July 2019 Empties
Key
WR - Will repurchase or have already repurchased
MR - Might repurchase at a later date.
WNR - Will not repurchase. Either it didn't work for me, I didn't like it, it's too expensive or it had ingredients that didn't suit my skin.
Skincare
* The Body Shop - Drops of Light Liquid Peel MR
Phew! This took me so long to finish - mainly because I only used it once or twice a week.
This was such a novelty for the whole family when I first bought this. Everyone was enamoured by the apparent 'peeling' off little balls of skin, which was actually the product, pilling up to create an exfoliation effect. It's not that the product lost its efficacy - just some of its novelty. This is a great little brightener and gentle exfoliator. I found it so much better after I started to microblade, otherwise the little balls would stick to my peach fuzz!
I might repurchase in the future but I have similar products to use up first.
* Prai - Throat Microdermabrasion Skin Resurfacer WNR
Wah-Wah! That's the sound of a big fat NO! I picked this up on impulse when it was the Boots clearance shelf at £5.00 as I know that Prai are renowned for their throat/neck care products. However, this was a complete waste of a fiver for me! It does say 'micro-dermabrasion' but we're talking teeny-weeny-tiny-micro-dermabrasion! The grains are just far too lightweight to feel that this is doing anything. I know the throat and neck area has thinner and more delicate skin so it's best to avoid harsh physical exfoliation - but this is so incredibly mild that you can barely feel it.
Skincare
* The Body Shop - Drops of Light Liquid Peel MR
Phew! This took me so long to finish - mainly because I only used it once or twice a week.
This was such a novelty for the whole family when I first bought this. Everyone was enamoured by the apparent 'peeling' off little balls of skin, which was actually the product, pilling up to create an exfoliation effect. It's not that the product lost its efficacy - just some of its novelty. This is a great little brightener and gentle exfoliator. I found it so much better after I started to microblade, otherwise the little balls would stick to my peach fuzz!
I might repurchase in the future but I have similar products to use up first.
* Prai - Throat Microdermabrasion Skin Resurfacer WNR
Wah-Wah! That's the sound of a big fat NO! I picked this up on impulse when it was the Boots clearance shelf at £5.00 as I know that Prai are renowned for their throat/neck care products. However, this was a complete waste of a fiver for me! It does say 'micro-dermabrasion' but we're talking teeny-weeny-tiny-micro-dermabrasion! The grains are just far too lightweight to feel that this is doing anything. I know the throat and neck area has thinner and more delicate skin so it's best to avoid harsh physical exfoliation - but this is so incredibly mild that you can barely feel it.
* Ishtar Skinlights - White Tea Cleansing Mousse WR
I absolutely LOVE this cleansing mousse. You needn't worry at all that it's a foam cleanser as it's not at all drying on the skin. In fact, this has such a silky cloud-like skin which is incredibly soft and gentle and so beautifully fresh. It's been an ideal second cleanser during these hot days. I will definitely be repurchasing this, but I just have one more cleanser on my list that I'd like to try next.
* Pure Savvy - Come Hell or High Water Micellar Water (*PR) WR
Gorgeous stuff! This product was my first introduction to snow mushroom as an ingredient and I absolutely love it. I prefer it so much more to Hyaluronic Acid and it's much more effective too.
This micellar water would slightly foam up when sprayed onto cotton wool which I found made removing makeup much more effective and also more gentle.
I will be repurchasing this after I have finished up some more micellar water already in my stash.
Full review here.
* Pixi - Vitamin C Tonic WNR
I was so excited when I heard about the Pixi Vitamin C range, but unfortunately, as with most Pixi products I've tried, the actual product didn't live up to the hype as far as I was concerned.
This was just okay. I didn't really experience any results after using this so I don't think I'll be repurchasing.
Full review here.
* Rata & Co - Chia Seed Oil Eye Serum WR
I picked this up a long time ago and I had already opened it but forgotten about it in my drawer, so I needed to use it up. However, I remembered that I really liked this. Although it's oil-based, it's quite a lightweight serum and made for a great evening eye serum prior to eye cream. I'm currently very happy with my Pure Savvy Eye to Eye Serum but I did actually see another bottle of this in T.K Maxx, so picked one up for my back-up stash.
