Beauty Products I've Tested This Month
As you know, I am lucky enough to get the chance to try out a lot of beauty products. A lot. And my glowing skin sure owes a lot to beauty blogging! To keep things interesting, I think I'm going to change my ‘monthly favourites’ to ‘products I’ve been testing this month’, so I can include the ones that haven’t met my expectations, as well as ones that I highly recommend.
There’s not going to be a negative vibe about these blogposts, though. But you’ll get what I mean when you read on!
Lord & Berry Blusher in Cinnamon* (shop link)
A change in season means a swap in blusher! This shade from Lord & Berry is called Cinnamon so you can't get any more seasonal than that! The pressed blusher is sheer and natural with a bit of a glow about it. Cinnamon is nude orange - pretty perfect for Autumn, if you ask me!
Pestle & Mortar Superstar Retinol Night Oil*, £62.95 (shop link)
Retinol are something you hear a lot about through the beauty blog grapevine but I’ve always been too scared to use it, for some reason. I thought it might be too rich for me but my skin has really taken to this. I shouldn't have been so worried since Retinol, a form of Vitamin A, does wonders for fine lines and wrinkles.
I slowly introduced the anti-aging Pestle & Mortar Superstar Retinol Night Oil to my skincare, which I think is key. I started off by using it once a fortnight, and then once a week. It’s important to use an SPF for upto a week after using retinol as your skin becomes more sensitive to the sun.
Antipodes Joyful Hand & Body Cream*, £28.00 (shop link)
I love Antipodes, they’re a great brand! I love the simplicity of this tube packaging which would enable you to squeeze out every last drop (No waste! Yay!). If you’ve ever used anything from Antipodes before, you’ll know how incredibly well they work. They use fine quality, organic, nutrient-rich ingredients in their products and this applies to their Joyful Hand & Body Cream which features pure avocado oil, wild blackcurrant berry, and hibiscus bloom for a boost of hydration and revitalise stressed skin.
You'd expect it to smell like blackcurrants due to how purple the packaging is but it's a subtle balance between berries and florals. It's lovely and a total treat for the skin!
CB12 White*, currently £9.99 (shop link)
CB12 is my go-to mouthwash so when I heard that there was a brand new teeth whitening version, I was very interested in seeing if it actually works. I’m on a mission to get my teeth whiter without using harsh treatments or getting it done professionally (scared of getting sensitive teeth or sore gums!) so I’ll try any product like this!
I’ve been using this since August and if I’m being honest, I haven’t seen any change in how my teeth look. But CB12 remains my mouthwash of choice as it’s non-abrasive and it really does a great job in giving you fresh breath all day long. As the price of this is the same as the regular CB12, I’ll continue buying the whitening one in hope it is doing something.
BLANX White Shock Toothpaste*, £5-£7 (shop link)
As I said, I’m a sucker for easy-to-use teeth whitening products (who doesn’t want whiter teeth, right?!) - especially when the packaging makes it looks like it’s going to be effective, which BLANX definitely does.
It also says on the packaging that it works from first application and it's activated by light. I'm assuming any light including sun light as I recall the advert stating 'the more you smile, the whiter your teeth'. I’ve only been using this for 2 or 3 weeks and my teeth appear to be slightly whiter, but it’s not noticeable. I will persevere with this as it’s not doing any harm, but I’m not sure if it's really doing anything?
Kiehl’s Staying Alive Ultra Facial Cream*, £43.50 (shop link)
Kiehl's have teamed up with Laura Mvula and MTV for this limited edition Ultra Facial Cream. For each sale of this cream, Kiehl's will give £10 to the MTV Staying Alive Foundation to support 3 projects around the world to empower women.
The formula has not been changed, it's still Kiehl's award-winning Ultra Facial Cream, just with a change in packaging. It has been formulated with with Glycoprotein sourced from sea glaciers for it's ability to protect skin from cold temperature. Great for this time of year then! It's a lightweight cream, and doesn't irritate my skin or feel sticky.
Salon Science Retextuluxe Shampoo & Conditioner, from £10 (shop link)
I love trying hair care brands that I've never heard of before and Salon Science is a new one that has caught my attention. I should open my eyes more when I'm shopping because this brand is actually available to buy in Boots!
Their Retextuluxe range is a repairing formula, it protects hair from further breakages and helps prevent colour loss. I've recently dyed my hair again so need something like this to help restore it. My favourite thing about this is the scent, it smells of grapes as it's made with Swiss Grape, and reminds me of sweets I've tried on my holiday in Hong Kong!
The shampoo lathers up well even with a small amount applied. No build up either! And my hair feels clean for up to 2-3 days.
Max Factor False Lash Epic*, £9.99 (shop link)
I had a big stash of brand new mascaras waiting for me to use but I recently gave them all to my sister. She’s had a baby and money is tight, so when she said she was after a new mascara, I just gave a big bundle of them to her (what are big sisters for, eh!).
So when this arrived through the post from Max Factor in a shiny gold envelope, it was like it was scent from heaven! The False Lash Epic from Max Factor has a small bulb at the tip of the wand which they call a Zoom-Action tip, designed to capture every lash for a lengthening, dramatic look. Most importantly, NO CLUMPING!
Antonia Burrell Eye Wonder*
Usually, I wouldn’t feature a product like this on my blog as I like to present products to you in it's full form, but Antonia Burrell is one of the best skincare brands I have ever tried and so this deserves a little mention.
This is a pre-launch sample so do excuse the packaging. It’s not what the proper product will look like, obviously, and I'm really sorry I don't have a price for it yet. I assume it will be packaged in Antonia Burrell's signature black glass bottles with a pump dispenser.
In the past year, I've started to notice how dry the skin around my eyes are and so I've been strict on applying eye cream twice daily. Antonia Burrell Eye Wonder is a creamy texture that absorbs quite instantly. It's soothing as opposed to having a cooling effect, but it brightens and hydrates the eye contour.
I am not overly keen on the scent, it smells very earthy and it's quite a strong smell. But performance-wise, I can't fault it.
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