March Empties

Hello folks!

It's been a little while (Like, y'know, a month...?) since I last wrote about the products I've used up, so I bring you an empties post today. It's one of the good things about a spending ban; you start to use up some of the products in your stash as well as weed out the products you liked and the ones you don't...

I love my little empties tin! So cute. And now for its contents...

Hair and Body:

Umberto Giannini Curl Friends Natural Curls Styling Spray (Travel size): This is my go-to scrunching spray when I want curly, messy, bed-heady hair. Smells lovely, and even the travel size lasts ages. I will be picking this up again imminently, my hair isn't the same without it!

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel (Discontinued) - Well discontinued for now, it'll be back at Christmas. I liked this at first, it reminded me of the pear drops that I'm so fond of. But like pear drops, after a while I start to find them to be so sweet that they become sickly and I can't have any more lest I vomit. Strong words, but as such I won't be buying this again when Christmas comes around.

Skincare

Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Toner - I enjoy using this toner. I believe it's appeared in a few of my empties posts now. At the moment however, I've swapped it for a Dr Jart toner (to see if Dr Jart's pore refine range can do anything for my face), so for now I won't be repurchasing.

No.7 Pore Refining Serum - Another weapon from my arsenal that I've used up in the fight to kick my craterous skin into touch. I definitely didn't notice much difference in my skin whilst using this, so for that reason I won't be buying this again.

Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream (Travel Size) - This is a lovely moisturiser, but it's obviously for those with drier skin than I, as I found this sent my oily skin into shiny overload. Not good and not for me sadly!

Lush Cupcake Face Mask - I really enjoyed using this face mask, its divine scent made me crave chocolate every time I used it. I would buy this again, but only if I had run out of my current masks... and if I was near a Lush. Which is a rare occurence for me sadly. Sigh...

Make-up and Nails

MUA Nail Polish in Frozen Yoghurt - This technically isn't an empty. While I was on holiday in September, my clear top coat exploded in my make-up bag and went all over the cap of this. Gradually this has rendered this poor polish unopenable. I would buy this again though; it's only £1 and it's a lovely colour.

MUA Matte Perfect Primer - I am not a fan of this primer. At all. I've reviewed it here and that is all I'd like to say on this matter.

Estelle and Thild Raspberry Lip Balm - I loved this lovely balm of loveliness from the moment it popped out of my Selfridges Beauty Box. It soothed my ever-chapped lips and gave a delicious fruity favour to boot. However, it is a whopping £14 to buy and that's a wee bit too much to spend on a lip balm for me. So I shall wave a sad goodbye...

Well that is my beauty stash considerably lightened this month! What products have you used up this month? Anything that you're sad to say au revoir to?

Christina xo

February Empties

I can't believe we're now in March; 2013 is just zooming by! I also seem to be zipping through my skincare at an alarming rate, so I've got an empties post for you guys today.

Clockwise from top left we have:

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser - I enjoy using this; it's light and refreshing and leaves my skin feeling smooth. I've already repurchased this :)

No.7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream for Normal/Oily Skin. This moisturiser was brilliant, it was thick and provided my skin with lots of moisture without making it greasy. I will definitely repurchase this once I've used up all my current moisturisers!

Rituals Zensation Shower Foam - I love Rituals Shower Foams; this one contained Rice Milk and Cherry Blossom, and it smelt divine, like the essence of cleanliness if that makes sense. If I'm feeling flush one day, I'll pop to Edinburgh/Glasgow and pick up a full size of this (after my spending ban is finished OBVIOUSLY!)

Oops, that little tube which sneakily flipped over in my tin was a sample of Lancome Genefique. If you're a regualr reader of my blog, you'll know how much I adore this but loathe the price tag. So I won't repeat myself, but suffice to say that by hook or by crook, I will own a full size bottle one day...

Body Shop Seaweed Pore-Cleansing Facial Exfoliator - This was a good scrub, but I prefer something that's grittier than this; I like to know when I'm scrubbing my face! To that end, I wouldn't repurchase this.

Lastly, we have every beauty blogger's favourite powder - Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder in 002 Rose Blossom (think this shade has been discontinued. Or I've remembered the name wrong, one of the two...) Don't get me wrong, I liked using this powder, it was great. The packaging though was completely useless. The crappy plastic lid that never stayed on properly fell off and broke, so I couldn't take this anywhere with me, for fear of the powder exploding all over my handbags. As a result, I rarely used this, and now I just want rid of it. It's a shame; I think if Rimmel improved the packaging and made it more secure, I would repurchase this time and again.

What have you used up this month? Like the sound of any of the above products?

Christina xo

December Empties

It's the end of the month, and now the end of 2012! It's been a busy month and I've actually managed to use up quite a few products, so I shall show you wha I've used up this month, and my thoughts on the product.

SKINCARE

Soap and Glory - The Fab Pore Facial Peel. I've had this particular face mask for quite a while and have now finally finished it. I like it, but I have other face masks to use up first so I'll wait before repurchasing.

Boots Botanics - Moisturising Deep Clean Foam. Another product I've been trying to use up, but not because I liked it. I never felt like this made any improvement to my skin so I wouldn't buy this again.

Body Shop - Seaweed Clarifying Toner. This is the only toner I've used, and I really love it. It feels tingly and refreshing on my skin and I will buy this time and again!

