Would I buy again? Drunk Elephant Skincare

Advice, Beauty, Organising, Personal Experience

So after two weeks I kind of know what I like and what I won’t invest in again. Drunk Elephant isn’t a cheap brand it’s luxury. I am completely behind investing in your skin. I know my main focus on this is my wedding but I will be maintaining this after.

I am going on holiday soon so I will take this skin care set with me. There is a surprising amount of product in these tiny bottles.

Shaba Complex Eye Serum

£50 for 15ml.

Can be used day and night. Did you know that eye cream should never be carried all the way up to your eye line?

Me neither apparently it does it’s work without needing to go all the way. You should apply it with your pinky!

Meh! It was okay. I used it because I wanted to do the range justice but I didn’t like the texture. It felt almost scratchy especially compared to the texture of everything else, like a paste and took a while to absorb.

Drunk Elephant don’t use scents in there products which is nice but strange. There was nothing wrong with it. I just didn’t see any results or improvements. I will keep using it till my bottle gets empty but I won’t re buy it!

Confession: I don’t really believe in eye creams!

C Firma Day Serum

£67 for 30ml

This is supposed to be a potent vitamin C day serum. It contains antioxidants, essential nutrients and fruit enzymes, all of which work together to firm and brighten the appearance of skin and minimise signs of ageing. I love a serum. Ever since the Elizabeth Arden one I cannot get enough of them.

This is a lovely thin serum and I used it in conjunction with the B- Hydra which is thicker. I felt when I used it it was still really tacky. Now I know from my research that it Is supposed to be tacky. A skincare blogger I follow was trying the same products and we both agree they are better together.

The serum isn’t as amazing as Elizabeth Arden, as in I didn’t see the results straight away.

But I need to tell you… my skin is so soft and hydrated at the moment it makes me so happy. So the serum is working I just think maybe I need to bite the bullet and just buy the expensive one.

So will I buy it again… maybe but maybe not. I feel like I would notice it’s absence if it wasn’t in my routine. The Ordinary have a Vitamin C product that set my skin on fire. This was gentle and lovely. I think I just talked myself into buying it again.

That maybe just turned into a yes!

B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum

£44 for 50ml

This is an intensive hydration serum is ideal for thirsty skin. It is enriched with ultra-hydrating vitamin B5 and pineapple ceramides to attract and hold moisture throughout the day for a visibly brightened, plump and even result.

This is soothing without a richness. Your skin will thank you for using this product.

Yes, the answer is yes! I love this product. I don’t think any other product maybe swoon as much as this. It’s heaven, light and soothing.

This is has helped with the C-firma.

I want this product in my life forever! Can you tell that I love it.

Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser

This cleanser removes all traces of make up, excess oil and pollution without stripping, to ensure your skin stays smooth and soft as well as clean. Yes it does all that. Your skin doesn’t feel dry or thirsty like other cleansers can do.

This is a soft gentle cleanser. The lid is a little tricky. It’s a twist rather than an unscrew and a few times I have squeezed too much product out without thinking. As a cleanser it is nice.

Drunk Elephant pride themselves on not using the suspicious 6 and scent especially! So it’s strange for me to wash my face without the luxury of smell.

I have two favourite cleansers and they are both Elemis the balm cleanser which doesn’t have a strong smell but makes you smile as you spot it and the Rose balm cleanser which smells exactly like a rose garden.

It’s heaven.

At £68 for 200mls a pop it should be, it lasts and I look forward to washing my face with it! The Drunk Elephant is only £27 for 150mls it nice.

But this is just nice so will I purchase again. Probably not unless I buy another kit.

T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum

This night serum 12% alpha and beta hydroxy acid night serum helps to refine and resurface skin, revealing a smoother and more radiant complexion in the morning. Blended with raspberry extract it delivers effective exfoliation without harsh side effects.

So this serum is lovely.

I wish it smelt of raspberries how amazing would that be!!

I am used to retinols on my skin so I didn’t experience any tingling. For me this is lovely my skin in the morning. I can’t stop touching my skin!

I did use it in conjunction with the virgin oil then cleaned my teeth to let it absorb.

Would I buy it again… if I suddenly could afford to buy this all the time I would but I can’t. Like I said I could put this £72 towards my Elizabeth Arden serum that I dream about. Yes they do different things but I am counting my penny’s so not for me right now.

