Beauty chat - freebies/gifts with purchase/offers THREAD SIXTEEN

[OvaHere]

New thread. Everyone welcome to join to chat about beauty bargains or just beauty in general.

Thanks to everyone who regularly contributes and keeps us whizzing through these threads.

Now we're in June we might be seeing the first Advent reveal before the month is out! Exciting times. 😍

@Fillybuster I did a low-spend last year so I was able to really crunch the numbers on what I get through in a year (yes, it’s very nerdy!)

Serums like Vitamin C: 10ml/month - I usually have an AM serum (vit c) and pm (retinoid)
Moisturiser: 20ml/month assuming I’m using the same one AM/PM
Balm cleanser: 100g lasted me a year!
Gel cleanser: 300ml/year
Facial SPF: 30ml/3 months, faster in summer
Toners: 100ml took the best part of a year to finish

Gosh, I agree on the toner - I use it every day but one bottle lasts forever!

Unfortunately, I seem to have acquired quite a few toners recently- no way am I going to use them all up before expiry so need to pass some on.

Phew! Thank you everyone for your replies (especially loving @Motherwols scientific breakdown!!) and for the honesty re multiple products on the go @Beautyfox & @Doglover73 - that’s incredibly helpful and makes me feel a bit more normal 😂

I’ve got a huge under sink drawer (think nearly 1 metre long) full of my “currently in use” products, along with a load on my dressing table. I know part of the problem is having more than one open at the same time, so it’s helpful to realise that the other element is that it really does take a while to get through most products. Certainly longer than my attention span / desire for a dopamine hit will allow!

I’m working on giving myself permission to throw out products I don’t like, but even that only goes so far. I really want to try the Decree morning serum over the Medik8 vit C but am waiting until I finish my current BoJ niacimide (2 more in stash), which I really like, so no reason to change, and it’s taking forever….sigh….

Thankfully I’m fine with mucin (bought by accident as it’s an ingredient in my azalaic acid) and niacimide (which seems to be in everything!) but I think will avoid spicules. @IlovePond is that the active ingredient in the reedle shot products? I meant to buy a couple of the 100 (lowest) strength to try in my last SK order but bought 1000 instead! Am definitely not planning to use those any time soon….

I’m still in my toner discovery phase so please send me the link if you sell them on @IlovePond . I get through them quite quickly, as I get two cotton pads and soak them then do both sides of my face at the same time. Pretend I’m have a face treatment 😂

does that include photo-mucin too for people allergic to dust? I have a byoma in my stash. https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/p/byoma-phyto-mucin-glow-serum-40ml/15945150

@Fillybuster I often have more than one product of a type open at once, partly due to impatience and to prevent boredom but sometimes because I took minis for a trip then need to use them up.

I'd use the Decree and the Vit C together. I always use a Vit C and then a another serum on top. My skin does seem to cope with mostly whatever I chuck at it though.

I’m Currently using my lovely casa Lopez bag from the oh my cream summer edit but the big surprise has been the ilia overglaze lip gloss. It’s fantastic, it lasts and lasts - never had a lip gloss like it!

@OvaHere minis are a whole separate minefield for me, for the same reason! I should have said: I’m planning to use Vit C with the Decree, it’s the niacimide I need to finish first, as the Decree will have a similar (possibly better) effect. Worried I’ll like it too much, but let’s see.

Trying not to crack and open even more products unless they do something significantly different. Azalaic acid qualified, no problem, as did 2 new cleansers (Numbuzin foaming & slightly exfoliating, as I didn’t have anything like that on the go. And, ahem, Elemis balm, out of curiosity. Ok that didn’t qualify, I had another balm cleanser open. And 2 foaming ones. Bugger)

I just got the sunscreen edit from Latest in Beauty off TikTok for £46.12. Can't pretend I understand how the vouchers on there work though! They had the Cult Beauty Dream Hair edit for £32 too.

