Empties - Autumn Edition

Sweet Lips lip scrub from Lush - while I do really like these lip scrubs from Lush, I feel a bit weird about the idea to 'lick off' the excess. If its doing its job correctly (and I believe that it is), that excess will contain dead skin from your lips and you'll end up eating that too. Ewwwwwwww. Anyway, I've repurchased already and in case you didn't already get the idea - I don't lick off the excess.

Nivea In Shower moisturiser - love and have already repurchased.

Got2B Powderful - another weird one! It works, but I don't understand it and I really hate how it feels on my hands, let alone my hair. I find dry shampoo can achieve the same results for me. Nice for a touch of volume occasionally but I don't think I'll repurchase for a while, if at all.

The Sanctuary toner - I liked this, but not being a massive 'rose' fan, I wasn't overly in love with the scent. It did feel very hydrating on my skin during my dry skin days though, so I might buy it again.

Elemis Quiet Mind bath elixir - ooooh this was nice. Not your typical relaxing lavender scent. It was comforting and to my nose, it had slightly medicinal scent - which I personally love. I'll buy this one again for sure.

Boots Cocoa Butter shower gel - nice enough bath/shower product but nothing outstanding in my book. 

Lush Sweet Lips - same as above.

Botanics Microdermabrasion scrub - LOVE LOVE LOVE. Have repurchased endlessly! 

Philosophy Hope in a Tube eye and lip treatment - I hoped (geddit?) that this would be really outstanding, but it didn't really wow me and for that reason I wouldn't repurchase.

Armani Code Luna EDP - I LOVE this perfume. It's a new fave in my collection. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before and if I have, I'll link it here!

Elemis Pro Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm - this was a freebie with a magazine. Really enjoyed using this. It gave me a lovely, healthy glow and the scent is amazing. I have the full size to work my way though and will probably consider a repurchase in the future.

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration shampoo and conditioner - I really like this duo and apparently The Boy does too - although he doesn't use the conditioner and that bugs me. Oh and he puts the shampoo the wrong way up (so they don't fit together as shown in the picture above), yeah, that might bug me too. I'll repurchase for sure.

Bath and Body Works PocketBac in Raspberry Pink Peony - lovely scent. Love these. Will buy more FOR SURE when I'm on holiday next month.

The Body Shop Coconut hand cleanse gel - so if you can't get hold of the B&BW PocketBac's, these are a really good alternative. They're twice the size of the B&BW ones and although they don't some in the same massive range of delicious scents, they're are a few fruity scents to choose from. I like the Coconut and Mango versions best.  I keep this on my desk at work and everyone comments on the scent. Will certainly repurchase. 

So I might have been using perfume like a demon over the last few months! 

Estée Lauder Sensuous - a classic, grown up scent. I love it. I'll probably re-buy in the Boxing Day sales.

Gurlain La Petit Robe Noire - a modern twist on a rose perfume. While I've said that I'm not rose's biggest fan, I really enjoyed using this. The addition of a really sharp berry note to the blend, made it much more appealing to my nose. I'm not sure I'll be in a massive rush to repurchase. But, then again,  I wouldn't rule out either. Hmmm! Undecided. 

Diesel Fuel for Life - not my favourite scent by any stretch of the imagination. I couldn't wait for this to go! I won't repurchase. Promise! 

L'Occitane Sweet Almond liquid soap - I had a bunch of these from various kits purchased from QVC and while I love them (they make your jewellery sparkle like nothing else!) I'm not sure I'd repurchase them on their own. I don't used them in the bath or shower, so essentially they're a luxury hand wash for me - and could I justify the expense in the future? Probably not. 

Nails Inc A&E and mini Heathrow Express - great addition to any manicure. Makes a nice change from OPI Nail Envy. Will probably repurchase.

La Roche Posay Micro Exfoliant - this was okay. I didn't notice anything dramatic while using it - good or bad. Probably wouldn't repurchase, as I prefer the Alpha H Liquid Gold.

Elnett 3 day volume styling spray - this was quite nice, but certainly, didn't give me volume for the stated 3 days! It was a bit annoying, because higher trigger broke after the first few uses, which made it awkward (although not impossible) to use. I might consider repurchasing in the future, but not for a while.

Boots hard skin reducing cream - cheaper alternative to Flexitol. Worked really well and I'll certainly repurchase in future.

Hydraluron - is one of those products that you only realise the full value of it, after you've run out! Everyone and their dog love this daily hydrating serum (thank you Mrs Hirons!), I'm no exception. Already repurchased as it's on 3 for 2 in Boots at the moment. 

Origins Eye Doctor - (apologies about the blurry iPhone picture)  this was a decent eye cream, but I feel like I need something more than this can deliver. It was fairly lightweight and somewhat hydrating - I just need more. Probably won't repurchase at this stage.

Percy & Reed Volumising No Oil Oil - this was a very generous magazine sample. I liked it, but it wasn't actually that Volumising! As there are other hair oils and serums I prefer, I won't repurchase.

Urban Decay Supercurling mascara - really enjoyed this. Did exactly what it said on the tin and I'll certainly consider a repurchase in future.

Alpha H Liquid Gold - LOVE! Will certainly repurchase!! 

Sephora lip gloss - loved the colour and scent of this gloss (until it went off!). As it's something I can't easily get my hands on in the UK, I'd be inclined to choose another US brand of lip gloss, but I did really enjoy them.

Bath & Body Works Twilight Woods body cream - this was a lovely gift from a lovely friend. It has such a delicious scent and really is a lovely product. I'll certainly repurchase when the opportunity arises.

Hempz Strawberry Cheesecake body lotion - this was another gift from the same friend and like I mentioned above, it was a great choice. I loved this lotion as it really was moisturising without being tacky. Same applies, when I get the opportunity, I'll repurchase for sure.

Epic Empties: Part 3!

Here's the final instalment of my empties post. It's been another bumper month and I'm getting such a weird satisfaction from using things up! It's the simple pleasures, isn't it?!

Philosophy Coconut Frosting 3 in 1 shower gel - I do really love these shower gels. Whatever scent that's currently in season, I'm a fan. This was a massive bottle and the summery coconut scent was divine. I think I'll always have some of these in my collection. Definite repurchase! 

L'Occitane Verbena Shower Gel - this came from a TSV and I didn't think I was going to like this. Citrus just isn't my thang, but I really did enjoy this. The scent was very invigorating and especially good in the mornings. 

The Body Shop Moringa shower gel - I'm not a floral girl by any stretch of the imagination, but I really did enjoy the Moringa scent. I think I got this huge size in the January sales for about a fiver. Bargain. I think I'd consider a repurchase in future.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser - woah mama! This giant cleanser (all 946.2mls of it!) has been with me for YEARS. Without a word of a lie. Years!! I've obviously used other cleansers in the meanwhile, but I always knew I could rely on Purity. This gets your skin clean without feeling too harsh. I'll probably revisit this in the future, but for now I'm playing the field ;-)

Vichy Nomaderm Tri Active cleanser - I reviewed this a while back. I love that you can use it as a cleanser and mask. I personally don't think it's scrubby enough for a scrub, but for some people it might be just fine. I've already bought another one. Thumbs up from me.

Clarisonic nourishing care cleanser - came free with my Clarisonic. Nice enough. Wouldn't repurchase though, nothing special in my opinion. 

DHC cleansing oil - I love a cleansing oil. However, I'm not sure if I'm madly in love with this one. It's pretty run of the mill and doesn't really compare to the Origins Clean Energy. Will not repurchase.

Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream - love!  Have a few other pots ready to roll.

Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple PocketBac - you know I love these, although this scent kind of reminds me of Tixylix cough medicine! I already have others to use.. Of course! 

B.Pure Micellar water - nice enough. Nothing earth shattering. Won't repurchase.

Bath & Body Works Pink Chiffon shower gel - love this scent as its so super sweet. Will repurchase when I'm back at B&BW!

Alpha H Gentle Daily Exfoliator- I'm sorry to say that I really disliked this. It's a powder that you make into a paste and apply to your face. I really don't think it does anything and I hated the scent! It smells like dust (if you know what I mean?!) Not a fan. Won't repurchase. 

Batiste Tropical dry shampoo - use these all the time. Like this scent. Will always repurchase.

The Body Shop Moringa Beautifying Oil - told you I love this scent. I also love body  oils so this is a win/win. I've already repurchased.

The Sanctuary Pore Refining Toner - I like this toner and I like that its in a spray bottle. Might repurchase again. 

No7 Total Renewal scrub - I used to hold this scrub up against all others. But since attempting to use this one up, I noticed it was making my face sting a bit. Weird, because its never done that before. I've no moved onto the Botanics version which is cheaper and isn't stinging my face! Won't repurchase for the time being. 

L'Occitane ultra rich hand and body wash - LOVE! Smells like newborn babies (which I like, but you may not!) I have another one on the go as I type.

Ojon Restorative Shampoo and Conditioner - really like this combo. Its quite expensive but I'll probably buy it again when it's on offer. 

Elemis Skin Nourishing shower cream - again, this smells like newborn babies! Lovely comforting scent. Got this from a TSV and might consider an individual repurchase.

Philosophy I'm dreaming of white pear 3 in 1 shower gel - same as the Coconut Frosting, mmmm I love pears. 

Phew! That's it for now. My beauty bin is currently empty. But I'm already deciding what to focus on and use up in July. I really do need to try and include some make up in there, don't I?! 

