Danielle's Beauty Blog

Monday, 21 December 2015

Product Empties #6

product empties haircare bodycare skincare fragrance makeup reviews

Hi everyone, last empties of the year for me! These have been my favourite posts to write but I always let my empty containers build up a little too much so I’ll try and make them shorter in the new year! Have a scroll through and let me know if you’ve used anything and what you thought!

Haircare

Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo Strength and Shine

This is one of my favourite shampoos, I love the smell and how clean it makes my hair feel, it’s only £1 in Poundland and I've already repurchased!

Tressemme 24 Hour Body Blow Dry Lotion

I've had this for absolutely ages and use it nearly every time I wash my hair. I don’t notice it doing much for volume but it smells lovely and doesn’t weigh my hair done. I probably won’t repurchase straight away.

Philip B Forever Shine Shampoo and Conditioner with Mega Bounce

I got these free with an order on BeautyBay.com and really liked the conditioner but didn’t see anything special with the shampoo. The samples are small so I maybe didn’t use it enough but the full sizes are ridiculously expensive so I won’t be repurchasing! It has a strange smell but I quite liked it!

Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Shampoo and Conditioner

I really didn’t like these, again because of the size I probably didn’t get a great feel for them but my hair didn’t feel clean even after two washes and the conditioner was just OK. I wouldn’t repurchase!

L’Occitane 5 Essential Oils Shampoo and Conditioner

Again these were more samples that I got from this beauty box but I really didn’t like them!

I have greasy hair so washing it with an essential oil shampoo did not agree with it at all and I had to go back and wash it with my normal shampoo. I ended up doing the first wash with this one then second wash with my own to get it used up. The conditioner was OK but not good enough to make me want to repurchase. If you have dry hair these may work better for you!

REN Pro Vitamin Conditioner

Not a fan of the smell of this conditioner and again because of the size I found it hard to see if it made a difference. I wouldn’t repurchase.

Skincare

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

I found this to be quite a dry oil when I first tried it but got used to it and really liked it in the end! I got it in a beauty box and it lasted way longer than I thought considering it’s such a small bottle but a little goes a long way! Would repurchase!

Pixi Glow Tonic

Again another sample from a beauty box, I used this when I was away last month to save me carrying my full size or having to decant it! I love this toner and would have loved to keep the mini bottle for the future but it leaked everywhere! Already repurchased the full size which you can read about here!

Lush Popcorn lip scrub

This is a daily essential for me, I love using it in the morning before putting on my lipstick as it gives me such a good smooth base. Have already repurchased and won one on VelvetBlush’s giveaway so my lips are very grateful!

Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

This is really creamy and hydrating and I love using it at night-time but it’s too rich for me during the day. I have a few other eye creams to use up then I will be repurchasing! Full review here!

Boots Essentials Eye Make Up Remover Gel

This isn’t the greatest at actually removing eye makeup but I love it in the morning as its so cooling. Already repurchased!

Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Makeup Remover

This has featured on my blog many times before as I love it so much! It’s an oil based eye makeup remover and it’s so good at removing waterproof eye makeup! Already repurchased and using!

Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream

I really liked this, it’s light and hydrating, and perfect for taking with you if you are travelling and have liquid restrictions to stick to. I would repurchase in the future when I’m finished a few other moisturisers!

Eyeko Mascara Off Eye Makeup Remover Wipes

I usually don’t use wipes at all but again I got these in a beauty box a while back and took them with me on trips away. They were nicely moist, smelt lovely and were very gentle and effective at removing my waterproof eye makeup. They are about £6 for 10 wipes so I probably won’t repurchase but they were so handy to have!

Bodycare

St Tropez Tan Optimiser Body Polish

My mum wasn’t using this so gave it to me to finish but to be honest it’s not the greatest scrub I’ve ever used so I wouldn’t repurchase!

Nuxe Body Fondant Shower Gel

This lathered up well but smells horrible, so I wouldn’t repurchase!

REN Neroli and Grapefruit Body Cream and Body Wash

This has quite a light refreshing citrusy scent but I don’t love it and I wasn’t blown away by either of these so I wouldn’t repurchase.

Philip B Nordic Wood Hair and Body Shampoo

This smells a little like bathroom cleaner to me and I prefer my body wash to be more perfumed so I wouldn’t repurchase!

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream

This has quite an orangey scent but it’s not my favourite hand cream, I feel like my hands were actually a little dry after using it, so I wouldn’t repurchase.

Fragrance

Soap and Glory Mist You Madly Fragrance Mist

This is my favourite Soap and Glory scent! It’s a nice weighty metal bottle and it smells lovely however it’s dearer than the body spray which I think smells slightly stronger so I’ll probably just stick to that for the time being!

DKNY Be Delicious Skin Hydrating Eau de Toilette Spray

Be Delicious is one of my favourite perfumes so when I saw this version last year for around £15 I snapped it up! I love popping this in my bag for touch-ups throughout the day and it’s so light and refreshing with a slight apple scent. I already have another one of these!

