off works for me! 

 

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know what you thought of them or what you are currently loving!

 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.

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

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