I absolutely LOVE this cleansing mousse. You needn't worry at all that it's a foam cleanser as it's not at all drying on the skin. In fact, this has such a silky cloud-like skin which is incredibly soft and gentle and so beautifully fresh. It's been an ideal second cleanser during these hot days. I will definitely be repurchasing this, but I just have one more cleanser on my list that I'd like to try next.
* Pure Savvy - Come Hell or High Water Micellar Water (*PR) WR
Gorgeous stuff! This product was my first introduction to snow mushroom as an ingredient and I absolutely love it. I prefer it so much more to Hyaluronic Acid and it's much more effective too.
This micellar water would slightly foam up when sprayed onto cotton wool which I found made removing makeup much more effective and also more gentle.
I will be repurchasing this after I have finished up some more micellar water already in my stash.
Full review here.
* Pixi - Vitamin C Tonic WNR
I was so excited when I heard about the Pixi Vitamin C range, but unfortunately, as with most Pixi products I've tried, the actual product didn't live up to the hype as far as I was concerned.
This was just okay. I didn't really experience any results after using this so I don't think I'll be repurchasing.
Full review here.
* Rata & Co - Chia Seed Oil Eye Serum WR
I picked this up a long time ago and I had already opened it but forgotten about it in my drawer, so I needed to use it up. However, I remembered that I really liked this. Although it's oil-based, it's quite a lightweight serum and made for a great evening eye serum prior to eye cream. I'm currently very happy with my Pure Savvy Eye to Eye Serum but I did actually see another bottle of this in T.K Maxx, so picked one up for my back-up stash.
* Paula's Choice - Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum WNR
This was another Beauty Box inclusion. It arrived just at a time to coincide with my regular retinol serum finishing, so I took the opportunity to try it out.
At 7ml of product, I knew that I was only going to get a 'first impression' from using this serum so I can't comment on long-term use as this lasted for about 10 days.
I'm going to compare it to my regular Retinol - the Ishtar Skinlights Bioactive 2.5% Retinol Serum. Bottom line from this small amount of use is that it doesn't compare. It had dimethicone in it so that added the feeling of a good slip. But it also felt slightly oily on my skin which somewhat interfered with adding further oil-based products in my routine, whereas the Ishtar Skinlights layers much better with other products.
I like the the inventive twist and pop-up pump bottle, but on the other hand, I couldn't empty the bottle to see if any product was remaining and I have a feeling it was not completely empty, so that felt wasteful.
I'm only not going to repurchase because I'm more than satisfied with my Ishtar Skinlights Retinol, and not because it was an awful product!
* Paula's Choice - Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid MR
I probably wouldn't have gotten to try this if I hadn't received it in a beauty box as I don't really suffer with blemish-prone skin.
However, I'm glad I got a chance to try it out. I would use this 2-3 times a week as a very gentle brightener and exfoliator. It lasted a good while even though it was only a 30ml size. I'm not sure if I'd repurchase as, I said, it's targeted for blemish-prone skins so is not an absolute essential for me. Although I enjoyed using it while it lasted.* Bespoke Aroma - Refreshing Facial Mist WR
This is the ideal facial mist for summer! It has a peppermint scent and is so cooling, soothing and refreshing. I'm waiting for Bespoke Aroma's new products to land to re-order but not sure if I can wait too much longer to have this back in my routine!
* NK Naturals - Honey Clay Mask WNR
I feel like I've only just come to grips with this mask in the past couple of uses, which is a bit of a shame as when it worked well, it was a great mask. My main problem with the mask was that it was just so thick. I received this in winter and the mask in the jar was almost set solid. I would set the glass jar in a bowl of boiling water but the mask never seemed to fully soften which made it incredibly difficult to apply as it was like a stiff paste. This also made removal quite arduous as I would have to scrub away to remove the set paste. The hotter weather made the mask much softer although I always needed to mix it with more floral water to make it reasonably pliable.
* Bielenda - Dr Medica Capillaries Serum WR
This is one of my ride or die products! I have already repurchased this as I use this every morning and have done for over a year now.
It's just so incredibly effective at keeping my skin clear and bright and lessening redness caused by broken capillaries. It can't and doesn't remove broken capillaries (only laser treatment can do that) but it does help to stop more appearing and lessen the appearance of those I already have.
