I know what you might be thinking… ‘Jen, why do I want to know about the products you’ve used to the end and repurchased?’
Well, let me tell you. Most of you know I’m a makeup and skincare junkie. This means that I almost never buy the same products twice, as I’m super-keen to try new ones and expand my horizons. So if I use a product until it’s empty (already a rarity) and then buy it again (almost unheard of!), you can assume I like it a LOT.
So shall we get started?
1. Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with avocado
I started using this eye cream following a recommendation from Lisa Eldridge – my favourite beauty expert. This is a smooth, fairly thick, green cream that you put on around your eyes every night before bed.
It’s non-greasy, doesn’t really smell of anything and it goes on easily. My sensitive skin and eyes don’t react badly to this, and I do think it helps to strengthen the delicate skin around my eyes. I’m on the second pot of this, and I recommend you buy the bigger one as it’s better value for money! A small 14ml pot costs £20, while 28ml costs £33.50. One of these will last for months and months as you don’t need to use much.
2. Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara
I’m the first to admit that the amount of money I’ve spent on ‘high-end’ mascaras over the years is embarrassing. And ultimately I always, always come back to this amazing mascara, which costs about £7.99 on the high street. As you can see from the picture, my original has been well used!
This is just a brilliant all-round mascara. The ‘extreme black’ colour is super-dark, and the brush gives you good control when putting on your mascara. It gives you length, volume, and doesn’t clump up (which I hate). This is one of the few mascaras I can actually layer up without it making my lashes look thick and flakey. This won’t give you a ‘false lash’ effect exactly, but one layer is perfect for work/a day look, and two layers glams it up.
As long as this is available, I don’t think I’ll buy another mascara.
3. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer
On the left-hand side of this picture is my original Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer. I’ve actually worn it down to the point that you can’t see it any more – so check out how it should look here! It cost £16 but it lasted me for months and months.
I love this brow definer for a few reasons. It has a soft, fat spooly on the end to help brush your eyebrows and blend the product. It also has a unique triangular shape, which gives you a ‘thin’ edge for drawing thin lines and individual hairs, and a ‘fat’ edge for filling in larger areas of sparseness. And finally, it only required a light hand for application as the product is soft and smooth. This was my one-stop-shop for eyebrows.
Like a dummy, I accidentally ordered the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz as a replacement (the right-hand product in the picture). While this is still nice, it definitely isn’t the same 😦
4. Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray
This setting spray is perfect for spritzing on your face when your makeup is finished. It will remove any traces of powderiness on your face, adds a look of freshness, and will make your makeup last much longer. It’s £22 for one of these, and if you wear makeup every day it’ll still last almost a year.
I used this one down to empty and went to buy a replacement – but instead decided to try the ‘de-slick’ version for oil control. I haven’t decided how I feel about this one yet as it’s early days, but I know I love the All Nighter. Importantly ,the spritzer distributes the product evenly without clumps of wetness on your face.
5. Boots Witch Hazel pore strips
These Boots own-brand nose pore strips cost £5.49 for 6 strips. While there are many skin-care solutions for helping with pores and blackheads, I always like to do a ‘reset’ with one of these strips approximately once a week. While this doesn’t fully deep cleanse, there aren’t many things more satisfying then seeing a field of crap that’s come out of your face littered across the pore strip once you peel it off. It just feels CLEANER.
And the best part is, my nose pores will appear much tighter for at least a day, so these are great to use before a special occasion. I even used one the night before my wedding!
6. Cloud Nine hair straighteners
I’m pretty passionate about these Cloud 9 ‘original’ Irons (£139.99). Like most girls, my first ever straighteners were original GHDs, which I loved. However, one day my brother-in-law stood on them and their time was up.
My hair-dresser had always used this Cloud 9s on me, and I couldn’t help noticing how they felt gentler and left a really beautiful finish. You can control the temperature and they have a 30 minute timer, so they’ll turn themselves off if they’re not used (safety!). I bought a pair back then (maybe 8 years ago) and fell in love. We straightened and curled together until one day, they passed away due to natural causes (a loose connection, I believe).
In a moment of madness, I replaced them with a pair of limited edition rose gold GHDs, and immediately regretted it. As the GHDs were ‘metallic’ looking, they had a slippery, slidey finish, which made curling my hair almost impossible. I immediately sold them and repurchased the original Cloud 9s. I won’t stray again!
Which products do you love?
So that’s it – these are my latest product empties/repurchases. I would happily recommend any of these products without hesitation. Let me know your product favourites in the comments, I’m always super-keen to hear what other people swear by!
Totally addicted to base 