Makeup

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

Another beauty box sample, I absolutely loved this when I first got it and saved it for special occasions. However, the best before on the back says 6 months and I noticed a sharp decline in quality after this time! I do have another one that I haven’t opened yet and I’m hoping its OK because I really did like this when I first started using it and thought it kept my makeup looking better for longer! I love getting them in beauty boxes but I wouldn’t repurchase it on its own!

Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oily Skin

This is my favourite daytime foundation; Buff is a really good colour match for me, it has great coverage and last all day on me! Already repurchased and using!

NYX HD Concealer

I loved this!! It’s so light, creamy and hydrating. I haven’t used it under the eyes as I use different concealer for that but this is perfect over spots and areas of pigmentation as it gives such good coverage. I already have another one opened that I’m using!

Max Factor Mastertouch Under eye Concealer

This featured in one of my first posts here and I’m so glad to be finished it. I have repurchased this concealer so many times in the past but the shade wasn’t working for me and I wasn’t happy with the coverage. Won’t be repurchasing!

Carmex Pomegranate Moisturising Lip Balm

I love this, it’s just a clear balm that lasts ages on my lips and made them feel really hydrated and gave them a bit of shine. I have so many lip balms to get through otherwise I would repurchase this straight away!

Apologies again for such a ridiculously long empties post! So glad to get some of those sample sizes finished though! Let me know if you’ve tried anything or what you thought of it!

Danielle xx

New to Me: Skincare

Hi everyone, I have few newbies to my skincare stash to share today!

skincare nivea sensitive caring micellar water sensitive post shave balm primer pixi overnight glow serum

Pixi Overnight Glow Serum RRP £26

Since I got Pixi’s Glow Tonic earlier this year I have been absolutely in love with it so on a recent splurge on Cult Beauty I decided to go for this serum as a little extra add on to my skincare routine! It’s described as a concentrated exfoliating gel and as it contains AHA’s, it may increase the skins sensitivity to sunlight. The product itself is distributed from a dropper and has a thick silky consistency and actually feels a little slimy to me but in a good way!

A few drops spread easily over my face and neck and dries in quickly ready for my moisturiser over the top. Pixi says it’s “brightening, hydrating and clarifying” and I would have to agree. While I don’t see drastic results over night there is a subtle difference in my skin and it looks clearer when I wake up and flakiness (nice) is at a minimum. It’s obviously not all down to this serum but it’s a welcome addition to my skincare routine! The only con to this would be that the bottle top can get a little messy when putting the dropper back in!

Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm 0% Alcohol RRP £5.35

There is so much hype about this as a primer! I think it stems from NikkieTutorials originally who I haven’t watched before but I've seen it mentioned and blogged about by so many people! When I saw half price in Boots for £2.67 I slipped it into my basket to see what the fuss was about. It’s a really weighty bottle with a lot of product although it doesn’t have a pump which I usually don’t mind with things like foundation bottles but with this I sometimes find myself tipping it just a little too far then trying to scoop it back in as so much comes out!

The balm is lightweight with a thin consistency and dries in quickly on my face ready for makeup. I’m so impressed by this! It’s a lot cheaper than many primers, especially if bought while on offer and its works better than a lot of them too! I’m definitely a lot less shiny than I usually am at lunchtime when I top up my powder and the makeup on my nose which is the first to go throughout the day is still hanging in! So glad I picked this up!

nivea sensitive caring micellar water 3 in 1 care cleanser for face and eyes review

Nivea Sensitive Caring Micellar Water 3in 1 Care Cleanser for face and eyes* RRP £3.89

This fragrance free Nivea micellar water promises to remove eye makeup gently, cleanse deeply and remove makeup with the sensitive version moisturising and reducing three signs of sensitive skin – redness, tightness and dryness leaving skin feeling soft and supple and looking healthy and beautiful. The range offers three options for different skin types, Sensitive Caring for sensitive skin, Gentle Caring for dry skin and Caring for normal skin.

Micellar water is something that honestly I have never really been interested in. I've read the hype about Bioderma and the Garnier micellar waters and never been tempted and as a bit of a skincare snob, I wasn’t expecting much from this. Two cotton pads get the majority of my makeup off (I do like to cake it on) but I still like to go in with a balm or oil cleanser afterwards to make sure I have all my makeup off. The micellar water does what it says in terms of sensitive skin though, it doesn’t flair any redness or make my skin feel tight or dry which I really like about it! It also doesn’t leave a residue after use but on its own its not enough to make me feel like I’ve have a deep clean. Overall, I am not fully converted to micellar waters; however this is a great option as it’s so gentle! Oh and it’s great for getting rid of swatches of my arm after a blog photo taking session! Available at all major retailers!

Have you tried anything I've mentioned? What did you think? Tell me what’s new in your skincare stash!