Full review here.
Haircare and Bodycare
* Zenon Kition - Essential Bliss Shampoo WR (* PR)
In my recent search to swap my usual budget brand, high street shampoo for shampoo with more natural ingredients, I tested out the Zenon Kition Essential Bliss Shampoo & Conditioner - Read full review here.
I absolutely loved this! Lots of the natural shampoos I tried unfortunately just didn't have the cleaning power that I'm used to with high street brands, but the Zenon Kition matched the performance that I was used to and I actually preferred this in comparison tests.
I haven't finished the matching conditioner yet but when I do, I'll definitely be repurchasing this duo. The only downside for me was that the bottles are quite small - so I found myself eking them out and alternating use with other natural shampoos that weren't as effective.
* Molton Brown - Gingerlily Body Wash WR
I think Gingerlily is by far the loveliest of Molton Brown scents! I was battling with my son over using this as it was his favourite too. A gorgeous scent that was long-lasting on the body and made the bathroom smell gorgeous after use too.
* Barbary Fig Oil WNR
I've got a whole load of carrier oils which are on the verge of expiring so I've been using them up on my body. I've already got another one of these in my stash!
I think I'm going to stop buying most carrier oils because I have so many products that utilise these ingredients that I'd rather stick with those.
* Sea Buckthorn Oil WNR
As above, this was nearing it's expiry date so I needed to use it up quickly. I couldn't use this directly on my skin as it has such a lovely bright orange colour, which unfortunately stains the skin. So I mixed this with some handmade dandelion infused oil (similar colour but non-staining) so I could use it as a body oil.
* No Secrets - "One" Bath Jelly MR
I recently received this in this month's Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box.
I really love trying out products that offer a different way of doing things and a bath jelly that you apply to your dry skin before a bath or shower is something I've not tried before.
The jelly had a gorgeous scent from it's blend of bergamot, pettigrain, eucalyptus, juniper and lavender essential oils and was enjoyable to massage into my skin. Once in the bath/shower, the jelly turns into a silky fragrant oil which eliminates the need for a further body oil when you get out of the shower.
As a one-pot use product, I found that this is a bit pricey (£9) using up in one go, but it was rather lovely and I would consider repurchasing in the future.
* MUA - Strobe & Glow - De-clutter
I've had this for ages now. I just didn't enjoy using it, so rather than slog it out finishing something that didn't bring any joy, I'm just going to de-clutter it.
* Barbary Fig Oil WNR
I've got a whole load of carrier oils which are on the verge of expiring so I've been using them up on my body. I've already got another one of these in my stash!
I think I'm going to stop buying most carrier oils because I have so many products that utilise these ingredients that I'd rather stick with those.
* Sea Buckthorn Oil WNR
As above, this was nearing it's expiry date so I needed to use it up quickly. I couldn't use this directly on my skin as it has such a lovely bright orange colour, which unfortunately stains the skin. So I mixed this with some handmade dandelion infused oil (similar colour but non-staining) so I could use it as a body oil.
* No Secrets - "One" Bath Jelly MR
I recently received this in this month's Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box.
I really love trying out products that offer a different way of doing things and a bath jelly that you apply to your dry skin before a bath or shower is something I've not tried before.
The jelly had a gorgeous scent from it's blend of bergamot, pettigrain, eucalyptus, juniper and lavender essential oils and was enjoyable to massage into my skin. Once in the bath/shower, the jelly turns into a silky fragrant oil which eliminates the need for a further body oil when you get out of the shower.
As a one-pot use product, I found that this is a bit pricey (£9) using up in one go, but it was rather lovely and I would consider repurchasing in the future.
* MUA - Strobe & Glow - De-clutter
I've had this for ages now. I just didn't enjoy using it, so rather than slog it out finishing something that didn't bring any joy, I'm just going to de-clutter it.
Samples
* Laneige - Water Sleeping Mask WR
I used this sample up as an attempt to get through some of my sample stash. But then it reminded me that this is THE BEST sleeping mask ever. Such a gorgeous watery light texture yet it really softens and hydrates your skin as you sleep. I would love to have this back in my collection, but unfortunately I have several other sleeping masks to get through first.
* Madara - Cleansing Milk WNR
I was so disappointed with this! It has an unbelievably overwhelming acrid smell of alcohol that it was really unpleasant to use. I'm surprised as Madara usually have very clean ingredients.
* Clarins - Extra Firming Phyto Serum WNR
Nice while it lasted but I didn't have enough of an impression from this sample to really give an opinion. In fact, I should have made notes at the time as I can't really remember too much about it!
* Laneige - Water Sleeping Mask WR
I used this sample up as an attempt to get through some of my sample stash. But then it reminded me that this is THE BEST sleeping mask ever. Such a gorgeous watery light texture yet it really softens and hydrates your skin as you sleep. I would love to have this back in my collection, but unfortunately I have several other sleeping masks to get through first.
* Madara - Cleansing Milk WNR
I was so disappointed with this! It has an unbelievably overwhelming acrid smell of alcohol that it was really unpleasant to use. I'm surprised as Madara usually have very clean ingredients.
* Clarins - Extra Firming Phyto Serum WNR
Nice while it lasted but I didn't have enough of an impression from this sample to really give an opinion. In fact, I should have made notes at the time as I can't really remember too much about it!
* Pure Anada - Calming Cleanser Lavender & Chamomile WNR
This sample was enough for one use but I felt like I got enough of a basic 'feel' for this cleanser. Positives for me was no Aloe (a lot of the Pure Anada skincare contains Aloe high up or first in the ingredients). Unfortunately, even though I love the scent of Lavender, the scent was very, very strong and on the overpowering side.
It didn't say on the description on Live in the Light if this was suitable for removing eye makeup, but the scent was strong enough to make my eyes water without applying to my eyes, so I didn't dare test it as an eye makeup remover.
* Pure Anada - Marine Minerals Hydrating Toner WNR
This tiny vial was barely enough for one use so I didn't really get the chance to make too much of an impression. However, my skin did feel really soft after cleansing with the Calming Cleanser sample (see above) and then using this. However, since Aloe Vera is the first ingredient listed, I probably wouldn't get on with using this as I do have some sensitivity issues with Aloe.
* Pure Anada - Revive Moisturizing Serum WR
On first try of this, I didn't refer to the website and just assumed that because it was labelled a serum, I could stick it in the middle of my routine for a hydrating layer.
However this ultra creamy serum is more like a moisturiser, so is best used as such. Before the sample run out, I figured out that this was best suited in my routine as a nigh time moisturiser - followed up by facial oil to seal the goodness in!
I absolutely loved this serum and would really like to repurchase - the only thing holding me back is the large amount of night moisturisers already in my stash. It's definitely on my wish-list though.
* Love Absolute - Radiance Facial Oil (*PR) MR
I absolutely loved the nutty, sweet and earthy scent of this facial oil. It was slightly too rich for me to use in the daytime as my skin is much oilier in the warmer months and just doesn't handle oil-based products well in the day. But I used this as a night time facial oil, and it was perfect for that. I have so many facial oils waiting to be used in my stash that I wouldn't repurchase this straight away, but it's definitely on the 'in the future' list.
See my review of Love Absolute here.
* Pure Anada - Revive Moisturizing Serum WR
On first try of this, I didn't refer to the website and just assumed that because it was labelled a serum, I could stick it in the middle of my routine for a hydrating layer.
However this ultra creamy serum is more like a moisturiser, so is best used as such. Before the sample run out, I figured out that this was best suited in my routine as a nigh time moisturiser - followed up by facial oil to seal the goodness in!
I absolutely loved this serum and would really like to repurchase - the only thing holding me back is the large amount of night moisturisers already in my stash. It's definitely on my wish-list though.
* Love Absolute - Radiance Facial Oil (*PR) MR
I absolutely loved the nutty, sweet and earthy scent of this facial oil. It was slightly too rich for me to use in the daytime as my skin is much oilier in the warmer months and just doesn't handle oil-based products well in the day. But I used this as a night time facial oil, and it was perfect for that. I have so many facial oils waiting to be used in my stash that I wouldn't repurchase this straight away, but it's definitely on the 'in the future' list.
See my review of Love Absolute here.
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