July Empties 2020

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It's time for another empties post!

Paula's Choice Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 (bought myself, available from Paula's Choice, Space NK for £34 Skin City for £32, Feel Unique for £33) - I didn't really get on with this SPF. It's a very lightweight, runny texture which is hydrating and absorbs quickly and easily. It gives quite a matte finish which I wasn't keen on. It occasionally pilled when I applied makeup on top of it. I mainly used it for days when I wasn't wearing makeup. My main issue with it was the smell. It has such a strong SPF scent which lingers all day. It also made my eye sting and water. So I'm passing this on before finishing it as there's other SPF's that I prefer.

Marks out of 10: 4/10

Do I recommend it? Personally no but I know so many people love this SPF so maybe it's worth a try!

Will I repurchase? No.

Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense serum (bought myself, available from Medik8, Feel Unique & Look Fantastic for £55 & Skin City for £54) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - this is my all time favourite hydrating serum. I have dehydrated, oily skin and this really helps to keep it well hydrated throughout the day. It's a beautiful consistency - quite thick but it absorbs quickly and easily. It's not sticky either.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Always!

Dots for Spots Pimple Patches - (PR, available HERE for £5.99 for a pack of 24 or HERE for £13.50 for a pack of 60) - These have to be the best pimple patches I've tried! They're very thin and lightweight so you can barely see them when they're on. They're a decent size too. They work brilliantly to flatten spots and help draw out all the gunk (yuk).

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend them? Yes

Will I repurchase? At some point, yes. I've got some other pimple patches to use up first.

Sebamed Antibacterial Cleansing Foam (PR, available HERE for £7.99) - Unfortunately I didn't get on with this face wash. I found it to be quite drying. It was good to help keep my skin clear though..

Marks out of 10: 4/10

Do I recommend it? No.

Will I repurchase? No.

Touch In Sol Stretchex mascara (bought myself, available HERE for £18) - I've gone through countless tubes of this mascara now. It's one of the only ones that doesn't smudge and leave me with panda eyes! It separates, lengthens and adds volume.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Already have.

Bioglan Beauty Collagen Gummies (bought myself, available HERE for £18.99) - I've been taking these supplements for months now. They're my favourite type as they're just like sweets! They make a massive difference to my nails - they're much stronger and don't break as easily so grow longer. I've got these on subscription from Holland & Barratt so I save a bit of money on them.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend them? Yes

Will I repurchase? Already have.

Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops (won in a giveaway, available from Space NK & Cult Beauty for £30) - I've passed this on to a friend as I just wasn't using it. It's a great multi-use product - it's basically a liquid bronzer with skincare benefits. It can be worn alone, mixed in with your moisturiser or used as bronzer. As I'm so pale I struggled to use it without looking too dark. I was using half a pump mixed into my moisturiser and even then I had to be careful to blend it in at my neckline. For most people - they would be a brilliant product! However even if I got on with these, I wouldn't be repurchasing as I no longer support Drunk Elephant as a brand due to their behaviour during the Black Lives Matter movement.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend them? Yes if you support the brand.

Will I repurchase? No.

Dermalogica Retinol Clearing Oil (PR, available from Dermalogica, Look Fantastic, Feel Unique and Skin City for £69) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - this is a lovely oil that contains a gentle form of Retinol and Salicylic Acid. I really enjoyed using this but it wasn't effective enough for my acne prone skin. However it would be perfect for those that get occasional spots.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase it? No.

Medik8 Retinol 3TR+ Intense (PR, available from Medik8, Look Fantastic, Feel Unique for £33 and Skin City for £29) - This is a gorgeous oil that's perfect as a starter retinol. It smells amazing - very spa like. You only need a couple of drops too.

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No because I've moved on to a high strength retinol.

Elemis Peptide4 Night Recovery Cream-Oil (bought myself, available from Elemis, Look Fantastic & Feel Unique for £49) - This is my second bottle of this. It's an absolutely gorgeous moisturiser. It's actually quite lightweight, almost a lotion in consistency. It absorbs beautifully and leaves skin soft and nourished. It has a beautiful lavender scent that's really calming. I find with regular use, my skin looks well rested.

