Empties | March 2014

Can 2014 please just take a moment to breathe? Its going way too fast for my liking! How is it Easter in two weeks?? 

Speed aside, I've managed to use up a few products during March...

Anew Reversal Night Cream & Boots Simply Sensitive Night Moisturiser | The first of the two was given to me by the mother bear, and its been sat in a drawer, unused and probably past its use by date, so I've finally thrown it away. The Boots offering however has been the perfect night cream, not too heavy and soothing after a long day. 

The Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Toner | I have declared my love for this toner before so I wont repeat myself but if you have oily skin, this stuff is amazing! 

Good Thing Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser | Speaking of oily skin, this moisturiser has been my staple for months now, and gives moisture, whilst keeping sebum at bay. 

The Body Shop Coconut Body Mist | I loved the mango version of this but something about the coconut version just didn't hit the spot for me...

Goldwell Twist Around Curl Styling Spray | Ever since my perm last year..which I'm sure has grown out by now, I've been loving the natural waves look, and this curling spray helps to lock curls or waves in place. It feels like nothing more than water on your hair and smells divine, like banana. I love it so much that I already have another on standby! 

Soap and Glory Butter Yourself Body Butter | What would an empties post be without a body butter? I've been using this massive 300ml tub for the past two months and it's only just become empty! It smells fruity and light, however the cream itself is thick and rich, soaking in to leave your skin so soft. I like to slather this on at night, and by morning it still feels like I only moisturised an hour before there are other scents that I prefer, however for the quality and amount you get, I'd definitely purchase again. 

Favourites | January 2014

I don't know about you, but after all the craziness of Christmas and new year, January always leaves me feeling deflated and seems to drag like no other month. 2014 has been no exception and I'm actually glad the month of blues is reaching it's end! 

Nevertheless, I have been using this month to get well aquainted with some beauty products. Here are my January best picks! 

Soap and Glory 'Lid Stuff' Eyeshadow Quad

I've forgotten to photograph this, but you find it on the Boots website here. I bought this quad back in the summer last year and I have made a serious dent in at least two of the shades! If you're a neutral palette kinda gal, you NEED this in your life. For £10 you get four gorgeously pigmented shades, perfect for creating a variety of nude looks. The size of each colour is almost exactly the same as a Mac Pro Palette refill but for a fraction of the price, and in my opinion, it's a serious contender quality wise as well! The shades are butter like and apply like a dream, definitely one I'm glad to have in my collection. 

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in 'Peach Blossom' 

This little baby was on my Christmas list and since excitedly opening it on Christmas morning it has been a firm favourite and has lived on my lips through the majority of this month. The perfect sheer peachy nude goes with, and has been going with EVERYTHING!  

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker XL Lip Gloss
Other than my MAC lipstick, this gloss from S&G has lived in my handbag and is perfect for a quick fix throughout the day. I'm quite partial to a gloss at the minute and this smells like caramel, and plumps your lips (Be prepared for immense tingling). The bubblegum pink shade is so cute too and has been pairing quite nicely with my cold flushed cheeks! 

REN Invisible Pores Face Mask

Oh my. When I first used this mask, I must admit me and REN had a bit I a moment, I actually thought I'd fallen in love! We all know what a clay mask does;  draws out imperfections, tightens pores, leaves your skin feeling smooth albeit a tad tight? Well this little beauty does all that except my skin doesn't feel tight, rather it feels soft and just...clean. The best part? REN is against animal testing (something I try to steer clear of as much as I can) and doesn't contain any of the nasties that were all trying to keep away from out skins! 

Sleek Zuri Brightening Night Sirum

Who knew sleek did skincare? I certainly didn't, not even when I bought it! It wasn't until I perused the labels that I noticed the brand discreetly on the back of the packaging! I'm fairly new to sirums but the 'brightening' aspect had me sold. I'm not sure if the effects actually brighten my skin, but it certainly feels plump and injects extra moisture into the skin, which makes for an overall brighter appearance! 

Barry M Nail Polish in 'Berry Cosmo' and Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish in 'Caramel Cupcake'

I have worn nothing but these two shades throughout January, you know you love a shade when you remove it, just to reapply! The Barry M offering is the most gorgeous deep berry, which lived on my nails throughout the first half of January, whilst the Rimmel beige/caramel is the perfect nude, perfectly polished but barely there colour! 

