New in: Superdrug skincare

Hey loves,

 I had a browse around the superdrug website and grabbed a few old faithfuls as well as a few new items that caught my eye.
There is always a deal to be found in superdrug and I always stock up when I am online ot in store.

Old faithfuls:

Superdrug Fruit Sorbet Peel-Off Mask

Superdrug Anti-Ageing Moisture Mask

Superdrug Superfruits Exfoliating Mask

Superdrug Sugar & Spice Self-Heating Mask

Superdrug Manuka Honey Peel Off Mask

Superdrug do some really great face masks. 

They are very affordable and as there a plethora of choices so there will be something for everyone.
These are always great to buy in bulk like I did back in my Skincare: summer 2015 post.

I picked these up as part of a promotion and have used a few already. They are a quick and easy way to pamper my skin.
So yep great masks to keep stock up on.

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser 

This is one of my all time fav cream cleansers.

I always stock up on this as it just makes my skin feel amazing and really takes off the day so well.

I find that The Superdrug naturally radiant range works really well for me. 

For a highstreet drug store range I think they are well formulated and my skin really benefits.

New buys:

Superdrug Hydrating Moisturiser 

I have actually tried this before briefly but never owed one myself .

It is actually for men but if it isnt pumped full of "testosterone/ man ingredients" then I am happy to use it. As it is just marketing and packaging targeted towards men.

The formula is nice and moisturising and makes a great hand cream too.

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Radiance Balm

I grabbed this as part of a BOGOF deal as I really like the naturally radiant range and really like the texture.

It isn't a balmy texture like I thought it would be.

It has fine golden flecks that add to the  brightening effect.
A positive is that the flecks aren't chunky which is great for not making any visible pores look like craters. 

I haven't been using it long enough to speak on any other qualities but so far it's a thumbs up so far.

Biore Charcoal Cleanser

I really enjoy using charcoal products and have seen really good reviews.

So I intrigued to see how this compares to other charcoal products I have tried previously.

Superdrug Clearly Youthful Glycolic Peel

Glycolic Is always good to keep in your arsenal.

Although this is targeted to more problematic or ageing skin. 

I still wanted to give it a try as I love smooth bright skin and as I like most people get the occasional blemish.

Something to help combat that  whilst plumping and evening out textured areas is always welcome.

Superdrug Clearly Youthful Resurfacing Night Serum 

All I have heard is rave reviews about this and I am so keen to try it.
 It always seems to be sold out in store,

so I was so happy to finally nab this.

I am currently testing serums so I will begin using this in the next few weeks but having tested it on my hand it sinks in really well. It didn't leave any odd residues and isn't tacky once dried.

Manuka Doctor ApiRevive Manuka&Tea Tree Antiseptic Gel 

This this definitely one for the beauty SOS kit.

Tea tree, honey and propolis are great for their healing, renewal and antiseptic properties.

All helping to soothe skin irritations

So those are my Superdrug buys.

Until next time.............

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays

Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum review

I have been using the Simply Pure Hydrating Serum  for over 3 months and I LOVE it.
 I have had a few issues with small dry patches in the last few months which I have been sorting out (pretty much there) and I really like the way this glides and sinks into my skin.
 As I layer this under my moisturiser it does an amazing job at being richly hydrating without feeling heavy. 

My friend who has been using this since its launch in 2012, wept when it was discontinued and now stocks up religiously, swears by it and I am converted also.
This going to be a staple in my skincare regimen as it is giving my skin that extra bit of oomph and has great moisture boosting products packed into that 50 ml bottle.
I have spoken to women in their late 30's who love it and women in their early 20's who have jumped on to serums early who adore it. The feedback is the same , this product is an absolute gem!

