Danielle's Beauty Blog

 

I’m back with another empties today and I am much more pleased with my progress this time around! I feel like over the last couple of weeks everything has seemed to finish around the same time and I also have some almost empties almost ready so hopefully my next post won’t be so far away! 

 

Haircare

Schwarzkopf got2b Dry Shampoo

I always enjoy these offerings from Schwarzkopf! They smell good, leave no white cast or residue and let me get an extra day out of greasy hair. Have already repurchased and am using the blue version!

 

ColorWow Dream Cocktail Kale Bionic Tonic

I cannot rate this enough – it’s a leave in, heat protectant treatment that doesn’t weigh my hair down at all, it strengthens brittle hair and leaves it feeling soft and healthy! My split ends are a lot less noticeable when I use this and I have already repurchased the full size! It also featured in my best beauty discoveries of 2020! 

 

Bodycare

Aveeno Daily Moisturising Body Wash

I was lucky enough to get this and the cream on prescription throughout my course of Accutane. I didn’t repeat the prescription of this as the bottle was huge and to be honest while I found it gentle, I preferred my Bioderma shower oil which I will talk about later! Not a repurchase for me as I generally prefer scented shower gels!

 

Aveeno Moisturising Cream

This has worked great for me during Accutane, it hydrates my skin all day long and sinks in quickly! I have a smaller back up that my aunt got me for Christmas but for now I have moved onto some other moisturisers in my stash as to be honest, even though I like it, I am bored of this one - unscented! Full review of the body wash and cream in my Month Three Accutane diary here!

 

Bioderma Atoderm Shower Oil

Obsessed with this, It feels luxurious, not greasy at all, and creates a mild lather. My skin always felt soft and nourished after using and this bottle lasted an age as a little goes a long way. I have a tendency to get dry patches on my legs and this, coupled with moisturiser, kept those at bay! It’s very lightly fragranced but no scent lingers and I will be repurchasing once I get through some of my stash in time for winter again! Full review of it and some other Bioderma products here!

 

Soap and Glory The Scrub of Your Life

I always enjoy this, Pulp Friction is my favourite as it lathers more but I prefer the scent of this one. Perfect for getting tan off and I usually use with an exfoliation mitt! I have two backups of this from gift sets over the years so no need to repurchase. To be honest, by the time I do have to repurchase it Soap and Glory will have probably discontinued it like they did with Pulp Friction and several of my other S&G faves *upside down smiley face*

 

Bioderma Atoderm Ultra Repair hand cream*

Really like this, it’s a lovely, lightweight cream that sinks in quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind! It’s very lightly scented and perfect for moisturising my hands after copious amounts of hand sanitizer while really helping some eczema patches on the back of my hands! Would repurchase!

 

Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Body Oil*

This is absolutely beautiful and I loved the roller ball applicator! The oil is so lightweight and I wake up to soft, supple skin. The bergamot and neroli scent is gorgeous and not overpowering at all! The full size is pricey at £49 but I would repurchase this as I loved it!   

 

Skincare

Cerave Hydrating Cleanser

A super simple second/morning cleanser that I absolutely get the hype with! It’s so gentle and hydrating and I talked about it more in my best skincare discoveries of 2020! Will repurchase!

 

Image Skincare Prevention+ Daily Matte Moisturiser SPF32

I’ll hold my hands up on this one and say it’s out of date but I couldn’t bear to throw it out without finishing it up! It smells the same and the formulation is the same but I have been using it on days I am staying in the house as I know the SPF rating has probably declined because I have had it so long. I absolutely loved this, it rubs in so easily leaving no whitecast and works so well under makeup too! I used this all summer long when I got it and was travelling in America and Canada and it protected my face so well. It’s expensive at £53 and in hindsight I could use a smaller tube as I found it difficult to get it all used up as I have other SPF’s to use too (this is a generous 91g). Anyway the smell makes me so nostalgic now and I would repurchase tomorrow but I need to use up other said SPF’s first! See it in this post too!

 

Dr Jart Ceramidin Cream

Another staple in my skincare collection. This feels like more of a balm than a standard moisturising cream but never leaves my skin feeling greasy. It’s packed full of ceramides and hyaluronic acid and locks hydration in all day. It also sits really well under makeup, I never have to bother with primer when I use this! The tube lasts forever and is worth the price, have already repurchased! Full review here in this five things I’m loving post!