Epic Empties - part two!

 

Back for part two of my epic empties post! This is all the skincare/body care products that I've gone through recently. Wow-wee, there's a lot of recycling here.

• Herbal Essences Hello Hydration shampoo/conditioner - I really like the tropical coconut scent of this duo. Does what it says on the package and to that end, I've already repurchased. Plus, The Boy seems to like it too!

• Bath and Body Works 'Cozy Autumn Vanilla' shower gel - Love the scent of this too. Will repurchase when back in the States. 5 months and counting...
• Philosophy 'I'm dreaming of' white peach 3 in 1 shower gel - I'm a total Philosophy girl. Really enjoyed this. Will probably always repurchase Philosophy goodies.
• Rituals Organic Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom foaming shower gel - Got this from the Parental Units at Christmas. Enjoyed how nice this made my skin feel. No tightness or scratchy feeling. The Boy seemed to keep nicking it too! 
• L'Occitane Lavender liquid soap - Enjoyed this but did get bored of the scent after a while. I use this as a hand wash and think prefer the Sweet Almond version. Still it was nice and I'd repurchase - just not this scent.
• Philosophy 'Gingerbread Girl' 3 in 1 shower gel - loved the scent. Less fussed on the shimmer within the product.  Only good thing was that it didn't transfer onto my skin, but it did hang around in the bath, even after a good scrub. Same a previously noted - I love Philosophy!
• Soap & Glory 'Clean Girls' shower gel - wasn't that fussed on this. Not a massive fan of the scent. Wouldn't repurchase.
• L'Occitane Almond shower oil - LOVE! Have repurchased already!

• The Sanctuary 'Ultimate Facial Cleansing oil' - Did not like this at all. I didn't think there was anything ultimate about it! I felt like it smeared make up all over my skin, instead of removing it.  And even though it emulsified into a milky consistency, I never really felt like it had all gone. Glad to see the back of this and I wont be repurchasing.
• Caudalie 'Eau de Beaute' - Obviously this has cult status within the beauty community, but I wasn't really sure what all the fuss was about.  I used it as a toner after cleansing. It does have a really lovely herbal scent and felt very refreshing -  but did it do anything major to my skin? No, I don't think so.  Nice enough, but I won't be in a rush to repurchase.
• Botanics Intensive Moisture Mask - Not a fan. Didn't think it was very hydrating and (for me) it has a weird smell. Won't repurchase.
• The Body Shop Shea Beautifying oil - Really enjoyed this. Nice clean scent that lasted on the skin. Very moisturising. Will almost certainly repurchase.
• Botanics Radiant Youth microdermabrasion polish - This has taken over the No7 microdermabrasion polish as my new favourite scrub. I love this and its much cheaper than the No7 version. Have already repurchased as its a 1/3 off in Boots at the moment. 
• Elemis Frangipani Monoi Melt - Gorgeous! I absolutely love this. I know Nic isn't fussed on the scent, but I think its divine. I have another mini bottle to use, then I'll repurchase. 
• Tara Smith Big Baby gentle shampoo - used this as a brush cleaner. Worked fine, although I'm not sure I'll repurchase. 
• Givenchy Ange ou Demon bath gel - You know I love the perfume, so clearly I love the scent.  Seemed to do the job, but as you know I wouldn't purchase this as a stand alone shower gel.  I'll no doubt get more when I get my post Christmas perfume purchases.
• Mamma Mio - O*Mega body buff - I'm afraid I didn't rate this at all. It wasn't scrubby enough for me as a scrub and I didn't care for the scent. Wont repurchase.

I want to know what you've used up recently?  Any fab finds or flops? Do share. I'm already well on my way to another epic empties post. I'm getting good at this!

May Empties

Its been another speedy month and we are already just a day away from June. Seriously, I have no idea where this year has gone!  On another happy note, I've gone through a fairly decent amount of products this month. So we have:

• Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash - this smells weird to me and you know I'm all about the scent.  And this will also probably sound a little strange, but I think it reminds me of Heinz Salad Cream - go figure!?!
• Alpha H Micro Cleanse - Love this stuff! A gorgeous minty facial scrub that leaves your skin invigorated and super smooth. Will certainly be re-purchasing.
• Leighton Denny Essential Remover - Possibly the most effective and nicest smelling nail varnish remover. One of those workhorse products that is simply a pleasure to use. Will re-buy the full size.
• The Body Shop Earth Lovers 'Watermelon and Eucalyptus' shower gel - nice but not my favourite scent from the range.  I picked this one for The Boy, so I didn't expect to love it.  Still, it was a really nice shower gel.
• The Sanctuary Warming Microbrasion Polish - I wanted to have a rest from the No7 Microdermabrasion scrub that I love, so I decided to try this instead.  It's nice enough. Not gritty enough for my liking although it is more like a self heating clay mask.  So if you want a multi tasking product, this could be for you.  The scent is nice too, just a very feint hit of rose.  Nice, but not for me.
• Calvin Klein Obsession body wash - I NEVER use these perfumed shower gel/body lotions that come in perfume sets. But I am making a conscious effort to do so from now on.  I love Obsession.  I realise this is not everyones cup of tea (or coffee in my case) but I find it to be a very sexy scent.  I wouldn't buy it as a stand alone product.  However, if it came with the perfume I'd certainly use it.  See, can you see my new leaf that I just turned over.... hehe.
• Soap and Glory Scrub Em and Leave Em - Nah, not for me.  Didn't rate the scrub or the scent. There are plenty of other scrubs that I prefer.
• Lush Snow Fairy shower gel - apologies that you cannot see the bottle properly, it decided to roll over as I took the picture.  I love the smell of this. My Lil Bro got me the set for Christmas. This is one seasonal product that I wish they would make all year round. Such a sweet treat. Hurry up Christmas!!!
• Haus of Gloi Vice Bubbling Scrub - I really like the HoG products I have tried so far and this was no exception. Sweet, spicy and quite scrubby. A winner for me.

• Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream  - oh god, I seriously wanted to hate this, given it's £75 price point.  I was certain that it would disagree with my picky skin.  But it loved it - dammit! I will  not buy this again, unless it is part of a TSV, as this pot was. I just cant afford to maintain the cost. However I did love every single second of its use and as you  can see, I wiped the jar clean.  There may have been tears before bedtime on the night this ran out. The Boy looked on in bemusement, until I told him the cost, at which point I was promptly told to go to sleep and stop thinking about it! Charming!

What have you been using up this month?

April Empties

Time for empties again.  Wow, this year is going fast!! It's May already!  I haven't used up that many product this month.  I'm still chipping away at the pile of goodies I have.  But I am doing quite well.  Sadly, there are no make up items...yet!

Anyway, this month we are recycling the packaging of:

• Haus of Gloi 'Snow Wolf' bubbling scrub - This was really nice.  I wasn't too keen on the scent at first, but it grew on me.  It was limited edition at Christmas though, so you wont be able to get it now.  However, HoG have tonnes of other amazing products and they are vegan too!!
• L'Occitane 'Bergamot Tea' bath and hair gel - Again, this wasn't something that I thought I would like.  But the beautiful delicate scent really soothed me into a deep relaxation after a stressful few weeks at work.  I'm sad to see the back of this one.

• Yes To Carrots 'Can you C me' Eye/Makeup remover - Another NYC purchase.  I needed a cleanser and Walgreens happily obliged.  I really liked this cleanser/make up remover, but I have seen mixed reviews about it.  Unfortunately, it isn't so easy to get hold of here.  Just as I decided I liked it, they seemed to withdraw from my local Boots.  Not impressed...
• Decleor 'Aroma Cleanse - Hydra Radiance Smoothing Cleansing Mousse' - Boy, did I want to love this product.  Designed in response to the Decleor/QVC customers desires, I had high hopes for this. However, I hated it.  I stung my eyes and it smelled vile!! It kind of had an ammonia tinge to it and for £25.56, I guess I expected a little more.  I should have sent it back, but somehow this product slipped past me and missed the 30 day window of opportunity...

• Alpha H 'Rejuvenating Cream' - came in an Alpha H kit.  It's ok, probably wont re-purchase although I am in the midst of a love affair with Alpha H at the moment.
• The Body Shop 'White Musk - Midnight Iris' EDT - I was never a fan of White Musk and the name of this almost put me off.  But when I saw this little bottle in TBS Christmas sale for £3 I though, why not.  It actually smelled really nice.  I guess this might be a little strange to some, but this is my bedtime fragrance.  Yes, I know, it's weird.  I like to smell nice ok!?!? Even in bed!  The late, great Marilyn Monroe once said "What do I wear in bed? Why, Chanel No 5 of course!" - a lady after my own heart.
• The Sanctuary 'Illuminating Moisture Lotion - SPF15' - Really, really liked this.  Very dewy and illuminating just as the name suggests.  This was a mini travel size, but I can see myself purchasing a full size when I need more moisturiser.

 

• Another L'Occitane mini hand cream.  I cant find the photo of the actual one I used, so I have borrowed this picture from a previous month.  This month was Rose Velvet variant.  Nice, but I'm not a rosy kind of gal and just not moisturising enough for my liking.

• Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo and Conditioner - I forgot how much I like Aussie.  Nice products that are reasonably priced and get the job done.  They always leave my hair smelling nice too.

So there we are. Have you finished anything exciting this month?