The Ordinary

The Ordinary is so refreshing. The pricing is a joy and the packaging is chic. I've been investigating it more over the last few months on the basis if I don't like something, it only cost me £5.

It can be intimidating if you don't know ingredients or have a chemistry degree. I have thought for some time that they need to explain the products better. Last night, I came across this article and it explains each product beautifully.

The repeat buy for me is this one:

Marine Hyaluronics has a water-like texture, it's very light. I use it after cleansing and before serum. Not every single time I wash my face but when I feel it needs a boost. It sinks in immediately and leaves no residue. I love it and it's especially good after a winter of central heating and windy walks. 

I acquired the cleanser this week:

It's moisturising, easy to rinse off and very effective. It's a perfect size for travelling too. I am impressed with it.

I have really only dipped my toe in The Ordinary. I think there will always be duds and by that I mean, products that won't suit my skin but may be fabulous for someone else. I tried a serum and found it too heavy for me.  There are dozens of items to try and as I say, it's so nice to not be spending £££ on skincare. 

Neutrogena love

I've always liked Neutrogena but it's frustrating that we can't access many of the products in the UK. I was in New York last week for work and, as you can imagine, I set aside time for my Sephora trips and drugstore runs. I have so much to report back on, I went a bit mad.

I'll start with Neutrogena and this retinol oil.

I always research what beauty editors say to buy in the US. I compiled a long list but this was the one thing I was determined to get hold of. I am a little wary of retinols. I know prevailing wisdom is give them time and let your skin adjust but flaky red skin does not appeal. This is designed to be gentler yet still effective. I am using it every other day and so far, no adverse effects. I need to give this more time but I do think my skin is looking pretty good with it. Early report is positive.

I am in love with this concealer. It's so moisturising and doesn't settle into fine lines at all. It's better than concealers that cost three times as much.

Another new obsession is SPF. I need to be much better about wearing it daily but I find many of them to be difficult to then put make up over. I bought a couple of SPFs and more on my other one in a future post but I am loving this as it doubles as a primer. It's lovely, great texture, make up applies with no bobbles and SPF 15. I am very impressed.

I recommend the concealer and SPF. I will report back further on the retinol oil.

Drunk Elephant Babyfacial

As promised in my previous post, this is my report on Drunk Elephant's Babyfacial mask. As a reminder, you can't buy this in the UK because of EU regulations. I asked a friend to get me some in the US. It's $80, not cheap but you don't need much so I think there are at least 15 applications here (I made that number up, could be more, could be less) which then works out at around $5 for a facial which doesn't seem so bad. I am here to always justify spending money on products for you.

Is it any good? Short answer, yes. Let me expand. The reason you can't buy it here is it's considered too strong for at home facials. It comes with warnings of building up to leaving it on for 20 minutes, not to use if your skin feels sore etc. I approached with some trepidation. However, it was fine. I had no tingles, no redness. I left it on for 15 minutes to be on the safe side. You must do this at night because many people are red afterwards but fine after a night's sleep.

My skin is pretty robust, I use exfoliating toners almost every day. Before using this, I skipped my exfoliating toner the night before. As it is winter, skin tends to be a little more sensitive with central heating and freezing temperatures. I would say if you have skin prone to redness or sensitivity to maybe wait until spring before using this.

I applied a thin layer (no need to go thick and waste this elixir of youth) and waited. I used a soft flannel to remove. I looked in the mirror and saw no immediate difference whatsoever! But then I felt my skin and it was incredibly soft, I examined it more closely with my trusty magnifying mirror and it looked more even, open pores had shrunk a little, and it was glowier (that's a word now).

My box came with a sample of the Marula Facial Oil so I popped that on and went to bed. The oil is annoyingly good. I can see a Drunk Elephant obsession blooming here and I was so determined to not be drawn in, ah well.

Is it worth $80? Only you can answer that. For me, yes. I will use it once a week. I am going to the US in March so let me know in the comments if you need this and I can be your mule.

