All Used Up #14 | Skincare Edition |

Once again, I seemed to have accumulated alot of empties over the past few weeks. A large proportion consisted of skincare items so I thought it would be fun to do mini reviews on those types of products I've used up recently for all you skincare junkies out there. Let's start with the cleansers:

- L'Occitane Shea Cleansing Milk: I used this up in my travel bag and it is pretty inoffensive and gentle but not the best for removing make up, so would be more suited for a morning cleanse rather than an evening. I prefer gel cleansers for first thing however, so I wouldn't repurchase. I did like the travel size and the bottle though.

- Tropic Organic Hot Bamboo Smoothing Cleanser: This was included in a set I was given at Christmas and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked the products. This was good at removing make up and was gentle with a clean smell. However for a cream cleanser, I like something a little bit thicker (think Liz Earle C+P). I liked the pump dispenser too but there are other cleansers I enjoy using a lot more. This is a good choice for people who use Vegan and natural products.

- The Body Shop Skin Clearing Facial Wash: Featured in my recent What's In My Shower video, I finally used up this giant bottle of face wash. It was a sad day as I loved this. Normally my skin doesn't react to Tea Tree but this was great at treating any blemishes that cropped up, smelt really nice, and did the job in the morning without being too harsh or stripping. I would definitely repurchase and love the toner too.

- Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (Oily/Combo Skin): My favourite Micellar Water I've tried, you get a lot of product for your money and it does a great job at taking off the majority of make up (although not the best at removing mascara) without irritating or making you tug at your skin. I don't feel like the formula is any different to the original though so I would repurchase either types.

- Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Treatment Pads: A surprising favourite which was featured in my updated skincare routine, I wasn't sure if glycolic acid did much for my skin before using these as I was left disappointed by Ren's Glycolactic Radiance Mask. You get about 60 pads in each tub, which are soaked in product and I tended to use them every other night as a toner. These really evened out my skin tone, made me look more radiant in turn and aided in healing both active blemishes and marks. I would definitely repurchase, but at the moment I am testing out Pixi Glow Tonic.

- L'Occitane Fresh Face Water: From the same Shea range as the above cleanser, I really enjoyed this product too. It is quite inoffensive and gentle, similar to the Liz Earle Skin Tonic, but for a reason that I can't quite put my finger on, I prefered this. I think the addition of the Shea made it quite 'soft' and left my skin refereshed without feeling tight. This is a great morning toner and I would repurchase.

- Vichy Normaderm Moisturiser: Last year I attended a Vichy event and this was featured in my goodybag, I have only just used it up after putting it on my face every morning so that shows you how long the bottle lasts! I loved the formula, it was hydrating yet not heavy, helped to combat oil without drying out my skin and was a great base for make up. I liked the pump bottle too and I would repurchase now if I didn't have a million other moisturisers to use up!

-Lush Mask of Magnaminty: One of my favourite products from Lush, I have just repurchased a new pot, but this time the self preserving version (you can see it in this video). This is great at treating blemishes and evening out oil production. I also like that as it isn't a fresh mask it lasts a lot longer than the other Lush masks.

What is your favourite skincare item? xxx

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

All Used Up #7

The bag which holds all my empties was literally over flowing so I thought it was high time to write up a new All Used Up post. I've been trying to use up a few more samples and a lot of products seem to have come to the end of their life at the same time. The weather has also been really annoying so as soon as there was a bright day I photographed them all, although there are so many I have enough for 3 more installments of this type of post!

Original Source Lime Shower Gel: This was originally purchased for my trip to Barcelona as I thought it would be refreshing after a long day sightseeing. It foamed up nicely but was not as zingy as the mint version which I love, however I wouldn't rule out purchasing it again.

 Aussie Miracle Colour Insurance: A recent post already mentioned my love for this product which I think is a perfect budget leave in conditioner. The spray is even and fine, the smell is gorgeous and it helps to detangle and keep hair soft and manageable.

Bioderma Sebium H20: After receiving this for Christmas last year I was over the moon and excited to try the massively hyped up blogger favourite that sparked the obsession for micellar waters. To be honest though, I really don't know what the fuss is about! I tried the only for oily/combo skin and it is definitely one of the better versions I have tried but it isn't holy grail status for me. If it becomes easier to get hold of then I would consider re-purchasing but that's because I'm not loyal to a particular brand for micellar waters.

Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel: This product left me really undecided. Clarins is one of my favourite brands and this cleanser had the same comforting smell like their other products. The bottle actually lasted me a long time considering I used a big splodge each evening and it was really good at taking off the rest of my make up and is suitable to double cleanse with, although I still needed something else to remove all eye make up. The downsides for me was the consistency as I found the gel quite sticky even after being massaged into my face and I also didn't see a noticeable change in the condition of my skin. I think I would repurchase in the future to try and make up my mind on it but for the mean time there are lots of other cleansers I would like to try.

Aussie Take the Heat Leave in Spray: In regards to heat defence I'm normally loyal to Tresemme, although now and again I feel adventurous and try something new (clearly I live life on the edge). This did the job and smelt nice but I prefer the former brand because it is the best spray that I've found.

What have you used up recently? Have you tried any of my empties? xxx

Review: Vichy | Normaderm Micellar Solution |

Vichy Micellar Solution for Acne Prone Skin // £10.50 // Available from Boots

Over the past year I've been trying out quite a few different micellar waters, some which I really didn't get on with (for example, the L'Oreal version), while others have been quite good. None of them have reached 'Holy Grail' status just yet though - not even Bioderma - but I prefer them 100% more to face wipes to take off the majority of my make up before cleansing properly and as a means to freshen up.

The only product I've tried from Vichy before is a thermal water spray, which I enjoyed during summer, so I decided they would be a good bet as the next version to try. At the time of purchase I didn't realise that they do different versions for varying skin types but as luck would have it I picked up the one for acne prone skin which is probably better suited for me as I have combo/oily skin which is prone to the odd spot or two. It also states that it is suitable for sensitive skin too.

One of the best points about this particular micellar solution is that it contains no parabens or alcohol. I'm not majorly fussy when it comes to ingredients normally, but in regards to my face I'd rather be as kind to it as possible. I also really like that its easy to dispense the product, meaning no waste or spillages and it smells nice and fresh. When tackling face make up and grime (yum) this is pretty good at getting most of it off but pretty weak at taking off eye make up, especially mascara. I've just repurchased a new eye make up remover for that which isn't the end of the world, but ideally to keep costs and my skincare routine down I would have liked it to be able to be good at taking off eye make up as well. Although there is a lack of alcohol in the ingredients, I have also found it a little drying however I think this may be down to the changing seasons too so the jury is out on that point for the moment. 

Overall, this product isn't ground breaking but it is rather nice and actually find it really similar to the one by La Roche Posay. I'm starting to feel like all micellar solutions are pretty similar bar a few bad ones, so if you like these products as part of your skincare routine this is a good one to try out. 

What products do you recommend from Vichy? xxx

Review: L'Oreal | Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution |

L'Oreal Micellar Water // £4.99 // 200ml //

During the past year micellar waters seem to have made a big impact on the beauty community. I used to think each one was pretty much the same as the next, but after trying many brands including Bioderma, No 7, La Roche Posay and more I've realised they can vary quite widely on performance. Most seem to be in the same price range of about £9-14, however this is only £4.99 full price and is mostly on offer too. I had seen loads of good reviews and combined with the lower price point thought it would be great to pick up next in my search for the perfect micellar water for me.

So what is a micellar water? To briefly sum up it is a micellar solution with microscopic oil particles suspended within to effectively draw out dirt and cleanse away make up. I much prefer them to make up wipes not only because they are kinder to your skin but I find wipes quite dry and therefore have to tug and pull a lot more, where as with a micellar water you can soak a cotton pad with as much solution as you need. You use them on dry skin either in the morning or evening as your cleanser. I personally choose to use them in the evening to get off the excess of my face and eye make up, then follow up with a balm or cream cleanser to thoroughly cleanse my skin.

The L'Oreal version promises to dissolve make up, unclog pores and remove impurities as well as toning and soothing skin. It is supposed to be suitable for face, eyes and lips and is hypo-allergenic in order to be suitable for sensitive skin. However, I think it fell dramatically short of these claims. I don't wear heavy make up on a daily basis, especially in Summer, but this micellar water did not remove my make up completely (although most waters fall short in this respect) or make any difference in reference to unclogging my pores. The main gripe I had with this product however was that it made my eyes so sore. I don't have sensitive skin at all, and yet within a few days of using this it made my eyes sore, red and the skin very dry. I stopped using it immediately once I figured out it was this product, but it still took a few days for my eyes to recover.

It is a shame to write up a negative post as there are many people who have had positive experiences with this product, however, because of the influx of good reviews I thought it was important for people to realise that it isn't amazing for everyone. I wish it had worked as it is cheaper and I like the brand, but unfortunately I just didn't get on with this at all. 

Have you tried this product before and had a better experience? xxx

All Used Up #5

There isn't too many products in the fifth installment of this series even though I have used up other things but have failed to keep them in order to write a post. I'm going to try a bit harder though to find somewhere safe to keep them as I think they are a great way to do mini reviews and enjoy reading other people's (link me in the comments if you have a recent post of your own!)

001. La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution: I've been trying out a few micellar waters to take off the excess of my make up before cleansing properly, which I used to do with face wipes before. This was one of the better ones I have tried but did not take up all of my make up so I wouldn't recommend cleansing with just this. It was nice in the mornings though to freshen up and left skin soft and without any residue. I'm not sure if I really 'get' the hype over micellar waters to be honest - I'm using a bottle of Bioderma which is supposed to be the best one on the market, so once that is all finished I think I will have formed my final opinion on this type of product.

002. Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub: This has been hanging around for a while so I was pleased to finish it. It is an effective scrub without being too harsh and a good scrub/cream ratio but it didn't blow me away. I am looking at other scrubs and ways in which to exfoliate my skin instead at the moment.

003. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub: Another scrub, this time for the body. The scent of this is amazing: citrus and brown sugar combined together smells like Rowntree's fruit pastel lollies :) I'm a big fan of all things Soap & Glory and I am slowly working my way through their products but this particular scrub wasn't the best I've tried from them. As I said the smell was amazing so I am definitely looking into getting the shower gel of this range but the scrub wasn't scrubby enough for me and found that meant a lot of product was needed to get the desired results. Flake Away lasted a lot longer than this and I preferred the texture so it is still the top scrub for me!

004. Superdrug Blonde Colour Enhance Conditioner: Like the Simple scrub this has been in my bathroom for ages (I'm talking years) as I didn't really like it too much. I ended up using it for shaving my legs which it was good at but for its actual use I wouldn't repurchase.

005. Batiste Dry Shampoo in Blush: Yet another dry shampoo as I always use this in between washes. I've never really tried another dry shampoo as these are cheap and do the job.

006. Tresemme Heat Defence Smooth Spray: I don't use any other products from this brand as I heard from hairdressers that it isn't actually good for your hair, but their heat protectant is lovely and I always repurchase it. It smells lovely, doesn't weigh hair down and lasts ages so is very cost effective too. My favourite aspect of this product is the spray function as it delivers a very fine mist. I've kept the bottle to transfer some other heat protectants that I've got to use up into as its the best spray I've found. A definite repurchase.

Have you tried any of these products? xxx