All Used Up #11

Although I have a huge bag overflowing of empty products, I haven't managed to write one of these posts in months! I've been so good at using things up but maybe at my peril because now I have lots of products to write about. Today's mix includes some of my favourite skin care and hair care products along with bath and body.

001. Lush Twilight Shower Gel: This featured on my blog about a year ago and I have only just got round to using it up! It was a large bottle and I tended to use it for night time baths only due to the relaxing lavender and malt scents that feature in this shower gel. I love the dark purple gel which was flecked with silver glitter but the smell and consistency isn't one of my favourites. The shower gel isn't available any more but you can buy the Twilight bath bomb here. I probably wouldn't repurchase.

002. Origins Out Of Trouble Face Mask: Origins are fantastic for skin care and this mask is one of my holy grail items (as you can tell from me cutting the bottle to get every last drop!) It is a clay formula which dries hard, something that I like as it draws out impurities effectively. I preferred to use this on active break outs as it unclogged and calmed any redness. It is also fantastic at helping to regulate oil production. The Sulphur and Zinc Oxide does mean that this mask has a very powerful smell but it doesn't put me off at all. A definite repurchase.

003. Sanctuary Spa Relax Warming Sugar Polish: This was a random purchase but I ended up loving this body scrub. Sugar scrubs suit me best as they are the most abrasive but due to the blend of essential oils this wasn't too harsh and smelled wonderful as well. I loved the squeezy bottle as it made application in the shower super easy and the scrub was actually hot and stayed warm while you worked it into your skin. I would repurchase this product.

004. Dove Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Conditioner: When thinking of the Dove brand I've always pictured body care or deodorant. However, the shampoo and conditioner from this range is super cheap and I had heard good things. I think for the price the conditioner was really good, it nourished the hair well without weighing it down at all and was a lot better than the normal bog standard conditioners you get in the chemist. I would repurchase this, although I find it hard to stay loyal to a particular brand. I would also love to try the hair mask from this range.

005. The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner: After receiving this in my stocking last year for Christmas I put it in my over flow bin of products and kind of forgot about it. Cue a skin melt down and I dug this out along with the tea tree face wash. I have to say this toner is amazing!! You need to shake it up really well to make sure the active ingredients are all mixed and there is alcohol included however this is great for blemished skin. I can feel it working, which may be superficial but is something that I like and it helps to aid the healing process and keep skin looking clear. I have already repurchased this.

006. Lush Butterbear Bath Bomb: This is one of the cheaper bath bombs Lush offer but one of my new favourites. The cocoa butter melts into the bath leaving skin super soft and nourished without feeling greasy and the smell is sweet yet not over powering. It is just the right size so you don't feel like you are wasting any product either. I think this is only a Christmas edition (you can get the larger and more expensive Butter Ball all year round) so I will definitely be stocking up on this.

Have you tried any of these products? What have you recently repurchased? xxx

P.S. I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and are enjoying your boxing day!

All Used Up #9

Hey guys, here is my very late follow up post which accompanies the video for my empties. I've managed to use up a variety of products this time around so you can either hear or read all about them in this post :)

1. Lush 'Snow Fairy' Shower Gel: An iridescent pink shower gel that features a bubble gum and pear drop scent, this product foams up nicely and leaves your bathroom smelling gorgeous for ages afterwards. One of my favourites from Lush but only available in their Christmas collection so you will have to wait until the end of this year to get your hands on it again, sorry!

2. Vichy Normaderm Micellar Water: full review here. One of the better micellar waters I've tried, it doesn't leave any horrible residue, is paraben free and suitable for oily skin, but it is rubbish at cleaning away stubborn eye make up and didn't blow me away. I wouldn't repurchase.

3. Yankee Candle 'Salted Caramel' Candle: I don't know how Yankee do it but they seem to encapsulate scents so well. This scent is very heavy but so delicious - think warm comforting caramel with a very sweet twist. It won't be everyone's cup of tea but I've loved using this throughout the winter months and would definitely repurchase.

4. Batiste Dry Shampoo: A regular feature in these posts, my trusty dry shampoo of choice. An absolute life saver it refreshes hair and provides volume. A regular repurchase.

5. Paul Mitchell Forever Blonde Shampoo* & Conditioner*: Full review here. The shampoo is more than just a bog standard product, it provides moisture and refreshes your colour without making it greasy. The conditioner is the perfect follow up, a half way house between a conditioner and a hair mask it provides a hit of moisture that won't weigh down your hair. A definite repurchase!

