Skincare products I have used up 2025

June 28, 2025July 29, 2025 - Vicki Leave a comment

*Samaya Ayurvedic Pitta Renewing Exfoliant

This creamy exfoliator is great if you have sensitive or redness prone skin, the lightweight formula combines natural fruit enzymes and Botanical actives to gently remove dirt, makeup and grease to promote cell renewal and even out skin tone without irritation. The Samaya exfoliant requires no scrubbing which is fantastic, simply apply, leave on for 20 minutes, and rinse off, so if you are prone to irritation this is the perfect non-abrasive exfoliator. There are such a wide range of wonderful, natural and effective ingredients in this exfoliator, this is well worth the price tag, think spa quality at home.

Jasmine flower extract – to soothe sensitive skin, reduce redness, and tone gently.
Gotu kola oil – boosts collagen, supports healing, and strengthens sensitive skin
Neem oil – purifies, calms irritation, and helps prevent breakouts.
Saffron extract – brightens skin tone, improves radiance, and supports even pigmentation.
Aloe vera leaf juice – soothes, cools, and replenishes moisture.
Vitamin E – softens skin, offers antioxidant protection, and supports repair.

The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum

This is the cool looking pink serum, if you haven’t seen it before it looks so fun and unusual (it gets its pink colour from vitamin B12). As with a lot of my skincare, I’m always looking for products that help calm redness and protect my skin, and I think this serum is one of the best I have found. It has so many ingredients which are all focused around being gentle, protecting, soothing, strengthening for your skins’ barrier whilst reducing irritation and redness. I really loved this serum and will be getting another bottle ASAP. I always forget how affordable The Ordinary products are.

Vitamin B12 – reduces visible redness and dryness.
Gallic acid derivatives – calms and soothes irritated skin.
Bisabolol – alleviates redness and discomfort.
Soothing complex – eases tightness and irritation.
Centella asiatica phytotechnologies – protects against external irritants and supports calms skin.

Super Facialist Vitamin C Brightening Polish Wash

This took me a while to use up, because you need so little product, a little bit is very effective. I would say this is a gentle exfoliator, with a lightweight gel texture, packed with biodegradable microbeads that exfoliate away dead skin and daily grime. I used it at least 2 times a week, it’s been perfect for keeping my skin smooth. It is enriched with ferulic acid plus vitamins C and E, it helps brighten dull skin and smooth rough patches, especially around the nose and chin. My complexion has looked fresher and more radiant, and my makeup goes on like a dream after using it – my skin feels soft, clean, and glowy. A great, affordable exfoliator, it doesn’t irritate or strip the skin. I highly recommend it.

Aveeno Nourishing Oat Cleanser

I thought this product was just OK, didn’t blow me away, and I really didn’t look forward to using it up. I wear SPF every day, and I felt like this cleanser left behind a residue and made my skin feel like it wasn’t properly cleansed. I know this is a gentle formula, but I think it is lacking in being able to clean your skin if you are wearing makeup or SPF. I am sure it would be better if you used it as a morning cleanser, but I like a deeper clean and this didn’t cut it.

Garnier Rose Toner

You can’t go wrong with Garnier toners. They’re affordable, effective, and there’s a version for every skin type. I’ve used loads over the years and liked them all. I get redness on my cheeks, especially in colder months, and this rose toner is always gentle and calming. It’s one I keep repurchasing – a forever favourite

We can see that I like gentle products that soothe and calm my skin, as well as brighten. If you have any recommendations of products you have been enjoying.

*this post contains affiliate links, If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. All products mentioned were purchased by me and not gifted or received as PR.

Eloquence Skincare Review

February 1, 2016 - Vicki 3 Comments

Luxury skincare brand Eloquence is a new brand to emerge onto the UK skincare scene and its already getting some fantastic reviews. Its a natural premium brand that’s dedicated to giving their customers the very best products with a real emphasis on value for money. So you’re getting products that are affordable and that deliver great results.

Eloquence products include the very best ingredients in their products, with a focus on anti-ageing, skin hydration and skin health. A common ingredient that features heavily through their range is Sachi Inchi Oil, its a superfood which comes from Peru and is found in seed form. Its known for its high levels of vitamins, antioxidants and fatty acids and its oil has a unique blend of

Omega 3 which helps to restore the skins elasticity
Omega 6 helps to combat skin dehydration
Omega 9 helps against premature ageing by intensely nourishing and protecting the skin from environmental stress.

Eloquence skincare comprises of a four step daily routine that is so easy to follow, each product comes in elegant green packaging with its step 1 – 4 clearly marked so this will help you keep your skincare steps in order. There is also a nourishing treatment oil which a multi use product.

