Danielle's Beauty Blog

 

Long-time no speak! I took a little extended break from posting as I just moved back to Canada for another working holiday but I’m keen to get my last batch of empties before I moved up on the blog! I’ll also hopefully get back to more regular posting in the next few months when I settle into my new place! 

 

 

Haircare

Living Proof PhD Dry Shampoo

Now I’ve finally tried this I completely get the hype! Definitely the best dry shampoo I’ve used, this claims to actually clean hair and absorbs oil, sweat and odour! It’s much pricier than my normal go to dry shampoo so I reserve this for days when my hair will be seen but it’s so good I have already repurchased!

 

Frank Body Caffeinated Scalp Scrub

Really enjoyed this, felt nice and scrubby and worked into my scalp easily leaving it feeling clean and invigorated! Will repurchase in the future!

 

Olaplex No. 3

This needs no introduction; I go through these on the regular so this supersize was a good investment for me! I use weekly and find my hair to be in much better condition and stronger while using regularly! Read more here! Already repurchased!

 

ESPA Pink Hair and Scalp Mud*

Only a sample size and I didn’t notice much difference with this when I used it so not a repurchase for me! See my post on ESPA here!

 

 

Bodycare

Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel

Love this, it smells incredible and makes my skin feel so nourished and the bottle lasts forever! Will repurchase soon!

 

Good Molecules Discoloration Correcting Body Treatment*

So impressed with this treatment from Good Molecules! I already love their skincare so I hope they add more to the bodycare line! This worked so well on darker pigmentation from old acne marks on my chest and back! It felt lightweight and hydrating too and as it’s a targeted treatment it will last a while too! Read more here! Would repurchase!

 

Elemental Herbology Zest Bath & Body Oil*

My second one of these and probably my favourite body oil! It’s absolutely beautiful, I love the uplifting scent and it doesn’t feel greasy at all. The bottle lasted me ages too and I love how it has a pump! Read more here! Would repurchase!

 

Ameliorate Intensive Foot Therapy

This was a really great overnight foot cream, it felt super rich and made my feet so smooth! Another one I would repurchase!

 

Prai Beauty Ageless Upper Arm Cream

Nice cooling cream but nothing special for me! Not a repurchase!

 

Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Cream

Smoothing but not my favourite scent from SDJ so not a repurchase! I’ll stick to Bum Bum cream! 

 

Skincare

Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner*

A classic K Beauty toner I have talked about many times! It works great for my skin and feels hydrating and soothing! Would repurchase!

 

CosRX Cica Cleanser*

Really enjoyed this cleanser, it had a creamy lather and was perfect as a morning or second cleanser for me. It didn’t feel drying and lasted a long time! Read more here! Would repurchase!

 

Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

A bit of a cult product and for a reason! This worked great for me when my skin was more problematic. I haven’t been reaching for it as much since I finished Accutane but it’s still nice to have as it works so well with acne! Would repurchase!

 

The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser*

Not my favourite cleanser from The Inkey List, I found this a little more drying than I was expecting for a HA cleanser and I much prefer their Fulvic Acid cleanser. Read my full review here! Not a repurchase for me!

 

Murad Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum*

One of my favoruite recent skincare discoveries, I absolutely love this serum and saw a dramatic difference in my skin brightness when using it! It’s the best Vitamin C formulation I have used and worked wonders on pigmentation. Full details here but it’s well worth the money and I was kindly sent a top up from the brand but I would repurchase with my own money also!

 

Dermalogica Biolumin-C Gel Moisturiser*

Another brilliant Vitamin C products, this was the perfect summer moisturiser for me! Lightweight and brightening and it sat well under makeup. Not quite hydrating enough for winter for me but I would repurchase for summer! Read more here!

 

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum3 1:1*

Probably my most repurchased serum, I love this stuff! My skin just feels and looks better and healthier when I use it and I hate being without! My full review is here but I already have a backup in use!

