No7 is a classic favourite brand for me, it’s so accessible for us in the UK and sold at my favourite drugstore - Boots. A product I didn’t plan on buying despite all the hype around the release, was this Clearing Paste from their Laboratories range.

You get 150ml which is the standard size for a Simple facial product so the value for money is exceptional here. Normally I'd be hesitant to use a product on my face which costs less than £2 but due to the truly simple ingredients, I can see how the low price makes this an exception to my rule. I use quite a lot as I like to feel it really lather up on my face and coat every area so I'm getting all the dirt from the day off my face.

I use this once a day usually, in the shower at night, and I love that it's soap free so you don't get that awful tight feeling across your skin once it dries. You can see from the label all the other benefits, plus, it's cruelty free and vegan!

The one downside is that it doesn't feel as softening and moisturising as the micellar gel wash, and if you leave your face without moisturiser for too long after washing, it does start to tighten a little. Other than that, I can highly recommend this for all skin types and I haven't noticed any redness or breakouts or any issues, in fact it's probably helped calm my skin a lot

Have you tried this?

xoxo

 

This is made from a thicker fibre material which personally I didn't like as it was harder to adjust across my face, and started gradually peeling off at the corners. However, it felt nice to apply and didn't have too much essence on the mask itself. 

You can find this for just £4 on Look Fantastic, if you're looking to treat yourself! This contains glycerin glycol which helps attract more moisture to your skin and prime your skin with a hydrating base. Although I don't know the benefits of betaine and arginine, those are some of the other top ingredients. So you can see any irritating components will be minimal if present at all.

My skin felt soft and soothed after, however the texture and tone didn't really look much different. Perhaps after a few regular uses, the real benefits will come through. I enjoyed it though, and it definitely didn't have any negative effects!

 Given the number of great extracts used, I would highly recommend this. Perfume is the last ingredient on the list, so it shouldn't cause irritation! However, açai berry is very low as well. I imagine this was used to promote the range as a superfood mask, but really the benefits come from the other ingredients.

xoxo

One of my sudden and unexpected favourite brands is Lacura from Aldi. They have a number of great products in their range, many of which rival their high end luxe dupes. I never really thought of this as a brand to try, let's be honest - most people wouldn't think of the supermarket as the trendiest place to find skincare!

I haven't seen the Miracle Oil in stores before but my mum gifted me this recently as a substitute for their miracle cream which contains animal derivatives! This is a dry body oil, similar to that of Nuxe or Rituals. It has a pleasant scent and sinks into the skin really easily. I believe this is a direct dupe for the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour range.

I'm not sure if this is meant for imperfections such as scars or stretch marks, but its described as a multi-use oil for the face, hair and body. I personally wouldn't use a body product on my face as facial skin is very different to the rest of our bodies. I do like the idea that it's light enough for the hair though as my wet hair probably soaks up some of the oil after the shower. 

There are a number of potentially irritating and drying ingredients in here that are non-essential such as perfume and citric acid. I appreciate the delicate scent, but the natural extracts which are plentiful in the top half of the ingredients list would have sufficed.

However, those ingredients are so far down the list, it's possible they have minimal damage if any to the skin. This is why I don't use these types of products on my face! This has the tiny price tag of £5, which is a bargain in comparison to other oils with the same benefits.

As this is cruelty-free, I highly recommend this if it ever comes back in stock! It has tons of natural extracts which have lots of benefits to the skin, and feels very soothing and moisturising after application. 

Overall I'd give it an 8/10 and on their website, they have about a 4.7 rating out of 5 which suggests it's one of their best products.

Have you tried this?

xoxo

 

I use this as my morning eye cream as during the night I just use my regular moisturiser (yes, this is totally safe!) and I don't really care about brightening my under-eye area during the night.

You'll see in the final picture, the cream has a yellow, beige tint to it which is of course the brightening element. I don't recognise many of the ingredients as eye creams are formulated slightly differently to regular creams. However, I haven't had any itchy or burning sensations as I have with other creams.

It's a fair amount of product for only £8 and I'm not even half way through after two months of use! If you have dark circles like me, this is a good option for daytime as it slightly reflects light, thus brightening, and adds a slight 'concealer' effect.

It's not a miracle product, as dark circles are genetic and can only be reduced surgically permanently or through **manifestation**! Overall, I enjoy using this product and it could work for sensitive skin too due to the lack of fragrance.

 

BHA is a great exfoliator and product to incorporate daily or weekly to resurface and smooth your skin texture. This specific gel formula was meant to even out your skin tone, smooth and 'blur' imperfections, and reduce signs of ageing.

It's definitely one for all age ranges, and can be a good preventative choice for younger skin (like mine) to prevent wrinkles. I found my breakouts were minimised using this and the salicylic acid definitely helped dry out spots quicker.


It's also described as an exfoliant, so maybe not one for sensitive skin unless you want to use it once a week after a face mask. I didn't notice any redness or irritation so I think my skin reacted really well to this. It also dries quickly and doesn't have a distinct consistency or scent if that's something on your checklist!

Right now it's sold out, but they have so many and from various retailers, it's very accessible. They describe this as rich in vitamins and creating a soothing, hydrated base for your face. That's why I use this in the morning, to freshen up my face and create a bit of moisture for my serums to absorb better.

These are all vegan - massive bonus! And they contain a decent amount of glycolic acid, given the affordable price point. This acid is meant to exfoliate and brighten your face by revealing a fresh top layer of skin and smooth out the overall texture. As this is  simple spray, it won't create miracles, but I find it sprays evenly and with a fine mist so it's very easy to use.

Noni fruit is also an ingredient Miranda Kerr swears by, and I imagine is contained in other products by the brand. She claims this is a super fruit with tons of antioxidants and honestly, any fruit extract can do wonders for your skin! I believe her as she really is so beautiful and being in her mid-30s she could still pass for being 10 years younger.


I featured my rose quartz stone here as her products are also 'blessed' or infused with rose quartz. This is a whole different topic, but basically it has properties that invoke feelings of self love.

The consistency is a little grainy but once applied thoroughly, it blends into the lips easily and feels like a thick, moisturising layer. I leave it on overnight and it's usually on by the morning, which I don't find is the case with most lip balms.

I picked this up in a pharmacy for about £12, and I imagine the full retail price in the UK would be around £20. The aim of this serum is to calm and soothe red skin, particularly as a result of rosacea. This could be considered a topical cream, as the consistency is very thick. I used it around my nose area too morning and evening.

The packaging is very good value, I must admit, for 150ml this was definitely a bargain as I use it once a day and the packaging has yet to feel any lighter! The added vitamin B3 and grape extract add a nice scent and make this feel more nourishing on the skin. I haven't seen any major changes but nor have I seen any massive breakouts.

The only point is that this doesn't lather up well but I always double cleanse in the shower, to make sure my face is totally clean in the evening. My skin feels quite soft and soothed after using this, so I would recommend it for all skin types.

The one product I've been using consistently is the face wash and it's done wonders for my sensitive skin! My cheeks are a lot less red and feel much smoother, as this is less abrasive than previous cleansers I was using.

This retails for about £8 so won't break the bank, but contains the right amount of Vitamin E to qualify as an investment for your skin. You get a decent amount of product too - 125ml. I really have no complaints, and definitely recommend this.