May Empties

 Due to going on holiday this month, I managed to get through some of the many samples I had piling up, as well as some of my usual products!

This Redken conditioner came with the April LoveMe Beauty box and I loved using it! It had a fantastic cranberry scent and left my hair silky soft. It's intended for those with coloured hair (mine isn't) so I can't comment on whether it prolongs your colour or not, but still a lovely product. 

Repurchase: Yes, if I dyed my hair again, and could find it online!

 Simple face wipes are a regular repurchase for me. I know they aren't the best thing for your skin but these ones are so soft and they remove my mascara really well. 

Repurchase: Already have.

This Gilchrist and Soames shower gel came with a Birchbox a while back, and I took it with me on holiday as an alternative to some of my more floral ones in case Luke wanted to use it. It had quite a neutral scent, which wasn't unpleasant and meant we were both happy to use it, but with a full size bottle priced at around £14 I probably won't be repurchasing.

Repurchase: Probably not.


I also took this sample of Balance Me's Super Toning body wash. This had a really weird consistency, it was incredibly thick and reminded me of honey! The scent was a mix between floral and herby, with the ingredients including juniper, bergamot, geranium and lavender. We both enjoyed using this shower gel, as with the Gilchrist and Soames one, the scent was quite unisex.


 Repurchase: No. We have so much shower gel at home already! 

I also took a couple of these Herbal Essences minis with us. I love Herbal Essences, the cute colourful bottles and the amazing scents are right up my street and I'd forgotten how good they are! After using these on holiday I can definitely see myself picking up the bigger sizes.

Repurchase: Yes.

I received this sample of Caudalie's Divine Legs lotion with this month's You Beauty Discovery box, and decided to save it until after my holiday. Initially I was quite wary, especially as it looked very dark when it came out of the sachet, but I actually think that this is a great beginners tanning lotion. It left my legs subtly tanned and wasn't at all streaky. Plus, it washes off easily.

 

Repurchase: At £26 a bottle, probably not.

This Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Hair Healer Leave-In Conditoner (What a mouthful!) was also in the You Beauty Discovery box, and a post-holiday treat. It was incredibly easy to use, I just combed it through my hair after washing and left it. The next day my hair felt nourished and conditioned, it was a really lovely way to pamper my hair after it had been exposed to chlorine, sun, and the sea!

Repurchase: This is only £5.99 for a 200ml bottle, so I probably will at some point.

Finally, I finished up this sample of Betty Hula's Secret Wonder Oil. I've been using it on stretch marks and have seen a slight improvement. I could have done with a bigger sample to really get a feel for the product, but I found that the rollerball was great for applying it as it meant less greasiness overall.


Repurchase: Maybe.

I can't believe how much stuff I got through this month! Have you tried any of these products? What did you think to them?

You Beauty Discovery Box - May 2014

I've come to really enjoy You Beauty. I love how they have a theme every month, and I love waiting excitedly for the new menu to come out, and planning which two items I'm going to choose for my box! This month's theme is the UK CEW Beauty Awards, and the shortlist had plenty of winners to choose from.

First on my list was one of the two Glamglow products that were available on the menu. I've heard a lot of people raving about Glamglow, so I decided that I had to give the Supermud Clearing Treatment a go. I received a 10mg tube which I've worked out (with terrible maths skills so this is only an approximate total!) is worth about £13. I think I'll be able to get quite a few uses out of this, I'm really excited to try it out! 

I really struggled with my second item, I just couldn't choose! I eventually settled on these Burt's Bees face wipes. I've tried Burt's Bees products before and absolutely loved them, especially their lip balms, so I figured I'd try these out. They're not the most expensive item that I could have picked, but I'd rather have things I'll actually use in my box which is the beauty of this service! I received 10 face wipes, which works out as being worth around £1.99. These really do have quite a strong tea scent, but I find it quite refreshing! 

Sample wise, we received a bag of Lizi's granola which found it's way into the husband's tummy before I could photograph it! Granola is not my kind of thing, I'm more of a toast person in the mornings, but it was quite a good sized bag and it seemed to fill Luke up when he got home from work. We also received a sample of Caudalie's Divine Leg Tint. I'm not really sure about this as I usually tend to steer clear of anything that even hints at being fake tan, but it promises to give a lovely glow to post-holiday legs, so I might bust this out after Corfu. The final sample is Charles Worthington's Moisture Seal Hair Healer Leave-In Conditioner. I think this has the potential to be another good post-Corfu treatment, especially after having sea salt and lots of sun on it, my hair might well be in need of a pamper! 

All in all, another great box from You Beauty. Next month's theme is set to be holiday related which is a bit of a shame as I'm off to Corfu on Friday! I'm sure there will be some goodies that will take my fancy though.


Don't forget to enter my giveaway HERE to win TheBalm's How 'bout them Apples? palette!