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes at some point.

Medik8 Advanced Night Restore moisturiser (PR, available from Medik8, Look Fantastic & Feel Unique for £55 and Skin City for £50) - This has quickly become one of my favourite moisturisers! It's a rich, thick cream, almost like a balm. It has a beautiful spa-like scent. Even though it's rich, it's not greasy or heavy. It absorbs completely. It doesn't clog my pores either. It's perfect to use alongside retinol.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Already have.

NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex (bought myself, available from DECIEM, Look Fantastic, Cult Beauty and Feel Unique for £25 for 15ml or £38 for 30ml) - This was a huge disappointment! I know it's a favourite of many but I was completely underwhelmed by it. It wasn't bad but it just didn't wow me. It's a very thin consistency, almost like water. I just didn't feel like it did much for my skin, especially when compared to other hydrating serums. I didn't even finish the bottle! I've passed it on to my mum for her to try. It just goes to show, what works for one, won't work for another!

Marks out of 10: 4/10

Do I recommend it? No.

Will I repurchase? No.

Volition Strawberry-C Serum (PR, available HERE for £36) - Another raved about serum that I didn't get on with! This has great ingredients but I couldn't get passed how sticky it left my skin. It has a lovely texture but just left my skin so tacky after application. I have to enjoy using a product so this was a big no no for me. I'll be passing this on to a friend for them to try.

Marks out of 10: 3/10

Do I recommend it? No

Will I repurchase? No.

Pretty Athletic Instant Refresh Invigorating Shower Scrub (sent from a friend, available HERE for £15.49) - This was a lovely scrub! It's a scrub / shower gel combo that has a really refreshing, invigorating scent.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I purchase it? Yes

Medik8 Ultimate Recovery Bio-Cellulose Mask (PR, available from Medik8, Look Fantastic & Feel Unique for £60 for 6 and Skin City for £57) - These have to be my favourite single use masks! They're a perfect fit and leave my skin super hydrated and plump. Such a treat to use.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend them? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes

AHC Natural Essential Mask (won in an giveaway, available HERE for £6) - This is a lovely hydrating sheet mask. You get plenty of essence with it. It wasn't a great fit for my face though.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No.

Lavrera Volume & Strength Shampoo & Conditioner (PR, available from Amazon here - shampoo £6.95 / conditioner £6.94) - These smelt amazing! Like the sweets Swizzles. They left my hair feeling soft and not weighed down.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend them? Yes

Will I repurchase? No as there's others I prefer instead.

Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner (PR, available HERE for $14) - This is a lovely toner but I just didn't find myself reaching for it anymore so I'm passing it on to a friend. It's hydrating, lightweight and has some great ingredients. Plus it's a huge bottle for the price.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No.

Dove Invisible Dry Anti-perspirant (bought myself, available HERE for £2.70) - This does the job and has a nice fresh scent.

Marks out of 10: 8/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes.

Indeed Labs Hydraluron Volumizing Lip Treatment (PR, available from Cult Beauty, Boots and Look Fantastic for £14.99) - This is a gorgeous lip product. It's a gel consistency that's really hydrating. It stays on well too.

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? At some point yes.

Beauty Pie Featherlight UVA / UVB SPF 50 (bought myself, available from Beauty Pie for £10.10 for members. If you're not familiar with Beauty Pie read all about how it works HERE) - This has only just come out and I ordered it straight away. Unfortunately I didn't get on with this. It's a beautiful lightweight runny lotion that absorbs instantly leaving a soft matte finish. It's almost identical to Paula's Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, it wouldn't surprise me if it comes from the same lab! Annoyingly for me, just like the PC one, this makes my eyes sting / water. So I'll be passing this on to my Mum. Aside from that though, it's a gorgeous SPF!

Marks out of 10: 4/10

Do I recommend it? It you don't have sensitive eyes, yes

Will I repurchase? No.