My cruelty-free night-time routine

_{Some items have been gifted}

Today I’m sharing my night-time routine along with a little cruelty-free product review. Remember when I blogged about my first impressions of The Hero Project last month? Well, after the success I experienced last time, I thought I’d give some of their other products a try. In today’s blog post I’ll let you know which 3 new products I tested, as well as review an innovative chemical-free make-up remover cloth and a new Revlon two-in-one styler. Read on to find out how I got on with my recent beauty buys…I really enjoy my bedtime routine. It helps me to wind down and get me ready for a good night’s sleep. And removing my make-up is a big part of this. So I’ve tried out two new products to help me take off all traces of my daytime face this month; The Hero Project’s ‘Undo’ bi-phase waterproof eye make-up eraser and nifty ‘magic make-up remover’ cloth by Afterspa. ‘Undo’ contains two liquids, which separate into layers, so it’s important to give it a thorough shake before dispensing onto a cotton wool pad. You only need a couple of pumps to saturate the cotton wool and then it’s just a case of holding it over your eye for a few seconds before sweeping away the make-up. I always use waterproof mascara and usually find it quite difficult to remove. Since switching to all cruelty-free products, I’ve needed to rub at my lashes for quite a while to remove mascara remnants, but this product was a different story. It removed the mascara (Essence ‘All Eyes On Me’ Waterproof is my favourite, if you’re interested) in a couple of wipes. Impressive stuff.The Afterspa make up remover cloth contains absolutely no product or formulas at all. It’s simply a fluffy pad (about the size of a small flannel that easily fits in your hand) that clears away all traces of makeup. I don’t know how it does it, but all you need to do is wet the cloth with warm water and start wiping your face in a circular motion. I suppose it’s the same method that our grandparents used when flannels were all the rage, but I’ve never considered using a face cloth until now. It’s made from a very soft woven polyester-blend fabric and it feels like the softest teddy-bear you’ve ever cuddled. The cloth is free from chemicals, machine-washable and reusable up to 1000 times, so I’m really pleased to have found something that I can use to remove my make-up without worrying about product ingredients.Now, what should I put back on my face after cleaning it? I decided to try out Hero Project’s new Night Drops to rehydrate my skin. I haven’t been using any kind of night time moisturiser at all and my skin does sometimes feel rather dry after washing so I couldn’t wait to test this one out. It contains natural neroli and patchouli oils, as well as 7 essential oils and soothing chamomile so it’s a very gentle formula. All it takes is a couple of drops massaged into the face and neck to bring my tired, parched skin back to life. This product is not a bargain buy, but at a drop or two at a time, it’s going to last me forever, so I expect the cost-per-use to be good overall. By the way, look how pretty the bottle is, eeee!And when I want to hop into bed after my evening bath, I’ve got a new way to dry my hair in super-fast time. I was sent the new Salon One-Step Hair Dryer and Styler to try out this month and I’ve only got good things to say about this handy product. It’s part of the Revlon Pro Collection and is essentially a large paddle brush that fires air out like a hairdryer. This makes styling easier (I don’t have to hold a dryer and a brush at the same time) and I barely have to pay attention to the drying process because there’s no chance of tangling. It has ionic technology which helps hair to dry quickly and creates a smooth result once dry. The brush is very similar in size and shape to my regular hair brush so I found it easy to adapt to using this styler. Of course, it’s a little heavier than a brush, but definitely much more lightweight than my hairdryer, which is a bonus when my arms are already tired and I want to get into bed. It makes drying the back of my head really easy (I’m basically just brushing it!) and I can lay my head on my pillow safe in the knowledge that my hair is completely dry. This styler may well replace my hairdryer altogether; I’ve certainty not got my hairdryer out much since receiving it so only time will tell.I was also sent a sample of The Hero Project’s Double Blur skin perfector to try out. If you’re a fan of primers like Benefit’s Porefessional, you’ll enjoy using this cruelty-free version instead. It’s a light diffusing product and you can apply it on its own or mix into your usual foundation. It works really well to minimise the appearance of pores and fine lines and I’m pleased to have found a replacement and will probably buy the full-size version when this sample runs out, but a little goes a long way so I think it’ll be a while before I’m shopping again!What I’m most impressed with about The Hero Project products is that there are no parabens, sulphates, alcohol or phthalates in any of these products so I don’t have to spend ages looking through the list of ingredients or worrying about it reacting on my sensitive skin because it’s no-comedogenic. Plus, the vegan-friendly, cruelty-free nature of the brand makes me super happy to support them.

Let me know what your night-time routine consists of in the comments below and please recommend any cruelty-free beauty bargains you’ve come across recently – I’d love to hear about any new vegan or vegetarian products you’re using 🙂

Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