Current Skincare | Cleansers #4

My cleanser obsession isn’t showing any signs of slowing down so here is the latest instalment of my current cleansers!

First Cleanse

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution* RRP £11

I hadn’t tried too many micellar waters before this one and I have no interest in trying any others as this one is so good! I use it to remove the bulk of my makeup before going in with a balm or oil and it is lovely. The formula is gentle, non-astringent and really just feels like water, I was shocked at how much makeup it removed while leaving no residue or film behind! I would say it struggles a little with my waterproof mascara but that doesn’t concern me as I always follow up with another cleanser! Full review here!

 

The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser RRP £5.50

I am gutted this one is nearly finished! I was so late to the hype over it and it really is a beautiful, affordable cleanser! It feels so hydrating and turns from a creamy balm to a lightweight oil making quick work of removing makeup and never leaving my skin tight when I remove! I will definitely be picking up the jumbo size once this is finished and I get through another few cleansers! This also featured in a recent post all about my favourite affordable skincare picks!

 

Dr Dennis Gross Hyaluronic Marine Meltaway Cleanser RRP £30

Getting into pricier territory now and this cleanser like the name suggests is packed full of hyaluronic acid and is oil free. It is super creamy and almost feels like rubbing a moisturiser over makeup but again removes it easily (I use a damp face cloth). It’s also got quite an enjoyable sweet marshmellowy scent that adds to the experience and I love the bright blue packaging! My skin feels plump and hydrated after using and while I like this I don’t love it so probably won’t repurchase!

 

Jordan Samuel Skin The After Show Treatment Cleanser RRP £20

This is a brand I had wanted to try for ages as it’s so heavily hyped and I finally picked up this cleanser just before Christmas. It’s a thick, gel to oil formula so feels very rich and contains plant based oils and natural exfoliators and has a citrus scent. Again, this makes easy work of eradicating my makeup and spreads easily over my face before I remove with a face cloth. My face feels clean and hydrated after use but this is another one I just like and don’t love and I don’t think it will be a repurchase for me!

 

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm RRP £47

My HG favourite cleanser and this also featured before way back in my first cleanser collection post! This is the most luxurious balm I have ever tried and as well as being an overall experience it works beautifully to remove my makeup. The balm melts easily and breaks down makeup and the cleansing cloth that comes with it is really thick and soft so perfect for removing the balm. The moringa scent is so uplifting and my skin always feels soft and hydrated after use! It’s the most expensive cleanser in my collection and it’s well worth the money in my opinion, this size pot will last me a lifetime and Look Fantastic always have if on offer so I’ve never actually paid full price for it! I also talked about it more in this post!

 

Second/Morning Cleanse

Cerave Hydrating Cleanser RRP £9.50

Another great budget pick and one I have already mentioned a couple of times before! It’s so simple, full of ceramides and hyaluronic acid and leaves my skin feeling clean, hydrated and never tight! I got this right when I started Roaccutane in October and have used it almost daily since so it lasts a long time too! Can’t recommend this one enough and it also made my best beauty discoveries of 2020 post! 

 

The Body Shop Deep Cleansing Seaweed Facial Wash RRP £8.50

My mum got me this for Christmas and even though it’s aimed more at combo-oily skin I opened it anyway! Aside from month one on Roaccutane I would classify my skin more as normal than dry the rest of the time I have been on it and I was expecting this to be drying considering it contains SLS and foams but I was pleasantly surprised! It doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight or dry and the scent is very refreshing! I’m going to save some of this for summer as I’d like to see how it performs when my skin becomes more oily again!

Scientia Peachy Clean Milky Oil Cleanser* RRP £24

The newest cleanser to my collection and one that contains oils and glycerin to replenish and maintain moisture. Although this does remove makeup, personally, I prefer something more heavy duty as my main first/makeup cleanse so this has become a second and morning cleanser for me. It feels lightweight and has a pleasant peach scent and the milky liquid emulsifies on contact with water. After rinsing or using a face cloth my skin feels hydrated and soft. There is no tight feeling after use and no residue is left behind! Read my full review from last week’s post here!

 

And that concludes my current cleansers! Well my open ones anyway! I actually have a few more in my stash as you can see below – what can I say, I am a cleanser junkie! If you want to see the other instalments in this series click here for One, Two and Three! Let me know your favourite cleansers in the comments! 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own. See my full disclosure here.

 

Danielle xx

 

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Current Skincare | Cleansers #6

Time for a little update on my current stash of cleansers and if you have seen any of the first five instalments of this blog series, you will know I like choices! I’ll also preface this by saying I haven’t tried any of the products on my eye makeup as I had laser eye surgery in December so wasn’t wearing mascara for a while and was trying to keep water away from my eyes for so long, I have just kept going! I use Nivea Double Effect Waterproof eye makeup remover for that now I have started wearing mascara again and I can’t recommend it enough!

 

Starting with the first cleansers and first up we have the The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm RRP £9.99* and I really can’t fault this. It contains oat kernel oil and colloidal oatmeal so as well as being nicely hydrating, it’s great for sensitive skin too! I use a flannel to wash it off and it removes makeup with ease and leaves my skin feeling soft and doesn’t leave a film behind! I have read some other reviews with people saying it can be hard to squeeze out so keep that in mind but I haven’t personally noticed this with my tube. I do quite enjoy a scent with my balms and this is unscented so that’s the only thing that lets this slightly down but again, great for sensitive skin and it’s cheap and cheerful!

 

Next up, the Aromatica Orange Cleansing Sherbet RRP £23 which I got to try as a cheaper alternative to my beloved Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing balm. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t quite hit the spot for me! It’s closer in consistency to the Elemis cleansing balm which I didn’t like, and the scent is a little too sweet/artificial for me. It still does a good job at removing makeup and leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated so I will continue to use it but I don’t plan on repurchasing it in the future!  

 

Now time for an old favourite and the MOA The Green Balm RRP £16 actually featured in my first post in this series back in 2017 when it was £12.50! Yikes! It contains yarrow and tea tree and is another one that’s great for sensitive skin. It’s a bit of a do it all product and as well as a cleanser it can be used on bites/grazes, as a healing tattoo treatment or even added to hot water and honey to gargle for sore throats! I absolutely love the scent, it is so relaxing and spa like and it removes makeup well. It can leave a bit of a film but I don’t mind as it gets removed on my second cleanse and I think this is my third tub of this now! My mum loves this too and often puts it on any stressed patches of skin and leaves it overnight!

 

Another favourite now and I spoke about this one last week too! The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser RRP £13.90* is probably the best all-rounder I have come across! As well as being an effective first cleanse this is also lightweight enough to work as a second or morning cleanse too. The formula is so gentle, it’s a cream to oil-like cleanser and makes easy work of removing makeup, feels hydrating and comes in two sizes at a ridiculously good price! When using to remove makeup, I use a flannel, but this also emulsifies nicely when I use in the morning and never leaves my skin feeling tight or dry! It also features in instalment four of this cleanser series!

 

Moving onto second and morning cleansers and The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser RRP £9.99* is one of the newest products to their line up! This has a pleasant gel formula that foams marginally and contains 1% hyaluronic acid compound which has been modified to stick to skin even after the cleanser has been washed off. My skin feels fresh after use but I would say a little tight around my nose specifically which I was surprised about considering the hyaluronic acid element. It doesn’t translate to dryness though and subsides when I finish my routine but I would say that I prefer their Fulvic Acid cleanser over this one!

 

The newest cleanser to me is the COSRX Pure Fit Cica Cleanser RRP £19* which was sent mid-January and I’ve been reaching for it regularly. It has a creamy formula that lathers gently, and it contains centella asiatica so it’s mild and it also contains eucalyptus oil – a scent I love! My skin feels nicely balanced using this and I haven’t noticed any dryness! It’s probably not one I would have picked up myself, but I have really been enjoying it!

 

Nearly at the end of my round up now and the Dermalogica Daily Glycolic Cleanser RRP £35* got a mention in my Best Beauty Discoveries 2021 as I love it so much! Despite containing glycolic acid, as the name would suggest, this is gentle enough to use every day and I have noticed a brightening effect as it sloughs away dead skin cells as well as my skin being smooth and well prepped for makeup. It doesn’t dry my skin out at all and is another win for Dermalogica who really know how to make a good cleanser – see my review of some of their other options here!

 

Finally, another regular on the blog – the NIOD Sanskrit Saponins RRP £37*. NIOD specify that this is a cleanser, not a makeup remover, and I’ve been through multiple tubes of this over the years! I don’t even mind the scent! It’s made with ayurvedic plant saponins and day-old coffee beans is the best way I can describe the noticeable scent! It’s a thick paste and works to clean oil and dirt from my face, making pores look minimised – despite it removing oil, my skin never feels stripped by this! It’s worked particularly well for me in the past when my skin was more oily/acne prone and it really removed build-up and helped clarify my skin and even now with my skin type being more normal I am still enjoying it!

 

So that’s what’s currently taking up space on my bathroom windowsill and I should have a few cropping up in my empties soon! Let me know what cleansers you are loving at the minute! I really want to get my hands on the Alpha H Melting Moment cleansing balm, Then I Met You Living cleansing balm and Omorovicza Queen cleanser next!

 

*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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Product Empties #29

Morning all! I have a new empties post today that is heavy on the skincare! I’ve been on a mission to finish up both my copious amount of minis but also my more acid based skincare as I started Roaccutane last week so can’t use it anymore as my skin is so dry and sensitive! I’ve split my skincare empties into cleansers and then a bit of everything else and I have also linked where possible to previous reviews! You can click on them if you fancy reading a bit more detail on any of the products as I try to keep my empties reviews as short as possible as there are always so many to get through! 

Haircare

TRESemme Day 2 Volumising Dry Shampoo

This has a fresh, light scent and leaves no white cast but it’s not very volumizing. Basically not the worst dry shampoo I’ve tried but not the best either, so not too bad if you can get it on offer!

 

Briogeo Be Gentle Be Kind Avocado + Kiwi mega moisture superfood mask 

A nice mask that made my hair super soft. It smells like sweets but I not a repurchase for me as I only got two uses out of it and the full size is £30, would rather spend that on Olaplex! 

Bodycare

Nivea Soft

One of my favourite body moisturisers! Sinks in quickly, hydrating and smells so fresh and clean, always on offer and a tub lasts ages! Forever repurchased! 

 

Nivea Hand Cream smooth care 

Another favourite! Can’t go wrong with this hand cream! It’s lightweight, hydrating, sinks in quickly and like all Nivea products, smells fresh and clean! Will repurchase when I finish a few other hand creams up! 

Skincare

Cleansers 

Pixi Glow Mud Cleanser 

I sound like a broken record now but this is another favourite! I have lost count of how many of these tubes I have gone through but it’s a lovely, gentle exfoliating cleanser with glycolic acid but it’s never stripping due to the addition of oils and hyaluronic acid! Couldn’t recommend more but I won’t be repurchasing until I finish my course of Roaccutane! 

 

Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser 

This contains cherry, lemon and aloe juices as well as retinyl patmitate but I was left a bit underwhelmed (similar to how I felt about their serum). It has a watery gel texture and doesn’t foam up too much, leaves my skin feeling mattifed but maybe a touch dryer than other cleansers. I’m probably being a bit hard on this as it claims to clear blemishes and I didn’t notice much but shortly after finishing I did go on Roaccutane lol but not a repurchase for me! 

 

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

Really lovely lightweight, balancing, non-drying cleanser. I have used up a few sample sizes of this but never bought the full size however I am contemplating it now as my skin is much more sensitive and dryer than it usually is! 

 

Indie Lee Rosehip Cleanser 

A nourishing, calming and non-stripping cleanser that I can’t seem to on any UK websites now so it may have been discontinued but another one that would have been good for my skin right now! 

 

First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser 

Another mini I didn’t appreciate at the time! This is a gentle, creamy, hydrating cleanser and I confess I sometimes find these scent free products boring but right now it is what my skin is crying out for so another I will be thinking about repurchasing soon! 

 

Emma Hardie Moringa Light Cleansing Gel

The balm is a constant in my routine and this smells just as beautiful and felt very hydrating – in my full review I said I preferred using this at night due to the leftover oils after rinsing but guess what? I want to try it again too for my morning routine haha so yes will be considering a repurchase! 

 

Ven Effect Pore Minimising Cleanser 

This was a nice gel cleanser that left my skin feeling balanced, smooth and mattified. Would consider a repurchase in the future as it was better suited to my oily skin! 

 

Elemis Pro Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm

Can’t say I was a huge fan of this even though I wanted to be as it is so hyped! To me it felt like applying melted toffee to my face and my eyes were pretty sensitive to it too though it did remove makeup well. Wouldn’t repurchase! 

 

Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup Melting Butter Cleanser 

I was surprised at how much I did like this one considering everything else I have tried from the brand has fallen short of expectations. This melts into skin easily to remove makeup and my eyes weren’t sensitive to it! I wouldn’t repurchase though as there are other balms I prefer and I don’t love this brands attitude! 

And the rest!

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%

A really great budget azelaic acid, it targets the texture of blemishes and has brightening properties. I really want to try the Paula’s Choice version of this but it’s always out of stock so I picked up the Garden of Wisdom version to try but would repurchase this one again in the future! 

 

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 2:1 

Quite possibly my favourite skincare product of all time and one that has been a constant in my skincare arsenal for over 4 years now! I am so mad at myself for not using this consistently when I first got it, I had so many serums on the go this one got forgotten about but honestly in the last month when I was using it consistently my skin just looked and felt so much better! There is a whole lot of science behind this but basically it’s an amazing product for the overall health of your skin targeting skin aging, uneven skin tone, enlarged pores and a lack of radiance. I plan to repurchase once I see what Deciem are doing for Black Friday! 

 

Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil 

My favourite facial oil! I have gone through so many bottles of this and it is so good for nourishing skin and keeping it hydrated and smooth! Will repurchase once I finish up my current oils! 

 

Garden of Wisdom Hyaluronic Acid Serum 

Absolutely loved this hyaluronic acid! I am so picky over formulas and this one ticks all the boxes - lightweight gel, spreads easily, hydrates, affordable! A little goes a long way and I will repurchase this soon! 

 

Disciple Dreamy Skin

Another beautiful facial oil containing rosehip oil and retinyl palmitate. It's hydrating, reduces fine lines and helps with pigmentation. Highly recommend and will repurchase in the future! 

 

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence 

I’ve had this for longer than I care to remember and finally got round to using it consistently and I really liked it! Skin felt firmer, hydrated and more even! Very pricey though so not a repurchase for me until I win the lottery! 

 

Boscia Exfoliating Peel Gel 

I found this a bit gimmicky and used it on the backs of my arms. It’s a gel that once rubbed in feels like its pilling so it’s a fun formula and feels gentle but I just prefer other exfoliants so wouldn’t repurchase! 

 

Sukin Original Hydrating Mist Toner 

This is a lovely little mist – it’s cooling and soothing and very affordable! Will repurchase! 

 

Dr Dennis Gross Stress Repair Face Cream 

I absolutely loved this face cream! It felt calming and hydrating and also contains one of my favourite ingredients – niacinamide! My skin always felt plump and looked brighter after use! Would repurchase even though its pricey! 

Makeup 

Revlon Colourstay for Combination/Oily Skin in shade Buff 

You know the score with this one! Good, affordable, full coverage foundation that lasts well on my oily skin! Have already repurchased in the dry skin version! 

 

NYX Matte Finish setting spray 

This was a nice spray that didn’t leave any dreaded “white spots” behind. I think it helped mattify in the morning when I sprayed it but it didn’t last throughout the day. Saying that though I would buy again if on offer to give it a better try! 

 

Collection Primed + Ready Invisible Setting Powder 

Absolutely loved this powder! It’s finely milled, mattifying and didn’t cling to dry patches, It’s also £3.99 and always on offer! Will repurchase! 

 

Beautyblender

The best founcation applicator there is and the only one that gives me a streak free, even finish! Worth the money and I already have a back up J

 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel 

This mini lasted me ages! Keeps my brows in place nicely but I would say it’s a little crispy to the touch but nothing you would notice to look at! Already have a backup of this! 

 

Have you tried any of these products before Let me know your thoughts on them! 

 

Danielle xx

 

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