The fragrance free, light weight creamy gel texture applies really well and sinks in within seconds.
 I use a pump and a half for my face and neck morning and evening and haven't experienced any stickiness.
I apply it, give my self a quick massage and within 15-30 seconds it has sunk in.
Then apply either my moisturiser for the day or a night treatment at night.
I have been using it in conjunction with Indeed Labs hydraluron™ moisture boosting facial serum  which I mentioned in my Summer skincare haul but I used this serum first independently and I am using the Indeed Labs hydraluron™ moisture boosting facial serum as a intensive treatment rather than a staple everyday serum. So once that finishes I will be using the Simply Pure Hydrating Serum solely, when I am not testing out other serums.

I purchased the Simply Pure Hydrating Serum with the purpose of layering under my moisturiser and wouldn't recommend it to be used solely on its own. In my opinion it is more a case that the serum is there to be used underneath a moisturiser which will then lock in the hydration being helped along by the serum.

I am very impressed with the Simply Pure Hydrating Serum and its very low price point. I actually thought it was on offer at £2.69 but have since seen it reduced and will definitely be going back to stock up!

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Skincare haul : Summer 2015

So I have decided to have a little rejig of the old skincare routine, as I have been experiencing 2 issues that I want to sort out and also try some new things.

1. A few (2 small) dry patches, which are a lot better since I started double cleansing again but I want to get ride of asap!

2. Hayfever has given me the weird symptom of making my face feel very hot for the last two years and this is making my face feel sweatier/ look shinier. Weird I know.

To tackle my moisture/ shine issues I bought:

Superdrug Vitamin E SPF15 Moisturising Cream £2.99 & Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum

£2.69

I have used the Vitamin E range before and really liked it. I haven't come across a Superdrug own brand product that hasn't agreed with me. This moisturiser is very rich so I use a very small amount and find it makes a nice night moisturiser too.

My first impressions of the Simply pure serum is utter love! I really like this serum and it works really well with my skin. I feels plump and looked great in the morning. I will be doing a review in future but for now and at that price very nice! Friends and the blogosphere had it right!!

I also picked up  a few items from the Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel range on sale.

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Shine Control Day Moisturiser £2

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Peel Off Face Mask £2

Again I really, really like the look and feel of my skin whilst wearing this gel moisturiser. I have been told that gel formulations are better for oily skin. Although I am combination/ normal most of the time this has worked really well due to my hay fever making me look shiner and feeling oilier. I have been using this for just over 2 week and really like the results!

It doesn't contain SPF so heads up.

I haven't tried the peel off mask just yet as I don't want to overload my skin with too many new items. So I cant say how effective this is as of yet  but the reviews have been pretty good.

I liked the the moisturiser so much I went back and picked up the Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Night Gel £2. I have used this for about 10 days and my initial impressions are very good. It makes my face feel very silky and my skin still feels refreshed in the morning. I think I will use this a few days a week as tea tree and witch hazel are fairly astringent and intense at times. I haven't experienced any dryed out skin so far which is good. The formulation strikes a great balance between targeted blemish treatment & retaining moisture. I will be keeping this in my skincare sos stash.

I also picked up a tube of Indeed Labs hydraluron™ moisture boosting facial serum £16.66 in the sale. Get yourselves down to boots and stock up as it is usually £24.99! This is my first full tube as I have used samples in the past. Although I like this, it isn't life changing OMG for me. I don't know if my skin is in pretty good condition or a bit too young to see dramatic results with this. The overall feel and look of my skin is better with the combined use of my new products but I don't feel this is holy grail for me especial at the original price. I think it is good to have in your skincare sos kit for when you just feel rough or need an extra lift or using it as an intensive treatment as I am but not for everyday use. I intend to use this everyday until it has finished and then use the Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum as my main serum. I think I will also do a review later on if I see any significant changes.

Face masks are always great for brightening the skin and I thought the combination of these 3 would moisturise and brighten plus who doesn't like, honey, spice and chocolate?! I always stock up on various masks as they are super cheap.

Pore strips another item to keep in your skincare sos kit. I don't really get clogged pores or blackheads on my nose but I do have a few visible pores on my inner cheeks and I watched a video on youtube about how detrimental it can be to ignore your pores particularly the nose. It was GROSS! I picked these up in the 99p shop and at that price you cant go wrong really.

I spoke a while back  in my TonyMoly haul about wanting to try more Asian skincare and had heard really good things about the  Shills  Black Mask Purifying Peel off Mask which is Taiwanese specifically.

I have tried this twice and like the way it allowed my serums and moisturiser to sink in after use but I will say this is NOT for those with dry or very sensitive skin. It is supposed to target pore cleaning and tightening as well as an overall treatment. It didn't really collect much pore debris for me but once I had removed the mask which didn't hurt at all, there were a few twinges but nothing major my face was DRY! Not a natural oil to be found. My face didn't feel tight or uncomfortable and did return to normal once moisturised. My visible pores looked smaller, so I may use this as a area specific mask instead of a overall face after my trial period.

London experienced a momentary heatwave lol and I stocked up on some more Solait Clear Protect SPF20 £5.99 on sale. I like this as It doesn't give me that dreaded blue or white caste as many protectors do on dark skin and isn't greasy. It absorbs right away and with SPF20 I feel like I have good protection but I am also able to receive a good dose of vitamin D & get that glow. Although it may take more to achieve it and longer to see damage. Darker skin can receive sun damage etc so it is always good to be protected.

I dropped into Primark and Wilko briefly to pick up some essentials. I always have a few wash clothes on the go as I use them for cleansing and so I don't have to use the same one everyday.

The pink flannel is 30p from wilko and is holding up very well and doesn't leave fibre residue on my face as the black Primark ones £1.50 unfortunately do. I am not the biggest fan of pink but the only other alterbnative was white and I hate them once they start going off white! This has started to lessen with more use though.

I also grabbed about 15 packs of Wilko Everyday Value Facial Wipes 30p each which I use for just about everything but wipe my face with. I use them to clear my make up area/ desk if it isn't serious enough for antibac wipes. They are nice just to have around the house, for festivals, emergenies, in desks and in my bag. I used to remove my eye make up with these occasionally  back in the day but cleansers are the way forward for me these days, with and with out the aid of  Wilko Skin Therapy Cotton Wool Pads 70p per pack.

Finally not actually related facial skincare but still kind of related to general skincare is deodorant. I really love the smell of Soft & Gentle Orchid and passion fruit as well as Wild rose and vanilla. I find that these last and work really well but I am looking for a more natural formula that is kinder to the skin. Let me know what your using.

So that's my skincare haul what new things have you bought lately?

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

7 things I want you to know #2

Hi guys this is the second instalment in my series.
I really enjoyed creating my last one so lets get into it.

Check out my first 7 things I want you to know here

1. Cecile Emeke- Cecile is a brilliant director and writer who I have followed for a quite a while. Her series strolling/Flâner is particularly poignant and really encapsulates what it is be young and black in modern society/Europe. It is an open space for the global black diaspora to share their thoughts and discuss important issues that are overlooked elsewhere. It is also an environment that inspires learning for the black diaspora and others. It is a real and unflinching snapshot of real people and a million miles away from the nonsensical stereotypes that are shown by the media. I would highly recommend you checking her projects out!

Ikea Snacks

2. Ikea chocolate and snacks - I live very close to Ikea and went through  a very long faze of loathing it. A few reasons being a redesign that made no logical sense to me, it being stuffy and traffic being murder as non locals act like maniacs on the roads leading to Ikea.

I have since rekindled my love with Ikea, in particular the food market! After going up the stairs to go down and sweatily hefting boxes on to your trolley. Maybe painstakingly inching around other shoppers who stop mid isle and queueing for an age. There is nothing better than emerging triumphantly from the check out and going into the food market. My two current favs are the CHOKLAD LJUS

Milk chocolate bar and oddly the POTATISCHIPS SALTADE

Salted potato crisps but that maybe because the Sourcream and onion crisps wasn't there. Ikea food always tastes a bit different doesn't it?

salad

3. Cucumber and sun-dried tomato salad- I am obsessed with this simple salad. I have been adding this to a dish at least 4 times a week. It is so summery and with this weather just seems fitting. it is very versatile and makes a great base if you want to beef up the salad. toss in some toasted cashews, romaine, rocket or spinach and drizzle with a aged balsamic, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, chilli and Dijon mustard dressing- LIFE itself!

