Beauty Pie // Ultralight UVA/UVB SPF25 Review

Beauty Pie // Ultralight UVA/UVB SPF25
RRP £13.50/£23* for 50ml

I bought this on the 10th April 2024 for £13.50 from the Beauty Pie website. 

Beauty Pie is a membership-based company. I am a "pro" member which means I pay £59 a year. This enables me to purchase items at "discounted" prices as many times as I want in a year. Their £29 a year membership only allows you to place four orders a year. *If you don't have a membership it costs £23.

First Impressions:
Has that classic sunscreen scent but isn't too strong. It's very pleasant and reminds me of holidays. It slightly on the greasy side but I like the "dewy" glow it gives my skin. The best part is no white cast at all.

Usage
First use - ?
Last use - ?

I've been using this for the past year and half and I've just started the third tube.

Would I buy it: Yes. I bought another one a few months ago and it was on sale recently for £8.10 so I bought another.

Overall Impressions:
I love this stuff, even though I have no idea what rating the UVA is. Could be 1 star for all we know. I do love that this doesn't clog my pores or cause breakouts. I swear it even has a green tint to it and because of that it just melts into my skin, no clashes at all. The past eighteen months I've had no burning or deep tan lines on my face. I think it does a good job and works well with my existing moisturiser and makeup products. It does make your face very dewy, so if you want a matte look, you'll have to cake the products on a bit. I think £13.50 is very reasonable for this product, £23 not so much, I'd definitely go looking for a different product at that price.

Beauty Pie // Ultra Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner Sample Review

Beauty Pie // Ultra Nourishing Shampoo &  Conditioner Review
RRP £25/£50* for 2x450ml

I chose this as my free sample as part of an order I did on the 12th December 2025 from the Beauty Pie website. 

Beauty Pie is a membership-based company. I am a "pro" member which means I pay £59 a year. This enables me to purchase items at "discounted" prices as many times as I want in a year. Their £29 a year membership only allows you to place four orders a year. *If you don't have a membership the shampoo and conditioner costs £50.

First Impressions:
I'm not sure 12ml is really enough of each product to get a good use out of them. The shampoo barely cleaned my hair and it had only been two days since I washed it so it wasn't particularly very dirty. 

The conditioner left my hair feeling dry and wasn't great at detangling. My hair felt quite rough afterwards so I went over it with a L'oreal Hydrating Mask.

Usage
First use - 24.12.2025
Last use - 24.12.2025

Would I buy it: No. Far too expensive for what it is.

Overall Impressions:
For context, I have mixed afro/caucasion textured hair with a 3A/3B curl pattern. My hair is currently at waist length (I'm 5'7) with a full and half balayage done six and three months ago.

So as this was a sample and I barely got one use out of them, take this review with a pinch of salt. I always shampoo my hair twice. I use sulfates and silicones, my hair loves that stuff (especially amodimethicone). 

These are effectively £12.50 full size but I feel the ingredients used are too cheap for that price. The shampoo uses Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate which are "softer" cleansing agents. It doesn't have any sulfates in it which I prefer as I use oils on my hair every day and I need the stronger cleansing agent to remove the build up. It also contains proteins and oils, which again, I don't think this shampoo is strong enough to remove itself from your hair.

The conditioner uses glycerin and mineral oil as it's main conditioning agents which are some of the cheapest ones to use. It does have dimethicone but that's the cheaper version. Amodimethicone is preferred (well for me anyway). I wouldn't expect a £12.50 product to contain mineral oil though.

I usually diffuse my hair and leave it curly and my hair felt soft afterwards but it was very fly away and frizzy. I'll be sticking to my much cheaper but superior L'Oreal hair products.

Origins // Plantscription Anti-Aging Power Eye Cream Review

Origins // Plantscription Anti-Aging Power Eye Cream
RRP £45 for 15ml

I received this as part of an Origins Advent calendar a couple of years ago. It took me a while to get round to using it.

First Impressions:
This has a light earthy scent to it and has the consistency of a thick, moisturising face cream. It absorbs well and leaves the eye area looking refreshed and hydrated.

Usage
First use - Around July 2025
Last use - 29.12.2025

Would I buy it: Maybe?

