Battle of the Exfoliators

Hey Everyone!

It has been a while since my last post but due to my very stressful Summer exams, I was forced to take a break from my blog. This however, has proven to be a good thing as I have been able to test and try a lot of beauty products during my “blogging break” so I have a LOT to write about! J As you can tell from my photos, the weather has been lovely (surprising for Irish weather) so I decided to take my photos out in the garden, surrounded by the beautiful daisies.

 

In this post I’m comparing three exfoliators: St Ives Apricot Scrub, L’oreal Skin Perfection Radiance Revealing Exfoliator and Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Exfoliating Wash. I didn’t dislike any of these products, they are all good for their own reasons but the winner for me is the St Ives Apricot Scrub.

St Ives Apricot Scrub

This has to be my favourite exfoliator to date! Although I’ve been trying to use the 3 exfoliators equally so I can compare them, I always find myself using this one a lot more. This is because it is everything an exfoliator should be! It is packed full of beads to give your skin a thorough scrub, it smells really good, it does not leave your skin too oily and it does not leave your skin too dry. I used the one for sensitive skin (has less beads) however I also used the normal one in my friend’s house and they both work a treat! I generally don’t suffer from breakouts or blackheads but having read other reviews of this product, it would seem that this scrub is a miracle worker when it comes to clearing your skin!

This is a great product and if you don’t already have it, you need to buy it!

 L’oreal Skin Perfection Radiance Revealing Exfoliator 

This L’oreal product was also surprisingly good, however it just wasn’t as good as St Ives! It was great for leaving my skin feel really soft and smooth and would be perfect if you wanted to remove your make up with it. I didn’t think it made the cut though because it didn’t have enough beads to make my skin feel really clean, which is what I expect from an exfoliator. I would certainly recommend it to people who prefer less beads because other than that, it is a good exfoliator and smells like sun cream (which I love)!!

Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Exfoliating Wash

Once again, this product had barely any beads which meant my skin didn’t feel thoroughly cleaned. It had a number of pros however; it is perfect for people with combination or oily skin as it leaves skin totally clear of excess oils and leaves skin feeling really refreshed with no shine. It has no colour or perfume so it caters for people with sensitive skin. I don’t know about you guys but I also like the fact that it says natural antibacterial on the front because it means your face is germ free! J

 

I hope you find this post helpful and you are all enjoying the beautiful weather!

 

 

 

*this is not a sponsored post

NIVEA Product Review

Hi everyone! Here is a quick review on the samples that NIVEA kindly sent me, enjoy!

A big thanks to NIVEA!

The Daily Essentials Regenerating Night Cream

I loved this product. This night cream really hydrates your skin throughout the night without leaving an oily feeling on your skin. It is perfect for all skin types and leaves your skin silky smooth! I massaged this cream into my skin after cleansing my face… definitely one of the best NIVEA products I received.

The New pure & natural Regenerating Night Cream

This product was very similar to the one above. The only difference I found was that it had a different scent. I really liked it though!

The Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer

I really liked this primer! It absorbed nicely into my skin. I’m not sure if I would use it again because I did find my foundation became blotchy over time around my forehead. However, that could be down to the way I applied the primer (I don’t think I applied it evenly!)

The Daily Essentials BB Cream (In light and medium to dark)

Unfortunately, this was my least favourite out of all the samples I received. I found it left my face feeling very sticky. In addition to that, the “light” was still very dark…I put bronzer on my neck so that I didn’t have a dark face and a white neck! I didn’t use the “medium to dark” because I knew it would be way too dark for my skin. It might have worked if I was wearing  tan!

The Daily Essentials Light Moisturizing Day Cream and Refreshing Facial Wash Gel ( for normal to combination skin)

Day Cream: This is perfect for people with skin that isn’t too oily or too dry, somewhere in the middle. It has a nice smell and the consistency is light. Overall it left a refreshing feeling on my skin.

Facial Wash: This was a great facial wash and left my skin feeling very fresh and very clean!

The Daily Essentials Rich Moisturizing Day Cream and Gentle Cleansing Cream Wash(for dry and sensitive skin) 

Day Cream: I liked this day cream. I can’t say there was anything amazing about it but it smells lovely and left my skin feeling very smooth!