I don’t think I could ever be comfortable with snail anything near my skin. 🤮

I got this too. Hopefully it all goes through!

Minis are like odd socks for me. You think youve sorted them then more appear 🤣
Doesnt help that the majority of gwp are mainly minis and im a sucker for a gwp x

I've really cut down massively on the amount of gwps I go for just for this reason. I did go for the SNK make up one a while back when it matched with double points. I sold that on though as a way of reducing the cost of my overall order.

Still have too much. I'm trying not to buy much between now and advents because I know I can't resist at least one or two advents, even on my best behaviour. 😂

I made a purchase this week to get the CB points and to use up my FtF points but both times I bought reusable face cloths/pads rather than products.

Talking of recent serum purchases, I'm loving the Decree Treat Tincture from the FTF box flagged by this group. I'm pairing it with the Avant moisteriser from the same box and my face is doing well with the combo. Have any of you been trying it out?

@paetina I sold my avant on vinted but love the decree. Only using every 3 nights as my skin is still temperamental and I dont want to upset it again.

Debenhams have several edits discounted again, including one for men I’ve not spotted before, and the Female Founders collection (with the AM Decree serum) marked down. LOYALDEBS15 takes it down further, and I had a £10 voucher for £50 spend burning a hole in my inbox so I may have just purchased 2 more. Even though I’ve not tried the serum yet. But I like the mascara, love the flat lay bag, Dd1 loves the brown eyeliner and one of the perfumes, and I think the Oskia serum will be good in the evenings when I finish my medik8 peptides, so it feels like a total no brainer.

@BakeOffRewatch - that’s a good idea for using up serum!

Re: Snail mucin - the Korean dermatologist- Dr Lee - that I linked in a previous post mentioned people having allergic reactions to snail photo-mucin, linked to allergy to dust mites. I then checked online with other sources and apparently, it really is a thing.

The science eludes me, but I suggest having a google before deciding whether to use it yourself if you have other allergies. (Apparently having asthma, dust allergy as well as dust mite allergy increases the risk of sensitivity to snail mucin.)

According to Dr Lee, snail mucin products are very much aimed at the international market - Koreans - apparently - haven’t traditionally used them, though this might change given their current popularity overseas.

I know reedle shots ARE big in SK - a Daiso I visited actually had them behind the counter due to shoplifting!

Yes but aren’t they adorable.
I went on holidays a few weeks ago and I think I was more excited about starting some new minis than the city we were visiting.

@Fillybuster - spicules are something to do with sea sponges and other marine organisms, I think. The 100, 1000, etc. refers to the concentrations of spicules to the liquid. You are supposed to start with the lowest number if you want to use spicule products.

@Doglover73 - I think you are right to be wary if your skin is already prone to redness.

Here’s the video about spicules if anyone is interested by a Korean-American practising dermatologist in the US.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XG-wcGPvDlc

Obviously I am not saying the person in the video is right, but she convinced me it wasn’t worth the risk for the sake of using up the couple of reedle shot masks I have to hand as I already had some reservations. What she said about damage appearing later also really struck home.

I also love the Decree Treat and use it most nights.

The Avant quickly got boring for me (peaked early and didn’t try to improve) so I used it up as foot cream and it’s very good for that.

I have started using moisturiser I don’t really like as body or foot cream.

Any thoughts on the ultimate box by the Bridal beauty company?

You’ve inspired me to move onto Treat Tincture when my Medik8 Crystal Retinol 3 is finished (which will be very soon!). I was going to move onto Retinol 6 but I’ve got a few of the Decree so I should probably get started on them!

Lots of terrible feedback on the BBCompany on previous threads @openended - I wouldn’t buy from them myself.

@IlovePond Thank you, I seemed to remember there was some sort of controversy around them previously.

Thanks for the reminder @Fillybuster I just bought all three, and DD will love the Prada Paradoxe freebie 😊