August has seen me (and my skincare) return to foreign travels again. I’ve been so happy with my skincare recently, rather than buying travel sizes of everything, I bit the bullet and just packed it all. After all, why should we take any less care of our skin on holiday?
But don’t panic. If you know me well by now, you’ll know I’m a bit of a skin minimalist, so there weren’t too many products to pack. Anyway, travels aside, I’ve been busy trialling new products again and have five to review for you today.
Please note: Products featured are either self-purchases, gifts or press samples. Each product’s acquisition will be stated for clarity. There are also affiliate links included here, meaning if you click a link and make a purchase based on my recommendation, I may be paid a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you but does help to contribute towards the running of this site. You can find out more here.
So as always, to remind you as you read my reviews, here’s my age, skin and hair type…
Here are the 5 products I’d like to share with you this month:
#01 Percy & Reed No Oil, Oil for Fine Hair
Percy & Reed’s Oil has been my haircare saviour, for I can’t tell you how many years now. As I mentioned in my last skincare review post, I have Chronic Telogen Effluvium, which means I’m prone to excessive hair shedding. Therefore, I want any hair that decides to remain on my head to look as full and volumised as possible. Percy & Reed’s No Oil, Oil for fine hair helps me achieve this.
Violet extracts and pro-vitamin B5 helps to strengthen, nourish and moisturise my hair whilst keeping it from turning greasy or weighing down. Plus, with added heat protection properties, it helps look after my hair whilst styling, as well as helping to cut down the number of products I need to use.
After washing my hair, I apply two pumps of oil to my palms and disperse through my hair from root to tip – very simple to use but also ultra-effective. I cannot understate how much I rate this oil; it’s the best one I’ve ever used (and I’ve tried a fair few!)
Recommended for: Any fine-haired beauties who would love a volume injection.
Good to know: You can discover all my top tips for volumising fine hair here!
#02 ARK Skincare Beautiful Body Conditioning Body Serum
No at-home spa bath time is complete without indulging in this gorgeous body serum from ARK skincare. In short, I love it! Although it’s an oil, it’s exceptionally lightweight and absorbs so well. It also creates a gorgeous glow, which was great when I had my legs out this summer!
Containing a nourishing blend of oils and vitamin E, it works to leave my whole body feeling hydrated and nourished (whilst also happening to smell divine). The instructions say to apply to damp skin, but I’ve only ever used it on dry, and it’s worked well regardless.
Recommended for: Anyone and everyone who wants to try a body oil and loves to feel pampered.
#03 ARK Skincare Reverse Gravity Eye Cream
And whilst we’re reviewing ARK Skincare, here’s another offering, their Reverse Gravity Eye Cream. I’m very sceptical when it comes to eye creams. In my experience, they all seem to over promise and underdeliver (don’t just take my word for it, have a look at the results of my eye cream survey). But before I jumped for the botox, I wanted to give one more a try.
What they say: A gravity-defying eye treatment to tighten and hydrate the eye area. This hydrating eye cream helps fade dark circles, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, soothe dry skin, and diminish puffiness. The innovative packaging includes a massage ball applicator to help smooth the soothing eye cream into the delicate eye area.
I dedicated myself to ensuring I applied this daily and allowed it a proper length of time to work (applying for 4 weeks). I decided to stop using the massage ball applicator after a few weeks; although it did give a nice cooling feeling when applying, I couldn’t seem to stop myself pressing too hard and dragging my skin, opting to pat it in with my fingers instead.
And the result? I did notice a difference – not in my wrinkles, unfortunately – but in the general appearance of my eye area. The skin around my eye looked brighter and more moisturised.
So, has my opinion on eye creams changed now? To be totally honest, not really. I still feel I’ll need more drastic intervention to tackle my crows’ feet. However, of all the eye creams I’ve ever tried, ARK’s Reverse Gravity Eye is the only one I’ve noticed an actual benefit from using, which is still a win in my book.
