Danielle's Beauty Blog

I skipped this category last year – probably because I already threw the packaging I needed out - but it’s back this year! 2024 really was the year of body skincare for me and I upped my retinol and AHA usage and saw good results! 

 

Starting with the Naturium The Glow Getter Multi-Oil Body Wash RRP $16 USD | $21.99 CAD | £18 and this really does deserve the hype it gets. It’s gentle, contains 50% glycerin and a blend of oils and squalane and changes from a light oil into a milky lather while showering. It leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated, doesn’t strip it and doesn’t leave any residue. I wish it had a scent like I do with all Naturium products but I’d rather it stay scent free than have a scent I don’t like! My mum enjoyed using this so much when she visited me last summer she bought her own to take home and I just repurchased during the black Friday sales along with the next two products!

 

Moving onto body lotions now and I have a few that I loved last year and have repurchased for this year too! The Naturium Skin Renewing Retinol Body Lotion RRP $44 USD for 414ml | $40.99 CAD for 234ml | £27 for 234ml might just be my favourite of the three, so much so that I repurchased the jumbo bottle! This is suitable for daily use and is formulated with an encapsulated stabilised pure retinol complex that works to nourish the skin all over the body to help improve its tone, texture and firmness. It has a lovely creamy texture and sinks in quickly leaving my skin feeling soft and smooth. It’s fragrance-free, keeps my skin hydrated, supple and firm and I don’t experience any sensitivity. Obviously if you are using in the summer, make sure you apply SPF! I picked up one for my mum for Christmas too as I loved it so much!

 

The Naturium The Smoother Glycolic Acid Body Lotion RRP $17 USD | £19 is another great body cream that helps with exfoliation and tackles uneven skin tone. It contains 10% glycolic acid to smooth skin and encourage a brighter appearance and the shea butter in the formula keeps my skin hydrated too! This worked well to keep KP on the backs of my arms at bay and I loved this in the summer!

 

I find Naturium really well priced for the quality of products and to be fair they go on sale quite often too but The Inkey List PHA Exfoliating and Hydrating Body Water Cream RRP $19 CAD | £13 is a really great budget pick! It’s a lightweight lotion containing 3% PHA to gently exfoliate while hydrating my skin and made it feel so smooth! It is also scent free and was another lotion I used to target my KP on which it worked very well to smooth and brighten!

 

Lastly, the JVN Complete Pre-Wash Scalp Oil RRP $43.50 CAD | £28 which I have been using regularly for a year now. As you can see, I still have some left so a little goes a long way with this one! It’s a pre-shampoo hair treatment that works to nourish, hydrate and cleanse the scalp. I use it 1-2 times per week and leave it in for 10 minutes or more before washing my hair as normal. It contains rosemary extract to aid scalp circulation supporting hair follicles in the growth phase, turmeric oil, a natural anti-inflammatory that helps reduce redness and irritation and hemisqualane to improve hair health and strength. This has been working well making my scalp less irritated and I notice less flakes. I haven’t noticed a huge difference in hair growth but I am happy with how my hair is looking and feeling right now. My hair is shiny and my breakage isn’t as noticeable and neither is hair fall. It’s als silicone and sulphate free! Read more about it and my other haircare essentials here!

 

So, that’s the end of my favourites for 2024! See my makeup discoveries here and my skincare discoveries here! Let me know if you have tried any of the hair or body products I’ve mentioned or tell me what your favourite discovery was last year!

 

*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

Instagram | Links and Discounts | Shop My Favourites | Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

I did a similar post to this about three serums I was loving back in 2022 so I thought since all of these are now finished or almost finished, it was time for another! Keep reading if you want to know my top picks for bright, clear and smooth skin! 

 

Starting with a nice all-rounder and the Biotherm Life Plankton Elixir RRP $109 CAD* is a beautiful hydrating and soothing serum that contains glycerin, life plankton and Vitamin C. It is scented (which is something I don’t mind in skincare), and I am obsessed with the smell – it’s so fresh and “blue” and it really adds to the experience for me. This makes my skin feel hydrated and supported and it looks brighter and feels smoother! I notice my fine lines less and I love the packaging too, the dropper has a chrome look, it just feels so luxe! I think this has recently had a slight update to the formula but I’m sure it’s just as good!

