Danielle's Beauty Blog

Monday, 9 January 2017

Product Empties #14

product empties skincare makeup haircare bodycare

Finally, time for another empties post! I have opened quite a lot of new skincare over the last few months so I feel like it’s taken me longer to finish some stuff up but here we are!

Makeup

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup

I’ll keep it brief with this one because I featured it here not so long ago here but in short this is my favourite foundation! If you are conscious about your skin and look for full coverage you need to try this! I have oily/combo skin and this stays on all day, it doesn’t go patchy in places like other foundations and it looks better when I go to take it off than when I put it on! Magic and I have already repurchased!

Revlon Volume and Length Magnified Waterproof Mascara

Another product I talked about not so long ago here and another one I am sad to be finished! I loved this, it really separated my lashes while still giving me amazing volume and length! I will repurchase this again in the future but I have too many others to get through at the minute L

Carmex Moisture Plus lip balm

This is an old favourite of mine that I always come back to – it’s perfect for a quick hydration fix and a tint to the lips although it’s not very long-lasting! Already have a backup!

Too Faced Shadow Insurance anti-crease eye shadow primer

I’m cheating slightly with this one but I didn’t want to throw it away without talking about it so even through its not “empty” it’s here! I’ve had this for way longer than I care to remember, it came in a Christmas set I bought myself years ago! When I first got it I really liked it and thought it worked well but now it’s a lot older, although it doesn’t smell off, it’s just not working for me so into the bin it goes! I do have another smaller size of this that I won’t be opening just yet but as its smaller I hope I’ll actually be able to make a dent in it! Overall though, there are better eyeshadow primers on the market and I prefer the NARS and The Balm’s offerings!

Skincare

Nivea Daily Essentials Crème Care Cleansing Lotion*

Get ready for a whole lot of Nivea empties! I love the brand and their products are my favourite for a first cleanse so I tend to go through them quite quickly! This is the newest version of their cleansing cream and it does a fantastic job of removing most of my makeup before I use a balm/oil for my second cleanse. It feels lovely and hydrating and doesn’t irritate my skin! Full review here! Will repurchase!

Nivea Daily Essentials Sensitive Caring Micellar Water*

This has taking me a little longer to get through because I do prefer a cream cleanser to micellar water but all the same this does a nice job of removing a good layer of makeup before I second cleanse. It doesn’t make my skin feel tight or dry but I definitely gravitate a lot more to the cream cleanser! I also like having a bottle of this for removing swatches! I’m currently using a Botanics micellar water but also have a backup of this! Full review here!

Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Makeup Remover

I love this stuff and have went through quite a few bottles now! It does a great job of removing my waterproof eye makeup without dragging my eyes and it is a constant repurchase! I also featured it in this post!

Nivea Daily Essentials Crème Care Facial Cleansing Wipes*

Wipes, like micellar water aren’t products I use every day so these take me longer to get through. Saying that, I loved how thick these felt and I really like the light, fresh scent. They stayed moist for a good amount of time too and I would repurchase these but I have quite a few other packets to get through first!

Grown Alchemist Camellia and Geranium Hydrating Cream

I loved this, it’s really lightweight but still hydrating and perfect for my oily/combo skin! This size was perfect for travelling with and I would repurchase!

BareMinerals Skinlongevity Vital Power Infusion

This serum felt lovely on my skin and sank in quickly! It was a small sample so I can’t say much for the skin benefits because I didn’t use it for long enough so I will probably just stick to my usual Vichy serum!

Merumaya Integrative Effective Skincare Overnight Recharge Night Cream

Two Merumaya samples next that I received in beauty boxes! I have been wanting to try Merumaya for ages so was happy to see these! The samples are tiny so again I can’t say much for the skincare benefits but this cream felt lovely and hydrating though not too heavy and I would repurchase in the future!

Merumaya Integrative Effective Skincare Everything Everywhere Beauty Oil

I had an accident with this on the first night I used it and spilt half the bottle! Nightmare, but the couple of uses I got out of it I thought it felt lightweight and sank in quickly leaving my skin feeling smooth the next morning! Would repurchase in the future!

