Empties #13

Hellloooo... is this thing on?! Long time no see peeps! I'm back from my longer-than-intended hiatus! The past month or so has been absolutely hectic for me and I seriously had no time to even think about blogging, let alone actually taking photos or sitting down and writing a post! I've been absolutely slammed with assessment (it's been my biggest first half of semester ever), not to mention it was my sister's wedding on the weekend! It was a very DIY wedding so the days leading up to the wedding were super busy setting up the decor and the venue (and then cleaning up after!). I did her makeup on the day - along with mine and my other sister as we were bridesmaids - which was quite stressful but still super amazing! I do plan on doing a post on the products I used because I was really happy with how it turned out - I'm just waiting until the professional photos come in! Anyway, I'm coming at you today with an overdue empties post. I was going to do this a few weeks ago but I realised I didn't actually have a lot of empties, but a lot of things were aaaalmost finished so I used those suckers up! I've got a lot of products to go through so I'll try and be as brief as possible!

Glycolic Glow Getters

One of the ingredients that I've really come to love in my skincare-trying adventures is glycolic acid. For me, it's an absolute must in my routine - my skin would suffer without it! If you aren't familiar with glycolic acid already, it is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that works to gently and effectively remove the outer layer of dead skin cells. It's especially great for anti-ageing, and evening out skintone by lightening pigmentation like acne scars which I am extremely prone to! It's also extremely important to wear SPF when using a chemical exfoliant like glycolic acid. I thought I would dedicate a post to the glycolic acid products I'm currently using!

New In // Skincare

Before I get into the post, Merry Christmas everyone! I hope y'all have a joyous Christmas break filled with fun, family and FOOD. I also hope you guys are having a better Christmas Eve than me...I'm working all day today unfortunately (hella unexcited as I type this up the night before). Working retail during Christmastime is the WORST. I'm kinda sad I didn't do any festive posts this year, I usually do a NOTD post or something but I just haven't had time, nor have I really felt that festive! Oh wells, everyone and their dog has gift guides and holiday tutorials up anyways! Today's post is just a roundup of some new skincare I've been trying lately. Sort of a haul but with mini reviews!

In the Spotlight // La Roche-Posay

La Roche-Posay is definitely up there with some of my favourite skincare brands. Since they've been easily accessible in Priceline for a while, I've slowly been accumulating many of their products and thought now was a good time to write up a brand spotlight on them! As a French skincare brand, they not only target sensitive skins, but also have many ranges suited for different skin types such as acne-prone, dry, those who suffer from redness and eczema, and more. A few of the products pictured I haven't yet tried, but threw them into the photo for effect, of course ;)

Skin Renewal

Recently I was offered the opportunity to try some products from ECO, an all natural brand committed to delivering salon quality products at affordable prices. They offer skincare, haircare and body products. From what I've seen, a rather small selection of their products are available at Target, but are also available to purchase online, so definitely check them out! I opted for the Natural Skincare Hamper of the Renew range so I could get a good idea of ECO's products! It was packaged beautifully BTW, definitely would make a lovely gift! It also includes a 15mL Rosehip oil which I haven't tried yet, but contains your standard 100% organic Rosa Canina oil. Because it's a plastic pump bottle, I reckon it would be great for travelling.

L-R: Cleanser, Toner, Moisturiser

Although the Renew range is labeled as anti-ageing, it doesn't contain any crazy ingredients but rather really aims to help hydrate, soothe and nourish the skin. All three products have the same packaging; slim bottles with a practical pump dispenser.

Renew Cleansing Lotion*

As the name suggests, this is very much a creamy cleanser with a rather thin lotion texture. It feels quite nice on the skin, like any typical cream cleanser. It contains really lovely ingredients like Calendula to help even skintone, Sweet Almond oil to nourish and Vitamins B5 and E to minimise fine lines and wrinkles. I've been using this as my morning time cleanser and I find it works well to refresh my skin, cleansing well without leaving my skin feeling dry or stripped! I have also used it in the evening though to remove makeup by double cleansing and using a washcloth to remove and I found it decently effective. It did remove non waterproof mascara, albeit not excellently. I much prefer thicker/balmier/oilier cleansers for using in the evening, but this is lovely for the morning. It has the slightest scent but nothing offensive or irritating to my skin.

Renew Treatment Toner*

The texture of this toner baffles me. It's unlike your typical watery/liquid, but more so a very thin liquidy gel? It's so hard to explain and quite odd, hopefully you can tell from the above photo! I still apply it using a cotton pad and sort of dot it over the skin and blend in but I feel like you could also apply it with fingers? It feels so weird applying toner with fingers though! Regardless, I think it's a really lovely 'toner'. It absorbs very quickly into the skin, and leaves it feeling soft and slightly hydrated. It contains Cucumber and Rosehip extracts to hydrate and soothe, and Vitamin E to provide powerful antioxidant protection.

