July Empties

I've managed to get through another bumper crop of empties this month, with some of them being more successful than others!

I've been on a bit of a body lotion rampage and managed to get through three samples in July. The Bee Kind lotion had a slightly lemony/honeyish scent to it that I really liked, but I found that it didn't really sink into my skin very well. I really loved the Naobay and Whish lotions though. The Naobay had a lemon scent which is great for this time of year, and the Whish was a lavender scented lotion which I expected to hate but actually really loved! Both of these were great for my skin and sank in really nicely.

This sample of Glamglow's Supermud Clearing Treatment lasted for 3 or 4 applications and did a really good job of cleansing my skin. Unfortunately I can't really afford the full size, but if you fancy a splurge I'd say it's worth it! I've been using the Blanc Cachemire moisturiser for a while now but I found that it really didn't work well with my make up. It made my skin quite greasy so I was really glad to finish it up! I didn't really get on well with the L'occitane Repairing shampoo and conditioner either. They irritated my scalp and made my hair greasier than normal.

I was really sad to finish up my sample tube of Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara. It's been my favourite mascara for a really long time so I decided to bite the bullet and splash out on a full size tube. I'm really glad I did because I absolutely love it! I also finished up one of my many samples of the Porefessional. I'm using this every day at the moment so once all of my samples have run out I might end up buying a full size tube.

I've also made headway through my massive shower gel collection! This Dove shower gel was the last of the christmas smellies! It's a really nice nourishing shower gel, just what you'd expect from Dove really. The Anatomicals shower gel was from a previous Love Me Beauty box and even though rose isn't really my kind of scent, I actually really liked this shower gel. I probably wouldn't repurchase it, but it made a nice change from my usual fruity showers!

What did you use up this month? Have you tried any of my empties?

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?

Body Shop Haul

I'd been seeing lots of posts around about the new collections in the Body Shop, and they all sounded delicious, so I had to place a sly order online to find out what all the fuss was about!

As a brand, I love the Body Shop. They do great smelling shower goodies for good prices, and they make an effort to be ethical. I'm a massive fan of their mango collection, and at christmas their cranberry stuff is to die for. I decided to sample three of their new ranges, early-harvest raspberry, blueberry and vineyard peach this time around!

My favourite out of the shower gels I picked up, has to be the blueberry. It's got that fantastic sharp tang to it that I just know will work wonders for pepping me up! The early-harvest raspberry is also gorgeous, it smells just like raspberry jam. I'm not as sold on vineyard peach, as it's more of a sweet smell than the others, but I still think it smells great and I can't wait to get in the shower with these! You can find them here for £4 each.

I also picked up a couple of sprays. The vineyard peach one is a 'body mist', but I've been using it as I would a perfume. It leaves a very subtle peachy scent which isn't too overpowering. You can find this here for £7.50. The early-harvest raspberry eau de toilette is delicious. It's got that lovely sweet but tangy scent, and I've been wearing it a lot at the moment. It's definitely my favourite out of the two. You can find it here for £8.50.


What do you think of the Body Shop's new collections? Do you have a favourite?

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?

Birchbox-February 2014

Birchbox have already made a massive improvement on last month by sending their February box out on time, and thankfully mine has arrive safe and sound! This month's theme is tied in with London Fashion Week, and is all about your own personal style.

First up is this small sample of Beauty Protector's new hair oil. This smells fantastic, and while I don't normally go for oils because my hair can naturally get quite greasy, I am intrigued by this. According to the card we received with the box, you only need 1-3 drops of this to work through damp hair or dry ends. It also provides protection from UV rays and heat. I had a quick go with this yesterday and it's definitely left my hair feeling super soft, and as of yet there have been no signs of greasiness.

We also received a skinny liquid eyeliner from Eyeko. The nib on this is very impressive, ultra slim and quite long compared to some felt eyeliners I've seen previously. There was also a handy eyeliner tutorial card included with the box which I love the idea of. I'm absolutely terrible at applying eyeliner so I'm definitely going to have a go using the cards tips!

 

Urban Veda is a brand that I have tried before and absolutely love, so I was really happy to see the Radiance Exfoliating Facial Polish in this box! It smells fantastic (although it probably won't be to everyone's tastes) and contains marigold, papaya and coriander. I can't wait to give this a go!

Next up we have this shower gel from Gilchrist and Soames. This also smells really good, and the scent is quite different in that it's not incredibly feminine. I usually expect shower gels from beauty boxes to be more 'lady-oriented' with florals and that sort of thing, so this was quite a pleasant surprise. According to the little info card thingy, this contains red tea, grape seed and milk thistle. Together, these combine to create a really relaxing scent.

I was really pleased to see a Leighton Denny nail polish in this box! This shade is called 'Message in a Bottle' and is a gorgeous dove grey with a metallic sheen. I'm really happy with this shade as I don't have anything similar in my collection, and the metallic element really livens up the grey. Here I've swatched it with two coats, and it's still quite pale. I think you'd probably need three coats to really boost the colour.

