Beauty: Skincare Haul

Recently, I've ran out of my skincare basics. I've felt the need to venture out and try new items. I wanted to make sure that I had established an informed opinion on these products, so this took a little longer than expected.

This is what I bought from the most recent 40% off skincare deal in Priceline:

Moreish Liberation Foaming Cleanser: It's not too harsh and drying for my skin and it has a pleasant citrus/fruit scent, most likely from the lemon extract. I try to be careful around any skincare with citrus -- phototoxicity is a risk and it's an irritant. It's up to people's discretion and in my case, I won't purchase it again because I want a cleanser to be free from any potential irritants. It comes in a bottle with a pump, and also a clamp for the pump mechanism -- very handy. One thing to note is that the only ingredient that they advertise as organic is the argan oil. It can be a little misleading. I might consider their pure argan oil next. 

People for Plants Pomegranate, Burdock, Shea Night Cream: This has been OK. Nothing remarkable but it serves its purpose as my night-time moisturiser. It's not too greasy although it does feel a little heavier and thicker than I normally use, which takes some time getting use to. As I'm acne-prone, the coconut oil brought on red lights but it seems my skin had a problem with it, even after two weeks of use. What brought red lights was the use of alcohol -- near the bottom of the list but still there. That's enough for me to move on after I finish this tube.

I like that it comes with a pump and a cap to go over it -- very sanitary. It's not scented, so the product itself smells a little like plastic/cardboard. This moisturiser's great for normal/combination skin. It might not be moisturising enough for those with very dry skin. This would be a good addition for anyone who will only use organic products -- it is 89.4% organic certified. 

Indeed Labs Hydraluron Serum and Trial Set: I've heard a lot of hype around the products from Indeed Labs and thought it was a good time to try them out. I finished all the serums I owned, so what better time to start with a new one? With dehydrated skin, Hydraluron seemed like the perfect match and I enjoyed using it, even as far as picking up the full-size.

The texture's a little sticky. It's mostly hyaluronic acid and doesn't offer any other benefits but I'm not keen on serums that offer multifunction and anti-aging benefits -- probably not a popular opinion. Anti-aging skincare includes antioxidants but not all antioxidants are stable and my 30mL tube of serum will probably outlive it. I'd rather just layer two different serums or take in antioxidants via my diet and slather on sunscreen.

In the morning, my skin feels plumper than usual but only time could tell whether this is worthy of being a staple in my routine. Most signs point to 'no' -- it's affordable but it's no budget friendly option and I'd rather spend my money on a vitamin C serum, and just opt for a hydrating moisturiser.

As for the other trial samples of Nanoblur and Snoxin, I didn't care for them. I hated Nanoblur as a primer because it made my foundation roll up and cake. Snoxin seemed like it would be a useless addition to my skincare routine.

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask: Finally, I have my hands on an Antipodes product and I selected this mask. This has a herbaceous citrus and vanilla scent -- very beautiful. When you slather on this product, it's quite emollient like a moisturiser. Once you leave it on, it starts feeling sticky against the skin. When you wash with warm water, it's not stripping and feels quite gentle. I can't justify the money to have it regularly in my routine but if I have money to spare, I might consider it again.