Used products and New products 2020!

As we're almost six months into the year I thought I would show what products I have used up, and what products I've bought and will continue to purchase over the next six.

Products I've used up:

Firstly, Essie's nail polish 'Vanity Fairest'. This is the perfect barely there nude shade for me and I've gone through 3 bottles these past 6 months. I redo my nails once a week so I do go through it very quickly, and I pair it with Essie's strong start base coat. I love Essie polishes as they do not chip, stay shiny and they stay true to colour with just one coat. They are on the expensive side for a drug store polish but in my opinion are so worth it!

I've also used up three bottles of The Body Shops Camomile Oil Cleanser which I wrote a review on a few months back; and recently I've finished two tins of their Camomile Cleansing Balm. I really enjoyed these two cleansers, the balm more so than the oil. They removed makeup well and didn't leave my skin feeling irritated or dry. The only downside is I found I had to used a few pumps to remove all of my makeup with the oil. I've now moved onto Glossier's Milk Gelly Cleanser, which I prefer but for such a great makeup removing oil or balm at £11/£12, you can't go wrong!

I also used up the Body Shop''s moisturisers from their Vitamin E range, once again I reviewed the intense moisture cream in a earlier blog post and loved it, I've purchased another pot of this moisturiser because it has been great to use in the winter. Similarly, I used up their Vitamin E day lotion due to the SPF30 within it. This was a little too liquid for my liking and didn't feel as moisturising as the cream. The scent of both these products wasn't offensive and they didn't break me out at all which is always a plus! I've decided not to repurchase either of these again as I want to try another brand when my last pot is finished.

I wanted to try the it cosmetics mascara, as I'd heard great reviews about it being perfect to achieve natural lashes, the wand is tiny so perfect for just that. I loved using it, the wand made it difficult to achieve anything other than natural looking lashes so I wouldn't get it expecting to be able to build it up. Although I did really like the mascara, it only came in a black not brown shade, and I wanted to try some other mascaras before repurchasing this one.

Finally, the Dior addict lip maximiser in shade 001 pink is the best lip gloss I've ever had, and I've had a fair few! It doesn't leave your lips feeling sticky, wears down to a nice subtle shine, has a great minty taste due to its 'maximising' effect and gives just a nice soft pink colour to the lips. I love to pair it with my newly purchased Becca lipliner In the shade Weekend to give me a natural glossy lip. I'm trying to use up the last little bit as it's not cheap priced at £29 but I will definitely be repurchasing as it has lasted a long time.

Products I've bought:

I made an order on Glossier.com after visiting their store in London for my birthday. I've currently got their mascara, brow pomade and concealer. I am really impressed with these products as I am not someone who aims to have a full coverage look; and glossier is the number one brand for no makeup, makeup. 

     Their mascara, Lash Slick,  is perfect to achieve long lashes, not necessarily volumes but it is a lot more buildable than the it cosmetics. Once again it only comes in black but 'm hoping they create a brown formula soon so it can be my perfect mascara!

     One of their most popular products, the boy brow is great for keeping my brow hairs in place all day, I had used benefits gimme brow for as long as I can remember, so boy brow makes a nice change. They only have 4 shades which is annoying, but luckily brown works well for me. I would say it's not as 'crunchy' looking as benefits gimme brow, so I'll stick with this for the foreseeable!

     Finally, their stretch concealer is great for giving a light, glow coverage which will last all day. I bought the lightest shade which even for me is a bit too light, however under the eye it gives a great amount of brightness and won't budge once you've applied it! This product is lighter than some concealers on the market and I find I have to build up to a full coverage on some areas of my skin, but coming into the warmer months I don't mind having my skin showing through!

I finally bit the bullet during lockdown and purchased a gel nail kit. I bought the colours and base/top coat from a brand names Mylee as they had great reviews. And after Anna from TheAnnaEdit recommended Mylee's gel remover I purchased that as well. This is an easy to use brand for beginners, and their no wipe top coat makes application much easier so I don't have to mess around with cotton pads etc... The remover  takes a bit of work but it is definitely better for the environment and quicker than sitting with my nails wrapped in foil and acetone, a lot less damaging too. 

    I've found a great dupe for my favourite Essie colour in gel form named 'Nude Zone' from bluesky polished. I only have to repaint my nails once every 2 weeks now! I'll still be keeping a bottle of my Essie for when I feel my nails need a break though.

I purchased La Roche Posays SPF 50 because of how great the English weather has been, typical and we can't all enjoy it together! Skin protection is so so important and I did a lot of research of the best high street SPF's. I finally decided on this one due to its oil and fragrance free formula which are complimentary to my skin type. It doesn't leave a white tint or feel sticky once applied, the only downside it that because it is oil free my skin looks very matte when I prefer a dewy look. I definitely recommend this facial SPF for anyone with sensitive or acne prone skin, however I did look into the Glossier and drunk elephant but both had fragrance which put me off.

Finally, I have picked up another bottle of the Bondi Sands gradual tan with SPF15 as I have used up one bottle in the past month or two already. I apply this once every two days and I find it has given me a lovely subtle tan without streaking or settling in certain places like a traditional tan would. I definitely do not have the patience to apply a traditional fake tan so a tanning moisturiser if perfect for me. The SPF15 is a great added bonus as the weather has been so nice lately. It does not have a strong smell but I would say it takes a couple of hours to fully soak into the skin, although I haven't had any problems with it transferring onto my clothes. 

So there we go, all the products that I have used up and either repurchased or replaced during the past 6 months! I will be updating this list in another 6 months to see what has changed or what I have repurchased again. 

Grace