November Empties 2019

*Post contains some affiliate links and PR products.

Well you know what another empties post means? That it's December tomorrow and nearly Christmas! YAY! Hope you call survived the black Friday month long sales! Anyway, back to November's empties.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Florale body oil (bought myself, available from Nuxe, Look Fantastic & Cult Beauty for £29.50) - I forgot to take a photo of this on it's own - doh! I adore this Florale version even more than the original (which I love). It's such a gorgeous, light floral scent. The oil itself is brilliant. Really nourishing and hydrating. 
Marks out of 10: 10/10
Do I recommend it: Yes 
Will I repurchase? Yes I've bought the full sized version.

Samaya Kapha Renewing Exfoliant (PR, available HERE for £59) - This is a wash off enzyme exfoliant. I found it fairly gentle. I didn't find this as spa-like as the other products that I've tried from this range. I liked this but I struggled to find a place for it in my routine as I need a BHA exfoliant to keep my acne in check so prefer to use a combined AHA / BHA product. So I'm passing this onto a friend.

Marks out of 10: 5/10

Do I recommend it? I think there's similar products out there that perform better for less money. However if you're looking for natural ingredients only, this would be a good option.

Will I repurchase? No.

Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner (Bought myself, available HERE for £10 for this travel sized version) - This was an Instagram made me do it product! So many people rave over this toner. Sadly for me it didn't live up to the hype! It was ok, nothing special. It didn't particularly hydrate my skin really well and I wasn't keen on the strong fragrance.

Marks out of 10: 5/10

Do I recommend it? I'd say try it for yourself as many people love this!

Will I repurchase? No.

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster (bought myself, available from Paula's Choice, Cult Beauty, Skin City and Look Fantastic for £41 - shop around, it's often on offer!) - This was bottle number 3 of this serum now - it's a holy grail product for me. You can read my full review of it HERE but to re-cap - this is a fantastic, watery, lightweight serum that layers brilliantly. It helps reduce oiliness and skin texture. Amazing stuff.

Marks out of 10: 10/10 - it's the best!

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes, I've got one ready to open and a backup!

Nivea Diamond Touch cream shower oil (part of a Christmas gift set, available HERE for £1) - This was nice enough. It gives a good lather and is very creamy. Doesn't dry skin out. Good for the price but nothing amazing.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Probably not.

IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream (PR, available HERE for £31) - I'm passing this on as it's just not getting used. It's a fab product - it gives great coverage and wears well. Unfortunately it's a tiny bit too dark for me. Plus it's fuller coverage than I prefer to wear now. Hence it not getting used!

Marks out of 10: 9/10 - it's brilliant, just doesn't suit my preferences.

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? If I start wearing full coverage again, yes definitely! Just in a paler shade.

Fenty Beauty PRO FILT'R Hydrating foundation (bought myself, available HERE for £27) - Sadly this didn't work for me at all. On paper it's everything I want in a foundation - natural finish, hydrating and long-wearing. It had a natural finish but I didn't find it hydrating at all. It definitely wasn't long wearing on me at all. It visibly broke up on my face within a couple of hours wear. I tried it with loads of different primers and it was the same with all of them. Very disappointed. 

Marks out of 10: 3/10

Do I recommend it? I'd say get a sample. I've read plenty of positive reviews for this so just because it didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you.

Trinny London BFF Cream (bought myself, available HERE for £35) - You can read my review of this HERE but to re-cap - it's a cream that adapts to your skin tone. It's incredibly light coverage, too light for me, which is why I've not used it that much. It was also too dewy for my oily skin. The more I used it, the more I realised it wasn't right for me which was a shame as I loved it to start with!

Marks out of 10: 6/10 purely personal preference though.

Do I recommend it? Yes if you like light coverage.

Will I repurchase? No.

Indeed Labs Nanoblur (Gifted, available HERE for £19.99) - This is an unusual product - it's designed to be worn over makeup to smooth skin and blur pores / imperfections. It reminds me of a clear Benefit Porefessional. I just didn't find myself using it. Most of the primers I use do the same job so I wouldn't need to add a further product on top. It did as promised though!

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? Yes if you have a place for it in your routine.

Will I repurchase? No

By Terry Cellularose Brightening CC Serum in shade Sunny Flash (bought myself, available in full size for £61 from Space NK, Cult Beauty, Skin City, Look Fantastic - shop around, there's usually an offer on) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to re-cap - These serums come in a number of shades and can be worn either alone or as primer and are designed to brighten the skin tone. They work brilliantly but sadly this shade is too dark for me. I had intended to use it as bronzer but I've just not reached for it. So I'm passing it on.

