Empties #21

I have a really positive empties post for you today, only one of them got a thumbs down from me!  I have also started including a 'rating' where I have rated the product out of 10, hopefully you will find this useful, it makes sense in my head!

Pixi Glow Tonic // Skincare

"Oxygenating. Exfoliating facial glow tonic. It helps tone, firm and tighten the skin. It removes dead skin cells for healthier looking skin."

I had heard great things about the Pixi Glow Tonic but as it used to be more difficult to find in the UK I started my acid toner exploration with the Ren Clarifying Toning Lotion.  When I finished this I managed to track down a nearly full Glow Tonic on Depop for £10 which was perfect for a trial!

Favourite Toners

I've always (read: the past 2 years since getting into skincare...) loved toner but until reading Caroline Hiron's blog post, I had no idea what exfoliating toners did and why they were important.  I'm going to share with you the two toners I am currently using and why I like them.

REN Clarifying Toning Lotion

Through Caroline I learned that using exfoliators with little beads are too harsh and abrasive on the skin so instead you should use a toner containing acids (don't freak out, nothing crazy!) as it's a much more effective as an exfoliator.  I use Ren Clarifying Toning Lotion first after cleansing using either a cotton ball or my reusable cotton pads.  I apply it all over my face but concentrate on my nose for blackheads and on my cheekbones where I have milia/milk spots.  I think that some acid toners can be a bit stingy/tingly but I've never felt anything like that using the Ren lotion thankfully.  This toner is not cheap at £18 for 150ml but it's definitely worth it as I find it works well and I've also noticed my milia coming to the surface finally!

Lush Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water

Immediately after the exfoliating toner, I use Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water, again, using a cotton ball or reusable cotton pad, all over my face.  I've been using Lush's Toner Waters for ages now and this one is my favourite.  I've not tried the Tea Tree one yet but I find myself reluctant to move away from Breath of Fresh Air!  It contains sea water, seaweed and aloe vera, which sounds weird but it smells so good and refreshing.  I recently used it at a charity pamper night and had lots of comments on how amazing it smells!  Previously, I had been just getting the 100g one but this time I went for the 250g as I am using it every day and I know it works for me, so may as well get go for the better value one at £7.50 instead of £3.95 for 100g.

I would like to try another exfoliating toner once I finish the Ren one, I think Pixi do one so I might try that next.  Has anyone got any cruelty free recommendations?

What is your favourite toner/s?

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Night Time Skincare Routine

Ever since the #bbloggers chat just after Christmas which was all about skincare, I decided that I needed to sort myself out!  I would always just use makeup remover wipes every night to take of my makeup, and cleanse maybe once or twice a fortnight?!  I started my transition slowly, I would take off my eye makeup with remover and a cottonball, then cleanse if I was going for a shower if not I'd use wipes to take the rest off when I got into bed (I keep them in my bedside drawer for ease of use!).  Now I have actually got the whole shebang going on: eye makeup remover, cleanser, toner and moisturiser!  How long this lasts remains to be seen but I will definitely keep using eye makeup remover every night and try to do the rest at least twice a week.  The only thing I am missing is an eye cream for night time, feel free to leave me recommendations below!

I guess before I go on I should mention my skin type: in general I am combination but with this cold weather I have become dry, flaky and dehydrated - fun!

Eye Makeup Remover:

The Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

I bought this when my Boot Botanics one ran out, I had heard bad things about their rebranding and I didn't want to repurchase.  Amy from A Little Boat Sailing had reviewed this is and said it was quite good so I bought the big bottle in the sale for £4.80 instead of £8.  I am quite pleased with it at the moment but I won't repurchase it straight away as I would quite like to try the Neal's Yard one next time.  I will give it another few weeks then see if it is good or bad enough for a review.

[£8/250ml - The Body Shop]

Cleanser:

 Neal's Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm

I was lucky enough to receive this at the Neal's Yard Remedies Blogger event in Glasgow last year.  I had my eye on it when we were in the shop and one of the lovely girls had said there would be a sample of it in the goody bag.  However, we all got full size items!!!  It was actually amazing.  I wasn't going to start using this until my other cleanser ran out but I realised it was drying out my skin so I just put it aside and moved onto this.  It is so lovely and soothing.  It comes with a muslin cloth and the balm contains little particles too so that combination gives a soft exfoliating effect when you remove it from your skin.  I will probably do a review on this later on as it's a very versatile product which I would definitely repurchase.

[£37/50g - Neal's Yard Remedies]  

Toner:

Lush Breath of Fresh Air/Eau Roma Water

Toner is my favourite skincare item, which is pretty weird yes... but I just find it so lovely and refreshing!  Sometimes your skin can feel sticky with cleanser residue and the toner just gets rid of anything left over on the skin.  I haven't tried any other toners expect for the Liz Earle one which was years ago when a family friend bought me the the little starter set, but I really didn't use it and most of it got poured away.  At the moment I am using Breath of Fresh Air which contains seaweed and aloe vera for a refreshing seaside scent.  I am nearly finished this and my friends very kindly bought me Eau Roma Water for my birthday which is lavender and rose water, so I look forward to trying that and deciding which I prefer.

[£7.25/250g - Lush]

Moisturiser:

Liz Earle Skin Repair in Normal/Combination

As I mentioned above I first tried this when I was given the starter set as a present.  When the moisturiser ran out I repurchased it a few times, often sharing with my mum who loved it too!  Then I fell out of the habit as my skin became more oily and the dry skin one I had was too rich for it.  Now, a few years later I really found I missed it.  I had been using Oilatum (not sure if this is CF or not) but I found it had a funny smell after a while and wasn't very pleasant to apply, and my day one is a Clarins (not CF) one I got ages ago which is mattifying for combination skin - so not good for night time on very dry skin!  I am so glad to have repurchased this, it feels so nice on the skin and smells amazing!

[£18.75/50ml - Liz Earle]

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