Empties #6 - Organic Surge Super Intensive Daily Moisturiser

First I finish a body butter this year, and now a moisturiser! Maybe I'll even get round to finishing a lip balm! (has anyone actually done this?). I wanted to dedicate an entire post to this empty because it's an achievement for me. I've never been big on moisturising. I'd use a new moisturiser for a couple weeks and get bored. Then I'd buy another and the same thing would happen. Organic Surge then had a sale (you can see my initial thoughts on my purchases here) and I couldn't resist the Super Intensive Daily Moisturiser for just £2.25 (down from £8.99, which is still affordable). It has taken me a year to finish, but I have been using other products, too, and I only started to regularly moisturise this year (with the motivation to look 10-15 years younger than I actually am when I'm older). This moisturiser is targeted towards dry skin, but my combination oily skin has been loving it as an over night treatment. This is because it's not greasy like other heavy duty moisturisers. It's still too heavy for me to using during the day, but works well at night. It sinks in straight away and leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated. It's also 98.99% natural, animal friendly, and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Are you a fan of Organic Surge?

Decluttering My Makeup Basket #2

Before

After

The time has come to declutter my makeup basket again. If you didn't know, I have a basket on top of my beauty chest of drawers for my everyday products. Over time, this ends up being filled with much more! You can see my first Decluttering My Makeup Basket post here. Like I said there, no lip products are included here because they have their own section on my chest of drawers. They're organised in clear plastic lipstick holders, which I wrote a post about here. The eBay seller I bought them from has now lowered the price to just £2.87 including P&P!

So, many of the products that made the cut are actually the same as the ones in my first post (MUA's Cover & Conceal Concealer in Fair £1.50, The Body Shop's All in One Face Base in 02 £14, NYX's Cream Blush in Natural £5.50, ELF's Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light £3.95, Maybelline's Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze £4.99, L'Oreal's Perfect Slim Super Liner £6.99, and Maybelline's The Rocket Mascara £7.99). If you want to see my thoughts on them, just head over there. I'll be talking about the others here!

I'm currently using MUA's Undress Your Skin Flawless Primer (£5) because I've used all my others. This one has a weird silicone-y feel, which is different to the gel and cream formulas I'm used to. My concealer applies smoother, though, and I haven't experienced any creasing around my eyes. Still, I haven't been blown away by it, so am on the look out for others. I currently have my eye on the Revlon and Gosh ones, so if you've used them, please let me know your thoughts.

To warm up my complexion, I've been using The Body Shop's Honey Bronzer (£13, review here). It's soft, matte, and blends well. It's also light in colour, so you don't have to worry about going overboard (it does take some building up, though).

I haven't even opened it yet, but have NYX's Powder Blush in Taupe (£6) in there. I've heard it's a great contouring shade for pale complexions.

I'm still using my favourite NYX Cream Blush in Natural (£5.50), which I talk about in the first post, but am now also using Illamasqua's Cream Blusher in Dixie (£18, review here). It's not as creamy, but is still one of the best formulas I've tried. Beautiful coral shade, pigmented, blends well, and lasts most of the day.

I'm also still using my ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light (£3.95), which is one of my all time favourite products, but I've started using MUA's Clear Mascara (£1) to set it. It's cheap and it does its job!

I'm currently missing some eyelashes (sad times), so have dug out my Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner (£7.99) to press into my upper lash line. I've had this for a couple years now, so was surprised it hadn't dried up! It's pigmented and lasts throughout the day.

What products are currently in your everyday routine?

Peaches & Corals

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie, MUA Blusher in Lolly, NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler, Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick in 123 Soleil, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya, Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Peach on the Beach

I'm so imaginative with my titles, I know. Shades of peach and coral are my favourite, so I thought I'd show you some of the best products I have in these colour families.

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie - £18 - review here

This is incredibly pigmented, blends well, and lasts most of the day. It applies more pink than it looks in the pan, so the overall effect is warming and not in-your-face. It's not as creamy as my NYX ones, but it's still one of the best formulas I've tried. I bought this for £6.75 in the sale, so I'd definitely keep an eye out for their next!

MUA Blusher in Lolly - £1 - review here

This is the only orangey powder blush I own. It's a soft apricot with very subtle golden shimmer. It's soft to touch and blends well, but has a lot of fall out. Still, if you're thinking about trying an orange blusher, it's worth giving this a go first to see if the shade suits your complexion.

NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler - £5 - review here

My new favourite lip product. I normally dislike lipglosses, but this is something else. Pigmented, buttery, and lasts a few hours before fading evenly. I also have Apple Strudel, but don't like it as much. The colour is great, but it settles into the lines of your lips, which is a shame.

Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick in 123 Soleil - £7.99 - review here

The formula of this range is similar to that of the Revlon Lip Butters, which I've become a fan of. 123 Soleil is an orange shade, but leans coral, steering it away from being garish. The formula's light, balmy, and lasts a few hours before fading evenly.

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya - £7.99 -  review here

This is a lot lighter, and is more of a peach/apricot, so looks natural. The formula is like the others, which I'm obviously a fan of at the moment!

