Instagram is responsible for more of my beauty purchases than I care to admit... One thing that really draws me in is gorgeous skincare cabinet! Today I thought it would be fun to talk you through skincare brands and products that Instagram introduced me to, and let you know whether what I tried was worth the hype - I hope you enjoy...
Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist | £14 | We'll start with the product that first piqued my interest and that I've since repurchased; the face mist. Firstly - it smells beautiful (of roses) and comes out as a lovely lightweight spray. As well as rose, this contains coconut water and hibiscus flower. It's nothing that's going to change your world, but it's a very nice, hydrating product that relieves any tightness in my skin and can also be used after makeup for a dewy look.
Pink Cloud Rosewater Moisture Creme | £42 | This is probably my favourite out of the products I've tried from Herbivore (spoiler alert!) It's a water-cream moisturiser that gives my skin this gorgeous, dewy, hydrated glow. It's been one of my favourite products to use during the winter months to quench my skin's thirst and give it a healthy appearance. If you have dry or dehydrated skin; definitely give this a go! It contains white tea, rose water and aloe water, so is also calming and cooling on the skin.
Phoenix Regenerating Face Oil | £24 | I managed to miss this out of my photo, so apologies for that! I got a mini of this in the set I mentioned and have really been enjoying it. It hydrates and smooths my skin with all-natural ingredients. I use this before bed and it has a really nice formula; it's nothing too greasy and it absorbs nicely into my skin. It contains one of my favourite skincare ingredients - rosehip oil, which smooths the skin, hydrates and evens out its tone and texture - along with CoQ10 to increase collagen production and make the skin look younger. I really do like this product, however the full size bottle is £74 and to me; you can get similar effects with the rosehip oils from brands like Trilogy, Pai and the Ordinary that are all between £9 and £24.
Brighten Pineapple + Gemstone Mask | £38 for full size | Finally, for this brand, I have their brightening face mask, which has a gel-like formula. This mask uses pineapple and papaya fruit enzymes to chemically exfoliate the skin, which should lead to a more radiant complexion. I can definitely feel a bit of a sensation when I have this mask on, which is surprising given how used to exfoliation my skin is now! I do feel like my complexion looks a little brighter and healthier after use, however this mask just didn't 'wow' me like I wanted it to. I have so many brightening masks that my standards are pretty high and this was decent but nothing I'd buy a full tub of.
Overall, I really love the moisturiser from this brand and the face mist is very nice too. The other two products aren't really worth splashing out on for me. Quite a lot of these products can be bought as individual minis, so definitely give those a go before taking the plunge, as some of this was just ok to me.
- HERBIVORE BOTANICALS -
This is a brand I'd wanted to explore for a while; I tried their face mist when I picked it up in New York a few years ago, but it was only in 2018 that we got Herbivore in the UK via Space NK. The packaging is very stylishly pastel and minimalist, which definitely appealed to me, however what about the products inside? There are a number of 'classics' that seem to be featured on the shelves of every skincare Instagrammer, so I picked up a set of minis as a bit of an intro to the brand.Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist | £14 | We'll start with the product that first piqued my interest and that I've since repurchased; the face mist. Firstly - it smells beautiful (of roses) and comes out as a lovely lightweight spray. As well as rose, this contains coconut water and hibiscus flower. It's nothing that's going to change your world, but it's a very nice, hydrating product that relieves any tightness in my skin and can also be used after makeup for a dewy look.
Pink Cloud Rosewater Moisture Creme | £42 | This is probably my favourite out of the products I've tried from Herbivore (spoiler alert!) It's a water-cream moisturiser that gives my skin this gorgeous, dewy, hydrated glow. It's been one of my favourite products to use during the winter months to quench my skin's thirst and give it a healthy appearance. If you have dry or dehydrated skin; definitely give this a go! It contains white tea, rose water and aloe water, so is also calming and cooling on the skin.
Phoenix Regenerating Face Oil | £24 | I managed to miss this out of my photo, so apologies for that! I got a mini of this in the set I mentioned and have really been enjoying it. It hydrates and smooths my skin with all-natural ingredients. I use this before bed and it has a really nice formula; it's nothing too greasy and it absorbs nicely into my skin. It contains one of my favourite skincare ingredients - rosehip oil, which smooths the skin, hydrates and evens out its tone and texture - along with CoQ10 to increase collagen production and make the skin look younger. I really do like this product, however the full size bottle is £74 and to me; you can get similar effects with the rosehip oils from brands like Trilogy, Pai and the Ordinary that are all between £9 and £24.
Brighten Pineapple + Gemstone Mask | £38 for full size | Finally, for this brand, I have their brightening face mask, which has a gel-like formula. This mask uses pineapple and papaya fruit enzymes to chemically exfoliate the skin, which should lead to a more radiant complexion. I can definitely feel a bit of a sensation when I have this mask on, which is surprising given how used to exfoliation my skin is now! I do feel like my complexion looks a little brighter and healthier after use, however this mask just didn't 'wow' me like I wanted it to. I have so many brightening masks that my standards are pretty high and this was decent but nothing I'd buy a full tub of.
Overall, I really love the moisturiser from this brand and the face mist is very nice too. The other two products aren't really worth splashing out on for me. Quite a lot of these products can be bought as individual minis, so definitely give those a go before taking the plunge, as some of this was just ok to me.
- SATURDAY SKIN -
This brand was founded in Seoul, South Korea at a wellness clinic. Obviously the packaging is very cutesy! The price-point is sort of mid-range with most products being in the £30ish range. It's a fairly small collection and I picked up a mini set of products to sample several things from the range.Rub-a-Dub Refining Peel Gel | £22 for full size | This is an interesting product; it's a sort of mousse-foam cleanser. It doesn't foam up into bubbles too much but it does clean the skin. It's formulated with pineapple and papaya enzymes to gently exfoliate the skin. I've almost used this up and it's fine but it hasn't rocked my world. It leaves my skin looking a little fresher and healthier but it's not life-changing for me. I'll use this until it's finished but I wouldn't pick up the full-sized tube.