Jergens Natural Aloe Soothing Moisturiser 
I got this for my birthday back in September, and had used it here and there, favouring thicker body butters, however this month with the short days and hectic schedule, I just haven't had time, so I've been reaching for this thinner cream for a quick injection of moisture, and have barely touched any other body moisturiser. It has such a clean scent and leaves me feeling thoroughly moisturised. 

Soap and Glory 'Hand Food' 
I wasn't in the market for a new handcream, however in the 'Yule Monty' set I received for Christmas, there was hand food. I have been having a slight love affair with its marshmallow scent ever since! 

Dainty Doll Blusher Shade '004'
I bought this last year from Fragrance Direct and was thoroughly disappointed when I opened the packaging as I didn't realise it would be so shimmery. It was put into a box and forgotten about. I decided after Christmas to have a make up shuffle, and came across this again. I gave it a go, and with a light hand, it has easily become my go to blush for an everyday make up look. The shimmer is actually perfect for these cold, winter days as it injects some life into my pale skin. It reminds me a lot of the Nars Orgasm blusher, which is a cult favourite, however never appealed to me. After rediscovering the Dainty Doll blush, I may have to rethink... 

Empties | October // November // December 2013

Hello! 

I've been really bad at posting these last few months, simply because I haven't had the time to blog! But I have been faithfully collecting my empty products from the last few months for you lovely people to nosey at! 

The Body Shop Mango Shower Gel: Definitely leaning towards a more summery shower gel, this mango scent is light and refreshing and the scent lingers on your skin after a shower. This 250ml bottle lasted me absolutely ages, as you only need a tiny amount to make a rich lather. 

Would I purchase again? Maybe, but I have so many lined up in my stash, it wouldn't be any time soon! 

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash: This body wash comes in a huge 500ml bottle with a pump, making it one of the easiest body washes to use! As i'm sure you've heard me say before, the scent of this whole range is to die for; sugary, sweet and limey - the perfect combination for a refreshing yet indulgent bathing experience - without all the guilty calories! 

Would I purchase again? Already have one full size and one half size on standby! 

The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Body Scrub: I really wasn't sold on this scrub. I bought it in one of TBS's many many sales, so it ended up only costing me a few pounds, however if I'd have bought it for full price I'd have been pretty annoyed as it just didn't wow me. The smell is very synthetic, which I don't mind in the body butter form, however the scrub was sickly. The scrub formula itself was creamy, quite scratchy and anti climatic. It did the job, but others have done it better. 

Would I purchase again? No. 

Avon Planet Spa Japanese Sake and Rice Illuminating Body Cream: If Avon have ever done anything right, it's their planet spa range, I love everything I've ever tried from them, my favourite being the Mediterranean Olive Oil Hair Mask, which is pure luxury. This body lotion smelt so amazing, I don't even know how to describe it, except that I loved it and the scent lingered for hours afterwards. The lotion has slight shimmer, which 'illuminates'. The shimmer is noticeable, but not glittery. It sinks fairly quickly into the skin, without leaving a sticky or oily residue and hydrates well. 

Would I purchase again? Purely for the scent, if nothing else! 

No7 Enriched Hand and Nail Treatment: I was neither here nor there with this hand cream, it was OK, kept my hands fairly hydrated, sunk in quickly however left an oily residue behind, and smelled so-so. A 4/10 from me. 

Would I purchase again? Nah. 

Garnier Body Body Tonic Firming Hydrating Lotion: So far, I have loved every Garnier body lotion I have come across, I find their formulas to be hydrating, yet incredibly light and the scents are to die for. This lotion claimed to create a more toned 'firm' look, and if you are looking for long term benefits, you have come to the wrong lotion, however the caffeine within this lotion does give short term effects, which give an illusion of smoother, more toned legs. For use in the summer, this lotion is second to none, and I'm looking forward to cracking another of these bad boys out next summer! 

Would I purchase again? Definitely!

The Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask: I've had a love/hate relationship with this mask. Most of the time I love it - it's great for a really deep clean, and the clay draws out all the nasty impurities leaving baby soft and clear skin. As I've gone through the tub, the smell, which has always been a tad overpowering, had started to become TOO overpowering for me, so much so that I was glad I'd finished the tub. It's a great mask, but I would recommend giving one a sniff in the shop before you buy to make sure it's not too much for your nostrils to take! 

Would I purchase again? Not right now, I'm trying out alternative clay masks. 

Lush Mask of Magnaminty: I'm sure I've spoken about this before, it's a great little all rounder mask for when you just want a little pick me up with added texture to gently exfoliate. 

