Beauty Lately...

Post contains affiliate links (which when clicked, can earn the blog a small commission on purchases made). No PR included in this post, promotional (sample, gift with purchase etc) items are noted.

It's been a while since a Beauty Lately... post, though last night I checked back and thought "March 24th? That was just over a week ago, I thought it was longer since I posted". Then I realised, we're in May now! So more like 5 weeks. I've still been photographing bits for these posts, so hopefully I'll get back to regular posting and get caught up.

I'm still using Lancôme Juicy Tubes day to day as my lipbalm. After the mint and ginger ones from previous posts, I eventually moved onto this banana flavoured one. It's from the World Tour Series by Christopher Kane with the beautiful fashion illustration on the tube and the shade is 104 (Rio) Banana Ipanema. It's a creamy pale yellow with micro shimmer that's not really visible on the lips unless under bright light. You know what it smells like? Those foam banana sweeties. My sister loves those. Banana isn't my favourite scent/flavour, but I enjoyed using this. Like always, extremely moisturising, long lasting, glossy finish, just a shame you can no longer buy them.

I was alternating La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel for Oily Sensitive Skin £12.50 200ml (£18.50 400ml) with the CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser (one in the morning, one at night, not as a double cleanse) and I can't be sure which or if both were the culprit, but my face was so dry. I had dry flaking skin around my hairline, my eyebrows and down my nose and a tightness all over. Both were sample sizes and once I moved onto something else, the dryness cleared up quickly.  That aside, I didn't find this stripped my skin, I really liked the soft scent, it was easy to use and didn't sting (but I didn't use it around the eye area).  I've been trying to simplify my routine (fewer actives, more gentle or natural ingredients) and listen to my skin more and the fact this is supposed to be good for acne, but also sensitive skin appealed to me as it's unusual to find both catered for in one product.  Usually acne products are very harsh and stripping, but this isn't.  If you have genuinely oily skin, I think this will be perfect for you but for someone like me with combination (leaning dry), I need to use it sparingly and layer the hydration afterwards.  I forgot to photograph the CeraVe before throwing it out, but I wasn't so keen on that.  

I hated using this Aveda Shampure Body Lotion £9 50ml (£25 200ml)!  Again, this is a smaller size in a free goody bag (though this size is for sale) and I still have the half used bottle sitting because I don't want to use it up! I've used samples of the shampoo and conditioner from the same range and found their scents very cloying and it's amplified in the body lotion. It's not a pleasant smell to me, too strong, old fashioned (not in a good way) and it lingers. It gets up my nose and gives me a headache. The lotion isn't even that great, it's the type that turns white on application and takes a lot of rubbing in, though it is non-greasy and light (but not particularly moisturising because of the light texture). I wouldn't buy this or recommend it and I'm baffled if anyone thinks this smells good!

Speaking of shampoo, I got this Shu Uemura one along with the conditioner from a magazine (not with a magazine, as part of a beauty club thing they do).  The sizes were really generous, so they lasted a long time.  This is the Ultimate Reset Extreme Repair Shampoo for very damaged hair £29.95 300ml. It's aimed at hair that's been damaged by bleaching, although it's been a couple of years since I've coloured mine, I did always bleach it.  The first thing that hits you is the scent, it's strong without being overpowering, but I did smell my hair for at least a day or two after washing.  It felt light, I liked how it performed in the shower and my hair felt thicker and healthier afterwards.  The big disappointment though is that it contains sulphates and sodium chloride (salt, used for thickening), which can dry out the scalp and hair.  For literally years now, I've been trying to find a new haircare routine without SLS, parabens, silicone, sulphates etc and I'm still struggling for something I like at a price that isn't ridiculous.     

I think for their size, the prices for these aren't bad (they're actually on offer, but I just quoted the rrp here) and I did like how my hair looked and felt afterwards, but would I over a longer period of time? Doubtful.  Now that I think of it, I did notice my scalp was dry right on the top of my head where it's parted for my pigtails and it doesn't feel dry now (since I've finished these products).  The conditioner, Ultimate Reset Extreme Repair Conditioner £39.60 250ml was much the same as the shampoo with that lovely scent.  I had minimal hair loss while washing and brushing afterwards, but actually this week I had loads of hair fall out in the shower and I'd finished both of these the previous week, so I wonder if that's linked.  I honestly would've bought these again, I'm just disappointed and surprised actually at some of the ingredients, because I would've expected a company like SU to be more aware.  I tried the mask too, but it was a sachet, so just a one-time use thing.  I felt I couldn't really properly review it from using it once.  

Another mini from a gift with purchase. I managed to get several uses out of this wee Chantecaille Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask £76 50ml.  I think it was a Cult Beauty bag I got this in and so many of the things were for sensitive skin or to heal and repair, which couldn't have come at a better time for me.  This mask feels like a thick moisturiser, it's not mask-like when applied nor does it dry to cracking (like a clay mask would).  It's formulated with natural, botanical ingredients and the floral scent is strong, but not headache inducing.  I grew to not mind it. It felt quite cooling on application and very gentle.  In combination with the other things I was using at the time, it did indeed seem to calm inflammation or certainly didn't add to it.  It was a nice enough mask, I'd use it again, but it didn't blow my mind so I doubt I'd pay £76 for the full size.

Something I am tormenting myself with is the Dior Prestige La Micro-Huile De Rose £148.75 30ml, £195.50 50ml (there's quite a saving there, on Dior.com they are £175 30ml, £230 50ml, £259 75ml).  Dior contacted me (as a good customer, not a blogger) asking if I'd like to try this serum.  Big mistake, because I LOVE it!  First of all, can we talk about how utterly stunning the product is? The retail version comes in a glass bottle, my sample contained seven 1ml sealed pods and I was just mesmerized by their appearance.  It looks like it's lit, the liquid glows.  In each bottle there are over 10,000 rose micro-pearls which deliver the micro-nutrients of the Rose de Granville in their purest form.  I was a bit concerned I would feel these little bits and they would remain on my skin, but they disappear.  

I thought 1ml seemed like quite a lot of product for one application when I scooped it out, but I used the application technique shown on the Dior site and I'm convinced this aided the results (and for massage, you tend to need a little more product, so there's some slip there) as I'd normally pat such a product in.  One of the first steps is to inhale the fragrance, it just smells like the most beautiful old-fashioned (but lovely), natural rose, so calming and luxurious.  I can honestly say I've never seen such an instant and noticeable result from using a product.  The toning and lift this provides is incredible.  My skin looked bright and dewy throughout the day, but the contouring (which my podgy face could do with right now) was something else.  Such a luxury product comes at a price and there's several sizes of this, but the bigger you go, the much better value you're getting, but it is pricey, I won't lie.  I've kept two pods aside for when I want a tightening, glowy treat, but I'm seriously considering buying the full-size at some point, it was just utterly amazing.

So very much a mixed bag this week.  Avoid the Aveda body lotion at all costs 😜, but that Dior treatment is one of the most impressive skincare items I've tried in a long time.  I also want to petition Lancôme to relaunch Juicy Tubes, because I'm enjoying mine so much.  I ended up using over half of that banana one and the one I moved onto after that, I've almost finished.  I've had to force myself to put it back and try another!  I think it's in my next post actually.  Have you tried any of these or is there something in this post that's caught your eye?