The Second Chance-rs That Won Me Over

We all have a gaggle of products that we don't love, nor can we bring ourselves to admit defeat and clear them out from our stashes. I guess that we cling onto such items in the hope that one day they will suddenly work and all will be well again. The second chance-rs as I like to call them, not every "meh" product will unveil it's magic after a little persistence but every now and then, the stars align and a new favourite is found. Here is where my patience has paid off dividends and saved a few products from ending up on the scrapheap.

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser 
There was a time, maybe two or so years ago when all I used was NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, I swore by the medium coverage yet utter comfortably formulation that left my skin positively glowing. As quickly as I fell in love with the formula, I fell out with it - one day (or so it seems), the once easy to wear texture suddenly settled into every pore, created dry patches that I wasn't aware I had to begin with. It also didn't help that my once perfect colour match had a habit of oxidising and turning orange. In a weird flurry of panic while in Space.NK I purchased a brand new bottle and feel like I have been reunited with a lost love. It gently perfects the surface of my skin, hydrates without feeling heavy and weirdly stays in place without the need for setting powder (I have oily skin). I am obsessed once again.

Kat Von D Lock It Concealer
Sometimes learning to love a product means putting it to use in a less than typical way, for instance more often than not I use concealer to disguise blemishes (something I'm sure most of us do) and will dab it on to targeted areas and blend out. Well the thick texture of Kat Von D's Lock It Concealer is not the easiest to blend, I find it that when used as a stand alone product it dries far too quickly and has a tendency to gather into enlarged pores - far from ideal. I have found that it is the perfect product to mix into foundation (or any other liquid base product) to up the level of coverage, by doing so it glides onto the skin, is by far easier to blend and helps to even out my skin tone. Would I purchase another tube? Probably not but at least this way it is in rotation and not spoiling in a make up bag.

Burt's Bees Deep Cleansing Cream
Typically I lean towards balm or cleansing oils, partly out of habit but also because it is what works best for my skin type and make up habits (I do love a good heavy duty foundation). Recently (and I am accusing the artificial heat as the sole reason) my skin has become a little dry and sensitised, I wanted to find a cleanser that would remove every scrap of make up and leave my skin feeling comforted. I began Googling and reading blogs looking for suggestions and then I remembered I had a creamy, rich cleanser in my stash; a cleanser that I had deemed a little too moisturising in the Summer months but perfect for my currently dry skin. Burt's Bees Deep Cleansing Cream leaves my skin perfectly cleansed with next to no effort and is a dream for parched complexions. If you have oily skin this is not one I would typically recommend.

Travalo Atomizer
At first I thought Travalo's were a waste of money, I was almost certain that they would leak and be more hassle than they where worth. I was sent one, many months ago and it lay unused in a cupboard. Bizarrely I was more than happy to cart around a full sized bottle of perfume daily - adding excess weight to an already bursting at the seems handbag and of course running the risk of a glass bottle shattering. One day while lunching with a friend, she pulled out a bright pink Travalo and pretty much sold it to me on the spot; I went home filled mine (so easy to do) with my signature scent and have never looked back. As a matter of a fact I have went on to purchase another two (currently £10 at Superdrug, link above) for other favoured fragrances and do truly think they are beyond convenient.

Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in Happy Birthday
I have a soft spot for Deborah Lippmann nail polishes I really do but the shade Happy Birthday is a polish that has long collected dust in my collection. Why I am none to sure, perhaps it is because I equate glitter polishes as being festive and generally a nightmare to remove, who knows? What I can say is that I have rediscovered glitter nail polish and no bottle is getting more love than Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in Happy Birthday. Gosh I love it. The bright, multi-coloured flecks dance in the light and weirdly disguise nail polish chips. Yes it is a pain in the butt to remove but when a polish looks this pretty, it really is hard to hold that against it.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturising Stick
My night time lip balm of choice is the original Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm (the one that comes in a glass jar) - the thick, slightly lemon scented balm comforts and nourishes my lips like no other, so when I saw the more day time appropriate Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturising Stick, I immediately clicked purchased. I tried it once, wasn't overly impressed, tried it again and then again and still wasn't blown away. The problem is that this is a lighter version of the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm and as such shouldn't really be compared to the original. Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturising Stick as a lip balm is actually a well rounded balm: it slicks on to the lips with ease, is lightweight and undetectable in terms of finish and colour, not to mention it truly does hydrate. I can now say I am a fan of both versions of the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balms.

What products do you have stashed away, promising to return to with an open mind and a new found level of optimism?

Previous

Older Post

next

Newer Post

Related Posts