6. Dove 'Original' Antiperspirant: not much to say on this one, I do like Dove deodorants but I normally get whatever is on offer!

7. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer:  A blogger favourite, I love the coverage and the long lasting formula but I find the shade range really lets this product down and it tends to go quite ashy on me. I've repurchased this a lot before but I think I was trying to make myself like it more than I did.

8. Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer:  I originally wanted a lighter shade for under my eyes but instead I used this on my face and it was a good consistency but was quite lightweight so you have to build up the coverage gradually. It also isn't as long wearing as I would like. I wouldn't repurchase unless I could get a lighter colour for under my eyes.

9. Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner: My first foray into pen style liquid eyeliners, I loved the concept but the actual product fell short. It is quite grey and watery so needs to be built up into an opqaue line, which is a shame because at the time I bought it there was lots of hype around it. I'm trying out one by Bourjois at the moment and much prefer that.

Have you tried any of these products? xxx

August Favourites

Hey guys, I'm officially back, yay! All my exams are now completed and I have officially finished Uni forever, which has given me such mixed feelings of excitement, sadness and nervousness. I'm so excited to put some more love into this blog - there are so many ideas on posts that I want to write buzzing round my head and I'm also looking to update my layout too, so if you do blog designs or know someone who does let me know :). I haven't done a favourites post in such a long time, but decided to try and start them up again as they are one of my favourite types to read and are great to give readers some product recommendations. Even though this is a bit late, I have quite a few for August as I've recently been trying out new things.

001. Paul Mitchell Curls Ultimate Wave Cream*: Ever since I received the Curls range from Paul Mitchell when I attended this event, this particular product has become a staple in my routine. It is a lightweight cream that helps to maintain and define my natural waves without feeling sticky or heavy. A little goes a long way and the smell is gorge - a must have for beachy waves.

002. Dove Hair Therapy Oil Care Leave in Conditioner: Again, this hair product is now a firm favourite in my haircare routine. I use it on wet hair to detangle and in between washes to keep my hair soft and sleek. The spray is so fine and the formula lightweight that it doesn't weigh down fine hair. It has really helped to keep my hair in good condition and smell lovely.

003. Paul Mitchell Clarifying Shampoo Two*: Used once every one or two weeks, this clarifying shampoo helps to cleanse excess product and oil from your scalp and hair that can cause dull, lifeless styles. It leaves my hair thoroughly cleansed without feeling stripped or affecting my colour, which other deep cleansing shampoos failed to do.

004. Estée Lauder Pure Colour Eye Shadow Duo in 'Raisins': As you would expect, the quality of these eye shadows are amazing. Buttery soft with barely any fall out, they apply like a dream and have great wear time. This particular colour pairing is not something I would normally choose but after seeing a few swatches online I saw that they are a great combination for blue eyes. 

006. Revlon Lip Butters in 'Watermelon' and 'Sorbet': You may already know that I'm a massive fan of the lip butters as they are easy to apply, have a great colour selection and are nourishing as well. At the beginning of summer I added these two shades to my collection. I've worn these pinky red and hot pink shades a lot during the day as they have good colour pay off but are not too harsh and opaque like a lipstick, which is a bit more summery and easier to up keep in the warmer weather.

007. Color Club Nail Laquer in 'Mod in Manhattan': This colour is so pretty and a great first step into the trend of tippex nails. It isn't too stark white to be scary, but has a peachy tinge which warms things up a little and is different to anything else I own. It looks elegant by itself on short nails, or is lovely as a base coat to a colourful glitter (as seen here).

008. No 7 Brush Cleanser: I've been after a brush cleanser for ages to use as a spot cleaner in between deep cleans. This has been an absolute godsend, especially for eye brushes which I don't have too many of (yet) and makes creating different looks much easier. It's completely changed my make up routine and wouldn't be without it now.

009. Yankee Candle in 'Salted Caramel': Salted Caramel is one of my favourite things, so was really pleased when I received this from Matt as a good luck present. Yankee Candles are amazing at getting every scent just right, and this combination of butter and sugar makes it perfect for the colder months that will be upon us soon.

All these products will have in depth reviews going up in the near future, so keep a look out if there is something you like the look of and want some more info on. What has been your favourite product during August? xxx

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