Step 1 Purifying Facial Cleanser*

This is a refreshing cleanser thats infused with Sacha Inchi Oil, Cucumber and Coconut Extracts. So its gentle and extremely hydrating. I massage a small 5p sized amount on to dry skin then I dampen my fingers and massage for a further minute just to make sure I’m breaking down all my makeup & grime from the day, then I use a hot cloth. It removes my makeup with ease and it leaves my skin feeling lovely and smooth, soft and most importantly (for me) not tight or stripped of moisture.

Step 2 Firm and Tone Serum*

The Firm & Tone Serum with Glycerin and Coconut oil will illuminate the skin and give it a flawless appearance. Added Hyaluronic Acid will give a boost of Collagen, which will keep your skin plump, smooth and supple. This is an extremely lightweight serum & if you’re someone that worries about having too many steps in your routine or that the products feel heavy on your skin then this isn’t like that at all. I felt like it almost evaporated once it touched my skin (in a good way). It 100% left it feeling velvety soft and almost like it had a soft focus element to it. I adore this serum & I feel like its helped my skin beat the January blues.

Step 3 Firming and Moisturising Eye Gel*

The Firming & Moisturising Eye Gel targets dark circles and puffiness, and with added Hyaluronic acid will keep your eye area plump and will smooth out fine lines. It feels cooling when you first apply it and its not greasy at all but helps wake up my tired eyes each morning. I find my concealer sits well on top and a little goes a long way, the gel is so easy to pat in around the orbital bone. I am an eye cream addict and never go a day without using one, I have tried very few eye gels and I am smitten with this one. Its just so lightweight and nourishing.

Step 4 Protect and Repair 24hr Cream*

This cream can be used either am or pm (or both if you wish). It contains added Hyaluronic Acid making it an intensive moisturiser and UVA & UVB protection so your skin is protected from the harmful effects of the sun. Its a lovely moisturiser and I have found it helps keep my skin blemish free and also feeling supple. I like how it wears under foundation, as my base looks smooth all day. Its been a welcomed addition to my skincare regime and think this product from the range will appeal to people of all skin types and ages.

Nourishing Treatment Oil

This is one of those multi purpose products and I love those, this has been getting a lot of love these past few weeks. I have enjoyed massaging it into my dry cuticles just before I go to bed, I like to use the excess as a hand treatment and I wakeup to the softest healthy looking hands. Its instantly nourishing and it is an oil that absorbs quickly too. This product is blended with Coconut and Sweet Almond Oil which will help to Renew, Repair and Revitalise skin, hair and nails.

All Eloquence skincare products contain no Artificial Perfume or Colour, no Parabens, no Harsh Chemicals and are Cruelty Free, which makes them suitable for all skin types, even dry and sensitive skin areas.

This is a fantastic skincare brand and when I first started testing out these products at the start of the new year I didn’t for one minute think I would enjoy using them all. There is normally one product I like least or that didn’t really fit my needs but this skincare regime is simple, effective and jam packed full of ingredients that nourish, replenish and rejuvenate your skin. This is a brand to keep your eye on & if like me you enjoy skincare then you need to add these products to your shopping list asap.

Eloquence Skincare is available to purchase via their online shop

Monu Skincare

October 9, 2015August 7, 2017 - Vicki Leave a comment

MONU Moisture Rich Hydrating Mask* £22.50

This is one of those masks which doesn’t set which I do like because they don’t go tight on the skin which can often feel quite drying. This has a thick cream texture and it feels very cool on the skin, I apply a generous layer with a makeup brush and leave it on my skin for at least 15 minutes. I remove it using a warm damp cloth & it leaves my skin looking refreshed and bright. This is a very good mask for the colder months because it contains geranium essential oil which is great at calming the skin and I get very red skin in the colder months so this will help a lot.

MONU Instant Radiance Brightening Boost* £22.50

I have used this product before and liked it. I thought it helped brighten my complexion it is aimed at more Mature Skin or those that have Sun Damage but I think it can be used by people of all ages and It’s an ideal product for people with dull complexion as it leaves your skin instantly smooth and looking radiant. It gives your skin a good boost of Vitamin C to help keep it looking radiant and evens out your skin tone. I also think this wears well under my makeup and helps my skin look radiant all day long. Its nice and lightweight but quite hydrating too. I have enjoyed having this back in my skincare routine.

MONU Hand and Nail Cream* £11.95

This is a very rich formula and I found it a little too thick, it might be better if you like your hand cream to feel more like a treatment or if you used it overnight so you wake up with very soft smooth hands. I like to put my hand cream on throughout the day and this was a little too heavy on my hands. I wasn’t too fond of the scent either, the scent is Lemongrass and Lavender so it is relaxing but I thought it was a little too intense. I did pass this on to my Mum who said she likes it, so every cloud!

MONU Line Smoothing Skin Perfector* £22.50

Oh I really really like this product, it says it is a cream but it feels more like a serum. I like that it feels so lightweight and gives your skin an instant smooth velvety soft appearance. It promises to tackle imperfections to enhance your skins natural appearance, I think it does a great job at making your skin look healthy and glowing. It has soft focus technology and it blurs / smooths imperfections and reflects the light making your skin look wide awake and fresh. I don’t always like my skincare to have a scent but this smells like a luxury spa and that would be the Bergamot and Neroli essential oils, two of my favourite scents.

MONU Active Collagen Eye Patches* £26.95

These baffled me at first I’m used to these having the product already on & they adhere to your skin but these were dry & I was like ‘what am I meant to do with these’ but I figured out that you have to dampen them and pop them under your eyes. I got there in the end. I love using eye patches / masks and find them a really effective way of reviving tired eyes and these Monu ones were very good at plumping that area & giving it an instant boost of hydration. I suffer from very dehydrated skin under my eyes and I love having using eye masks a couple of times a week to help keep the skin looking revitalised and smooth. These are individually packaged so you can through a pack in your makeup bag when you fly and they stop you getting off the plane looking like you haven’t slept for a week!

I think the Skin Perfector along with the Active Collagen Eye Patches are my favourite products from the line up! I was also surprised to see just how extensive the MONU skincare range is they have so many products to suit every skin type. I also like that they have a simple colour coded system so you can see what products / ranges are most suitable for you by the colour.

Let me know if you have tried any MONU products & what you loved and would recommend.

MONU products contain no damaging chemicals, artificial perfumes or synthetic colours and they are 100% cruelty free.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Radical Hand and Nail Multi – Repair Créme

July 8, 2015January 10, 2018 - Vicki Leave a comment

Radical Skincare is an anti ageing skincare line started by Liz and Rachel, the daughter of Dr. Richard F. Edlich MD.PHD, world renowned Professor of Plastic Surgery. They dedicated years of research to formulating advanced skincare products that protect and rejuvenate skin.

The key to the Radical Skincare line is their Patented Trylacel Technology which maintains the potency of active ingredients by up to 300% by combining Multiple Antioxidants, Anti Ageing Active Ingredients and soothing Ingredients which enable maximum benefits and quick results.

I tried some samples from their range a couple of years ago & was very impressed with them so was excited to give their new Hand and Nail Cream a try.

Radical Hand and Nail Multi – Repair Créme* 75ml

This cream has so many high-performance active ingredients, much like all Radical products, so I will list some of the wonderful ingredients

‘Hyaluronic Acid: Recreates the hydrolipid film of the skin, which boosts its barrier function protecting optimum hydration levels on the palm and back of hand.

The nutritional and antioxidant powers of the Radical TrylacelTM technology re-stimulate the synthesis of essential collagen and elastin fibres to improve skin firmness and elasticity and protect against free-radicals.

Hexylresorcinol visibly reduces the appearance of dark spots. Combined with raspberry extract, rich in ellagic acid, this ingredient is known to regulate melanin synthesis and therefore help to prevent dark spots forming.

Myrrh extract supports the strength of the nails and condition cuticles, it was used by typists in the days of the first Remington typewriters to strengthen their nails. Natural Myrrh also calms micro wounds and irritations.

Rice extract absorbs excess secretions by the hands.’

So this cream is a powerhouse of anti ageing as well as giving your hands an all in one treatment. The cream is quite thick when you first apply it to your hands but its so easy to massage into the skin. It sinks into the skin within minutes leaving them feeling very soft, noticeably smoother and brighter and not at all greasy. You don’t have to wait ages for it to sink in and I found I didn’t have to reapply too much throughout the day, my hands stayed feeling nourished and soft for hours. I only tended to reapply after I washed my hands so you don’t have to use a lot of product throughout the day which is great!

I don’t think you can ever take a good hand cream for granted, our hands are really put through the ringer on a daily basis and as I am edging ever closer to 40 (3 years to go) I am really trying to look after my hands and keep the age spots and inevitable wrinkles to a minimum. I have really noticed a difference in how soft and healthy my hands look, I have been using this cream for over 2 months now & it has even helped reduce an age spot I had on the back of my right hand so that’s really pleased me.

The more I use this the more it’s protecting my hands and giving them the nourishment and hydration they need. I suffer from really dry skin on my hands all year round but this hand cream has been the best to date for combating my lizard skin.

This is a high-end skin care product but in this case, you get what you pay for, you don’t need to use a lot of product so there is no wastage. If you’re 35+ then I would highly recommend investing in this. I always have it with me, either on my desk or in my handbag and the results are visible so I’m completely smitten.

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