Bodycare

Champneys Citrus Blush Enlivening Body Lotion

I got this free as part of a GWP with Boots in the summer and although it’s not a brand I would usually go for I ended up really enjoying it! The scent oddly enough reminds me of the citrus Pledge duster but in a good way and it dries down to a light fresh scent! I would happily use again but won’t be repurchasing as I have so many moisturisers to get through!

NUXE Prodigieux Precious Scented Shower Oil with golden shimmer

I took this on holiday with me in the summer then forgot about it! I don’t love the scent and I didn’t notice any shimmer so I wouldn’t repurchase!

Soap and Glory Rich and Foamous Body Wash

Not my favourite scent, wont repurchase but like all S&G body washes, it feels very moisturising!

Burt’s Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk and Honey Body Lotion

I got this in a little set ages ago and finally got round to using it, I don’t love the scent but it does feel really hydrating. Would happily use up if I got another set but wouldn’t repurchase the full size.

Haircare

VO5 Refresh me Quick Dry Shampoo

What is an empties without a dry shampoo? I love this stuff, its cheap, doesn’t leave a white cast and makes my hair look less greasy, what more could you ask for! Already repurchased!

Schwarzkopf Got2b Mind Blowing Fast Dry Hairspray

I loved this, it smells amazing, didn’t make my hair crispy and set it well holding my style in place! Will repurchase in the future but I already have a couple of different hairsprays to get through!

misc empties dr bronners magic soap review

Miscellaneous

Dr Bronner’s Magic Soaps 18 in 1 Hemp Green Tea pure-castille soap

I can’t tell you how much I love this! I don’t know much about the 18 in 1 because I only use it to wash my makeup brushes but it is so gentle and does the most amazing job of cleaning them so quickly! It’s very liquidy so there was always a bit of product build up round the lid but it was something I was happy to forgive! This bottle lasted me over 2 years and I have already repurchased! I couldn’t find the same size bottle or scent so have went with a slightly smaller Eucalyptus one this time which is just as good!

Bath and Body Works Island Margarita PocketBac Anti-bacterial hand gel

My friend brought me this back from America earlier this year and I absolutely loved it! Its sinks in quickly, doesn’t dry out my hands and smells amazing! Would repurchase in the morning if it wasn’t so hard to get a hold of!

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

Have you tried any of the products I mentioned? What have you finished recently?

Danielle xx

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Best Beauty Discoveries 2016

Happy New Year everyone! I thought I’d kick off the new year with my favourite beauty discoveries from last year! I’ve split it into skincare, makeup, bodycare and hair and though I probably could have done a separate blog post for each I’ve really tried to whittle these down to my absolute favourite newbies to my collection in the last year!

Skincare

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 1%

A blue liquid that maintains healthy looking skin targeting all signs of skin ageing including textural damage, uneven skin tone, enlarged pores and a lack of radiance, this has quickly shot to the top of my favourite skincare list and I mentioned it here too! I finished a 15ml bottle a few months ago and kept my eye out for a replacement in the Black Friday sales but I couldn’t get a discount code to work! I then saw the NIOD bundle Deciem had on their website so for £60 I got this and 3 other full sized products – I only realised after I opened it that I had to the 30ml bottle which is priced at £60 individually so I was chuffed! This product does exactly what it says and more for me, my skin just looks and feels better when I use it and I don’t want to be without it again – I would love to try the 5% version too! It works very quickly on my areas of concern and evens out my skin tone and though it doesn’t say it does anything specifically for acne – I’ve had a cluster of spots on my jawline that wouldn’t go away and they reduced considerably after using this for a few nights! Magic!

I’m going to talk about the next two products together because I mix them - The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% +HA works to reduce the look of spots and hyper pigmentation and The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is a high strength vitamin and mineral blemish formula that reduces the appearance of blemishes and congestion as well as balancing sebum. As well as being super effective on my scarred, acne prone skin, The Ordinary caused a storm when it was released earlier this year due to the super affordable prices! Buying these two together will set you back a massive £12! As a side note, both NIOD and the Ordinary are brands under Deciem and though I have a soft spot for CAIS, the Ordinaries offerings are amazing whether you are on a budget or not!

