Over the past couple of months, I've been collecting a varied array of skincare empties. You guys know how fond I am of skincare lately and so I thought I'd share with you a bunch of skincare products that I would re-purchase again and a few I wouldn't...
PRODUCTS MENTIONED: MAKEUP REMOVERS - (Watch at 1.29)
- Garnier Micellar Water*
- Aldi Lacura Caviar Facial Cleansing Wipes
CLEANSERS - (Watch at 3.23)
- Una Brennan Vitamin C Brighten Cleansing Oil: Boots
- L'Oreal Pure Clay Detox Wash
- Neutrogena Hydro Boost Cleanser*
- Nip + Fab Glycolic Cleansing Fix*
- Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish*
- Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser
TONERS - (Watch at 7.39)
- L'Oreal FIne Flowers Toner
- Superdrug Vitamin E Skincare Hydrating Mist
- Caudalie Beauty Elixir*
Happy Saturday guys, I hope you're all having a good one! Today I wanted to continue my Drugstore Skincare Series with a look at Five Skincare Dupes. Some of these are identical looking but others don't necessarily look the same, however they do perform in the same way, so here's my favourite five!
Now I'm already a big fan of the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser, as it's such an iconic product that's been around for years and although this isn't too expensive, there is also plenty of drugstore dupes/versions now available. One of my favourite dupes for this, is the Soap & Glory The Ultimelt. This fundamentally does the same thing as it's a 'hot cloth cleanser', that cleanses and takes off make-up, it also comes with a muslin cloth too.
You may have already heard of numerous dupes for the cult Bioderma Micellar Water, however I wanted to share with you my personal drugstore favourite from Garnier. Essentially the Garnier Micellar Water performs in exactly the same way, except this is a much more affordable version that also comes in various sizes to suit your needs.
The Nip + Fab Glycolic FIX Pads are such wonderful dupes for the popular Alpha H Liquid Gold. The only difference is the Nip + Fab ones already come saturated on a pad and the Alpha H version requires a cotton pad to be saturated. Having used both, I actually prefer the Nip + Fab ones because they are so easy and convenient to use, plus they are half the price too!
Sunday Riley is a brand that I have heard so much hype about lately, especially when it comes to their facial oil collection. The only thing is most of these oils start from £70 upwards, which is a tiny bit pricey! Thankfully I've found a lovely dupe for the Flora oil in the form of the L'Oreal Extraordinary Facial Oil. This helps hydrate and brighten the skin just like SR Flora does, except it's a fraction of the price. If you want to know why I adore the L'Oreal oil so much, then be sure to check out the post here where I explain in more detail.
Ok so you may be sick of me going on about how fantastic the L'Oreal Pure Clay masks are, but I just wanted to give them one more mention as they really are such wonderful dupes for the Glamglow versions! All three of the clays perform in the same way and each targets a specific concern. Again I explain in more detail about each L'Oreal Mask here, regarding which dupe is which for the Glamglow ones and if you haven't already tried these then I definitely recommend you give them a go.
It's that time again, where I discuss new favourites, hits, regrets and total miss's! As always, I only feature and talk about products I haven't shown you before and this time I have a wealth of beauty products to share with you, as well as a fair few make-up pieces that I give you my final thoughts on.
Products mentioned:
1. John Freida Beach Blonde Cool Dip Purifying Shampoo & Detangling Conditioner
2. Soap & Glory Total Drama Clean 5 in 1 Magnetizing Micellar Make Up Remover
3. Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser
4. Super Facialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Brightener Cleansing Oil
5. Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser
6. Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Pads
7. La Roche-Posay 50+ Anthelios XL
8. Liz Earle Superskin Moisturiser
9. Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate
10. Nivea Rich Nourishing Intensive Moisturiser for Dry to Very Dry Skin with Almond Oil
11. Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturise Nourishing for Dry Skin with Almond Oil
12. Gucci Rush Eau de Toilette
13. Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Fatigue Blur in Cool Rose
14. Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer
15. Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer
16. NYX Micro Brow Pencil
17. Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara
At the start of the year, I radically shook up my skincare routine by re-introducing some old favourites and new products to my everyday sequence, so I wanted to share with you my updated routine right from when I get up to what I use before bed.