Would I purchase again? I have one lined up already. 

No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser: I loved this cleanser. It has a really clean, pleasant smell, and worked well to remove all make up (even mascara). Plus with my No7 voucher it was only £4.95 - Bargain! 

Would I purchase again? I would, but I'm branching out and trying different cleansers at the moment in a bid to find my holy grail. 

Lush Cupcake Fresh Facemask: I know this mask gets a lot of great reviews, but for me, this mask was just ok. It gave my skin a nice boost, however I like to feel wowed after I've had a mask on, and after I washed this off, I just felt like I'd washed my face, no wow factor. 

Would I purchase again? Probably not. 

Vie Seventh Heaven Cleansing Balm: I bought this from fragrance direct after my beloved No7 cleanser had ran out, and it was my first foray into the world of balm cleansers. I have to say, this was not a bad little cleanser, and has been effectively removing my mascara, although it did take me a week or two to get used to the texture. This has been known to make my eyes sting a little, but it's probably my own fault for not closing them properly! 

Would I purchase again? No. 

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask: Oh, yes, the marmalade mask everyone has been talking about...made my skin sting like mad! I'm not sure if it's meant to, but it got a point where it became almost uncomfortable. After removing the mask, however, I did see what the fuss was about - It felt like I'd had a layer of new skin, however i'm not sure I can justify spending £30 for the full sized version.

Would I purchase again? Maybe, if the right sale was on... 

Lush Ocean Salt Facial Scrub: This little baby is a little coarse for more than one use a week, but it's so fresh and clean, and leaves my face so baby soft and smooth, that I genuinely see it as a treat to use! I found that using this once, sometimes twice a week, using a peasized amount each time, lasted me just under a year! Value for money? I think so... 

Would I purchase again? Already have done! 

Benefit They're Real Mascara: (Not pictured) Oh my, I've definitely fallen hard for this one. Believe the hype surrounding this mascara, it's all true! I had my doubts about a mascara costing double the average price, however I'd now happily part with that cash, as no other mascara can compare. 

Would I purchase again? Have done, and will be doing for the foreseeable future!

Next Eau Bloom Fragrance: This is the most gorgeous, floral yet fruity summer scent, and I'm actually gutted that next aren't currently stocking it. Fingers crossed it will be back for summer! 

Would I purchase again? In a heartbeat! 

Miss Sixty Elixer Perfume: I got this as a gift for my 17th birthday, and I've loved it ever since. This is my second bottle of the stuff (I went years without it before I finally tracked it down again) It's such a unique scent, unlike my signature light and fruity/floral scents, but I think this is what I like about it. 

Would I purchase again? Once my collection has died down a tad, who knows? 

Andrew Collinge Perfect Endings Heat Defence Spray: It has taken me a long, long time to finish this, it's one of those products that seem to be never ending! I have quite resilient hair, however I always make sure I've spritzed the lengths and ends of my locks with heat defence spray before using heat tools. This one has served me well, and has saved me from many a frazzled hairdo! 

Would I purchase again? Yes. 

Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo: I don't yet have a replacement for this baby so I'm distraught that it's sprayed it's last spray... what will I do on a bad hair day now??! In my eyes, there is no better dry shampoo than batiste, and it goes without saying that I shall be popping to boots very soon to stock up.... 

Would I purchase again? Yes, but I may try a different scent...broaden my horizons... 

I shall try my best to actually post a january empties at the end of the month to avoid such mammoth blogposts in future!! 

Gem Xx 

Boots Sale Buys.

I have a love hate relationship with sales, particularly January sales. I, like most of us, love a good bargain. I love the feeling of wearing or using something and knowing that I got a special deal on it. It's the queueing that I can't deal with. And the crowds. This is something that isn't only applicable to sales, I'm starting to become that girl who dreads a shopping trip on a Saturday. So I've taken to that grand old invention; the internet. I've done all my January sales shopping, browsing and all, online, and ended up making a sizeable order from New Look, and I'm currently eyeing up a few things from Topshop. 

Walking home from Uni yesterday I passed Boots and decided to have a quick look around. I'd already poured over the website to see if any deals were to be had, however hadn't really found too much I wanted, so I wasn't expecting much, however I came out with armfuls of shopping bags....This is what I got my mitts on! 

Champneys Mens Facial Skincare Set RRP £18 | Sale Price £9

I picked this up for my boyfriend as a little 'just because' gift. I don't know about mens skincare, but Champneys for women can be fairly pricey so I thought for 3 full sized products, £9 was an absolute bargain! 