 

January Labs Restorative Tonic Mist

I AM DEVATATED THIS IS FINISHED. This has been a staple in my skincare routine for the last five years and I have lost count of how many bottles I have used up! It’s refreshing, hydrating and really helps with blemishes! Cult Beauty have stopped stocking this and there are no other UK sellers and I don’t fancy the customs charge so I won’t be repurchasing right now but if you have access to it, get it! Full review here!

The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser

I absolutely loved this cleanser! It is hydrating, makes quick work of removing makeup, turning from a cream to a lightweight oil and is so affordable! Will repurchase the jumbo size once I have finished up a few more cleansers! Read more about it in my current cleansers post!

 

Bioderma Sebium Hydra*

This worked really well for me while on Roaccutane, it feels lightweight but was hydrating enough for me while my skin was dried out and worked well under makeup! Its designed especially for people whose skin has been dried out due to dermatological treatments so this won’t be a repurchase for me right now as I have finished my course! Full review here!

 

The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

This is the second bottle of this I have been through now and I really like it! It’s a lightweight, watery serum that feels cooling and instantly refreshes my under eye area, reducing puffiness and dark circles. Will repurchase. Full review in this best budget skincare post!

 

Pixi Jasmine Oil Blend

I hate the smell of this so much I gave up using it on my face and finished it on my body. I must have an aversion to jasmine as I don’t love the scent of the limited edition elasticizer I talked about a couple of weeks ago either! Anyway, it felt like a thick nourishing oil but this definitely won’t be a repurchase for me!

 

Good Molecules Yerba Mate wake up eye gel*

Loved this! It hydrated and brightened my undereye and contains ingredients to slow the appearance of aging! I loved using it especially in the morning as it’s so cooling and helped with puffiness! I also love the fun, bright packaging! Will repurchase! Full review in this favourites post!

 

Lanolips 101 Ointment

One of the most nourishing and longlasting lip balms I have tried! This was a godsend while, you guessed it, on Roaccutane, and really helped with my chapped lips leaving me with smooth, flake free lips! Already repurchased and I also talked about it more in this Lanolips focus post!   

 

Makeup

Revlon ColourStay Foundation

I switched from my usual oily/combo formula to the dry version and I have to say it just doesn’t quite hit the same! It still offers full coverage, I just find it doesn’t last as well as I am used to and I found better foundations to use while my skin was drier (read about my faves here). Won’t repurchase this but will get my oily/combo version in the future again!

 

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder

Another favourite and one I have lost count of how many I have gone through. It mattifies my skin without drying it out or messing with my foundation, adds subtle extra coverage and a pot lasts ages! Well worth its price tag but always worth shopping around for an offer and I already have a backup! Longer review here!

 

Becca Backlight Priming Filter

This has been a constant in my makeup collection for the last few years and I love it! I mix to my foundation to add glow (not glitter) and blur imperfections. I am so sad about Becca ceasing production and I already had a full size back up of this before they announced it but I am tempted to pick up another one! Full review in this forever repurchased post here!

 

IT Cosmetics Brow Power

I am so glad this is finished! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great product, the colour match is perfect despite the fact it's universal taupe (one shade fits all) but this just lasted so bloody long I got bored and I prefer a thin nib wheras this is oval and thicker. Not a repurchase for me!  

 

GlamGlow Plumprageous Matte Lip Treatment

This was a lightweight matte “gloss”, not sticky and had a pleasing mint scent. It tingled a bit but I didn’t notice any discernible plumping! The packaging is fun but I wasn’t wowed by this and it didn’t last long on my lips. Not a repurchase for me! 

 

Miscellaneous

Cuticura Hand Sanitiser

Glad this one is finished too, not the most drying I have tried but not the most hydrating either and I found the little “pearls” in it didn’t always burst and get absorbed. Won’t repurchase!

 

Congratulations if you made it to the end! Let me know if you have tried any of these products and what you thought!

 

*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

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a while since my last spending report because I actually managed to make it through March with a beauty no buy! I know, I am as shocked as you are, but don’t worry, I made up for it last month! Here is a rundown of what I picked up!

