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Welcome to my first empties post of 2021!
Sunday Riley Ice moisturiser (bought myself, available from Space NK & Cult Beauty for £60) - This cream is incredible! It's rich and comforting without being heavy or greasy. It's packed with ceramides. It's been a brilliant moisturiser for my combination / dehydrated skin whist the weathers been cold.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes, I've bought the full sized version.
Skinceuticals Discolouration Defence serum (bought myself, available from Skincity & Face The Future for £80 & Look Fantastic & Feel Unique for £85) - This was nice enough but didn't blow me away. It's a thin water consistency that hydrates skin well and absorbs easily. It contains Niacinamide and Tranexamic acid which work together to brighten skin tone and fade pigmentation. It worked well but there's numerous other Niacinamide serums for less money, that I prefer.
Marks out of 10: 6/10
Do I recommend it? Not really, especially as it's pretty expensive. I think there's better options out there.
Will I repurchase? No.
Liha IDAN oil (bought myself as part of a set, available HERE for £39 for full size) - This is a stunning body oil. It's scented with Tuberose which I adore! The fragrance lingers too. It leaves skin super soft and smelling amazing.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes.
By Terry Baume De Rose lip balm (birthday gift from Space NK, full size available from Space NK, Cult Beauty. Skincity, Look Fantastic, Feel Unique for £40) - This is a gorgeous rose scented balm. It's quite a waxy consistency so is great to form a protective layer over lips. I didn't find it quite hydrating enough. It's a lovely balm though.
Marks out of 10: 7/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? No.
She Me Skin Pink Dragon Fruit mask (bought myself, available HERE for £11) - This is a beautiful clay mask that contains a mix of acids to exfoliate as well as a number of oils and dragon fruit to nourish and hydrate skin. It's not like some clay masks - it doesn't dry skin out or leave it feeling stripped. It's gentle and leaves skin glowing. Love it!
Marks out of 10: 9/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes.
Skincity Mellow Balm Cleanser (PR, available HERE for £18) - This is a fantastic cleanser, especially for the price. It's a thick gel / balm that quickly melts down to an oil, which then emulsifies to easily rinse clean when water is added. It removes makeup and SPF with ease. It's pretty no frills - it doesn't smell of anything. My only gripe is that it's quite a firm gel so it can be hard to squeeze out when there's not much left. I cut the tube to get the last bit out.
Marks out of 10: 8/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? No because I prefer a spa-like scented cleanser.
Nuface Gel Primer (bought myself, available from Space NK, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique & Look Fantastic for £27.50) - This is the primer to use with my Nuface Trinity microcurrent device. I've tried cheaper alternatives and don't find them as effective so have stuck to this ever since.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes I already have.
Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil (bought myself, available full sized from Space NK, Feel Unique for £49 & All Beauty for £35) - This is a stunning oil. The scent is really uplifting. Such a treat to use.
Marks out of 10: 8/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes.
Zelens Z Matrix moisturiser (bought myself, available from Look Fantastic for £63.75) - I think this has been discontinued as it's no longer on the Zelens website. It's a beautiful gel cream. Very lightweight and hydrating. It does have a silicone feel to it but in a good way. It felt nourishing. I didn't have any pilling / rolling issues.
Marks out of 10: 7/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? No, there's other gel moisturisers that I prefer instead.
Apothaka SOS Recovery Nail & Cuticle Oil (bought myself, available HERE for £20) - I absolutely adore this oil! It's such a luxurious treat. It smells incredible and really nourishes and strengthens nails. I love it that much that I bought a second one to leave at work. Unfortunately due to COVID, I've barely been in the office to use it and now it's past it's best. Luckily I've got my one at home to keep me going!
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes.
Emulsion Dry Oil Base (PR, available HERE for £38) - Emulsion are a pretty unique brand in that they have base products that are fragrance free that you add scented oils to. This is the base oil - it's nourishing and hydrating. It's not greasy at all. I've got a couple of the scented oils to mix in with it and love that you can mix and match them.
Marks out of 10: 7/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? No, there's other body oils that I prefer.
Bioglan Beauty Collagen gummies (bought myself, available HERE for £18.99) - You'll see these in my empties every month. They're my go to collagen supplements. They taste just like sweets! My nails are noticeably stronger when taking these.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend them? Yes
Will I repurchase? Already have.
Beauty Laundrette Milky Body moisturiser (PR, available HERE for £6) - This is a beautiful body lotion. It's very runny meaning it's lightweight and absorbs instantly. It has a lovely floral scent. For the price, it's brilliant!
Marks out of 10: 8/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Probably not as I prefer a body oil.
Dermatica Prescription serum (PR, available HERE - use code TORIA1 to get your first month free & 20% off your second month) - This was month three of my trial subscription with a prescription of 0.025% Tretinoin, 4% Azelaic Acid & 4% Niacinamide. I was first prescribed 10% Azelaic Acid not 4% but Dermatica said they were having issues with the Azelaic acid causing the serum to be gritty so it was reduced to 4% before I got my first prescription. The first month the serum was a gel texture and I had no issues with grittiness. The second month it started to go gritty towards the end of the tube. This month the texture had completely changed from a gel to a cream. I found this harder to spread and as such felt like I needed to use more product. I take regular progress photos of my skin to track how well products are working for me. I've looked back and don't really see a huge difference in my acne since using Tret compared to over the counter retinol. When using Tret, I have to pretty much stop using acids because of how strong it is. I had to have a night off just to exfoliate. Whereas with OTC retinol, I can use both every day without overdoing it. (Not everyone could do that, that's just my skin.) I think my skin prefers using both so that's what I'll be going back to. Obviously everyone's different - most people rave over Tret!