Soap & Glory 'Once Upon A Lime' Set RRP £18 | Sale Price £9

I'll be honest, I have enough bath and body products to last me until next year, and a vast majority of them are Soap & Glory. Did I need this set? No. Did I want it? Hell yes! If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know I loved the Sugar Crush range when it first came out and I used it non stop throughout the summer. The one product I didn't try out from the range, however was the body buttercream. £10.50 seemed a little steep for my student budget to cope with. This set has the full sized buttercream, half sized shower cream, miniature scrub and a shower puff for £9. I win.

Vintage Heart Shaped Trinket Dish RRP £8 | Sale Price £4

Shabby chic is taking over my life. Or at the very least my bedroom. This little dish I thought would be perfect for little bits and bobs such as bracelets, earrings etc that I use regularly. 

Starbucks Coffee, Mug & Caramel Syrup Set RRP £14 | Sale Price £7

OK, I admit I wanted this solely for the mug, I have a bit of a thing with quirky mugs, and I'm building up quite a collection. When I eventually set up camp in my own home, I like the idea of having a cupboard full of interesting mugs that have a story behind them rather than a set of generic ones. I haven't tried the coffee yet but the syrup in hot chocolate was yummy! 

Laura Ashley Two Drawer Storage Box RRP £12 | Sale Price £6 

How cute is this? Even the sales assistant that served me was chatting away about how pretty this was. It has two decent sized drawers which are currently housing some beauty bits and bobs that I don't use very often/haven't used yet. I was surprised at how much I can actually fit into them, and for just £6, I'm really happy with my purchase. 

Have you been shopping the sales? 

Gem. Xx 

Empties | August

Hey! 

This August has officially been known by me as 'project use up'. I move out (again) tomorrow to start my final year as a student, and I had so many half used products that I made a vow to myself to use up as many as possible so that I wouldn't be taking as many almost empty bottles and tubs with me. I've managed to create quite the collection of empties which even includes make up which never happens! 

Fructis Big Volume Flexible Hold Volume XXL Hairspray: This hairspray is just perfect for me. I'm never usually loyal to hair products, but the fact I've already repurchased this says a lot for me. It doesn't feel sticky or make my hair crispy, it simply holds whilst giving me volume, yet still leaves my hair feeling soft. 

Would I repurchase? Already have done

Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo: I will quite happily rave about this dry shampoo until the cows come home. I love it! It's the perfect summer pick me up for days when you can't be bothered to do much with your hair. This not only absorbs excess oil, it creates volume and texture too, and smells incredible! 

Would I Repurchase? Already had a can on standby! 

Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo: Oh Aussie. Oh, oh Aussie. If I could only use one hair brand for the rest of my days, I have a feeling Aussie would be right up there in the top choices! I find that all of their products smell incredible and do a great job of making my hair feel squeaky clean and soft. I wouldn't really say that that did an awful lot on the volume front, but I can never really tell as my hair is quite wavy and volumous naturally.. 

Would I Repurchase? Yes

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Colour: I have had this for ages, and truth be told, my colour has mostly grown out now, and i'm sporting more of an ombre look, so I'm not sure I'm using it for it's intended purpose, however, like I've previously said, it doesn't really matter which of these products you use, they will still do amazing things for your hair, and as a 3 minute intensive treatment, it does an amazing job of making my locks feel lovely and soft without weighing them down. 

Would I repurchase? If I coloured my hair again, yes. 

Lush H'suan Wen Hua Hair Moisturiser: I've spoken about this before, and I'm actually quite upset. This tub was the last in my stash. If you can get past the unappealing smell, this moisturiser is amazing! It leaves hair softer than any other deep conditioning treatment I've ever tried. 

Would I repurchase? I might try some others from the range, but I'd definitely revisit H'suan Wen Hua. 

Boots Honey & Jojoba Intensive Hair Mask: I feel like I've had this in my life for longer than I should. I don't know why I've not finished this up sooner, I just tend to use other hair masks over this one. It's fine, and for how cheap it was, there isn't really anything wrong with it, I just have a bit of a 'meh' attitude towards it. 

Would I Repurchase? Probably not. 

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub: This range from S&G is not to everybody's taste, but I love it. It's incredibly sweet, but undercut with lime to give a bit of sharpness. The scrub itself is fairly abrasive, and really gives a good amount of scrub, without being scratchy. 

Would I Repurchase? Yes. 