Drunk Elephant

I was doing well resisting this but then I received a 20% code from Cult Beauty and my will power waned.

I bought this moisturiser and I love it. It's a great base for make up and my skin feels very hydrated. I also love the packaging. Would I buy it at full price? No. It's not necessary to spend over £50 on a moisturiser but it's made my January more bearable and we all do what we can to endure January.

The Babyfacial is not available to buy in the UK. My friend picked one up for me in the US. I don't have it in my hot paws yet but am expecting the exchange to take place next week. I hear amazing things about this so am looking forward to trying it and hoping my face doesn't fall off. I shall report back.

Bye bye 2018

Just like that, it's New Year's Eve. I have a few products to talk about before I look back on the year beauty-wise.

I didn't mention this face mask in my previous Body Shop post because I had bought it as a present for my sister-in-law. Obviously I operated on the principle, one for her, one for me. 

This Drops of Youth mask is marketed as bouncy. It's hard to explain the texture, it's very slippery and you have to dig in. I am here to tell you that it's Very Good Indeed. I don't use it as a mask, which implies you rinse it off, I slap it on and go to bed. One wakes up looking all dewy. Honestly, it works a treat. You can feel it doing you good as you apply it. Do yourself a favour and check it out.

My sister gave me this for Christmas.

Bjork and Berries Dark Rain body wash. I am not exaggerating when I say it smells like heaven. It's delicious and I have been using as a bubble bath in my bathroom of joy. 

Looking back on 2018, it's the year I concentrated on haircare. The Grow Gorgeous Cleaning Conditioner was a revelation although I am not using it now it's winter. For me, it's a summer product and a life saver on holidays. I've loved my Function of Beauty shampoo and conditioner and can't wait to finish my original order so I can try another scent. Kristen Ess needs to come to the UK at a reasonable price. Or I need to go back to the US to stock up.

I also hit Beauty Pie hard. I've said this a few times on here but the serums are incredibly good value. The eyeliners are great too. I have more products to review over the coming weeks. 

I've invested in regular facials and as a result, I barely wear foundation which was what I was after. The Bobbi Brown serum concealer has become my new BFF.

I learned that too much shellac is not a good thing and that you do need to wait two weeks before having it removed. My nails spent the autumn in rehab with the help of Sally Hansen Gel Rehab and Moisture Rehab.

The Moisture Rehab is so good that I now have about six bottles of it so I always have it to hand. It soaks into cuticles with no grease. 

Thank you for reading and happy 2019!

The Body Shop

It's nice to visit old friends. Especially ones you've not seen for ages. I've not investigated The Body Shop for years but recently I went in and was deeply impressed.

It seems to be the law that all 10-15 year old girls love The Body Shop. Thus I found myself in the Oxford Street branch with my friend who has a 12 year-old daughter. She was after the advent calendar but it was long since sold out. However, they had a little booth where you can instantly print personalised covers for their body butters. What a great idea. It's not online so you have to pop in but we were entranced and I only just managed to stop getting one for me.

I bought this.

The Almond and Milk Honey bath milk. I basically bathe in my new bathroom any time I can so bubble baths are a must. This is sublime. It's soothing, delicious and soft. 

I came home and immediately went online to explore more. I bought this:

If you love rose scent, then this is for you. It's gorgeous, not greasy but deeply moisturising. 

It's almost impossible to pay full price. Currently there is 40% off if you spend £15 and more. I stocked up on Christmas presents. If you're reading this and in my family, DO NOT BUY, DO NOT BUY!

The Body Shop does appeal to girls but it has serious products in there as well. The skincare range is excellent. I avoid anything strawberry scented but that's just me.

A word about REN

I've always liked REN beauty but tend to forget about it. However, a few things reminded me. Firstly, I have finally managed to get a bathroom renovated. This has been months in the making, it was going to be the shower room but at the last minute, I decided I needed a bathing boudoir and so I did the attic bathroom. This is a tiny little room and it was unusable. Now it's a pink, bathing heaven.