Renew Moisture Cream*

This is the one product I'm really not a fan of, mainly because I just don't find it very hydrating, or hydrating enough, even for my combo/oily skin. I can't imagine it being enough for dry/mature skins! It's more of a lotion consistency that is actually very lightweight. As you rub it in, it feels really nice and like it's offering a lot of moisture. But then, it absorbs into the skin very quickly, almost like it's evaporated and leaves my skin feeling rather dry. I definitely noticed a difference in comparison to my other moisturisers. Even when I used this with a facial oil, when I went to bed that night, I could feel that my skin wasn't hydrated enough for my liking. When I use this in the mornings, my skin also tends to feel dry throughout the day under my makeup. Maybe this will be more effective in the warmer months when my skin isn't craving as much moisture but we'll see. Overall I definitely think there are better moisturisers out there.

The hamper retails for $49 and you can buy the products separately though it's a better deal in the pack. If you are interested in purchasing the pack, you can enter the code SW20 for 20% off the hamper! The code is valid till the 31st of October. Overall I do quite enjoy the ECO products, and I think this is a great way to try out their products. For being all natural and fairly affordable, they're definitely a brand to check out.

*Products sent for consideration.

Fab for Radiance

Hello humans! Today I have a skincare review coming at ya of the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads. If a product has the word 'radiance' or 'brightening' in its title, I'm there. This brand has been getting a lot of hype lately, and when I saw these on clearance, I snapped 'em up as they've also been getting a lot of attention, mine included.

I really like the packaging and brand aesthetic, I think it's super cute. They outline the benefits/uses of the product clearly. The tub contains sixty pads which I think is a great amount. Each pad is very generously soaked with product, so much so that I cut my pads in half. I hate to be wasteful and I feel like there is so much leftover if you only use one pad, and also of course, I'm getting more bang for my buck! Half is more than enough for both your face and neck, going over twice! The actual pad has one flat side, and the other with circular bumps that help exfoliate further.

Basically, these pads aim to exfoliate, tone and brighten the skin. They contain both lactic and glycolic acids to chemically exfoliate the skin, though they are supposedly gentle enough to be used daily. They also contain Cucumber and Indian Gooseberry to tone, and lemon peel and licorice root to brighten. The ingredients really are lovely and super effective it seems! They do feel quite gentle and I have experienced no irritation at all, they don't sting at all. However, in some cases, my skin can feel a bit itchy after using this, but I think it's just craving some moisturisation. I've been using these every night for the past few months and have to say, I do think I've noticed a difference! It is always hard to tell with things like brightening, and scar fading, though I would say that I've noticed my skin to overall look a bit brighter and with a smoother, more refined texture. I think also it has helped speed up the fading process of scars left from acne marks, slowly but surely. Do keep in mind I'm still using other scar fading products!

Overall, I really love these toning pads and I think they do an excellent job as an everyday toner, whilst also helping with exfoliation and brightening. Definitely a lovely product to add to your routine! I'm not sure if they still sell FAB at David Jones where I bought mine, since they were clearancing a lot of their stock, but they are sold on various websites including Beauty Bay for AUD$33.80!

Exfoliate and Brighten

It's been a little while, but I'm finally writing my review on the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner*. I've been using it for the past three months or so (though I didn't take it travelling) and I have definitely formed my opinion. This toner is very much raved about and hyped up in the beauty community and for good reason.

The toner is packaged up in a substantial feeling plastic bottle with a lid that twists tightly shut. The 'hole' that the toner is dispensed through is effective enough though the bottle is not very 'squishable' so you sort of have to wait for the product to drip out - it's not at all an impracticality though. You won't get an excess of product coming through which is a plus.

This toner claims to be a gentle chemical exfoliant that will brighten the skin's tone, smooth skin texture and refine and tighten enlarged pores. It contains glycolic acid which is an alpha hydroxy acid that exfoliates the skin and helps to remove the dead skin cells on the outer layer of your skin. The toner does contain alcohol, but the next ingredient along is glycerin which prevents the toner from being drying on the skin. Glycerin is a humectant which helps retain water in the skin, therefore helping keep the skin from feeling dry. Despite the directions for use of 1-2 times a week, I have been using this every night and haven't experienced any issues. I don't have sensitive skin at all so please be weary. I apply it with a cotton pad and don't experience any stinging or irritation and find it quite comfortable and refreshing on the skin. It also has a very pleasant, light scent that doesn't bother me at all.

I've found my skin has definitely benefited from the use of this toner. I noticed in a matter of days that my skin felt really smooth and the redness in my acne scarring was slightly reduced. I had previously been exfoliating my skin manually twice a week, and with this added into my skincare routine additionally, I've noticed my skin in general has been in better condition. I haven't noticed drastic reductions in my dark spots and scars, though I've learnt that this sort of thing takes time, but I have hope that with continued use it will help fade them. I think the more regular, gentle exfoliation has also helped with acne and any active breakouts, both helping to prevent the bacteria related spots and to help them clear up faster. I think the salicylic acid included helps. I haven't noticed any tightening of enlarged pores, but I don't have very large ones to begin with.

I will keep you guys updated as I continue to use this (I've only gone through about a centimetre of the product, so I think it will last a while yet) but so far I really like it and think it has done a lot of good for my skin. I think it's a great way of helping with cell renewal without having to use manual exfoliators which can be rough on the skin. I've noticed these chemical exfoliants have been 'trending' in the beauty world lately and I'm hoping more continue to be released, especially from lower end brands. 

Have you guys tried the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening toner* or any like it?

*product was sent by RY.com but chosen by me

Toned, Naturally.

Howdy! Today I have another Natural Instinct product to review from their facial line. It is their Clarifying Toner*. I haven't tried too many toners in my life, and to be completely honest, I still don't really know what their purpose is, but I feel like they are necessary in my skincare routine. I feel just plain weird if I don't use one. So I was very eager to try out this more natural, gentle alternative!

The packaging is nice and practical like all of the Natural Instinct products. It comes in a small plastic bottle with a flip top lid (that can sometimes be very hard to pry open!) and a small spout which does a good job at not dispensing too much product. 

One thing that appeals to me most about this toner is that it doesn't contain any alcohol (or any other nasty ingredients!). The toner I was using previously (T.N Dickinson's Witch Hazel Toner) does contain alcohol, and although it's a rather small percentage, I still feel uneasy about using it. Now that I've tried the Natural Instinct one - I don't think I want to go back! In comparison, it doesn't dry out my face at all. The T.N Dickinson's one doesn't leave my face feeling tight or uncomfortable, but it is eager for moisturisation. This one, as the label suggests, makes my face feel refreshed.

The Clarifying Toner* contains some really nice ingredients like Witch Hazel, Rosewater and orange flower. The smell is pretty unassuming, a little bit nutty/wheaty? I don't really know what I'm smelling, it's neither bad nor pleasant, but just 'there'. I've been sweeping this over my face morning and night for quite a while now, more than two months. Like I said before, I'm not entirely sure what the true purpose of a toner is. I've been cleansing really efficiently lately so there isn't a lot of extra dirt left for this to pick up, but if there is, it does. My skin has been in quite good condition lately which could be due to a number of different products, but this certainly hasn't deteriorated my skin's state, and if anything, it is doing good. 

While toning is a bit of an extra step, it's one that I couldn't imagine myself not doing. This toner is a really lovely basic one that will do the job without drying out your skin and in fact feels lovely on the skin. It retails for AUD$9.95 for 125mL of product which I think is a really great price!

What is your favourite toner?

*Product provided for reviewing purposes

Witchy Business

I have another new addition to my skincare routine to review today. It is the T.N. Dickinson's Witch Hazel toner. This is highly raved about by Dom from DOMMsmiles so I decided to try it out!

Witch Hazel is quite well known for it's acne-fighting properties because it is a strong anti-oxidant and astringent. I was previously using the Clinique 3-step toner, which besides removing the excess gunk on my skin, wasn't really doing anything. I also felt it was quite strong as it contains quite a high percentage of alcohol and it is quite tingly and cooling on my skin. I felt like I needed a change and something a bit more targeted toward my skin's needs. The witch hazel does also contain alcohol but only a little at 14%. Also this is a MUCH cheaper than the Clinique. 

I have been swiping it over my face and neck on a cotton ball morning and night for the past two weeks. It removes the excess dirt on my face after cleansing, which I feel most toners do. It doesn't burn at all on the skin. It does have quite a distinct, funky smell but it is not at all noticeable when applied.

I have noticed a difference in my skin, and I can honestly say that it works better for me than the Clinique one! I feel like I am breaking out less and even during 'that time of the month' the pimples are not as bad as they would have been prior to my usage  Albeit, I haven't been using it for too long for a good indication, but things are looking up! I feel l am getting less cystic pimples and that they are clearing up faster. It has also tightened my pores a bit, which might just all be in my head, but I feel like they are less noticeable!

Overall, I will definitely continue using this until it runs out and keep you guys updated! It is really inexpensive at AUD$6.75 at Coles or Priceline for 240mL.