Sat in the Sunshine in my garden and writing a blog post … pretty much unheard of! There’s no two ways about it, we must stay home of course and this weather does help I find to lift the mood. I hope you’re all staying safe and well at what is undoubtedly a very challenging time for everyone on a number of levels. I started writing my blog over three years ago now and whilst my anxiety levels are, like many others, pretty high at the moment, writing blog posts about products I’ve used, makeup looks, dancing and whatever else happens to come to mind, is for me, helping as it gives me something to focus on. So… I will continue with my ’empties’ as planned and hope that if you’re reading this, you enjoy it!

Empties part 2 …

Belif The True Cream – Aqua Bomb

I bought this from Sephora when I was in New York after hearing a lot of good reviews about it. As you’ll know if you’ve read my skincare blogs before, you’ll know I only really like to use lightweight gel-creme type of textures when it comes to a day time moisturiser which this is. The cream contains botanicals of Lady’s Mantle (said to be an antioxidant and have pore minimising benefits?) Malachite (Also antioxidant), Plantin (to create a moisture seal on the skin) and Oat Husk (A humectant to attract moisture). Here’s the thing … I don’t think I would buy it again and I can’t quite put my finger on why. It absorbed into my skin nicely and seemed to work well with whatever other skincare I applied underneath. I think for me, I found the scent to be a little off-putting perhaps? Not to the point that I stopped using it, I did get to the end of the jar, I just don’t think for me this beats the Clinique Moisture Surge that I am used to!

Pixi Glow Tonic Cleansing Gel

I am a huge Pixi fan … I’ll just put that out there incase you didn’t already know! I love all of the tonics that I’ve tried, the Glow Mud cleanser, face masks etc. This cleansing gel however I didn’t really like I am sad to say. It is a nice, light gel texture, perfect for morning or evening. I think there were two things that put me off this however…and again I continued to use it until it was finished but I wouldn’t buy it again personally. Firstly I found the smell of it to be off-putting. Not fragranced or anything like that … I just didn’t like it … that’s not to say you won’t! I also didn’t like the feeling of my skin after using this. It was a little too ‘squeaky clean’ which to me rings alarm bells that perhaps it is a little bit stripping … which is really odd as it didn’t foam or anything … it just left my skin feeling a bit tight. I much prefer the Glow Mud cleanser which I would buy again!

Formula Absolute Ultimate Sleep Cream

This isn’t the first time this has featured on my blog as an empty, be it the travel size or this full size pot. It’s no secret, I LOVE this! I’ll admit I don’t use it every night but that’s because I have various evening routines but I do love it! It smells amazing, feels lovely on my skin and the next morning after using this, my skin feels hydrated and comfortable. A super thick, night-time cream is something I always avoided but once I started using this I was hooked! Absolutely will be repurchasing!

Heliocare 360 Fluid Cream

I will admit, when I first started using this, I wasn’t sure I would continue with it. I am not sure why but something was causing it to not sit right on my skin … quite possibly something else in my routine wasn’t happy with this being put on top but I would get pilling. Unfortunately I can’t say what changed because I can’t remember why but it started to work so I must have changed something … if only I knew what! I have enjoyed using this SPF … being SPF50 UVA & UVB I can apply this and know I am protecting my skin from harmful rays. It feels light on the skin and is a great base under makeup which is always a benefit! I’m currently using another SPF from my stash but would repurchase this.

Th Ordinary Squalane Cleanser

Squalane Cleanser has appeared in my empties before. This cleanser is quite thick from the tube but emulsifies on the skin with water and feels more like an oil. I love this cleanser, hence why it’s in my empties again and as I’ve mentioned before, this is a great morning, first or second evening cleanse but for me, I can’t use it around my eyes! It is a great cleanser and does leave my skin feeling clean and soft without feeling tight or stripped. I did try it a few times around my eyes to remove eye makeup and it really stung!! I will definitely be repurchasing this cleanser but won’t be using it around my eyes again that’s for sure! I will continue to purchase this!

Medik8 Samples

I’ve grouped these together as they’re sample sizes that were given to me following my treatment Joshua at Basingstoke Wellness … you can read all about my treatment here … Basingstoke Wellness & Medik8 I was also given a Retinol 3TR intense but that isn’t on here as I am currently using it…these sample sizes last ages!! I won’t go into too much detail on here individually because I am writing a post specifically on these products so will go into them then but I’ve enjoyed using these. The C-Tetra cream is lovely and light, easily absorbed and worked well under makeup. The Hydra B5 Hyaluronic Acid is similar to The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid in texture but without the stickiness! C-Tetra serum was a thinner serum but was easily absorbed into my skin and smelt lovely! I also added in using the Retinol 3TR 0.3% which I started using twice a week, only 4 drops however as I was new to using Retinol so Medik8 do advise to start slowly. My skin seemed to tollerate this well and I didn’t suffer any ill-effect to my skin whilst using it. I have now stepped this up to the 3TR Intense so will post a blog on all of these once I’ve finished using that.

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Disclaimer:  Any items gifted are marked as so.  All opinions expressed are my own and it was my choice to add links to any websites throughout this post.