It's been a slog getting this room done and I won't bore with you with the details but I think we can all agree that a new bathroom needs new products.

Then Caroline Hirons posted a 20% code for REN and the deal was done.

The classic Moroccan Rose Otto body wash. The last time I had this, it was a present from my mum so it's been a while. You may have noticed my new bathroom is pink. Very, very pink. I wanted it to feel like a haven and a retreat and it really does. I lie there in rose scented bubbles admiring my excellent taste.

I also purchased some skincare. Ready Steady Glow tonic. This is incredibly good and pretty strong. You really feel your skin tingle. It may replace my beloved Zelen pads which are expensive and I wince when I buy them. This is much more reasonable at £25 (plus 20% off!) and it has properly good packaging, as you press your cotton pad down on it and pump. Why more brands don't do this is a mystery.

Finally, I bought Evercalm Anti Redness Serum. I wanted this as my skin was feeling a little red and flushed. I think it's the change of season, central heating, endless dust because of the renovation (the project is bigger than one bathroom). Anyway, this does exactly what it promises and feels very soothing. 

I've fallen back in love with REN. I got a ton of huge samples with this order too.

Before I go, several people have asked me how my husband feels about a pink bathroom. Why would he object? Men like pink too. In fact, he encouraged me to go for this brighter pink (Farrow & Ball Rangwali). I find questions like this so interesting, as if men only like steel grey and blue and can't enjoy a bath while looking a pink walls! Mind you, I may have taken a step too far with my Joan Collins portrait...

Beauty round-up

Apologies for not posting in a while. I hope to atone by sharing lots of goodies I have recently acquired or played with. I was in Chicago a few weeks ago and made the most of the beauty opportunities available to me.

As always when I fly, I get my moisturiser packing all wrong. This is most frustrating since I have a lot of moisturiser. Maybe it's subconscious though so I feel justified in buying more.

I bought this Sunday Riley Tidal cream because the week before I was reading some beauty writer saying this is what she would use all the time if she could have it for free. Even with the crappy exchange rate, most beauty is cheaper in the US. Even so, they didn't give me this in Sephora sadly. However, I can report that it's marvellous. It sinks in immediately, no grease whatsoever but massively moisturising and just what my jet lagged skin needed. It does smell 'of the sea' somewhat which may put you off but I don't mind it.

While in Sephora, I played with Drunk Elephant. It launched here last week which I expect you know about because it was in every single thing I picked up, all over Instagram and I got about a dozen emails telling me. It's expensive. It was expensive in the US and it's even pricier here. Is it worth it? I dunno. I tried the C Firma Serum which felt lovely, if oily. I splodged other things on the back of my hand. The packaging is very cute but I can't justify £80 on packaging and when it came down to it, I just decided against the expense. Reviews vary wildly on this and I am a little sceptical of the whole 'clean' promise. 

One of my favourite rituals on any trip to the US is my foray into Sephora. I love their own range of cleansers, foot masks, hand masks etc. We can no longer access the US site in the UK which is so annoying, I have no words for my rage. I got the coconut dry shampoo and at last I have found a dry shampoo where I can cope with the scent. It's delicious and only $8. 

On to haircare and Target. I had been tipped off about Kristin Ess haircare by a friend of mine who is a millennial and therefore much cooler than me. It's exclusively sold in Target and (of course) cheaper in the US. Off I went, taking my pal with me. 

I bought The One shampoo and conditioner. It smells heavenly and I have to say, it's great. I am loving it. It's a joy to use, rinses out easily and leaves my hair in great condition. 

I also bought the Blow Dry Mist. This claims to cut down blow drying time and give shine blah blah This is true! It does! And you hardly need any (I found out the hard way) so it lasts for ages. 

My friend also bought from the range and is equally happy. You can buy this in the UK from Feel Unique but it's more expensive. Obviously.

If you know anyone crossing the Atlantic, you now have your shopping list. You're welcome.

Jo Loves

Jo Loves is by Jo Malone. I decided to treat myself after numerous hints for my birthday didn't work. I read about this Graffiti body spray in a magazine and knew I had to try it.

Because I love Grapefruit scented products, I chose that one but it comes in other flavours although the thought of Tuberose or Fig makes me want to heave but whatever floats your boat.

I love this, it's been perfect for this long hot summer and the scent lasts really well. It cools you down as well. I've not used a body spray since my teenage days of Impulse and I'd forgotten how nice they can be for a subtle, all-over saturation of very light fragrance. I can't see me using this in the deep and dark days of winter but for summer and holidays, it's lovely.

I also bought a fragrance paint brush.

I chose White Roses and Lemon Leaves which was nice enough but a bit of an obvious scent to my nose (I ordered these online). I love the portability of this, I took it into work and brushed it on my wrists. I like that you are not obviously applying perfume and choking people around you with a spray.

However, after a week, it stopped working. No more gel was coming out of the brush. I clicked away but to no avail. The customer service was interesting. I sent an email explaining the problem. I got an answer back quickly that I needed to shake it vigorously. I did this, nope, didn't work. I emailed back and explained this. I was told that I needed to pack it up sturdily and they'd send a driver to pick it up on a day I chose. I did all this and driver duly turned up. I then received an email saying, yes it is broken, would I like a new one or a refund? No apology and I didn't like the implication that somehow I had been lying until they had tested it. I asked for a refund because by the point I was annoyed and I wasn't massively into the smell anyway.

Jo Loves is a top-end and luxury retailer. They should have immediately sent me another one when I sent my first email. This is clearly a known problem. It's very disappointing.

Grow Gorgeous Cleansing Conditioner

My lovely friend gave me this for my birthday and I am here to tell you it's a game changer. I was massively sceptical I must admit. This is a 'no poo' conditioner and the thought of not cleansing my hair freaked me out a little.

She gave me clear instructions: soak your hair, use quite a lot, massage in, leave for three minutes, comb hair, rinse out. If you follow these instructions, then you will have amazing shiny hair. I am blown away by it. I had my hair cut and coloured last week and my hairdresser asked me what I had been using to make my hair look so good.

I wouldn't use this every time I wash my hair because I think hair does need a proper cleanse now and then but I am using it every other wash (I wash my hair twice a week) and I love it. It also smells great. Perfect for holiday hair too.

You can read more about it here. You can buy it here (cheaper). And you can thank me below in the comments.

Beauty Pie round-up

I've been a member of Beauty Pie now for just over a year. In that time, I have tried loads of products. My favourite category is serums. I have tried all of these.

It's almost impossible to pick my favourite. The Uber Youth maybe wins but they are all excellent and worth membership alone. Serum is expensive and I seem to canter through it. 

I ordered the sunscreen in my last batch since our summer seems to keep on giving. This is also very good, lightweight, no chalkiness, no greasiness and you can easily put make up over it.

The sheet masks are also really very good. Although they come with a weird layer you need to peel off and this is not made clear except for the fact that trying to put it on with the layer is awkward. I like all sheet masks and these are no exception.

I tried a couple of cleansers and was less impressed. This Japanfusion is acceptable, it smells lovely and works well but I probably wouldn't buy it again. I want them to do an oil-based cleanser as those are my favourite.

This eyeliner in Envy is truly excellent and lasts all day long with no travelling. I got the blue one as well which I like less as it's a bit too blue for me but the quality of these are excellent.

I have also tried the candles (fine but not a patch on my beloved Diptyque), the lipsticks (perfectly nice without being memorable), foundation samples (the jury is out, maybe ok but I prefer to buy my foundation properly at a beauty counter), primer (ok but there are better primers available), retinol hand cream (excellent), five minute facial (reviewed here) and the fabulous Awesome Bronze.

The service is very good, everything comes in a nice box and all in all, I think Beauty Pie is worth the hype. It's exceptionally good value. I really want them to do shower gels as I am obsessed with shower gels.