Monday, 17 April 2017

Product Empties #17

danielles beauty blog empties

Happy Easter Monday everyone! Product Empties part 2 is here! My last batch of empties was huge so I split in in two – read part 1 here! Hopefully normal empties service will return soon, I need to stop having such a big gap in between! Anyway here are my recent skincare and makeup empties!

danielles beauty blog skincare empties

Skincare
Caudalie Moisturising Toner
This was the never ending toner for me! That sounds negative but it isn’t! This is a really lovely refreshing toner that felt hydrating (I always use an alcohol free toner) and was gentle enough to use over eyes as well as skin. Would repurchase!

Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Makeup Remover
This features constantly in my empties because it is amazing at getting waterproof eye makeup off and it’s so gentle, my eyes never sting using this and it’s so effective – if you wear eye makeup you need to try this! It features in this forever repurchased post too and you guessed it I’ve already repurchased and am using and I have a backup too!

Olay Essentials Beauty Fluid
This featured recently in my Tannng 101 post and though I don’t actually use it on my face it’s here because it’s a skincare item. I remember years ago someone on YouTube (Samantha Maria I think) saying they had stopped using this because it has mineral oil in it so I stopped using it on my face. Side note – I’m awful at looking at ingredients so I’m sure I probably use other products with mineral oil but this one sticks out to me. Saying that, I love the scent of this and it’s really nostalgic to me because my mum used to use it too and mineral oil aside, it’s a really lightweight moisturiser that is perfect for prepping my elbows, heels and hands before tan so I have repurchased!

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +
I hate this. I’ve went through so many tubes of the old version without the “+” and then this one to see if it was any different and it does not work for my skin at all. It was hailed as a miracle product back in the day but all it did to my skin was make me breakout in little pimples so it sat for probably over a year getting no use until I read somewhere that it was good for keratosis pilaris (bumps on the back of your arms). I’ve used it up recently by doing that and it did work well but no better in my opinion than a scrub and some Nivea cream which is way cheaper so I will never repurchase this again!

Pixi Nourishing Sleep Mask
I don’t think I ever wrote about this on my blog and I think it was because I never saw amazing results with it like say the Glow Tonic. I can sometimes be a little unfair to products like this but it did do what it said it would and left my skin feeling nourished and plumped in the morning and never broke me out so for that reason I will repurchase in the future.  

Pixi Hydrating Milky Serum
I really enjoyed using this serum, its lightweight, felt smoothing and absorbed quickly. It was a pain in the arse for the last few weeks of use though and I wish I had kept the original cap so I could have balanced it upside down easier! I did manage to get every last drop though and will repurchase in the future!

Burt’s Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream
I’ve went through loads of these before from different Burt’s Bees sets and this is a really lovely cleanser. It’s not as creamy as say the Rodial Stem Cell Superfood Cleanser but it’s still lovely to massage into the skin. I love the scent too as it’s so refreshing but the one negative thing I would say about this is that it can sting the eyes a bit and even when I avoid my eyes the scent can make them stream a bit! This travel size is perfect for taking away too so I would repurchase the travel size before a full size!

This Works In Transit Camera Close Up
I got this in a magazine and this tiny sample lasted ages! It’s a really great all-rounder in terms of moisturising and priming for me and I would repurchase in the future.

Skin Owl Neck+
This was part of a GWP with Cult Beauty absolutely ages ago and I’m finally finished! I don’t know why I keep products for ages – someone tell me they do the same? Anyway, it’s a lovely lightweight gel that was formulated specifically for the neck and chest because these areas don’t produce oil – who knew?  I used this a lot last year before I was bridesmaid and then forgot about it until recently – nearly a year later *facepalm*. It feels lovely, it sinks in quickly and though I don’t have a “crêpey” neck I think this did well to further firm it. I won’t repurchase because the full size is £56 and I think I can just get away with moisturising those areas but if an aging neck and décolleté is a worry of yours this all natural concentrate would be a good shout!

Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream
Another mini sample and one that I loved! This was more lightweight than I had imagined which wasn’t a bad thing and was just lovely to use at night time! I will repurchase the full size in the future!

Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips
I had seen so much hype over this so was excited to try it but it’s one of those super thick, sticky formulas so even though it felt good on my lips I would not repurchase the full size.

Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
My favourite lip balm ever, I usually have at least two of these on the go and panic if I can’t find it! It’s a really lovely natural balm that feels soothing on the lips and the peppermint scent is lovely! Have already repurchased and probably have about five backups too

These have featured in my last few empties and I also have a full post on them here but in short the more I use these the more I fall in love with them! The Detox Clay mask works particularly well with my oily/combo acne prone skin and I love the results it gives! My skin looks clearer and more balanced and it removes black heads so easily! After using the hydrating clay mask my skin feels so hydrated and soft and ready for the products I put on top. I’ve been getting about 4 uses out of each sachet too so great value for money – I only use these on my face now and not my body!

Tony Moly Clear Skin Rice sheet mask
To be honest it’s been so long since I used this, I can’t really remember much about it! As with all sheet masks I’ve used, it’s really saturated and feels lovely and cooling on the skin. This one promised to make dull skin look radiant and glowing and I can’t really remember if it did or not but I felt relaxed while using it! I’ve also just read the ingredients list and there is mineral oil in it haha!