4. Lion babe- I really like this duos sound. its very retro futuristic and saddles so many genres. I have been listening to treat me like fire for over a year and there is nothing like walking around London listening to this!

 check out wonder woman for your BBQ and park chills too.

My mad fat diary

5. My  Mad Fat Diary -book and tv show. I flipping love Rae Earl! I have never met her lol but the love is real. I really resonated with her indomitable spirit, when reading the book and watching the tv show. I have no mental health issues so I can't relate on that front but she is funny, sharp, witty, darkly humorous, deeply layered and who hasn't been a hormonal teenager finding themselves and navigating the world?

I read My mad fat diary in 2008 was done in an hour. Who needed to read uni books? Not I good sir!!

When the TV show came out, It stirred my memory and I went out and bought the book to re-read it (in this digital age yup) and found that, although set in the 90's  the show was just as good and stayed true to the essence of the book. It was educational, emotional and real. Can I also just say Sharon Rooney killed as Rae (accent and all) and everybody was really well cast.

 I am really sad it's over but it was fitting and ended in a good place.

Shopping my stash b. pure

6. B. Pure Micellar Water: I think it is really important to shop your stash and not hoard too much. As bloggers we can easily become very materialistic and just go off the deep end when it comes to consumerism for the sake of the blog. It is so easy to spend money on loads of products and not use them and hoard because we are onto the next hyped product. I  rediscovered this cleanser in my beauty stash and wanted to reincorporate it into my routine again. I bought this a long while ago after a whizz around superdrug and with their awesome sales who could resist? I am making a big effort to double cleanse consistently. I haven't worn full face makeup in a long time so I did fall to only cleansing once. Although I am not wearing a full face now it is so essential to really get the day off and remove the residue left from pollution/ sweat/uk muggy heat etc. I usually would have used this with a cotton pad but as I ran out for a few days,  I used my hands to massage the solution onto my face and enjoyed the process more. I noticed the liquid thickened and gave me great slip when massaging it over my face. Good stuff.

I am looking forward to trying the B. Clean Melting Gel Cleanser.

left : Charlotte, Right: Eugenie. Images : Refinery29

7. MAC and Giambattista Valli - Charlotte and Eugenie lipsticks! 

These colours are literally talking to me! Eugenie especially. How beautiful are these? The colour, the packaging yesssss, I just can't. so pretty!

So that's the 7 things I wanted you to know.
Until next time...........

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

MUA Nail Polish haul

L-R  Leapfrog, Sweet peach, Red rose £1 each

I stopped by  Superdrug a few weeks back and picked up these beautiful nail varnishes by MUA. I really like their stuff and I find that most colours have very good staying power. They are a really good way of experimenting without breaking the bank.

Although 2 aren't particularly wintry, I find that at least 60% of the time I reach for brighter colours in 

A/W to lift my mood and paint my toes.

At £1 each I couldn't of got a better bargain and you can never have enough red nail varnishes especially in the run up to Christmas!

Speaking of Christmas these make really lovely stocking fillers and with so many pretty shades in cute packaging to choose  from you can't go wrong.

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

MUA mini haul

  Hi lovers, 

Here we have another case of I went in to browse and here we are lol.

In actual fact 90 percent of the basket was put back lol. I wanted to give these a really good try before sharing.

All I needed was mascara but my eye was caught by £1 dark berry matte lipstick , even though

it's summery, I love a dark lip. I also picked up one if their new range of lip laqueurs for £3.

MUA wild berry matte lipstick and  MUA LUXE  lip lacquer in funk

My friend absolutely loathes the MUA matte lipsticks. Her words being "it makes my lips ugly and goes on like sand paper" lol but other than it being a little sheer and not as deep/ pigmented as I would like it. It is a cool lipstick/ stain and smells nice.

 

I actually picked up the wrong lip lacquer.Waaaaaah. I really wanted kooky but I took way to long and now can't return it so I am going to keep it.

L-R- MUA lash Boom, MUA mega volume mascara

My last item is mascara. Mascara is a daily essential. I often go bare faced but brows and mascara are a must!  I rather like the MUA Mega Volume mascara (pink) and thought that I would try out the MUA Lash Boom, not stopping to check if it was waterproof or not -_-. It isn't but I still kept it and it isn't that great for me. The wand does nothing for me and for some reason the formula occasionally irritates my eyes.

In terms of MUA mascara it is definitely back to the mega volume!

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Beauty edit: skincare haul 2013

Hi guys, I haven't done a skincare haul in a while so here are a few of my recent buys. I am changing up my beauty routine as winter approaches and my skin encounters a few  persistent issues. I have pretty much swept most of my other facial lotions and potions off the table and will only be using these as my basic skincare go tos for the foreseeable future.

 Here are my buys...............................

B.pure Micellar water, Naturally radiant brightening hot cloth cleanser

B.pure micellar water,150 ml £4.99- I bought this 3-in-1 cleanser from Superdrug. I have heard really good things about this brand and although some beauty junkies are like miecellar water isn't a proper cleanser, I like how gentle it feels. Now on sale for an excellent £3.32. I will definitely tryout some of their other products in future.

 

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser, 150ml £5.99 - A much raved about dupe of Elizabeth Arden. This is incredibly creamy and nourishing. It isn't greasy or heavy and cleansed my skin really well . It is infused with  Kiwi and Mulberry, Cocoa butter  and vitamin C, which claims to help to brighten and even out skin tone, while also providing antioxidant protection against free radicals. Now on sale for £2.98.

Naturally radiant brightening micro polish, Simple moisturisinfg foaming face wash

Naturally Radiant Brightening Micro Polish, 75ml £4.99 - Dermatologically approved and suitable for vegetarians and vegans, this polish is incredibly fine and non abrasive. It claims to be Kiwi, Mulberry and fruit acids which aid exfoliation and skin brightening. A excellent buy and now £2.48

Simple moisturising foaming face wash, 150ml £3.59 - Renowned for their simplicity and lack of nasties. The dermatologically approved face wash helps keep skin soft and supple. It is soap free (yay) and pH balanced and creamy foam formulation gently cleanses, moisturises and improves skin condition. 100% perfume and colour free.I haven't used Simple face washes in ages but I really do think this is a right move for me.

   

Naturally radiant 2 in 1 moisturiser and serum, L'oreal youth code youth booster serum

 

Superdrug Naturally Radiant 2 in 1 Moisturiser & Serum, 100ml £5.99- Now £2.98. This claims to do 2 things:

1. Awaken skin's natural glow
2. Hydrate & energise

It has a light creamy consistency but is not watery. A little goes a long way. 

L'oreal Youthcode youth booster serum, 30ml £7.65 - Fairly silky light consistency the serum is 10 times more concentrated in the patented Pro-Gen® technology than the Youth Code Day Cream. 

 It claims to give an instant boost of youthfulness and luminance . I actually managed to get mine from eBay which is why it is so cheap and cheerful.

L'oreal Luminize code

L'oreal Luminize code day moisturiser, 50ml £7.49. This is another one of my Ebay finds *dougies*. You can also share in my discount joy as this is currently £7.49 at Superdrug! Say wooot?! Yeh I know I may have to go and repurchase everything while the discount times roll.

 So that's me y'all I had a few other things to include but those are online buys and haven't arrived yet so meh.

With all of these sales going on I feel like I was slightly robbed! Even though they weren't expensive buys lol. Its the bargain hunter in me roaring at the injustice! My eBay bargains more than make up for it.

I shall be doing a review /skin diary post in the next few weeks once I have used all of them for a while. Look out for it in future.

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

 

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays