Danielle's Beauty Blog

 

Welcome back! I’m on a roll with blog posts at the minute thanks to a bank holiday weekend and some time off work for wisdom teeth extractions so trying to make use and get my empties up! Onto the mini reviews! (Ignore the mess I made of my background – sticky back plastic gone wrong!)

 

Haircare

Dove Dry Shampoo

Works well to refresh my hair and is affordable when on offer so would repurchase!

 

Batiste Plant Powered Dry Shampoo

As someone who usually avoids the classic Batiste as it’s my least favourite dry shampoo I was pleasantly surprised by this! Worked well on my dark hair, no white cast and definitely dulled down the grease! I have others I prefer so not a repurchase!

 

Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin 1 Shampoo for normal to slightly dry hair RRP $55*

Love this shampoo! It contains SLS and is lightly scented and smells amazing! It lathers well and makes my scalp and hair feel clean without drying it out. Despite being formulated for dry hair (I have an oily scalp and dry ends), this doesn’t weigh my hair down and it makes it feel soft and look shiny! Read my full review here! Would repurchase even though it’s pricey as it lasted ages and made washing my hair a good experience!

JVN Complete Air Dry Cream

This smoothed my hair and tamed flyaways but I am a serial blow dryer and straightener so I can’t say much for how it helps hair settle as it airdries! The main thing I look for in a hair product is heat protection which this doesn’t have so not a repurchase for me though I do have another mini to use! 

 

Bodycare

Olay Collagen Body Lotion

This was a nice lightweight lotion that sank in quickly and moisturised well. I have other body lotions I prefer the scent of and that are more affordable so not a repurchase for me!

 

Naturium Bio-Lipid Restoring Body Lotion

I really liked this! It’s thick but sank in quickly and kept my body well moisturised. The only bad things are the fact I went through it so quickly and I would prefer a scented product! A good price for the amount you get and often on offer. I have other more affordable moisturisers I like just as much but this was a treat so I would repurchase!

 

Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel

Love this and it lasted so long for me! I find it pricey so it’s usually a birthday or Christmas present to myself but worth every penny as it smells incredible and feels so good to clean my skin with! Will repurchase!

 

Cetraben Cream RRP £6.05*

A great cream to have in your stash for dry patches or itchy/sensitive skin! Will repurchase!

 

Lancaster Golden Tan Maximiser

A mini and I only got one use out of it so I can’t say much for the effects but it smelts good and sank in quickly! Not a repurchase! 

 

Skincare

Dear, Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil

More affordable than the Dermalogica Precleanse and feels just as luxurious though this one has no scent. It spreads easily, removes makeup with ease, emulsifies, doesn’t sting my eyes and leaves my skin feeling clean and hydrated with no film left behind! Will repurchase! Full review here!

 

Charlotte Tilbury Glow Toner RRP $66*

Really enjoyed this toner! It has a lovely thick formula and helped smooth and plump my skin. On the pricey side so not a repurchase for me! Full review here!

 

COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

This is a cult product for a reason! Felt very soothing and hydrating but I did get bored of it as it’s in a 100ml bottle! Good value for money so would repurchase in the future! Full review here!

 

Dermalogica Precleanse RRP £49*

A luxurious citrus scented oil cleanser that turns into a milky emulsion when you add water. This lasted me a long time and I enjoyed it but there are other oil and balm cleansers I enjoy more that are a lot more affordable so not a repurchase for me! Full review here!

 

Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6

Another cult classic and another product I enjoyed! I felt zero irritation with this and woke up to smooth, plump skin with my fine lines less noticeable. Would repurchase but in the higher concentration!

 

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice and Probiotics SPF50+

I loved this so much I used it every day until it was finished and didn’t even get time to feature it in a blog or instagram post! It feels so lightweight, left no whitecast on my skin and sank in quickly leaving a great base for makeup. My skin felt protected, my eyes didn’t water and I can’t recommend it enough! Will repurchase 100% but I have a lot of other SPF’s to finish first!

 

Avant Brightening and De-Puffing Hyaluronic overnight Eye Recovery Mask

Another love! I think I got this in a beauty box and it’s pricey! The formula is lovely, it feels very hydrating and sinks in quickly and doesn’t pill around my eyes like some eye creams can. It’s not a miracle worker at brightening or depuffing my eye bags but I have been impressed! Sadly, not a repurchase right now because of the cost!

 

Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum RRP £145*

A nice formulation but this oxidised quickly on me I think because it’s in a 59ml bottle! It contains lactic acid as well as Vitamin C and worked nicely to brighten and smooth my skin! Not a repurchase as there are others I prefer!

 

Skinceuticals Serum 10 AOX+ RRP $118*

I really didn’t want to like this because of the price but it worked really well for my skin! This is more of an introductory Vitamin C serum containing 10% pure vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid) and 0.2% ferulic acid. With daily use it lasted me just over 3 months and my skin looked even, brighter and fine lines were less noticeable. Would repurchase on offer but I do have a couple of their other Vitamin C’s to try first!

 

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA

I actually use this more on the back of my arms to target KP than my face but it works well on both! Very smoothing but I prefer the 10% and I have a back up of that so wouldn’t repurchase the 5% again!

 

Scientia After Facial Glow RRP £39 for duo*

This is part of a duo set with the tri action peel and is a polyglutamic acid serum to plump, hydrate and smooth skin. Worked well but only 15ml and I don’t believe you can buy it separately so not a repurchase for me!

 

Versed Zero-G Smoothing Eye Cream RRP $24.99*

Loved this and it was perfect for daytime for me under makeup as it gave me a really good base with no pilling! It has a subtle illuminating effect so looks brightening as well as being hydrating! Will repurchase!

 

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Mango

Love the lip sleeping mask and this was the first flavour other than original I've tried! It’s super hydrating and perfect for overnight. The scent was nice but I prefer the OG berry so not a repurchase but I already have a berry back up anyway!

 

Sunday Riley C.E.O. Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream

Loved this! Worked really well as a daytime moisturiser for me on some trips I had this summer and kept my skin hydrated and supported! Would repurchase if on offer!  

 

Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream

Another nice cream, I used this at night on my trips and liked it but not as much as the CEO, so not a repurchase!

 

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch

Loved having these in my stash, they come in different sizes and worked well to reduce some bigger spots! Have a backup already! 

 

Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Mask RRP £42 for 5 pack*

Love using these when I have an event or big day out planned, they feel nicely hydrating and help brighten and plump the skin around my eyes! Pricey so not a repruchase!

 

Burt’s Bees Advanced Relief Lip Repair RRP $10.49*

This was nicely hydrating and gave a nice shine to my lips but it also has quite a lot of slip so I didn’t find it the longest lasting lip product! I have another one but I wouldn’t repurchase!

 

Burt’s Bees Dragonfruit Lemon Lip Balm RRP $6.99*

I usually stick with the original mint flavour but this was a nice change and had a lovely sweet scent! The formula is one of my favourite lip balm formulas so this is a great option for no fuss hydration but the original is still my fave so not a repurchase!

 

Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Exfoliating Moisturiser

Loved this mini! It contains lactic and glycolic acids as well as ceramides and squalane and made my skin so soft and smooth! Would definitely repurchase, you guessed it, on a good offer!

 

Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate

I haven’t tried much Lancome at all but this serum was lovely! Very softening and brightening but I do have others I like just as much that are (a little) more affordable so not a repurchase though I have another mini and I will enjoy it! 

 

Pat McGrath Divine Skin Rose Essence

I liked this but didn’t notice much in the way of benefits as the bottle is so small and I find essences to be one of the skincare products I neglect most often so not a repurchase! 

 

Makeup

Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Waterproof Mascara

Loved this! I’ve been struggling with mascaras recently that say they are waterproof and I still get smudging under one eye in a matter of hours but not with this one! It gives me such good volume, separation and length and there is no smudging or flaking! Have already repurchased!

 

Charlotte Tilbury Superstar Lips in Pillow Talk

One of my favourite tinted lip balms! This is so hydrating, long lasting and a beautiful pinky nude shade! I have way too many lip products to get through but I already repurchased this as I love it so much! See my full review here!

 

NARS Afterglow Lip Balm in Orgasm

Another great tinted lip balm option but this one is less long lasting and not as pigmented at the Charlotte Tilbuty! Orgasm is probably my least favourite NARS shade so this is not a repurchase but I did repurchase in the shade Dolce Vita and I would recommend Fast Lane too! 

 

Miscellaneous

Purely Inspired Collagen Peptides x2

Love these, I think they really help with my joints so have already repurchased!

 

Boka Ela Mint Toothpaste

Bit of a random one but I recently started using a nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste at night (and a fluoride based one in the morning) and I’ve been enjoying it! It helps remineralize and fortify teeth and I’ve already repurchased!

 

Congrats as always if you made it through all those, I hope to have another bumper edition before the end of the year! Have you tried anything I’ve mentioned? Let me know your thoughts!

 

*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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I’m back with another edition of my best budget skincare picks! Generally, I try to keep individual prices down to £10 or lower but some of these are a little more expensive but I wanted to include them as they are often on offer making them around the £15 mark! 