Virgin Marula Oil

£34 for 15ml and a luxurious marula oil . This is pure no chemicals or fragrance. Brimming with antioxidants and omegas, it moisturises, rejuvenates and nourishes skin while restoring a gloriously youthful glow.

Do I love it yes

Would I buy it

Yes, but The Ordinary also do a Marula oil and it £8.25 for 30mls. So I am going to try that. After all that the price of a GnT! If I don’t love it I can apply it to my body then buy the Drunk Elephant oil. It was lovely but I am not ready to commit!

La La Retro Whip Moisturiser

£50 for 50mls

A blend of six rare African oils whipped into an airy cream, this all-purpose rescue moisturiser saves dull, dry skin by delivering a steady dose of moisture throughout the day and night. Your complexion will be left soft, supple and replenished.

The Drunk Elephant products were so good at hydrating my my skin that I didn’t think I needed this marvellous tub of whipped heaven.

Then the weather changed. It got colder and started raining. I had an upsetting incident that left me in tears for pretty much a week.

Apparently unhappiness can be very drying. It turns out I am also an emotional eater and ate lots of sugary bad things which dry out my skin. I needed a lot more hydration in my skin and reached for this moisturiser on more than one occasion.

I loved it. I didn’t need it my routine so I discarded it at first. Would I buy it again.

Yes, as soon as I run out I will be buying. This is something I look forward to using.

I like the fact it’s light enough for me to use day and night.

Verdict!

I love the ethos of this brand. It’s about cleanliness and healthiness for your skin.

Let’s just take a moment to appreciate the packaging. Absolutely gorgeous it is so Instagramable I love it.

Is it worth the money!

Most of it!

The samples worked out at £8 each I bought them with £15 off. I wish they introduced a European friendly SPF but I have been using my own La Roche Posey.

I would buy most of the products in this little set. The B Hydra I was looking forward to and is on my list. I want the Vitamin C Firma serum and the Whip.

I did love the other products but they may be on my plan b.

Drunk Elephant welcome to my skincare routine.

Have you tried the littles?

Which ones did you love?

Drunk Elephant littles : Wedding skin review

Beauty, body confidence, Personal Experience, Wedding

Hello reader! Hope you are well this last year I have been obsessed with my skin. Nothing wrong with a bit of self improvements but I have been fairly experimental.

I wanted to invest in the B hydra and the framboise but I wasn’t sure about splurging on these as they are not cheap.

Good skin care is worth it if it works

So I bought the littles. I didn’t want to spend the full hefty price tag so I shopped around and got £15 off SpaceNK.

I read a few reviews where people have had bad or no results. The information was always similar, try using our products exclusively at first to see how they react with your skin. So I thought I would give it a solid two weeks before I start introducing my other bits of skincare.

Night 1

So excited my sister Skyped from New Zealand so I washed my face with her. (Never done that before) I started with the cleanser,even though I new it had a funny cap I still tried to unscrew it like a normal one. The cleanser was nice, light with no smell.

First impressions was that it could not replace my Elemis Rose cleanser for luxury but it did do the job. Then I used the Framboise serum on my skin then left my skin feeling tacky but no other feeling. I added the B hydra to help it out. I added eye serum And that was it.

No 8 step double cleanse nonsense.

I was impressed with how quick and efficient it was. Ten minutes later my skin was soft and lovely!

Morning day 2

So I popped in the shower and didn’t cleanse my face. DE tell you, you don’t have too! Bonus my skin routine is not taking as long!

I applied the C Firma then the B hydra to my skin. I keep finding it tacky to the touch so I left it on whilst I cleaned my teeth. Then I put on the eye serum and manual a bit of whip to add moister. Then used my La Roche Posay SPF because you have to look after your skin.

My skin felt soft all day.

I can’t see any visible changes but my skin feels good and hydrated. So super happy.

Night 2

Same as before, I like how nothing smells even though my favourite usual products all have amazing smells. I tried the whip tonight, it’s rich and lovely and good.

Morning 3

Same as yesterday…. except I mixed my B hydra with the C serum and bingo! OMG this was heaven. I made a noise when I but it on. I think I need this in my life!

Night 3

Same as before…..

I am going to skip a head a bit!

Night 4

I wanted to change today up a little and give my skin a break so cleansed which was lovely and then I added the virgin Marula oil to my skin. I have eaten chocolate today ( a lot of chocolate) so if I get a flair up in the next few days I have only myself to blame.