Marks out of 10: 7/10
Do I recommend it? Yes it's a great way to access prescription Vitamin A without spending a fortune!
Will I repurchase: Hopefully at some point my focus will switch from acne treatment to anti-ageing - when that time comes, I'll be trying Tret again!
Evy Daily UV Face Mousse SPF 30 (PR, available HERE - you can save 15% off using my affiliate code TORIA15) - You can read my original review HERE but let me recap - this is my holy grail SPF! It delivers in all areas - it's super lightweight as it's a mousse, it absorbs quickly, there's no white cast, there's no scent, no stinging eyes and it works brilliantly under makeup as it never pills or rolls. The best! I've gone through countless bottles of this now as have been using it for a couple of years.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase: Of course! I already have have. This is a permanent addition in my skincare stash.
Aurelia CBD Super Serum (bought myself, available from Aurelia & Space NK for £64) - This is a beautiful hydrating serum containing hyaluronic acid and CBD. It's very silky, not sticky or tacky. It feels more substantial compared to a lot of hyaluronic acid serums that I've tried. Really lovely.
Marks out of 10: 7/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? No, it doesn't beat my favourite hydrating serum (Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense - see further down).
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores pressed powder (PR, available from Space NK & Cult Beauty for £26) - This isn't an empty. Unfortunately I dropped it so it's smashed! I'd used it plenty though. It's a fantastic setting powder. It really blurs pores well and reduces shine without leaving skin looking dull. I kept this in my handbag for touch ups in the day.
Marks out of 10: 8/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Probably not, there's other powders that I prefer.
A. Florence Skincare Hydrating Gel Cleanser (bought myself, available HERE for £28) - This is one of my all time favourite cleansers. It's so unique. It has the most beautiful texture - it's a super thick, silky gel that is wonderfully gentle and hydrating. I prefer it as a morning cleanser as it leaves my skin well hydrated for the day. It can be left on as a flash mask too. This cleanser has just been reformulated though and I've not tried the new version yet.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes definitely.
Elemis Frangipani Monoi body oil (bought myself, available from Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, Feel Unique for £40 & All Beauty for £28.50) - I always prefer a body oil to a cream as I find them less greasy and easy to apply as I put it on straight after my shower whilst my skin is damp It helps lock in moisture then. I've got through a couple of bottles of this now. It's my favourite body oil to date. The frangipani monoi scent is incredible. The only downside to this is the packaging. The cap is so fiddly! The oil leaves skin super soft and smelling amazing.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Most definitely!
Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense (bought myself, available from Space NK, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, Feel Unique for £55, Skin City for £51 & Face The Future for £43.99) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - this is my ultimate favourite hyaluronic acid serum. Nothing hydrates my skin as well as this. It's a gorgeous, fairly thick serum that absorbs quickly and doesn't leave skin tacky. It really helps with my dehydrated skin. It's not the cheapest but it's definitely worth the splurge in my opinion.
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Always! I've got a bottle ready to open.
Dove Invisible Dry antiperspirant (bought myself, available HERE for £2.70) - this is nice enough, it does what you'd expect and it doesn't leave white marks on your clothes. I buy this when I can't get my usual Mitchum deodorant.
Marks out of 10: 9/10
Do I recommend it: Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes.
Dr. Ceuracle Cica Regen Anti-Dust Sun Gel SPF 50 (bought myself, available from Skincity for £26 & Tonic15 for £24 - you can save 10% off at Tonic15 with my affiliate code TORIA10) - You can read my original review of this HERE but to recap - this is a fantastic SPF. It's a lightweight gel / cream that absorbs well. It's not greasy and doesn't leave a white cast. It's my second favourite SPF, behind Evy. Highly recommend.
Marks out of 10: 9/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? Yes, I already have.
We Are Paradoxx Hangover hair oil (PR, available from Look Fantastic and Feel Unique for £30) - You can read my review of this HERE but to recap - this is a lovely rich hair oil that tames and smooths hair brilliantly. I enjoyed using this when my hair was long but since I've had it cut short, I've not really needed to use this. I do think as nice as it is, it's a bit expensive. There's cheaper options that I prefer.
Mark out of 10: 7/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? No.
Beauty Pie Super Healthy Skin body wash (bought myself, available HERE for Beauty Pie members, it's out of stock at the moment so the price isn't shown but I think it was about £6-10) - If you're not familiar with Beauty Pie - read my review HERE. This is a lovely body wash. It has a fresh citrus scent, lathers nicely and leave skin soft. I didn't think it was anything special though as it's such a huge bottle, I found myself getting bored of it. For the price though, it's great.
Marks out of 10: 6/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? No.
And that's it for this month! Thanks for reading.
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