Marks out of 10: 8/10

Do I recommend it: Yes

Will I repurchase? I've still got the two lighter shades which work well for me. However I won't repurchase as they're expensive and I prefer Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter which is more glowy and cheaper! (Available HERE for £32).

Boscia Porefecting White Charcoal Mattifying Treatment Primer (gifted, available HERE for £8) - This is a great primer but I found it too matte for my tastes. It helped control oil well. I did have pilling issues with some foundations but not with others. Even though I'm oily I prefer to dewy finish so this wasn't getting used.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? If you like a matte finish, yes.

Will I repurchase? No.

Touch In Sol Flawless Corean Complexion Cream (gifted, available for £21 from Boots or MMCL.com - you can save 25% off Touch In Sol from MMCL using my affiliate code TTBSOL25) - This is very similar to Trinny London BFF in that it's a skin tone adapting cream. It's super light coverage and evens out imperfections. It's not very long lasting on my oily skin but I wouldn't expect it to be.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No because I prefer Erborian's CC Cream slightly more as it's more long wearing for me. If you don't have oily skin, the Touch In Sol is a great dupe for Erborian as it's pretty much half the price!

This Works Evening Detox Spray-On Exfoliant (won in a giveaway, available from This Works and Space NK for £28) - I used this AM and PM. It's an exfoliating toner that contains salicylic acid. I don't get why it's in a spray bottle as it tells you to spray it onto a cotton pad so it's kind of pointless! It was an effective, gentle exfoliant. It did have quite a strong fragrance which would put some people off (I was fine with it).

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? Yes but I'd recommend Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging 2% BHA Exfoliant more.

Will I repurchase? No as I prefer the PC product instead.

Zelens Power D (bought myself, available from Cult Beauty & Look Fantastic for £115 - keep an eye out, it's sometimes on offer) - I bought this after seeing Caroline Hirons rave about it. It's designed to strengthen skin and is perfect if you've compromised your skin barrier. It works brilliantly - I used it after I had a reaction from a prescription acne cream. It calms skin instantly. It's an unusual serum - it's actually an oil but it's the lightest oil that I've ever come across. It's so silky. It's definitely a saviour for stressed out skin. The only downside is the price and the fact that it expires after 6 months. For me, this is an occasional use product so I didn't get a chance to finish it before it went off. I did use it for about 9-10 months but didn't want to risk it for any longer after that. I know Zelens has now brought out a smaller sized bottle which I think is a much better option.

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Probably not. Hopefully I won't need to!

Beauty Pie QI Energy sleep mask (bought myself, available HERE for £7.22 for Beauty Pie members - if you're not familiar with Beauty Pie, read my review HERE) - This was the first sleeping mask I've tried! It's a light cream, almost a gel. It literally melts into your skin. It has quite a strong fragrance which I wasn't particularly keen on. It left my skin well hydrated. I didn't particularly see any difference with using this, than when I used my usual moisturiser.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No, it's nice but not nice enough for me to repurchase.

Vitage Renewal Antioxidant Treatment Mask (PR, available HERE for £24) - I'm passing this mask on to a friend. I used it a few times and has some sensitivity issues with it. The first couple of times I used it, it was fine but then the last couple of times it stung in patches then the last time, I has to remove it straight away. I think it could be that I had sensitivity because I used it the day after retinol or acids but I'm not sure. Whatever the reason, I thought it was best to not use it again, just in case. The first few times I used it - I loved it! The mask smells amazing, it's like something you'd get in a spa. It's a cream consistency so it partially soaks into your skin. It left my skin super soft and hydrated after using. So I'm pretty gutted that I developed issues with it, as I loved it! Typical.

Marks out of 10: 7/10 (score given for the times I used with no issues)

Do I recommend it? Yes - the issues I've had are personal to my skin.

Will I repurchase? No sadly not - gutted!

Ouai Scalp and Body Scrub (part of a GWP, available full sized from Space NK and Cult Beauty for £32) - This scrub smells amazing! It's quite a chunky sugar scrub that can be used on your body and scalp. I only used it on my scalp. It was pleasant to use. It didn't leave my hair feeling stripped like some scalp scrubs can. It was easy to rinse out.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No because I prefer to Briogeo Scalp scrub shampoo instead.

Beauty Pie Super Healthy Skin Nourishing Body Polish (bought myself, available HERE for £10.02 for Beauty Pie members) - Wow I absolutely love this! It's bloody gorgeous! It's a thick scrub but it's the smoothest scrub I've ever come across. Now I know that sounds weird but it is! It still gives great exfoliation without any harshness. It's incredibly nourishing and leave skin super soft and smooth. I found I didn't need to moisturise after using this as the oils in it are hydrating enough. It smells beautiful too. Really fresh and citrusy. The only slightly negative thing is that it made the bottom of my shower really slippery! That was just from rinsing it off. I found I had just give the bottom of shower a quick wipe with a microfiber cloth to avoid me slipping.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase it? Most definitely! Once it's back in stock that is.

Dr Jart Ceramidin lip balm (bought myself from TK Maxx, I think this has now been discontinued. You can get the rest of the Ceramidin range from Cult Beauty) - This was a lovely hydrating lip balm. It was really nourishing too. Sadly I had a little accident with it. I dropped it, it came open as it fell and the lip balm fell onto the carpet. There was no hope of rescuing it as it was covered in fluff! Such a shame.

Marks out of 10: 8/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes if I can find one.

Evy Technology Daily UV Face Mousse SPF 30 (gifted but bought myself since, available from Space NK or from Evy Technology where you can save 15% using my affiliate code TORIA15) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to re-cap this is my all time favourite SPF. It's a lighter than air mousse that hydrates skin brilliantly. There's no white cast and no pilling either, meaning it's the perfect SPF to wear under makeup. I've given up trying other SPF's as nothing compares - it's that good.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes to everyone!

Will I repurchase: Always!

A.Florence Skin Rehab Light moisturiser (Gifted, available HERE for £31) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to re-cap - this is an incredible moisturiser! It's packed full of nourishing, comforting ingredient designed to heal a compromised skin barrier. There's two versions of the cream light and rich. Light is for oily / acne prone skin like mine. I've not found a moisturiser as nourishing as this without it being too heavy for my skin. So good. I use it after my professional peels and it works wonders!

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes definitely!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics eyeshadow palette (Bought myself, available HERE for £26) - This is a fab little palette with really wearable shades. The clues in the name - they basic neutrals. They're a great formula - pigmented, easy to blend and long wearing. I got a lot of use out of this but it's a good few years old now. I'd noticed they weren't blending as well and seemed a bit chalky so thought it was time to go. It's served me well!

Marks out of 10: 8/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase it? Probably not because I've got loads of other eyeshadow palettes.

Mitchum Deodorant (bought myself, available HERE for £3.20) - This is my go-to deodorant. It's a solid stick, so there's no waiting for it to try. It's a subtle, fresh scent and it helps keep me dry.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase it? Yes.

Pixi Vitamin-C Caviar Balm (PR, available HERE for £24) - This is a gorgeous leave on mask. It's a light, citrusy scented balm that melts into skin. It's not greasy or tacky. As much as I liked this, I didn't find myself reaching for it as I prefer to use a dedicated Vitamin C serum in the AM. You can develop sensitivity from using too much Vitamin C so I was wary of that. I just didn't feel like it had a place in my routine, so I'm passing it onto a friend so as not to waste it.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No.

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream (bought myself, available from Space NK & Cult Beauty for £18-44 depending on the size) - This cream in infamous for a reason! It has a gorgeous caramel / pistachio scent that I adore. It won't be to everyone's taste though as it's very sweet and strong. The cream itself is thick but absorbs easily. It leave skin super soft and moisturised.

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Hmm I'm not sure. As much as I love the scent and results from it, I'm still not a fan of body moisturisers  - I'm much prefer an oil applied to still damp skin. Maybe if I see a good offer on haha.

Oskia Renaissance 360 moisturiser (available from Oskia, Space NK & Cult Beauty for £74) - This is a gorgeous cream. Rich without being too heavy. It had the same gorgeous scent as the rest of the renaissance range. It was nice but didn't particularly wow me.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase it? No.

Touch In Sol Stretchex Mascara (bought myself, available HERE for £18 or save 25% off using my affiliate code TTBSOL25) - I've lost count of how many of these I've gone through now! It's my holy grail mascara and the only one I use. It does it all - lengthens, lifts, curls, separates and doesn't smudge or flake at all. I love it. 

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Of course! Already have. 

A.Florence Hydrating Gel Cleanser (bought myself, available HERE for £23) - Well this cleanser is heavenly. It's a gorgeous silky consistency. I apply it to dry skin and massage until it almost fully sinks in, then rinse. It rinses off easily and leaves skin super soft and hydrated. It's a perfect AM cleanser for me, especially after I've had a peel. It can be used as a mask too by just leaving it on longer. It's such a pleasure to use.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes already have.

Skinceuticals Mineral Matte UV Defence SPF 30 (PR, available from numerous retailers including Skinceuticals, Skin City and Look Fantastic, between £35-41 - shop around!) - Sadly I didn't get on with this SPF. It's a tinted mineral SPF. It's super light, almost like a mousse. It's great to blur pores and imperfections. Unfortunately I had pilling issues with it, most times that I used it. I found the less I used, the better it worked but then I wasn't using enough to get a decent level of protection. Pilling is a huge no-no for me, especially for a product that I use in a morning as I don't have the time to be faffing about before work. However when it did work well, it was lovely! I think it would be perfect if you don't wear makeup. I'll pass this on to a friend to try.

Marks out of 10: 4/10

Do I recommend it? It you like a mineral SPF & don't wear makeup, yes. Other than that, no.

Will I repurchase? No

Charles Worthington Grow Strong Scalp Tonic (Gifted as part of Boots Review panel, available HERE for £7.99) - I didn't really see a difference with using this but my hair is pretty thick and healthy anyway. 

Marks out of 10: 3/10

Do I recommend it? If you have weak hair, it's worth a try.

Will I repurchase? No

Urban Decay Naked 3 eyeshadow palette (bought myself, available from numerous retailers, RRP £42 but it's only £25.20 from Look Fantastic and £33.60 at Boots, thanks to Black Friday sales!) -This was a much loved palette that's had plenty of use. But it's time to go as it's a few years old and well past it's best. 

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No, I've got too many other palettes!

Beauty Pie Shimmerbar Highlighter in shade Sugar Drip (bought myself, available HERE for £7.99 if you're a Beauty Pie member) - I bought this to use a blusher. It's a gorgeous, glowy shade that gives skin a healthy pink flush. The only thing that spoilt it for me is that it was quite glittery. So I've barely used it! Another one being passed on to a friend. 

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? Yes if you don't mind the glitter. 

Will I repurchase? No.

And that's it for this month! Only one more empties post of 2019 to come! 

Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging 2% BHA Exfoliant Review

*Post contains affiliate links.

I'm sure you know by now that I'm a huge fan of the brand Paula's Choice. If you don't know, you can read my reviews here of their C15 Super Booster,  Clinical 1% Retinol Serum and 10% Niacinamide Booster. Well I haven't always liked their products. I remember trying the Clear Extra Strength 2% BHA Exfoliant a couple of years ago and not getting on with it at all. It's part of the range aimed at those with acne prone skin, which is why I went for it. I found the exfoliant felt really oily, almost like it left a film on my skin. It definitely wasn't my cup of tea. I know a lot of people rave over the original Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Exfoliant but I'd read a few reviews that it had an oily texture too, so I was loathe to try it. But the great thing about Paula's Choice is that they have a HUGE range of products, so if one doesn't work for you, chances are they have another that will!

I was determined to find a BHA toner exfoliant that would work for me. As I have acne, I need to use BHA aka Salicylic Acid in both my AM and PM routine to help keep my pores clear. Don't worry, my skin is used to using acids and tolerates this well. Obviously not everyone can use acids this way. If you're new to acids, take it slow and slowly increase usage until your skin builds up a tolerance. At the moment I use a combined AHA / BHA serum on alternate nights to a Retinol serum in my PM routine. I wanted a just BHA toner for my AM routine and to use on my Retinol nights. BHA is oil soluble which means it can get right into your pores to clear out any dead skin, which in turn helps prevent breakouts.

It was then that I came across the Resist Anti-Aging 2% BHA Exfoliant. It stood out to me straight away as it was described as weightless and ultra-light. The Resist range is aimed as those with combination / oily skin that also have anti-aging concerns. In other words, ME! Not only does it contain BHA to keep pores clear, it also contains Peptides for anti-aging and Liquorice root extract which is an antioxidant to protect skin from environmental stressors. Sounds amazing, right? Another brilliant thing about Paula's Choice, is that they sell travel sized mini's and samples of a lot of their products, so you can try before committing to a full sized product. So I ordered myself a travel sized bottle.

