Skincare/Haircare : The Empties

I have been hoarding my empties for a while so I thought it was about time to do a post so I can actually get rid of this stuff!

Colab Dry Shampoo London Fragrance : This is the original formula and probably my 6th empty can.

I really like this dry shampoo- all the scents are perfectly pleasant (Monaco is gorgeous, definitely my favorite) but they all do a fantastic job of drying up some of the excess oils in your roots leaving your hair feeling really refreshed. 

It doesn't leave that horrible, heavy powdery texture that some dry shampoos do. 

It's cheap as chips as well. Just make sure you give this a good shake before you use it. 

Charles Worthington Volume and Bounce Spray : I don't to tend to have a lot of luck with volumsing products and this hair spray was no exception. I have had this for ages and to be honest I am quite impressed  that I actually finished it! It's not awful- it does add some volume but made my hair feel crispy. I wont be repurchasing this.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm : This is a very rich cleansing balm that is loaded with essential oils. I didn't particularly enjoy using it in the morning- I prefer it for a night time cleanse after I have removed my make up as it does a good job of really getting any make up residue/dirt/grime etc off your face.

I do like this, but I don't think I will be repurchasing. If I use it too much it can be a bit too rich for my skin and leave me a little blotchy

I have found my favorite cleanser which is over a tenner cheaper than this, so I will be sticking with that.

Body Shop Chamomile Silky Cleansing Oil : This is easily my favorite make up removing oil. It's fairly cheap, doesn't irritate my skin in anyway and manages to remove all my make up- foundation/waterproof mascara- just everything. It's brilliant, I dispense about 2 pumps into my dry hands and massage onto my dry, made up face and it helps to loosen everything. I then wipe off with a warm flannel.

These last me for quite some time too- I have got through about 5 of bottles and I am already onto my 6th with another as back up in my cupboard.

Body Shop Vitamin E Facial Mist : You can see I really get through this stuff huh? This is a lovely gentle toner that doesn't make any outrageous claims, it just adds anther little layer of moisture. It is refreshing and although I prefer my Orico toner this little guy is a lot cheaper and more easily accessible, so again, I have back ups waiting for me.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads : I love these, for a full review click.

Garnier Micellar Water : 9 times out of 10 I will remove my make up with my Body Shop oil, but on days when I don't, I use this. I like this a lot more than Bioderma- I find it to be non irritating and it does do a good job of removing make up without drying out the skin.

I only ever use it to remove make up and then I follow with a proper cleanser. It's decent stuff and I am on my second bottle.

Percy and Reed Hair's Best Friend Totally Intensive Treatment Oil+ : This oil smells AMAZING. I wish this was a perfume because I would literally douse myself in it, it is so fresh and beautiful.

I really love this oil, somehow it manages to be incredibly light whilst moisturizing my hair and making it easy to comb and detangle. It's also silicone free so it doesn't make you hair feel coasted or heavy. 

I adore this and one hundred percent recommend. 

Clinique Smart Serum : I know this is only a little bottle- but I actually had quite a few of them so I did give this a good test.

I don't believe in its claims- I don't know how a serum can actually be 'smart'- Clinique say that the reason for the naming is that this serum has the ability to work out what you skins needs and then adjusts to those needs. Hence making it a serum that all skin types can use, thus it helps those with oily skin by helping reduce excess oils/blemishes but then adjusts itself for those (me) with dry dehydrated skin by deeply hydrating and adding in the much needed moisture.

I disagree.
The first few times I used this I liked it, I felt like it really help with the dehydration lines that I sometimes get around my eyes, but after a couple of weeks of using this alone morning and night my skin felt desperate for a drink. I was craving my Kielhs midnight oil and the moment I put it on my skin I felt immediately better. I definitely wont buy this, I feel its quite expensive when it didn't really do anything for me. Also it felt quite silicone heavy so I almost felt like I was putting some sort of primer on my skin. Its a no from me. 

Hydraluron : This is a much hyped/blogged about product so I had to try it. It has the highest concentration of Hyluronic Acid so I thought I would love it....but it's kinda....meh. 

I used to use it under my moisturizer and it did feel hydrating....but I don't know. I just didn't love it. I think its the texture that I can't really get on with.
I don't think my skin looked that much better for using it and I feel like its more suited to oily skin types as it has a very sticky consistency that seems to vanish immediately into the skin. 

I am glad I used this and finished it, but I wont be re-buying. I have other products in my stash that perform this task so much better. 

The Body Shop Hand Hemp Protector : I love this and I am already using the larger size of this. There is a full review here.

Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream : This is my favorite moisturizer and I repurchased it as soon as I could. I can't cope without this in my life (a tad dramatic I admit) so I bought the jumbo size. For a full review click here.

Morocco Hair Oil : This tiny little bottle seems to last forever even though I use it pretty much every time after I wash my hair. I always repurchase this- it helps to detangle my wet hair whilst smoothing and conditioning it.
I can always tell when I have used this as my hair looks so lovely and sleek.

Nuxe Rev De Miel : Favorite Lip Balm of all time- click on this little guy if you want to read a full review. 

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Body Cream : This is a lovely rich body cream that smells absolutely divine. I have the hand and body lotion as well so I am going to try to finish that up too! This is very pricey, but a lovely treat.

La Roche Posay Serozonc : I am on my second bottle, for a review click here.

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel : This is my favorite cleanser! Believe the hype on this one, its a beauty. For more info click here. 


Phew that was a long one! Thank you if you stayed with me! 

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Evening Skincare Routine

Sorry for the delay in getting this up! It has been a mad few days.
So, onto the Evening routine.

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil: This is my third or fourth bottle of the stuff- its fantastic.
I only ever use this as a first cleanse in the evening to remove my make up, and then I go in with a more sophisticated second cleanser.
I take 2 pumps of this, massage it into dry, still made up skin, I really concentrate on my lashes and then I remove with a flannel. You can add water to emulsify it into a milk, but I never do that with any oils/balms. I think its pointless.
This cleanser removes pretty much all of my make up. So quick and easy. I can't be bothered using endless cotton pads with eye make up remover, this is the way forward.

BTW: I hate wipes, never use them. My opinions on them have nothing to do with the fact that it's like the cool thing in skincare to hate them, I've always disliked them. I have used them in the past to remove eye make up (now I have better alternatives) but on my skin, they always, always make my skin burn, feel tight and stingy. All of them.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm: This is a lovely, thick balm and as you can possibly see, I've nearly finished it.
This is a good cleanser, but I prefer to use it once a day in the evening, it helps remove the last traces of make up and its excellent for facial massage, but if I use it too much it can be a bit rich for me and make my skin a little aggravated.
You can see the Oskia gel is also there, (review here) I sometimes use this in the evening or if i'm not wearing any make up, I use that alone.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist : See more here

Kiehls Creamy Eye Treatment : See more here

Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate:  I have been using 3/4 drops of this a night for the last 4 months and I'm not even a third of the way through yet! I know £36 is quite a splurge, but honestly, it will last you for yonks.
This oil is lovely and I really enjoy using this in the evening, and spending a good few minutes really massaging it and working it into the skin. I find the whole ritual very soothing.
This product is very hydrating, however i'm unsure if I will repurchase this when it runs out...I know I will at some point, but right away? I don't know.
It definitely does what you need a facial oil to do, and I love using oils, but I want to see if I miss this one. I am intrigued to try Estee Lauders Night Repair and Sarah Chapmans Overnight Facial, but I do recommend this product to everyone- all skin types. Oils are good for you. Whether you are oily or dry.

Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins : The texture of this cream is really unusual...it's a night cream, and I would suggest you really do stick to using this at night as it leaves a sort of film on the skin, so it's really not a good base for make up. When I've had extra dry days, I've tried, but it never ends well.
I have to say though, I really don't like this stuff. It's pretty much finished so I gave it a good go, but its so silicone-y! It feels like a thick cream, and when you apply it you don't think its going to spread well, but then the texture transforms into this thinner,siliconey slidey consistency...I don't like using silicones in skincare, I understand why they are put in- to give the products more slip, but I don't like feeling it in the product, it makes me feel like i'm coating my skin with plastic. Silicone doesn't  have any skin care benefits, so whats the point in putting it on my skin? It feels heavy and when I have a bit of milia around my jaw line (if you want to know more on milia, read this, Caroline Hirons is awesome, read her entire blog, you won't regret it) silicone makes it worse.
In make up/hair care I'm not super bothered, and my Vichy serum contains it, but I can't feel it.
This cream is a no no for me, and I am now glad I have a large size of my Kiehls cream to use instead. Which is silicone free.

