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 one!

I did mention this was EPIC, right? I've been ploughing though my goodies for the last few months and here are the results.  I think I've done pretty well,  but there is still a way to go.  This is going to be a fairly massive post, so get yourselves comfy. We're going in for part one...

• Givenchy Ange ou Demon - I love this perfume and I've already blogged about it here Gorgeous. I have another bottle to use, but think this one will always be in my collection. 
• Givenchy Play - got this a while back whist seeking out the Play Intense version. Nice enough but not really me.  I don't think I'll repurchase this one.
• Calvin Klein Euphoria - Another long standing love. Have another bottle ready to use and will repurchase when I need to.

•  Hugo Boss woman body lotion - Nice, but nothing special. Wouldn't repurchase.
• YSL Top Secret pro remover - came in a YSL freebie.  Really good eye make up remover. I'm glad I tried it, but I don't think I'd buy it as its fairly expensive and I'm not sure it works better the the cheaper versions. Still, nice to give it a whirl.
•  Origins make a difference + treatment - Loved this! It was really light and hydrating. When I run out of moisturiser, will purchase the full size.
•  Revlon ColorStay - Long time love. Have a back up and when its gone, I'll repurchase for sure!
•  Espa Skin Radiance Moisturiser - This was a nice dewy moisturiser and it smelt amazing. I took this away to Berlin with me, as it was a super handy travel size. I don't think I'd purchase the full size though.
•  B&BW Sleep Night Time Tea lotion - This was really lovely, very moisturising and a great calming scent.  Will buy the large one when I'm back in the States in September.
•  Vichy Purete Thermale calming cleansing micellar solution - Enjoyed using this micellar solution. Made my skin feel really nice and soothed. Would certainly consider a re-purchase.

• BE Bisque/Well rested - This seemed to last forever!Product was okay. Didn't really get the point of Well Rested. Probably won't repurchase, unless it comes in a QVC kit.
• Urban Decay Primer Potion - Love this. Wouldn't be without it. Definite repurchase.
• OPI nail envy - This went a little weird at the end. I like this, but I can't say I notice anything major improvement in my nails. Decent base coat though. May consider repurchasing.
• Hourglass Film Noir - Decent mascara from the Sephora Lash Stash but I personally dont think it was anything outstanding. Wouldn't repurchase again.
• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - Really like this so much so, that I've already repurchased.  Just as good as Seche Vite, cheaper and easier to get hold of!
• Too Faced LashGasm - Another Sephora Lash Stash mascara.  Liked this formula and its rubber bristles. Might consider a repurchase in future.
• Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill - Really don't know what the fuss was about this, I'm really not a fan! Its a very wet mascara with a standard brush. Can't say that I noticed anything amazing for my lashes. Won't buy the full size.
• BareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing - And yet another Sephora Lash Stash mascara. Not a fan of this one either. Didn't find it particularly voluminous. Prefer the original Flawless Definition. Won't repurchase.
• Rimmel 1000 kisses tint balm 110 stay very berry - Not a fan. Nice original stain, but wore off in a patchy mess. Won't repurchase.
• Max Factor Lipfinity lasting lip tints in 03 (pink) 04 (nude) - Again, these we nice on initial application too, but wore off in a strange pattern, leaving a crazy pigmented lip line (reminiscent of a drag queen) No thanks! They dried up really quickly too. Won't repurchase.
• No7 pink lip balm/gloss - Think this was intended to compete with the Clarins Lip Perfectors. I haven't tried them, so I can't comment other than to say that this was okay. Nothing major to say about it really. Think it was a limited edition, although I don't think I'd repurchase even if it was still available.  

Now, onto part two...

Vichy Normaderm 3 in 1 Cleanser

There’s nothing like stress to play havoc with your skin! My skin is generally on the border of being badly behaved.  It nudges across that border, usually  about the time of the month (FUN!), but generally my combination skin is fairly well managed – apart from bouts of stress!

I decided to give the Vichy Normaderm 3 in 1 Cleanser * (Currently a bargainous £9.35 for 125ml from Escentual.com) when my skin had made a bid for the border (stress, stress and more stress!)... and I have to say I love it.

  

As the name would suggest, its a multi-use product.  It can be used as a cleanser, scrub or mask for oily/combination skin.  As I had it in a 50ml sample size, I decided this would be the perfect product to throw in my travel bag.  So when we headed off to Berlin at the start of January for The Boy's 30th birthday celebrations - Nomaderm 3 in 1 came along too. 

They say: Regulate your complexion with the Vichy Normaderm 3 in 1 Cleanser, Scrub and Mask, an all-in-one solution for oily skin. When skin produces too much oil and becomes overburdened, clogged and imperfection-prone, it needs gentle care to make it feel fresh and comfortable again. The Normaderm 3-in-1 combined cleanse, scrub and mask action is made up of ultra soothing agents and deeply clarifying clay, making it perfect for even sensitive complexions. The Normaderm cleansing cream reduces the appearance of imperfections, clears impurities and eliminates excess sebum. Lather onto your damp face and then rinse off with plenty of water. Alternatively, use the cream as a daily scrub to unclog pores, and make the texture of the skin more uniform. Lather up and rinse away thoroughly. To use as a mask, apply in a thick layer and leave on for 5 minutes. Rinse away thoroughly for a matte and clear complexion, making sure to avoid the eye contour

So how have I used it? As I mentioned, due to the mini nature of the tester, I took it to Berlin with me as my sole cleanser/scrub/mask.  As it is such a multi-purpose product,  I was able to cut down on unnecessary crap that had to be carried in my hand luggage (cheers Ryanair!!) and focus my space resource on the mounds of nail varnish I brought back with me - don't ask! It was messy...  Now I'm back home and I treated myself to the big 125ml bottle,  I enjoy using it more as a mask. 

In my opinion, its not a hardcore treatment mask, like Origins Clear Improvement or Out of Trouble - but a kind of daily maintenance mask.  Of course, that's just me and my skin. You may think this is enough for you to use once or twice a week and that's fine too. But for me, I use it a couple of times a week, just to keep everything in check.  Come the weekend, it's time to bring out the big guns.  You don't need a lot of this product. 50ml has lasted me about 3 months using it mainly as a mask (you'll see it feature in an upcoming empties post soon, because I'm all out) a few times a week. Obviously, if you use this as your daily cleanser, you'll go through it a bit quicker.  For me personally, its not 'scrubby' enough to use as a facial scrub.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, hop (its still sort of Easter - geddit? Oh never mind!) over to Escentual.com  You may even be able to find the infamous Bioderma in stock.  AMAZING! Check them out here 

*Product was kindly sent to me as a sample by Escentual.com However, I loved it so much, bought myself the big bottle! 

End of Summer Empties

• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri topcoat - really like this, but like other products in the same vein (such as Seche Vite and others below) they do get a bit gloopy and unusable after a while. Still, this version is cheap and accessible on the High Street, so that is a winner for me.
• Leighton Denny Crystal Clear topcoat - same as above. Have another one on the go already.
• INM Out the Door topcoat - same as above.  If I could easily get my hands on this (I got this last November in Las Vegas) then I'd certainly buy this again.
• B&BW Pocket Bac in Fresh Picked Strawberry - Love this and it smelt divine.  This was one of the pocket bac's that Annabella from Skin Scrubs picked up for me when she was back home. Thanks lovely! 
• Giorgio Armani - Armani Code EDP - I really didn't know what to expect from this, when I perused the perfume store that is my wardrobe - but I loved it. I'm going to try and pick this up again in my next Boxing Day Bargains haul.
• Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise EDT - Ahhhhh Jo! I cannot tell you how much I love this.  I have to say I was going very easy on using this.  30ml doesn't last long with me!  Luckily, Nic bought me a MASSIVE 100ml bottle for our birthday.  That singled the end of the baby bottle.  Love this. I think I'll always have this in my collection.  To me, its so warm and comforting. Beautiful.
• MUFE Smoky Lash mascara - this came from my Sephora Lash Stash and it was one of the ones I was most excited to try.  But do you know what, I don't rate it.  Controversial I know. I found it to be  quite flaky by the end of the day, resulting in me having panda eyes. It always transferred down, which looks so attractive!  It just wasn't for me.  Would rather spend the money on Benefit They're Real  - any day of the week!

• Ojon Restorative Leave in Treatment - I know this is expensive (although this came in a kit from QVC) but I think its really great.  It never weighed my (super fine) hair down and left it feeling very nourished.,  I have other similar products to use up, but I would repurchase this again. 
• Simple Eye make up remover - I love this. Will certainly repurchase again.
• Burt's Bees Almond Milk hand cream - I really loved the smell of this, but I didn't really like the cream itself.  Will still to my L'Occitane Shea hand cream in future.
• Vichy Nomaderm Micellar solution - I thought I'd try another Micellar solution.  This one was nice enough,. I can't say that I noticed it doing anything major in relation to keeping spots at bay.  I will probably buy this again in the future. 
• Umberto Giannini Morning After dry shampoo - I liked the smell of this, but I prefer Batiste (which is also cheaper!).  I won't repurchase this. 

• B&BW Warm Vanilla Sugar shower gel - mmmmmm vanilla! What's not to like about this.  Next time I'm in the States, I will repurchase this for sure!
• Freederm sensitive facial wash - Didn't really rate this at all.  Won't repurchase.
• Radox Brazilian Fusion bath soak - same as above. I liked it in Tesco.  I didn't like it in the bath.  The Boy ended up finishing it off
• John Frieda Frizz Ease - this bottle has lasted for eons! Will probably buy this again at some point in the future. 
• Elemis Lime & Ginger salt scrub - this baby version was from a QVC kit.  I think salt scrubs are awesome. This one smelled very exotic (as it comes from the Elemis exotics collection - you'd hope it would, wouldn't you?) and was very moisturising, although it didn't leave a greasy film. All in all, a nice scrub.  Will consider repurchasing at some point in the future.
• Leighton Denny Essential Remover - as nail varnish removers go, this is certainly one of the better ones in my opinion.  Will almost certainly repurchase. 
• Kings & Queens Mango shower gel - I really enjoyed using this.  It smelt just like a Solero ice cream Yum.  Will have to investigate this brand further when I need more shower gel - 2030 it is then!!

I think I did quite well getting through all this in August and September.  What have you used up recently?