CRUELTY FREE SKINCARE

Like I said in my first post of this vegan 'journey', I'm on a mission to transform my range of makeup, skincare and toiletries into a cruelty free range, as well as vegan. (I think cruelty free is my first goal, however I intend to near enough reach the goal of them both at the same time - and all of these products happen to fit both criteria so it really isn't going to be that difficult). In my mind I assumed cruelty free and vegan skincare would be ridiculously expensive, and something I wouldn't be able to afford as a student on a tight budget - but I was wrong, as Superdrug's skincare range is entirely cruelty free and vegan (and as far as I am aware their other own-brand products all are too!). This makes it incredibly easy and accessible to get your hands on a full skincare routine without breaking the bank.

The first step in my routine is the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser, which I cleanse my face with. If I don't have a micellar water (which I didn't at the time of planning this post) I tend to use this to melt away all my makeup - which it does really well - and then go in for a second cleanse to actually cleanse my face, usually with a flannel or muslin cloth. I prefer a creamy cleanser like this rather than a foaming cleanser as I feel as though a foaming cleanser strips away the moisture from my skin, whereas this doesn't.

For a moisturiser I have been reaching for the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Renewing Night Cream, which I prefer using to the day cream as it is far richer and nourishing - and as the weather is getting colder my skin is needing something more hydrating. Because it has no SPF in it I would put that on separately. I really recommend this to anyone looking for an intensive moisturiser as it does the job so well.

Now for some treatments and serums - which I don't use every day but thought were worth mentioning as they do work well and also fit into the vegan and cruelty free criteria - so it shows your options. The first is The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% which I tend to use when my skin is breaking out, or just needs to be cleared and smoothed a little - and it does a pretty good job. Only thing is that it is slightly drying for me, so I need to make sure I go in with the moisturiser. Finally, the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Overnight Peel which is ideal for using every now and then to make the skin more radiant and glowy - I don't use this too much as I don't want to strip my skin too drastically, but I usually go for this the night before a night out just to give me a little boost.

I hope this proves that being cruelty free is not as expensive as people assume, and even more so considering the Superdrug range is more often than not on offer for buy one get 2nd half price, or save 1/3, so really nothing is stopping you.

AMIKA HAIR PRODUCTS

I rarely venture outside the household's shared shampoo and conditioner when it comes to hair care products, and my standard heat protecting and shine giving sprays and serums, so when these Amika products* popped through my letter box, I was extremely excited to try them out.

The first of the trio is the Heat Defense Serum*, a nice alternative to the usual heat protective sprays. What I like most about this is that you can really coat all of the hair because of the serum formula, and it leaves my hair (which tends to go frizzy after blowdrying) feeling silky smooth and shiny looking. Because of this in comparison to my usual post-blowdry locks I am rather impressed with the protecting abilities of this one.

Usually when it comes to dry shampoo I am loyal to Batiste. I've ventured out to other brands before and missed out on that Batiste level of reliance and some even made my between-wash hair look worse than it did before applying anything. This however, is an exception to my 'Batiste only' rule; not only did it smell brilliant, it made my hair look extremely fresh with no powdery look or feel after a brief massage. This Perk Up Dry Shampoo* definitely ticks the boxes for me.

Finally we have the 'Haute Mess Texture Gel'* - the one I was perhaps most uncertain of. I rarely use products like this, as I fear I will be left with matted hair rather than beachy waves. I think the key is moderation, and the best method I have found is to apply a pea sized amount to the lengths of the hair and then do a french plait overnight, as by then it has done the work without me having to.

This brand has definitely surprised me, and I look forward to implementing these products into my everyday hair routine.

*PR Samples

CURRENT SKINCARE ROUTINE

My skincare routine has had a little bit of a change around recently - mainly because I have been taken off my prescribed skin solution so its more or less a battle of keeping breakouts at bay, and as most bloggers would, I thought it was worth sharing. I seem to have streamlined things a lot more than I would usually which deserves some credibility.

The Garnier Micellar Water has become a favourite again for the first step of the routine, because it just gets makeup off really quickly, which is a key part of my criteria. The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil has been a firm element of my routine for a very long time now, and I'm yet to find anything to replace it. The only problem I have is that it's hard to travel with - I can't take the entire bottle but it also seems to leak if I empty it into a smaller bottle? Nonetheless, it's a staple in my routine.

In the mornings, I'd then follow up the cleansing with the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +, and although I'm not entirely sure how much it does for me, it's more so what it doesn't do when I stop using it. And it acts as a good base for makeup alongside my moisturiser. In the evenings I'd most likely follow up my cleansing with the Boots Botanics All Bright Radiance Concentrate Serum - a lightweight, glow giving serum that is a rather decent price too.

Then, whether morning or night I'll follow this with the Botanics All Bright Night Cream as I find it suitable for night for enough nourishment, and in the morning too for a light slick of hydration as it seems to create a lovely base for makeup. I don't like the day cream versions in this range as they contain SPF and I prefer to apply my own SPF and they seem to make my face look a little paler because of the SPF anyway.

I'm thinking I'll be sticking to this routine for quite some time now as these products all seem to go hand in hand rather well.

BOURJOIS HAPPY LIGHT LUMINOUS SERUM PRIMER

Primers are few and far in my collection, as they either make no difference to me, or overly silicon based (they tend to break me out), and since the Bourjois Happy Light release hit the shelves a while back, I have been tempted to try it out myself. Despite my combination skin, I have been obsessed with glowy, dewy skin and powder is always by my side if things get a little shiny so it seemed the perfect time to give this a go.

The texture of the Luminous Serum Primer is really nice, it is very much a serum as the name suggests - lightweight, and skins into the skin quickly leaving a smooth base to begin your makeup. There isn't actually shimmer in this which is a massive plus for me, but it honesty adds so much inner glow and radiance to the skin without it.

In terms of increasing longevity of makeup (although this doesn't claim to do so anyway), I don't see much difference and sometimes I feel like my makeup does disappear at the very end of the day but for the majority of the day with a stunning sheeny glow its worth that sacrifice. Might I add, the scent really reminds me of baby shampoo, but I'm not complaining by any means.

This has easily become a Spring/Summer staple for me, and perhaps we'll be seeing an embrace of even more illuminating products from me...