 

Sticking with Biotherm and the Blue Retinol Night Serum RRP $103 CAD* contains 0.25% retinol as well as life plankton, glycerin, HA and niacinamide. This worked well to smooth and even my skin tone while targeting fine lines and I used it 2-3 times a week. The formula is creamy and didn’t cause any sensitivity or peeling for me! Both of these were also included in my Best Beauty Discoveries of 2023 post! Read more about Biotherm here!

 

The Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair RRP $115 CAD | £65 is a serum that’s easy to see why it gets cult status now I’ve gone through a full bottle! It’s a restorative serum containing peptides and hyaluronic and antioxidants and helps protect against UV damage and repair skin. It’s called night repair but can be used AM or PM though I tend to use it in the evening and I wake up with hydrated, plump and firm skin. Read more here! Already repurchased!

 

My Vitamin C pick is the priciest product here but one that has worked so well for me I had to include it! The Skinceuticals C E Ferulic RRP $208 CAD | £165 GBP* contains 15% pure Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), 1% Vitamin E, and 0.5% Ferulic Acid. It claims to improve signs of aging and photodamage, the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles, and the loss of firmness, while brightening skin’s complexion. This worked really well to target my fine lines and leftover marks from spots faded much quicker. It is a beautiful formula that absorbed quickly, helped brighten my skin and kept it looking more even. Marks from any spots that popped up while I was using this faded much quicker and I didn’t notice my nasolabial folds forming a fine line at all which is the first thing I normally do notice when it comes to signs of aging! The bottle lasted me just over three months with daily use which I thought was good but this is definitely pricey! Read more about Skinceuticals Vitamin C range here!

 

While they are best known for their Vitamin C line, Skinceuticals also have a vast range of hyaluronic acid based serums. The Skinceuticals Retexturising Activator RRP $112 CAD* contains 25% Hydroxyethyl Urea, Kombucha as well as glycerin and hyaluronic acid and was gentle to use despite having the resurfacing power of a daily 20% glycolic acid treatment. As well as being hydrating it made my skin feel and look so smooth. I used this daily and my skin looked brighter and my skin barrier felt strong.

 

Lastly, the Pixi Clarity Concentrate RRP $34 CAD | £26* which has been my go-to when I have been experiencing breakouts and it’s been working a treat! It contains glycolic, salicylic and lactic acid as well as probiotics and aloe and really helps to gently exfoliate my skin while still keeping it hydrated and my breakouts have been healing much faster with use! I don’t think this would work miracles if you are experiencing severe acne but for the usual time of the month breakouts, it’s great!

 

Read about some other serums I highly recommend here! Let me know if you have tried any of these and what you thought or your favourite serum!

 

*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

 

 

 

 

 

I’m back today with a one brand review of Biotherm and some products I was sent that I’m either finished or very nearly finished! To give a little history of the brand, it was founded in 1952 and is a division of L’Oréal. Their hero product is life plankton, a microorganism found in the French Pyrenees that contains 35 nutrients to deliver intense regenerating hydration for visibly soothed and soft skin. It is 100% natural, biodegradable and renewable and works to balance, firm, provide antioxidants, smooth and refine the skin. Biotherm’s focus is on hydration and they are committed to using more renewable ingredients, creating more formulas that respect the oceans, developing more sustainable designs and empowering a global community of water lovers.

 

Starting off with the Biotherm Cera Cream to Foam Cleanser RRP $38 CAD* and I’ve always been a bit wary of foaming cleansers so honestly expected this to dry my skin out as it really does lather up more than any other cleanser I have tried before! It’s a vegan formula that is soap free and contains bioceramides, niacinamide and life plankton. It left my skin feeling squeaky clean, hydrated and soft and never felt dry or tight. I also love the scent though I know some people don’t like added scent but this is fresh like the ocean! The packaging is also made from 24% recycled plastic packaging and the formula is 99% biodegradable.

 

The Biotherm Life Plankton Elixir RRP $107 CAD / £69* is a beautiful hydrating and soothing serum that contains glycerin, life plankton and Vitamin C. It’s also scented and I am obsessed with the smell – it’s so fresh and “blue” and it really adds to the experience for me. This makes my skin feel hydrated and supported and it looks brighter and feels smoother! I notice my fine lines less and I love the packaging too, the dropper has a chrome look, it just feels so luxe!  