Drunk Elephant & La Roche Pose Day Care routine

Day 5

Same routine as before just no sunscreen but I did use the Whip cream. I am finding that my skin isn’t as dry as normal but as I don’t wear makeup on a day to day basis.

Two Weeks Later

I haven’t had a great week emotionally. I am a comfort eater so I have indulged in a lot of Chocolate which is terrible and my skin has hated me for it. I have had break out on my chin so I need to stop with the chocolate fix.

It fixes nothing… but a brief happiness. Damn you mint Areo and Galaxy!

So I have kept it up. My day and night routine is so simple now. The rest of my face looks okay. The texture is lovely and soft. Generally it takes 12 weeks to show actual effects.

I am going on holiday soon so I will take this skin care set with me. There is a surprising about of product in these tiny bottles. Overall I am happy with them. I do understand that I need to give them more time but there are some products I will definitely buy again and others that are just Meh!

I am going to do a breakdown of the products to let you know what I thought of them and will I be buying any bigger bottles when I run out! But as this blog is already long enough I thought that may be I can break this into two blogs.

My overall results are simple. My break outs are my own self induced fault. The weather in the UK is forever changing. Hot and sunny one day, freezing cold and Icy the next. IE not great weather conditions for your skin. I normally suffer from dry skin or get those weird patches of dry skin that come from nowhere.

My skin had been nicely hydrated. I haven’t had to layer on lots of moisturiser some nights and days I have added a bit of Whip for an added layer but most times I haven’t needed to. I don’t wear makeup so my skin has been allowed to breath.

Drunk Elephant little pouch and Sparkly French Bull dog

£70 odd pounds is not cheap for tiny bottles. But there is a lot in them. This will be great for my holiday as they don’t take up any room. My biggest gripe is the fact that in the American set you get an SPF but because of one of the products they can sell it over here. This is reflected in the price but an SPF is vital if you are selling Retinals and acids. I feel like Drunk Elephant should still put it in or make one with less harmful products.

So was it worth it…. for now yes. My skin routine is great and I am going to add the Drunk Elephants Babyfacial. I have also missed my The Ordinary M atrixyl which is amazing for shrinking pours and fine lines. So I am going to keep going till after my holiday. Then I am going to start introducing other brands back into my skin care routine. I feel like i should give the DE time to work on its own first!

I do miss my Elemis Rose Balm cleanser. I miss the smell and the feel of it on my skin! Drunk Elephant is a luxury brand but without the smells and decadence of other Brands. My skin for the first time in a long time is hydrated without piling on the moisturiser.

I will review each product in another blog.. I am sorry I missed Wednesdays blog. Like I said it hasn’t been a great week. I will bring the Product review out shortly to make up for it.!

How is your skincare journey going?

What brands couldn’t you live without?

What does a girl with big curly hair pack for a trip: Skincare and grooming products

Beauty, Make Up, Organising, Planning, Travel, Uncategorised

I thought I would share with you what this curly hair girl packs for a trip. Now a few years ago my grooming products would have been Boots curly cream, sunscreen, after sun, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. Now my skincare and grooming products now take up a shelf in my bathroom Gav calls them my Potions.

I basically transformed from a bathroom minimalist to having products overload.

This is all preparation for my wedding day and also just because I need to take care of myself in general.

So what am I packing for a long trip?

Protective Skincare

Sunscreen

So this is the most important section well that and my hair care. I have thick curly hair that can drink all the moisture in the air and treble in size. My skin is pale (thanks mum) so I like to have different protection levels of sunscreen. So, I have factor 20, 30 and a 50! For my body I wear what ever is on offer but when it come to my face I wear La Roche Posay Anthelios XL ultra light fluid SPF 50+. Light on your skin and super protective.

The Seychelles can reach high temperatures: that breezy coastal air and sometime cloudy skies can be misleading. Reflections from the water mean the sun can get to you from every angle.

You need to top up all the time.

Never miss the back of your neck and the back of you hands.

Aftersun

I like to use this every night even if I don’t get burnt. It sooths my skin moisturises and this also has mosquito repellent in it so I don’t have to smell horrible when I sleep.

Mozzy spray is key to surviving the tropics. I am not taking perfume because there is no point. I hate putting chemicals into the air however none of the natural remedies work.

I have tried tea tree oil, bracelet you name it.

I was eaten alive.

Now I can handle a few mosquito bites but my body doesn’t like them. I get huge egg size lumps on them. I hate mosquitoes, but scratching drives me mad.

