I DIDN’T BUY MAKEUP FOR A YEAR – 2023

JANUARY

21/01 KIKO MILANO BLOSSOMING BEAUTY FLOWER ESCAPE LIP OIL

What did I think; Kiko’s lip oil was the first lip oil I ever tried, way back when they launched one with their Gold Waves collection in 2018. This one has been in my drawer for a while now and I have loved using it, however, it did start to have a strange smell to it a lot sooner than I thought it would … so into the bit it goes.

Would I buy it again; Not in any rush, I have found better lip care products over the past year.

21/01 BEAUTY BLENDER BOUNCE FOUNDATION

What did I think; I bought this foundation when it launched quite a few years ago now. I loved it when I bought it, as I loved full coverage foundation back then. But as I have gotten older I have grown out of that stage so it slowly got put to the back of the drawer. For a full coverage matt foundation it’s a great product,

Would I buy it again; Not by thing anymore – no.

21/01 KIKO MILANO WATER FLOWER MAGIC PERFECTING POWDER

What did I think; I LOVED this powder back in the day, and I still do… however, I have other powders I love now, including the hourglass ambient powders which this powder is a great dupe for. Kiko tends to bring it out now and again in their LE collections so if you ever see it grab it – it’s a great light-reflecting powder, perfect for the under eyes.

Would I buy it again; If I find it again, yes.

21/01 PAT MCGRATH LIP FETISH LIP BALM – CLEAR

What did I think; I bought this in New York, and let me tell you it was far from cheap. However, it was one of the best lip balms I have ever used. It was smooth, non-greasy, and didn’t dry/soak in as soon as I put it on. 10/10 from me.

Would I buy it again; As a treat yes.

30/01 LOREAL DREAM LENGTHS CONDITIONER

What did I think; I don’t think I need to say much about this product, I have spoken about it a lot over the past few ‘I didn’t buy makeup for a year’ blog posts. It is my favourite ever conditioner, and I prefer it to the Wonder Water now.

Would I buy it again; Time and time again.

FEBRUARY

15/02 NYX THE BROW GLUE

What did I think; I LOVE this brow glue – it’s brilliant, over the years I have used soap, special brow soap and everything in between but nothing has quite kept my brows in shape like this brow gel glue. They now make it in coloured versions which I’m excited to try.

Would I buy it again; I have already bought another clear version – next up, coloured.

20/02 LOREAL DREAM LENGTHS WONDER WATER

What did I think; I have spoken about this SO MANY TIMES but I do love it. I use this once a week or thereabouts whilst using normal conditioner in between for other washes. It has saved my hair!

Would I buy it again; Obviously! It will be stocked up very soon…

25/02 LUSH ORANGE SHOWER SCRUB

What did I think; I used to buy EVERYTHING from Lush but as I’ve gotten older I have moved away from everything lush-based. Back in January in the new year sales, I picked this scrub up as it smelt amazing and I love the ocean scrub lush do.

Would I buy it again; I wouldn’t buy this one over the ocean salt scrub as it felt a lot more watery in texture than ocean salt which is a lot thicker and ‘scrubbier’ which is what I love about the product.

25/02 KATE SOMERVILLE DELIKATE RECOVERY CREAM

What did I think; Again another product I have bought multiple times… I love this moisturiser a lot. It’s a really thick texture which makes it perfect for nighttime and those times when your skin is SO dry.

Would I buy it again; Of course – I do have the new SkinRocks one to try first though…

MARCH

11/03 ISLE OF PARADISE OVER IT TAN REMOVER

What did I think; I have used IOP Tan for a few years now and one of the reasons I love their brand is because of this product. Spray on, leave for 5 minutes and shower and just like that your fake tan has vanished.

Would I buy it again; 100%

11/03 BODY SHOP DROPS OF LIGHT RESURFACING LIQUID PEEL

What did I think; I have used this a few times now and I just can’t seem to get on with it, I had a voucher hence why I re-purchased this, I was hoping it would work for me this time around but sadly not. I couldn’t see any difference within my skin and it left a horrible ‘squeaky’ feeling.

Would I buy it again; No.

15/03 MAC MACSTACK MASCARA

What did I think; I think this is my new favourite mascara, and If you know me you will know that that doesn’t come lightly. I bought this when it launched last year and it has been my go-to mascara ever since. I am currently using a travel size but I will be buying so many of these over the years I can tell.

Would I buy it again; 100%

15/03 HOURGLASS CAUTION MASCARA

What did I think; A classic, although I love the MAC STACK this mascara is definitely a high-end favourite. The brush is slim and catches every lash which is exactly what I want.

Would I buy it again; Yes.

APRIL

15/04 BOBBI BROWN VITAMIN-ENRICHED FACE BASE

What did I think; I bought this way back in September 2022 whilst in New York, It was too warm to wear foundation but I wanted something to go under my concealer and bronzer and decided it was finally time to try this. It is a lovely base for makeup but for me doesn’t replace the moisturiser stage.