 

The Biotherm Cera Repair Barrier Cream RRP $65 CAD / £58* was a dream to use! I loved this as my daytime moisturiser as it sat so well under my makeup and kept my skin hydrated all day. That will be thanks to the ceramides as well as the life plankton! The formula felt thick yet sank in straight away and worked overtime on drier patches around my nose, repairing my barrier. My skin felt soft, soothed and well supported and I abandoned all my other day creams for this as I loved it so much! 

 

Moving onto a couple of retinol products now and the Blue Retinol Night Serum RRP $99 CAD / £75* contains 0.25% retinol as well as life plankton, glycerin, HA and niacinamide. This has worked well to smooth and even my skin tone while targeting fine lines and I use it 2-3 times a week. The formula is creamy and doesn’t cause any sensitivity or peeling for me! 

 

Also at night, I loved the Biotherm Blue Pro-Retinol Multi Correct Cream RRP $103 CAD / £72*. It’s a rich overnight cream containing pre-retinol, life plankton and niacinamide that smoothed my skin leaving it plump the next morning and making fine lines less visible. It felt so luxurious and hydrating and I used this on nights I also used the serum as well as nights I didn’t! I’m not sure what percentage retinol this equates to and I can’t find it online but my skin drank it up and I am missing it from my routine now it's finished!

 

Read more about the Life Plankton Elixir, Retinol Night Serum and Pro-Retinol Multi Correct Cream which made it into my Best Skincare Discoveries of 2023! The products are pricey but I have really enjoyed using them and they are regularly on sale (there is a sale on their website right now for Lunar New Year!). 

 

Biotherm products are available to buy from their website and Shoppers Drug Mart in Candada and Look Fantastic in the UK! Have you tried the brand?

 

*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

 

 

I’m back today with a little roundup of Murad, a brand I was introduced to just before Christmas as part of their influencer ambassador programme – the Skin Wellness Squad! Founded in 1989 by Dr Howard Murad, Murad believe skincare is healthcare and selfcare and their products are science backed high-performance technologies and formulas. I have quite a few products here from different ranges so let’s get into it! 

 

 

The Environmental Shield is part of their brightening range and targets dark spots and uneven tones. This, along with fine lines and aging is currently my biggest skincare concern. Since finishing up my third course of Roaccutane a year ago, my skin has thankfully *touch wood* stayed clear this time! I have noticed a huge difference in stubborn spots of pigmentation since introducing the Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum RRP £74* into my routine. It really is a powerhouse antioxidant serum and after struggling with Vitamin C formulas that help brighten but don’t do much for specific areas of pigmentation this has been a welcome addition! The inclusion of glycolic acid gently exfoliates and helps ensure effective Vitamin C (in the form of L-ascorbic acid) delivery and the serum itself absorbs quickly, makes my skin look brighter and more even and over time I have noticed my attention being drawn less and less to the stubborn pigmentation I thought was never going to shift! I LOVE this serum!

 

Next up, the Vita-C Triple Exfoliating Facial RRP £67* and I know physical exfoliants can sometimes be a source of contention in the skincare world but personally, I am a big fan! As well as being a physical exfoliant, this also combines chemical (glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids) and enzymatic exfoliants to slough off dead skin cells and smooth skin. It contains Vitamin C too and on rubbing into the skin it changes colour from orange to while to let you know you can stop scrubbing! This isn’t as gentle as some scrubs I’ve tried but it’s in no way harsh either! I usually leave on my skin for 10 minutes after scrubbing before washing off and I am left with smooth, brighter skin that is primed for the rest of my routine! 

 

Lastly, from this range at least, is the City Skin Age Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 RRP £60*. This is a mineral sunscreen that shields against digital blue light damage, UVA, UVB & pollution. The formula is lightweight and has a peachy tint that is easily worked into the skin leaving no white cast (I have pale skin for reference). It sits well over the rest of my skincare as well as under makeup and I love that its SPF 50, my skin feels protected and the formula is beautiful, no difficulty rubbing in or pilling either!

