Mini Supermarket Beauty Haul

Mini Supermarket Beauty Haul

Wednesday, 25 July 2018

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On a recent trip round Sainsburys I was shocked to discover that their beauty offering was looking really rather good, it looked better than I'd seen it look in ages as a matter of face, and there was a whole host of brands, that I'd never normally associate with Sanos, that I was desperate to try. Naturally, I couldn't stop myself from having a rummage and before I knew it I was at the self-checkout, debit and nectar cards in hand, shouting IT IS IN THE BAGGING AREA, YOU BELLIGERENT BITCH! Anyway, here's what I bought.

Mane 'n Tail The Original Body Shampoo and The Original Moisturiser Conditioner - £5/£5

Originally developed for horses, no I'm not joking, Mane 'n Tail promises longer, stronger, thicker and fuller hair. And I want all of those things! It also smells lovely. Now, I'd  been wanting to try these for a while, I've heard very good things about the leave-in conditioner, which they didn't have, so when I saw the range in Sainsburys - I went in for Gyoza and came out having spent £60 on beauty products and haribo! - I snapped them up. BUT after having a quick peruse of the ingredients I'm slightly concerned as the shampoo contains 'high lathering cleansing agents' which means that it definitely isn't SLS-free, so might actually be quite drying, which I really don't want. However, the 'micro-enriched protein formula', whatever that means, also contains moisturisers and emulsifiers, so I'll just have to try it out and report back. The conditioner claims to leave the hair looking visibly thicker and healthier after just one use and contains natural oils to nourish the hair and scalp, as well as moisturisers to prevent drying and protect the hair from sun damage. Honestly, it all sounds great but I'm a bit dubious, blame it on the SLS-es, but have you ever seen a horse with bad hair? Apart from the one on the internet who was given a really dodgy haircut, obvs. Poor thing.

Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Brighten Gentle Daily Micro Polish Wash - £10

I've been looking for a new everyday face wash, after finishing my Skin Regimen Anti-Pollution Facial Wash, which I loved, when I spotted this jaunty, orange offering from Super Facialist. Designed to brighten the skin and boost radiance whilst gently cleansing the skin, this daily facial wash is formulated with vitamin C, antioxidant-rich ferulic acid and plant-based micro beads to remove dead skin cells, as well as dirt and impurities to reveal 'a fresh, glowing complexion'. It has a light gel-like texture, which I really like, and an absolutely incredible citrus-orange scent, which smells almost exactly like the Mandarin soap from The Body Shop. Very excited to try this, which I will be first thing tomorrow morning!  

Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil - £11

As a beauty journalist by day and a beauty blogger by night I'm in the very lucky position where I sometimes get sent beauty products. So its very rare for me to repurchase things, because I have a lot of unused skincare, just waiting for its moment in the sun. I think that says a lot about how much I like this facial oil, because I did repurchase it and I bloody love it.  Part of Super Facialist's Vitamin C+ Brighten range, so it has that amazing orange scent, Skin Renew is formulated with vitamin C (duh), olive, grapeseed and rosehip oils, as well as vitamin E and passionflower and cucumber oils to gently cleanse the skin. Once worked into the skin it transforms into a milky emulsion which leaves the skin feeling smooth and hydrated, but most importantly, clear of any make up, dirt or impurities. I strongly recommend this if you like cleansing oils because its one of the best I've come across. Second only to the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel, which will always have a very special place in my heart. 

What have you been buying lately? xxx

A Major Glossier Haul

A Major Glossier Haul

Wednesday, 23 May 2018

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Glossier has been creating a major stir in the beauty industry ever since it launched a couple of years ago. Created by Emily Weiss, CEO and founder of renowned beauty blog Into the Gloss, Glossier aims to deliver simple, easy-to-use and effective products. 

The brand has gone from strength to strength and has received reviews so glowing that I'm tempted to ask exactly where they got their highlighter.  So when it finally became available in the UK I was online and punching my debit card details into the checkout faster than you could say overdraft. And naturally, I went a bit overboard, for research purposes of course. How else am I supposed to properly dip my toes in and get a real feel for the brand if I don't try almost everything? I mean really, I'm just being a responsible blogger. 