Would I buy it again; As a primer yes.

MAY

15/05 CLINIQUE TAKE THE DAY OFF CLEANSING BALM

What did I think; A classic and a favourite of mine. A great cleanser, especially for heavy makeup. I love it.

Would I buy it again; I already have!

15/05 lOREAL DREAM LENGTHS SHAMPOO

What did I think; I don’t think I need to say much about this one as I already have about 100 times before. Great product, a great line of haircare.

Would I buy it again; Yes.

30/05 SKIN ROCKS THE MOISTURISER

What did I think; Caroline Hirons first moisturiser and WOW. It smells divine, goes on like a treat and feels amazing. A bit of a treat with the price but I will be using it time and time again.

Would I buy it again; 100%

June

MAC FIX+

What did I think; Another classic – I love Fix + for so many things; skincare, setting makeup, soap brows – so many uses.

Would I buy it again; I think I have about 3 in backstock – lol.

SOAP AND GLORY BODY SCRUB

What did I think; I love Soap and Glory’s body scrubs – I feel like I need to start buying them more. Great for tan prep and use on holidays.

Would I buy it again; 100%

LOREAL DREAM LENGTHS CONDITIONER

What did I think; Like I said last month – I don’t need to say much about this haircare line – I love it to bits, and all 3 products I use from the collection are amazing. I love this conditioner to bits.

Would I buy it again; Of course.

July

SPACE NK VOYAGE BODY WASH

What did I think; I bought this along with the matching body cream back in the January sales and I loved it so much. A fresh clean scent in a lovely pump bottle – perfect for the shower. I don’t think I would pay full price for the set but if it is ever on sale I may just treat myself.

Would I buy it again; Yes

NIP AND FAB HYDRATE EXTREME 4JELLY EYE PATCHES

What did I think; I can’t remember when I bought these, they have been lurking in the back of my drawer for way too long. They are lovely but dry out too fast and tend to slip down the face which is really annoying. Can’t say how much they hydrated my eyes as after 5 minutes I ended up binning them.

Would I buy it again; |No.

NYX THE BROW GLUE

What did I think; This is my second tube of the brow gel, it is a great product that always keeps my brows in place. However I will say you do need to use quite a bit of it on thick brows like mine otherwise they tend to lose their shape halfway through the day,

Would I buy it again; already have!

MAYBELLINE THE COLOSSAL CURL BOUNCE MASCARA

What did I think; I love the original of this mascara and I thought I would love it with the new curled brush – which, don’t get me wrong. However I HATE waterproof mascara with a passion, it never stays on, flakes off and makes a mess of my under eyes. I will make sure to pick up the non-waterproof version next time.

Would I buy it again; No.

August

Drunk Elephant cleansing balm

What did I think; I have had this cleanser a few times now and even though it may be more on the expensive and luxurious side of things I still love it. It comes with a small tube of charcoal which you can use on its own or along with the cleansing balm to turn it into a scrub which I love.

Would I buy it again; 100 times over.

MAC HYPER REAL SERUMIZER

What did I think; I bought this on a whim when it first came out and it is fair to say I have fallen in love. Think the serum version of strobe cream with a skincare twist and you have this product. It works great alone or perfectly under foundation.

Would I buy it again; 10/10 – yes.

GARNIER MICELLAR HYALURONIC ALOE WATER

What did I think; I have used the Garnier micellar water and cleansers for years now and they are a great basic. I do prefer the Bioderma brand these days but if you are on a budget or just want a creat mekauep remover this one is the one for you.

Would I buy it again; 100 times over.

September

GLOSSIER YOU PERFUME

What did I think; I fell in love with this perfume last year, and It has taken me until now to use it up as I love it so much that it became my ‘special’ perfume. Glossier has just launched a bigger size bottle of this joy so I will be treating myself to it once I have used up my current perfume.

Would I buy it again; 100 times over.

November

SKIN ROCKS THE SUPPORT OIL FACIAL OIL

What did I think; This was the first product I purchased from Skin Rocks and It is fair to say I fell in love straight away. The oil feels luxurious without feeling heavy, it doesn’t linger on the skin and leaves the skin feeling SO hydrated.

Would I buy it again; Oh time and time again.

CERAVE MOISTURISING LOTION

What did I think; I can’t tell you how many times I have purchased this moisturiser, it’s an old classic that I will always come back to. It is perfect for everyday and has a lightweight formula making it perfect for all year round and underneath makeup.

Would I buy it again; It’s my go too.

SEPHORA ARGAN DRY BODY OIL

What did I think; I picked this up whilst in Paris in the Summer to use after my showers as the weather was warmer than I had expected, it made for such a nice treat and left my skin feeling so soft and silky.

Would I buy it again; When I am next near a Sephora – yes.