July Empties (Extremely late!)

I can't believe its nearly September and I am only posting my July empties! At the start of August I was struck down with a bad case of tonsillitis, and then once I was better this month seemed to fly by! I feel bad that this is only getting uploaded now, especially when August empties will be up in the next couple of days; but better late than never I guess!

Through July I managed to finish an impressive 15 empties!
For the first time I have tried to group them together, as there is a lot of skin care products.

I will start with:

shower gel.

Original Source Vanilla Milk and Raspberry Shower Cream 250ml: This smells like a strawberry milkshake, which is weird as it is raspberry. Its very sweet and as a result can be a bit sickly. It took me ages to use up as I kept getting sick of it. I prefer more citrusy fragrances for shower gels (though you'd not think it with my other empty) but this was nice for a change. It lathered up well, and you didn't need to use too much product so it does provide value for money in that sense. I was given this as a gift, but I know its not very expensive. I'd probably not repurchase it, but then I'd not refuse using it again either.

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel for hair and body 100g: This shower gel is one of Lush's most iconic items from their Christmas range. Every year, without fail my sister always buys about 5 massive bottles to keep her going throughout the year. I have always attributed this as her shower gel. This is the first time I have ever actually used it properly myself, as it came in a gift set that I bought in the 50% off January sale. It is nice, but like the Original Source, I found it sickly after a while. It lathers up well and is pretty, as it's a bright pink glittery colour. I have another small bottle (from another gift set) but I won't be reaching for it straight away.

Haircare.

Lush Rehab Shampoo 250g: This smells AMAZING! Its got papaya, mango, kiwi and pineapple in so fragrance wise it would always be a winner. On the bottle it boasts about having oils for extra strength, enzymes for cleaning, seaweed for softness and essential oils for toning your scalp. It does not disappoint. It really does work wonders on my hair. Whenever I feel like my hair is being weighed down, or is too greasy, or needs a pick me up, I will reach for Rehab. Lush is hands down my favourite place for shampoos. I prefer their solid shampoos the most, but this is a nice change. And fact fans out there might like to know that Rehab is my dad's shampoo of choice! (he has long hair & beard)

Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume 200ml: Another empties post, another dry shampoo. This was the first time I had used the XXL version and I must say I was impressed. I have never noticed a white powder from Batiste (or any dry shampoo for that matter..) and I honestly did notice a bit of extra volume. I have really fine and thin hair so anything that improves the volume of my hair is generally a winner. This also smelled really really nice. I won't repurchase for a while though as I am currently trying out Superdrug's dry shampoo after a mad offer that they had on.

Skincare - cleansers.

Superdrug Deep Action Daily Exfoliating Wash 150ml: I remember buying this when I was in my final year at uni and wasting time browsing Superdrug. At the time I needed an exfoliator for my very dry skin. I used this occasionally (like most cleansers) but wasn't very impressed. When I moved back home it sort of got lost, until I found it in a draw during my mission to use things up. At first I was really dreading using this, as I could tell it would last me a very long time. I must tell you that I am a bit rubbish when it comes to skin care. I never wash my face morning and night, lazy and terrible I know, but my skin is generally good so I never feel the need. THIS CLEANSER CHANGED EVERYTHING! I decided to start using it twice a day to try and use it up quicker but I became hooked! It made my skin glow! The smell is sort of masculine/unisex, however I LOVE it. It cleansed my skin so well I actually wanted to wash my face morning and night! My pores around my nose aren't massive, but I noticed a huge difference when I was using this cleanser. It made my skin really soft and smooth. I told myself I would repurchase as soon as my stash of cleansers has shrank, but I don't think I will be able to wait that long. If you've not tried this I highly recommend you do! Amazing!

Clarins Daily Energizer Cleansing Gel 30ml: I got this last year in a special pack with 30ml toner when buying the full sized moisturiser. Clarins Daily Energizer range is aimed at early 20s skin. It smells really luxurious and energising. As a cleanser though I wasn't really that impressed. It wasn't bad, but it just seemed a bit like a 'nothing' item. It might have been because I finished it off when my Superdrug cleanser ran out, but I won't be buying the full size.

 Skincare - make up remover.