My Skincare Routine, with Manhattan 11.

Skincare

Day

Even though this looks like a lot of products it really isn’t. I have my cleanser and toner are both Elemis, Lovely and light on y skin. I will use them morning and night. I also have The Ordinary’s Rosehip oil which is good for soothing the skin and Matryxal which is great for wrinkles and pore shrinking abilities ( I am a convert). Tata Harper diamond moisturiser that is very light and smells like heaven. I have a small travel size rose exfoliator from Elemis which is my favourite. When my skin is ready for makeup I used la Roche Posey tinted SPF 50 which I love.

Night

For night I have my Elemis night cream which makes my skin sing with pure happiness. Burt’s Bees for my lips. Sunday Riley’s Luna for a night time treatment. Decleor’s Balm oil again for a soothing treatment. Elizabeth Arden anti ageing serum which I am saving to buy the bigger one. This stuff is ridiculously good with a ridiculous price to match.

Hair Care for Curly Hair

May as well get a gripe off my chest. If you have slightly wavy hair you do not have curly hair. I hate it on adverts when they get a model with beautiful perfect curls, call it frizzy and then straighten them. Curly hair is not the same as frizzy hair. Because if there is moisture in the air my hair will absorb it and become frizzy hair.

The different between silky wavy hair and curly hair is when you wake up in the morning you may have slightly fluffier hair. My curls have matted and felted together to create what ever shape my pillow has moulded them in. Unless I sleep on my face my hair needs to be washed or at least conditioned everyday or it looks like crap.

If you think I look like sideshow Bob before I go to bed you should see me in the morning.

My curls are full on curls. I love them but they are a nightmare. My fair is dry, frizzy, curly and prone to itchy flaky scalp. Very sexy.

This summer I have had a lot of good hair days.

I have battled with my curls my whole life and now we are in a good place. I now brush them in the shower (Controversial I know).

I have just discovered Body Shops Ginger Shampoo which smells like heaven and looks after my scalp. I may be able to start wearing dark colours regularly. I am using Muai conditioner which is hydrating for my curls. I just keep it away from my scalp.

Then I use Boots Curl Cream which is the best thing for my curls. And a comb.

Shower and grooming

Shower gel I will use whatever is at my dad’s house I am not fussy. But I have a got an exfoliating glove to help get rid of all the dry skin.

Venus travel razor is beyond cute and super sharp blades.

Hair grips and bobbles. I keep my hair grips in a large tic-tac box. I saw this hack on Pinterest and it is the only hack that has ever really worked for me.

I am also packing my foot cream and pumice stone. Having your feet exposed all day in the heat or soaked in sea water can lead to super dry feet. Lets face it no matter how small you feet are they are never perfect.

Make Up

I don’t wear a lot of make up at all. I generally don’t wear anything heavier than a tinted moisturiser. My makeup bag generally holds about 10 items but what I am taking on holiday is:

Pretty pink Lancome blusher
Blusher brush
Lancome mascara which is lovely and holds a curl
Eyeliner is L’Oreal one which helps me create a cat eye look
Elizabeth Arden eyebrow pencil
Lano lips moisturiser
Lancome pink

I am sorry if that was slightly boring. But when it comes to blogs I am really nosy. I like details and lists and just generally finding out what people pack. I find that they sometimes don’t give me enough information. Having big curly hair means that in the tropics I can sometimes end up looking like Monica From Friends . We all know the hair, yup that’s me.

So if you want information please let me know!

That it from me.

Enjoy your holidays and let me know what you pack. When it comes to shopping for products I tend to shop around to find the best price. I am not loyal to one particular shop. So this is what a girl with big curly hair pack for a trip: Skincare and grooming products hope you liked it.

Dana

For Elemis

For Lancome

For La Roche Posay

Wedding Skincare: Mistakes I Have Made

Advice, Beauty, Personal Experience, Wedding

In preparation for our wedding I realised how unhappy I was in myself. The things I disliked were all changeable. My weight (mainly the belly wobble) and my skin. I don’t know a lot about skincare just that you cleanse, tone and moisturise. My skin has never been great so I started looking at my routine.

I didn’t have one.

I don’t wear a lot of makeup. Tinted moisturiser, eyeliner, mascara and a bit of blusher. That’s it. And most of the time, I don’t wear that.

I am sporadic at best with my skincare routines, a soap and water kind of girl. I thought a toner was a makeup remover, Whoops!