 

It all started with a little Boots order to restock my vitamins and some body moisturiser (I don’t include these as they are so basic/necessary) when I thought I would look for a replacement for my Essie Midnight Cami nail polish which I have went through a couple of bottles of and is on its last legs. Unfortunately, this shade seems to be discontinued which is a typical occurrence for me when I find something I love *rolls eyes*. It was a beautiful, unique, twilight blue with a subtle shimmer running through it and the closest I could find was this navy blue in Infinity Cool, it’s pretty bog standard but I like deep shades like this for my toenails so it will do the job! It cost £7.99 and like I said was part of a bigger order so I got £10 worth in points which I will come back to later! I will also receive £1.32 from TopCashback when it clears! 

 

Later in the month I made a Look Fantastic order consisting of repurchases! My beloved Olaplex No.3 for £20.80 instead of £26 (read more about how much I love it here!), the Barry M lip scrub for £3.99 instead of £4.99 and the Anastasia Beverly Hills single shadow in Warm Taupe for £5.94 instead of £12. I have a full review of my custom ABH palette here but this shade is by far my more used and since it was half price I thought I would pick it up as mine is old! The total for this order was £30.73. These all had 20% off and the eyeshadow had up to 35% off so was a few pennies cheaper! Gotta love Look Fantastic for a discount and I used TopCashback too so will get £1.54 cashback from them too!  

 

Towards the end of last month I struggled with deciding to get the Cult Beauty GWP or 15% off my order instead but in the end I decided there was enough I wanted to try in it to justify the extra spend! I picked up a few things that had been on my wish list for a while as well as some newer releases – the Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster (£37), Biossance 100% Squalane Oil (£27), Keys Soulcare Reviving Aura Mist (£22), Heritage Store Castor Oil (£6.99), Hello Sunday The Everyday One – Face Moisturiser SPF 30 (£15), Vieve Eye Wand in Camel (£21), Lanolips Fruity Babies (£8.99) and the IT Cosmetics travel size Your Skin But Better CC+ in Light (£14). The grand total of this haul was £151.98. Everything is new to me apart from the Lanolips 101 Ointment in the Fruity Babies set which I LOVE and talked about more in this post all about Lanolips. Coincidentally, my original coconutter balm was from a previous Cult Beauty GWP! I forgot to use TopCashback but I did get 5% cashback through my Santander credit card so £7.60! 

 

Along with a £150 spend came the Tried and Tested goody bag and I am most excited to try the Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, Medik8 C-Tetra, Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream and Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen. There are a few products I’m not interested in so I might try sell them on eBay or Instagram! 

 

Finally, my last purchase of the month was the Nars Soft Matte Tinted Lip Balm in Unrestricted while it was on offer with 20% off at Boots. I also bought it with my Boots points as I finally had enough so even better! Now I have 11 points left haha, worth it though as I absolutely love this! It is the most perfect pink nude and the formula is just beautiful! It’s so comfortable to wear and looks so chic as it's matte! I hope they make them permanent! This was £18.40 instead of £23 and like I said I used my points to buy so didn’t actually spend any “real” money!

 

 

 

Unedited swatches l-r: ABH Warm Taupe, Vieve Eye Wand in Camel, NARS Unrestricted, IT Cosmetics CC cream in Light

My total spend for April was £190.70 instead of £225.96 which is a bit ridiculous if I am honest and reminds me of 2016-2018 me when I would spend loads on beauty each month. I have become a lot more selective of what I buy these days and the Cult Beauty order was a big chunk of this and since I hadn’t got the last few as they didn’t interest me I thought it was time for a treat! But it basically makes up for a no spend in the month of March ha! I’ll tell you already that May hasn’t been much better *face palm*

 

If you like this post, check out my January and February spend reports! And if you are in the UK and want my TopCashback referral, drop me a comment or message! 

 

Have you made many beauty purchases recently? Let me know in the comments!

 

*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 was kindly sent a super generous haircare bundle from Philip Kingsley two months ago and now I have had ample time to properly test, here are my thoughts! I will start this by saying at the minute my hair is on the normal/dry side due to Roaccutane though I don’t experience dandruff or flaking and I have been washing a maximum of twice a week over the last 6 months. Normally, my roots are greasy and I wash every two days so that has been heaven for me! I also have long, fine, non-coloured hair and find my ends are dry and break easily. OK onto the review! 

 

The cult Elasticizer Therapies Egyptian Jasmine and Mandarin* RRP £37 has been the standout for me which I thought it would! I have tried a couple of minis of this years ago and always thought it was a nice deep conditioner but I didn’t really get the fuss, however, this is one you need to be using consistently to see the difference with. It is a pre shampoo treatment and I love leaving this on overnight so it really sinks in. It contains hydrolyzed elastin which helps reduce breakage by providing stretch and strength and castor oil and olive oil rehydrate hair making it look shiny and healthy. I dampen my hair then apply a generous amount of this all over and wrap in a microfibre towel to sleep in overnight (the heat helps open your hair’s cuticles so they can properly absorb the nutrients).  

 

After washing out and styling I am left with much more manageable bouncy hair and most importantly, my dry ends are hydrated! For me, this means I am noticing far less breakage and also less hair falling out when I am brushing. The Egyptian jasmine and mandarin scent is limited edition and not overpowering at all and the design on the packaging is beautiful! I do use Olaplex No 3 regularly as well so the condition of my hair isn’t just down to this but they really have been a dream team of treatments for me and I can’t wait to see long term results with continued use! I talked about it in my Roaccutane Diaries post too! 

 

Next up, the Daily Damage Defence Leave In Conditioner* RRP £19.50, this protects hair from UV damage and heat damage from styling tools. Another product with my name all over it as a serial hair dryer and straightener user! This is a really lightweight spray that doesn’t weigh my hair down. Like the Elasticizer, it contains hydrolyzed elastin to add strength and elasticity, in turn reducing breakage. Sweet Almond Seedcake Extract strengthens and smooths hair strands, and Pro Vitamin B5 (Panthenol) regulates moisture and plumps your hair shafts, leaving hair shiny. You can use on wet or dry hair but I tend to use on wet hair and this also detangles making it easier to brush! I think it’s so important to have a heat defence spray so I’m glad to have this in my collection!

 

Sticking with the Elasticizer range (you can tell by the colour coding!) the Elasti-styler 5-in-1 treatment* RRP £35 is a leave in serum that contains phytolastin which helps to retain moisture, babassu oil to nourishes hair and olive oil which helps hair look shiny, smooth and healthy. It also contains dimethicone, a silicone, which is a love/hate ingredient for me – love because it adds shine and tames frizz, hate because it does tend to weigh my hair down after a few days, makes it need washed more frequently and it builds up a coating on hair requiring a wash with a shampoo containing sulphates where I try to be SLS free.

 

This can be used on wet or dry hair but I have been using more on dry hair closer to wash day when I don’t want to use heat but my hair could do with a little smoothing and extra shine and it also works well to tame flyaways and make me look a more put together! The serum feels lightweight and this one doesn’t make my hair look greasy or limp but I will be interested to see if this continues when my hair goes back to its normal oily type!

 

Since I gave myself a segue into SLS free shampoo there, let’s talk about the No Scent No Colour Gentle Shampoo* RRP £20.50. This is a gentle, fragrance and sulphate free formula that cleans hair leaving it looking shiny and smooth and is suitable for daily use as well as use on sensitive scalps. Like I mentioned before, if using dimethicone in haircare it is important to use either a cleansing shampoo or one containing SLS as they are the only thing that can strip the dimethicone back out so it doesn’t build up and dry out hair. I am a double washer so have been using a shampoo containing SLS as my first wash then following with this to make sure I am removing any dimethicone build-up! Overall, this is a lovely, gentle shampoo that leaves my hair feeling hydrated!

 

The Body Building Weightless Conditioner* RRP £20.50 is my least favourite of the products I was sent. It contains wheat protein to help strengthen, volumize and plump hair strands, behentrimonium chloride to helps to smooth cuticles, add gloss and detangle and silicone to help add shine and reduce static. As I mentioned, silicone is a difficult ingredient for me and one I prefer to use on dry hair towards wash day! While I find the formula itself lightweight, I don’t notice much in the way of thickening but I do notice my ends drying out quicker when I use this. I think this would be better suited to someone with shorter hair or less damaged ends!

 

Also from the body building range is the Maximiser Root Boosting Spray RRP* £19.50. Containing surface resins to add volume and hold for styling, protein and conditioning agents to smooth and protect hair and UV protectors to help to shield hair from sun damage this spray works to volumize and lift fine, flat, flyaway hair. It is heat activated and I spray onto my roots when my hair is towel dried before blow drying. Although my hair is long and prone to looking flat, I have noticed a nice amount of volume at the roots since using this and it is residue free!

 

The Maximiser Strand Plumping Cream* RRP £22.50 is another lightweight formula that contains wheat protein for volume and a multi-vitamin complex to leave your hair smooth, shiny, and easy to control. It also contains dimethicone PEG-8 meadowfoamate, a silicone that is easier to wash out than just dimethicone. My hair definitely feels smoother when using this but I don’t notice much in the way of volume unfortunately! 

