Danielle's Beauty Blog

Morning all! I thought today I would do a run-down of my favourite Christmas beauty sets and products for this year! Now I’m not going to lie, these are all for moi. With my birthday in November and obviously Christmas in December along with some Black Friday sales, I have taken “treat yo self” to a whole new level (actually probably just the same level as every other year lol). I don’t get beauty presents from my family especially my mum as apparently I already have enough (no idea where she gets that impression…) so I like to pick up a few things for myself as you will see here and I’ve kindly been sent a few too so hopefully if you have any last minute gift giving to do you will get some ideas! 

First up, the Rituals Ritual of Sakura Renewing Ritual set and this is actually one I gifted to my aunt last year! I have only tried the shower foam before but have went through a few bottles of it so thought I would grab this bigger set when it was on offer as I really like the scent, it’s lightweight and non-offensive and the products are so luxurious! Sticking with bodycare, I couldn’t resist the OUAI Melrose Place bodycare set. I am completely in love with this scent and have almost made my way through the full size perfume. It’s the same scent as the scalp and body scrub and it’s all I wear these days so it was a no brainer to get the matching body cream! Another one perfect for someone who enjoys their scents! I was also recently sent the Dermalogica Body Glow To Go* which is a mini roll on of their phyto replenish body oil. It’s a blend of antioxidant rich and nourishing skin oils and has a really lovely subtle citrus scent. The roll on makes it so easy to apply and the oil sinks in so quickly and feels beautiful, I think it’s the perfect gift to encourage some pampering! 

I’ve been loving my Lanolips 101 ointment recently and my mum is a big fan of their Everywhere Multi Cream so I thought I would grab this Lanolips Winter Skin Essentials set to try a bit more from the brand. I haven’t given them a go yet but they are great sizes and whose skin doesn’t need some extra TLC in the winter? For the last few years I have also taken the opportunity to stock up on my beloved Dr Jart Ceramidin cream with the All Thanks to Cera set! This is probably my favourite face moisturiser out of all the ones I have tried and I talked about it a bit more here but again I think if you know anyone struggling with dry winter skin this would be a lifesaver! 

Last year I got the Olaplex Holiday Hair Fix Set (big red bow – you know the one!) and whilst I enjoyed it, No 3 is where it’s at for me. When I saw they were releasing a companion primer in the form of Olaplex No 0 I treated myself to the Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment Kit to make sure my hair gets the attention it needs! I’ve only used it a few times but so far so good and if you know anyone with damaged hair either of these would make the perfect gift! I am obsessed with my silk pillowcases but I’ve only got a couple and whilst I could sleep on  a “normal” pillowcase while they are in the wash I don’t want to! The Kitsch Satin Pillowcase is a lot more affordable than silk so I am excited to see if they feel just as cooling and leave me with frizz free hair and hopefully less wrinkles too! I got a Slip silk scrunchie quite a few months back in a GWP with Cult Beauty and I became obsessed. I don’t ever want to use another bobble ever again so I snagged this cute Slip Scrunchie Bauble to ensure I don’t have to! It comes in and out of stock all the time but is well worth looking out for and if buying as a gift, you could split the four scrunchies up and gift to multiple people! One of my friends also bought a set a few months ago after hearing me talk so much about how much I love mine and she is a big fan too!

Another beauty tool I was excited to receive was the Tweezerman Winter Wonderland Micro Mini Tweezer Set*! As a huge fan of Tweezerman (I’ve had my OG pair for over five years – check out this post from the archives!) I was excited to see their Christmas sets of which they have nine for this year! This Winter Wonderland set is perfect for on the go and I am excited to finally have a pair of the pointed tweezers for stubborn, fine hair! They are just as good as the full size and pull from the root! I am a sucker for a practical present and these are just that but super cute too! They would make the best stocking filler! Around Black Friday, I like to do my yearly stock up of Beautyblenders as the price for one of these could make your eyes water. They are however my favourite foundation application tool and I can’t be without one. I think they are 100% worth the investment especially if you look after them as they can last a long time. I do like to snag them when there is a discount though and I thought I’d go ahead and pick up the three pack Rosie Posie set this year in these cute colours! My mum is a big fan of Beautyblender too and I’ve picked her up a different set for Christmas! 