Overall Impressions:
I reviewed the serum in this range back in 2020. Back then, I was a massive Origins buyer and nearly my entire routine was Origins products. I haven't actually bought anything from Origins in years now. I think I can tell a difference when using this product. I'm not sure anymore as my current moisturiser and serum do a lot of heavy lifting. I will say, I don't suffer from dry patches around my eyes whilst using this and my laughter lines seem subdued.

I have two eye creams to get through but seeing as it takes me around five months to get through 5ml of product, I have a feeling I won't need to buy eye creams until the end of 2026. If I don't like either of them, I will probably end up re-purchasing this one when it's on sale, or as part of a gift as I do like it and I've always been a fan of the Plantscription range.

Carolina Herrera // Good Girl Eau De Parfum for Her Review

Carolina Herrera // Good Girl Eau De Parfum for Her
RRP £74 for 50ml (30ml and 80ml also available)

This is a 7ml sample that I chose in the Latest In Beauty Style Awards box in 2019.

First Impressions:

My new favourite perfume. Move over La Vie Est Belle, there is a new legendary perfume in town. I originally got this scent in a 1.5ml vial from a Feel Unique Pick 'n' Mix and loved it. I jumped on the chance to get this beautiful 7ml mini version. There is just something so very very different about the scent. It's sweet, yet musky, light but heavy. It makes me feel like a posh lady that does brunch when I'm wearing it.

Usage

I haven't put my usual usage stats here because perfumes are a bit different; I tend to wear different ones depending on my mood. I will say that a 1.5ml vial lasts me a good month of use so I imagine a full size would last me at least a year.

Top Notes - Almond

Base Notes - Cacao, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Coffee

Heart Notes - Sandalwood, Tuberose, Iris, Jasmine

Scent - Oriental

I think one of the reasons why I like it so much is because it reminds me of Tia Maria but mixed with more vanilla and chocolate. I'm not a big floral fan; I'm more of a gourmand scent person so the notes in this perfume really speak to me. My only main gripe is that it doesn't last as long as I'd like it to. 

Would I buy it: In a heartbeat...if I had money.

Overall Impressions:

This is one of those products where I want to buy it and yeah, I just spent £80 in the FabFitFun summer add-on/customisation but I got 7 items for that (and those 7 items if bought individually cost way more than £80). It's not an essential and so I tend to pick up the 1.5ml vials wherever I can. It's quite easy to pick them up from stores (when they open again...) or add it to the Feel Unique Pick 'n' Mix. When I have a higher disposable income this will be one of the first things I buy because I love that stiletto heel so much.

Being by Sanctuary Spa // Salted Caramel & Macadamia Body Butter Review

Being by Sanctuary Spa // Salted Caramel & Macadamia Body Butter
Discontinued

This is a 300ml tub that I bought from TK Maxx in August 2019 for £3.99.

First Impressions

The smell....oh my lord the smell. It's just like the Muller Corner Toffee yogurts. It's amazing and thick and buttery. I just love it.

Usage

A 300ml tub usually lasts me just over a month of daily use.

Would I Buy It: Yes. Whenever I see it in TK Maxx I buy it. I was already on my third tub when I took this photo. On top of that, I've just finished my 2nd tub of the Mango & Chilli one and now I'm using up two of the 300ml body lotion versions on the Mango & Chilli...I really loved this range.

Overall Impressions

I never used to like Sanctuary Spa products; they smell like chemicals to me. There is absolutely no sweetness; Then they brought out the Being range a couple of years ago and the Salted Caramel & Macadamia is amazing; not SDJ Bum Bum amazing...what is? But still close. Then in true fashion they discontinued the entire Being range and I've been hoarding whatever I see in TK Maxx. It's a shame really because the Salted Caramel body spray was also like spraying heaven on yourself.

So this review is late but I guess thats what happens when you only review when the product has been used. I'm so annoyed; I really loved that Being range, it was so much more exciting than everything else they do.

They remind me of the Body Shop Body butter formula which has been my go to body moisturiser for years. It just leaves my skin moisturised for 24 hours with no dry patches. The body shop ones I only buy when I can get them on offer for £7 per tub or less so it now looks like I'm going to have to go back to stalking the body shop for deals or find another moisturiser in the £5-£7 range that's just as good.