AM - Cleanse, Tone & Moisturise
I tend to keep my morning routine simple, quick and efficient, as for me the most important thing in the daytime is protection. So for cleanser I use a basic cleanser to wake up my face and at the moment I'm using the Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser. For toner I spritz my face with one of my all time favourite tonics, the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer. Then finally I finish with my most important step, an SPF. I'm particularly fond of the La Roche Posay Anthelios XL SOF 50+ as it sinks in really well and doesn't leave that horrible white cast, that some SPF's tend to do.
PM - Cleanse, Treat & Moisturise
In the evening I focus more on cleansing, treating and moisturising, starting with removing my make-up using my favourite Make Up Eraser to get rid of all my make-up and daily grind. I then go in with my holy grail Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water and a large cotton pad, just to make sure my face is super clean before I cleanse.
Next onto the cleansing portion of my routine. I usually double cleanse of an evening if I have been wearing a full face of make-up that day, so without fail I always start with one of my newest finds, from Una Brennon, the Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil. This is a pleasure to use, smells divine and a little goes a long way. For my 2nd cleanse, I go in with an old favourite, the Cleanse and Polish from Liz Earle. This has a beautiful buttery texture which helps make my skin feel pampered and refreshed. I also wipe away each cleanser with a damp muslin cloth too.
Just lately I've really been into Glycolic products, so once or twice a week I alternate between the Nip + Fab Glycolic Cleanser and Pads and the Pixi Glow Tonic. If I'm using the Nip + Fab Duo, I will swap out my cleanse and polish and replace it with the glycolic cleanser or if I do my normal cleansing routine I will follow with the Pixi Glow Tonic, swiped over the face with a cotton pad. And when I'm not using my Glycolic products, I exfoliate once a week with the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel.
I've also been obsessed with Charcoal Nose Pore Strips from T-Zone, which I have been using once every two weeks. These really do the trick at removing any blackheads I may have, but be warned these are a little painful to remove!
Nip and Fab Glycolic Cleansing and Glycolic Fix Pads
Glycolic skincare is something I've never really ventured into before, but it is something that has always intrigued me,. While the science behind Glycolic Acid baffles me, I do know it's great for exfoliating and resurfacing the skin tone.
Glycolic Acid also comes in different strengths, ranging from the higher more potent amounts most commonly used by dermatologists in facial peels and the lower doses which can be found in a variety of skincare products that are available to the mass market.
I recently came across this Glycolic Party-Prep set from Nip and Fab and thought I would give it a whirl, so here's my thoughts.
Have any of you guys tried Glycolic Acid, if so what are your favourite recommendations?
Price
This pack retails for £14.95 for 60 Glycolic Fix Pads and 150ml of Glycolic Cleanser. I think this is excellent value for money for two full sized products that if bought separately would come to over £20.
Packaging
This Nip + Fab Glycolic Set comes boxed in bright eye-catching packaging, which defiantly caught my eye. The wording also sold it for me too because of the party prep, Glycolic and brighten aspect. It also helps that Kylie Jenner is a big fan of both these products too!
Application
Although these products can be used alone, this kit is designed to work together to get the best results. It is also recommended you wear an SPF while using this Glycolic System.
Step 1 is the Glycolic Cleanser which is used just like your everyday cleanser, I just massaged this in with a little water onto my face and neck and then rinsed it off with a warm flannel. This cleanser is designed to cleanse, clear and soften the skin deeply and for me it defiantly did this well. It also has a lovely fresh grapefruit scent and a beautiful light consistency that really did make my skin feel super clean and refreshed.
Step 2 is the Glycolic Pads. One pad is used to swipe across the neck, décolleté and face and can be used twice a day. I just used the pads once a day at night alongside the cleanser. The pads are used to help refine, tone and exfoliate the skin after cleansing. Again these did exactly what they said on the box, I also loved the fact the pads where textured to help better aid in the exfoliating process.
Overall Thoughts
This for me was an amazing kit, considering I had never used any type of glycolic skincare before. Not only is this superb value for money the products together have really helped clean, smooth and refine my skin after just two weeks of use. Overall this has defiantly got me excited about venturing further into the Glycolic Acid world, as well as trying other products from the Nip and Fab Line.
I award the Nip + Fab Party-Prep Glycolic Set 4.8 out of 5