Milky Jelly Cleanser - £15

The Milky Jelly Cleanser has become something of a cult favourite ever since it launched, and it was one of the first things I added to my basket.  Essentially the MJC is a gel cleanser that emulsifies into a milk on contact with water. It's designed to cleanse, soothe and purify the skin, whilst being very gentle,  and features some amazing ingredients including rosewater, comfrey root extract and pro-vitamin B5 to calm, heal and moisturise. Now full disclosure time I haven't actually tried it yet - I'm currently using the Skin Regimen Anti-pollution Cleansing Cream, which is very nice by the way, thanks for asking - but based on the ingredients, the reviews I've seen and the kind of cleanser it is.,  I think we're going to get along famously, and I can't wait to get stuck in. 

Priming Moisturiser - £18

The Priming Moisturiser is exactly that, a light and buildable priming moisturiser that promises to deliver soft, smooth and dewy skin, primed and ready for make up. It contains hyaluronic acid and mushroom extract to plump and hydrate the skin, and an anti-redness complex featuring tea extracts and honey to calm the skin and reduce the appearance of redness. I've actually been using this for about a week now, and I like it. It has a really nice, light texture and it does leave my skin feeling hydrated and smooth. Would I buy it again? I don't know, I don't love it. 

Birthday Balm Dotcom - £10

Balm Dotcom is a universal lip skin salve designed to nourish and repair dry and chaffed skin. It contains bees wax, extracts of rice bran and rosemary leaf and castor seed oil to protect from free radical damage and seal in moisture. I chose the Birthday balm, because I thought it would smell amazing, and I was right. 

Generation G in Zip - £14

 Generation G is a super lightweight sheer matte lipstick which features less pigment to create a diffused 'just blotted' effect on the lips. Interestingly, they're designed to adapt to the wearer's natural lip colour so it'll look different on everyone who wears it. I chose Zip, which is a poppy red shade, but I was torn between that and Crush, a raspberry pink which is also very pretty. I'll be honest , when I first tried this I wasn't all that impressed, I like my mattes super-pigmented, Kat Von D pigmented. However, since wrapping my head around the concept I actually quite like it. It has an amazing texture that's so comfortable to wear, and it's a nice lipstick on those days when I want to make an effort but don't want to look too 'done'. I like it. 

Boy Brow - £14

Since having a fringe cut two months ago there's been no need for me to do anything to my brows because you can't see them anymore, so I haven't tried this yet. Having said that it is known for being one of Glossier's hero products and is something of a must have for anyone with visible eyebrows. Boy Brow is a styling pomade that is designed to fill and shape the brows. It has a teeny tiny brush that is really good for combing through without getting any product on your forehead, and it contains natural waxes: beeswax and carnauba, that are designed to hold the brows in place without making them stiff or crunchy. To be honest I might end up giving this to my sister, purely because my fringe ain't going nowhere, and I don't need it. 

Priming Moisturiser Rich - £29

First of all I cannot stress how amazing this smells! The scent is incredible. Second of all it's sooo nice! The Priming Moisturiser Rich is essentially the Priming Moisturiser kicked up a gear, and I like it so much because of it. It contains a blend of murumuru and shea butters, to give the cream a non-greasy, meltable texture that is quickly absorbed into the skin. Other ingredients include: lavender oil (which is probably responsible for the beautiful scent), red algae and fatty acids to lock in moisture, comfort and soothe. I love this. 

Super Pure Serum - £24 

I love a good serum! Serums and facial oils are my favourite skin care items, so when I spotted this during my Glossier frenzy I couldn't leave without it. My skin, as we all know, is shit, hormonal and shit. And I am always looking for some miracle product that will rid me of my imperfections. Could this be the one? Well, realistically, no... I'm pretty sure no such product exists. Having said that, this seems to come pretty darn close. Designed for problem skin types the Super Pure serum is formulated with Vitamin B3 and Zinc to fight blemishes, rid the skin of impurities and excess sebum, reduce redness and soothe irritation. And can we talk about that dinky packaging, tho? Adorable!

Stretch Concealer - £15

Last but not least, and well done if you've made it this far, is the Stretch Concealer, a buildable concealer that offers flexible coverage. This nifty little concealer has an elastic consistency, due to the presence of beeswax and crystalline wax in the formula, which allows the concealer to move with the face, rather than sitting on the surface. It doesn't cake, bunch, crease or clump and offers a nice level of coverage that, like I said, can be built up something more full. I'm a big fan of this! 

What are your Glossier recommendations? xxx