So onto the product itself... First up - it's not oily!! YAY! Obviously I was really pleased to find that it wasn't oily at all. It's a water consistency that disappears into skin straight away. There's no film or greasiness. I apply it using a cotton pad. I've been using this at least once a day since getting it, sometimes twice daily. I've found it to be gentle enough to use that way. I've not had any sensitivity or peeling from it. Although it's gentle, it is however very effective. It helps keep my pores from getting as congested. It doesn't completely stop me from getting blocked pores but nothing ever has! Bare in mind that my skin is very, very oily and my acne is just about under control now that I have monthly peel facials. My skin can be very temperamental and breaks out so easily. This definitely makes a difference to my pores though. I find the toner hydrating too which is great as sometimes exfoliants can be drying. This definitely isn't. I've been impressed enough to now buy it in full sized and will continue to use it daily in my routine. Another holy grail product from Paula's Choice!

Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging 2% BHA Exfoliant is available from a number of retailers including the following linked - Paula's Choice, Skin City and Look Fantastic. It's £13 for a travel sized bottle and £30 for full sized. As I always say, shop around, there's usually an offer on somewhere!

Skinceuticals Phloretin CF Serum Review

*This post contains PR products and affiliate links.

Skinceuticals are widely known to be the leading brand when it comes to Vitamin C serums. Their patented formula is often copied by other brands, who tweak the formula just enough to not get into trouble. But you can't get better than the original, right? I've been lucky enough to try two of Skinceuticals' Vitamin C serums - C E Ferulic, which is the more widely known serum and Phloretin CF. You can read my review of C E Ferulic HERE. Phloretin CF is more suitable for oily skinned types like me, rather than C E Ferulic, as C E Ferulic contains Vitamin E which can be a bit much for oily skin.

So what does it contain? 2% Phloretin, 10% L-ascorbic Acid Vitamin C and 0.5% Ferulic Acid. It's formulated to the Duke Antioxidant patent which means that the Vitamin C is between 10-20% and the pH is between 2-3.5. This ensures that the Vitamin C is at it's most effective. This is exclusive to Skinceuticals. These ingredients work together to provide protection against environmental damage whilst brightening skin tone and smoothing skins texture. It's perfect to improve hyperpigmentation.

The serum itself comes in a darkened bottle which is sealed with the dropper separate, to ensure freshness. Vitamin C is massively unstable and begins to oxidise as soon as it's opened. Skinceuticals advise that the serum should stay fresh for up to 6 months, after opening. Once open, you'll want to use it daily to ensure you use it up before it oxidises.

Vitamin C serums are best used in your morning routine along with SPF to give your skin the best protection. Now I've always been told to use a Vitamin C serum directly after cleansing and toning. I've also been told to use serums thinnest to thickest - so things like hyaluronic acid first, oils last. Therein lies a problem for me. This serum is a thin, runny consistency but it has a slight oily feel to it but it's not like a proper oil. It absorbs straight into skin and doesn't feel greasy. Now I always use Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster in my AM routine (read my review HERE). This is a watery consistency so for me, I'd want to apply it first then Phloretin CF second. But Vitamin C should be applied first, right? You can see why I'm in a quandary about it! I messaged Skinceuticals for advice and they said that I was right, Vitamin C should be used after cleansing and toning. They suggested that I used my second serum on alternative days to the Vitamin C instead but that if I've been getting on OK with using them both, to continue to do that. So I'm going to continue using as I have - Phloretin CF first, Niacinamide second. Just as a side note - there's an urban myth that Vitamin C and Niacinamide cancel each other out - that's not true (read this article from Paula's Choice HERE if you don't believe me!).

Now onto how the serum performs. It's always a tough one with antioxidant serums as they're a preventative measure so you have to trust that they're doing their job and protecting your skin from environmental damage. However when it comes to the brightening effects - those can be seen! This serum definitely does a great job of evening my skin tone and helping improve my pigmentation. Comparing C E Ferulic and Phloretin CF - both worked equally as well for me.

All in all I'm thoroughly enjoying using this serum and the effects it's having on my skin. The only downside for me, is the price. It's £150 for 30ml. Sadly this is too much for my budget but if it's within your price range, you won't find a better Vitamin C serum! If you're after a cheaper option, check out my review HERE. I'll be testing Pixi Beauty's Vitamin C serum next - keep your eye's out for my review!

Skinceuticals Phloretin CF is available from numerous retailers including Skinceuticals, Skin City and Look Fantastic - shop around, it's sometimes on offer.