The Body Shop Mango Sugar Scrub: I'm very undecided with this scrub, I really liked it when I first got it, but as time's gone on, I'm not sure I like the gloopy, oily residue left behind. Although it does moisturise my skin nicely if left to soak in, lately I've been very impatient and want products that sink into the skin quickly so I've been unimpressed with it in the past few weeks. 

Would I Repurchase? Maybe in the winter months for some extra moisture. 

Garnier Summer Body: I love this. There isn't anything more to say. I'm gutted I've ran out to be honest, as I've promised myself I won't buy any more moisturisers until I've made my way through my stash. It sinks into the skin quickly, leaving a no streaks, no fuss gradual tan with a gorgeous apricot fragrance. 

Would I Repurchase? In a heartbeat. 

Lush Mask Of Magnaminty: Another of Lush's offerings that I always seem to have on standby is Mask of Magnaminty. I find that this doubles as an exfoliant and the minty fragrance makes my skin just feel so fresh and cleansed. 

Would I Repurchase? I have a stash so not at the moment. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Show Off Mascara: I'm glad to see the back of this mascara. I don't know if I got a dud or not, but it seemed dry and clumpy from word go, and just made my eyes look awful. The brush, a huge bushy number, I imagine would be great if the formula wasn't so dry. Definitely not my cup of tea.

Would I Repurchase? Definitely not. 

Avon Summer Shimmer Lip Care: I bought this under false pretences. I thought the words 'summer' and 'lip care' meant an SPF lip balm, however this balm has no SPF whatsoever, and felt like it as doing anything but 'care' for my lips. I haven't actually finished this, but enough is enough, and I'm throwing it away. 

Would I Repurchase? No. 

What have you used up recently? 

What's On My Face | The Everyday Edit.

Since breaking my finger, it's been made clear to me just how much I rely on my left hand for simple things like putting on my make up. Because of this, I haven't been switching my make-up around as much as usual, and have been using the same look, as it's easier. 

Bases

- Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 'Soft Beige': This is my go-to foundation for this time of year, as it gives a nice medium finish, with an SPF factor; always important!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer: This concealer has a peachy tint, which is great for counteracting the dark circles, although I wish it had a little more coverage. 

Soap & Glory Trick and Treatment Concealer: I'm suffering from some pretty impressive dark circles at the minute, hence the two concealers. I like to use this one on top of my Rimmel one for extra coverage. This one has a slight shimmer which illuminates the area, making dark circles appear reduced. 

Contour & Blush

Bourjois Chocolate Bronzing Powder: At the minute, i'm favouring a more matte finish, which means a bronzer with shimmer is a no-go. This one from Bourjois only has a very slight shimmer, which isn't really noticeable, and can be used as a sheer layer of warmth, or built up to create a more contoured look. 

Revlon Matte Blush in 'Rose Rapture': I bought this about 3/4 months ago, and have made a serious dent in it already. I absolutely love this blush - it's perfect for everyday wear, and as it has a matte finish, it's not too showy for the daytime, which is what I prefer. 

Eyes

It's About Prime Eye Primer: I bought this on a whim from Soap & Glory when they had an offer on. I think it retails at around £9, and I bought it as a cheaper alternative to the Urban Decay Primer Potion. It does create a base which helps the shadows to stay a few hours longer, however once this has run out, I think i'll be going back to the Urban Decay counter. 

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette: I'm not going to bore you with yet another rave about how amazing these shadows are, I think it speaks for itself as to why these are a staple in my routine. 

Benefit They're Real Mascara: Again, there's no point telling you how amazing this mascara is, all I'll say is you need this in your life. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara: The only reason I've included this mascara is because I'm trying to use it up. It's one of the worst mascaras I've used in a long time. Not only is the formula dry and flakey, it just does nothing for my eye lashes other than make them clump together. 

Lips

ELF Studio Lip Exfoliator: This lip scrub is so convenient. It comes in lipstick form, which is so easy to use, and doesn't involve scooping product out of a tub, making priming my lips for lipstick so easy. It also leaves behind a balm-like finish, which moisturises. 

Calvin Klein Delicious Truth Lipstick in 'Illusion': I've been doing the minimal make up look thing lately, and this lipstick is the perfect colour for that effortless look. It's sheer, yet has a gorgeous light pink tone which just brightens up the face. The formula is very moisturising and doesn't feel too heavy on the lips. 

So there we have it, my everyday face of the moment. 

What have you been wearing lately?