AD/PR Product (This post contains products which have been sent to me for consideration as a PR sample only, all thoughts are my own).
I was, on a mission to share with you all my beauty empties before the end of the year. Well, it is safe to say that this didn’t happen. I am however back with one more instalment of my Beauty Empties before 2021 arrives. I can’t wait to see the back of this year in truth so as far as I am concerned, it cannot come soon enough. So, let’ crack on with it as you all know the drill by now.
First up, the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash. For some reason, despite my love for Soap and Glory, I have never got around to trying this particular product before until the end of this year. I have to say, I really liked this and I know my boyfriend did too. It doesn’t take over the top spot for me when it comes to Soap and Glory body washes, my favourite is, of course, the original pink scent, however, this would most certainly be a loved option for the summer. The scent is gorgeous, it is fresh and uplifting and the lime notes certainly comes out in this for me. I would 100% recommend this and I will definitely be repurchasing this product come next year. The only thing I would say is that I hope the dispenser pump is replaced in the future as I struggled to get the last bit out, I also find that you are endlessly pumping this as not enough comes out in one go. It is a minor criticism, although I would love to see this with the same dispenser as the new Clean-A-Colada Body Wash in the future.
The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid was the first product I ever tried from the brand, for a grand total of £5. A bargain I have to say and for the money, it is a pretty darn good product. I would happily repurchase this in the future if on a tighter budget. It is a basic hyaluronic acid, no-frills and it is easy to apply after cleansing and misting, the latter being key as it helps the hyaluronic acid work better on the skin as opposed to no moisture being there, to begin with, this can lead to the skin becoming more dehydrated. The only issue I had with this is that it could leave my skin feeling a little tacky sometimes, however for £5, I cannot complain. I have tried more expensive alternatives in the past and alongside this and I have been left with the same sensation. You can’t go wrong with this, it is a good, fuss-free hyaluronic acid which your skin will thank you for. I also really love the little dinky packaging, it is perfect in my opinion and it is very travel friendly.
Speaking of hyaluronic acid, I also used up the Medik8 Hydra B5 Skin Rehydration Serum* which I received a while back. This has since been repackaged and possibly reformulated, however, the version I tried was very good, although it was a lot thicker in texture in comparison to The Inkey List offering. I didn’t mind this, it worked just as well and seemed to spread a bit further too. I would try this again, more out of curiosity really as I know my version was fairly old so it would be interesting to try a brand new one and see just how good it could be. I feel like I cannot give this an accurate review due to how old it is, although that being said, it was not opened until I started to use it this year. I’ll probably pick it up later on in the year along with the Vitamin C-Tetra Intense.
The Polaar Very High Protection Sunscreen Lotion SPF50 was a product that I featured in my SPF post in the summer. I have since picked up a larger size in a Latest in Beauty Box which was gifted as part of my ongoing collaboration with them, however, the only reason I opted for it was because I had purchased it previously in the year and had enjoyed it. I found it to be a great SPF that worked well for me. I really enjoyed the texture, which as I said in the post, it is almost gel-like. It was light on my skin and it didn’t make my skin feel greasy, it worked well under makeup and of course, it offered high protection. For me, this is a great SPF that I would repurchase in the future.
Moving onto two moisturisers, I finished up two travel sizes which again I found to be super handy this year when going back and forth between home and my boyfriend’s place. The first one I used up was the Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator which I have to say, I really enjoyed. I am rather pleased to know that I have a larger version of this in my beauty stash as it was a great moisturiser that I used both day and night. This is scent-free for those who look for fragrance-free skincare and it has a gel texture. I found this to be really hydrating on my skin, lightweight and gentle and can imagine that this would suit all skin types.
A similar moisturiser I found (and preferred) was the Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream. This was instant love, truly. I thoroughly enjoyed using this product and I can see it easily being featured in my beauty favourites of 2020, although of course, I can, I am writing it. This beat the Clinique one for me due to the rose scent which I loved and the texture. That is not to say that the Clinique moisturiser was not nice as it was, it was great; I just found that the Fresh option was somehow silkier and smoother to apply. Maybe its psychological, who knows, but what I do know, is that I will absolutely pick this up again in the future. My skin felt so hydrated after using this and I found that this feeling lasted well into the day, it was like an injection of pure water into my skin. In fact, it is taking every bit of me not to make an order from Fresh between now and the New Year as I loved it so much.
A new discovery for me this year was the brand Sioris which I discovered through Tonic15. I finished up the Sioris Time Is Running Out Mist which again was another product that I enjoyed. This was a delightful hydrating facial mist which smelt amazing. I have had a look at the ingredients and cannot pinpoint anything specific for the scent as such as there is a combination of fruit waters within it. I loved using this mist and found it to be very hydrating on my skin. Given that it is oil-based, I was initially concerned that it may be a bit too rich for my skin, however, I need not have worried, I had no issues at all. There is a running theme of hydration lately within my skincare, especially this year having spent so much time indoors with central heating. I would highly recommend this mist and have even noticed that there is a new one out which is rose-based, needless to say, I am looking to make that my next purchase from Tonic15. My only real criticism of this product (I have only used the 30ml so far) was that the spray action was a little strong, if this was finer, it would be absolutely perfect.
Onto perhaps the best smelling product of 2020, if you like bananas, of course. I introduce you to the Garnier Ultimate Blends Nourishing Hair Food which I picked up on offer not long after it launched in Boots. I chose the Banana and Shea scent which is the version for dry hair, there are to my knowledge three other options but I haven’t tried any of those personally. As my hair is chemically treated, I thought this would be the best option as colouring, especially blonde colouring at that can dry your hair out. I liked this as a conditioner and will pick it up again when it is on offer, the only thing I didn’t like was that the lid itself got clogged up with the product where you twist it on and off, I had to keep cleaning it. This left my hair really soft and having read more about it I realised that I could have used it as a leave-in conditioner also which I must admit, I never tried. I will do that next time.
Onto makeup remover, I finished up the No7 Radiant Results Eye Makeup Remover which I have to say, took me a while. This was ok, nothing to really jump up and down about. I still very much prefer my Garnier Micellar Water which is really affordable and does a better job in my eyes. On a whole, I quite like No7, this just wasn’t anything special so I wouldn’t repurchase. It did the job, but not better than its cheaper competitors.
An old love of mine is the Super Facialist Rose Hydrate Calming Creamy Cleanser. I have used a few of these in the past and managed to dig out this little mini version to use whilst back and forth from my boyfriend’s place. I have used up loads of mini’s this year! There is not much to say about this that I haven’t before. It is a very affordable cleanser at around £6-£9 depending on offers and it lasts ages too. It does have a rose scent but I don’t find it to be too strong. It is hydrating on the skin, it doesn’t leave my skin feeling stripped at all and I will use it time and time again. I’d happily use this both as a morning cleanse and an evening cleanse. I really do rate Super Facialist and do think that I need to try a bit more from them next year as I tend to stick to the same products that I know and love.
Onto Dermatica. I tried this during the first lockdown. I took advantage of the first month being free and then cancelled. It wasn’t because it was bad, I just decided that I had too much I wanted to use up and that really, in hindsight I shouldn’t have started something like this when I had about 4/5 retinol to use up first. It is a bit joyless, although I enjoyed the process of getting my prescription, it was also good to know that a Dermatologist was looking at my skin and determining what was a good start for me. I would be tempted to try them again later in the year one I have used up some of the retinols that I have, too many are calling my name that I am desperate to try. In just a month, I can’t say that I noticed much difference to my skin but that is, of course, to be expected. I believe you need to be using something like this for 3+ months to notice a real difference. I did buffer it, I mixed it in with a moisturiser at first but then towards the end, I was using it neat onto dry skin. I didn’t suffer any irritation from this that I can recall.
I make the most of baths at my boyfriend’s place and have used up a few bubble bath products this year. Not all have been featured on here, as there have been a lot of repeats. I thought I would mention the Imperial Leather Moroccan Sunset Bath Soak and in fact any of the options in this range. They’re cheap and you get plenty of bubbles, pure bliss!
Lastly, I actually managed to use up an eyeshadow. Unbelievable! This is the Kiko Long Lasting Stick in the shade 05 which is a metallic bronze/mauve tone. It was long-lasting indeed. I used this a lot and I loved it. I picked this up ages ago as a dupe for the By Terry Ombre Black Stars and it was a fantastic dupe, if but a little less luxurious. I highly rate these eyeshadow sticks, the colour pigment is incredible, they do last well although I find a bit of concealer helps prolong this further. I would happily repurchase these without hesitation, however, for now, I have moved onto the Beauty Pie versions to give them a try as I can’t help but want to try new things.
If you managed to get throigh to the end of that then I salute you, it was a long one I know!
Did you spot any of your favourite products or anything that takes your fancy?
*This post contains PR samples, for more please read my disclaimer.