Elemis // Ultra-Conditioning Lip Balm Review

Elemis // Ultra-Conditioning Lip Balm
RRP £21 for 10ml

This is a full size 10ml tube that I received in a Latest In Beauty Box sometime around summer 2019.

First Impressions

Quenching is the best word I can think of for this product. It's like a thick cream but my lips just feel instantly hydrated and tingly; it's a really nice sensation.

Usage

I started using it as soon as I got it and then took it to work with me and it became my work lip balm. It lasted til around December 2019.

Would I Buy It: Yes; if I had the money.

Overall Impressions

This was not what I was expecting. Usually, the only lip balms I can stand are Carmex Vanilla or Malibu Mint because they have that exact balm texture that I love; not greasy but the lips feel coated in something. It's hard to describe. This product doesn't leave that balm feeling as it absorbs so quickly but my lips were not dry afterwards; they stayed soft.

I'm not a big fan of squeezy tubes though as you can sometimes end up with too much or too little but this product isn't solid enough for a twist up and I can't stand balms in pots. It was a little difficult to get product out once it got to the end as well.

For £21 I think this is outside my price range...especially when I get angry when Carmex isn't on offer (It's usually £3.49 full price). If I was on 6 figures a year then yes I would purchase this but on my intern salary; no.

Greenfrog Botanic // Natural Body Lotion Sweet Argan Review

Greenfrog Botanic // Natural Body Lotion Sweet Argan 
RRP £13.95 for 500ml

This is a 50ml sample I received in the January 2020 Birchbox.

First Impressions

Wonderful scent with a light silky texture.

Usage

This lasted me 4 uses. It honestly really annoys me when Birchbox gives out 50ml samples of body lotions, especially when the full size is less than £15. I get that the 500ml wouldn't have fit in the box but this sample is worth about a £1 in the grand scheme of things.

Would I Buy It: Yes.

Overall Impressions

Even though the ingredients are quite cheap, I still really liked the product. I didn't want to either, I wanted to hate it because it was such a tiny sample but I can't. I have a few body moisturisers to get through but if I see this on offer I'll definitely buy one as 500ml should last me about 2 months and I tend to spend £7ish a month on body moisturiser so it works out.

After 20 hours my skin wasn't peeling or dry and it did surprisingly well with the elbows and knees; I just wish the scent lingered as it's easily the best part about the whole product. It's got a light, fresh, sweet almond scent that I wish I could bottle for a perfume.

Whenever I go in TK Maxx, I'm on the lookout for this product now (if we can ever go back in TK Maxx...)

Balance Me // Super Moisturising Hand Cream Review

Balance Me // Super Moisturising Hand Cream
RRP £14.50 for 100ml

The empty one is on the right. Both were bought from TK Maxx, the 50ml (right) was £3.99 and I purchased it August 2018. The left was £5.99 for 100ml and purchased a few weeks ago.

First Impressions

I remember when I bought this because it was the last time I did ride the lights in Blackpool. It always takes place in August and I had forgotten my handcream that day, so whilst I was out cycling I nipped in TK Maxx for some. This has quite a thick cream consistency and smells strongly of patchouli. It moisturises well and doesn't take too long to absorb.

Usage

I finally finished using the 50ml size a couple of months ago. That was with irregular use as it was kept in a bag I only used on certain occasions. The 100ml I've taken to work and I'm already half way through it. So I imagine the larger size would last a month and a half with use several times a day. In all honestly I don't like the smell' it's herby and smells like a new age crystal shop. That said, every single time I use this someone comments how amazing it smells so I think it might just be me. The scent is quite strong so keep that in mind if your sensitive.

Would I Buy It: Even though I detest the smell I would definitely continue to buy this. I remember this being £10 full size so it's gone up a bit but I see it quite a bit in TK Maxx. They've also redesigned their packaging so the older batches will probably show up in stores soon.

Overall Impressions

At the moment this is my go to hand cream; it's one of the first creams I've used in a while that doesn't leave my hands feeling dry 30 minutes after application. I use a pea sized amount and my skin is visibly smoother and more youthful. I've used a few products from this brand and I actually quite like it; especially the micellar water and eye cream.

Prismologie // Rose Quartz & Rose Comforting Hand & Cuticle Cream Review

Prismologie // Rose Quartz & Rose Comforting Hand & Cuticle Cream
RRP £30 for 75ml

This is a 40ml sample I chose in a Latest In Beauty box in either September 2019 or October....I can't quite remember now.

First Impressions

It's like cheap, generic hand cream that you could get from Home Bargains with a bland rose scent. It takes a while to absorb and leaves a lot of grease on your hands; leaving many greasy fingerprints on the keyboard.

Usage

This 40ml sample size lasted me about 3 weeks at work as I use handcream constantly. I felt myself using this more though as once it finally does absorb, my hands felt dry. As though they were covered in some sort of powdery substance.

Would I Buy It: No. I'm not sure what planet the owners are on either to charge £30 for this overpriced tat.

Overall Impressions

Like the oud foot cream I reviewed earlier, more emphasis seems to have gone on the packaging and curation of a "luxurious" looking product than creating an actual luxurious product that does something. On the website they pretentiously tell you to apply the cream then "cup your hands over your nose and let the calming effects of pink wash over you".

Mate it's a handcream. I want it to moisturise my skin and help prevent wrinkles; not start a new age movement. What are these people thinking?

Nourish London // Radiance Rejuvenating Peptide Serum

Nourish London // Radiance Rejuvenating Peptide Serum
RRP £23.50 for 30ml

I bought this from TK Maxx in November 2019 for £8.

First Impressions

This is a liquidy light weight gel that absorbs quickly but also leaves the skin feeling super sticky and unclean. I really detest the texture and how it leaves your skin afterwards. The scent is also very strange; it smells faintly of a urinal...lovely.

Usage

I used about 15ml over the course of 4 weeks and then I had to stop using it as it was causing me to break out in horrendous white pimples. When this happens I switch back to using products I know work perfectly with my skin and then use the offending product with these; if the pimples continue I know it's that specific one. Every time it made me break out I had to stop using the product for a week and a half whilst my skin calmed down and then the moment I re-introduced it back into my routine; instant spots. Usually within a few hours I'd see a whitehead appear. I do prefer these over the horrible painful red ones, but I'd rather not have any.

Would I Buy It: No, never again.

Overall Impressions

When researching this product to write this post I noticed that Nourish only sell this in a 30ml size which makes me wonder if this is belongs to an extremely old batch. The packaging and bottle are also different. I even went to page 3 of Google and still couldn't find any hits on the 50ml size. That could indicate that it was perhaps a limited edition size at some point. It's a shame really as I enjoyed previous Nourish products that I received in beauty boxes and I thought £8 was a bargain...now I know why it was £8. I have a sneaking suspicion that this serum is well past it's sell by date.

I don't like wasting products (especially ones I've bought myself), so I've started using this as a hand serum under my moisturiser at night and it actually works quite well at keeping my hands moisturised. I would never let this go near my face again though.

Origins // Mega Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion Review

Origins // Mega Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion
RRP £32 for 200ml

This particular bottle I bought from Feel Unique in July 2018.

First Impressions

It's like splashing your face with lightly scented water. It takes a few seconds to be absorbed but it really helps to freshen up you skin when it's looking dull and dry.

Usage

One 200ml bottle lasts me 5 months of twice daily use. I tend to drop about 1ml into the palm of my hand, then quickly place my hands together and then apply it to my face it light patting motions as it sinks in. I have noticed though, that if your face is super dry, it will just run over the surface of your skin and go everywhere. Since I've started using a cleansing milk and a moisturising toner; my skin sucks up this stuff almost immediately. Afterwards I use a serum followed by eyecream and a moisturiser.

It has no colourings and does have a light scent but it's hardly noticeable. I'm quite sensitive to scents in face products but this one does not cause any issues. 

Would I Buy It: Yes, and have done multiple times. Its one of my HG products. This was my third 200ml size bottle (currently on the fourth). 

Overall Impressions

This was the product that my routine was missing. My skin takes a nosedive whenever I stop using it and breaks out into the angriest red spots. I would say this has helped prevent spots on my skin. When I don't use it, my face feels dry, tight and very uncomfortable. The price may seem a little high for water with some additions but it's absolutely worth it. I've tried many essences from different brands but none do what this one does. 

Straight Arrow Mane 'n Tail // Moisturizer-Texturizer Conditioner Review

Mane 'n Tail // Moisturizer-Texturizer Conditioner 
RRP £4.49 for 355ml

This was a 60ml sample that I received in a Latest In Beauty box a few months ago.

First Impressions

This has weird, generic conditioner scent to it. It's also annoying that it's not in a squeezy bottle, getting product out of the bottom of these Mane 'n' Tail sample bottles is a nightmare.

Usage

The 60ml lasted me two uses as I have butt length hair. To be honest if I could've gotten it out of the bottle I would've used it in one go. Afterwards, my hair was silky soft even without applying my myriad of products. For some info on my hair type, I have mixed Afro/Caucasian hair with a tight coil curl on the lower half and a more relaxed coil on the top half.

Would I Buy This Product: Yes. I've already purchased a full size bottle that I found in TK Maxx.

Overall Impressions:
I love this brand. I remember first reading about it in a Meg Cabot novel in about 2001. It was "All American Girl" and the protaganists sister uses it on her hair as it's described as "unruly" and the only way to "tame" it is to use the products used on horses. After using it, the main character notes how her hair feels amazing. I'm not sure if Meg Cabot was in cahoots with Mane 'n Tail but that scene has stayed with me for almost twenty years and I'm glad the brand has finally made it's way over to the UK as it truly tames my unruly hair.

The products do smell a little chemically but they work and they're a great price.

Ecooking // Cleansing Gel Review

Ecooking // Cleansing Gel
RRP £18.40 for 200ml

This was a 50ml sample that I received in a Latest In Beauty box a few months ago.

First Impressions

Mainly positive. The gel has a nice texture and melts away product and oil on the skin. It does have a strong rose scent which worried me as rose items tend to break me out in spots however I think it's just used as a fragrance.

Usage

This lasted me a good 2 months daily use. I used it once a day before getting in the shower to remove the days makeup and just generally cleanse. It emulsifies upon contact with water for a quick and easy removal. My face doesn't feel squeaky clean after use which I like; it means it hasn't dried my skin out and there is no makeup left at all.

Would I Buy This Product: No.

Overall Impressions

I've used a few Ecooking products now and my opinion on the brand is "eh". It's not awful but it hasn't blown my socks away either. For the same price I'd much rather buy my favourite cleansing oil by Caudalie. I don't think this is a hack brand; it's very obvious they put a lot of thought into the products and the ingredients but in the words of Marie Kondo; this product does not spark joy in me when I hold it.

Nexxus // Encapsulate Serum Cavier Review

Nexxus // Encapsulate Serum Caviar
RRP £24.99 for 60ml

This was a 15ml sample that I received in a Latest In Beauty box a few months ago.

First Impressions

I honestly had no idea that this was a hair product. It was only when I read the back and it instructed me to apply to damp hair that I realised. I was about to use it on my face! It has a nice powdery smell; kind of like baby powder.

Usage

It's a nightmare to get this stuff out of the bottle. I had to keep banging it against the table to shift the product to where it would be dispensed. Once it eventually leaves it's in a white liquidy state. I thought the "caviar beads" would come out whole but the product gets mixed together when dispensed. 15ml lasted me about a month and I only wash my hair every 3/4 days and used 3 pumps at a time.

Would I Buy This Product: No.

Overall Impressions

This does nothing apart from leave your hair sopping wet. I've never known anything like it. Normally, my hair dries quite fast, but every time I used this, it took twice as long to air dry. I like to shower before bed, braid my hair and then quickly blow dry for 5 minutes in the braids just so it's not soaking wet. When I used this product, I was blasting my hair for 20 minutes and it still wouldn't dry. This product just seems to coat the hair in the something. That coating doesn't wear well either. I think if you wash your every every day or so you won't notice but after a couple of days I noticed that my hair would stick to itself and knot more easily. Something that doesn't happen with my normal Aussie leave-in.