Finally as a little extra we received a mini bar of Green and Black's dark 70% chocolate. Dark chocolate isn't my favourite so this will be probably be eaten up by the husband, but what a cute little extra!

I am so much happier with Birchbox this month. I think we've received a great mix of beauty products with something for hair, skincare, bath and body, and make up. I'll definitely be staying subscribed for March, I can't wait to see what the Lulu Guinness collaboration will bring!



Glossybox January 2014

I have to say, my review of this months Glossybox is probably going to be a minority opinion! I've seen a lot of bad or slightly disappointed blog posts floating around, but I actually quite like the box we've received this month. Here's what I got in my box.

First up, Yu-Be moisturising skin cream. We received two small tubes of this. Having just rubbed some onto my hand, it's got quite a strong scent, which I'm not sure many people will like, and the texture is almost waxy. Apparently this can be used as a lip balm, a remedy for dry skin, and a moisturiser. The product is Japanese, and I'm quite intrigued to see what it would be like as a lip balm. Judging by the smell it might taste a bit odd. As I was taking these photos, I realised that one of the tubes had split open, so that's had to be thrown away.

We also received a Balance Me body wash. This is apparently 'super-toning' and contains Juniper, Bergamot, Geranium and Lavender. It smells quite nice, slightly too floral for me, but for a sample sized bottle I can live with it. I've been pretty impressed by Balance Me products before, so hopefully this one will live up to my expectations.

I was pretty happy to see the tweezers from the Vintage Cosmetic Company in this months box. A pair of tweezers always comes in handy, but I know quite a few people out there have been unimpressed by products from this company before. I'm going to see how I get on with them before I pass judgement!



Next up, we have Puffy the Eye Bag Slayer Under Eye Patches from Anatomicals. I'm really interested in these, I'm definitely going to be doing a follow up post to let you know whether they're any good! Having had a look at the packaging to find out how to use them, they're not a quick fix. You've got to wear these bad boys for 30 minutes! Definitely an interesting product to try out though, and perfect for recovering from too much partying in December.

Finally, the other product that's caused some controversy this month. This is is the Vaseline Essential Moisture Lotion, and at £4.99 for a full size bottle weighing in at 400ml, we've been sent a small 50ml bottle which some people have seen as a bit of a swizz. I'm not massively bothered about this as I've got loads of body lotion to use up already from Christmas, but it's a bit of a poor showing from Glossybox when you look at the full-size products I received from Love Me Beauty this month. There's not really a lot more I can say about this product, other than it smells really nice!

Overall, I think Glossybox have done really well to stick to their theme of 'Back to Basics' for January. I think all of these items tie in really well, and while they may not blow you away due to the sizes of the samples, they're still handy things to have. I'll probably keep the shower gel and body lotion aside for my holiday in May.

I am pleased that I got this months box with Glossydots, and I have cancelled my subscription. I've had a few too many boxes that just didn't impress me, and since signing up to Love Me Beauty, it's been a bit of an eye-opener to see how well other boxes are doing in comparison.
I will still be keeping my eye on Glossybox's future efforts, in case they start to improve, but for now I think I'm going to see how I get on with Birchbox and Love Me Beauty.



Christmas Haul

Hello everyone! It's nice to be back blogging again. I've decided to do a quick post about the gorgeous beauty products that I was gifted for Crimbo, as I love having a nose at what other bloggers got! I did take the opportunity to make a list for Luke and his family, so I got some lovely things from Benefit and Stila which I am itching to try out!

 First up though, the bath/shower products! I got this lovely hand cream and shower gel set from Luke's grandparents, which also came with a pretty mug. I've already tried the hand cream and it smells fantastic, and left my hands feeling super soft. 

I also got this lovely Dove set from one of Luke's aunties. I love Dove's shower gels, they leave my skin feeling so soft. I think these sets are great as well because they come with a shower puff, always handy!

This set of nail polishes came from Luke's brother and sister-in-law. I think Helen did a great job picking these out! I love the colours in this set, I don't have many metallic polishes and I can't wait to start swatching them!

I think Luke's mum might have gone a little bit crazy this year, but I'm definitely not complaining! I've wanted to try out Stila's make up for a while, and this set of lip glosses went straight on my Christmas wishlist. So many lovely colours! The shimmery shades are particularly calling to me to be tried out.

Finally, the Benefit goodies! I've been lusting after Benefit's cosmetics for ages, and I just loved the idea of the gift sets they had available for Christmas. Luke got me the How to Look the Best at Everything set, and his mum got me the Rockateur blush and the Rich is Back set. Very excited about these! (And very spoilt! Thank you so much Susan, if you're reading!)

I'm going to do some more in depth posts on these when I've had time to try them out, so you'll have to wait to see what's inside the pretty boxes! I also got a couple of samples to try out with these items.

I'm not really sure if I'll be able to get a feel for these as they are only samples, but I'm still quite interested to try them out. 

So that's my Christmas beauty haul! I hope you've enjoyed seeing what I've received, and having a sneak preview of the things I'll be reviewing in the future! What were your favourite beauty gifts this year?