A’kin Invigorating Facial Scrub

Hi there! Today’s post is about this A’kin Invigorating Facial Scrub which I found at TK Maxx. A’kin is a brand from Australia. They specialise in natural skin care. According to A’kin, this product is vegan and cruelty-free. This product also doesn’t contain mineral oil, sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrances, etc.

What it does contain is jojoba and corn beads which are supposed to exfoliate the skin and to refine skin texture. Depending on your skin type (this isn’t explained further), you’re supposed to use this product 1-2 times per week.

I’ve been using this product on and off for a few months, but I am not a fan. It doesn’t really exfoliate. I’m using a cellulose sponge and a regular face wash (nothing fancy) on a daily basis – and I’m getting a much more effective cleanse out of that. I would say that, on the days that I use this facial “scrub”, my face feels the least clean. This is due to the lack of exfoliation but also because of the film that this product leaves behind on my skin.

I will do my best to use up this product, but it’s a real test. I would definitely not buy it again. Also, for my face and for the environment, I think I’m doing a better job by using a reuseable, washable and bio-degradable cellulose sponge instead of this ineffective product, which comes double-packaged (plastic tube housed in a cardboard box) and which has an aluminium seal. Personally, I do recycle, but let’s be honest, most people – sadly – don’t care about recycling any of these 3 materials (well, 4 actually if you count the cap from the tube which is a different kind of plastic), so that’s just more stuff going into landfill. 😥

I am getting way off track here. So let me stop the rant right now. If you’re interested, A’kin Invigorating Facial Scrub is available as 75ml. I paid £2 (TK Maxx).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

A’kin Sensitive Calming Day & Night Cream

Hi there! Today’s post is about this A’kin Sensitive Calming Day & Night Cream. This face cream doesn’t contain sulfates, parabens, silicones, ethoxylated cleansers, PEGs, phthalates, mineral oil, synthetic fragrances, artificial colours and animal derivatives. According to the manufacturer, this face cream is vegan and cruelty-free. 😍

This face cream promises to nourish the skin and to enhance the skin’s appearance. Infused with chamomile, shea butter and vitamin E, this face cream also promises long lasting hydration that leaves even the most delicate skin feeling great.

I’ve been using this moisturiser on and off for a few weeks, and I don’t like it. Its not necessarily a bad product, but it’s just definitely not right for me. And here’s why. First of all, this moisturiser has a strong scent that reminds me of a kale-based skin care line that I tried (and hated) a long time ago. The scent is definitely botanical, but it’s not the most suitable scent for a cosmetic product.

Then there’s the formula. This face cream leaves white marks all over the face unless you go over it again and again. I would say that it takes about 15 swipes to work the white stuff into my skin. The formula feels overly rich, but it doesn’t seem to penetrate the skin. It just sits on top of the dry patches. Weird.

Lastly, this face cream doesn’t play nice with my foundation. It makes my foundation ball up. I tried to give it longer to absorb, but it didn’t work. I tried extra facial oil – but using facial oil in addition to a rich moisturiser AND an oil-based foundation is just ridiculous.

I think I will continue to use this face cream as a night cream. But since its richness appears to be superficial, I need to dig up the facial oil again. If you’re interested, A’kin Sensitive Calming Day & Night Cream is available as 50ml. The RRP is £24 but I paid £3 (TK Maxx).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

A’kin Brightening Vitamin C & Niacinamide Correcting Eye Gel

Hi there! Today’s post is about this A’kin Brightening Vitamin C & Niacinamide Correcting Eye Gel which I’ve been using for a few weeks now. This eye gel also contains pro-vitamin B5, vitamins C and E, hyaluronic acid, bisabolol, Australian jojoba oil and other botanical extracts. According to A’kin, this eye gel is vegan and cruelty-free! 😍

This eye gel promises to do a lot – to reduce dark circles and puffiness around the eyes, to brighten, even out and tone the skin, to soften fine lines and wrinkles, to sooth and hydrate the skin and to fight signs of premature ageing for firmer and more luminous skin.

Since I’ve been using this eye gel for a few weeks, I think it’s not great. Definitely not repurchase-worthy – especially not for its usual price of £24. I paid £3 for this eye gel (TK Maxx), and I think that price is more in line with what the product does – which is to provide basic hydration (although I need to use a lot more product compared to other eye gels or creams).

With respect to its other claims, this eye gel is actually quite a letdown. I have to compare it with Olay’s eye gel which I’ve used for a few months right until I started to use this eye gel. The difference in quality is quite remarkable. Olay’s eye gel had a visible positive effect. This A’kin eye gel can’t maintain what Olay’s eye gel did for me.

All in all, I will use up this eye gel, but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you’re interested, A’kin Brightening Vitamin C & Niacinamide Correcting Eye Gel is available as 15ml. The price will depend on where you shop.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

TK Maxx A’kin Haul – MAJOR Bargains!

Hi there! The other day I was browsing through TK Maxx’s online offerings, and I found a bunch of A’kin products for unbelievable prices. For a moment I thought I might have confused this brand with some cheap copycat brand, but I realised quickly that A’kin is the Australian skin care brand I thought it was. Without hesitating, I bought these amazing goodies – the bargain bin prices will make your eyes pop!

A’kin Invigorating Facial Scrub – £2 (I googled and found this to be around £10)
A’kin Hydrating Certified Organic Rosehip Oil (x2) – £3 each (this is usually £20)

A’kin Sensitive Calming Day & Night Cream – £3 (usually between £16 and £24)
A’kin Age Defy Line Smoothing Day Cream – £3 (usually between £16 and £24)
A’kin Rosehip Oil Moisture Rich Facial Moisturiser – £3 (usually £20)

A’kin Oil Control Intensive Sebum Controller – £3 (usually between £10 and £16)
A’kin Brightening Vitamin C & Niacinamide Correcting Eye Gel – £3 (usually £24)
A’kin Age Defy Firming Collagen Booster Facial Oil – £6.99 (found this for about £20)

Here’s a screenshot of a part of the oder confirmation. When I received the email, I still double-checked the prices. And I triple-checked the order slip when these goodies arrived! 😝🤯

But yes, I paid just under £30 for all these goodies which would have been about £167 (I used the prices that I found online for comparison) if I had bought them elsewhere. I very much look forward to using these products soon!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde