First Aid Beauty | Styled By Lauren

It’s been a while since I last did an Empties post although over the last month I have reached the end of several skincare products and thought it was about time for another ‘things I will be putting in the bin’ post. Of course it was just my luck during the month of January when I was trying to stick to a budget that a lot of my main skincare products decided to come to an end, typical eh! Anyway I thought I would do a little round up of some of the products that have reached their end or near enough. After using up a whole product it is definitely a good indicator of whether or not it lived up to its expectations or not.

FIRST AID BEAUTY FACIAL RADIANCE PADS

I had heard so much about these exfoliating pads and was ever so excited to see them included in a beauty box I picked up. I like using acid toners for exfoliating rather than harsh scrubs and essentially this is such an ideal and convenient product. Pre-soaked cotton pads that you can simply wipe over your face to exfoliate and brighten. I completely love the idea of these, they feel pretty gentle on my skin and they leave my skin feeling smooth. The pot came with 28 pads which lasted a good length of time so it does work out as good value.

Would I repurchase? I do really want to try the Pixi Glow Tonic first but I would definitely come back to these.

SIMPLE LIGHT MOISTURISER

It feels pretty satisfying reaching the end of this bottle as it has lasted me so long! The bottle is a huge 125ml and only needing a small amount each time, it is definitely a long lasting option. Being a ‘light’ moisturiser, it isn’t too rich or thick, instead as it suggests it is pretty lightweight. No pun intended but this is a pretty simple moisturiser. It is fairly basic, it is decent enough, has a light layer of SPF included but it is nothing wow.

Would I repurchase? No, I think it is time to try something new.

THE BODY SHOP TEA TREE BLEMISH GEL

I am a huge fan of many products from The Body Shop however I don’t find the Tea Tree range all that great. In fact, I have never really been one for tea tree products. I remember in my early teens using those horrible tea tree facial scrubs that all did nothing. Sadly, this is another product takes me back for those reasons. I suffer from quite a lot of blemishes and picked this up in a bid to try and make a slight difference. The bottom line here is that it really didn’t do anything for me at all. I’ve kept using this with the hopes it would do something but sadly not.

Would I repurchase? Nope, I think my tea tree days are over.

CLARINS ONE-STEP FACIAL CLEANSER

I am definitely not a morning person so having a convenient and easy morning routine is a must. I don’t have time for an excessive skincare routine so something easy for a quick but effective cleanse is a must. I picked up this cleanser last year and it has became my morning go-to. I used the orange extract version suitable for all skin types. With the zingy orange-y scent, it feels freshening and awakening on the skin perfect for those early mornings. It also makes my skin appear more radiant and is so quick and easy to use! It is one that I am currently still obsessed with so this is going no where!

Would I repurchase? Already have, although this time I picked up the mint one for combination skin to see if there is much difference!

LUSH CRANBERRY FRESH FACE MASK

I love a good face mask especially those ones from Lush so I was looking forward to trying a newbie as part of the Christmas collection. Cranberry essentially has a full on cranberry scent as you would expect. The mask is thick but applies smoothly on the skin. It feels refreshing and smoothing on the skin and is a nice one for the end of a long week.

Would I repurchase? Sadly not as it was limited edition!

LIZ EARLE CLEANSE AND POLISH

A beauty cult favourite that I truly adore. This cream cleanser became a staple part of my routine last year and really paved the way for me with skincare. It is a gentle cream cleanser that you apply over dry skin and then wash off with a hot muslin cloth. It is a good entry level cleanser and also works out at great value for money especially with the length of time it lasts! It left my skin feeling smooth and cleansed.

Would I repurchase? Not at the moment as I am trying something new but I would go back to this!

Have you tried any of these products?

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I’ve never been one of those people who are incredibly interested in beauty boxes. I like buying products that I know I specifically want rather than wasting money on getting a surprise filled box of products I might not even be interested in. Although a number of brands have started one-off beauty boxes rather than subscriptions giving you great deals on products and importantly letting you know what you are buying. Feel Unique is one of those offering a collection of non-subscription beauty boxes. The one that stole my heart was the Radiant Skin box packed of four skincare products, all of which I was very excited to try. The great thing about these boxes is that instead of paying full price for a product you can try it out first along with other products making it great value for money. This box was definitely the definition of great value. I only got this box a few weeks ago so I haven’t had the most use out of all the products yet but I thought I would give you all my first impressions of each of the products.

The Radiant Skin box retails for £35 which is amazing considering the actual value of the contents works out at £70.50. Considering one of the products in the box is valued at £32, it really is a bargain! That product in topic is the first pick of the box, the Ren Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial. This is a product I’ve wanted to try for the longest time and I was super excited to see a full size included in the box. It’s a product that is pretty difficult to define. It acts really as a skin treatment used after cleansing and it’s suggested to be used every 3 days. The texture of it is pretty unusual. It feels really grainy and has a gel like consistency with a pleasant zesty scent. Basically with this product you apply it then massage it with damp fingers and leave for a minute before rinsing off. As you rinse it off you can feel your skin feeling firm and very tightened. After completely washing off it leaves your skin feeling super smooth. I haven’t had a lot of use out of this so I can’t really say whether its done a lot for my skin yet. Although you can definitely feel it working as you apply it.

Another product I got so excited to see included was the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads, a product I’ve been so desperate to get my hands on! The box included the 28 pads size tub which is great as each pad has plenty of product and you can actually get two uses out of each pad. The radiance pads essentially are pre-soaked cotton pads to exfoliate, tone and brighten the skin. There isn’t any alcohol in the product so it doesn’t feel stripping on the skin and leaves your skin feeling very soft and smooth. I’ve only used these a few times but I love how they make my skin feel after using them. I am definitely going to keep using these and hope they help clear my skin. Although so far so good!

Also included was the Caudalie Beauty Elixir, an incredibly popular product in the beauty world. Its a product I’ve also been keen to try but I wasn’t really sure if it was worth it essentially being one of those ‘fancy’ waters. It has such a lovely scent with an overpower of mint which feels super fresh on the skin. The box includes a handy 30ml size bottle which is perfect for traveling or on the go. It is such a fine mist so it doesn’t feel too wet or sticky on the skin, it just adds a little boost of hydration. It feels super refreshing and it’s supposed to be pretty good as a makeup base or after applying makeup but so far I’ve only worn this alone on makeup free days or at night. So this is definitely a product I need to try out a little more!

Lastly, a mini 15g of GlamGlow’s Youth Mud mask was also included. This was the tingle exfoliant mask which as it suggests creates a tingling feeling on the skin. The mask is quite thick in texture and soon drys down on the skin with a tingly tightening feeling. Being an exfoliating mask it isn’t the most comfortable on the skin especially as it starts to feel tingly. It definitely makes your skin feel tightened but also leaves your skin feeling comfortable and smooth after removing it. The full size is very pricey like all Glam Glow products so if I were to repurchase this I would be expecting miracles from it. Although so far even though it leaves my skin feeling nice, I don’t feel like it has done anything dramatic. It’s one I am going to need to keep testing but I am still not too sure.

Are you a fan of any of these products?

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