Origins Original Skin Retexturising mask with Rose Clay

This is a 2 in 1 mask and exfoliator and I absolutely love it! It gives a real deep clean and my skin looks so much more refined and even toned when I rinse it off. I mentioned it here as well!

Pixi Glow Mud Cleanser

This had been on my wishlist for the longest time but seemed to be out of stock forever! I finally got my hands on it though and I’m so glad I did! I like using this as a morning cleanser and it really refreshes my skin getting rid of dull skin cells and oil ready for makeup application!

Makeup

Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye contour palette

You all know I am a matte eyeshadow lover and this Kat Von D palette has been a major standout to me this year! There isn’t a shade in here I wouldn’t use (yes, even the warm toned quad!) and these are the most pigmented shadows I have in my collection!

Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte liquid lipstick in Serenity

This has got to be my favourite liquid lipstick formula! I don’t have many to compare it to but when a seasoned lipbalm addict like myself can put this on at 7pm and last through dinner and drinks all night without feeling the need to top up with anything then I know it’s good! That was when I was on holiday last month and I haven’t tried it since then in colder weather but really that was enough for me to know its good!

Gerard Cosmetics lipstick in Rodeo Drive

It was love at first swipe with this lipstick! It really is the most beautifully pigmented formula I have tried! It glides on so easily and feels so moisturising, I love it! I bought another shade in Vintage Rose but it’s nowhere near as easy to apply so I’m not sure why the difference in formula but Rodeo Drive is beautiful!

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillowtalk

I still can’t believe I only discovered this earlier this year! It quickly became a firm favourite and I bought another shade but Pillowtalk is my favourite! It’s the most beautiful muted mauve pink that goes with anything and the formula is so creamy and pigmented, it’s amazing! Worth the £16!

Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Bitch Perfect

Another CT standout for me and though I don’t love this lip colour on its own, along with Pillowtalk it’s a dream team! Super long lasting and comfortable to wear! Both featured here!

Smashbox Light It Up LA Lights Blush Mega Palette

I’m sorry to include a limited edition sold out palette in this round up but I couldn’t not! I have barely put this down since I got in in November! It has an amazing mix of matte blush shades plus a bronzer that I thought would be too warm (but somehow, it’s not) as well as a range of highlighters to the right-hand side! Full review here!

Bodycare

Bondi Sands Liquid Gold self-tanning dry oil

Another product I was so happy to find this year! I usually go for tanning lotions but decided to give this spray a try and man am I glad I did! Now, a negative to begin with – this is messier than lotions and I always lay a towel down when I’m tanning with this but the resuts are completely worth it! It gives the most beautiful streak free tan in the loveliest medium to dark shade that wears off so evenly! It has a lovely light coconut scent and dries in so quickly too! Love it! Also mentioned in this post!

Haircare

OUAI Repair Shampoo* and OUAI Repair Conditioner*

You are all probably sick of me talking about these two by now but I had to mention them again! For super soft, swishy hair that smells AMAZING, you need these guys in your life! They are the most expensive shampoo and conditioner I’ve used and I have repurchased because I can’t be without them! Have a sniff if you spot them in Space NK, you wont be disappointed! Full review here!

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

So, there we have my best beauty discoveries of 2016! See any of your favourites here? Tell me yours!

Danielle xx

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Introduction to Klorane

Klorane oat milk range shampoo conditioner dry shampoo review

Recently I was sent a few products from Klorane to try and after using them for the last month I’m ready to give my thoughts! Having never tried the brand before, I was excited to see a shampoo, conditioner and dry shampoo included as these three are my most used hair products!

I was sent the oat milk range which is suitable for frequent use on all hair types – for reference I have long hair with greasy roots and dry ends! First up, the Klorane shampoo with oat milk* and my first impression of this was that it was a lot more liquidy (is that a word?) than I am used to! I always do two washes and I found that this didn’t lather up much with the first wash but did a little more with the second. It contains sodium laureth sulphate (not to be confused with sodium lauryl suphate), a milder cleansing agent so this could be why! It cleans my hair beautifully and leaves it with a gorgeous shine! I love how gentle this feels and how it doesn’t overload my hair with product!

