Review: TEN Instant Lifting Cream

I had never heard of TEN before, but when my dad brought some of their moisturisers home, I thought I'd give this TEN Instant Lifting Cream a whirl. Fast forward almost 1 year and I am currently working through my second jar of this moisturiser and I thought I would let you know my thoughts about it.

The packaging is nothing to write home about, but I quite like that it's simple and fuss free. I really enjoy using this moisturiser. It's got a light cream, almost gel like consistency and it absorbs into the skin very quickly, leaving my skin feeling soft with an almost satin-like finish. It has a triple hyaluronic acid complex, which I have found to really hydrate and balance out my skin. I find my t-zone gets less oily and I definitely have less dry patches on my cheeks. As I'm only 22, I don't have fine lines or wrinkles, so I can't comment on how well this works to lift my skin. But my skin does feel super soft and hydrated after use.

The only thing I didn't like about this moisturiser is the smell, as it's highly perfumed. I can't quite pinpoint what it smells like, but I'm quite fussy about fragrances in skincare and when I first started using this, I would limit breathing through my nose as I couldn't stand the smell. Eventually you get used to it, however the smell does linger a bit on the skin, so if you don't like fragranced skincare products, this might not be for you.

Have you ever tried any TEN products?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Project Empties #25

I have been trying to downsize my product collection for well over a year now, but have never really had much incentive to do so. I recently saw Kat (from Tales of a Pale Face)'s Use it Up challenge and decided that it would be the perfect incentive to use more products up. It involves putting aside a little money every time you finish a product (I have decided on: 50p for samples, £1 for full size products and £2 for high end products). I imagine that it would add up after a few months and it can go towards something nice, which is always lovely!

We always seem to have a tube of this St. Ives Apricot Scrub lying around the house and even though it's super abrasive, sometimes I use a small amount to get some manual exfoliation. It is easy to overdo it with this product, so I think I might be on the lookout for a less abrasive scrub or I will try to use the rosehip seeds that came with my Emma Hardie cleansing balm more often, as when you add them to a cleanser, it gives a similar consistency.

I really enjoyed using the Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash. It had a lovely scent and had a nice creamy consistency. It works really well with my Clarisonic and leaves my skin feeling as soft as a baby's bottom. I also really enjoyed using this Nioxin Cleanser for hair type 2. I have a full in depth review of it here, if you want to read more about the set I got.

I got this Origins Make a Difference Moisturiser in a store swap sometime last year. I gave in an old moisturiser jar and received this in return. To be honest, I didn't think much of the moisturiser. It was pleasant, wasn't too heavy and had a nice scent. But at the same time, I wouldn't say it was that remarkable. I thought the Clarins Hydraquench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase was nice. It has quite a runny, watery consistency, which I really liked. My skin felt soft and hydrated after use and I'm definitely considering buying the full size version of this along with some of the other products in the range.

Amount for the piggy bank: £6.50

What have you used up this month?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Project Empties #24

Over these past few months, I have been finishing less and less products. In May, I finished one and throughout June, I only finished two. What's worse is that my beauty stash seems to continually be growing! Argh!

I really liked the V05 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argan Oil. It's a great purse friendly hair oil, which smells lovely and doesn't leave your hair feeling too oily. I found this 50ml bottle lasted me ages as you really don't need a lot each time and the dropper allows for more accurate dispensing. I found that it made my hair feel softer if I applied it before blow drying and it was great for taming a little bit of frizz.

I loved this Tresemme Restructuring Deep Conditioning Mask. You get a lot of product for your money and the tub lasted me AGES. It left my hair feeling so soft and never weighed down. My only gripe is that it is in a tub and it isn't that practical in the shower. (Please say I'm not the only person that manages to get water in their hair product containers, even when the shower is turned off?!)

I forgot I had these Origins High-Potency Brightening Peel with Fruit Acids pads for a while and recently started using them again. They're super easy to use and I definitely saw some skin brightening as I was using the remaining pads twice weekly until they ran out. I have a full review of them here.

What did you finish throughout June? Can you believe it's July already?!

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Goodbye Google Reader

So today is the day. Google Reader will be no more after July 1st. I'm quite sad about this as I use Google Reader to keep up to date with the blogs I follow and have got used to the format etc. This past week, I've been trying to get used to BlogLovin' in preparation for Google Reader's demise and it is taking a bit of getting used to. If you use Google Reader, I just thought I would let you know that you can import your Google Subscriptions to BlogLovin' here, in case you hadn't done so already. Also, if you would like to continue being updated with my beauty ramblings, you can follow my blog and keep up to date with my posts on Bloglovin' here.

I hope this helped a little, so you don't miss out on any of your favourite reads.

What do you use to keep up to date with your favourite blogs?

xoxo, Joy