Recent Skincare Empties

Currently I've been more focused at getting my skin in order so while I've not completely done a no-buy on makeup, I've have cut down considerably. I think I'm getting through quite a few bits of skincare so here are some of my recent empties:

No7 Beautiful Skin Eye Make-Up Remover
This is something I usually only get with the Boots £5 off vouchers, but I don't know if it's just me but this doesn't seem as good as I once remembered. Sure, it removes makeup well enough (an oil is still my preferred choice), but I find the bi-phase formula separates a bit too quickly, especially as you get halfway through the bottle and you get left with uneven amounts. I do prefer the newly revamped packaging as it's no longer a pump and just a screw-lid so if you need to dip in cotton-buds it's easier than before.

Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
This is a lovely thick and creamy cleanser that is dense enough to massage over the skin for a few minutes before washing away with a flannel/cloth. If feels very gentle on the skin and leaves it soft, clean and comfortable. It has a pleasant light floral scent that is lovely to wake-up to in the morning. 
I do have acne-prone skin so I usually look for a little more in helping to control this issue so while this is a very good cleanser, I don't think I would repurchase.

Pai Geranium & Thistle Combination Skin Cream
I don't think I've ever used a moisturiser up as quickly as this one as it's been so lovely to use. It has a wonderful creamy, nourishing feel to it yet it is not in any way heavy or greasy and leaves the skin feeling naturally matte and surprisingly helps to control oil and I don't find myself getting as shiny. Some moisturisers for combination skin feel very light or have more gel type textures where as this feels like a proper cream which I prefer. This is definitely up there as one of my favourites.

Ren Max Moisture Concentrate
I was recommended this ages ago while having a facial to help address dehydration so when I had a discount code from Beauty Expert, I thought I'd give it a whirl. The texture of this is a light lotion/serum feel that sinks into the skin quickly without any residue or tackiness and then I use my regular moisturiser on top. While it seems to suit my skin fine, I was rather underwhelmed as I haven't noticed a great deal from using this. I am a fan of Ren and I absolutely adore many of their other products but sadly this is not one of them.

Naturally, I have got a few new skincare items to use (the current Boots 3 for 2 coming in very handy:) so will report on those in due course.

Phylia de M. Connect Review

Phylia de M. is quite a new haircare brand hailing from LA, having launched only this year and one I had been intrigued about after reading information from VictoriaHealth.com (who exclusively stock the range in the UK) as it combines 'ancient Aztec and Mayan herbal remedies with modern science'.

Phylia de M. promotes more healthier, thicker hair for a variety of hair and scalp conditions through a unique blend of ingredients which they grow in their own private organic gardens - I'll leave it them to explain this so here is the information on the ingredients taken from the leaflet that came with the product:

'Aloe Blend
A powerful anti-oxidant, aloe rehabilitates cell damage and assists in the production of keratin, the main component of hair, skin, and nails. Our potent, customized aloe blend revives and encourages regeneration.

Tannic Acid Blend
When a plant is damaged, it secretes tannic acid to repair and renew. We apply the same method to hair follicles with our pure blend of select tannic acids.

Fulvic Acid (Fulphyl de M.) 
(our custom organic humic-free pure fulvic acid)
Fulvic acid provides nutrients to scalp and nerves while removing excess toxins. It transports vital keratin to cells and reminds them to work to their full potential. Our custom-created fulvic acid is completely pure and humic free.'

In the past I've used supplementation that contains Fulvic Acid and it's not an ingredient I've seen used in haircare before so this did pique my interest in the line.

These past 2 years I have noticed that my hair is generally thinner than it once was and while I am trying to address this through nutrition and supplementation, I wanted something topical to use so the product I was most eager to try is the Connect. A review I had read described this as 'fertiliser' for hair, so I had high hopes for this!

Connect is a treatment product for follicles, scalp and hair that comes in a spray form that you apply to scalp and hair in sections after washing and towel drying. It can also be used in dry hair, before styling, on brows and also on nails. It feels light like water so when sprayed it doesn't weigh hair down or make it feel greasy, so I can be liberal with it without issue.

I have been using this a little over 2 months now, about 2 times a week after washing my hair and for me I have noticed a bit of an improvement in that my hair (especially near the roots in the centre) seems a little less thinner. During the first month of use of didn't really notice much, it's only recently that I've seen some positives.
Another thing I've noticed is that if I leave my hair to dry naturally, it helps to promote the natural waves in my hair which is an unexpected plus.

Ingredients:

A gripe I do have is the amount of product you get - when I first opened my package from Victoria Health, I held up the 120ml bottle and thought 'this looks small', which may have been ok if it wasn't £45! I have, as initially thought, got through the product rather quickly even though I have only being spraying in my roots rather than all over. I haven't tried the other uses yet as I didn't want to run out so quickly as I think I would have probably gotten through it in around a month or less had I used it frequently. Ideally it would have been nice to have at least a 200ml bottle for that price considering the versatility of use.

If you would like a super-size version, Victoria Health just announced today there is a 570ml refill bottle available for £180.  A saving if you were to buy the standard bottles individually, but still a considerable sum.

The range also has a shampoo (£28 for 265ml) and conditioner (£30 for 265ml) which I will probably try once I get through some existing products. There is a kit with all three products for £103 (which works out the same as if you were to buy each product individually, so not sure what the incentive is there?).

I really do like this product, and even though the size/price bugs me, I will most likely repurchase as it is straightforward to use and does seem to actually do something.

Phylia de M. is available from Victoria Health in the UK (not affiliate link)
and also http://phyliahair.com (which also has stockist list)

Dermaquest ZinClear SPF 30 Review

This year I've been exploring the Dermaquest skincare line and the ZinClear SPF 30 sunscreen is a product I've been using for the past few months. The ZinClear was used on me post treatment at DestinationSkin, and I quite like the feel of these so first purchased the version without the tint.

As the name suggests, these are mineral based and contain 18.6% Zinc Oxide.

The texture of these feel lovely and creamy, quite a moisturising feel to them but still relatively light. I like that these don't feel like sunscreen and even though they are quite creamy, the texture is absorbed well and doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy (but not matte either) - I took the sunkissed version on holiday to Morocco recently and found it perfect in the 41 degrees celsius heat.

Dermaquest ZinClear SPF30 no tint (L),  Sunkissed tinted (R)

Dermaquest ZinClear SPF30 no tint (L),  Sunkissed tinted (R)

Dermaquest ZinClear SPF30 no tint (L),  Sunkissed tinted (R)

The verison with no tint leaves virtually no whitecast and I didn't really notice anything except there is a minuscule purple tone initially when applying. I do prefer the tinted one as it seems to even out the skin a tiny bit as the shade blends well into my skintone.

Ingredients:

Ingredients - untinted version

Ingredients - Sunkissed tinted

The downside to these is the price - they are around £40-something (depending on where purchased), but sometimes DestinationSkin have offers on the products as when I bought the regular version they had an offer where if you buy one product, the 2nd was half price (the tinted I purchased when there was no offer).

Despite this, I have been reaching for this constantly and it has now become one of my favourite products.