I maybe should have talked about the conditioner first because as a reverse washer, I rinse my hair and use this before shampooing! Like the shampoo, the Klorane conditioner with oat milk* is super gentle and the star of the show for me! It promises to protect and detangle and I have never found a detangling product that works for me until this! As the original Tatty Bogle (top marks if you get that reference!), every time I use this I can’t get over how much more manageable my hair is and I can now actually get a brush through it without ripping hair out! Like the shampoo, it doesn’t overload or weigh my hair down, it just makes it lovely and clean and easy to manage! Both products are also suitable for children so great all-rounder’s if there are a lot of people in your household and they have a really gentle light scent!

Lastly, I was sent the Klorane Dry Shampoo with oat milk* and we all know dry shampoo is a staple in my routine (and most peoples I think!). This has a really familiar scent to me though I’m not sure where I know if from but it smells really fresh. It’s recommended to spray 10 inches from your hair then leave for two minutes before brushing the powder out. I usually rub it in a little before brushing and the powder disappears quickly leaving my hair refreshed and clean looking so I can get an extra day without washing! The dry shampoo contains silica and starch as well as beta cyclodextrine which all work together to absorb oils from the hair and they do a great job! If it’s good enough for Margot Robbie it’s good enough for me!

Overall, a lovely range of hair products and I have a new obsession in the conditioner so if you have tatty hair that you find hard to detangle you need to try this! Have you tried anything from Klorane before?

Klorane is available at Boots, Escentual.com and lookfantastic.com!

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

Danielle xx

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Christmas Day Makeup 2016

Christmas Day 2016 makeup motd estee lauder charlotte tilbury makeup geek NARS

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely day yesterday! I usually do MOTD posts over on my Instagram but I thought I’d put up a quick post today showing the makeup I wore – I am a creature of habit and go for my favourites a lot of the time but even more so on Christmas Day so you might have heard me talk about a lot of these already!

To start with, I’ve really been enjoying the Tony Moly Brightening Eye Base – it feels cooling and refreshing and does what it says in brightening my under-eye area, leaving it smooth for me to then pop a little Soap and Glory Kick Ass concealer on top of it. I’ll then dampen my Beauty Blender and start bouncing Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation all over my face – this is hands down my favourite foundation, the stuff doesn’t budge! I don’t feel the need to put a primer on before this either, I trust it to stay in place like the bottle says and if anything, it looks better the longer I wear it!

I mattified my face using the SEVENTEEN Miracle Matte loose powder which I am really enjoying at the minute even though it’s so much messier than pressed power! It does a great job at keeping my oils at bay though so I’ll forgive it! For bronzer, I used the Charlotte Tilbury Bronze shade from the Instant Look in a palette which was Limited Edition but is now back! I don’t rate the eyeshadows or blush from this palette but the bronzer and highlight are beautiful! Blusher was my old favourite The Balm Down Boy and I then used the highlight from the CT palette for a subtle glow!

I got my eyebrows tinted on Friday for the first time so they aren’t needing much done to them which is a nice change but I ran a little Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil through them anyway and set them with Benefit Ready, Set, BROW clear brow gel! This does feel a little harder than other brow gels I’ve used but doesn’t make them look crispy and sets them so well! I popped on some NARS Smudgeproof eyeshadow base then eyeshadow was Makeup Geek Shimma Shimma in my inner corner, Hipster all over the lid and Mocha in the crease and mascara was Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Holidays in waterproof, I absolutely love this! So affordable too!

I went with my favourite Charlotte Tilbury lip combo of lip cheat in Pillow Talk with K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Bitch Perfect over the top as this gives the most beautiful colour and is so long lasting too! Definitely worth the money in my opinion!

So, there we have my Christmas Day makeup! Pretty much the same as my everyday makeup up! Did you do anything special with yours?

Danielle xx

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Danielle's Beauty Blog

Monday, 9 January 2017

Product Empties #14

Monday, 2 January 2017

Best Beauty Discoveries 2016

Thursday, 29 December 2016

Introduction to Klorane

Monday, 26 December 2016

Christmas Day Makeup 2016