Danielle's Beauty Blog

Finally ready for another empties post! I find the first one of the year is always the hardest for me as I end up opening so many new products round Christmas so this has been just over two months in the making! I’m hoping now I’ve made a start on them the rest will come quicker! Let’s get into the mini reviews!

 

Haircare

Schwarzkopf got2b Dry Shampoo

A constant repurchase for me, this is cheap and cheerful and works well to mask my greasy hair giving me another day! Already using my replacement!

 

The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment RRP £14.99*

I love the new packaging for this as it much easier to distribute than the old pump but I don’t notice any difference while using it unfortunately! I like to think it’s helping my scalp but I don’t find I have a flaky scalp and my hair is still as greasy as ever so not a repurchase for me! 

 

Bodycare

Aveeno Daily Moisturising Body Lotion

I have been through a lot of these over the last few years especially when I was on Roaccutane! It hydrates my skin all day long, sinks in quickly and works to help lock moisture in the skin. It is fragrance free which is great for sensitive skin but personally I prefer a scent, so I’ll have a break from this now but repurchase in the future!

 

Elemental Herbology Sweet Orange and Rosemary Body Cream RRP £26*

I’ve talked about the matching body oil a lot but the body cream is also beautifully scented and so uplifting! It’s lightweight and sinks into my skin quickly leaving it feeling hydrated and soft! Would repurchase on offer! See my review on Instagram here!

 

Biossance 100% Squalane Oil

This is a multipurpose oil but I used as a body oil mainly and really enjoyed it! It’s lightweight and didn’t leave my skin feeling greasy and I always woke up to soft, supple skin. I’d say I prefer the Elemental Herbology body oil over this as I do like a scent but would repurchase this one again if on offer!

 

OUAI Melrose Place Body Crème

My favourite scent and if you have read my blog over the years you will already know what a fan I am of their products! This is a lightweight moisturiser but I found the scent didn’t last that long on my skin unfortunately so I probably won’t repurchase unless I see it in a set again or on offer as I’d rather just buy the perfume!

 

Nivea 3 in 1 Anti-Age Q10 Hand Cream

Loved this and have been through so many tubes over the years. It smells so fresh, sinks in quickly leaving no residue and leaves my hands super soft. I have a few other hand creams to get through, but I will repurchase this in the future as it’s my favourite! 

 

Skincare

The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm RRP £9.99*

A simple, no frills cleansing balm, super affordable, feels hydrating and removes makeup with ease! Unscented so good for sensitive skin and that’s the only thing that lets this slightly down for me as I do like a scent for a more luxurious experience but it’s a small price to pay! Have a backup the brand kindly sent but I would repurchase this too! See full review here!

 

Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner

Been through a couple of bottles of this now and I love it! It’s instantly cooling and soothing and feels gentle and hydrating. Full review here and I will repurchase in the future once I finish some other toners!

 

La Roche Posay Toleriane Ultra 8

This is so soothing and hydrating with a lovely, fine mist. It is alcohol and fragrance free and has been formulated specifically for sensitive skin and was another lifesaver while on Roaccutane! See my full review here and I would repurchase in the future!

 

Nivea Double Effect Eye Makeup Remover

One of my most repurchase skincare products of all time! The best eye makeup remover out there in my opinion and really affordable too. Doesn’t dry the skin round my eyes out and makes light work of waterproof mascara! Full review here and already repurchased!

 

Dermalogica Neck Fit Contour Serum RRP £75*

By no means a necessity but I loved this neck serum! It made the skin on my neck feel so soft and look much smoother! I am becoming more conscious of aging now in my early 30’s and tech neck from being on my phone etc so this was a welcome extra in my routine! I loved the roller applicator too! Would recommend this if you are concerned about aging skin on your neck as it really made such a difference! Out of my price range right now as an “extra” but would repurchase this in the future! See my full review here!

 

Dermalogica Powerbright Dark Spot Serum RRP £89*

While this was a lovely formula, didn’t pill and I saw a brightening effect, I didn’t see much difference in some targeted dark spots I had from old acne unfortunately, so the claims and price of this serum just didn’t impress me enough to repurchase! Full review here!

 

The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid RRP £14.49*

A bit of an “it” ingredient from last year but one I don’t get the hype with unfortunately! Lightweight but silicone heavy, I just didn’t see or feel a difference with the hydration in my skin compared to when I just use hyaluronic acid. I ended up using this on my chest area as I just didn’t love it on my face. Full review here but I wouldn’t repurchase!

 

The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid RRP £6.99*

Another one that’s not for me, I know people love this hyaluronic acid but again it just doesn’t work as well for me as other HA’s so I used this up on my chest. Hate the packaging, the cap gets so messy. Affordable, so worth a try but not a repurchase for me.

 

Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Age Daily SPF50 RRP £21*

Loved this SPF! Lightweight, contains peptides and niacinamide, no white cast on my skin tone, no pilling, didn't sting my eyes and gives a lovely base for makeup. Smells a little of alcohol but I didn’t experience any sensitivity and I would repurchase! Full review here.

 

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA

So impressed with this! Picked it up on a whim in the November sale and to be honest only use it a couple of times on my face as I wanted to try it on the KP on the back of my arms. It did an amazing job of keeping them smooth and bump free! The few times I used it on my face I was impressed, and I will definitely be picking this up again when I finish a few other exfoliating products and I hope they bring it out in a supersize!

 

NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex

My favourite hyaluronic acid and the one I measure all others against - nothing works as quickly on my skin to inject hydration and it lasts all day long! Full review here and I will repurchase once I finish up a few others!

 

NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate RRP £46*

Really impressed with this eye serum, it felt hydrating despite being a serum not a cream and I noticed less visible fine lines and firmer upper lids using this consistently! Full review here and I have a backup kindly sent by the brand but I would also repurchase myself!

 

Zelens Transformer Instant Renewal Mask

Had this in my backup/sample drawer for way to long and wanted to get it used up! I believe it’s discontinued now but it made my skin feel soft and hydrated. Not a repurchase as it was pretty pricey before being discontinued!  

 

Skinceuticals C E Ferulic

A cult classic and again a sample so I can’t really give a full review on this unfortunately! The serum smelt a little like burnt popcorn to me but the formula felt good and played well with my other skincare products and makeup. It’s a Vitamin C serum and £145 for 30ml but I couldn’t commit to it based on this sample size! Not a repurchase.

 

Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel

Really nice exfoliating treatment with Vitamin A too, my skin always feels and looks more refined the next morning after use and I never experience any sensitivity. Pricey but worth it. I've been through a lot of these sachets now and I would repurchase before an event!

 

Nuxe Reve de Miel

Not my favourite lip balm/treatment but I got on better with it this time than I have in the past. Smells good and lasted overnight for me (it hadn’t previously) but leaves me with horrible white bits in between my lips when I wake up so I wouldn’t be able to wear it during the day. Got it in the Cult Beauty lip edit last year and have finished all the products in there now so pretty happy with myself! Read a more scathing review of it here!

 

Makeup

Dermalogica Agesmart Skinperfect Primer RRP £49*

This took me forever to finish despite only being 22ml as I just don’t wear primer that often!

It’s a velvety (dimethicone) tinted primer that worked well to even out my skin tone and ensured my makeup applied smoothly. It leaveed a nice base but it’s not a repurchase for me as I find a lot of my moisturisers and SPF’s do a good enough job of priming for me already! Full review here!

 

Tropic Lip Love Nourishing Balm

Not a fan of the MLM nature of this brand but my aunt gave me this one day I didn’t have any lip balm on me and I really liked it! Long lasting hydration from the rosehip oil and cocoa butter, would repurchase.

 

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Lip Pop

I know people love Glow Recipe but every product I have tried has been so meh to me. This is a scrub/balm hybrid and contains AHA’s to gently exfoliate. For me, this wasn’t hydrating enough, and the shade is too bubble-gum pink for my liking. At £19.50 it ain’t cheap either. Not worth it in my opinion and not a repurchase.

 

Huda Beauty Silk Balm Hydra-Plumping Lip Balm in Blush

Another dud, this smelt like vinegar and again didn’t offer long lasting hydration. Didn’t notice any plumping effect either. Wouldn’t repurchase!  

 

NARS Afterglow Lip Balm in Dolce Vita

Love this! Smoothing and this is such a lovely tint! Not quite as long lasting as the Charlotte Tilbury tinted balms but will repurchase a full size once I finish a couple of other minis I have! Full review here!

 

MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash

I’ve been trying to use up some mascara samples I have and while I likes the wand on this and it gave good separation it’s not waterproof and I was left with black marks under my eyes! Wouldn’t repurchase! 

 

Miscellaneous

Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides

Love these, make such a difference in my joints, already repurchased!

 

Sanctuary Spa De-Stress Bath Salts with Magnesium RRP £8*

These worked so well to help me relax! Loved the scent and they dissolved really well too.

The magnesium also helps to sooth tired muscles so these were a firm favourite when I wanted to wind down and have some me time before bed! Full review here and I would repurchase!

 

OUAI North Bondi Eau de Parfum

I love OUAI scents as we have already discussed and I’ve been through a few bottles of this now but I love Melrose Place even more so I won’t be repurchasing this straight away! Full review here!

 

Phew, we are at the end! Let me know if you have tried any of these and what you thought! Hopefully it won’t be so long until my next batch!

 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.

See my full disclosure here.

 

Danielle xx

 

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Time for a little update on my current stash of cleansers and if you have seen any of the first five instalments of this blog series, you will know I like choices! I’ll also preface this by saying I haven’t tried any of the products on my eye makeup as I had laser eye surgery in December so wasn’t wearing mascara for a while and was trying to keep water away from my eyes for so long, I have just kept going! I use Nivea Double Effect Waterproof eye makeup remover for that now I have started wearing mascara again and I can’t recommend it enough!

 

Starting with the first cleansers and first up we have the The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm RRP £9.99* and I really can’t fault this. It contains oat kernel oil and colloidal oatmeal so as well as being nicely hydrating, it’s great for sensitive skin too! I use a flannel to wash it off and it removes makeup with ease and leaves my skin feeling soft and doesn’t leave a film behind! I have read some other reviews with people saying it can be hard to squeeze out so keep that in mind but I haven’t personally noticed this with my tube. I do quite enjoy a scent with my balms and this is unscented so that’s the only thing that lets this slightly down but again, great for sensitive skin and it’s cheap and cheerful!

 

Next up, the Aromatica Orange Cleansing Sherbet RRP £23 which I got to try as a cheaper alternative to my beloved Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing balm. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t quite hit the spot for me! It’s closer in consistency to the Elemis cleansing balm which I didn’t like, and the scent is a little too sweet/artificial for me. It still does a good job at removing makeup and leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated so I will continue to use it but I don’t plan on repurchasing it in the future!  

 

Now time for an old favourite and the MOA The Green Balm RRP £16 actually featured in my first post in this series back in 2017 when it was £12.50! Yikes! It contains yarrow and tea tree and is another one that’s great for sensitive skin. It’s a bit of a do it all product and as well as a cleanser it can be used on bites/grazes, as a healing tattoo treatment or even added to hot water and honey to gargle for sore throats! I absolutely love the scent, it is so relaxing and spa like and it removes makeup well. It can leave a bit of a film but I don’t mind as it gets removed on my second cleanse and I think this is my third tub of this now! My mum loves this too and often puts it on any stressed patches of skin and leaves it overnight!

 

Another favourite now and I spoke about this one last week too! The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser RRP £13.90* is probably the best all-rounder I have come across! As well as being an effective first cleanse this is also lightweight enough to work as a second or morning cleanse too. The formula is so gentle, it’s a cream to oil-like cleanser and makes easy work of removing makeup, feels hydrating and comes in two sizes at a ridiculously good price! When using to remove makeup, I use a flannel, but this also emulsifies nicely when I use in the morning and never leaves my skin feeling tight or dry! It also features in instalment four of this cleanser series!

 

Moving onto second and morning cleansers and The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser RRP £9.99* is one of the newest products to their line up! This has a pleasant gel formula that foams marginally and contains 1% hyaluronic acid compound which has been modified to stick to skin even after the cleanser has been washed off. My skin feels fresh after use but I would say a little tight around my nose specifically which I was surprised about considering the hyaluronic acid element. It doesn’t translate to dryness though and subsides when I finish my routine but I would say that I prefer their Fulvic Acid cleanser over this one!

 

The newest cleanser to me is the COSRX Pure Fit Cica Cleanser RRP £19* which was sent mid-January and I’ve been reaching for it regularly. It has a creamy formula that lathers gently, and it contains centella asiatica so it’s mild and it also contains eucalyptus oil – a scent I love! My skin feels nicely balanced using this and I haven’t noticed any dryness! It’s probably not one I would have picked up myself, but I have really been enjoying it!

 

Nearly at the end of my round up now and the Dermalogica Daily Glycolic Cleanser RRP £35* got a mention in my Best Beauty Discoveries 2021 as I love it so much! Despite containing glycolic acid, as the name would suggest, this is gentle enough to use every day and I have noticed a brightening effect as it sloughs away dead skin cells as well as my skin being smooth and well prepped for makeup. It doesn’t dry my skin out at all and is another win for Dermalogica who really know how to make a good cleanser – see my review of some of their other options here!

 

Finally, another regular on the blog – the NIOD Sanskrit Saponins RRP £37*. NIOD specify that this is a cleanser, not a makeup remover, and I’ve been through multiple tubes of this over the years! I don’t even mind the scent! It’s made with ayurvedic plant saponins and day-old coffee beans is the best way I can describe the noticeable scent! It’s a thick paste and works to clean oil and dirt from my face, making pores look minimised – despite it removing oil, my skin never feels stripped by this! It’s worked particularly well for me in the past when my skin was more oily/acne prone and it really removed build-up and helped clarify my skin and even now with my skin type being more normal I am still enjoying it!

 

So that’s what’s currently taking up space on my bathroom windowsill and I should have a few cropping up in my empties soon! Let me know what cleansers you are loving at the minute! I really want to get my hands on the Alpha H Melting Moment cleansing balm, Then I Met You Living cleansing balm and Omorovicza Queen cleanser next!

 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.

See my full disclosure here.

 

Danielle xx

 

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Welcome back! I have a huge backlog of photos and so many post ideas but zero motivation to write the actual blog post! Same goes for Instagram but I thought I’d ease myself back in with a Five Things I’m Loving post since it’s been a while since I did one! I have a mixture of bodycare, skincare and makeup here that I have been obsessed with recently and a mixture of repurchases and products that are new to me so let’s get to it!

 

Lush Rose Jam RRP £16 is definitely not a product that is new to me and I have been repurchasing it for years (although this was a Christmas present from my aunt!). Lush isn’t a shop I buy from regularly, its usually a Christmas treat and I cannot get enough of this scent! It smells of Turkish rose and also contains argan oils, vanilla and lemon oils and I am addicted to it! Honestly, I could sniff this all day! The lasting power is amazing too, I get whiffs of it off my skin throughout the day and this 250ml bottle will last ages too as you only need a tiny bit to lather. It doesn’t dry out my skin at all and I can’t recommend it enough if you like rose scents!

 

Moving onto body moisturiser and I was so happy to see that Bath & Body Works had started being stocked in Next! Their PocketBac hand sanitisers are some of my favourites and I always stocked up on them when I lived in Canada. I also previously had this Aromatherapy Eucalyptus and Spearmint Stress Relief Body Lotion RRP £12 and while I don’t find the scent lasts as long as I would like it to, it is so nostalgic to me now (and I just love anything eucalyptus scented in general) and I have been enjoying having it in my routine again so much! It’s very lightweight and sinks in quickly and is nicely hydrating! Love the packaging too and I got a few other products from this line for Christmas too!

 

Now an oldie but a goodie, The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser RRP £13.90* which is no stranger to the blog but I recently got sent the large size and I have been using it non-stop! It’s a gentle, cream to oil-like cleanser that is perfect as a first, second or double cleanse! It makes easy work of removing makeup, feels hydrating and I think everyone should have this in their collection! It featured in this Best Budget Skincare post and my Best Beauty Discoveries 2020 post!

My skin has taken a bit of a battering the last month with the weather and working from home all day in central heating isn’t helping! After having a few reactions resulting in my face being red, inflamed, itchy and flaky, Murad Intense Recovery Cream RRP £69* came to the rescue! I wasn’t sure if this would live up to the insta hype it receives but I am converted. It feels instantly soothing on stressed skin and is so comforting! It contains shea butter and macadamia oil as well as microalgae extract and instantly reduces redness as well as hydrating my skin. As you can see, I have been making my way through it quickly as it really does what it says on the tin and is the most effective recovery cream in my stash! I have a brand review coming on Murad soon with a few other products they sent to me but suffice to say, I am impressed! 

 

Finally, a makeup pick and the Victoria Beckham Matte Bronzing Brick 02 RRP £52 has been a go to for me since I purchased it before Christmas! It’s a super weighty compact with two warm tan matte shades that I mix together to give me the perfect shade of bronzer! It matches my colouring perfectly leaving my skin looking warm but not orange, subtly defined and it never looks patchy! It lasts all day on my skin and while it’s expensive (I picked it up with 20% off) it was well worth it as I know I will get so much use out of it!

Unedited swatches - Victoria Beckham Matte Bronzing Brick, left shade, right shade, mixed

 

So, that’s what I am currently loving! Have you tried anything I’ve mentioned? Et me know your thoughts!

 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.

See my full disclosure here.

 

Danielle xx

 

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I’m pretty happy with myself this month as I’ve managed my low buy - hopefully that continues into tomorrow and I haven’t hit publish too prematurely! You can find last year’s posts here but let’s get into it!

 

 

First up, I subscribed to the Liberty Beauty Drop last month so my subscription of £20 came out again and the first box (out of four per year) arrived. In it we have full sizes of the Frank Body In Your Dreams Sleep Scrub and Soak and MZ Skin Anti-Pollution Hydrating face mask, and minis of the Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Aging body cream, 111Skin Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser, Sarah Chapman Skinesis, Malin + Goetz Bergaot Deodorant and samples of the OUAI Detox Shampoo, Susanne Kaufmann Anti-Aging Regeneration Cream and Sisley Anti-Age Eye and Lip Contour Cream. 

 

 

The £20 is redeemable on the Liberty Beauty website, you get free delivery and you can opt out after 3 months. This was a pretty impulse purchase from me last month and I have never shopped from Liberty before. I think I will most likely cancel my subscription in March as their beauty offering is quite limited and there are a lot of (overpriced) brands I’m not interested in on there! I will keep an eye on the new in section though and I’m sure I will find something to treat myself to! Overall, I am happy with the contents of the box and everything but the deodorant will get used up by me! And side note, the floral design on the box is beautiful but it would have been nice to get a bag like the first Beauty Drop customers last year but I can understand why they wouldn’t do that every drop! 

 

Also this month, I picked up some of the Home Bargain Inkey List hair products! I’m sure you saw this all over Instagram if you are in the UK and I couldn’t resist the £1.49 price tag! I couldn’t find any in my local Home Bargains so I sent my mum with a list when she went shopping in another town and she came back with the goods! If you read my Best Beauty Discoveries post last month you will already know how much I love the The Inkey List Caffeine Stimulating Scalp Treatment so I picked up four bottles on offer. Note, it is the old, smaller, awkward packaging so I plan to refill my newer bottle with the contents of these! I have noticed much less hair coming out when I wash since I began using this late last year and I can’t recommend it enough, even full price it’s not that expensive at £14.99! 

 

 

I also got a bottle of the PCA Bond Repair and Peptide Volumising treatments to try as well. So far so good with both of these too, they are lightweight and don’t weigh my hair down but the Caffeine treatment really is the star of the show for me! At £1.49 each these totalled £8.94 altogether.

 

And that brings me to the end of my report – my total was £28.94! Like I said, it was a good low spend month for me and I want to try and keep it that way this year (well apart from maybe a little splurge at my birthday/Christmas time ;)) Have you bought much beauty this year so far?

 

*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