Too many of us have beauty products in abundance. Free samples, minis from beauty bundles and gifts galore. A secret box of hidden gems under the bed… or minis tucked up in storage on that neglected wardrobe shelf. Is this you? It’s definitely me! Recently I decided to go through my beauty stash and make an effort to try some of these beautiful items out. I often collect little minis for travel and whilst this is so useful, let’s be honest, I don’t travel that much! I made sure I kept back some treasures for travels and investigated what wonders I could treat myself to this month. It is such a fun way of saving pennies without buying full sized versions for a bit to! …
Here’s what I picked out of various options…. 16 products of miniature form. I decided to concentrate on skincare and haircare this month. Let me know if you want me to do a series on this every month or so to encourage me to try out new brands? I have plenty of makeup to use too! Would that be an interesting post to do? I love the idea of discovering some new star beauty items whilst treating myself to mini pamper sessions…
16 products….
I love L’OCCITANE hand cream and this mini is such a useful size for the handbag! I immediately took out my normal size hand cream out of my bag and swapped it for this cutie. Space saving and luxury all in one. I did try it out and like all L’OOCITANE hand creams I’ve tried I love the rich nourishment they give. I suffer from dry hands and so the almond milk and oil helps soothe them. The formula is not greasy either and it smells delicious!
I have the normal sized version of this Leighton Denny nail file and it is gorgeous. This mini is once again the perfect handbag saviour and perfect for those dreaded nail breaks when out and about. This crystal nail file “turns the nail edge to dust” whilst creating a super smooth edge. It also looks pretty too! According to Leighton Deny it is “The Rolls Royce of nail files” and I agree completely!
Ren Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream
I am always loyal to my skincare and when I find a brand I like I kind of stick to it. However, I really want to experiment a bit more with this, as long as it doesn’t aggravate my skin! I have sensitive / dry skin and so have to be careful about using drying products out. This Ren Day Cream is one I’ve seen on other people’s blogs and I’ve wanted to try it but without having to spend the full price on a bigger version! This sample size I got in my beauty advent calendar was perfect and I have been trialling it at the start of January. So far so good! My skin seems to like it as it is for sensitive skin! My face is left feeling soft and nourished. I have been using it every morning and then using my normal night cream in the evening. The only thing I don’t like is the smell but that is a small price to pay for the stunning formula.
Givenchy Dahlia Divin Fragrance
Who like me has several mini perfumes? I’m often quite lazy with perfume and don’t wear it every day. However, I really want to make a bit of an effort with this. Maybe my mini perfumes will help me discover a new favourite! Mini fragrances are SO perfect to just whip in your handbag but I want to use this daily to add a bit more personality to my scent! So far I have been loving it – its fresh, feminine but sophisticated. There are jasmine and Sandalwood tones to it which create a heavenly aroma. I am not a fan of sickly perfumes but this is perfect for me! In fact I might spray a bit on myself now to wake myself up – my top tip for trying to get through the dark wintery afternoons is to awake your senses!
I normally use a moisturising shower gel but I love the thought of trying out a crisp and citrus scent even if just for a few days. The Verbena Shower Gel by L’OCCITANE is extremely popular and I now know why – it is heavenly! Showers are my one bit of pamper time than I can enjoy being encased in warm cosy water and away from my thoughts and to do list.
Such a cult product is this Nuxe Multi-Purpose Dry Oil. I’ve never tried it but I got some in my beauty advent calendar and I am determined to give it a go! It sounds amazing as it nourishes, repairs and softens the skin and hair. I love the thought of a multi-tasking beauty product! The botanical oils it contains sound so pampering – including macadamia, hazelnut and almond! The vitamin E also helps to give the skin glow that we all thrive for. I am really excited to use this, especially on my face. Have any of you used this before? I am really loving oils at the moment.
Pureology Serious Colour Care Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner
I am always on the lookout for a great “purple” shampoo for my highlighted hair. I am off to get my highlights redone this week and so am excited to try this Pureology shampoo and conditioner out afterwards. I love my Lee Stafford shampoo and conditioner for bleached hair as it really lathers up well. Hopefully this can leave my hair feeling equally nourished and silky soft! I have heard great things about it so I am excited to try out this sample.
Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector
Serums are a great love of mine and I only really started using them in the last few years! I have had this Clinique serum for quite a while now and whilst I don’t have many wrinkles it is good to start early! So far I am loving the formula. It also sinks into my skin super quickly and creates a lovely base for my moisturiser.
Rituals Organic Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom Body Cream
Rituals is a heavenly brand. The scents and experience of their products are stunning. I really love my non-greasy Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom hand cream by Rituals and so was so excited when the body cream turned up in my advent calendar. I have been using it and oh my it is so luxurious and silky soft on the skin. It sinks in really quickly and it not at all greasy. A new favourite!
Skyn Iceland Icelandic Relief Eye Cream
I found this cute little eye cream from Skyn Iceland and it sounded just the ticket claiming to reduce puffiness, wrinkles and dark circles. The product is all about promoting stress-free life and this sounds exciting! I am eager to give this a go as I have heard great things about it!
Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask – Green Clay, Manuka Honey, Propolis and Roe-scented Geranium
I bought a Liz Earle Christmas Edition box and in it came three beautiful face masks. I do love a good face mask. Unfortunately, this one is for oily/combination skin. Do I risk it and try it or do I give it to a friend instead? Opinions grateful! I am tempted to try a small bit on my face or just leave it for fewer minutes. Have you used this product before? The Manuka honey and green clay ingredients sound amazing!
DHC Skincare Minis – Facial Scrub, Cleansing Oil, Velvet Skin Coat, Extra Nighttime Moisture
I received a four pack of mini skincare products by DHC in a recent Feel Unique order. I haven’t used them up until now so I was determined to try them out! So far I really like them! I did find the cleanser a little hard to use for taking off my eye makeup but this is because I am very sensitive about removing my eye makeup with a cleanser! I however love the nighttime moisteriser as my skin felt so soft afterwards!
Percy & Reed Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Balm
I love Percy & Reed as a brand but have never used this cult product before. This “Wonder Balm” is favoured by so many beauty enthusiasts! It is supposed to be applied to towel dried hair to aid styling and help product better results – more definition, smoothness etc. I love trying different hair products. My hair is quite thick before straightening and it also gets very frizzy. Hopefully this product will work wonders!
Another beauty cult product. Philip Kingsley’s Elasticizer is SUCH a beauty saviour and yet I have never tried it. I can’t wait to see how my hair pampering turns out. This pre-shampoo treatment promises to produce bounce, shine and nourishment. Yes please!
Herborist All-day Moisturising Serum
I have used this serum before and so I know my face loves it. It makes my face feel silky soft and so nourished. I love the fact that botanical ingredients like orchid features in the formula. I am excited to use this throughout January! The added moisture in these winter months is much needed!
Studio 10 Miracle Effect Priming Serum
I was obviously being enthusiastic with serums but you can get through so many minis in a whole month so why not try them out! Another beauty advent calendar goodie! This wrinkle reducing serum sounds so lovely and I am excited to try it! It also reduces puffiness and dark circles around the eye – saviour on hectic days and late nights!
Do you have a supply of beauty minis awaiting your discovery? I often save these little gems until a rainy day or pamper session but I want to make more of an effort to use my things and why not? Life should be for living and discovering new secrets. I want to make 2017 a year of enjoying things and not being forgetful of what great treasures I have in my beauty box! So, let’s discover our miniatures!
