Skincare Reviews | July Empties

It's been a while since I've done one of these empties posts and I actually have another shoe box full of empties!  This post will feature skincare reviews of a lot of basics that I've had in my skincare routine off and on for a while now.  Some are definitely staples that I'll for sure repurchase while others...well, not so much.

skincare reviews |  toners

I have two exfoliating toners here - Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic and First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads.  Both are nice, but I definitely prefer the Pixi Glow Tonic.  I haven't repurchased this yet, but I definitely will.  I love that it's mild enough to use everyday, but it's still effective.  When I use this, I notice that my skin is more clear and more radiant because it helps remove all the dead skin from my face.  Honestly, the Facial Radiance Pads are nice, but the Pixi ones just work better for me, so I probably won't repurchase them in the future.

skincare reviews | essence

Alright, so I'm officially a fan of essences.  If you're not familiar with essences, they're basically skincare primers.  Just how makeup primers make you makeup look better, essences prep your skin for the other treatment products that go on after, making them more effective.  When I first heard about essences, I thought they were just a gimmick to make people like me spend more money on skincare.  BUT, I gotta say I think they actually work.  This Murad Hydr0-Dynamic Quenching Essence was something that I reviewed for MakeupAndBeautyBlog.com a while back and it's so good!  It's a very light moisturizer that just plumps my skin and makes it feel super soft.  For the summer, I think it's a perfect lightweight moisturizer, and during the winter it would be great layered under something a bit heavier.  I'm still using the Lancome essence that I mentioned in my recent skincare routine post, but after it's done I may purchase this Murad essence.  If you're looking to add some moisture to your skin, but you want something that's not super heavy and greasy, definitely check this out.

skincare reviews | primers

So I have two primers with SPF but they're totally different! First is the Giorgio Armani Maestro UV Skin Defense Primer.  I reviewed it already (in this post) so I'll be brief.  It's super silky and soaks right into my skin with no white cast.  Even though it's amazing, I probably won't be re-purchasing it right away because it leaves my skin slightly shiny and it's pretty expensive.Next, I have the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer.  This has SPF 15 and it leaves a very matte finish to my skin, but I also feel like it leaves a slight ashy cast too.  It's a very smoothing and mattifying primer, but for some reason I just don't love it.  I think it's because there's a lot of silicone in it but I just don't love it although it does keep my skin from getting too shiny.

skincare review | mask

Last I have the Caudalie Purifying Mask which was my ride or die for like six months.  I love how this mask draws out impurities but it's not super drying.  I have more details in this post but I gotta say this is a really good mask.  If you have clogged pores and/or breakouts, you'll def wanna check this out.  I highly recommend it.What have you guys been using lately?  I need to replace my current cleanser soon, so please give me some recommendations!

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