Clinique Rinse-Off Eye Makeup Solvent 30ml: I don't remember getting this! Another find from my drawer. It had been used a couple of times so I couldn't pass it on. It was good at getting rid of eye make up without irritating my eyes, and didn't really have a fragrance (which I liked). I wasn't wowed by it though so won't repurchase.

Skincare - Toners

Clinique Clarifying Lotion 1 100ml: This toner is aimed at very dry to dry skin. Like all of Clinique's toners this smells very alcoholic. I don't mean like the kind of alcohol you would drink though, more sort of sterile, and for some reason the smell reminds me of a lab. I wasn't majorly impressed with this toner. It was gentle and non-drying on my dry skin, but I didn't notice any improvement.


L'Occitane Eau Radieuse Face Toner 50ml: I got this free with Glamour magazine, and believe it or not it was the first L'Occitane item I have ever tried. Apparently it's the toner from their new skin care range (I received the moisturiser from this range in a Jolie Box). The first thing that impressed me with this item was the fact that it has braille on the side of the bottle. I have no idea about L'Occitane, and if they have braille on all/a lot of their products; but the fact that this does was a very nice touch. It smells nice, floral and fresh at the same time. It didn't dry my skin or break my out. I'm not sure if it improved my skin at all though as 50ml isn't a good enough judge. I probably would try this again. If I remember.

Skincare - Moisturiser. 

Superdrug Simply Pure Aqua Hydrating Serum for Dehydrated skin 50ml: I bought this serum purely because it was on offer and I had used up my Caudalie Serum. At first I wasn't sure about it, but after a couple of weeks I became HOOKED. My skin drank it up and it glowed. I used the Superdrug cleanser and steam cream moisturiser in conjunction with this serum and I honestly feel like I have found my skin heroes. I will repurchase this over and over again. It is amazing!

Steam Cream Jane 75g: I got this in a Carmine beauty box. At first I wasn't blown away by it so put it to one side. Once I started using it regularly I realised how amazing it actually is. It's light weight but powerful and my soaked into my skin well. It can be used on face, hands and body - but I just used it on my face. I love that the tins are all limited edition with different names for different prints, it gives it something extra. Even though I have never been into skin care in terms of cleansers I have always been a moisturiser buff. I without question have put this in my top 5 moisturisers of all time. I will buy this again without a doubt (I just need to downsize my ridiculous moisturiser collection first...)

Topic Skin Revive with vitamins blueberries and rosehip: Another item from Jolie Box. This smells really nice, but it might be a bit too overpowering for some as you can notice it lingering on your skin. The cream was heavy so I used it just on a night. It did moisturise my skin, however I did notice a little redness, so if you have sensitive skin I wouldn't recommend. I wouldn't repurchase as its only ok.

YonKa Vital Defence Anti-Age 5ml: Another sample from Jolie Box. I once again used this as a night cream. I liked it, but a 5ml sample doesn't go very far so I've no idea how my skin would react to it long term. I wouldn't repurchase purely on the fact that I don't know enough about it.

 Make up.

Pixi Flawless & Poreless Primer 30ml: This lasted me ages! I bought this about 18 months ago and every time I thought it was dead more product would come out! I kept going off this as even though it made my make up last for hours I wasn't sure if it was breaking me out or not. I'm still not sure so wouldn't repurchase for that reason; however it does work and is good value for money so I guess I might be tempted in future.

Miscellaneous.

Boots Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover 150ml: This was the green bottle. I didn't like it at all. It made my nails really dry and brittle and took ages to get my nail varnish off. So pleased its used up, I won't buy again!

Well that's July empties finished! See you in a day or two for August empties! (Where has this year gone?!)

x

May Empties

Well it's that time of the month again (this year is flying by!) Its slightly late as I have been very distracted by the Roland Garros and by drinking too much gin (oops). 

Anyway, I managed to use up an impressive 13 items. Even more impressive considering at the start of May I was convinced I'd struggle to use up 5 items. 

Beauty Without Cruelty Liquid Eyeliner in Jet Black 4ml. I loved this eyeliner so much and am slightly heartbroken at the thought of not being able to use it again! I think BWC discontinued this eyeliner when they rebranded. I hope not as it was brilliant. I will keep checking websites to see if I can find a new one, but I don't have much hope.

Good Things Total Wipe Out Cleansing Wipes. Do I really need to mention these again? No? Didn't think so.

