Mid Year Beauty Favourites

 

How is it July already? How are we already halfway through 2019? I literally can't believe that we are now entering the second half of the year. But with half of the year having already passed, I thought it was time to share with you five beauty products that I've been obsessed with over the last six months.

Loreal can be very hit and miss as a brand but earlier in the year they released a hit that I've not been able to stop using since I brought it. Their Infallible Magic Essence Drops are singlehandedly the best budget friendly primer drops available at the moment. A little questioning in their colour but actually amazing for both the skin and any make up applied over top. Not only do they help with the longevity of your make up, they also help to moisturise, soothe and even out the appearence of skin beforehand. They are literally my go to primer when I'm prepping my skin and the size of the jar whilst decent is also travel friendly and will last an age as only a miniscule amount is required for great results.

For the longest time I've been a massive fan of the Pixi Glow Tonic. It was my go to AM acid based toner but back at the beginning of the year I finally branched out and tried another that I'd been eyeing up and I haven't looked back since. The REN Ready Steady Glow Toner has completely changed how my skin looks and feels. Gone are the days of dull, lifeless looking skin. My skin has never looked better, it's softer, brighter and apart from the generic hormonal breakouts once a month, my skin has been a lot clearer since I started using this toner. After my AM cleanse, I douse a cotton pad with this toner and swipe it around my face, the lactic acid based formula working to exfoliate and clarify my skin. I still occasionally use the Pixi Glow Tonic but this toner has taken it's top spot.

Another product I finally picked up towards the beginning of the year comes from Revolution. Their 30% AHA+2% BHA Peeling Solution isn't one for the faint hearted, it's extreme exfoliation and purifying properties really giving the skin a workout. Red in colour and left on for ten minutes maximum, this mask is a great once a week treat for the skin. I love using this before any big event that I have coming up just to give my skin a little more of a pick me up that can sometimes be lost when your skin has gotten used to a product. Unless your skin is used to products that have a high percentage of acid in them, I'd say this isn't for those with more reactive/sensitive skins as it's quite potent and can take a bit of getting used to.

I've tried many a liquid lipstick formula and I have a few I love but earlier this year Flower Beauty was finally released over here in the UK. And their liquid lipsticks quickly reached the top of my favourite lipsticks list. These liquid lipsticks are very mousse like in texture which makes them feel very lightweight on the lips. They dry down to more of a traditional powder matte finish but they're still comfortable and long wearing without leaving you with prune lips. Opaque in one swipe, these lipsticks don't require a lot of work to create a stunning lip look but where they are so lightweight, they're easy to layer without creating a cracking, balling or drying the lips out. I have two shades so far out of the collection and I've worn them more than I've worn some of my other 'favourite' liquid lipsticks this year.

And my last mid year favourite is one that's still quite new out but I've loved enough to already be halfway through my second bottle. I adored the Barry M Setting Sprays when they first released them so when I heard they were doing a more skincare based Serum Spray I was intrigued. I didn't know if they were going to be any good and out of the two they initally released, the coconut one is the better one of the two. And oh my god, this spray is amazing. Ultra fine, light feeling on the skin that leaves it feeling hydrated and ready for the next step in your skincare routine. I can't get enough of this and have a tendency to spritz this over top of my make up in place of setting spray to keep my skin hydrated. It's also quite cooling and would be even more cooling if placed in the fridge before use which makes it the perfect product to keep on hand throughout Summer. I can guarantee that I'm going to go through many more of these before the year is out. 

Review: Revolution 30% AHA+2% BHA Peeling Solution

When Revolution dropped the Make Up and added a skincare line to their brand, I was dubious. There make up was already a little hit and miss for me and I thought that their skincare would be exactly the same, especially when it came to their take on a high alpha hydroxy acid based mask. And I wasn't wrong about their products being hit and miss, but their 30% AHA+2%BHA Peeling Solution blew me away in the best possible way.

Blood red in colour and claiming to contain a whopping thirty percent alpha hydroxy acid formula, this intensive, ten minute mask aims to resurface, retexturise and brighten the skin. This mask is not for the faint hearted and definitely not for those with extremely sensitive/reactive skin. It can be quite intense, even for my skin that's used to having a high concentrate of AHA on it everyday. However the results are worth it and I can't go a week without using it. A quick ten minute go with this mask and your skin will feel like a baby's butt. Sure it tingles, leaves skin a little red but that's nothing a little facial mist and moisturiser can't cure. Yes it's intense but in my opinion it's a lot gentler on skin than a physical exfoliator, it doesn't pull at the skin like a sugar scrub would which for me helps my skin feel less irritated and sensitive afterwards.

Sure it looks like an slightly more pricey copy of the The Ordinary's 30% mask and whilst I have never tried The Ordinary's version, I think I would always prefer this one more. It has a slight fragrance, leaves skin looking a little red but it also leaves skin smooth, soft to the touch and the day after, make up just glides over top like a dream. Plus the way Revolution has marketed all their skincare products, they're a lot easier to understand than that of The Ordinary. It's only £7.99 and works wonders so if you've been thinking about buying The Ordinary's version, I'd suggest checking this one out before you make your final decision. It's definitely one I'll be repurchasing over and over again.

Marks And Spencer Beauty Advent Calendar Day Three

Welcome back to Day Three in my 25 Days of Beauty Series where I show you what I get in my Marks and Spencers Advent Calender. 

In today's box I recieved a miniature pot of the Prai Ageless Throat and Decolletage Cream. It's a complex cream that helps to fight sagging skin or thinner skin. It contains a mixture of Hyaluronic Acid and Prai's Precious Oil complex to hydrate and nourish the skin around you throat, neck and decolletage. 

This product isn't for me. I don't need to worry about sagging skin, crepiness or turkey neck right now so this is a product I know I won't get any use out of. It's advertised for those over 45 who's skin is more mature and in need of something to help with ageing and being only recently turned 26 I don't think I need to worry about it just yet. I might give this to my mum to try or one of the girls that I work with to give it a go. 

Marks And Spencer's Beauty Advent Calendar Day Two

Welcome back to Day Two in my 25 Days of Beauty Series where I show you what I get in my Marks and Spencers Advent Calender. 

In today's box I recieved a tube of the Filorga Time Filler Eyes Absolute Eye Cream. This is a thick balm like eye cream that claims to smooth out expression lines, evens out the appearence of skin and helps to combat skin sagging. I recieved a 4ml tube of product with the full size retailing at £47 for a 15ml pot. 

The box was quite light when I took it out of the calendar so I wasn't surprised when something as small as this tube fell out. Initially I was disappointed and thought that they'd reduced the size of the of the tube but when I read it was an eye cream it all made sense. Eye creams come in smaller packaging anyway so it was understandable why the tube was smaller than average. My first impressions of this cream are that it's very thick, feels more like a balm than a cream and would do a good job at nourishing and hydrating the under eye area for a longer period of time. I haven't tried it on my face yet but I'd say this would take a good two to three uses to really notice any difference. 

Review: Pixi Retinol Tonic

 

Guess who's back, back again! It's me! I'm back after taking a small, well needed break. It wasn't a planned break but it was well needed and has done wonders to recharge my batteries and get me back into a mindset to come back in November with a ton of new content that I can't wait to share with you. I am disappointed that I didn't share some of the content I had planned for October with you all but if  I had it would have been rushed and I wouldn't have been completely happy sharing it with you all. However with that being said, I am back today with a new review that I've been waiting to post for a while.

Pixi do an amazing range of skincare products, I absolutely adore their Glow Tonic, Glow Mud Cleanser and the Vitamin Facial Spritz. So when they announced they were releasing a Retinol based toner, I knew I just had to get my hands on it. And ever since I brought it, I've been biding my time to write this review, so I could do it justice as well as to get the full skin benefits from this product.

The Pixi Retinol Tonic is a multi-action toner to be used daily after cleansing. Containing slow release retinol, jasmine flower and a complex of antioxidants it works to reduce the appearence of fine lines, smoothes and firms skin as well as boosts the production of collagen, something our skin loses as we get older and our skin matures. It's gentle enough to be used everyday and can be used alongside AHA based products such as Pixi's Glow Tonic. It' is suitable for pretty much any skin type but I would advise approaching with caution if you have extremely sensitive/reactive skin that doesn't play well with acid based products.

Initially I was nervous about trying this product, worried that it would irritate my skin and cause my skin to break out. But oh how glad I am, I didn't let that stop me from trying this product. Ever since I started using this product, my skin has looked brighter, bouncier and felt smoother and softer to the touch. It hasn't caused a single bit of irritation to my skin and has in fact helped keep my skin blemish free whilst giving it a glowy, healthy look.Whilst it might not be for everyone, Retinol Tonic is perfect for those whose main skin concerns are ageing, dullness and rough feeling skin. It's gentle yet effective which makes it stand apart from other retinol based products that cause skin to break out or become inflamed. A little goes a long way and whilst it's always the long term results that matter with skincare products, this toner from Pixi gives you results from the very first use. If you're in the market for a new toner or just want to try more products from Pixi's range, then I highly recommend you pick up a bottle of Retinol Tonic, you won't regret it.

Review: T-Zone Charcoal Under Eye Patches

I love a good under eye patch and if you've been reading for a while then you'll know that. I also like to try every new offering the beauty world releases. So far this month I've tried the new Garnier Moisture Bomb Under Eye Patches and loved them as well as these new charcoal and bamboo patches from T-Zone, which is today's subject matter.

These intrigued me from the get go. One they contained charcoal, two they were black in colour and three they were made of  hydrogel instead of material, something unusual for more inexpensive under eye patches. Containing activated charcoal, this masks are designed to hydrate, cool and brighten tired or puffy eyes. And I have to admit they do actually do a really good job of cooling and removing signs of puffiness but I wouldn't go as far as to say these hydrated and brigthened my under eye area. A lot of this comes from the fact that they're that saturated in product they slip down your face as you wear them and readjusting them is required every few minutes. In fact I found I had to apply eye cream as soon as I'd removed them to hydrate the area whilst staring slightly horrified at how pronounced my dark circles were, something I'm not sure I can put down to using these patches and something I've never noticed after using various other eye masks.

An upside to this product is that you get four in the pack for around a fiver which is how much I sometimes pay for one pack of higher end patches. Each pair comes individually packaged in a foil pack; I assume to keep the hydrogel as fresh and saturated as possible, as nobody like a dried out eye patch. However getting into said individual pack is a pain and I find I have to cut around and as close to each patch as possible to get them out with tearing a chunk out of them. Overall I think the basis for this product is good and that T-Zone did an okay job for their first attempt but these aren't an eye patch that I'd rush out and buy again. Maybe if T-Zone took them back to the drawing board and modified them every so slightly so they were easier to get into and didn't slide down your face as soon as apply them, then they have the potential to be a great product, especially one available on the hight street at a reasonable price. For now though, I think I'm going to stick to others I like more.

Review: Garnier Fresh-Mix Tissue Masks

Garnier have recently released some new masks into their range, last week I reviewed their Moisture Bomb Tisue Eye Masks and today I'm back with my review of their new Fresh-Mix Tissue Masks.

The Fresh-Mix Tissue Masks are essentially a DIY style mask. So instead of having a pre soaked tissue mask that you apply straight to skin, this mask requires a little work. Each sachet is divided into two parts. The top half has a dry algae infused tissue mask in it whilst the bottom half contains the serum which you usually find pre soaked into the mask. The instructions are easy to follow, with each packed marked clearly where you're supposed to fold.

There are two masks so far in the range. The first is the Replumping Shot aimed at hydrating and smoothing the skin. It contains Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin and Castor Oil to deeply nourish and hydrate skin for a longer period of time, giving skin a plumper look and feel. This is perfectly suited to all skin types, even oily skins and would make a fantastic hydration both throughout the Summer transitioning through to the colder months of Autumn and Winter.

And the second in the range is the Glow Shot. Enriched with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C, this mask aims to brigthen and even complexion, giving skin that healthy lit from within glow whilst still leaving skin feeling hydrated and soft to the touch. It's perfect for this time of the year when make up is minimal and a natural glow is appreciated but it would also make the perfect Winter glow boost when skin tends to lose it's lustre and becomes a little uneven and dull looking.

These masks are great fun. They're the perfect thing to get in for a girls' night in as they're just so enjoyable to put together and wear. I was a little worried that the serum would go everywhere when it was being pushed upwards into the mask but it actually turned out fine. The instructions were so easy to follow and the mask so quick to put together. There was just enough serum in the sachet to coat the mask generously without it dripping or pouring excess product everywhere when you applied it. They sat well on the face and didn't slide, drip or drop off once on, even when I was moving about. I haven't tried the Glow Shot yet, I'm saving that for my pamper night this week but I have tried the Re-Plumping Shot and I adored it. It left my skin feeling hydrated, soft and smooth to the touch as well as plump looking, something I never thought I'd say was a good thing when it comes to the appearence of my skin. They slightly more expensive than the original Moisture Bomb Tissue Masks but they are well worth every penny. Garnier again are thinking forward into how the beauty world can and will evolve and their nailing it on their first attempt. If you see these in your local Superdrug or Boots; I highly recommend picking a few up, you won't regret it.

Review: Garnier Moisture Bomb Eye Tissue Masks

I love a good under eye patch and am slowly working my way through every pair available in the beauty industry. And for the longest time I wondered why Garnier hadn't added a under eye patch to their ever growing skincare ranges. That is until recently. I've had these sat in my collection for the last month but didn't use them until I had a back up of each waiting in my eye patch basket.

Their Moisture Bomb Eye Tissue Masks are an extension of their popular Moisture Bomb mask range. There are two under eye masks in the range. One is a pair of conventional looking under eye patches and the other is a mask that sits over the entire eye area. The patches contain Orange Juice and Hyalruonic Acid that work to reduce the appearence of bags and brighten the under eye area. They're a material mask which can sometimes be a pain to work with but these are simple and easy to use, something I put down to their size.

The eye mask on the other hand contains Hyaluronic Acid and Coconut Water to reduce the appearence of fine lines whilst simultaneously hydrating and redefining the under eye area. Both the patches and the mask claim to reduce the skin's temperature by up to four degrees when used but can be more if they are stored in the fridge beforehand. They're also fragrance free so they're very unlikely to irritate anyone's eyes but if they do, taking them off and rinsing your eyes is the obvious solution yet I think that the majority of people would be fine using these.

I like these, I'm a huge fan of Garnier and their Moisture Bomb range anyway, so it was a given that these weren't going to let me down. The patches are absolutely massive which surprised me at first but after wearing them, I see that my skin benefited from them being bigger. My under eye area looked brighter, felt smoother and any puffiness that I had, hadn't gone completely but had reduced significantly and made me look more awake and alert. The eye mask thankfully fit perfectly to the contours of my face and didn't slip or drop off when I moved, even if I did look like a member of the Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles. It was extremely cooling on the skin and left my under eye area feeling smoother and hydrated, pretty much creating the perfect canvas for make up if I had worn any the day I used it. I've tried a variety of different under eye patches/masks and whilst these won't knock my holy grail Rodial under eye masks off the top spot, they come a close second. They don't cost the earth and actually work unlike other high street options that claim to work when in fact they leave the under eye area feeling tighter than it was before you applied the mask. Definitely a new release I'd recommend checking out if you're in the market for some under eye masks or are just a massive fan of Garnier like myself.