When I've been away for a while and not sure how to get back into the creative flow of blogging/youtubing then an empties video is a great way to get back into it. This one is pretty big, covering everything from bodycare, make up and skincare too.
1. Got2b Guardian Angel Heat Protector Spray: After purchasing Tresemme for many years, I felt it was time to try a new heat protector. This smelt lovely but I preferred the finer spray of the Tresmme version. I don't think you can tell that much difference between heat protectors but this was non sticky and light on the hair so did the job nicely.
2. The Body Shop Camomile Eye & Lip Makeup Remover: A definite repurchase, I adore this stuff! It is a bi-phase liquid that you shake up to mix up the oil and is so effect and gentle at removing stubborn mascara and lip stains. It is such a good product for the money and I am looking to repurchase it as soon as possible.
3. Tropic Skincare Vitamin Toner: The spray on this was lovely and fine and the product itself was refreshing and gentle with a non offensive scent. This was great for in the morning to perk up my face and I wouldn't hesitate at repurchasing. If you are looking for something gentle and non drying, this would be a great option.
4. Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter: One of my all time favourites from the brand and the highstreet in general. The sweet pistachio smell of this is lovely and the formula foams up so much while still being gentle and moisturising. This is a real winner for this time of year and perfect for if you are too lazy to moisturise after the shower.
5. Seventeen Skin Wow! Highlighter: Read my full review here. This is a great budget liquid highlighter which has multiple uses, but my favourite way is to mix it into foundation to add a healthy glow. This is quite pink toned and pearlescent but luckily was not too glittery on the skin. I did feel as though it made my skin more prone to oil throughout the day but overall it was a good product.
6. Una Brennan Vitamin C Cleansing Oil: As far as oil cleansers go this was alright. It removed make up well and did not leave any residue, but I did not see any brightening effects like the claims and it was really messy to use. It lasted ages which is normally a plus, but I wanted to use this faster as it was just OK. I normally love Una Brennan so this was a bit of a let down.
7. L'Oreal EverPure Hair Mask for Coloured Hair: My first foray into sulphate free hair care and I adored it! Honestly, this left my hair so soft, smooth and tangle free at such a bargain price. I liked this so much it made it into my monthly favourites last year and I would definitely repurchase.
8. Macadamia Healing Oil Spray: I've had this for years and finally used it up. I love the Macadamia range but this is not one of my favourite products. The best way to use this was on dry hair, sprayed into my palms and worked through the mid lengths to ends to smooth everything. When used on wet hair it did live up to the claims of drying it faster, but I wasn't in love with this product. Read my full review here.
9. Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation: This was my go to foundation for when I was on a night out (hence the slightly darker colour match for fake tan!) It gives a real even and flawless finish, while still looking quite radiant and it stays put all night. I enjoyed using this foundation and would repurchase but it is not a holy grail for me like it is for other bloggers as I preferred wearing it for a few hours rather than all day.
10. MAC Fix+: To be honest, I still can't make up my mind if this does anything or not. It was my first try at fixing sprays so I have nothing to compare it too. The plus points were the fine mist, lockable cap for travel and that it helped to take any powdery finish away but I can't make up my mind if it actually locked my make up in place. This is also good to wet your brushes in before applying eyeshadow to make it more intense. I may go back to this and try it again but for now I am enjoying a cheaper L'Oreal version.
Long time, no see! This year has been crazy with a new job, new home and new life! Some things haven't changed though such as my love for Reuben and passion for beauty blogging. I have been itching to have more time to start writing and filming again, so when I found old footage on my hard drive one evening from a month or so ago I got back into editing and popped it onto Youtube this morning.
I am hoping to relaunch my blog in the new future, with potentially a new name, moving everything onto Wordpress and buying my own domain. This is all tentative but I think it will give my blog a new lease of life and get me invested again.
I hope you enjoy the video and hopefully I will be back soon! Thank you for sticking with me xxx
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!
I've finally had the time to film a few videos, yay! The first one I filmed was an empties as the bag was overflowing with a few months worth of products. There was so many I had to split it into two separate videos though or else it would have been very long and rambly. The first part is linked below for you to watch - there is a mixture of hair care, body care and make up. Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed it and keep your eyes peeled for the next part soon.
What have you used up recently? Do you like any of these products? xxx
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.
Apologies for the awful quality of photos but the lighting wasn't my friend and I ended up having to use the flash on my camera. Anyway onto the empties...
001. Sure Deodrant: Pretty standard and unglamorous but Sure is my fave brand and actually works.
002. Aussie Dual Personality Hi-Hold and Hi-Shine Hairspray: This smells amazing and has pretty good hold, without being sticky. I wouldn't say it gave much shine though. I would maybe repurchase if it was on offer.
003. Bed Head Control Freak: I've been using this up for ages (shampoos seem to take me a while!) and although I loved the smell of pineapple I didn't see much in terms of frizz control. I probably need to use this with the conditioner and styling products to get the most out of it so I can't give too much of a fair judgement.
004. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Colour Insurance: This is one of my holy grail items and has been repurchased time and time again. Smells divine as do all Aussie products and leaves my hair soft, nourished and shiny.
005. Batiste Dry Shampoo: My dry shampoo of choice they are an actual life saver and will always repurchase. My favourite scent is wild but these are lovely too.
006. Pantene Repair and Protect Serum: I havn't actually used this up but have chosen to throw it away as it doesn't do anything and have been told by hairdressers that Pantene is awful for your hair by masking the problems by coating your hair, in turn making it lank and lifeless.
007. Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara: This was nice but I'm never really faithful to one mascara and am loving L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes at the moment.
008. MaxFactor Masterpiece Max Mascara: A lovely mascara, I really enjoyed using this. I've discovered their 2000 Calorie one though which does pretty much the same job for a bit less money.
009. Diesel Fuel for Life Perfume: I'm so sad this has finished! I've had it for years and really stretched it out when it was near the end. A lovely scent which is quite heavy, it was something completely different in my perfume collection. I would repurchase this but do have the body lotion to last me a while :)
010. Maybelinne Salon Manicure Top Coat: This was ok - it produced a nice shine but didn't help with the longevity of my polish. It also became gloopy quite quickly and the design of the bottle is rubbish as the brush couldn't reach half the product. I wouldn't repurchase.
011. Jessica Base Coat: This was lovely and part of a mini polish set I got a while back as a gift. I really love the quality of Jessica polishes and think more people should try them out.
There were some standard empties this time around like the dry shampoo and mascaras (I seem to go through tubes of the stuff) and also some well loved products I was sad to see the end of. What have you finished recently? xxx
Lipstick lover and make up hoarder based in London. A 23 year old History and Political Science graduate working in the luxury ecommerce/publication industry with a strong passion for beauty, blogging and baking. Thanks for stopping by!
