I think we can all agree 2021 is well underway now and while we’re still not out of the Covid-19 woods yet, there’s definitely more optimism in the air. When it comes to my beauty routine, I’ve had to make some adjustments to manage the effects of my first winter in the UK, but I’ve decided I want to end this year with my holy grail skincare routine in place. Being in lockdown for the past year has given me plenty of time for beauty experimentation, but it’s time to work through my stockpile and stick with what works.
Dare I embark on skinimalism in 2022? We’ll have to wait and see. For now, here’s the lowdown on every beauty product I finished in February:
Repurchase:
SkinCeuticals Gentle Cleanser — If you’ve been following this blog, you know Biologique Recherche is one of my all-time favorites brands. It’s also a bit tricky to get your hands on. So when I ran out of my beloved Lait U, I went searching for a comparable cleanser with similar ingredients. This cream cleanser from SkinCeuticals is also non-foaming, breaks down SPF and other products easily and leaves your skin feeling so so soft. It has a lovely orange scent and rinses away quickly. I didn’t use it on eye makeup, but it makes for a nice morning cleanser or first cleanse in the evening.
Moroccanoil Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo — For all my bottle blondes out there, this purple shampoo is a serious kick in the brass. After a just a few minutes, this shampoo brought my beige balayage back to life without leaving my hair feeling stripped. I used it once every two or three washes and it gave me great results each time.
Olaplex No 0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment — Olaplex No 3 is another essential component of my hair arsenal to keep my very bleached hair from snapping off. The most frustrating part of using it, however, was getting my very thick hair wet before I applied it. I’d have to hop out of the shower and it would become a tangled mess. This light liquid beautifully saturates my hair so it’s not too wet, prepping it for the No 3 treatment to go on top. In just 30 minutes total, my hair looks and feels healthier. My only gripe? It takes a long time to apply to my hair — I think I’ll empty my next one into a spray bottle.
8Greens — With a very small refrigerator, I can’t stock as many frozen fruits and veggies as I used to for making smoothies. But every greens powder I’ve ever used has been a chalky disaster I let expire in my cupboard. Thankfully I found these tablets which dissolve completely in water, are low in sugar, taste delicious (the flavor is lemon-lime) and give me all of the benefits of a packed green juice. They’re made from spinach, wheatgrass, kale, blue green algae, spirulina, chlorella, barley grass and aloe vera. I like to take one after I work out to rehydrate.
Equi London Glow Edition — Speaking of supplements, I added another one of Equi London’s products to my daily regimen and it’s another winner. Made with vitamin C, turmeric and a slew of other antioxidants, this supplement gives my skin some serious anti-aging and pollution protection. Turmeric is one of my favorite supplements to combat inflammation, and my skin definitely looks calmer, smoother and more radiant since I’ve been taking this one.
On the Fence:
Holy Snails Shark Sauce — From the moment I saw the adorable packaging for this niacinamide serum, I was intrigued. Once I read the reviews, I had to try it. I’m on the fence about it because while it’s a lovely hydrating serum with the optimal 5% niacinamide, I didn’t see much benefit when it came to brightening my skin. It layered well with my other products, it just didn’t make that drastic of a difference to me.
Pass:
Grown Alchemist Hydra-Repair Day Cream — When this cream came in my Box of Style, I was on the fence about it right away. While I liked that the main hydrators and moisturizers in it were aloe vera and jojoba oil, there were a lot of other essential oils in there. My skin tolerates them well, but I don’t like to overdo it with all of these other actives I use. It has a light, not-too-greasy texture, but I ultimately ended up using it up on my body. Honestly, if they sold this as a body cream in a larger container, I would probably repurchase it for that purpose because it absorbed well and didn’t break me out on my chest or back.
See what else I’ve used up here.
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