Hey Guys
Its been a minute…
Whilst having a tidy up and rearranging my make up stash, I came across some empty products, which I thought i’d share my experience on.
A lot of lovely ladies I follow on Instagram do this monthly or every so often and I really enjoy watching. It does help to give a quick summary of the product and lets me decide if its worth a buy or not, or even introduce me to some new products I did not know about.
I hope you find it useful :).
- PIXI – GLOW TONIC
Price: £18: 250ml, £10: 100ml [Marks & Spencers, Cult Beauty]
If you haven’t heard of this tonic, where have you been!!!! This must be my 5th bottle. It honestly has helped improve and maintain my skin texture, discolouration and give me that inner glow. My skin honestly feels polished (touch wood) when I have no makeup on.
One of the most important parts in my am/pm skin routine. Wash face, tone, then oil/moisturise. It’s really helped my skin on the dry days and the oily days to help remove dead/loose skin, take away bad oils, whilst adding the good moisture.
The 100ml travel size Tonic normally lasts just over a month if used morning and night every day. Perfect for testing out, as thats long enough time for your skin to adjust and adapt and hopefully make improvements. Im sure I’ve seen an even smaller one, 15ml for £5 on http://www.pixibeauty.co.uk !
Liked: I LOVE this toner. It has 5% glycolic acid which is gentle enough to use every day twice a day. It helps to gently exfoliate to remove dead skin to reveal a natural glow, is alcohol free and suitable for all skin types! Im sure there is one with Aloe Vera & Ginseng which I generally tend to buy as the aloe helps to hydrate and the ginseng improves circulation – but I do need to search for that as its normally just the normal 5% glycolic. But they both work great.
Not liked: Nothing to report
Repurchased?: YES, many times, would highly recommend. The tonic is also available for sensitive/redness skin (Rose Tonic) and there is a new Retinol Tonic, which is targeted more for fine lines.
I have just purchased and introduced the Retinol Tonic (focused more on lines and wrinkles) into my night time routine and still use this in the mornings.
- MARIO BADESCU – FACIAL SPRAY ALOE HERB AND ROSEWATER
Price: £16: 236ml, £7: 118ml [Beauty Bay]
This is another cult favourite. Really like using this before foundation and at the end. I feel incomplete if not used. I’ve repurchased this every time it’s finished.
Liked: The aloe and rose herb gives me the burst of hydration before applying foundation and gets rid of the powdery residue after everything’s applied and merges it all together. Perfect for a spritz throughout the day to freshen up too.
Not Liked: Nothing to report, I have tried the cucumber one, however felt that did nothing to my skin, finish or feel of my makeup.
Repurchased? Yes every time there is 1/4 left!
- ARGON OIL HEAT DEFENCE LEAVE IN SPRAY
Price: 99p [Home Bargains/BM Bargains]
This is such a bargain for £1!!! It’s from Home Bargains/BM Bargains. After a shower I spray this over my hair whilst damp.
Liked: It leaves my hair soft, gives a smoother finish and makes the blow dry last. It’s also a heat protecter and keeps the frizz at bay. If I don’t use this, I do find my hair turns fuzzy quicker, even after straightening or blow drying and feel a little coarse.I’ve used many (I’m a hair product fiend too🤦🏽♀️) other branded heat defence sprays, and honestly I always end up going back to this.
Not Liked: Nothing to report apart from not being available in superstores.
Repurchased?: Yes, always a repurchase, its such a BARGAIN!
- PRIMARK – PRIMER WATER
Price: £2 [Primark]
This Primer Water had such a buzz on Instagram when it launched. I managed to get hold of some and enjoyed using this. I guess you could say it was the cheaper alternative to the Mario Badescu.
Liked:It did add a burst of moisture/hydration to the face before and after makeup, swell as getting rid of any powdery residue. If you have dry skin, it is great.
Not Liked: It was OK, but wasn’t obsessed with it.
Repurchased?:I did buy two at the same time as they were so hard to get hold of when they released, but I have not repurchased since. I just have a few other mists I’m reaching for more at the moment, which I feel are more effective on me. For the price and the performance I would recommend for a quick fresh up spritz, good for some hydration for those dry skin days and to take away any powderyness (is this a word?) on the face.
- PIXI – GLOW MIST
Price: £16: 80ml on its own [Marks & Spencers]
I bought this as a Christmas set with the Pixi Glow Tonic last year. An all over glow mist for a radiant, dewy effect.
Liked:I enjoyed using this on myself when my skin was on the little dry side and clients. It has over 13 different vitamins and goodness ingrediants to give you everything you could need from a face mist. Its also recommended to use through the ends of your hair to seal split ends.
This did leave my skin feeling nicely plump and hydrated when used before foundation application and it did give a gleam when sprayed at the end.
As I have many brands of each product type, I do struggle to finish things as I use several things alongside one and another. So was suprised how quickly this was used.
Not Liked:Perfect for dry skin, for my combination oily it was good too, however with my natural oils slowly releasing throughout the day, I prefer to go matte and let that natural oil peep through for a natural glow, rather than add. Hope that makes sense!
Repurchased?: No, because I have a number of face mists I want to use up before I purchase more. If its in any Christmas offers with the Tonic, will buy.
- L’OREAL – HYDRA GENIUS
Price: £9.99: 70ml [Superdrugs & Boots – tend to have regular offers on these.]
They is a watery gel like consistency moisturiser, which claims to keep you hydrated for 72hrs, enriched with aloe water and hyaluronic acid!
Liked: I really loved this when I first got it and would use it every day. Then it became a little meh, then I enjoyed using it again. I originally purchased the one for dry skin, and decided to repurchase this one for oily/combination skin.
Not Liked: More recently I felt it just wasn’t enough hydration for me, so have been mixing with a mattifying moisturiser.
Repurchased?: Yes, 3 times
- OLAY – HYDRATION & RADIANT GLOW
Price: £9.99 [Superdrugs]
Liked:This feels really nice on the skin. It’s like a rich cream and is a great base before make up applicaton. I have one in my kit and one for me. Always reach for this on the days my skin feels a little dry and dull.
Not Liked: Nothing to report
Repurchase?: Yes, but have not been using recently, as I’m reaching for more mattifying lotions.
- GARNIER – MICELLAR WATER
Price: £4.99: 400ml [Superdrugs]
A cleansing water, always handy to have a bottle.
Liked: I like to use this as a first cleanse, I prefer to use this with a face wipe as its more effective than using 8 cotton pads!!! I love reaching for this to clean around my eye area when I’ve had semi perm lashes on, as you need to avoid water around the eyes. I use the cotton pad around the eyes, and a micellar soaked q-tip to clean any liner or residue near the lash line.
When applied to a face wipe, it’s also fantastic at removing glitter or pigment when doing eye makeup without tugging at the skin, great for the kit.
Not Liked:I don’t rely on this as my only method of removing makeup, as I feel like I still need to wash my face after rubbing everything on there, but it’s great as a first cleanse to break down makeup.
Repurchase?: Will always be a repurchase 🙂
- MAC – PREP & PRIME SKIN BASE VISAGE
Price: £22.50: 30ml [Mac Cosmetics]
Gel silicone lotion, meant to help with redness, skin tone and radiance of your skin. Oil free and suitable for all skin types.
Liked: It was OK, wasn’t left wow’d. It worked well and didn’t irritate my skin. It prepped the skin nicely and worked well under makeup.
Not Liked:I’ve had this primer for a some time, it really took a while to finish. The remaining half bottle took along time to use up, as I had other primers I preferred to reach for over this.
Repurchased?: Not a repurchase for me.
- BENEFIT – HOOLA BRONZER
Price: £12.50 (travel size), £25.50 (full size) [Boots]
Liked:Love this bronzer. It’s great for medium to fair complexions for warming up and contouring the face. It’s a lovely cool toned brown so not orangey or muddy looking. The consistency is not chalky and builds and blends out perfectly..
Not Liked: Nothing to report
Repurchased?: Yes
- ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS – BROW DEFINER
Price: £24 [Beauty Bay]
Having loved the Dipbrow Pomade, I bought the ABH Brow Definer. I felt the pomade was a little faffy to use on a day to day and felt this would be an easier version.
Liked:I have been going back and forth from this and the Benefit Goof Proof. It’s quick and glides on with ease. It can make subtle strokes aswell as deeper ones when focusing on the ends. Colour match is great.
Not Liked:At times it works so well and sometimes it’s a little meh. I feel it’s a little blotchy occasionaly, but upon investigation, I think it could be down to the moisturiser/serum I may use before hand all over my face!
Repurchased?:I have repurchased this and find myself switching between this and Goof Proof, as someone times I’m loving one more then the other.
Having tried a few other brands from the high street, I do find this and the Benefit one work the best for me and offer great staying power. The others would wear away after a few hours.
- BENEFIT – GOOF PROOF BROW PENCIL
Price: £20.50 [Debenhams]
A twist up gel pencil with a spooly/brush on the other end.
Liked: I have repurchased this several times. It’s so handy and quick to use. Glides on smoothly and lasts all day.
Not Liked:Again like the Anastasia Beverly Hills, it works perfectly and sometimes is meh. Again I think it could be down to the skin prep. I don’t have a preference from the two, and would most likely purchase either.
Repurchased?:I do find it works well and will most likely repurchase when running low.
- THE BALM – SWING LIQUID EYELINER
Price: £15 [Debenhams]
Felt tipped black liquid eyeliner.
Liked:I love this liner. It’s so matte and black, easy to use and slick. It really gives you the perfect, precise bold flick.
Not Liked:That it’s not waterproof, but I generally tend to apply under or over a gel liner and set to stop it from budging.
Repurchased?:Yes, I already have a back up for myself and kit 😁
- NARS – RADIANT CREAMY CONCEALER
Price: £24 [Cult Beauty]
A cult favourite with many, a creamy hydrating concealer, this range does offer nice golden undertones.
Liked: The packaging is slim and sleek, nice creamy consistency which is easily bendable.
Not Liked:I so wanted to love this as almost everyone does, however I just found it never gave me the wow factor. I actually found it a little drying under the eyes and not forgiving on my fine lines just underneath my lower lash line. I tried patting with my fingers, brush, damp sponge and was just left ‘meh’.
Repurchased?:No, I have several others that are magical. One of them is the NARS Soft Matte Creamy Concealer which works so well to hydrate and stays on much better for me.
Thank you for making it to the end, I really hope you found the above helpful. Are there any favourites of yours in the list? or something that your keen to try?
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Keep Smiling 🙂