As you can see- my routine is quite simple and I use some of the same products morning and evening. Even though I have a few cleansers on the go, its not super necessary! I just like to have different options to cater to my skins needs.

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Morning Skincare Routine

Hello everyone, I thought it was about time I did a proper post about my skincare routine.
Before we kick things off, I thought it would be helpful if I told you about my skin type, as what works for me, may not work for you.
I have (generally speaking) pretty good skin, I would class my skin as mostly normal to dehydrated and a little bit dry. My skin can be quite sensitive so I know there are some products/ingredients that I just cannot use.
I am 24, so I don't really have wrinkles...yet.

I always do my skincare routine, twice a day everyday. Of course products change as needs change and it's fun to try new things, but I ALWAYS do my routine. As should you. It helps your skin and it' relaxing. It's a win win.
Because my skin can freak if I mix things up too much, when I introduce a new product, I make sure to keep the rest constant, also because if I react to something, I want to know exactly what has caused it.

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel : I know everybody and their cat talks about how amazing this cleanser is, but I just have to agree.
Don't be fooled by the world gel- it's more of an oil. A pinky orange oil that smells slightly of roses. It is utterly divine and a pleasure to use in the morning. I do not use this in the evening to take make up off. Ever. I find that a waste of a good cleanser, so I want it to treat my skin, not remove foundation.
I do about two pumps on dry skin, massage it all in, I massage this into the eyes as well, and then gently buff off with a warm flannel, then rinse with warm water.
After, my skin feels like its been to the spa. I feel refreshed, my skin looks alive and most importantly, it feels nourished and not stripped.
This cleaners contains pumpkin enzymes, vitamins C and E and a whole host of other good stuff. Sometimes I leave it on for a couple of minutes while I brush my teeth to act as a sort of mask so I can get as much goodness from this as possible. Also - this does not foam even though it says 'Gel', which is good. We don't want foams. I never use them as they suck all moisture out of my skin and make me feel like i'm wearing a mask.
This cleanser is on the more expensive side but it has lasted months. The only annoying thing is you can't see how much product is left, but regardless, the moment this runs out, I am immediately picking up another.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist : I think I'm on about my 7th bottle of this stuff. I basically soak my face in this after I've cleansed and leave it a minute or two. This does a lovely job of prepping the skin for the next step and adding in another layer of hydration. It contains glycerin and rose water, so it's gentle and soothing to the skin. It does contain parabens, but I hasten to add that I don't care. Parabens don't bother me in the slightest. I think its all scaremongering, but you do you.
I already have my 8th bottle waiting for me.

Kiehls Creamy Eye Treatment : Sometimes I just don't know if I see the point in eyecreams...I don't ever tend to notice a huge difference, but I figure it doesn't hurt to use one, right?
This cream does moisturise the eye area though, so I tap it all around my orbital bone. I do find the texture of this really intriguing as it starts as a think cream and then as you pat it in it almost turns into water. I kinda just enjoy using it! Also it helps to apply this before concealer so you don't look cakey.

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum : An ingredient I know my skins loves, is hyaluronic acid, which this serum has so I picked this up a month or so ago and I am very impressed. It does contain silicone which I'd rather it didn't, but more on that later in my upcoming post of my evening skincare routine.
Regardless of that, this serum is lovely and does help plump up the skin. It absorbs fairly quickly so you can use this in the morning without it ruining your make up. I can't believe this serum is only in the realm of £17 when I have tried some that are 3 times that and been nowhere near as impressed. I would repurchase again, but I don't know if I will straight away as I really want to try the Sarah Chapman line.

Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream : I'm going to be bold here but this is my favourite moisturiser that I have ever tried. I just love it. Kielhs has yet to let me down, and honestly this cream will always be in my stash.
It's fragrance free, silicone free and it just makes my skin feel hydrated all day long, which is hard to do. It rich but it no way heavy and it doesn't claim to be anything fancy, it just does what it says.
This makes my skin feel awesome and I recommend it to all dry/dehydrated girls and boys out there. I think it would be fine on oily skin, but as I don't have oily skin, I can't fully comment.
I actually have been using this morning and night and I have just run out. I'm going to pick up a new one this week, as I've only been without it for about three days and I really miss it. Just try it- the people at Kiehls are always lovely and happy to give out a sample or two.


What are your skincare faves? Any recommendations for me to add to my list?

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