❤️ – Already Repurchased
😍 – Would Repurchase
😢 – Not For Me
Skincare
😍 Heimish All Clean Green Foam*
This is a perfect morning cleanser. It uses amino acid based surfactants to keep skin barrier and hydration levels intact. The result is a creamy, almost cushiony lather that feels far more luxurious than its price tag. Leaves skin soft and balanced, which in summer is frankly all you need.
😍 The Ordinary Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky Toner
This was such a pleasure to use. It’s a gently exfoliating, milky liquid that’s comforting where others can be astringent. You get a faintly silky texture on application, a nice mild brightening effect, and no irritation or redness. Like much of The Ordinary’s best work, its excellent value, extremely effective, and destined for my basket again.
❤️ Kate Somerville HydraKate Recharging Water Cream
A perfect moisturiser for summer. It’s featherlight in texture, but with enough oomph to properly hydrate parched skin. Gel creams often promise hydration but leave you feeling sticky or tight. This one sinks in beautifully and layers perfectly under sunscreen, and never pills. It’s specifically designed for dehydrated skin, and you can tell. I’ve already repurchased because frankly, I love it.
😍 Alpha-H Vitamin E Serum
If you love Alpha-H, you’ll likely love this too. It’s a serum that gets on with repairing, calming and fortifying skin that’s had a bit of a moment. Perfect for anyone who overdoes the actives or just needs a serum that behaves like a comfort blanket.
😍 Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Revitalizing Toner
Cooling, hydrating, and exactly the sort of thing you want to splash on after cleansing during hot weather. It preps skin nicely for serum, adds a layer of moisture, and generally makes everything feel a bit more moisturised and hydrated. I’ll be switching to the milkier version for autumn, but this one was a summer staple.
Body Care
❤️ Naturium Retinol Body Lotion
Of all the products in Naturium’s impressive lineup, this is probably my favourite. This is the sort of product that proves you don’t need to suffer through sticky, slow drying creams to have beautifully smooth skin. It’s creamy but light, sinks in with barely any effort, and makes my skin so soft I keep absent mindedly stroking my own arm like a narcissist. The retinol really does its thing and my skin looks noticeably brighter and smoother after using it for a few weeks, which for a body product, is saying something.
😍 Coola Radical Recovery Moisturising Lotion
This was my summer holiday companion, packed as a “just in case” for sunburn, though thankfully I came home unscathed. I ended up using it as a body lotion, and while it’s beautifully buttery and soothing, it does leave a bit of a film on the skin. For me, that’s not ideal in daily life, but I imagine if you were sore from the sun, the slight greasiness would actually feel quite comforting.
❤️ CeraVe SA Renewing Foot Cream
I honestly think this should be issued to the entire population during sandal season. The number of people I see with cracked heels that could double as sandpaper is alarming, when all it takes is this little tube to keep feet soft and smooth. It’s unglamorous, yes, but it does the job brilliantly, and that’s what matters.
😍 Ouai St Barts Scalp & Body Scrub
A pure shower joy. It’s one of those products that makes you look forward to your evening wash. The scent is summer in a tub (beachy, warm, slightly sweet) and the scrub leaves skin so silky you’ll want to skip moisturiser just to keep stroking it. It’s a total moodlifter.
Haircare
😢 Philip Kingsley Bond Builder Restructuring Treatment*
In truth, this isn’t really aimed at me. My hair isn’t damaged and I get it cut often enough to avoid split ends, but I used it as a general mask and it made my hair soft. Would I repurchase? Probably not. Not because it’s bad (it isn’t), but because Philip Kingsley’s Elasticizer exists, and for my hair type, that’s the one I’d spend my money on.
❤️ Hair by Sam McKnight Dressed to Kill Smoothing Cream
An impulse buy that turned into a daily staple. This is the perfect styling cream for people who hate the feeling of product in their hair. It tames, smooths, and defines without stickiness or weight, leaving hair soft, shiny, and polished rather than crispy or stiff. I’ve been using it constantly.