Hello Kitty for Liberty Body Wash 75ml. I got this for Christmas as I love Hello Kitty. The packaging is great, however I wasn't really a fan of the scent of the body wash. It lathered up well but it felt a bit too synthetic for my liking. I've never bought anything from Liberty before so not sure if this is their standard scent, but if it is I won't be buying anything from them again.

Batiste Dry Shampoo Original 50ml. I seem to be going through dry shampoo like it's going out of fashion! I'm sure you all know about this product and have tried it. I obviously like it at the rate I'm getting through them! I got this in June's Glossy Box (last year).

Caudalie VinoSource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum 10ml. I LOVE THIS PRODUCT! I got it in April's natural themed Glossy Box and I definitely think its one of the best items I've ever had in a beauty box. I didn't want this to end, but at the same time couldn't stop using it so knew it would go quick. I loved everything about this product, the scent, the texture, how quick it sank into my skin and how it worked so well for me. My skin literally drank this up and looked amazing as a result. I will without a doubt repurchase this item. Can't recommend it enough and its made me a lot more excited about trying out other items from Caudalie.

Colbert M.D. Nourish Eye Cream. Another product I got in a beauty box. I've never used an eye cream so have nothing to compare this to, which is a shame as apparently its worth a lot of money. I can't see myself buying this again. Apart from thinking there are better things to spend my money on than eye cream, I just didn't really see what this did. I know its bad but I just use a moisturiser on my whole face, then again considering my skin is pretty good it might not be bad? A very blah item.

Lush Breath of Fresh Air Skin Toner 100g. Another empty which I love. I first bought this toner over a year ago, used it a couple of times and then it got lost in a drawer. During my attempt to use things up I've rediscovered it and I'm so pleased I have. I've got really into skin care recently, especially toners, and my skin has definitely thanked me. This is such a good product. Its very gentle, yet effective and smells amazing. I never sprayed it onto my face as I found the pump to be too direct, so I would spray onto cotton wool then sweep across my face. I will buy this item again, but I also want to give the other Lush toners a try.

Simple Kind to Skin Moisture Boost Hydro Mist 50ml. This was a such a life saver spray during the recent heat wave we briefly enjoyed. It was great to refresh my make up and help set it in place, while giving my skin a perk up. It suits it's name as it really did give me a 'moisture boost'.

FC5 Cooling Foot Creme 15ml. I got this in Glossy Box ages ago. I'm in two minds about this product. On the one hand it gave me sandal ready feet and really cooled and calmed them down after a long and active day. On the other hand the smell was awful (in my opinion). Unfortunately I can't see myself buying this.

Lush 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion 95g. I love this cleanser so much I've dedicated a whole blog post to it. You can read this here. As a result I'll not go into detail, but I've already repurchased the larger bottle.

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Mild 30ml. This cleanser is probably a bit too harsh on my skin. Its something I have been using on and off for about 10 years now. I will no doubt  use it again as I always seem to have samples knocking around, but its not something I would buy (though that's probably due to the samples and due to the extra mild soap suiting me better).

Batiste Dry Shampoo Fresh 200ml. Another Batiste item! I got this for free at a beauty blogger event back in November.

Soap & Glory Girligo Spray-On Body Moisturising Mist 100ml. For me, a moisturiser that you can spray on is one of the best ideas ever. I'm so lazy when it comes to moisturising my body so thought I would love this, however the smell is a bit too over powering for me. The scent isn't as strong as other S&G products, but for a moisturiser its a bit too much still. I did like it though, just not as much as I thought.


Did you use anything up this month?
Now I must go back to the tennis.
x

March Empties

This is a bit of a delayed empties post due to the long Easter weekend and family things, so apologies for that, but the saying is better late than never!

I used up quite a few items in March which I'm pleased with.

12 items is really good going!

Natural Collection Wild Strawberry Shower Cream 75ml. This came in a set that I got for Christmas. It reminded me of my tween years. It foamed up well and a pleasant strawberry smell. The fragrance was a bit synthetic and a little overpowering but didn't linger on the skin so I was pleased by that. I'm not really a fan of shower gels etc smells sticking around as I feel like I can't wear perfume haha. I probably wouldn't buy this again if I'm honest, but it was alright.


Batiste Dry Shampoo Original 150ml. I can't believe I've finished another dry shampoo! I must have used this ages ago and forgot about it when I found Blush. This is alright, and you probably know all about it, but for me I preferred Blush....which you can read about here.


Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover 200ml. This comes 'enriched' with vitamin E and aloe vera to help keep nails soft and conditioned. I've bought this a few times before and will no doubt buy it again as its cheap enough and doesn't smell as strong as typical nail varnish remover.

Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes. I've bought these wipes hundreds of times before and will buy them again. They even featured in last month's empties post (can read that here) so I don't really need to go into more detail.


Simple Kind to Skin Soothing facial Toner 200ml. I bought this ages ago and only used it a few times. In January when I set myself the empties challenge I decided to use this every day, morning and night, so feel I can give a good opinion of it. First of all it lasted me ages! I really liked this toner, when I first started using it I thought I'd not really notice a difference in my skin as it seemed to be a bit of a nothing product. I was so wrong! I miss this product loads and will definitely repurchase once I've used up some other skin care items. It really helped improve the texture of my skin and made my good skin even better. Try it out!

Montagne Jeunesse Passion Peel Off Face Mask With Pomegranate pulp & passion flower. This mask didn't agree with me AT ALL. I've used Montagne Jeunesse masks before and they've been brilliant, but this was awful. It made my skin so red and sensitive and sore. Nothing seemed to work to help settle it down so I had to go to Lush for Oatifix face mask and a few samples (more later). Maybe it's because its a peel off mask that my skin didn't like it, but either way I won't be repurchasing this. Its a shame as I do like MJ.


Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Extra-Mild 50ml. This is something I've been using on and off for years. Its definitely better for me than the mild soap.


Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lipstick. My friend Lucy bought me this for Christmas. It came in very handy over winter. It smells a bit like tea (in my opinion) which I'm not too keen on but if you can get past that its a good product (though a bit overpriced!)

Good Things Total Wipe Out Cleansing Wipes. 25 wipes. I love these wipes. They have raspberry and cranberry in and smell really good. They're probably not the best for super sensitive skin as occasionally they irritate my skin, but they have never irritated my eyes! They are a little pricey if they're being used every day, but Boots always seem to have 3 for 2 offers on skin care so I stock up then. I'm already onto another pack and have bought several more which can't be a bad thing!

Celestial facial mosituriser (sample). I got this from Lush when my skin was really bad off the MJ face mask. It helped to sort my skin out massively. I'm going to repurchase this soon.

Me Me Me Seventh Heaven Enriched Moisturising Facebase 10ml. This smells AMAZING! Like mandarins and other citrus fruit. It worked well as a moisturising primer too and helped keep my foundation in place. I got this from Glossy Box but will buy again.

MAC Prep + Prime skin base 6ml. I got this as a free sample from a Mac counter ages ago when I was given foundation samples. I've already got a full size prep + prime from Christmas. This is a really good primer, but it does have a bit too much of a sparkle for daytime use.


Save the empties, as on the 21st April Origins are having a trade in day for Earth Month. For more information check out Lily's blog post here.

January Empties.

As part of my new year's resolution to use things up and cut down on spending, I decided it would be a good idea to start a monthly 'empties' blog post. That way I can make sure I'm actually sticking to plan, and turn it into a fun thing to do rather than a chore. I like reading other people's posts about empties so that also made me think it'd be a good idea.

I've done good this month an managed to use up a whopping ten items. However I must stress the majority of these were at least half way finished before I set this goal.
I'm obviously not going to repurchase anything, due to the spending ban.

  Busy!

Superdrug Cream Shower Coconut 300ml - 49p(!). This lasted me AGES! I bought this last May(ish) when Superdrug had a bit of a stock clear out. I don't think you can buy this exact product anymore, but they definitely sell other coconut shower gels. For the price this was amazing. It foamed really well, smelt so good (but not overpowering) and really moisturised my skin. I bought two at the time so have a back up waiting in the wings, however I've got a different shower gel on the go at the moment.
I think I would repurchase the latest version of this shower gel as it really was a good find.