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

Danielle xx

Forever Repurchased #2 Higher End Edition

After my post on drugstore repurchases I realised I had a few higher end recent repurchases too so here they are!

Pixi Glow Tonic

I actually got this and the Alpha H in the gift with purchase Cult Beauty had last month, it was just too good to pass up for me! This product is so hyped up in the blogging world and I caved last year when they finally started stocking it on more online shops and I had a 20% off code for ASOS.com! It’s such a gentle but effective exfoliating toner that promises to remove dead skin cells while toning, smoothing and refining skin texture. I am so sceptical when it comes to blogger hype and will usually try to find something wrong with the product but with this I just can’t, I love it! My acne prone skin laps it up and it just makes my skin feel smoother and clearer and its one I will continue to repurchase! The 250ml I’m using at the minute (not pictured) has lasted me around a year because you don’t need a lot and I sometimes only use it at morning or night instead of both to save it!

Alpha H Liquid Gold

I've spoken about this before in this post on my Skincare Saviours and it’s another one I love having in my stash and miss when it’s not there! It’s an overnight chemical exfoliator that claims to resurface the skin and help to diminish wrinkles, pigmentation and sun damage. Again, another product I bought because of the hype and another one that totally lives up to its claims for me! The mornings after I use this, my skin just looks better, it’s clearer, more even, and plump and my old acne scar pigmentation doesn’t look as obvious. Couldn’t be without this now!

Estee Lauder Double Wear

This is my Holy Grail going out foundation, I love the stuff! Finding a shade match can be a little dodgy and I’m on my second or third match at the minute (Desert Beige) which I’m happy with when I have tan on. Nothing else compares to the coverage of this though. It’s not for everyone, but as someone who had bad acne until a few years ago and still has scarring this foundation is a godsend and makes me feel so much more confident when I have it on. I usually apply with either my fingers or a beauty blender and you have to work quickly as it sets fast but once this is on it is going nowhere. I've come in from nights out and my makeup looks as good then as when I went out hours before. The only possible downside is that is has SPF 10 in it which does give a bit of flashback but it’s a small price to pay for the amazing coverage and lasting power it gives!

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm

Man I love this stuff. I was hoping I wouldn’t because its expensive buts it’s just a lovely cleansing balm that leaves my skin feeling soft, hydrated and most importantly, clean. A little bit goes a long way with this which is why I didn’t feel so bad repurchasing but I did wait for a 20% off code! It’s so gentle and works really well over the eye area too which I love and it has quite a strong orange smell which I got used to quickly! It doesn’t feel drying in the slightest and it’s just a really luxurious feeling cleanser that I’m glad to have back!

Have you tried any of these products before? What did you think?

Danielle xx

SEVENTEEN Christmas Gift with Purchase 2015

Hi everyone, I wanted to get a post up today with a gift with purchase that’s currently available in Boots! If you spend £6 on selected SEVENTEEN products you get a free pouch with three makeup brushes! Here’s what I bought!

SEVENTEEN gift with purchase Christmas 2015

SEVENTEEN gift with purchase blush powder makeup brushes review

SEVENTEEN Stay Time Pressed Powder

I go through powder quite quickly and my Holy Grail powder is No7 Perfect Light pressed powder, being that SEVENTEEN is meant to be the baby sister brand of No7 I thought I would try one of their powders. I went with Stay Time as I like mattifying powders that help make my makeup last and so far I’ve been really impressed with the stay time (geddit) of this powder! I have it in the shade Fair and although I do prefer my setting powders to be translucent, this doesn’t add any noticeable colour to my face and I’m really impressed with its lasting power!

SEVENTEEN Blush Powder

The packaging of the blusher is not my favourite thing in the world as it’s a screw cap and I just find it more fiddly than anything but the range of colours is great and I had a hard time picking just one! I eventually settled on China Pink which is a lovely bright matte pink colour that has a great amount of pigmentation and lasts all day on my cheeks! The best thing about these blushes – they’re only £2.99!

SEVENTEEN stay time powder fair blush china pink swatch review

l-r Blush in China Pink, Stay Time powder in Fair

SEVENTEEN gift with purchase makeup brushes review

The GWP includes a black glitter pouch with three makeup brushes, one for cheeks, eyes and lips. They are all a lot softer than I was expecting and the cheek brush works well to apply the blush evenly, the eye brush is great for applying a darker shadow colour in the outer corner and the lip brush has been perfect to use to apply the lip products in my In the Balm of Your Hand palette!

Have you seen all the Christmas makeup GWP’s in Boots at the minute? This might not have been the only one I bought! Did you get any?

Danielle xx

Danielle's Beauty Blog

Monday, 21 December 2015

Product Empties #6

Thursday, 17 December 2015

New to Me: Skincare

Monday, 14 December 2015

Forever Repurchased #2 Higher End Edition

Thursday, 10 December 2015

SEVENTEEN Christmas Gift with Purchase 2015