June Empties

Another month and another slightly late empties post (oops!) This month I managed to get through an impressive 14 items.

Superdrug Simply Pure Refreshing Toner Sensitive Skin 200ml:  I loved this toner. It was in my may favourites post (here). It was really good value for money. I will definitely be buying it again once my other toners have been used up!

Clinique Anti-blemish Solutions Cleansing Foam 125ml: I got this years and years ago and never though it would end! Granted I had forgot about it for a few years, and should have probably threw it out....but seeing as it was expensive at the time and half full I decided to use it up. Considering my skin is dry, and I very rarely get spots this cleanser worked quiet well for me. I didn't use it every day as I think it would have been too harsh, and I wasn't keen on the smell, but apart from that it did the job.

Superdrug Facial Cleansing Wipes Fragrance Free 25 wipes: These were good. Didn't irritate my skin or eyes, so their sensitive skin claim is true. They only cost 99p too which is good. The biggest down side was how dry they were. Not too dry to use, but not as moist as more expensive face wipes. I would buy them again however as they removed my make up well.

Superdrug Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover Pads 30 pads: These are also for sensitive skin. They were amazing. They really did get rid of every last trace of mascara etc. However due to the size I usually had to use two (one for each eye) if I had a lot of make-up on. Superdrug usually have offers on like "2 for £XX" or "3 for 2" so I am sure I will pick these up in future.

Clinique Naturally Gentle Eye Makeup Remover 75ml: This has featured in my January empties (here).

Caudalie Nourishing Body Lotion 30ml: I got this in a Feel Unique(?) box at the start of the year. I neglected it as I've mentioned before I'm far too lazy for body lotions. I decided to give it a go last month and I LOVED it! It smelled amazing, I'm really bad at describing smells, so sorry for not trying but it wasn't anything distinctive. Sort of typical Caudalie (typical of the other Caudalie products I've tried). It absorbed into my skin really quickly and left a nice light toned feeling, rather than that sticky greasy feeling that I hate. I will consider buying a full size!

Lush The Olive Branch shower gel 100g: This is one of my all time favourite shower gels. I've repurchased this time and time again. Its really good for dry skin as its very moisturising due to the olive  oil in it. Its a lovely light fragrance and I will probably get another bottle at some point. If you've not tried this shower gel, or you're not into Lush products, I recommend you do!

Lush Iced Wine Shower Jelly 100g: I got this Christmas 2010 and it has been sat in my bathroom, almost empty for a stupidly long time. It was bright red and the smell reminded me of strawberry jelly. This was a limited edition jelly as part of the Christmas 2010 range, and I didn't notice it last year. If Lush reintroduce this to their seasonal line I would buy it again in a flash as it was very fresh and fun :)

Soap & Glory Travel Size Flake Away Body Scrub 50ml: Another item that was sat in my bathroom with barely anything in it. I liked this scrub, but its not my favourite.  I'll no doubt use this again at some point, as it always seems to pop up around Christmas, but I'll not rush out to buy it.

Original Source White Pear and Avocado Damage Limitation Shampoo 250ml: Finally I've used up a shampoo! It takes me AGES to use shampoos up for two reasons. 1. I have too many shampoos and my hair is weird so I actually need to mix it up often. 2. My hair is also super thin so when I wash it I only need the smallest amount of product. These factors mean shampoo is used up super slow!! I loved the smell of this shampoo! I love pears so this fragrance was always going to be a winner. I probably would buy this again if I spot it in home bargains or somewhere; however the best shampoos for my hair seem to be Lush's solid shampoos.

Trevor Sorbie Beautiful Volume hairspray 50ml: I'm not sure I ever believe the claims of hair products that say they produce volume; but that is probably because my hair is so rubbish. I got this as a gift in a set. It was a good hairspray and the perfect size to take on a night out for touch ups.

e.l.f. Studio Makeup Mist & Set 60ml: I loved this! The information rubbed off quickly, and the spray wasn't the best (so I swapped it with Simple Moisturising Mist from last months empties) but it really did help my make up last. It was also great at giving my skin a refreshing boost throughout the day. I will buy this again, probably the next time elf have some sort of free postage offer.

benefit The PoreFessional Primer 7.5ml: I got this free in last month's Glamour magazine. I had heard a lot of good things about this primer, so was pleased I could try it out and see if it lived up to the hype. I'm not sure if its as good as people claim, but it really is a good primer. It helped minimise my pores and helped my foundation last all day. I doubt I'll repurchase though as its about £24 for a full size (which I'm sure is only about 20ml?!) so I think its too expensive!

Figs & Rouge Balm Sweet Geranium 8ml: I was SO excited (and sad) when I finished this product! Excited because I've never finished a tub of lip balm ever. I know, shocking, but I always seem to get about half way through a tub lip product and then lose it! I made sure I kept this with me at all times so I couldn't lose it. I was sad because I loved this balm so so much. I got this in a beauty box ages ago, but it's alright as I received another figs & rouge balm in GlossyBox (I think?) a month or so ago. This is without a doubt my new favourite lip balm and I think I will be using it again and again!


And that concludes the end of my empties post for this month. 14 items is pretty good right? Well I'm already on 6 (yes that's right SIX) empties for July. I know it's only the 4th, I don't know whats going on haha. I seem to have developed an obsessive need to use everything up. That's good though.
Did you get through many products in June?
x

May favourites

• Clinique - Super City Block SPF 40
• Superdrug BB Cream Light
• Korres Watermelon Body Scrub
• Superdrug Simply Pure Refreshing Toner
• Steam Cream (Jane)
• Stila Blush - hint.
• Decleor PhytoPeel

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

Tatty Devine Sample Sale

Over the May Bank Holiday Weekend Tatty Devine offered a sample sale both online and in store. I obviously jumped at the chance to snap up some goodies.
You might remember Tatty Devine did something similar last year (my blog post about those treats is here).

My haul was delivered on Friday and I'm so pleased with what I got.

First up I bought a lucky dip. I love how Tatty Devine offers this, its a great way to try out pieces which are different to what you'd normally buy. While it can be a bit risky I do actually like all these items. The ring doesn't fit me, which is a shame, but otherwise I love what I got. Especially the earrings. I've recently got into wearing earrings again so I'll definitely be sporting these on a night out soon!

This horse & carriage came in either gold or black. I knew black would be easier for me to style so snapped it up for £20. I LOVE it!!

I also bought this black bobby pin necklace for £10. I always use bobby pins in my hair so this sums me up!


Did you buy anything from the sale?

9 to 5

I've found the best cleanser for my skin,  9 to 5 from Lush.

I first bought this cleanser sometime last year. Like most skin care items, I used it a couple of times wasn't wowed and shoved it into a draw. Several months later I started my "must use things up" quest so had to dig things out. Around the same time I was also starting to think I should get serious about my skin.
I'm 25 now so I really need to start taking better care of my skin before I look too old (ha).

This has totally agreed with me. I realise now that I wasn't impressed at first because I was using it all wrong. What you do is rub it onto your face, wipe off with cotton wool and then you're done. THAT IS IT. I'm sooooo lazy with skin care so this is perfect for me. Best of all it gets rid of all of my make up, is super gentle and leaves my skin really clean, soft and looking so fresh.
Its suitable for my sensitive skin days and is good for my dry skin. Whats not to love?!

I can't recommend this product enough I love love LOVE it. Go out and buy it now!

Have you tried 9 to 5?

April Empties

Well its been a busy month yet again, so I must apologise once more for the lack of posting. I promise to get better at this!

I managed to use up 9 products last month, including two shower gels (yesss!) and three moisturisers! 

Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Rock 'N' Roll Extreme Hairspray 200ml. I got this hairspray for Christmas 2010 in a set and its lasted me AGES! I don't really have much hair so products/shampoos/etc tend to last me a ridiculous amount of time as I only need the smallest amounts. I'm not the best person to ask about ideal hairsprays but this did do its job. I mainly only used it for nights out to try and give myself a bit more volume. Its not a miracle worker (but then nothing is for me) but it was alright. I'll probably not repurchase though as I'm sure this range is expensive for what it is.

Radox Daily Elements Anti White Marks Pure Clear Anti-Perpirant Deodorant 50ml. I don't know what to say about deodorant. It smells alright and works. Its only anti white marks if its dry though, but thats probably the same as the rest?

Lush Happy Hippy shower gel 100g. I love this shower gel it's so refreshing and nice! Its not too lemony/citrusy which is good as usually shower gels can be too overpoweringly lemon. It sort of reminds me of a shower gel version of Lush's I Love Juicy shampoo (which I also love). If you've not used it before you should definitely give it a chance! I will no doubt repurchase this in the future once my collection has downsized some more. I can't recommend Lush products enough, they are without a doubt my favourite toiletries brand.

Lush Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub 330g. Another Lush product! This shower scrub smells devine! Its made with fresh sea salt and has lemon and jasmine in. Its not to harsh, but strong enough to scrub away dead skin and leaves skin glowing. This tub has lasted me ages as I neglected it for a while when trying to concentrate on using up other rouge shower gels. I will certainly buy this again as its a product I love (love love love).

Good Things Total Wipe Out Cleansing Wipes 25 wipes. Another item that I love. The featured in my empties post last month (which you can read here) and they will probably feature again next month as I already have another pack on the go!

Korres Wild Rose 24-Hour Moisturiser SPF 6 10ml. I got this in a beauty box ages ago. I really enjoyed using this. It was quite thick but sank into my skin well and really helped when I went through a bad dry spell. It does smell of rose, however its not too overpowering. I don't really think SPF 6 is worthwhile (in my opinion) as I don't think anything less that SPF 15 is going to protect my skin so my gripe is if Korres are bothering to put in sun protection it should be higher. I don't rely on my moisturiser for my SPF protection though, just incase some people do. I'm still undecided if I will purchase a full size replacement as I have too many moisturisers on the go and in my 'to buy/try' list, but I will definitely consider Korres in the future.

Blue Lagoon Iceland Icelandic Formula Vitalizer 5ml. I got this as a free sample when I visited the Blue Lagoon back in 2009. Usually 5ml isn't really a size which you can get a good feel for a product, but with this a little really does go a long way. It helped my skin combat dry patches and left my face looking and feeling amazing. I probably won't repurchase unless I visit Iceland again (which I do hope to do sometime) because its expensive to buy and to ship.

Lush Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser Sample. Another Lush product! I've previously bought this cleanser in the past, but when a face mask left my skin very damaged a couple of months ago I popped into Lush for help. The lovely woman gave me a sample of Celestial moisturiser and this sample when I bought an Oatifix face mask. I've since been given another sample of Angels. Lush seem to be big on giving samples out so if you have a local store you should swing by and try it (or a cleanser more suitable for your skin type!) They pack the product in and you only need a tiny amount so lasts awhile. Because I don't properly cleanse my skin twice a day, and I didn't use this every day it lasted me longer than the 'average' person. I still think the sample would last someone a couple of weeks with regular use. I would buy this again, but the only off putting thing is the shelf life. Because it is so fresh and natural the 'use by' date isn't far off from purchase date. I'm pretty flexible with the dates on Lush items if I'm honest, but I still wouldn't use the full size cleanser up quick enough. Hmmmm.

Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser 125ml. This is something which I have been using again and again on and off since I was a teenager. Its a very light and gentle moisturiser but is powerful enough to soften very dry skin. Its pretty amazing in that sense! It absorbs very fast and leaves skin fresh and ready to go. I usually use this on a morning as its a good base for make up, but its also strong enough for night time use too (for me anyways, and I have dry skin!) I've noticed a difference in my skin since I stopped using it and will definitely repurchase soon.


And thats the end of my nine empties. Did you use up much this month?
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.