A Skincare Haul

I haven't featured a proper skincare haul on here for a while so I thought it was about time I changed that. I've had the majority of these products for a few months now and I've definitely put them to the test during that time. I've also received a few skincare products within the past month too, so I thought I'd slot them into this post and tell you what I think of them all and whether I'd recommend them.

The first product I want to talk about is the Sanctuary Spa 1 Minute Daily Glow Mask which I've basically fallen in love with. It's exactly as described, it's a face mask which works within a minute... yep really! It's been designed to use before you get in a shower so that you can remove it once you get in your shower and to give your skin a nice glowy boost. But I've been using it to just give me a boost when I'm feeling like popping on a face mask but can't be bothered or don't feel well enough to get up and go to the bathroom twice, thanks to my chronic pain when it's at it's worst. It also smells lovely which I think is the Rosemary in it. It's £14 and available to buy at Superdrug and Boots.

The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Facial Soap is something I've been trying to get my hands on for literally months but it always seemed to be out of stock every time I tried to pick it up. The Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Face Mask from The Body Shop is hands down my favourite face mask. So obviously when I saw that they had basically released it in a face soap, I needed it in my life. I do like it and I feel like it works well with my combination skin but I feel like if I use it daily, it does dry out my skin a little. So it's more of every other day cleanser rather than a daily one for me personally. But it does cleanse my skin nicely and leave it with a natural looking glow.

Pixi kindly sent me over their current tonic collection including the Glow Tonic* which I already know I love, their Retinol Tonic* which I'm actually still waiting to try because I've had a few issues with my skin over the past few weeks (an allergic reaction ugh) and I know you have to be careful with using Retinol but I will get around to trying it out soon and I'll probably feature my thoughts on instagram. But the tonic I've been using the most is the Rose Tonic*. It smells nice (the same as the Rose Glow Mist which I really like too) and it really calms my skin if it's looking a little red or sensitive. I'm definitely going to be picking up a full size once my 100ml bottle has run out because it's so nice and refreshing.



Another recent arrival in my skincare is the Naturaline Swiss Cosmetics Pomegranate Liposome Eye Cream*. I've never heard of Naturaline Swiss Cosmetics before but I'm always up for trying out new brands. The eye cream is a nice consistency, it's not too thick nor too thin which I personally like. It's very refreshing upon application and it definitely helps to soften and calm the area which I think is the Liposome and Pomegranate extracts working. I haven't used it long enough to say if it helps any fine lines. Also yep, I have some fine lines. I feel like I'm going to hit 25 next year and it'll all start to go downhill with my skin. Someone please tell me that's not true...

The Body Shop Seaweed Oil Control Gel Cream was more of a spur of the moment purchase, I had to spend a little more on my order to get free delivery and a freebie so I decided to try out the Seaweed Gel Cream as it's apparently great for an oily skin type and at the time, it was still fairly warm and my skin was very oily and it felt gross. I do like it, it's a nice light moisturiser but I feel like you don't get a lot for the price at £13. I think the size of the jar is a little deceiving. So I'm not sure if I'd 100% buy it again but I know it's a good moisturiser for the warmer months when I need to moisturise but don't want something too heavy and pore clogging.

I'll admit I've gone off Revolution a little because I feel like the more products they release, the more pricey they get. They used to be one of the cheapest drugstore brands and now they are going up more towards L'Oreal and Maybelline prices. But when I saw that they released a skincare range I knew I wanted to try something. I decided on the Revolution 5% Caffeine Solution & Hyaluronic Acid because of how ill I've been this year with the various health problems I'm dealing with, it's really taken it's toll on my eyes and around that area in general. I'm always sporting zombie-like dark circles under my eyes so I thought I'd give this a whirl and guess what? It actually works. No, it's not a miracle worker and hasn't made all of my problem areas disappear but it definitely helps to lift some of the dark circles and also gets rid of the puffiness too which is great because it's only £5.99 and you only have to use a tiny amount to get results. I'm also a fan of the packaging too.

The Naturaline Swiss Cometics Eye Make up Remover* has been a nice addition to my skincare stash and it arrived at the right time, right in the middle of a bad skin spell. It's very calming and feels refreshing on the skin which I really like. It's quite similar to The Body Shop's Chamomile make up cleanser which I'm sure most people are familiar with. I wouldn't say it's the best makeup remover ever but it's not bad either. My mum who wears minimal makeup on a daily basis has also been using it too and said how lovely it is and how well it's working for her too.



Lastly are two products which I've been wanting to try for a while and basically I caved and got both a few months ago because I'm weak lol. They are the Pixi Glow O2 Oxygen Mask and The Body Shop Drops Of Youth Liquid Peel. Both are them are on the pricier side  for what they are and I wasn't sure whether they'd agree with my skin and also if they are actually worth it. The Pixi Glow O2 Oxygen Mask is essentially a bubble mask in a bottle but I saw it feature on one of Caroline Hirons videos and she said it was an instant booster in a bottle or something along those lines and I agree. It definitely does give your skin a boost of energy if you like. It's great for mornings when you look rough and your usual daily skincare just isn't going to save you. The only thing I don't like about it is the smell, I personally I think it kind of smells like washing up liquid which is not really something I want my face to smell like and I think for £26 it's a shame that it doesn't smell nicer but I guess that's personal preference. 

I also picked up The Body Shop Drops Of Youth Liquid Peel priced at £16 which basically is an chemical exfoliator but the dead skin on your face is actually visible and the dead skin rolls up into little balls. Gross I know, but kind of weirdly fascinating too, right? At first I thought, is this a gimmick? But I definitely do think it works because if you use it on your hands or feet you get more "dead skin" coming off which makes sense, so I'm 100% sold. It is a bit of a pain to full remove (with a warm flannel) but I do like it and I would repurchase.

Have you tried any new skincare products lately? If so, what? and what are your thoughts?

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*products marked with a asterisk are PR samples but all opinions are my own