Batiste dry shampoo in Blush 150ml. I literally don't remember buying this! I can't remember buying any Batiste product yet seem to have several in my drawer!?! I know I got a mini version in a beauty box, and got a super size at a blogger event, but where did this come from?!
This lasted me months, literally, and I thought it would never end! It was a nice fragrance and did the job really well. Once I'm out of dry shampoo I'm going to buy the new one from Lush.

Simple Kind To Skin Moisture Boost Hydro Cream 50ml. I bought this back in July last year. I have several face moisturisers on the go at once (bit of a moisturiser addict - though only for the face!) so that's why it took me so long to use up. I did like this, but for my skin I think there are better moisturises out there.

Beauty UK Liquid Eyeliner - No 7. I remember buying this during my second year at uni. I was trying my best to master liquid liner but couldn't, so figured I would practise with a cheap one as it'd not matter if I wasted it on mistakes. I think I used it twice then gave up. By the time I had mastered liner I was using my beloved B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful liner (RIP). I came across this a few months ago, checked it out and it was fine so started to use it. It really was good for the price (about £1.99?) but its pretty much dead now. There is still a tiny bit left, but the majority of it had dried up and the tip has went a bit funny so figured its best to get rid.

Green People Day Solution Hydrating Balancing Day Cream 10ml. Don't really need to say much about this, I loved it so much I wrote a review - which you can read here.

Ahava DeadSea Water Mineral Body Lotion 40ml. I got this in a Glossy Box months ago. I'm really bad when it comes to body moisturisers. Considering how much I love to moisturise my face you think I wouldn't be, but if I'm honest I just can't be bothered going through the faff of moisturising my body on a regular basis. This has resulted in me having a crazy amount of body lotions/butters that I've got from beauty boxes, gwp, gift sets etc going to waste. I figured a good way to ease myself into a body lotion routine would be by using a small one. I have to say I LOVED this. It smelled amazing and worked really well. I probably would consider buying this in the future.

Clinique Naturally Gentle Eye Makeup Remover 75ml. My mam got me this when she needed to boost up a purchase so she'd have enough items to get the GWP and Boots points ha. I have really sensitive eyes so am usually wary of using anything other than Simple face wipes to get rid of make up, however I must say I was impressed. This got rid of every trace of make up, yet was gentle enough to not irritate my eyes.

Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser 30ml. In reality this cleanser is all wrong for me. I'm 25 and often get mistaken for a 15 year old so don't need anti-ageing products (I don't believe they work BTW, but that's a separate issue), and I have never had acne. I rarely even get spots if I'm honest! I got this in the same Glossy Box as the Ahava body lotion. I was surprised when I used this. I started using it on my 'Emily spot' days (aka bad spots for me, clear skin for some of my friends) and it seemed to do the trick. As I set myself the use things up challenge this cleanser was the nearest to hand out of the half used things, so I started using it on a daily basis. With such regular use it was too harsh for my skin, however for spot days it worked so if you suffer with acne I think this might be good for you. I'd not buy it, however I did like the chance to try.

Korres Body Butter Quince Extra Moisturising Cream for Dry Skin Conditions 50ml. This is the only item I started and finished in January. When I first tried this I wasn't sure what to expect (whats Quince?!) and if I'm honest I was a bit put off as the smell reminded me a bit of baby sick. However I persevered and I have to say I'm GUTTED its finished. The smell quickly changed to a light floral scent that was pleasant. It was very easily and quickly absorbed by my skin and just made my skin amazing. I'd never used anything by Korres before (again this was in a beauty box) but I will be trying more from them as soon as I can!

Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel 50ml. Again, something I bought ages ago but failed to use up until now. I'm so bad when it comes to cleansers. I'm lucky as I've always had pretty good skin. I've often tried to start up skin care routines but have always failed through boredom. Yes cleansers do make my skin a bit better (the right skin for my skin type, obviously), however I've always preferred to have an extra 5 minutes in bed rather than faff on with a skin routine. As I'm starting to 'age' I've decided to take better care of my skin and give my face a proper cleanse twice a day. This gel was really good for me and worked wonders sorting my skin out after the Murad experience. I'd not go out of my way to buy it again, however I'd not avoid it either.



And that sums up my empties for this month. I think 10 is good for a first time. I'm obviously not going to have as many as this every month - especially when I run out of half used things, but still.
Have you got any empties?
xx

PS I already have 1 item in my 'February Empties' box as I finished something this morning!