Birchbox - April 2014

This is probably the first time I've been really impressed by Birchbox. The other boxes I've received haven't been terrible, but I was really genuinely excited about this box, and I'm really pleased with what I got!

The item I was most excited about was this mini blush from the How 'Bout Them Apples? palette by TheBalm. I saw this palette being advertised a while ago and knew that I would have to get it, but at £26 it's slightly out of my budget. Luckily, I had £20 worth of Birchbox points, and the palette was in the shop so I've managed to nab it for just £6! Bargain. I shall have a review up as soon as I get it! As for this cute sample, I'll probably pop it into the up for grabs album on my blogs Facebook page for some lucky reader to nab, which is why I haven't swatched it. I just love the packaging for this blush. You can't beat pugs and a pin-up! 

There was also this primer from RMK. This isn't a brand I've tried before, and I'm always interested in trying out new primers! I think this is one of those crossover products that you can use on it's own to improve the appearance of skin, but also works as a primer as well. I can't wait to give it a go!

This month Birchbox gave us the option to choose the shade of nail polish we received from Colour Club. I managed to talk myself out of the mint green and sky blue shades (as I already have a ton) and went for this gorgeous shimmery gold. Colour Club is another new brand for me, but I love the formula for this polish so I can already see myself buying more!

Yes to... is a brand I've heard of before, but never tried. These face wipes smell fantastic, and I can already tell that they are going to have a lovely cooling effect on my skin. Looking at the full range on their website, they have some amazing sounding products. I'm particularly interested in the fruity lip balms! Unfortunately, only a small section of their stock is available in the UK, and the fruity lip balms are not included. 

We also received this Yin Yang Gold Defence Lotion. I think this is intended to be a moisturiser for hands and body for those who spend a lot of time outdoors. In other words, pretty heavy duty. I've used some on my hands and it sinks in really nicely, and doesn't leave any greasiness behind which I was surprised about as it's for outdoorsy types. My skin isn't overly dry but it just drank this up.

Finally, as a little extra, we received this cute bag of Propercorn. I am a massive fan of popcorn, but I tend to stick to salted! You can really smell the coconut when you open the bag, but I found the flavour was very similar to standard sweet popcorn. I couldn't really detect the vanilla. I think this was a cute little extra, but I'd have preferred a different flavour personally. 

Unfortunately, this will be my last Birchbox. I pay the same amount for this box as I do Love Me Beauty, and it just doesn't seem worth the price in comparison. I'm going to stick with Love Me Beauty, You Beauty Discovery, and Pooch Pack for now, and I've also just ordered my first Wantable box! I definitely have a subscription box problem...


Do you subscribe to Birchbox? What did you think to this month's box?

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March Empties

 So after my first empties post last month, I promised I would have more products to talk about. I've definitely achieved that! 

This Imperial Leather shower gel was actually used more by the husband than by me, but I absolutely love the scent. Imperial Leather normally release these around autumn, and this blackberry fragrance is just perfect for that time of year! Unfortunately these are limited edition, so I'm not sure whether repurchasing will be an option. Plus, we are still working through our Christmas haul of shower gels.

Repurchase: Perhaps later on in the year.

 I have so many hand creams on the go at the moment, but I managed to finish this Weleda cream which came with one of my Love Me Beauty boxes. The scent of this is quite odd, and initially I really wasn't a fan. However, the cream itself absorbed into my skin amazingly well which is what won me over. I can't stand that greasy feeling which some creams leave on your hands after applying! 

Repurchase: Probably not. I have way too many hand creams at the moment!

 These Elegant Touch nail polish remover pads came with a Glossybox at some point last year. They remove normal polishes quite well, but anything with glitter in is a nightmare. They also left quite a greasy residue behind on my fingers after using.

Repurchase: No.

I always keep a packet of these face wipes from Simple handy. I've mainly been using them for removing my mascara this month, but they're also quite nice to use for removing other types of make up. They remove mascara and eye make up really well, but I do find that they struggle with waterproof mascara. They do remove it, but you can be stood in front of the bathroom mirror for quite a while!

Repurchase: Already have.

I received this face mask from Murad with the March Love Me Beauty box. You can see a full review of it here. My main thoughts on it were that it left my skin super clean and clear, but I really wouldn't want to spend £25 on sachets.

Repurchase: No.

This is the first product from my Yule Monty gift set that I've finished! This Peaches and Clean face wash has been really lovely to use. I absolutely adore the peachy scent, and it has managed to successfully keep my skin clear from any outbreaks of spots. My skin also felt lovely and soft after using this. £8 is quite expensive for cleanser, but I will definitely be keeping my out for offers in Boots!

Repurchase: If I can get it on offer, definitely.


Hae you tried any of these products? What did you think of them?