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Did I need a new cleanser? Absolutely not! But did I buy a new cleanser? You bet I did. And a new face mist. And a Vitamin C Serum. And then I got sent anther Vitamin C serum and three different exfoliants, and all that means that I have a lot of stuff to show you. From The Inkey List, Geek and Gorgeous and Medik8.

 

 

Other than that it was mostly a month of wrapping up things – work projects, book trilogies and Netflix series, to prepare for the school summer holiday where on top of everything else, the kids are home wanting to be entertained. Although I hate to admit, they did reach an age where my company isn’t their first choice anymore. Bitter sweet as it marks the passing of time, but also me regaining some of my free time.

I also filled a hole in my closet, meaning I have two denim options and a pair of shoes to show you right at the end – stick around for fifty shades of black, which seems to be my happy color.

 

 

 

New In from The Inkey List

I mentioned already that I didn’t need another cleanser. I have 6 that are currently open (yes, I counted), and several backups of my favorites. But that has never stopped me in the past, and the new The Inkey List Hydrating Cream-to-Milk Cleanser (180 ml for 15 €, full review coming soon) sounded like a great option for fall and winter. Not that I care to think about it getting cold again, I am not a sweater weather person. Quite the opposite, I am constantly cold and thrive at 24 degrees and above. It is supposed to cleanse thoroughly without stripping the skin, which is always a good idea, and The Inkey List do cleansers very well, so into my basket it went. It has „Accepted by the National Eczema Association“ written all over the website, for whatever that is worth.

And while I was at it, I decided to get The Inkey List Hydro-Surge Dewy Face Mist (75 ml for 12 €, full review here) as well. Again, I have several face mists on rotation already, and I am not even into the glow it promises, but – here we go. I will take it with me on our upcoming trip next month, long distance flights tend to really suck the moisture out of my skin.

 

 

New In from Medik8

You might remember me reviewing the Medik8 C-Tetra Luxe Serum (30 ml for 82 €, full review here) back in December 2024. Well, this one is the new Medik8 C-Tetra Advanced 20% Vitamin C Gel Serum (30 ml for 85 €, full review coming soon), which has 20% Vitamin C – the Luxe Serum has 14% – and Phyto-Exosomes. (More info: The benefits of exosomes in your skincare explained)

It is also described to be a gel serum, which sounds interesting, and uses Tetrahexyldecyl-Ascorbate, a more stable form of Vitamin C. Again perfect for our upcoming trip, as my usual option with Ascorbic Acid doesn’t take traveling too well.

 

 

New In from Geek and Gorgeous

My favorite is of course, no surprises, the Geek and Gorgeous C-Glow Serum (30 ml for 12,50 €, full review here), which I repurchased last month. I tend to keep it in the fridge, hence my reluctancy to take it with me when traveling.

Not purchased myself, but sent over are the three liquid exfoliants the brand offers. They changed the packaging, but kept the formula the same. I hadn’t tried them before, but from the description will design each of them to a different season for testing: Geek and Gorgeous Cheer Up with 5% Mandelic Acid + 1% BHA (100 ml for 28 €, full review coming soon) went straight into my routine for summer, to help fight congestion and texture without irritating too much. The Geek and Gorgeous Smooth Out  with 12% Glycolic and Lactic Acid (100 ml for 30 €, full review coming soon) will help me get my skin back on track in autumn and lastly the Geek and Gorgeous Calm Down with 3.2% PHA and 0.8% BHA (100 ml for 28 €, full review coming soon) should keep things smooth and calm when the cold season rolls around.

Seems like I am all set for upcoming months!

 

 

New In from Garnier

2025 is the year of Garnier body lotions, it seems, for I have purchased yet another version I hadn’t tried before: the Garnier Body Tonic Firming Lotion (400 ml for 4,99 €) with Caffeine. I promise I didn’t buy it for the firming claims, I really don’t think a body lotion will have much impact in this regard, but because it was the only one left in store when I went to pick one up.  Not that I would mind a little firming all around, but I get I’d need more than caffeine for that.

The scent is something on the citrussy side and why I don’t mind it, I can’t say I am the biggest fan either. Citrus scents in body lotion often err on the side of toilet cleaner for me. I prefer the Garnier Intensive 7 Days Caring Lotion in terms of scent and the Garnier Urea 24h Skin Smoothing Creme-Milk in terms of hydration, but it will do for summer when my skin isn’t that dry overall.

 

 

 

New In fashion

I told you I had sorted out my closet to identify potential gaps, and one of the gaps was a pair of black denim. I owned a pair previously that I, in a moment of severe misjudgement, had purchased in low rise and that, after 8 years of wear, had rubbed through where my thighs meet. No thigh gap here, I am just not build that way. I don’t think I even had one when I was 12.

I like wearing them to work, as they look more elegant than regular denim, but still don’t feel too dressed up when combined with a fancy top, so they needed to be replaced. Out of the many options I ordered, these are the two I kept: The Kaffe DIMA Jeans Bootcut in black deep (Size 38, 79,95 €), which isn’t really denim, but made from 52% Modal, one of these half-synthetic fibres made from wood. That gives it more shine and a softer feel than regular denim would have, very fitting for the office. Both options were labelled as high rise and boot cut, although I admit that the Bubbleroom HIGH Jeans in Black (Size 40, 49,95 €) almost looks as if it is flared. It is also a smidgen too long, meaning it touches the floor when I am wearing flats, and if it rains, it soaks from the bottom up. That should come as no surprise to me, as I have lived through this cut being in fashion once before, but I convinced myself that it wouldn’t be a problem because I could just wear it with heels.

And so I purchased a pair of summer kitten heels, black and strappy and with a lovely golden detail at the front. They are called Cushionaire Maui Kitten Heel Sandals (Size 8 for 59 € originally – I picked them up at TKMaxx for 29,99 €) and they are surprisingly comfortable to walk in, but what can I say – I still don’t wear heels on a regular basis. So these were probably more of a gap in the fantasy wardrobe of the person I dream of being sometimes than something I really needed. Please note that they run small, I usually wear a size 37 in shoes and they are about two sizes bigger than that.

 

 

Things I have done, read and watched in July

As mentioned before July was a month of wrapping things up, meaning I finished both The Draconis Memoriam Trilogy I already talked about last month – very good right to the end, I really need to check out the rest of Anthony Ryans work – and nothing else in terms of books. When I am not on holiday, my reading time is reduced dramatically, meaning I am lucky if I manage 15 minutes at night before falling asleep. Same goes for my Netflix time, but I managed to finish Ginny and Georgia as well, sacrificing a little more sleep than I should have. Anything involving family drama, mother daughter relationships and a little spice is right up my street, but this one, touching on childhood abuse, depression and self-harm really gets me. Obviously my life is a very different one – I feel that is necessary to say if you have watched the show – but here the mother is a character I can identify with. I can relate to her struggles, her determination to do anything to keep her children safe and happy and the devastating realisation that she failed – because you can never really protect your children from the world. Again, don’t get it the wrong way, my life has had a very different path and I became a mother from a very different place, but some things are kind of a universal experience I guess.

And that is everything I have to share, because I didn’t really do anything other than work and the usual stuff last month.

How about you? Anything to share?

 

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