Beauty Empties 1

The start of 2020 lockdown for me meant online shopping. A combination of stress and boredom had me checking out my favourite websites near enough every day. As things began to calm down and I started getting used to the new normal, my online shopping habit gave way to a using up my stash habit. The amount of skincare I’ve managed to accumulate over the past few months is insane, and I’ve made it my mission to use up some of my hoard before I buy anything else. Make way for the beginning of a lot of empties posts!

Molton Brown Hand Creams

Who isn’t using up any and all hand creams they can get ahold of just now? Thanks to all those 20 second washes after I’ve touched anything that could have been touched by someone else, my hands have been little shrivelled up paws for the past few months. Enter Molton Brown. I’ve loved their hand creams for yers, and always have one waiting to go. The Alba White Truffle is technically called a ‘treatment’ and definitely had a different texture to what I’m used to. It was thicker and took longer to absorb, requiring a lot of working in. I preferred it at night time, right before bed, when I had time for it to settle in. Not my favourite for everyday, but it had a lovely warm vanilla smell. The Relaxing Ylang-Ylang hand cream had a lighter texture, was faster to absorb and still had the same moisturising properties. I whacked this on after every hand wash. I already have another Molton Brown hand cream on my bedside.

Check out the Molton Brown Hand Creams here.

Fresh Sugar Lemon Bath & Shower Gel & Body Lotion

I’ll admit, this was a full on ‘Caroline Hirons made me do it’ purchase. Having seen her rave about this stuff I knew I had to pop it in my basket on my last Cult Beauty order. It was my favourite to use for a quick morning shower, since the scent was super fresh and light and the moisturiser wasn’t very thick, absorbing quickly into the skin without leaving a sticky residue. The Bath & Shower Gel wasn’t my favourite scent at first - it reminded me a little of my mum’s lemon cleaner - but the sweetness of the sugar came out the longer it sat on the skin, leaving me feeling fresh and invigorated. The Body Lotion was lovely for my arms and upper body, but not the best for my scaly, dry legs. Like I said, I used it in the morning and used something a little heavier at night. Since I did like the formulas, I think I would purchase the Fresh body care again, but I would like to try the other scents. Brown Sugar and Sugar Lychee are both going on my list to try!

Buy some Fresh body care here.

Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation

When I first bought and tried this I thought I was going to hate it. I’m super pale, and tend to go for light to medium finish foundations that don’t take a lot of work. The advertising obviously worked on me, because I decided I absolutely had to have it. The first few applications were tricky, I was using far too much - half a pump goes a reeeeeeeally long way. Once I got the hang of it, I loved it. It is a full coverage foundation, but in a way that looks totally natural and easy. I was still able to see all my freckles, and even though it evened out my skin and blurred my imperfections it didn’t look as though I was wearing a thick mask - my absolute fear with full coverage foundations. It was a little pricy at £51 for a bottle, but I used it every day for well over a year and it still wasn’t finished when I had to get rid of it. It started looking a little off on my skin - I think it had began to expire. All in all, a very good purchase for me - definitely got my money’s worth! As for repurchasing, I think I would try the Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint, just to see if I could get a similar effect with a little less coverage!

The new Hourglass website is now live! See foundations here.

This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray

I cannot live without this stuff. I absolutely hate lavender, and especially just now when hay fever is going haywire, I sneeze at the slightest hint of a strong smell. I still spray this liberally over my pillow every night before I go to bed. Although insomnia hits me hard now and then, I feel like I can tell the difference when I use this. I sleep deeper and wake up feeling a little more refreshed in the morning - if only it didn’t smell like lavender! I already have another one on my bedside - and a travel size waiting to come abroad with me when lockdown ends!

Find a better sleep here.

Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel

Anyone else skin having a lockdown freak out? My skin has been so oily and blemish prone, probably a combination of so much time indoors, stress and the amount of crap food I've been eating thanks to the stress. I tend to look for milder, gentler cleansers that won’t irritate my skin, and this Dermalogica cleanser knocked it out of the park for me. It left my skin feeling clean and fresh without that squeaky drying sensation, and was mild enough for me to use every day. A tiny bit was all that I needed to create a gentle lather, and the small bottle lasted me ages. I’ll be repurchasing - and trying some more of the Dermalogica range!

Buy a new cleanser here.

Davines Oi Oil

When I initially found the Davines Oi range I knew there would be no going back. The first thing I found was the Oi All In One Milk, which changed my hair game forever. Seriously, I’m so obsessed I now use Glasgow’s only Davines hair salon. If I’m being totally honest, oil is oil to me, especially when it’s going on my hair. The Oi Oil is lightweight and doesn’t weigh hair down. Because my hair is dark, I worry about the roots looking greasy, but didn’t have an issue with Oi. I think if the oil came in a set again I would buy it, but it’s not my favourite Davines product (fyi it’s the All In One Milk).

See my Oi faves here.

Alpha H Liquid Gold

I’m officially getting to the age where I’m starting to notice my skin change a little bit. I still have blemish prone skin which can be very oily, but it does tend to be dehydrated - and I’m starting to notice the beginnings of a few fine lines - the horror! I’ve been trying out a few treatments for the acne scarring my pale skin tends to hold on to, and Alpha H Liquid Gold has been one of my favourites. It stings like a b**ch when you first apply it, but it leaves my skin looking brighter and clearer. My breakouts haven’t lasted so long, and scarring fades faster too. I’m already using a new one!

Try Liquid Gold here.

Clarins Tonic Treatment Oil

I love any body care that smells like a spa, and the Clarions Tonic Treatment Oil reminds me of my favourite Clarins facials. Seeing me use an oil is telling because I hate the feeling of it on my hands. The fact that I finished this says so much! I get around my texture problem by adding some of the oil into my moisturiser, giving my poor scaly legs a double boost of hydration. I love this oil for toning up my legs, and it also does wonders for scarring and stretch marks. I’ll be giving myself an oil break for a while, but will be repurchasing this to get my legs summer ready (if summer ever arrives).

Get oiled up here.

Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum

What a long name! I will admit that it was the packaging of Drunk Elephant that first pulled me in. I have a few little sample sizes to try (as well as a huge vitamin C), and loved all the sets available. The B-Hydra serum was lovely, super lightweight and fast absorbing - perfect for a quick morning routine! I did find my little fine lines were reduced, and my skin, which tends to tighten as the day goes on, felt fresher for longer during the day. It didn’t break me out, which is a huge plus, and it didn’t feel like it clogged my pores. On my list for my next Cult Beauty order.

Buy, buy, buy here.

111Skin Space Defence Bright Eye Lift Gel

My under eye issues run more to dark circles rather than puffiness, so I tend to veer more towards eye creams that brighten rather than de-puff. The full size of this product is super pricey (£110!!!) so I was excited to try the generous sample size. I honestly don’t think anything other than an amazing night’s sleep (or genetics) can help you avoid dark circles, but I did find the eye gel very hydrating and light under my eyes. It worked great under makeup and felt like a little bit of luxury first thing in the morning. I couldn’t speak for the ‘softening wrinkles’ claim - yet! Would I buy it again? Maybe when the wrinkle situation starts really getting to me. We’re not there yet, and I don’t think I could justify the price to myself - even if I did love it! I’ll definitely be looking at some of the other 111Skin products in the future though, it was a really lovely brand.

Spend your money here.

Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream

Well. When you receive a sample of one of the most talked about (spenny) products of the year, you know I’m going to slather my face in it until I can’t scrape any more out of the bottle. I have no issue spending more money for a genuinely good product, but even I might have to draw the line at this one. The full size is £205. For 50ml. You need to be guaranteed some bang for your buck. I have to admit, I did really love it. The Rich Cream was perfect for a night time pamper, the cream and packaging were both super luxurious. On the skin, I felt like my acne scarring came down a little faster whilst I was using this, always a plus for this pale gal. My dehydrated skin also felt more plumped. Would I buy it again? If I won the Lotto!!

Try it here.

Well that was a list and a half! I love trying new products, and making my way through some of my stash makes me so happy. May was a product heavy month for sure. Since I can’t very well have a travel blog just now (probably not at all this year), I’ll post a few more beauty bits and bobs as well as some other lifestyle bits. Got to branch out!