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.

February Empties.

It's that time again! Can't believe I'm onto my second post of the year for my monthly empties, time is really flying!

During the past month I've managed to use up 5 things and decide to through away one.

First up:

Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes. I have repurchased these wipes so many times and have been using them for years! They're really good for taking off make up and for after a night out and those times when I can't be bothered with a proper skin care routine (so basically every day haha!)
I don't really know what else to say about these as pretty much everyone I know has tried and liked them. They're good for sensitive skin/eyes and really do get rid of make up so worth a go if you've never used them.

Paul & Joe Moisture Lip Treatment 3.2g. I got this in a set which I got for Christmas 2010 but forgot all about this lip balm and didn't start using it until December 2011. I can't remember the last time I used up a lip balm as I always seem to lose them so end up having several on the go at once. I really enjoyed this but not sure if I'd repurchase as I'm pretty sure it will be out of my price range for regular use.

Rimmel London Fix & Perfect Pro Primer 002 30ml. This is an alright primer but not one I'd buy again as there are better out there (for me at least). I do think its value for money though as its reasonably priced and seemed to last forever! I thought it was dead about 7 times before I actually had used it up. I know if I cut the top off there would probably still be more left in the tube but I'm just a bit sick of it to be honest! (I'm not sick because it was bad, just because I though it would never end and I have other primers to use up and try out).

No7 Skin Rescuer Dry Skin Saviour 50ml. Again another product that was really good value for money (though I bought with a £5 off No7 voucher) and seemed to go on and on! This really sorted out my dry patches on my face during winter. You can use it all over so thats handy! I think I would give it a go again with another voucher.

Soap & Glory iFoam Ultra-Creamy Body Wash 200ml. Another item that I got for Christmas. This really did foam! I loved the smell, orange but not too overpowering, mixed in with grape and the typical S&G smell. I'm rubbish at describing smells so if you've used this and disagree with my description sorry! I think this would be really good for people who like Soap & Glory but don't like their standard smell as its a nice change. I would buy this again (when my shower gel cuts down more!) but I don't think they make it any more? Shame!

Simple Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser 75ml. This is the product which isn't empty but I'm getting rid of. I remember buying this in 2nd year of uni after a lecture in the local Superdrug (hiya Brunswick!). I bought this on a whim as was just browsing. It was new out at the time, and my skin was spotty by my standards so decided to give it a go. I do think it works and is nice, however as I've had it for so long its went off and smells really bad! Its a shame as I thought it was long gone but found it in a random box! It wasn't far off being empty so I don't feel too bad. Ooops!


Overall I don't think I'm doing too bad with this using things up malarkey! I already have about 4 items which I know will be finished by the end of March, so that's pretty exciting (sad I know!) I do have a confession to make; I bought a lipstick! However I'm really going out of my way to wear lipstick on a daily basis, and it was the Viva Glam Nicki Minaj lipstick for Mac so don't feel too bad as the money went to charity. I'm just a sucker for pre-release codes!
Have you used up much in the last month?
x

Carmine February Beauty Box

Its that time of month again!

Since Feel Unique decided to stop their beauty box service I decided to sign up to another provider and thought Carmine might be worth a try.

This month's box is themed "fresh. fun. colour." and is supposed to get us ready for spring.

This is a 'first thoughts' sort of post as I've not tried anything in my box yet as I've been so busy (actually got the box on Tuesday, but like I say been too busy!)

The first item I noticed was a lipstick mini by Diego Dalla Palma which is a brand I'd never heard of. Its a very small sized sample, which I'm sure some would be unimpressed by, but I must admit it's very cute! I have too many lipsticks and only ever seem to wear them for nights out/special occasions so I'm pleased this isn't full sized as I think it would go to waste.
I got shade '47'. I liked how the card gave you a colour index list of their other shades.

A close up of my lipstick (sorry the photos are such bad quality!). Its a sort of peachy/pinky colour, although I know you can't really tell from this pic. Once I opened it I was even more pleased it wasn't full size as its not a colour I'd reach for....but that's the reason we get these boxes!


The next product I noticed was:

An Andrea Fulerton nail varnish in a sort of baby/neutral pink. This is a full sized product. I like Andrea Fulerton, however I'm not very impressed by this as I don't wear this shade and for some reason in all the beauty boxes I've had in the past I always seem to get the same/very similar coloured nail varnishes. Obviously this isn't Carmine's fault, its just the luck of the draw, but I'm not sure if I will use this so might just pass it on.


Next up:

Balance Me Super Moisturising Body Wash. This is another full sized product. I've not even opened this to smell it yet (its sealed and couldn't be bothered as I opened my box late at night) so not sure about if I'll like the fragrance (I'm sure I will). My first thoughts were "no not another shower gel!" I have far too many as it is! But, it makes a nice addition to my collection as I've never used Balance Me before.

Next up is White Glo toothpaste. This is another product which made me a bit disappointed if I'm honest. I know taking care of your teeth is important, but I'm not overly interested in having white teeth. I'm not saying I like the yellow teeth look, but to me teeth that are too white look false and I just don't really see the point. Obviously I've used whitening toothpastes before and probably still will in the future, but I have very sensitive teeth and have only recently found a suitable toothpaste for them (its from superdrug if you're wondering!) so I'm reluctant to change.
I probably will try this at some point, but I can't see myself repurchasing as Superdrug seriously has the best toothpaste at an unbeatable price.

Next is a 'bonus' item, Peony eau de toilette sample by Yardley London. Again, I've not heard of the brand or tried the fragrance. Not really bothered to be honest!


Last up is what will probably be my favourite product of the box:

A full sized, leopard print tub of Steam Cream. I've been wanting to try this for a while so am pretty excited by this! Hands down the stand out product of this months box (in my opinion) and definitely makes me pleased I signed up to this month's Carmine box.


Once I've tried everything out I will let you know how I find them etc.

Did you try Carmine this month?
x

NOTD: Blue glitter

Yesterday I was very happy as my Nicki Minaj for O.P.I. nail varnishes came (via buyapowa), however I couldn't use them as I had already painted my nails for my friends 21st birthday party.

Today I started to sort out/tidy my room (still not done btw) and came across my nail varnishes that my very dear friend Sophie got me for Christmas from South Korea. 

I immediately stopped tidying and started to paint my nails.

I have no idea what the brand name is, and it took about 2-3 coats to achieve an opaque streak free finish, but I love it.

Its sort of light blue and sort of mint green, imagine a cross between Barry M's 'Blue Moon' and 'Mint Green' and that's what it is. It's also a matte varnish. I like it, however something was missing;

Sparkles! I put on a coat of OPI's 'Save Me'. Its made my nails a unique blue glitter shade :D

What do you think?

x

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!

I need a Hero

Hi,

Sorry I've been a bit slack on blogging lately.
Over the weekend I had some awful news. One of my closest friends had been in a serious accident at work. I'm not going to go into details, but he will need to be in hospital for a long time and will need a lot of support.


A few days before the news, I found my necklace that I got for my 18th birthday. The hero theme is very fitting as I have to be so strong at the moment.

I love this necklace as I'm a bit of a geek and love super heroes (especially Spider-man!)  I don't really wear it that often though as it is SO heavy and is such a statement piece.


Do you have anything similar?
x

Green People day solution hydrating balancing day cream

Well, this is the first blog post from my new iMac. How exciting!
I've never had an apple computer before so most things are new to me and I have no idea what apps etc to download yet. All I've done with it is watch a lot of tv before megavideo got shut down (boooo!)

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I thought I'd do a quick review of a product I got in Glossy Box months ago. I didn't use it straight away as I had several other moisturisers on the go.
As part of my New Years Resolutions I've been trying to use things up and downsize my stash. So far I'm doing well and have a good sized pile of empties to blog about at the end of the month.
I'm not really one to review items, as I think theres so many out there and at the end of the day if you like a product or not its all down to personal opinion. I had to review this though as it's literally AMAZING!

It contains chamomile, aloe vera, and rose geranium.
It does smell of rose, but not to strong or overpowering and mixed with the other fragrances the moisturiser has a lovely unique scent.
I have dry skin, especially in the winter so am always on the look out for a decent moisturiser and while I've found some good ones I don't think I've ever found a 'best' item.

The past couple of weeks I've been using up a cleanser thats not suitable for my skin type and as a result had VERY dry skin. None of my usual 'go to' moisturisers have helped. I decided to give this ago and it sorted my skin out in record time! The smell was a little strange at first, strange in a good way though and I now think its one of the best smells ever haha.
This isn't just a good moisturiser, I've found it to be an amazing primer and now think my skin looks awful without it. I can't express how gutted I am it's empty! You might just say 'well buy another one' but its not that simple. I've put myself on a beauty spending ban so not allowing myself to buy any shower gels, cleansers, moisturisers etc until my stash has decreased by a considerable amount. I 100% plan to buy a full size bottle of day cream in the future. Hopefully I can last until I have one/two facial moisturisers left, however I miss it so much I might have to do a cheeky purchase before I reach that goal. Maybe I'll review around Easter time.....

Have you tried anything from Green People? I got a cleanser by them in this month's Feel Unique box so the bar is set pretty high for that to perform as well as the day cream. I'll let you know once I've tried it :)

x