 

First up, trusty Inkey List - it wouldn’t be a budget skincare roundup without them would it? Cleanser wise, I can’t recommend the Oat Cleansing Balm RRP £10.99* and Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser RRP £10.99* enough. These are such a good double cleanse duo! The oat cleansing balm is great for sensitive skin and removes makeup with ease leaving my skin feel soft while the Fulvic Acid brightens and never makes my skin feel tight or dry – I prefer this to their Hyaluronic Acid cleanser which I find more drying for some reason! These are both 150ml tubes too so last ages! Read more on the oat cleanser here!

 

 

Their Caffeine Eye Serum RRP £9.99 is another good one, it’s a lightweight creamy texture containing, you guessed it, caffeine, so helps depuff the eye area and is also hydrating enough to help minimise my fine lines! I have also been impressed by their 15% Vitamin C and EGF Serum* £14.99! I didn’t like their other Vitamin C serum so honestly wasn’t expecting much from this, but the formula is just beautiful - it's watery and sinks in quickly. This is not the most potent Vitamin C but with regular use this helped brighten and even my skin tone and made it look and feel plumper! Read more about it here! Lastly from the Inkey List is their Omega Water Cream RRP £9.99* and this is by far my favourite moisturiser they have, it’s a water-based gel that contains three omegas to help prevent water loss as well as glycerin and niacinamide. It sinks in quickly leaving no white residue behind (I’m looking at you Vitmain B, C and E moisturiser), works well under makeup and my skin feels hydrated all day long.

 

The Good Molecules Glycolic Exfoliating Toner RRP $14* is a 3.5% glycolic concentration so nice and gentle, perfect if you have sensitive skin, but still effective and my skin has been feeling smooth and even with continued use. I love the Good Molecules nothing to hide ingredients list which shows you the full details of the percentage of ingredients and this also contains galactomyces ferment which helps retain skin barrier function and moisture level as well as hyaluronic acid and aloe help to hydrate and soothe skin. Read my full review here!

 

I can be quite picky with hyaluronic acid formulations and unfortunately, tend to prefer pricier options but the Bondi Sands Thirsty Skin Hyaluronic Acid RRP £8.99* has really stood out to me! It’s a gel formula so a little thicker than a standard serum and it spreads so easily leaving my skin feeling soft and supple, locking in moisture and plumping and filling out my fine lines! Plus look at that packaging! It reminds me of toy skincare and I love it! I also really enjoyed the Garden of Wisdom RetiStar Retinol Serum RRP £10. It’s gentle as retinol serums go so perfect for beginners and I noticed my fine lines were much less pronounced when using this, skin was brighter, smoother and plumper too! Such an underrated brand! Next up, a bit like what I said earlier, it’s hard to write a best budget skincare post without a mention of The Ordinary! Here I have their Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA RRP £6.80, another no fuss moisturiser containing amino acids, fatty acids, urea, ceramides and hyaluronic acid that is perfect for daytime use for me. It’s non-greasy, doesn’t interfere with my makeup and keeps my skin feeling hydrated all day! 

 

I have another great budget moisturiser option in the form of the Cetraben Natural Oatmeal Cream RRP £8.99* which is for both face and body! It is perfect for eczema prone skin and feels so soothing. It’s another one that, despite feeling lightweight, packs a punch with long lasting hydration and it really helps to repair the skin barrier if you have any sensitive skin issues! See more here! To finish off, I’m slightly cheating with the Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Age Daily SPF 50 RRP £21* as it’s a bit out of the “budget” range but this is always on sale and I usually see it for around £15 on French Pharmacy offers! This quickly became one of my favourite SPF’s last year due to its lightweight fluid texture! Containing Vitamin E, peptides and niacinamide this works to target pigmentation as well as offering UVA and UVB protection. I was worried about the percentage of alcohol denat in the ingredients but apart from a slight “active” feeling on application which soon disappears, it hasn’t been a problem for me! If you have *very* sensitive skin it might not be the one for you though. This also has no white cast (I have pale skin for reference), it absorbs easily, doesn’t sting eyes and sits very well under makeup with no pilling in sight! LOVE!

 

Let me know if you see any of your favourites here or tell me your favourite budget skincare brand! There are loads I still need to try! If you want to see the other installments in this series, click here for Part One and here for Part Two!

 

I’ve had a couple of messages this week from people having trouble leaving comments and I have also noticed some blogs I normally comment on not having their usual comment section there – I checked all my settings and I can’t see any issues so sorry I’m not sure what’s going on!

 

*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

Bloglovin | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter