Friday 29 July 2016

June Empties: Avene, BareMinerals, La Roche-Posay, Origins, Avon and TRESemme

Hey gals!

So it's been a while since I've done an empties post, but that doesn't mean I haven't used up a LOT of beauty products in that time (obvs).

Here are the beauty buys I finished up in June...



Clockwise from L-R:

TRESemme Restructuring Deep Conditioning Treatment RRP £4.99

I try and use an intensive conditioning masque on my hair at least once a week, favouring Aussie's 3 Miracle Miracle and L'Oreal's Intensive Masques after years of trying different ones. I picked this one up because it was on offer in Superdrug and I'm always after a bargain, me! Unfortunately it was quite difficult to wash out and I found I still had residue in my hair after spending a LOT of time washing it out. As a result, it made my hair look greasy. Not a fan, sorry TRESemme :(

Avene Cleanance Expert RRP £15.00

I wasn't sure about this at first, but continued using it as I'd heard loads of bloggers and press raving about it. I used it after cleansing and toning, but before moisturising, twice a day. I found it really helped to clear up my skin - especially on my forehead and chin, where I tend to get hormonal-related blemishes. I would definitely repurchase!

Avene Micellar Lotion RRP £16.00

I actually bought this in France in an *amazing* pharmacy and it was SO cheap for a massive bottle. Readers of this blog will know that I'm a loyal fan of Avene skincare, after I visited the Avene Hydrotherapy Centre in actual Avene! I tend to use the Cleanance range as my skin is oily/blemish-prone, but I really liked this from the 'regular' range because it felt like I was applying water to my skin. It had a mild, fresh scent and removed every trace of make-up. Love it!

Avon Clearskin Blackhead Clearing Daily Astringent RRP £4.00

I used this when my skin was REALLY bad because it's quite intense and makes my skin sting a bit. It worked to clear it up though, it's just very, very strong, so not ideal for sensitive skin types.

Cien Madame Glamour Hand Cream RRP £1.85

Absolutely blimmin' loved this. In case you didn't know, Cien is one of Lidl's own-brand beauty ranges and the 'Madame Glamour' branded-products smell just like Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle. Total barg. Pick some up next time you're in Lidl for sure.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser RRP £15.00 (for 150ml)

I started using Origins after reading Michelle Keegan's blog and she raves about it. I've written a mini-review of this particular product here but in a nutshell, I really liked it. It left my skin feeling clean and refreshed, plus it smells amazing. YAY!

Dolce and Gabbana Dolce EDP RRP £49.00

I don't really have a 'signature' scent - I used to wear Miss Dior Cherie religiously at uni but it was a) really expensive and b) discontinued, so that was the end of that one (luckily for my purse). Since then I tend to just wear whatever I reach for in the morning! I think I received this one from a press event but it's lovely and light, perfect for summer. Sorry, I'm rubbish at describing fragrances. I would suggest going to Boots and giving yourself a spritz of this :)

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Dry Shampoo RRP £5.89

Nah, not a fan. It didn't make my hair feel cleaner/less greasy, nor did it give it any volume. No wonder it's been discontinued... Soz, John Frieda :(

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo + RRP £15.50

This is really similar to the Avene Cleanance Expert, and to be honest I couldn't choose the better one out of the two. They're even the same price! I suppose the La Roche-Posay has more blogger/press hype surrounding it, but at the end of the day they work the same. I would repurchase this too. Really great product for clearing up breakouts.

BareMinerals Stoke Of Light Eye Brightener RRP £22.00

I don't really wear heavy foundation these days and when I do, I lean towards mineral foundations from brands such as BareMinerals. I just don't like the feel of thick, heavy make-up on my skin, especially when it melts off in the sun... This eye brightener was fab at removing dark circles under my eyes, and concealing blemishes, although I found I needed a second concealer (such as MAC Studio Finish) on top of it to completely cover blemishes. 

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Mild RRP £16.50 (for 200ml)
It does what it says on the tin really - cleans your face :) not a lot to say about that other than it leaves your skin feeling squeaky-clean. You can't go wrong!

What did you use up this month?

Love,

Sophia xo

PS. Follow me on social media: Twitter - @smoir; Instagram - @smoir90; Snapchat - @smoir90

Saturday 9 July 2016

Lots Of Lovely New Origins Skincare: Mini Review For Oily Skin Types!

Hi peeps!

So Origins isn't a skincare brand I have tried a lot of over the years - I tend to stick to the same brands (Avene, The Body Shop, etc) and rarely branch away from the norm for fear of wasting my money and/or time.

But I'm an avid follower of Michelle Keegan's blog and she swears by Origins (namely the Dr Weil range) so when I was given a gift set as a present recently, I was eager to try it out...


Here's what I tried...

GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser
GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturiser
GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
Modern Friction Dermabrasion Scrub
Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
Original Skin Renewal Serum

So first impressions of the GinZing range - well it smells AMAZING (that's if you like fresh, citrusy scents). 

The immediately noticed that the moisturiser doesn't have SPF in it so I tend to just use it before I go to bed and use my Murad moisturiser with SPF30 for during the day. Secondly I have to say, I suffer from oily skin and this exacerbates the problem for me. It is very rich and not suited to my skin type I don't think.

The eye cream has the same scent - I haven't noticed a huge difference in the dark circles under my eyes but then again I have been applying it sporadically i.e. when I remember! I finished up a tube of the facial cleanser and it was lovely and refreshing, and I didn't find that it made my skin more oily. I would use it again.

I LOVED the dermabrasion scrub - I use it a couple of times a week when I'm in the shower and I find it really works to make my skin clear and glowy. The Drink Up overnight mask was again too rich for my skin - and I didn't notice much difference after using the serum.

So overall, a bit of a mixed bunch - some items will be added to my beauty bag (the cleanser and the dermabrasion scrub especially) but others will be relegated to my bottom drawer unfortunately. Again, that's just because I have oily skin - they may work much better for you!

What are your favourite Origins products? And if you're oily-skinned, what are your fave brands and/or products?

Let me know in the comments...

Love,

Sophia xo

Follow me on social media: Twitter - @smoir; Instagram - @smoir90; Snapchat - @smoir90