I can't give this stuff away. I've taken it to work and everyone else had the same response, thinking it was a face cream then reading the back. I've also had one friend pull a face thinking there was actual fish eggs in the product. On almost every website this product has an average of 4 stars out of 5; I don't know how. Maybe this works for finer, Caucasian hair, but it was useless with my mixed Afro hair.

Prismologie // Sapphire & Oud Relaxing Foot Cream Review

Prismologie // Sapphire & Oud Relaxing Foot Cream
RRP £28 for 75ml

This was a 40ml sample that I received in a Latest In Beauty box a few months ago.

First Impressions

I'm not a big fan of the scent, I prefer sweeter smells and this is earthy and deep. It's definitely more of a masculine scent. The product is also more of a lotion and not very thick. It also takes a while to absorb.

Usage

The 40ml lasted me around three months daily use. I only use it once a day after my shower and I've definitely seen by skin take a nosedive since I stopped using my previous product (Hey Honey Foot Cream). This lotion was not moisturising enough for the winter months and there is a lot of dry skin on my feet now. They just look tired and they don't smell great either.

Would I Buy This Product: No.

Overall Impressions

I've also tried the rose hand cream from this brand and that was exactly the same product but with a different scent. This brand is super expensive for what it is and I've never heard of it before. According to their website they've been in business since 2013 and wanted a brand that infused colour with aromatherapy. It appears that the colour of the packaging is more important to them than anything else and whereas I love some great packaging; the product has to also shine and this foot cream is nowhere near worth £28.

It's great that this product is cruelty free and made in the UK however I'd recommend the Dr Organic Manuka Honey Foot & Heel cream as an alternative. It works infinitely better as a foot cream, smells great and only costs £6.75.

Caudalie // Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet Review

Caudalie Vinosource // Moisturising Sorbet
RRP £23 for 40ml

This was a 10ml sample that I received in a Latest In Beauty box some time ago. However, I have used two other 10ml samples completely in the past.

First Impressions

This is a liquidy white cream that kind of looks like it's curdled as it is a little chunky in some places but once you start rubbing it in it turns into a watery gel and sinks in quickly. It doesn't have the nicest smell; kind of like play dough.

Usage

I've previously used two 10ml samples to completion but this one I had to stop when it was around 3/4 empty due to the fact that it was breaking me out in spots. When I last used this product I was constantly switching up my routine and the products I used so I wasn't sure which products were causing me to break out. In the last 6 months though, I've stopped doing that and use 1 product to completion. I've found it very easy now to spot which items don't work with my skin or don't work in conjunction with other products.

My skin had been clear for a month and no products had been swapped out for a good 3 weeks, I then started using this and within 2 days, red angry spots were appearing on my skin. I continued using it for 2 weeks and it got worse. After stopping, it took 2 months for my skin to calm down and the scars from the spots to finally fade.

Would I Buy This Product: No. It works well as a serum but if you have sensitive skin or are prone to acne, I would not recommend this.

Overall Impressions

At first I was impressed, but that was before I stopped changing my routine all the time. Now, the smell, the texture and results just don't justify the £23 price tag. This hasn't put me off Caudalie products though, I still enjoy their Vinopure range but I think I'll stay away from the vinosource range now.

Baija // French Pompon Body Cream in Rose Lychee Review

This was a 25ml sample that I received in my October 2019 Birchbox. 

First Impressions

Very cute packaging, I'm already conjuring up a nail art blog post with this design. I have used one Baija product once before; a salted caramel body scrub from about a year ago. I never used it up entirely and ended up throwing it away as it flew past it's expiry date.

Usage

This is a thick, slightly pink tinted body cream that smells like sickly sweet powdery roses. It's not the best rose smell but it doesn't linger on the body for a long time. As a tiny 25ml sample I didn't get much use out of it. It managed to get one and half uses out of it when moisturising my entire body. 

It was not greasy or sticky but I did not feel that it adequately moisturised my body and after several hours, my skin felt dry. Notably my knees and elbows were definitely drier after using this.

Would I Buy This Product: No. 

Overall Impressions

The full size is £15.90 for only 75ml which is unacceptable for a body cream. For that price it should be a minimum of 200ml to ensure at least a months use. If found heavily discounted this would make a nice hand cream though.