EMPTIES #1

I love trying out new products all the time; however, that usually comes with the cost of having a lot of half finished products. Being a relatively new blogger, I sometimes forget and throw something out before thinking about whether to save it for a post or not. That being said, here are a few empties I've remembered to keep, and what I thought about them.

1. BOURJOIS HEALTHY MIX FOUNDATION (£9.99) 

This is EASILY my favorite drugstore foundation ever. It's basically been the foundation I've worn 90% of the time since buying it, and rivals many of my other high-end bases. I love that it has medium coverage, but still looks like skin and wears really well throughout the day. It would be my no.1 base if it weren't for these two things: I got the color 54 Beige, which is a close match but a tad dark and on the pinky side, I wish they made more yellow based shades; and although I love the finish, after a few hours I can look greasy even when I use a primer and powder. It's an easy fix, but I wish it came in slightly less dewy finish. I would definitely repurchase this again though, maybe try shade 53?

2. MAYBELLINE ERASER EYE CONCEALER (£7.99) 

Once again, a favorite. This alone with the foundation above has been by base of choice over the past year or so. It doesn't crease, lasts pretty much all day, and I love the twisting mechanism and applicator. It comes as a close second to my beloved Nars creamy concealer, but doesn't quite make it. The downfall is that I can only use this concealer for under the eyes and not for blemishes, so it's not very multi-purpose, but I'd still repurchase it nevertheless.

3. ANASTASIA BROW WIZ (£15.50) 

I know, I know, everyone and their mother has raved about this so I'm not going to go on about it for too long. Tiny nib to draw in hair-like strokes? Check. Range of colors? Check (I use Brunette). Spoolie? Check (and the best spoolie i've ever had, btw). There's not much else I need from a brow pencil. I will say that before repurchasing, I will be testing out Soap & Glory's version as many people say they're pretty much identical.

4. FIRST AID BEAUTY DEEP CLEANSER WITH RED CLAY (£18.00) 

This will be the only product in this post that I don't rave about. Did I like it? Yes. But did I love it? No. I think it did a pretty good job at cleansing my face, it didn't dry it out in any way and left my skin feeling clean. However, it didn't do anything special. My pores and oiliness remained the same throughout using it, and I found it a little difficult to wash off after massaging it into my skin (I'm still not on board with the whole use a flannel thing on the daily). If you have very oily skin it may be worth checking out I suppose, but I'd definitely recommend the mask from this range over the cleanser. Verdict? No repurchase.

I hope my opinions were somewhat helpful, and I'd love to know what you think of these products or what products you always repurchase. Leave a comment below!

KHIELS ACNE BLEMISH TREATMENT REVIEW

I used to have a lot of acne as a teenager. Over the past few years, however, I've found a routine that works for me and thus my skin has improved greatly. I do get spots every now and again, but it's definitely not something I worry about on the daily as I did before. For those times when my skin isn't being great, or it's that time of the month, I usually resort face masks and some stronger anti-blemish treatment. 

Over the past year or so I've been in love with La Rosche Posay's Effeclar Duo treatment, as using it daily helps prevent spots and fade any scars I have leftover. When the off blemish does peep through, I just plop on Effeclar Duo on top and it's gone within a few days. A few months ago I ran out of my beloved tube, but instead of running out to buy another I decided to try out Khiel's Acne Blemish Control Daily Skin Clearing Treatment ($30.00) (Phew, what a mouthful). I found the this does pretty much the same thing as La Rosche Posay's, with a bit more kick. I started off using it only on blemishes, but now I use it over the general areas where I usually breakout. It is quite drying though, so I tend to avoid any areas on my face where I have dry patches. It doesn't have a horrible smell and sinks into my skin quite fast. 

Although it's been doing a good job, I don't think it's good enough to replace my Effeclar Duo quite yet. I do however would recommend giving it a go if La Rosche Posay doesn't work for you/it's not so easy to find, or if you want something with the same effect just a bit stronger. I think people with sensitive skin need to be careful though as I don't think it's the most gentle product. Let me know if you've tried this out, and if you would like me to try out any other similar products.

SUMMER DAYTIME MOISTURIZERS

After an impromptu 2-month hiatus, I'm back! I was so busy with my last semester of Uni that I needed a little break from blogging to focus on work. Hopefully no unplanned disappearances will happen again, at least not anytime soon.

Whenever the seasons change, I have to adjust my skincare a teeny bit to account for the changes in weather. Granted, the weather in Dubai is almost always summer, with a week of 'winter' sometimes in January. Two weeks if we're lucky. But jokes aside, once June hits, it's scorching hot and beauty products have to be adjusted accordingly. Today's post features two daily moisturizers that I found are super lightweight, but still moisturizing enough for the hotter months.

The first of the two is & Other Stories' Tulle Day Cream (£15 £7). It's called a gel cream, and is targeted toward combination-oily skin, which is what I have. I don't particularly love this product, but there's nothing I hate about it either. It has a light powdery scent that I'm not a fan of but it's hardly noticeable, and a little definitely goes a long way (which I learned the hard way as it's very easy to squeeze out too much). It's lightweight enough to wear under makeup, and it doesn't bother me that it has no SPF as I like to use a separate product for that, or just get it from my makeup. I don't find that it helps reduce the shine on my T-zone at all, but it definitely doesn't increase my oiliness in any way. I definitely don't recommend this for anyone who has slightly dry skin as I don't think it will bw moisturizing enough for them. Overall, I think this is a good inexpensive product, but not a great one.

The second product I've been testing out is Kiko's Mat Fluid (£11.90). I picked this up on a whim when I was in Spain in January because I tested it out on the back of my hand and it felt amazing. I'm glad to say that after proper use this didn't disappoint me in any way. It has a fragrant scent which I love, and is so smooth to apply on the skin without being too heavy. I find it a bit more moisturizing than the & Other Stories one, while still being nice and lightweight, and giving my skin the perfect amount of moisture with or without makeup. I also like the packaging, and find that one pump gives me the exact amount I need for my whole face, so I never use too much product by mistake. Although I don't find it ultra-matifying, I do think it helps prolong the inevitable appearance of shine on my nose a little. 

Out of the two, I definitely think the Kiko moisturizer is the winner, and will probably repurchase it when I run out.

Let me know what some of your summertime skincare essentials are, I'd love to read!