Cream Wash: As it says in the name, this was really gentle on my skin. I much preferred it to other facial washes with beads that are too rough on your skin. My face felt completely clean and refreshed. The fact that it was a cream rather than a gel will suit people with dry skin a lot more.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions just leave them below and don’t forget to follow! x

GARNIER BODY LOTION REVIEW

Hey everyone! Here’s a quick review on one of the lotions from Garnier’s new body lotion range! Let me know if you have tried it already and how it worked for you!So, it was on the advice of another blogger that I decided to try out the new Intensive 7 Day Body Lotion by Garnier. I chose the Dry Skin version which contains mango oil. This product promised to make my skin feel intensely hydrated within 7 days. It also promised to renew my skin’s look and feel and give it a silky nourishing texture!

If you have read my March Empties post you will know that I already use Garnier’s 7 day hand cream which I LOVE. I was however, disappointed with this body lotion. Even though I read great reviews and comments about it I was very surprised when I used it myself. My skin really wasn’t as hydrated as the product claimed it would be and I found the runny texture of the lotion quite frustrating. Although I adored the smell of the lotion at the start (because it smells similar to sun cream!) I found myself being sickened by the smell after 4 days of using it, which kind of sucked!  Overall, I wasn’t very happy with this product.

Unfortunately I won’t be buying this product again as I really don’t think it is hydrating enough for dry skin.

Has anyone else tried this product? 

 

March Empties

I know it’s a bit late to be posting about what I used up in March but due to my lack of a camera, and internet connection, it had to be late!

Dove Hair Therapy Intensive Repair Conditioner

This discovery was an absolute fluke as I only bought it for the simple fact that it was half price! Little did I know it would become my best friend. This conditioner left my hair feeling soft and shiny, to the point where I began to worry about how soft it was!! I’m so sad that it is all gone but it is definitely worth buying again.

Dove Summer Glow Nourishing Solution

I loved Dove’s body lotions to begin with but when I found a lotion that both moisturises and tans, I was in my element! I use it every 2-3 days to maintain a natural tan. I would advise anyone who is using it to make sure it is 100% absorbed before putting clothes on after it.

NIVEA Daily Essentials Gentle Cleansing Lotion

This lotion is for dry and sensitive skin. It is great for making sure all of your make-up is removed without leaving your skin feeling dry.  The fact that it moisturises your skin is an added bonus too! I will be reviewing the NIVEA products in more depth shortly!

GARNIER Hand Intensive 7 Days

I really liked this cream because it is fast absorbing (so it is very practical) and it lasts a long time. Another GREAT thing about this is that it completely transforms your hands! Within less than a week your hands feel amazingly soft and hydrated, even after washing them! A must-have for people who suffer from dry hands.

Natural Beeswax Lip Care

I always, without fail, carry some sort of lip care product with me. Recently, I started using this product and I love it because it leaves your lips hydrated even after the gloss effect wears off. I have no clue where my mum got it but I  found it one day and became addicted. It does smell like honey though so if honey doesn’t take your fancy, I’d stay away!

Also, I will be uploading the NIVEA review soon, it is just taking a while to get through them all!!

Thanks for reading!

NIVEA Samples

A very big thanks to NIVEA for sending me samples of their skin products for me to review on my Blog!

 

I received: 

The New pure & natural Regenerating Night Cream

The Daily Essentials Regenerating Night Cream

The Q10 plus Anti-Wrinkle Energizing Day Cream (with SPF15)

The Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer

The Daily Essentials BB Cream (In light and medium to dark)

The Daily Essentials Light Moisturizing Day Cream and Refreshing Facial Wash Gel( for normal to combination skin)

The Daily Essentials Rich Moisturizing Day Cream and Gentle Cleansing Cream Wash(for dry and sensitive skin) 

I am so excited to try these! I will keep you posted on how they all go 🙂

 

 

Dry Skin Dilemmas!!

moisture moisture moisture!

For those of you poor souls out there who suffer from dry skin like me, you will appreciate just how hard it is not only to find a good face moisturiser but, a routine that suits your skin too! Thankfully, I’ve managed to crack the code and I now know what suits my skin best!

In the morning, NIVEA Soft is my best friend! It is perfect for applying before foundation because it is not too thick but still moisturises to a satisfactory level 🙂

NIVEA Soft is perfect just before applying your make-up!

At night, having cleansed and scrubbed my face, Astral is my main man! This is a very basic cream that has been on the market for years and years. It is a no frills, cut to the chase moisturiser and that is why I love it! Just before bed I apply a generous amount of astral to my face and in the morning my skin is uber soft! I would NOT advise anyone who doesn’t have dry skin to use astral as it is a very thick cream and will only lead to unwanted breakouts! 😦

I love to use Astral before bed!

These products are super affordable too which is obviously an added bonus ! Anyone else got any tips for dry skin? Let me know!

Kate xo