Skincare empties

It's been a while since I did a skincare post - it's been a while since I posted anything other than Insanity! So it's time to get back on it, and what better way to do so than with all the products I've finished in the last few weeks?

Soap & Glory Supereyes Moisturising Gel

I've not been serious about eye treatments all that long, but since I've been losing a bit of weight I've noticed my eyes are looking a little more tired now there's less fat in my face to keep the skin plump. And when I do long hours at work and don't sleep enough, it REALLY shows. I've had this eye gel a little while, but not using it religiously until a few weeks ago, and I have to admit I'm not sure how effective it is. It has a lovely cool gel texture and is pretty wet for easy application (not too thick, doesn't drag the skin). If I've exfoliated, I get a slight tingle too, which makes me feel like it must be doing something. But I haven't really noticed any visible difference - though I'm aware I maybe didn't give it a fair trial. The jury's out.

Cost: I think this was around £10, but it appears to have been discontinued so I guess it doesn't really matter!

Repurchase? I might have given it another go, but if, as I suspect, it's no longer around, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

Balance Me - Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm

I wanted to love this. I so wanted to love this.

I'm a huge fan of Balance Me's signature rose scent, their lip balm is one of my all time favourites, and I'd heard great things about this cleanser, but I just couldn't get on board with it. It's a really thick balm, and I struggled to get enough slip to really massage it into my skin. Then I had issues in removing it effectively even after going over my face 3 or 4 times with a warm wet flannel.

It smelled divine, and I'm sure it would be ok on a dryer skin (or perhaps in cold weather where it feels like it might do some good against cold air), but I just couldn't stop feeling like it had left a sticky residue. I did however use it up - mostly using it as a pre-exercise make up remover - so it wasn't a total waste.

Cost? £18 for 125ml
Repurchase? Sadly no

Bioeffect EGF Serum

I got a tester of this in my advent calendar, and having done a little research I was unsure as to whether I should use - there has been a lot of debate as to whether EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor) technology is safe to use on the skin, but having discovered that Bioeffect's EGF is plant-based (meaning it's copied from human DNA rather than cloned from it), my mind was suitably put at rest.

And then once I decided to use it, I discovered how much it cost and decided I REALLY didn't want to waste this stuff if it was going to be anywhere near as effective as the price would suggest. So, having read that's it's most effective when used on fine lines, I decided to use it in a targeted area, focusing on the fine lines around my eyes for as long as it lasted to give myself the best chance of seeing a difference. So did I? Not really... Maybe my lines aren't severe enough to see a marked difference. But at £83.33 per 10ml I wanted to see SOMETHING.

Cost? £125 for 15ml
Repurchase? I'd maybe give it another go sometime if I had any particular areas of concern, but only if I was feeling particularly flush. So probably not.

Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins night moisturiser

My last night cream - by my beloved Lancôme - was just a little too rich for me, so I did a lot of research before investing in this little beauty. And boy am I glad I did. My super oily skin still needs a big old moisture hit, but the traditional thick night creams leave my skin feeling smothered, and I wake up feeling greasy. I've used a cream-gel day moisturiser for a while, so I guess moving to a more gel textured night cream was an obvious move. And they do an oil-free version for greaseballs like me.

I LOVE this. It's a lovely cooling translucent gel which feels incredibly moisturising but also very light, and it has an amazing refreshing orange scent. In the evenings, when I layer up with toner, serum and moisturiser, this lets me enjoy the combination of different products without feeling like my skin is clogged and suffocating.

Cost? £34.50 for 50ml (currently 10% off in Debenhams)

Repurchase? Already have :)

Ax

Haircare empties

I mentioned before that I basically ruined the lower half of my hair by bleaching it a few months back. Until then, my haircare was a pretty basic routine of drugstore brand shampoos and conditioners and pretty much anything would do as long as the conditioner wasn't too heavy to make my fine hair go flat.

But since bleachgate, I've been trialling some (affordable) products - the damaged ends are beyond repair, but I'm keen not to damage my hair further, and to at least improve the appearance of my frizzy locks.

Mark Hill MiracOILicious 2 Minute Intensive Treatment

This rich intensive conditioning treatment is super thick and just feels ultra nourishing - it has the texture of a Body Shop body butter. The smell is also delicious, rich with some spices in the fragrance. Two minutes leaves my hair feeling mega soft and tangle-free, and it comes in a huge tub which will last ages if you're using it as a once or twice weekly treat. I LOVE it.

Cost? £7.99 for 200ml (but ALWAYS on offer  - currently £5.33 in Boots)
Repurchase? Already have.

John Frieda Frizz Ease Go Curlier Curl Activation Spray
This spray is sprayed onto damp hair, and is heat activated, designed to make curls curlier and last longer. I hoped the longer lasting curls might let me style my hair less often to prevent further heat damage, but honestly, I couldn't see much difference. A real shame.

Cost? £6.99 for 100ml (but again always on offer - currently £4.66 in Superdrug)
Repurchase? No

OGX Thick and Full Biotin & Collagen Oil Mist

This oil spray can be applied either to damp hair before styling to add a shot of moisture, make hair more manageable and give a volume boost, or applied to the ends of dry hair to smooth and control flyaways. I can't say I noticed any difference to the volume when I used on damp hair, but it did make my hair softer and more manageable. Applied to the ends of my dry and damaged hair, it did smooth and help to control, but the upshot was that my style didn't last so long - the curls fell out of my hair by mid-morning. Which is fine for a relaxed look for work or if you don't have much planned, but worth bearing in mind if you've got your heart set on big curls for a special occasion. Also, the tube attached to the spray is too long, curling up and meaning you need to remove and trim it to get to the bottom of the bottle.

Cost? £6.99 for 118ml (again, often on offer - currently £4.66 in Boots)
Repurchase? Probably not this one given that I didn't find it helped on the "thick and full" claim, but there are others in the OGX range which I'll certainly give a shot, especially the kukui oil one designed to hydrate and defrizz, and the coconut water one designed for weightless hydration.

Any recommendations for me to try next?

Ax