 

 

The purple products are from the Hydration range and perfect for sensitive skin. The standout for me from this line is the Intense Recovery Cream RRP £69* and I already featured it a few months ago in this post! This is the ultimate comfort blanket for stressed out, dehydrated, sensitive skin and I am obsessed! It contains shea better, macadamia oil and microalgae extract to provide deep moisturisation and smooth the look of stress lines as well as reducing redness and irritation. My skin was really playing up at the start of the year, I think from a mixture of retinol products, the weather and working from home all day in central heating. It was red, inflamed, itchy and flaky and this came to the rescue thankfully! It feels instantly soothing on stressed skin and is so comforting! It reduced my redness as well as hydrating my skin and getting it back to normal and as you can see, I have been making my way through it quickly! It feels like more of a balm than a cream and it melts into skin keeping it hydrated and protected overnight. I also used this in the day under makeup and was pleasantly surprised how well it sat under makeup given it is so balmy, a must have for sensitive skin! 

 

Sticking with moisturisers and the Nutrient-Charged Water Gel RRP £55* is another favourite. It’s oil-free, lightweight and instantly hydrates, plumps and locks in moisture.

It’s made up of five vitamins (B and E), five minerals (silicon, iron, zinc, copper and magnesium) and five peptides to smooth skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines, improve tone and texture and restore the skins barrier. A little goes a long way with this one and like it promises, my skin feels and looks plump, smooth and hydrated, fine lines are less visible and it provides a lovely base for makeup, working well with the City Skin SPF!

The Revitalixir Recovery Serum RRP £75* contains these spheres which hopefully you can see in the photos and works for the eyes as well as the face! It’s a blend of niacinamide, caffeine, neuropeptide, paracress and cannabis sativa seed oil which helps smooth skin, calming and depuffing it and the illuminating pearls help hydrate! The scent of this is so familiar and nostalgic to me but I have no idea why as I had never tried it before, but it is very comforting! This is a nice serum but I am not blown away by it! 

 

The Resurgence line is for anti-aging and targeting line and wrinkles as well as lifting and firming. Starting with the Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream RRP £73*, this is actually one of the products I have been reacting to as mentioned above - along with the Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6. I used both of those products with no issues a handful of times before Christmas but they both separately caused reactions around January/Feburary, and it took me a while to realise what was causing the reaction as I hadn’t had issues before! I have started reintroducing the Murad back into my routine over the last four weeks and have been sandwiching with the Revitalixir serum and a little intense recovery cream on top and no reactions so far so I do think it was down to my skin being extra sensitive in winter rather than the product itself!

 

I love the packaging of this with the pump ensuring you get the correct amount of product each time. The formula contains a fast-acting retinoid, a time-released retinol and a retinol booster as well as niacinamide to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and strengthen the skins barrier. I’ll update this more as I use it for longer but since my sensitive skin issues have subsided this has left me with plump skin in the morning! My mum also has this and really enjoys it for her more mature skin also finding it plumping and targeting her fine lines and wrinkles.

Lastly, the Targeted Wrinkle Corrector RRP £70* and this is a nifty little treatment to diminish the look of wrinkles by working like a filler flooding lines with hyaluronic acid to plump and smooth. At 31, I am more concerned with fine lines than deep set wrinkles, so the effects are not so drastic for me! This is a nice little extra though if you are concerned with deeper set lines and a nice alternative to filler. Like I said, it contains hyaluronic acid, squalane to prevent moisture loss and hexapeptide to boost elasticity. Application is pretty important too – I used this without reading the directions and put it on right before applying my makeup which resulted in my foundation sticking to the places, I had applied it very obviously lol. The best way is to apply after cleansing and toning but before serum, moisturiser and SPF. It has a lovely cooling applicator but I find the best way to apply is with my finger by tapping into the areas I am using it on such as my elevens, forehead and smile lines. Used in this way it doesn’t affect my makeup and makes my skin look smoother. While working instantly it also it a preventative product too!

 

While the products are pricey, for me the stand outs are worth it (Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum, City Skin Age Defence Broad Spectrum SPF 50, Intense Recovery Cream and Nutrient Charged Water Gel) and if you shop around you can usually find a 20% off offer or pick up a set of minis to try! As well as their own website, they are also available from Space NK, Look Fantastic and Cult Beauty among others!

 

Have you tried anything from Murad before? What’s your favourite product?

 

*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