Budget Skincare - Waitrose Pure Range

I am constantly asked for budget friendly items and I love finding them, but they have to actually do something, not just 'be cheap' in order for me to recommend.

I hadn't looked at the Waitrose Pure range properly in a while, and when I saw it instore today, I figured it was time to revisit.

While they won't win any prizes for innovation, and the packaging gives new meaning to the word 'basic', you could do a lot worse than to check these four out if you are looking for skincare and your budget is your priority, or, you simply refuse to spend a lot of money on skincare. Fair enough.

The name of course, is a stretch, you can call it "pure' all you want, it's not going to turn this into an organic range. It is however, fragrance free, vegan, everything is recyclable etc - so it's ticking a lot of boxes that more expensive brands don't even attempt.

Performance-wise, again, as expected, it's basic, but it's a lot better than brands that claim to be simple in their formulations and are actually anything but. 

Standout products for me are the four above. 

I would avoid the eye gel if you have sensitive eyes as despite saying it's for sensitivity, it contains a little menthol - which is unnecessary and odd in an eye cream. If, however, you suffer from tension headaches. migraines, work in schools/hospitals etc, if you apply a little after your moisturiser (back to front), you may find it gives light relief to the area.

The hand cream is non-sticky and perfectly adequate for all but the most dry of skins.

The moisturiser contains shea butter but is actually extremely light to use - to the point where it may not be enough for really dry skins, but normal/combination should be ok.

The facial oil is your best bet. It's not completely pure, it's not 'green', but if you are young and want a starter oil, are watching the purse strings, or just like collecting different products to dabble in and out of, try this out.

There are other products, including a face wash and face wipes, which I would still avoid, but then we know that. :)

The price points are beyond affordable - and at the moment they're 50% off, meaning that the average price is £1.49, so you could buy all of the above for under £6.00.

Pure Face Range is available from Waitrose.com and Ocado.com (the offer is not valid on Ocado. They're a whopping £2.99 each.)

Budget Buys

Well SPF is done, retinols are next up, and after that I'm going back to budget basics. These Clearasil Pads were the star of the show last time and incidentally are still on sale for A POUND here: www.onlinepoundstore.co.ukclearasil-superfruits-refreshing-pads-65-pads/ (there are not many in stock though - move quickly)

Do let me know any of your current favourites that I may not have grabbed so I can pick them up when I'm out shopping. I'm aiming for supermarkets and chemists. Not department store prices.

Hit me up!


*Use google for comments - there's a glitch with Intense Debate - sorry!

Budget Week - Day 4

So I'm thinking this could maybe become a regular fixture - mini-reviews of the products I show in Instagram - thoughts? It won't take the place of anything else - it'll be in addition to the other usual stuff. Let me know what you think. :)

Anyway, without further ado:

Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil - £10.99 - formerly known as 'the good product with the packaging from hell'. This is a great cleansing oil, it removes all of my makeup, doesn't leave any residue and doesn't sting my eyes. It is only hindered by the fact that it is a runny oil, in an open-neck bottle. No pump. The new ones at least have a snap cap but still, you have to pour this into the palm of your hand, put it down and get most of it on your face before it dribbles down your forearm like a cold lolly on a hot day. Other than that it's great. *stabby*

Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion - see previous post

Nuxe Gentle Toning Lotion - £14.00 for 200ml - this is a perfectly lovely and affordable toner for all skin types. As an aside, it has one of the worst 'ingredients' pages that I think I've seen on a website. I'm not joking. Check it for yourself. What's the point? Taking none of that into consideration because it's hardly reflective of the actual product, which is why we are here, have a look at this the next time you see it instore. You may like.

Soap & Glory Make Yourself Youthful Serum - £16.00 for 46ml - A great price for a serum containing a lot of ingredients found in much more expensive  products, albeit maybe at lower %'s as they are near the end of the inci list. Feels good on teh skin, and does give an immediate plumpness to the skin. A good budget buy.

Organic Surge Extra Care Replenishing Facial Oil - £23.50 for 30ml - taken from Organic Surge's more premium line 'Extra Care', this smells and acts very similar to a lot of other high-end oils but it does have a slightly 'gritty' feel that the more expensive oils don't. If you're an oil addict you'll know what I mean. It's a good oil, just not great.

Organic Surge Overnight Sensation Night Cream - £12.95 for 50ml - this, from Organic Surge's original line, is much more like it. Completely worth checking out if you're in the market for a night cream, as promised on the box, this does make you wake up with refreshed skin.

Budget Week - Day 3

Bit of a hotch-potch today, contains good and disappointing ones...

Bio-Essence Miracle Bio Water - £16.00 - weird one this. I personally found it wasn't great for waterproof mascara - but my friends tell me otherwise, however, it was perfectly acceptable for lips/other..
It is lovely and cooling on the skin though, and I imagine a sensitised skin would appreciate it.

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleaning Butter - £12.00 - I've spoken about this many a time, In essence, a great affordable balm cleanser that annihilates makeup and leaves the skin soft and refreshed with no sticky residue or tight feeling.

Merumaya Exfoliating Toner - sample - I don't know what I can say about this as I have no information on it! This is literally a lab sample and part of the brand's testing so I don't know what's in it or how much it will be.. what I can say is that it is totally non-stinging (is that even a phrase?), exfoliates gently and softly and leaves the skin comfortable. As for everything else, watch this space!

Caudalie Grape Water - £6-£10 - leftovers from the grape harvest, sprays in a fine mist, softer that normal water and feels like it absorbs more efficiently.

Vichy Liftactiv Serum 10 Eyes & Lashes - £24.50 for 15ml - see yesterday's post 

Merumaya Iconic Youth Serum - £35.50 for 30ml - this is over my intended limit of £25 - £30 for serums but I thought it was worth mentioning as I am always asked about appropriate ones for oily/acne skins. Whilst this is not particularly aimed at those skin types, it's certainly one worth checking out if you are a woman of a certain age with adult acne (I feel your pain, been there), if you're just a person with problematic skin or if you want a product that contains a lot of the same ingredients as serums that are 5 times the price...

Superfacialist Rose Peaceful Skin Night Cream - £16.00 for 50ml - a frankly bargainous £16.00, this is great for all skin types including combination. It contains shea butter, but it's not heavy/cloying at all. The only thing I would say, is try and check the smell before you purchase. To me, this is proper, old lady rose. It doesn't linger, and you do wake up looking refreshed with a glow, but it is strong on application.

Budget Week - Day 1 - and an extension...

So here's the thing. I fully understand that the word 'budget' is different for everyone. I do. What's budget to some, may be unattainable to others. What's 'affordable' to XX may be absolutely extortionate to YY.
I knew budget week would be popular, what I didn't expect is people arguing amongst themselves about what actually constitutes the word 'budget' across all forms of my social media. There is no need to argue! It's all good. There are plenty of products out there in all price brackets, and as the idea of a 'week' was so popular, I've decided to just extend it and include much more 'budget' (there goes that word again) finds across all of my channels forever more.

I'll still be a fussy cow, still expect great results no matter the price and include plenty of high-end gear as per usual, but expect to see more affordable/budget/bargain finds as the year goes on.

In the meantime, I thought it would be helpful to do some 'flash reviews' of the products I'm using on a daily basis (while I can keep it up!), otherwise my 'to review' pile will never subside and nothing will get done!

So....

Vichy Purite Thermale Eye Makeup Remover - £8.07 - this is good, but I had residue this morning - even after I thought I had gotten all of it off last night. Not as good as Clarins, Lancome or Tilbury.

La Roche Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel - £12.00 - this did a surprisingly good job of removing my makeup and my skin didn't feel too tight afterwards. I wouldn't be able to use it every day, it would be far too drying long-term, but it should be fine if you are particular oily - or for summer's hot and sweaty months..

Pixi Glow Tonic - £18.00 - done and dusted, kippers and custard. (I.e. - reviewed and mentioned 400 times on this blog - search here)

Organic Surge Orange Flower Toner - £7.50 - light and refreshing, it's suited to an oilier skin than mine. Nice and fresh though..it's a second tone, not an acid one...

Organic Surge Hydrating Eye Cream - £18.00 - either I've got dog-eared dry eyes or this is again, more suited for 'normal' skins, even thought it is aimed at a dryer/more mature skin. Lovely cream - maybe for someone younger, but I need more oomph.

Nuxe Detox - £47.00 (clearly not budget) - I found this for £29 yesterday on a french to english website - and now it's disappeared. Sorry!
Aside from the price, this is a great nighttime product if your skin is dull or a little drained. It would probably be worth checking out if you suffer from continuous blemishes/hormonal lumps etc. It's available in M&S too, so you can more than likely find it in your high street in the UK.

I hope this reassures those of you on tight budgets that I am trying to cater to everyone, including you. And please don't argue amongst yourselves. After last week, I'm enjoying the calm. :)

Budget Week

(I know these aren't all budget - it's just an example!)

Ah the time is upon us. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned on Instagram that I would be having a week dedicated to budget products in February.
So starting today, I will be posting as many reviews as possible on budget products, and using as many as possible in my routines.
I'm actually still shopping during the week with an aim to make it a more regular thing going forward on the blog, so if you do have any particular favourites, please let me know in the comments and I'll try and get to as many as I can.
I'm also interested in what you consider the upper limits £$-wise for budget skincare. I know what I think, but what do you think?

Watch this space!

Cheat Sheet/FAQs - Where should I spend most of my money in my routine?

I am frequently asked by readers - especially on Instagram - underneath these kinds of pictures: 'If I am being careful with my money, where should I spend the most in my routine?'

The answer is always, always serums. I touched on this briefly in one of my Beauty Myth posts a while back, but thought it would be helpful to go into more depth.

The rise of serums has definitely, in my opinion, bumped moisturisers off of the top spot - although they were never my No.1 - more the prevailing thought of the industry.

This could be a typical 'runny' serum like the Estee Lauder one in the picture above (although to be fair the price of the one above is far from 'typical'), a more cream-like texture, such as Kate Somerville's Deep Tissue Repair, or Good Genes by Sunday Riley, technically a treatment used at the 'serum' stage.

If I was listing my priorities in terms of £$£$ spend it would look like this:

Over 35/40:

1. Serum/Treatments. Needs better technology, uses high performing ingredients that aren't always cheap. You expect the most of your serum. And within this I would include all overnight retinol treatments, hydrating boosters, anti-ageing peptide serums - anything runny that you use underneath a moisturiser or oil.
2. Exfoliating acids. The best ones are more £$£ and at our age we need them. Think P50, Dennis Gross, Peter Thomas Roth, Kate Somerville, Zelens etc
3. Dedicated Night cream/product. As above. Over 40 skins need more peptides, retinols etc - they aren't cheap.
4. Cleanser. Good balm cleansers can be found for under £20, but the ones I like are typically more than that. So sue me.
5. Facial Oil. Yes you can get base oils cheaply but there is a world of difference in my mind between a basic 'face oil' and a sophisticated one made by the likes of doctors, facialists and the Queens of all things face oil, french dedicated salon brands. 
6. SPF. A good, dedicated SPF is not extortionate.
7. Moisturiser - normal/day. Just a good coat. Think hydration and protection, not the second coming of Jesus.
8. Eye Creams. I can get by with a cheaper eye cream because I use my serum around the eye area (all of them, pretty much). And frankly, have you seen my lids? I suffer genetically from droopy eyelids and dark circles because I'm anaemic. I'd be throwing money away paying £200 for an eye cream that I know in my heart won't work. I need one for hydration to plump up fine lines. That'll do.
9. Face masks. If they're hydrating, they're predominantly glycerin and hyaluronic acid, not expensive to make.
10. Scrubs. Not expensive to make. Not sophisticated technology.
11. Clay masks. I could pop to a beauty supply store, buy a bag of clay and some magnesium, mix it with the water below and it would cost around 20p per portion. If that.
12. Floral water/Spritz. It's water.

Ages 20-35/40:

1. Serum. Exactly as per above. 
2. Dedicated Night Cream. Emulsions/moisturisers are still fundamentally more expensive to make than cleansers/toners - and if you're under 40 you can still prevent and repair damage before it's too late. :)
3. Facial oils. Again, there is a world of difference between cheap and mid-range.
4. Cleansers. Under £30 - even under £25 and you are sorted.
5. Exfoliating acids. First Aid Pads, Pixi Glow Tonic - both around or under £20. However, if you are closer to 40 I would bump you into the section above.
6. SPF. Not extortionate. Think Anthelios.
   
   Everything else is the same as above......
7. Moisturiser. See Jesus comment in the Over 40 section above.
8. Eye Creams. I can get by with a cheaper eye cream because I use my serum around the eye area (all of them, pretty much). And frankly, have you seen my lids? I suffer genetically from droopy eyelids and dark circles because I'm anaemic. I'd be throwing money away paying £200 for an eye cream that I know in my heart won't work. I need one for hydration to plump up fine lines. That'll do.
9. Face masks. If they're hydrating, they're predominantly glycerin and hyaluronic acid, not expensive to make.
10. Scrubs. Not expensive to make. Not sophisticated technology.
11. Clay masks. I could pop to a beauty supply store, buy a bag of clay and some magnesium, mix it with the water below and it would cost around 20p. If that.
12. Floral water/Spritz. It's water.

Under 20 - teens:

1. Moisturiser. Younger people tend to rage more havoc on their skin through their lifestyle - because they can. They need more protection. You're also lazier with your routine (no hate, just an observation and experience!) because unless you have a particular concern, you can be. If you're only going to wash your face and slap one thing on, it should be a moisturiser. I would still recommend a separate SPF though.
2. Serum. When I did my FAQs on teenage skin, a few of you mentioned that you either want to use a serum or have a skin condition that would benefit from it such as acne/dehydratyion. If you do want to use a serum they still need to be fairly ££, just not extortionate!
3. Exfoliating acids. First Aid Pads, Pixi Glow Tonic - both around or under £20.
4. SPF. You have youthful, bouncy skin, keep it that way.
5. Cleanser. Get into good cleansing habits at this age and you'll be set for life skincare-wise. I promise.
6. Night cream. Using a dedicated moisturiser for the evening is beneficial if you have particular skin conditions. If you have budget concerns, use a non-spf moisturiser and you can just buy one and use it day and night. (Just don't forget your separate SPF.)
7. Facial oil. Really cheap ones just aren't as good. 
8. Eye Creams. Not essential and use your serum if budget is an issue.
9. Face masks. If they're hydrating, they're predominantly glycerin and hyaluronic acid, not expensive to make.
10. Scrubs. Not expensive to make. Not sophisticated technology.
11. Clay masks. I could pop to a beauty supply store, buy a bag of clay and some magnesium, mix it with the water below and it would cost around 20p. If that.
12. Floral water/Spritz. It's water.

Did I forget anything?!