Featherweight Daily Moisturising Cream | £39 for full size | This is actually a really lovely gel-cream moisturiser. I'm not sure it's quite intense enough for my winter skin but I love these kinds of formulas during the summer months and did originally pick this up back in August. It's formulated with avocado proteins, grape extract and Saturday Skin's very own 'Cha-7 es Complex' for regeneration. It leaves my skin soft, smooth and nicely hydrated. It's nothing rich or greasy and is a lovely texture for combination or even oily skin.
Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream | £36 for full size | Finally we have the product I definitely would repurchase the full-sized bottle of! This is a non-greasy eye cream with citric fruit extracts to revive the eyes. I find this smoothing, moisturising and de-puffing, helping me look fresher and more awake. I think this is pretty much perfect for my skin type!
Overall 2 out 3 of these products were pretty successful for me, so it's not bad going. As I mentioned, out of what I tried; the eye cream is what I'd buy a full-sized bottle of myself. I think this will be a great brand for young skin, which is kind of the vibe I get from the packaging; the products I tried are definitely more on the fresh and fuss-free side.
- DRUNK ELEPHANT -
Drunk Elephant landed in the UK towards the end of last year with a lot of fanfare. The brand is pretty expensive but I knew so many people have raved so much about their products, so I was going to have to try a few... I have also tested other products from Drunk Elephant, which I reviewed here, but didn't include them in this post as I received that set as PR. However here we're focusing on what Instagram convinced me to purchase!Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil | £34 | I originally got a little duo that included this product and loved it so much that I had to pick up a larger bottle. This is an oil that's not slippery or greasy and absorbs so beautifully into my skin. It's been an essential of mine during the winter months for soft, smooth, hydrated skin. I use it overnight to resurrect my skin in time for morning. It's just a great all-rounder and a product I'm really glad to have as part of my skincare routine.
Overall; based on this experience and the other products I've tried, I do think Drunk Elephant is well worth checking out. I recommend starting with the mini sets like I did and deciding from there what you think is worth investing in.
- SUMMER FRIDAYS -
This brand started out with one product, which is what I have here for you. Their entire range is built around face masks and they have since released a couple more I'm interested in trying... Their products are celebrity-endorsed and are vegan.
Jet Lag Mask | £42 | As the name suggests; this mask is perfect for slapping on during a long-haul flight to stop your skin drying out. I don't live quite such a glamorous, jet-setting lifestyle, so I've been enjoying using this overnight. It contains vitamins, ceramides and antioxidants to give your skin some TLC when it needs it. It has a cream formula, so I like to apply a generous layer to get soft, hydrated, plump and healthy skin.
So far; I'm impressed! There's not a lot to go off when it comes to this brand, as they've built their name around a single cult product, however I'm definitely intrigued by the follow-up masks they've since launched and can't wait to see how they expand in the future.
BFD Cleansing Oil | $14 | What a pleasant surprise this product was! I really wasn't sure what to expect - making great colourful eyeshadows doesn't necessarily equate to amazing skincare. This cleansing oil comes in lovely packaging with a handy pump. It's formulated with camellia, juniper berry and other naturally-derived oils, making it perfect for removing makeup. It feels lovely on my skin, lifts my makeup off my face effortlessly, doesn't sting my eyes and doesn't leave an excess behind on my skin. What more could I ask for from this kind of product? I massage it in and remove it with a warm, damp cloth or flannel.
The early signs are good! Although this isn't the easiest to get hold of, I'm more than happy to pop some more of their products into my cart next time I do a ColourPop order, as they've expanded on the range and some of the new releases look pretty interesting.
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Jet Lag Mask | £42 | As the name suggests; this mask is perfect for slapping on during a long-haul flight to stop your skin drying out. I don't live quite such a glamorous, jet-setting lifestyle, so I've been enjoying using this overnight. It contains vitamins, ceramides and antioxidants to give your skin some TLC when it needs it. It has a cream formula, so I like to apply a generous layer to get soft, hydrated, plump and healthy skin.
So far; I'm impressed! There's not a lot to go off when it comes to this brand, as they've built their name around a single cult product, however I'm definitely intrigued by the follow-up masks they've since launched and can't wait to see how they expand in the future.
- FOURTH RAY -
I'm a huuuuge fan of affordable LA-based makeup brand ColourPop, so when they launched a sister brand focused on skincare; I definitely took note. Despite the very affordable price-point, the packaging is so cute and it caught my eye whilst browsing my Instagram feed, so I popped one of their products into my bag whilst making a ColourPop order to see what Fourth Ray was all about.BFD Cleansing Oil | $14 | What a pleasant surprise this product was! I really wasn't sure what to expect - making great colourful eyeshadows doesn't necessarily equate to amazing skincare. This cleansing oil comes in lovely packaging with a handy pump. It's formulated with camellia, juniper berry and other naturally-derived oils, making it perfect for removing makeup. It feels lovely on my skin, lifts my makeup off my face effortlessly, doesn't sting my eyes and doesn't leave an excess behind on my skin. What more could I ask for from this kind of product? I massage it in and remove it with a warm, damp cloth or flannel.
The early signs are good! Although this isn't the easiest to get hold of, I'm more than happy to pop some more of their products into my cart next time I do a ColourPop order, as they've expanded on the range and some of the new releases look pretty interesting.
Has Instagram convinced you to buy any skincare products? Were they worth the hype for you?
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