Lastly, I decided I would finally buy a full size Becca Backlight Priming Filter Value Kit. I always seem to have this in my makeup stash and have been through about 3 or 4 minis over the years as it’s a regular in GWP’s and I really like it! When my skin was oily it never made it look greasy but always gave it a little somthin’ somethin’ as I do love a matte foundation and they can tend to look a little flat and I am hoping it will work its magic now my skin is a lot drier than normal! I love that it’s got a mini in there too so I will see if I can find a new home for that too!

I hope that’s given you some inspiration if you are doing any last minute shopping for a beauty obsessed individual! I could write posts and posts about the gift sets out this year and I just love seeing what brands come up with! Saying that though, I will be glad when the madness of Christmas calms down and I can get back on my try not to buy as I find it so hard at this time of year with so much temptation! Do you have any beauty products or gift sets on your Christmas list? Let me know which ones! 

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

Danielle xx

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Last month, I was contacted by Bioderma and asked if I wanted to try out some of their products and I jumped at the opportunity. It came at the perfect time as I had just started Roaccutane so was having a little shake up of my skincare and introducing more gentle and hydrating products to deal with the changes in my skin from oily/combo to dry/sensitive. 

Starting off with the most recognisable Bioderma product in my opinion – the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution* RRP £10.80 - and can you believe I had never tried this before now? I’m not going to lie, micellar water is not my usual jam, I much prefer a balm or oil as a first cleanse and then something like a gel or paste for a second cleanse so never really saw the need for micellar waters but I can see why this has the hype it does! The Sensibio range is targeted at sensitive to redness prone skin and is alcohol and fragrance free. I’ve been using it on days when I wear makeup to remove the bulk of my makeup before following with a balm and then sometimes a gel or paste too. The micelle solution itself is great, the formula is mild, gentle, non-astringent and really just feels like water, I was shocked at how much makeup it removed! It leaves no residue or film behind either which I appreciate! The only place it struggles a little I would say is with my two coats of waterproof mascara, it does a valiant job but I do need to go back in with either a balm or my trusty Nivea double effect waterproof eye makeup remover to get the last, hard to remove, clumps off! 

Next up, I have the Sebium Hydra* RRP £11.50 which is a moisturiser that has been specially formulated for skin that has become dry and fragile following dermatological treatments like antibiotics or laser. This is a lightweight cream that has been working brilliantly for me under makeup. One of its top ingredients is Paraffinum Liquidum/Mineral Oil which I’ll be honest is an ingredient I tend to avoid in skincare. But, if you saw my post last week about starting Roaccutane, you will have seen I got prescribed a huge tub of paraffin as it works so well to lock in moisture so in this case its working well for my skin. It also includes glycerin, dimethicone and ceramide on the ingredients list. Like I said, I have been favouring this under makeup as it’s so smoothing and gives me long lasting hydration. Even under makeup, throughout the day my skin doesn’t feel tight or uncomfortable. I have a smile line on one side that makeup can tend to settle in and it is non-existent and I would say it’s a combination of this and regular misting throughout the day! The Sebium range is formulated for combination to oily acne prone skin and is non-comedogenic but I would say there is fragrance in this product so bare that in mind – it’s a very pleasant light cucumber scent that I haven’t had any sensitivity to.

I was also sent the Atoderm lip balm* RRP £5.50 as another side effect of Roaccutane is super dry lips though I am a lip balm fiend at the best of times so am just applying it with the same frequency as I always do! With my lips being a little more dry and chapped though especially with winter, this has been lovely to have as it’s so soothing. It’s got a really subtle raspberry scent and there is a little slip to it so I can feel it on my lips for a long time after applying. It contains mineral oil and paraffin as well as shea butter and beeswax and is face mask approved too as there is very little transfer when I am out and about with one on! I like how it has a slanted tip as it feels a little fancier to apply and my lips have been really well hydrated throughout the day with this! The Atoderm range is targeted to normal, dry to atopic skin. 