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream and Magic Eye Rescue
Some more sachet samples I can’t really remember using – I’m so helpful aren’t I! Both felt nice but it’s hard to know what you think with only a sample you can get a few uses out of so I wouldn’t repurchase!

danielles beauty blog makeup empties

Makeup
L’Oréal Infallible Fixing Mist
I loved this when I first got it but I found the longer I had it the less well it worked for me and to be honest I probably had it longer than the 12 month expiry on the back! It did extend the wear of my makeup when I first got it but the mist wasn’t that fine and you really had to shake it up or you would be left with white dots all over your face ruining your good work so I wouldn’t repurchase!

SEVENTEEN Stay Time Pressed Powder in Fair
I liked this powder when I first got it and thought it did help my makeup stay put but I don’t like the fact it’s not translucent and I find it can look a little patchy. It also hasn’t been working well recently and although there is still a little bit of powder left I just don’t want to use it! Won’t repurchase! The SEVENTEEN Miracle Matte loose powder is much better!

L’Oréal Brow Artist Plumper in Translucent
This lasted me ages and I really liked it! It has a tiny wand and set my brows well without making them crispy. I don’t really understand the plumping bit but that’s not what I was looking for so I would repurchase!

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 06
I got this in a gift set I got in the sale last Christmas so it’s lasted forever even though it’s a mini! It feels hydrating and long lasting and 06 is a lovely nude shade that I use to top up during the day and for a bit of colour! Would repurchase if I saw in the sale again.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in 2 Fair
This is the second sample I’ve had of this foundation and I find I can get three good uses out of it! Fair is a great match for my skin when I haven’t tanned and the foundation is really lovely – it’s not quite as full coverage as I would like so I wouldn’t purchase a full size but it has a lovely finish and I might try a darker shade if I can pick a sample again!

Skincare and makeup empties done! I think I need to set a date in the diary to remind myself to do these before they get too out of hand! Do you see any of your favourites here?

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

Danielle xx

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Monday, 23 January 2017

Face and Body Masking with Mint Skin

mint skin australia mud mask review

Before Christmas, I was contacted by the lovely people at Mint Skin - a new skincare brand from Sydney, Australia. In November, they launched their first line of products – MUD – mineral based face and body masks and having tried them over the last month I’m ready to talk about how the products performed on my skin!

I was kindly sent the full range of the Detox Mud mask, Rosa Hydration Mud mask and the applicator brush and all products are produced locally and are cruelty free using fair trade guidelines!

mint skin australia mud detox mask reviews

First up, the Detox Mud* (RRP $21.95AUD/approx. £13.40) and boy was I happy to see this! I ate so much junk over Christmas and drank nowhere near as much water as I normally do so I noticed my skin getting more and more clogged over the two weeks I was off. The Detox Mud is recommended for use with oily, congested and acne prone skin or if you suffer from rashes or cellulite on the body. It’s made up of a mixture of organic Australia clays and they work together to draw out toxins and bacteria from deep within the skin.

mint skin australia mud detox mask review

I used this for the first time a few days before I went back to work. I ran myself a bath and mixed the powder in the sachet up with some water to create the mask then brushed it over my face as well as my chest then the excess over my thighs! I left it the full recommended 15 minutes while it dried and when I rinsed it off my skin felt super soft and so smooth!

I had a patch of spots I could feel coming up on the side of my chin and I think this definitely helped draw them to the surface. This is something I’m always scared of happening when I use new products but after using this, they died down so quickly! It helped balance my oily skin and my complexion looked so much clearer after I used this!

This mask is probably the most satisfying thing to look at once its dried on my face – for me anyway! Seeing all my blackheads sitting on the surface then being wiped out once I rinse it off is the best feeling! My nose can feel bumpy at times with blackheads but this mask worked wonders on them leaving my nose completely smooth!

A full sachet gives quite a lot of product so I’d recommend using half if you only want to cover your face to make it last a little longer, just make sure you keep it sealed air tight! I mixed mine in a small bowl and it washed out easily!

mint skin australia mud rosa hydration mask review

The Rosa Hydration Mud* (RRP $22.95AUD/approx. £14.01) is slightly different in that you don’t have to mix water in to activate it. As well as kaolin clay, this mask includes rose oil, aloe vera and honey to soothe and hydrate the skin and is recommended for use when your skin is feeling dull, dry and in need of some hydration and glow!

The mask feels so cooling on the skin and dries down slowly – it’s not uncomfortable or tight feeling and it has a lovely light rose scent. I keep this on for 20 minutes and my skin feels so hydrated after and looks instantly brighter and clearer as well as feeling softer!

I noticed the aftereffects so much around my nose which although oily is constantly dehydrated and with this mask, my makeup applied so much more evenly and didn’t crack around my nose!

mint skin applicator brush review

Lastly, the applicator brush* (RRP $19.95AUD/approx. £12.18). I am not a fan of flat brushes for applying foundation and the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind to apply a face mask with one until now – where have I been?! This brush is spa quality and gives such a smooth and even application! Gone are the days under my nails get covered in leftover mask that takes me an age to get out! The bristles in this brush are packed tight and glide over my skin easily to apply the product!

Overall, I love the simplistic packaging and branding of Mint Skin and the ethos behind them! The products are made in small batches and I can’t wait to see what they come up with in the future to add to their product line! The masks are such high quality and work so well on my skin and Mint Skin offer worldwide shipping which is free for those in Australia!

Have you tried anything from Mint Skin before? Tell me what your favourite facemask is!

Updated Jan 2021 - brand no longer exists!

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

Danielle xx

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