Clinique - All About Eyes cream. This was a sample, and I don't feel it made much difference to my dark circles. No thanks!

Bioeffect - EGF Serum. This was a sample from my Selfridges beauty box which I've finally finished. I did feel like my skin texture and radiance was improved, but this costs £125 for 15ml, so no way am I forking out for that!

Lancome - Genefique serum. I received a 5 day sample set from Kris' mum (she still gets sent beauty products and samples even though she stopped being a Debenhams beauty manager 2 years ago). I love this so much, but right now I can't justify spending around £50 on a serum.

Dior - Skin Boosting Super Serum. I got this sample months ago after buying a Dior foundation. I just used this for the sake of using it. I didn't notice much difference to my skin.

Benefit - Total Moisture Cream. I received this sample after buying Browzings. This is a really rich moisturiser, perfect in the winter months. I've already received a deluxe sample size in one of the sets I received for Christmas and I can't wait to use it!

HAIRCARE

Percy and Reed - Splendidly Silky Moisturising Conditioner. This is the deluxe sample that Glamour gave away months ago. I used this like a hair mask, leaving it in to deep-condition my hair. I loved the fresh blueberry smell this had, but I wouldn't repurchase. It's nice, but I just prefer other brands at the moment.

Dove - Colour Radiance Express Treatment Conditioner. I got this free with a magazine, and it worked nicely when I used temporary dye in my hair at Halloween, but I wouldn't repurchase this.

Aussie - Colour Mate Shampoo. I bought this on offer a few months ago, mainly to use whilst I'd dyed my hair. I love Aussie, but I wouldn't repurchase, purely because I don't need to use colour shampoo.

VO5 - Refresh Me Quick Dry Shampoo. I liked using this, it had a lovely fresh, slightly flowery scent and left very little residue in my hair. I would repurchase this when my current Batiste can runs out :)

MAKE-UP 

Dr Jart - Premium Beauty Balm. I received this sample from Dr Jart's Facebook page after they started giving away samples. This was a little too dark for me, but it did work well. I would buy this is I could afford it.

BODYCARE

Rituals - Wai Lang Exfoliating Body Scrub. I got this sample from the Rituals store. I actually used this as a face scrub, and I loved it. Very scrubby, made my skin feel and smell lovely. I've already received more of this in the Rituals set I got for Christmas, so looking forward to scrubbing up with it!

Ren - Rose Otto Body Wash. This came in my Selfridges Lucky Bag, and it was one of the highlights of the bag. It smelled beautifully of roses, and I love a good rose scent. I would like this again, but I don't know if I would pay £17 just for a shower gel.

So that's all the loveliness I've used up this month :) what products have you used this month? Anything you loved?

Christina xo

Hauling from home...

There seems to be a pattern forming... every time I go home to Glasgow for a weekend, I end up picking up loads of make-up and beauty items! Well, technically this time some of it was online shopping that happened to arrive while I was away, but still, I've accumulated loads more stuff in a short space of time!

First up, I had placed a Body Shop order recently. They were offering £20 off if you spent £40, plus free shipping over £30, so I stocked up on some skincare (with a few Christmas presents for others thrown in!)

 

From L-R we have: Seaweed Clarifying Toner (in both 30ml and 200ml sizes). I buy both sizes so that I can travel with one instead of lugging a bigger bottle around.
Seaweed Pore Cleansing Facial Exfoliator - I'm in need of a new facial scrub, so I thought I'd try this. It seems to have had many positive reviews, so fingers crossed!
Elderflower Cooling Eye-Gel - I'm always hunting for something to reduce the dark circles and bags underneath my eyes, so time will tell if this will work. I'm keeping it in the fridge too to see if this enhances the cooling properties!
Vitamin E Moisture Cream (15ml) - I needed a travel moisturiser, so thought I would try the much Vitamin E range.

Next up, I made an order from MUA whilst everything was on 3 for 2, so that I could pick up some gifts for my friends...and a few for myself too! (I'm so cheeky haha!)

From my online order, I picked up: Intense Kisses Lip Gloss in Stolen Kisses (a plummy deep pink/purple), Mystical Glitter Nails in Seahorse (A green/gold glitter, it's lasting very well on my nails at the moment), and the much-lauded Undressed palette is also now in my possession! Looking forward to trying it out :)

Lastly, whilst I was out with my friend Lisa, I visited Superdrug, and we all know what happens next...

Barry M had an offer where if you spent £6 you received a free nail polish, and can I resist? Can I fuck! I bought Dazzle Dust in Mushroom (The most beautiful shimmering taupe shade), Nail Paint in gold glitter and a free Nail Paint in... It doesn't appear to have a shade name, my bottle just says "Superdrug Xmas" so this might be a limited edition offer from Superdrug. However, this is a lovely turquoise shade, with gold and silver shimmer through it, a very fine glitter almost. It looks like a middle ground between Barry M's foil effect polishes and their Glitter polishes. It's gorgeous anyway!

Lastly, from MUA I bought an eyeshadow trio in Innocence, Lip Pencil in Brooding Plum (it pulls more red than plum, but still a lovely shade.) and Mega Volume Mascara in Brown/Black. Because I also spent £6 on MUA, I received a free Artiste Palette, which I gave to Lisa since I already own said palette.

So that's my haul! What have you been buying yourself lately? Are you prone to treating yourself at Christmas while you buy presents for others (like me)?!

Christina xo