I started listening to a few influences online….which was a mistake. I forgot their point of view was that they are trying to sell me products. I wish I hadn’t rushed into my skincare before doing my research, this was a huge mistake and truly needed to understand the products I was putting on my skin.

I needed to learn about what I was applying to my skin.

My mum has always bought me Elemis which is so lovely and luxurious.

Just a few of my Elemis products ( I love them all)

I did use the moisturiser I will be honest and say I didn’t realise exactly what the other bits where for, although I would occasionally use them. My very expensive cleansers would sit on the side gathering dust.

Skin care shame.

When I started focusing on my skin, I started gathering my products and realised I had a ton of them: Elemis, Decleor, Lancome. I went through them and figured out what I like and what I didn’t. I moved them around the bathroom and separated them into holiday supplies, use now and started my own routine.

The simple 3 step programme.

Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise.

Although my skin looked healthier it didn’t improve as much as I had hoped. After talking to my mum, she said that I needed an exfoliator in my routine as well. I went out and bought a Neutrogena one which had tough, scratchy grains in it that seemed to strip my face but not leave it looking good.

This has been moved to my shower as a body scrub.

I kept making mistakes. I needed more advice and needed to know how to use the products.

So I returned to YouTube.

All these influencers where always talking about misters to hydrate their skin during the day. I was like, hell yes I need a £18 mister in my life!

Gavin changed lotion to potions can you spot it?

I am easily influenced as you can see

They had an offer on in boots for Elizabeth Arden and you get some cute products if you buy another item and my barely their eyebrows needed a new brow pencil. Hey presto I ended up spending over £30 and getting lots of odd samples. So I followed the instructions for Prevage, liked the cleanser (holiday size and lovely) booster ( not sure what that did), eye serum that felt scratchy on my eyes (pretty sure that is not good) and the face serum.

This is not just any face serum this was heaven in a tube.

I loved it, people commented on my skin looking good (no one ever does this)

I googled the price and have started buying lottery tickets so I can afford it. But at £170 it is way out of my price range although if I am being honest I think it is totally worth it. 5ml gave me two weeks’ worth of serum. My skin was happy and glowy.

So maybe as a treat for my birthday who knows!

This is when I went a little crazy… as in shopping like someone who has a lot of money when I don’t. I needed a night moisturiser and the only brand I trusted was Elemis. I called my mum for advice again and she said to go on QVC and see if they had a deal. They didn’t but I could get a large pot 100ml for £100 and pay off in interest free instalments. Now this sounds crazy. I know I am but I love this night cream.

The only way I can describe it is that my skin sings when I put it on, like in a halleluiah type of way.

I bought it, it arrived and then the next week, QVC did an offer on it, of course they did! And I could have waited but I was so impatient that I bought it.

It is lovely- and I love it. So tough.

So I watched a lot of you tube influencers and I started buying products that they recommended without doing any research on them. My shelves are now filled with beauty products of potions as my Fiance likes to call them. I have to rotate them to get the use out of them. Some of them aren’t suitable and cost a lot of money. I was making financial mistakes.

Money that I could have saved for my wedding.

I wish my mum lived closer so we could have gone shopping together instead of me listening to every Youtuber out their but in the end, I found two who I really like and now trust their advice as they talk about a lot of products not just their favourites.

https://www.gothamista.com/

Renee is like a Skincare goddess she really knows the science behind products and her skin is flawless! She doesn’t really sell products just discusses what each of them does. She also isn’t biased by price and often talks about cheaper brands that do the same job. I love her. Trust her.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcjxyzWCYXGstZeUfHfM6Hg

Then there is Stephanie Nicole who refers to herself as Dragon Lady because of her nails, she has a husky voice, fillers and Botox. It is her self-deprecating nature, honesty and frankness that I like. She is happy to say she doesn’t like a product and again she talks about the actual science that goes into the ingredients. She knows her stuff and I find her totally refreshing.

I never cared about skin care before ever.

Now I do

Now I have a routine. I love it. With my night time routine I like to take my time with it and I look forward to it, even when I am drunk or just exhausted, I make time to cleanse my skin.

It is improving, I can see the difference, fewer break outs. Less dry patches.

It is getting there.

I will have gorgeous skin by the time I get married, I just don’t have to hit my wedding budget to get there.

So make sure you do your research and don’t make the mistakes that i did. Skin care is so important, I am still learning.