I also ended up ordering the Atoderm Ultra-Nourishing Anti-Irritation Shower Oil RRP £9 as Escentual were doing 25% off and I had heard such good things about this and thought it would be perfect for my body. It’s a thick oil that also doubles as a cleanser for your face too so dual product! It feels luxurious, not greasy at all, and creates a mild lather. It is formulated with vegetal biolipids that create a defensive barrier over your skin and after my shower my skin feels soft and nourished. I have a tendency to get dry patches on my legs in winter and this coupled with my moisturiser have been keeping those at bay! It’s very lightly fragranced but no scent lingers and some other reviews I’ve read say it’s very good for shaving but I haven’t tried it that way myself! It also works well for me when I am removing tan as oil gives my exfoliating mitts a little somethin’ somethin’ to get any stubborn patches off!  

Overall, I am really impressed with Bioderma’s line up! The Sebium Hydra and Shower Oil are my standouts and exactly what my skin has been craving at the minute! I definitely want to try more body products too! I recommended purchasing from Escentual as they regularly do up to a third off French Pharmacy products but Bioderma is also available from Look Fantastic, Boots and Feel Unique! Have you tried any of their products? Let me know your favourites! 

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

Danielle xx

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If you read my blog regularly or follow me on Instagram you might have heard me talking about starting Roaccutane (also known as Accutane or more broadly as Isotretinoin) again recently. This will actually be my third time on the drug, the first was when I was about 15, then again when I was 18 and now at the grand old age of 30 (not sure when that happened!).

I’ve struggled with acne basically since puberty hit, I have oily skin and no matter what fancy products I use, antibiotics or vitamins I take, nothing really gets rid of it for long. While in the months following my first two bouts of treatment my skin was clear, slowly my acne came back though not as severely and mostly I could deal with it. For the past year however, it’s been pretty constant and nothing was helping so finally I rang my doctor to enquire about the possibility of going back on the stronger stuff. He told me the waiting list would be months so I made a private dermatology appointment shortly after that to get things moving quicker and finally got my first months’ worth of tablets on 23^rd October and I will be on a six month course!

There are a whole host of tests and questions to answer before starting treatment and a long list of side effects that they go through but this blog post will be the length of a short novel if I go through everything so I’m going to keep it skin orientated! Unfortunately I can’t remember what dose I was on the previous couple of times nor what products I used to help with dry skin so I do feel like I’m starting from fresh! My doctor prescribed me 50mg a day, she normally prescribes 40mg but we discussed the fact I had not experienced any severe side effects (depression etc.) the last two times I was on the drug and coupled with the fact my acne came back, she went higher. Throughout my course I will see the nurses every month before I am prescribed my next month’s supply so should my skin be drying out too much or if I feel any other negative side effects my dosage could change.  

Four days in I could not believe how quickly my skin dried out! I had stopped using retinol the week before I started Roaccutane (which is basically a strong dose of Vitamin A) and was avoiding any acids as well but I got in from work one day and couldn’t get over how flaky and tight my skin looked and felt! I took my makeup off straight away and made a few orders for some more hydrating products as I realised a lot of my stash wasn’t as suited to dry and sensitive skin as I first thought and I really wanted to simplify my routine. About two weeks in my skin started purging and I still have some huge boil like spots kicking about on my face which is just the medication working. Overall, my dryness has really settled down and the flaking when I wear makeup is minimal! I’m a serial facial mister at the best of times so I have been doing that even more! 

Here's a run-down of what’s been saving my skin the last month! The Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm needs no introduction – it’s the most luxurious and hydrating cleanser that removes makeup with ease! I also picked up the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser to use as a second cleanse and in the mornings and its very simple but effective! I’m all about the hydrating toners and have been reaching for Pyunkang Yul Essene Toner after cleansing. It’s a gel formula and feels so soothing on the skin! I’ll follow with a mist like the Pyunkang Yul Mist Toner to dampen my skin (and to add hydration throughout the day too) before applying Hada Labo Lotion No1 Super Hydrator. This is a huge bottle of hyaluronic acid and it’s been so effective at keeping dry patches at bay! Next, I’ll go in with the I’m From Mugwort Essence which has been a really nice extra step for me considering I usually forget about essences but this is a lovely layer of hydration my skin thanks me for! Following that, I’ll apply the Vichy Mineral 89 serum because you can never have enough hydration then if it’s the morning and I plan to wear makeup, the Bioderma Sebium Hydra* has been amazing underneath! My lips are covered in the Bioderma Atoderm lip balm* at the minute too, it keeps my lips hydrated, lasts well and is perfect underneath a face mask too! 