 

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1%

Finally got my hands on the lipid version too and while it doesn’t quite beat the serum for me it’s a gorgeous overnight treatment with added hydration. Enjoyed but not a repurchase!

 

Dermalogica Pre-Cleanse*

A beautiful cleansing oil though I sometimes tend to avoid my eyes with this as I can find the essential oils a little strong for them! It smells lovely and citrusy and removes makeup with ease! Already using a full size!

 

The Inkey List Omega Water Cream*

So impressed with this moisturiser from The Inkey List! It’s lightweight but hydrating and sits well under makeup. One of the best budget buys I have found this year! Full review here and I already have a backup ready to go!

 

The Inkey List Madecassoside Mask*

This felt very cooling and invigorating on my skin so I think it would be perfect after a workout etc when you want to cool down! It’s not the most calming mask I have tried which is what it is billed as though so not a repurchase for me! See my full review here!

 

Hello Sunday The Everyday One SPF 30

Sadly, not a fan of this one, I have never had a product pill on me as much as this. No matter what I tried it with and how long I left between layers of skincare I had the same problem. It did feel lightweight and left no white cast on me but the pump was also awful and I ended up having to open the bottle to get the product out. See my full review here! Not a repurchase!

 

Vichy Mineral 89 Probiotic Fractions*

Great little serum that is hydrating and calming so perfect for stressed out skin! See my full review here! Already have a backup!

 

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant*

One of my favourite exfoliants! You can control how gentle you want this to be with water and it leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth and it’s not harsh at all! Love! A bottle lasts forever too. See my full review here and I have a full size of this!

 

Kate Somerville Exfolikate Cleanser

Used this cleanser mostly on trips away and enjoyed it, not drying and made my skin feel smooth. Not a fan of the scent though, smells a bit like bathroom cleaner so not a repurchase!

 

Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 30

I was surprised by this one as I expected to hate it, but I actually didn’t mind it! It’s very dimethicone-y so I felt like I used less of this than a standard SPF but it sat well under makeup. Not my favourite SPF though so not a repurchase!

 

The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream*

A great budget eye cream that feels lightweight and de puffing. I have others I prefer though so not a repurchase for me at the minute!

 

Avene Cleanance SPF 50

This had a bit of a yellow tinge but worked well and didn’t pill. Again, I have others I prefer, so not a repurchase! 

 

Makeup

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray

Love this stuff! The trick is to spray before makeup as well as after and it really helps with the staying power! Already repurchased and using!

 

Becca Backlight Priming Filter

Still gutted Becca is no more! This was one of my favourite radiance giving primers that I used to mix with foundation! Let me know if you have a dupe! I have a mini left to use then I will need to find something new – maybe the ELF Halo Glow?

 

RCMA No Colour Powder

A little on the drying side but a good budget mattifying option. Will maybe repurchase in the future!

 

Essence Lash Princess Waterproof Mascara

So disappointed with this – not waterproof and I had black marks under my eyes after a few hours. Awful! Not a repurchase!

 

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

Another disappointment, transfers after a few hours and the wand is tiny so takes ages to coat lashes! Not a repurchase!

 

Benefit They’re Real Mascara

I was impressed by this, took it on a trip to Prague earlier in the year and no running or transferring even though it isn’t marketed as waterproof etc. Gave good volume and separation too! Will potentially make a full size purchase in the future!

 

By Terry Terrybly Lash Growth Mascara

Quite a dry formula and I found it to be a bit flaky. Not a repurchase.

 

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Again, a little flaky but nice volume. Not a repurchase!

 

Anastasia Lash Brag Mascara

Another flaky one but again good volume/separation! Not a repurchase though! 

 

Miscellaneous

Frank Body In Your Dreams Sleep Scrub and Soak

Nice bath soak and it dissolved well – worked better as a soak than scrub, I prefer their actual scrubs! Not a repurchase!

 

Sanctuary Spa Sleep Mist*

Really relaxing sleep mist that I came to associate with bedtime/relaxing! Full review here! Would repurchase!

 

Sanctuary Spa Calming CBD Oil*

Perfect to add to your bath or as another extra in your wind down routine. I preferred the other products in this range but it’s affordable so would possibly repurchase!

 

As you can see, I was on a mission to get things finished off! I took mosty new/ very full products with me so I think it will be a while before my next empties instalment! Let me know your thoughts if you have tried any of these!

 

*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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A few months ago I got a haircare package of dreams from Kérastase with five products from their Nutritive range as well as one of their bestsellers, the Elixir Ultime Oil! This is one of the most hyped haircare brands there is and I have been trying them out for the last few months so if you have been wondering how any of the products perform, read on to hear my thoughts after a little ramble about my hair!!

My hair is long, fine and brown (not colour treated). I struggle with dry and split ends because I use heat tools and go longer than I should between haircuts and my roots tend to get oily quickly. In the past, I have generally stuck to SLS free shampoos due to what I think sometimes is scaremongering over SLS shampoos being harsh or causing irritation when in fact I have never experienced this myself. Shampoos containing SLS are also a good way to remove build up from your hair so I reintroduced these back into my haircare routine more regularly quite a while back though I still also regularly use SLS free shampoos as well and find a mix of the two is suiting my hair perfectly!

 

Frizz has been a more recent battle for me as my hair has never been so frizzy as in the last 1.5 years and it’s been lacking its usual shine. I’m not sure if this is due to hormones/ageing (I'm 31) or working from home (drier air) or a mixture of everything so finding the right routine for me is an ongoing process and while I am loyal to haircare brands such as OUAI and Olaplex, I love to switch it up too and have definitely found a few favourites in these Kérastase products! The styling products contain silicones which again are usually a love/hate thing for most people but I have found myself having to use them to keep the frizz and flyaways in check and they are some of the most lightweight, non-greasy formulas I have tried! 

 

To start with, the Kérastase Bain Satin 1 Shampoo for slightly dry hair RRP £21.55* – an SLS containing shampoo and the most lightly scented out of Nutritive range! This lathers well and makes my scalp and hair feel clean without drying it out (note I don’t have a particularly sensitive scalp). Despite being formulated for dry hair, this doesn’t weigh my hair down and it makes it feel soft and look shiny! I tend to wash my hair twice a week, once with this and once with an SLS free shampoo and this routine seems to be working well for my hair!

 

Next up, the Lait Vital Conditioner RRP £28.20* and this along with the mask smell absolutely incredible! I mean it when I say I am obsessed, scent in haircare is very important to me because it tends to last quite a while in my hair and I am picky with fragrance. I am not very good at explaining scents but it just smells luxurious and clean and a bit like you’ve been on holiday or to the hairdresser. This is a nourishing conditioner, again for dry hair, and I apply through my mid lengths and ends. It doesn’t feel overly thick but works well to smooth my hair and leave it feeling soft and swishy and the scent really does last! 

 

I am a sucker for a hair mask and the Masquintense Thick Hair Mask RRP £36.30* has been an absolute treat to use! It smells the same as the conditioner but maybe a little more concentrated, is thicker and richer and I like to leave it on 15-20 minutes before rinsing out. It leaves my hair feeling super soft, smooth and the ends well hydrated which makes them look so much healthier! Despite my hair not being thick, it rinses out well and doesn’t leave it weighed down. It’s a huge 200ml too and a tiny bit goes a long way so I know I am going to turn to this a lot in the winter to keep my hair in good condition! 

