March Beauty Favourites + Sunday Reflections link up

Happy Sunday! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful weekend! Today I’m sharing my March beauty favourites…little later than planned, but better late than never, right? 😉

SKN-RG Evolution Alpha Serum

I’ve been trying out some fantastic skincare products recently, including the SKN-RG Evolution Alpha Serum. When it comes to clean credentials this serum ticks all the boxes; SKN-RG products are Soil Association certified organic, Leaping Bunny Cruelty-Free certified and Vegan Society approved. The brand has won more than 30 awards, including Best Anti-Ageing Skincare Brand 2019, Best Vegan Skincare Brand for 2018 and Best Vegan Specialist 2018.

The SKN-RG range is described as an “advanced anti-ageing vegan complete skincare regime pure energy fusion”. Its founders, Deborah & Robert Scott, became intrigued with the idea of discovering what the skin really needs to overcome fatigue. As expert therapists they spent many years testing different concentrates, using only the finest certified organic, vegan and natural ingredients.

They went on to develop what is known as Quanta Energising Technology, which claims to increase the performance of the concentrates by infusing the extracts with sound and light. These “supercharged herbal extracts” are then said to transform into a type of extract that the skin readily accepts as energy. High tech stuff indeed.

The serum is a light, fairly thin consistency, so one pump adequately covers my face and neck.

I did very little research on the serum before I began using it because I prefer to try beauty products with no preconceptions or expectations. I’ve been using it for about a month and I’m really happy with the results. It hasn’t made a dramatic difference to my skin, but it has improved the texture and moisture level. It has also calmed my skin, reducing redness softening fine lines. The serum is a light, fairly thin consistency, so one pump adequately covers my face and neck. I’m not a fan of the term “anti-ageing” but at least we all know what it means.

The bottle has a twist pump to prevent any accidental leaks if you take it on your travels. In terms of cost, it is a little on the expensive side at £75. My budget for a serum would usually be £50 maximum, but it is lasting well and it suits my skin. The jury is out on whether I would splurge that much for a skincare product though, however good it is.

Little Piece of Cornwall subscription box

I love subscription boxes so I was delighted to receive a Little Piece of Cornwall box. It’s the only subscription box in Cornwall that gives you a little taste of what Cornwall has to offer. Including a hand-picked selection of treats and products from the county’s homegrown brands, it makes a wonderful gift for someone, or maybe just a treat for yourself.

I love the St Kitts Rosemary and Bergamot body lotion, which is delightfully invigorating and refreshing.

In my subscription box I received a candle, soap, body lotion, body oil and four chocolates which Isobel said were delicious (they weren’t vegan so unfortunately I couldn’t eat them). I love the St Kitts Rosemary and Bergamot body lotion, which is delightfully invigorating and refreshing. The Made For Life Softening Body Oil is equally lovely, and perfect for dry shins and knees.

The boxes cost £14.99, and you can purchase a single box, or select a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription.

Tarte Double Duty Beauty

I’m a huge fan of Tarte cosmetics, and every so often they have a not-to-be-missed sale when I stock up on mascara reduced to £9! As well as being seriously good quality and vegan, the packaging is totally fabulous. Along with my last mascara haul I also bought the Double Duty Beauty travel set. In the set is an eyeshadow palette, mini Maneater mascara, lipstick, mini rollerball perfume and cute sequin-embellished makeup bag. I use both Tarteist and Maneater mascara – the former being more for dramatic lashes, while the latter creates a more feathery look.

The lipstick is in a card tube (much more eco-friendly than plastic) and just the right size to pop in your handbag. It’s in the shade Palm Pink, a dusky pink with a hint of coral, which will suit most skintones.

I’ve worn Tarte eyeshadow in 35c degree heat and it doesn’t budge.

The eyeshadow palette has six shades: soul sister, boss babe, ambition, goin’ places, make it happen and #work. Tarte always has the most fun names for eyeshadows 🙂 I prefer palettes that have both matte and shimmery eyeshadows, so that I can tailor my look for day or evening. The colour payoff is fantastic and it has great staying power. I’ve worn Tarte eyeshadow in 35c degree heat and it doesn’t budge. It’s the only brand I wear and have done for several years now.

The perfume is a little bit too sweet for my liking, but as soon as Isobel saw it she had her heart set on it. I’m getting used to sharing my makeup and perfume lately. She’s already started on my clothes too…a little preview of what’s to come in a few years no doubt!

J.One Hana Cream & Jelly Cream

When I was sent these two creams to try I had never heard of the brand. Korean skincare is famous for multiple steps that most people simply don’t have time for. I’m quite minimalist when it comes to looking after my skin, so I was intrigued by these creams and keen to dip my toe in the #Kbeauty waters.

This cream is ideal for transitioning from heavy winter creams to lighter versions for spring.

The J.One Jelly Cream is an ultra-lightweight gel formula that boasts anti-ageing skin brightening, plumping, firming, and softening benefits. It contains fullerene, a Nobel Prize-winning ingredient, that oxygenates and delivers visible lift and plumpness to the skin. This cream is ideal for transitioning from heavy winter creams to lighter versions for spring. It’s suitable for all skin types and combats dryness, dullness and loss of elasticity.

It sinks in effortlessly and leaves a soft, dewy finish.

My skin loves this cream, it really made my complexion more radiant, softer and plumper. The gel consistency feels like it will pill if you work it into the skin too much but it doesn’t at all. It sinks in effortlessly and leaves a soft, dewy finish. My makeup goes on much better after using it and I’ve noticed I don’t get that mid afternoon shine as much.

The J.One Jelly Cream is free from Sulfates, Parabens, Phthalates, synthetic dyes and mineral oils. It’s available at Boots, costing £32 for 30ml.

The J.One Hana Cream  was designed by Korean actress and influencer Ha Ji-Won and claims to achieve results in under 2 weeks. The white pearls contain a combination of proteins and peptides that improve the elasticity of the skin, creating a lifting and firming effect.

My skin soaks it up and feels instantly smoother, velvety and more radiant.

A plastic spatula is included to scoop up one of the pearls, which you then crush between the palms and gently press into the skin. The nourishing complex (which contains Fullerene, sunflower oil, Macademia oil and peptides) plumps the skin and helps to blur fine lines and wrinkles. One pearl is just enough to cover the face (but not quite enough for the neck too). My skin soaks it up and feels instantly smoother, velvety and more radiant.

Also available from Boots, the J.One Hana Cream sold out within its first week! The 20g pot costs £22,and the 40g pot retails for £38. As with the SKN-RG serum, I deliberately didn’t research these creams before I started using them, and I fully expected them to be much more expensive than they are. I alternated these two creams, using the Jelly Cream at night and the Hana Cream for daytime. I started using them a few weeks before I introduced the SKN-RG serum, so as not to muddy the waters. These are probably the best moisturisers I’ve tried in a long time, and I think they’re great value for money. You could expect to pay a lot more for products of this calibre – no wonder they’re flying off the shelves!

Have you tried any of these products?

This is where I link up!

Disclaimer: I was gifted some of the products featured in this post in exchange for a review. All words and opinions are my own and completely honest.