At night I’ll alternate between my old faithful Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Hydrating Mask or mix some Dermalogica Barrier Defence Booster* with something like the CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion. I was also prescribed a very fetching tub of paraffin which I used at the very start as my skin was drying out so quickly overnight however over the past couple of weeks it hasn’t been necessary though I do apply quite a few layers of moisturiser before bed! The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask has been keeping my lips hydrated and comfortable overnight and lasts through to the morning time which is amazing! 

My body doesn’t feel dry but it took about two weeks for my favourite side effect (apart from clearer skin of course) to kick in and my once greasy scalp that needed washed every other day is now giving me six days of grease free good hair days! No flaky scalp…yet. I have also experienced a couple of nose bleeds which is another side effect of the drug and I don’t think I’ve had a nosebleed since the last time I was on it so that’s fun haha. It always seems to happen when I’m in the middle of doing my makeup – specifically when I am using my BeautyBlender around my nose so I guess that’s why, maybe I need to bounce a bit lighter! 

Congratulations if you made it to the end of this bumper post! I’m not sure if I’ll do monthly updates or maybe just one at three and six months but it’s nice to document and hopefully some of the skincare suggestions are helpful to you if you are also on treatment or just experience dry/sensitive skin! Let me know what your favourite products for dry or sensitive skin are! 

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

Danielle xx

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Another week another blog post! This week I want to talk about a few favourites, some recent and others more long term! 

I recently reintroduced the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm back into my routine after finishing up pretty much all of my cleansers and I don’t know how I went so long without it! First off, it has the most uplifting scent, never too overpowering or eye watering! The balm itself is so luxurious, it melts easily on touch, a little goes a long way and it spreads like a dream. It feels hydrating and balancing and removes heavy makeup as well as waterproof eye makeup with ease. The pot comes with a little spatula, so is hygienic, as well as a lovely thick cleansing cloth that really elevates using the balm to a spa like experience! It’s pricey at £47 but I’ve seen this as cheap as £33 on Look Fantastic depending on what offer is on and it is well worth the money! I also talked about it more in this post from the archives here! 

A more recent addition to my collection and new favourite is the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Bronzer in Medium and this recently got its own post but it deserves another mention here! It really is the most beautiful compact with a huge pan - I doubt I will ever run out of bronzer! It’s not too pigmented but easily buildable and so finely milled it’s impossible to look cakey or muddy with this! With a price tag of £39 it ain’t cheap but if you can find a discount it’s definitely worth it! 

I can’t quite believe the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask has never gotten a mention here before! It’s one of those background products that quietly gets the job done for me but over the last few weeks as my lips have dried out due to Roaccutane, this little pot of magic has really stepped up! I was expecting to be waking up in the middle of the night with lips so dry they were cracking but nope, still fully covered in this the next morning! My lips are hydrated, plump and nourished! I got this little pot in Sephora last year after having a few minis but the full-size has lasted me ages! Does anyone know the best place to buy this from in the UK? 

Finally, I have another couple of K beauty products that are a little newer in my collection but I have been using for about two months now – first up the Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner. Containing only seven ingredients (milk vetch root extract being the main one), this is instantly cooling and soothing. It’s thicker than a normal toner and feels very gel like and it is so gentle and hydrating. It is perfect for my currently sensitive and dry skin and my face is drinking this up at the minute! I apply with a cotton pad like I would a toner but you can also apply by patting in with your hands like you would an essence so it’s a nice allrounder! 

Last but not least, the I’m From Mugwort Essence has also made its way into my daily routine. Another soothing, calming addition to my skincare collection, I have been applying this over the Pyunkang Yul essence toner after hyaluronic acid to really layer up the hydration. My skin always struggles with the change in seasons but this year its struggling even more with the addition of Roaccutane so every little helps! The essence is watery and I press in with my palms. Mugwort is rich in antioxidants and this, like the toner, feels cooling, calming and hydrating. Personally, I didn’t find it helped much with my acne but I think mine was past the point of help! I decanted a little of this for a girl at work who had a bad patch of maskne on her chin and she loved it so much she bought a full size, it really calmed it down and took the redness out of it! 

So, those are my current favourites! I’d love to know if you have tried any of them and what you thought! 

Danielle xx

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