 

After my wash/conditioning/masking is all done I have been using either the Nectar Thermique Heat Protector RRP £29.05* or the Elixir Ultime L’Huile Original RRP £40* as both offer heat protection. The Nectar Thermique is a light cream while the Elixir is a combination of 5 oils. I tend to steer away from hair oils as in the past I have found some formulations too heavy for my hair, so I used this with caution but was very pleasantly surprised! It adds beautiful shine to my hair with no grease in sight as well as smoothing frizz and flyaways! It also works well on dry hair but I tend to use on damp and the oil works better for me in terms or frizz control than the Nectar Thermique!  

 

Lastly and by no means least, the boujiest hair treatment I have used - the Nutritive 8h Magic Nourishing Overnight Serum RRP £40*. This is a serum you apply to hair before bed and it works overnight to help condition and replenish dry hair. Continuing with the theme of Kérastase hair products, this smells divine and my hair also drinks it up. It looks shiny the next day as well as thicker and healthier at the ends and I can use this a few nights in a row without it weighing down my hair or making it greasier quicker! This is definitely a little “extra” but so good! 

 

 

Overall, while the brand is on the pricier side of things, I have been super impressed by the effects on my hair. The sizes are generous too and a little goes a long way! I have been using these for months and have barely made a dent! My favourites would have to be the mask, oil and overnight serum and there are definitely a few other products from their other ranges I now have my eye on! Have you tried any Kérastase? What’s your favourite product?

 

Kérastase products are available from their website, Look Fantastic, and Sephora, 

 

If you liked this post you might also like my Haircare Essentials, OUAI review or Philip Kingsley review! 

 

*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

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Another month and another beauty spend report, I have been a little out of control this year and had a treat yoself’ mentality but at the same a time, a lot of the items I purchase are products I have been thinking about for a while and have taken advantage of a good offer before picking up! 

 

First up was the Next Game Changing Beauty box which was £20 with a value of over £77. It includes minis of my favourite cleanser, the Emma Hardie Moringa cleansing balm, as well as the Philip Kingsely Elasticizer, Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream, Lancome Advanced Genifique Serum and Benefit Roller Lash. We all know I’m a sucker for a beauty box and I particularly wanted minis of the cleansing balm and elasticizer and I’m looking forward to trying the beauty flash balm too! My mum also picked this one up hehe. 

 

 

Moving onto my main purchases this month and honestly, these days I’m not so taken with new beauty launches and have been picking up a few “old school” makeup items to add to my collection. I got myself the Tom Ford Soleil Glow Bronzer in Terra (Small) which is usually £54 but I used an influencer code to get 21% off so it was £42.66. I haven’t used this just yet as it’s been pretty hectic at home, I’m dogsitting and I also got Covid last week. It felt lighter in weight than I thought it would be but I’m not complaining as it will be easier to travel with and it came with a fancy pouch!

 

I also made a couple of DIOR purchases off Escentual – this has always been a bit of an old fashoned brand to me if I’m honest but I got the Forever Natural Bronzer at Christmas and I love it so wanted to explore the brand a bit more! I also noticed the price increase on the DIOR website but Escentual had these at the old price with a further 20% off so I got the Dior Addict Lip Glow in Rosewood RRP £29.50 (now £30) for £23.60 and the Crème Abricot Fortifying cream for nails RRP £22 (now £25) for £17.60. Definitely not necessities but like I said, treat yoself :P spoiler alert I might have also picked up a few other bits but they will fall into Septembers spend report.

 

Finally, continuing with my SPF buying spree (see last months post) I grabbed the Bondi Sands Hydra SPF 50+ Face Fluid from ASOS as I had a 30% off code so this was £7.70 instead of £11. I had ummed and ahhed earlier in the month when Ultra Violette did their buy one get one free offer ultimately deciding not to bother but Cult Beauty had 20% off and I had a £5 reward burning a hole in my pocket so the Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial Skinscreen SPF 50+ is mine and I got it for £22.16 instead of £34. 

 

Overall, this month’s total was £133.72 instead of £170.50 and I’m sure you’ll see some of these pop up in reviews soon! Have you tried any? What was your last beauty purchase?

 

*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