Recommended for: Anyone whose main objective is brightening and hydrating their eye area.
Find out more here.
#04 Evolve Beauty Tropical Blossom Body Polish
This is one of two Evolve Beauty purchases (the other being their body butter which I wasn’t too keen on). Anyway, back to polish, it smells like bubblegum (which I happen to like) and polishes my skin amazingly well.
I usually use body polishes that come in squeezy tubes, you know, the ones you can apply with a sponge or puff and massage all over. But this polish is more like a salt scrub; it’s pretty thick and is best massaged in using your hands. If you want to be hardcore about it, you can apply it to dry skin and then rinse off – but other than if I’m using it as part of a pedicure – I always apply to damp skin.
Good to know: It’s essential to not get water into the jar as this damages the product. Switch off the shower for a moment and apply before turning it back on again.
They Say: This oil-based polish contains fine particles of organic sugar to buff skin to smooth perfection and natural Tahitian coconut Monoi macerated in exotic Tahitian blossoms of Gardenia. Natural sugar extracts gently combine with water to turn the clear balm into a creamy milk that rinses away clean, leaving skin smooth, soft and fragranced with exotic natural hibiscus. Soap-free.
Without fail, after rinsing off, my skin feels super smooth, and it’s been brilliant at preparing my skin for self-tan.
Recommended for: Suitable for all skin types, if you want a hard-working skin scrub or you’re into your natural, organic skincare products – this is definitely one for you (as long as you like the scent of bubblegum!)
#05 FFS Beauty Self Tanning Mousse & Velvet Tanning Mitt
I couldn’t round up August skincare without including my favourite find this month. As a fair-skinned person with lots of moles, natural tanning is not my best friend. I always like to give things a little help. You know, to build my swimsuit confidence and all that.
I literally threw these into my suitcase as a last-second packing decision. I’ll admit I’m always nervous trying a new tanning product right when I need to be using it (without doing a little test run), but hey ho, this time I went for it and boy, did it deliver!
Firstly, it’s near foolproof to apply. The velvet tanning mitt made it effortless. The mousse instantly provided a golden brown colour to my skin, with absolutely no streaks or telltale self-tan smells. Fantastically, it didn’t rub all over my clothes or all over my bed – but I think the air conditioning in our apartment might have helped with that.
Now, you can wash the initial layer off after a few hours, but I left it on until my next shower with no issue. I used the medium shade, which was pretty light but was evident enough for me. I may even try ‘dark’ on my next holiday.
The mitt got covered in dark-brown tanning mousse, and I truly believed there was no way I’d be able to clean it off, but with some warm soapy water, it completely came off (and I didn’t even wash it instantly), leaving it all good as new to use for my next application. As far as self tans go, this one is a winner!
They Say: Our award-winning quick-drying and lightweight fake tanning mousse feature a hydrating formula that blends easily into the skin. Our medium self-tanning mousse is perfect for lighter skin tones, effortlessly apply to your whole body to give a summer feelgood glow. While our dark self-tanning mousse is perfect for darker skin tones, effortlessly apply to your whole body to give a deeper holiday feel-good glow. Certified cruelty-free and vegan friendly.
Recommended For: Anyone looking for a more natural self-tan – especially novice self-tanners.
Top Tip: For all my self-tanning top tips, click here!
Coming up next month!
I’ve got lots to share with you next month, including a night cream with a little ‘sprinkling of magic’ and my first try of a luxury sustainable fragrance brand. See you soon!
Recommended: A Super Easy Handcare Routine For Smooth Well-Cared-For Hands
I hope you enjoyed (and found helpful) my August skincare reviews. Have you tried any of the products I’ve mentioned? Had did you get on? Do any spark your interest? Whatever you’d like to say – or ask – please do! Simply leave me a comment in the box below. I’m happy to help and I always love to hear from you.
ADVERTISEMENT:
