Taking A Chance With Unknown Brands From T.K Maxx
I recently watched a Nadine Baggott video from her 'Come Shopping with Me' series where she shopped at T.K Maxx. In it, she urges her viewers to "Look for brands you know" and I immediately thought Noooooo!!! I have to disagree - it's the brands that you don't know where you find the best bargains in T.K Maxx. Sure, it can be a bit of a gamble buying something from a brand that you've never even heard of before. But I've found some real gems taking a chance on the unknowns in the past. True, I've also picked up a few Donkeys along the way, but on the whole it can be really rewarding when you strike gold with a brilliant product.
T.K Maxx seems to have really upped their game in the past few months. There have been some amazing natural products and brands from different countries which are definitely worth a second look.
Here are some of my best T.K Maxx finds:
ValJean Labs - Restore - Niacinamide & Zinc Facial Serum
Valjean Labs is an American, cruelty free, vegan brand and their only online presence seems to be on the Urban Outfitters website (in the U.S).
Although the percentage of Niacinamide in this product is not given, this is still a great little serum. It has a lovely silky watery-gel type texture which applies well, absorbs without any tackiness and layers well with other products. I love Niacinamide for it's brightening properties, but it's essentially known for reducing the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion. I've noticed other similar active serums from this brand in T.K Maxx quite regularly, but haven't tried any of them out as of yet. Certainly worth a punt if you're new to active serums and would like to give them a whirl.
Rata & Co - Chia Seed Oil Eye Serum
Rata & Co is a natural skincare brand from New Zealand. There have been quite a few interesting sounding natural brands from New Zealand I've noticed.
I first bought one of these serums a couple of years ago. I recently saw it in store again for £5.99 so couldn't resist picking up another.
This is a really hydrating eye cream and because it also contains Chia Seed Oil, Avocado Oil and Coconut oil it's also fab at nourishing my under eye area without being too heavy or oily.
Formulathions - Malachite Serum & Centella ( £5.99 each)
Formulathions is a Spanish brand who I first spotted in Seville. I had bought far too much during that visit so didn't pick anything up from the brand, but kind of regretted it. So I was delighted when I spotted some Formulathions on sale in T.K Maxx and picked up two of the Malachite serums.
The Malachite serum not only looks rather fabulous with it's icy blue colour but it smells great too. It has a light fresh scent of Blue Tansy.
This is such a hydrating serum which is cooling and soothing when applied, thoroughly hydrating and layers well with other products. It contains Malachite, a mineral which is rich in Copper and contains anti free radical properties to help the skin's cellular structure.
Despite having far too many moisturisers in my stash, I also leaped at picking up the Centella when I spotted it in my local T.K Maxx a few months ago. This is the kind of product that often ends up in the clearance section. Another reason to give the unknown brands a chance - they often end up being heavily reduced.
Korean Brands
T.K Maxx is where I first started to try out Korean brands a few years ago. They often have several Korean products in stock. In fact the best haul ever was when there was a huge amount of Dr Jart products in stock a couple of months ago. I stocked up on the Ceramidin Lotion, Ceramidin Gel Cream, Ceramidin Oil Balm and Trans foaming Mask cleanser.
Ariul - 7 Days Vitamin Mist
It's often interesting ingredients that catch my eye when deciding what to take a chance on in T.K Maxx and this Vitamin spray is so jam-packed full of superfoods, fruits and veg, I couldn't resist it!
This vitamin mist contains tomato, broccoli, banana, apple, cabbage and carrot. It's a lovely refreshing facial spritz, but the mister is a bit powerful, so I need to decant it into a bottle with a finer mister.
Dr Konopka's
I love the Apothecary vibe of the Dr Konopka's products. Anything botanical appeals to me. I've tried several Dr Konopka's products recently, and to be honest, the shampoos haven't really worked for me. But,the skincare and body care range is definitely worth a punt. I picked up the Cooling Face Mask for just £3.99 recently. Contains white clay, Rosemary Oil and organic mint extract and is suitable for normal and oily skin.
It's quite a basic clay mask but is great for times when I don't have time to mix a clay mask up myself. It's very soothing and cooling, so great for when your skin is feeling a little delicate.
Kneipp
Kneipp is a reasonably well known German brand but not widely available in the UK.
Based on the naturopathic studies of Sebastian Kneipp, a Bavarian Priest who is considered one of the pioneers of naturopathy and is best know for the 'Kneipp Cure' form of hydrotherapy. Kneipp products use plant-based ingredients, contain no paraffin, mineral oils, silicone or parabens and is vegan and cruelty free.
This 'Reactivation' Enzyme Peeling Powder is a gentle exfoliating powder. I've yet to try it out as I have a couple of similar products already opened, but I'll report back when I've tested it over a period of time.
Natura Estonica BIO
I wrongly assumed that this was an off-shoot brand from Natura Siberica, but a little bit of googling tells me I'm wrong! Natura Estonica Bio is a budget 'natural' brand. Products contain natural and certified organic extracts and oils, and no mineral oils, no SLS/SLES and no parabens. However, despite this - there are a couple of 'iffy' ingredients in these products that you may prefer to avoid, including Propylene Glycol and parfum.
These products are already quite cheap at full price, but I spent £2.49 on the Toner and I think it was the same for the eye gel.
You can tell that there's artificial fragrance in the toner instantly! It smells very sweet and very 'pink'. It's not a horrendous scent but just doesn't smell very natural! However, I've had no problems using this as a basic hydrating toner and I've had no problem sweeping over my eyes for a quick freshen-up without causing any irritation.
I had a little try of the Sophora Japonica Hydrating Boost Eye Gel. It's a nice lightweight gel which is soothing and hydrating without being too sticky. Again, it does have an artificially sweet scent, but this is not something I personally mind. This is currently sitting as a back-up product in my stash as I currently completely overhauled my eye care routine and products.
I do love a good rummage in T.K Maxx as you never quite know what you're going to find.
However, I have been much more careful recently to try and not buy so indiscriminately! The problem with T.K Maxx is that it's usual to go back for a product you've seen before only to find it gone and you never see it again. But this knowledge can unfortunately lead to panic buying and for me that means buying items that I don't actually need. Products may be super cheap, but that doesn't mean that you have to have it! I remind myself that three or four cheap products that I don't really need adds up to one pricier product that's been on my wish list for a while.
Have you ever found something in T.K Maxx that you've taken a risk on and found that it's actually turned out to be a brilliant product? I'd love to hear about your T.K Maxx finds!
ValJean Labs - Restore - Niacinamide & Zinc Facial Serum
Valjean Labs is an American, cruelty free, vegan brand and their only online presence seems to be on the Urban Outfitters website (in the U.S).
Although the percentage of Niacinamide in this product is not given, this is still a great little serum. It has a lovely silky watery-gel type texture which applies well, absorbs without any tackiness and layers well with other products. I love Niacinamide for it's brightening properties, but it's essentially known for reducing the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion. I've noticed other similar active serums from this brand in T.K Maxx quite regularly, but haven't tried any of them out as of yet. Certainly worth a punt if you're new to active serums and would like to give them a whirl.
Rata & Co - Chia Seed Oil Eye Serum
Rata & Co is a natural skincare brand from New Zealand. There have been quite a few interesting sounding natural brands from New Zealand I've noticed.
I first bought one of these serums a couple of years ago. I recently saw it in store again for £5.99 so couldn't resist picking up another.
This is a really hydrating eye cream and because it also contains Chia Seed Oil, Avocado Oil and Coconut oil it's also fab at nourishing my under eye area without being too heavy or oily.
Formulathions - Malachite Serum & Centella ( £5.99 each)
Formulathions is a Spanish brand who I first spotted in Seville. I had bought far too much during that visit so didn't pick anything up from the brand, but kind of regretted it. So I was delighted when I spotted some Formulathions on sale in T.K Maxx and picked up two of the Malachite serums.
The Malachite serum not only looks rather fabulous with it's icy blue colour but it smells great too. It has a light fresh scent of Blue Tansy.
This is such a hydrating serum which is cooling and soothing when applied, thoroughly hydrating and layers well with other products. It contains Malachite, a mineral which is rich in Copper and contains anti free radical properties to help the skin's cellular structure.
Despite having far too many moisturisers in my stash, I also leaped at picking up the Centella when I spotted it in my local T.K Maxx a few months ago. This is the kind of product that often ends up in the clearance section. Another reason to give the unknown brands a chance - they often end up being heavily reduced.
Korean Brands
T.K Maxx is where I first started to try out Korean brands a few years ago. They often have several Korean products in stock. In fact the best haul ever was when there was a huge amount of Dr Jart products in stock a couple of months ago. I stocked up on the Ceramidin Lotion, Ceramidin Gel Cream, Ceramidin Oil Balm and Trans foaming Mask cleanser.
Not an unknown brand - but this was a day of great excitement to see almost the entire Dr Jart Ceramidin range in T.K Maxx!
Other past notable purchases have been TonyMoly, Skin Food, Elizavecca, Holika Holika and many more. There's generally a good selection of Korea sheet masks available in store too if that's your kind of thing.
TonyMoly - The Fresh Phytoncide Pure Gel Cream
Going back a bit, but this is one of the best gel cream moisturisers I've ever tried although it's virtually impossible to find online anymore. I did buy this a couple of years ago and haven't seen it since. But if you see one - grab it quickly! I reviewed this here.
It's often interesting ingredients that catch my eye when deciding what to take a chance on in T.K Maxx and this Vitamin spray is so jam-packed full of superfoods, fruits and veg, I couldn't resist it!
This vitamin mist contains tomato, broccoli, banana, apple, cabbage and carrot. It's a lovely refreshing facial spritz, but the mister is a bit powerful, so I need to decant it into a bottle with a finer mister.
Dr Konopka's
I love the Apothecary vibe of the Dr Konopka's products. Anything botanical appeals to me. I've tried several Dr Konopka's products recently, and to be honest, the shampoos haven't really worked for me. But,the skincare and body care range is definitely worth a punt. I picked up the Cooling Face Mask for just £3.99 recently. Contains white clay, Rosemary Oil and organic mint extract and is suitable for normal and oily skin.
It's quite a basic clay mask but is great for times when I don't have time to mix a clay mask up myself. It's very soothing and cooling, so great for when your skin is feeling a little delicate.
Kneipp
Kneipp is a reasonably well known German brand but not widely available in the UK.
Based on the naturopathic studies of Sebastian Kneipp, a Bavarian Priest who is considered one of the pioneers of naturopathy and is best know for the 'Kneipp Cure' form of hydrotherapy. Kneipp products use plant-based ingredients, contain no paraffin, mineral oils, silicone or parabens and is vegan and cruelty free.
This 'Reactivation' Enzyme Peeling Powder is a gentle exfoliating powder. I've yet to try it out as I have a couple of similar products already opened, but I'll report back when I've tested it over a period of time.
Natura Estonica BIO
I wrongly assumed that this was an off-shoot brand from Natura Siberica, but a little bit of googling tells me I'm wrong! Natura Estonica Bio is a budget 'natural' brand. Products contain natural and certified organic extracts and oils, and no mineral oils, no SLS/SLES and no parabens. However, despite this - there are a couple of 'iffy' ingredients in these products that you may prefer to avoid, including Propylene Glycol and parfum.
These products are already quite cheap at full price, but I spent £2.49 on the Toner and I think it was the same for the eye gel.
You can tell that there's artificial fragrance in the toner instantly! It smells very sweet and very 'pink'. It's not a horrendous scent but just doesn't smell very natural! However, I've had no problems using this as a basic hydrating toner and I've had no problem sweeping over my eyes for a quick freshen-up without causing any irritation.
I had a little try of the Sophora Japonica Hydrating Boost Eye Gel. It's a nice lightweight gel which is soothing and hydrating without being too sticky. Again, it does have an artificially sweet scent, but this is not something I personally mind. This is currently sitting as a back-up product in my stash as I currently completely overhauled my eye care routine and products.
I do love a good rummage in T.K Maxx as you never quite know what you're going to find.
However, I have been much more careful recently to try and not buy so indiscriminately! The problem with T.K Maxx is that it's usual to go back for a product you've seen before only to find it gone and you never see it again. But this knowledge can unfortunately lead to panic buying and for me that means buying items that I don't actually need. Products may be super cheap, but that doesn't mean that you have to have it! I remind myself that three or four cheap products that I don't really need adds up to one pricier product that's been on my wish list for a while.
Have you ever found something in T.K Maxx that you've taken a risk on and found that it's actually turned out to be a brilliant product? I'd love to hear about your T.K Maxx finds!
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