 

Please note that I am not a scientist and my thoughts on silicones and SLS come from personal use (and some googling!) - some people love dimethicone/silicones in their haircare! I have found for me, buildup can lead to my hair getting greasier quicker and my ends looking dull and dry so I try to minimise its use or use closer to wash day. That way, I have already got my “clean” hair days then can maximise the taming and smoothing benefits of it  The elasticizer contains amodimethicone but I find it doesn’t weigh down or dry my hair out at all, probably due to me washing it out yet I still get the benefits of it softening my hair!

 

Overall, the PK range is lovely and my favourites are the Elasticiser, leave in conditioner and root boosting spray! Aside from the No Scent shampoo which is obviously unscented, the products have a lovely subtle scent that don’t overpower! Philip Kingsley products can be purchased directly from Philip Kingsley as well as Look Fantastic, Boots and Cult Beauty and many other retailers!

 

*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

 

 

 

 

 

Over the last year, my collection of K Beauty skincare products has grown significantly so I thought now would be a good time to talk about some favourites! I am so happy more brands and products are easily available in the UK now through the likes of Tonic15 as well as moving into LookFantastic and Cult Beauty and I have a wishlist as long as my arm of products I want to try!

  

I recently did a whole post on my current toners which included these three so I will keep this brief but I love all three of these and am already on my second bottle of the Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner! This was one of my favourite skincare discoveries of last year and a staple for me while on Roaccutane as my skin was so dry. It is cooling, soothing and hydrating and very similar to the Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner! Another gel like toner, this one is also perfect for dehydrated skin. Finally, the I’m From Rice Toner, a milky, hydrating toner that brightens and evens out my skintone. It feels calming and balancing and rounds off a trio of impressive toners! I actually have a couple of others in my stash that I haven’t had the chance to test properly yet but I finished my Roaccutane tablets last week so it won’t be too long before I get them into rotation! If you want to read a more detailed review of these three toners see my Current Skincare | Toners post here! 

 

The K Beauty product I have been using for the longest is the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask and I went through a couple of minis of these in Canada and bought the big one just before I left and it has lasted a lifetime! I know people either love this or hate it but I am firmly in the love it category. It is so nourishing, gently exfoliates lips making them feel smooth and it keeps them from drying out overnight which is a must for me! I am so happy Laneige are about to be stocked at Cult Beauty too!

 

The I’m From Mugwort Essence also made its way into my daily routine last year and as with the toners, it was bought as a soothing, calming addition to my skincare collection! It’s a watery consistency and I press onto my skin with my palms after toner. This contains 100% Mugwort which is rich in antioxidants and really helps to calm redness in my skin leaving it smooth and helping with any irritation. It feels hydrating and though the most expensive of the products here at £37 it is well worth it, a bottle lasts forever and my skin loves it! I want to they their Fig Boosting Essence next! Read more about it in this Five Things I’m Loving post or my Roaccutane Diaries! 

 

As I loved the essence so much I decided to pick up the I’m From Mugwort Mask to match! It’s a gorgeous gentle, wash off mask perfect for sensitive and irritated skin like mine has been! It instantly calms angry skin down and takes any redness out. It has a very earthy, textured gel consistency but the mugwort pieces are not abrasive at all and the slight scent is fine! It only needs to be on for 5-10 minutes to be effective and my skin always feels so soothed and calm after!

 

Lastly, the Huxley Good Night Sleep Mask is another favourite! It contains Pricky pear seed oil, hyaluronic acid and centella asiatica and though it’s an overnight mask, it’s a super lightweight gel and absorbs quickly. The first time I used this I thought I would wake up with my skin feeling parched but even though it does sink in quickly, my skin doesn’t dry out overnight. I wake up with hydrated, smooth and plump skin so this is a winner for me! It’s so cooling and soothing and it also featured in my Best Beauty Discoveries of 2020!

 

Like I said, I have a few other K Beauty items in my stash I haven’t had a chance to test properly as well as a huge wishlist so there may well be a part two to this post! In the meantime I would love to know what your favourite K Beauty products are! 

 

Get up to 5% off at YESSTYLE with my code DANIELLESBB5

 

If you like this post you may also like my French Pharmacy Favourites! 

 

*There are no PR samples in this post. 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