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Peach on the Beach - £7.99 - review here

I wore this a ton last summer. The colour is beautiful, and, again, the formula is light and moisturising. You can see what I prioritise in the warmer months!

Models Own Nail Polish in Beach Bag - £5 

I have yet to review this, but you can see a swatch of it on my Instagram here. It's a neon pastel peach, which is difficult to photograph, and takes three coats. If it was more opaque, it'd definitely be one of my favourite nail polishes, ever.

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Papaya - £3.99 - review here

A bright peach that's opaque in two coats. It looks dull and dark compared to the others, but it is a beautiful shade.

Sinful Colours Nail Polish in Orange Cream - £1.99 - review here

This is the light peach in the photo, and it's one of my favourites. It has silver shimmer in, which I'm usually not a fan of, but it's very subtle and just lifts the shade. It takes 2-3 coats to become opaque.

Sinful Colours Nail Polish in Island Coral - £1.99

You can probably find a shade similar to this in every range, but I love it. Straight-up corals that change from orange to pink in different lights are my favourite. It takes two coats, too, which is great for £1.99.

What are your favourite peach and coral products?

Top 5 Under £5 - Eyes/Eyebrows

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze, MUA Eyeshadow in Shade 11, MUA Eyeshadow in Shade 1

I was going to do a 'Top 10 Under £10' series, but seeing as most of the products featured on Affordable Treats are under £10, I decided to lower the price! I haven't included mascara in this because my favourites are from Maybelline, which are around £8. I also haven't included liquid liner because my usual Collection one (£2.99) has dried up, and the one I'm currently using is a pricier L'Oreal one. There's also quite a few products in my collection that I've bought for less than £5 due to codes and discounts, but their retail prices are over £5, so it wouldn't have been fair to include them.

ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light - £3.95

This has recently increased in price, but is still affordable. I love it! I've been using the kits for years, but it wasn't until last year that I tried the shade Light. It's a much better match, and I use it everyday without fail.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze - £4.99

I don't wear eyeshadow on my lids, but do wear a little smudged along my lower lash line, and this is what I've been using for the last year or so. The colour is beautiful, it's still creamy, and it stays on all day. I also have Permanent Taupe, but I don't use it as often.

MUA Clear Mascara - £1

To set my brows, I use this. It does its job, and I don't fill the need to spend any more on something that will do the same thing!

MUA Eyeshadows - £1

Some of these can be a miss, but the shades above are buttery soft and pigmented. Shade 11 is a basic everyday neutral, while shade 1 is a nice inner corner highlight.

MUA Eyebrow Brush - £1.50

Another MUA product! This brush is thin yet dense, making it perfect for eyebrows and eyeliner. I used to use ELF's Small Angled Brush, but it was fluffier than this, meaning I couldn't be as precise with application.

What are your top products under £5?

The Body Shop Products Currently in My Routine

I've never considered myself a devoted fan of The Body Shop, but when looking at the brand's products in my routine, it looks like I am!

When applying my makeup in the morning, I use the All-in-One Face Base in 02 (£14) to reduce any shine and add a little coverage. As you can see, it's very well loved and I already have a back up in my draw! A more recent product of mine is the Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in 02 Fair Matte (£13, review here). It's a light, matte bronzer that adds natural warmth to your face. It does need building up, though, so am considering trying a darker shade and using a lighter hand.

Before I leave the house, I spritz myself with one of the Body Mists (£7.50). I have six of these, but the two I'm using most at the moment are the Mango and Vineyard Peach (review here) ones. The Vineyard Peach one is a new product, and I love it so much already.

Throughout the day, especially after getting off the bus, I like to sanitise my hands. I'm currently using the Coconut Hand Cleanse Gel (£2.50, review here), which is summer in a bottle.

I shower in the evenings, and have multiple shower gels on the go. One of them is the Vineyard Peach Shower Gel (£4, review here). It smells like the rest of the range and I already have a back up of this, too. I've been using the Aqua Ultra Fine Bath Lily (£2) to apply it, which is great. It's softer than others I've used and creates a rich lather. I know some people hate these because they're a great home for spiders, but I've thankfully never found any in mine!

I've been using the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter (£12, review here) and Silky Cleansing Oil (£10, review here) to remove my makeup and cleanse my face. I love them, and will more than likely repurchase both!

I've been trying to moisturise more after the shower, so have been using the Vineyard Peach and Raspberry Body Butters (£13). I have these two, and Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush Body Buttercream, on the go at the same time because I don't want them to go bad before I get round to using them. I've had to throw a couple out before because I forgot about them and they started to smell funny.

Two other products that I use, and aren't photographed, are the Organic Cotton Rounds (£2.50) and Paddle Bamboo Hairbrush (£8). The cotton rounds stay together better than others, so you don't need to use as many. I've used the paddle brush for years and it does its job perfectly.

I've given the full prices of the products, but I've never paid these. I usually buy them when there's a sale or 40-50% off! What are your favourite The Body Shop products?

Top 3 Nail Polishes for Spring

Sinful Colours Easy Going, Essie Go Ginza, Barry M Sugar Apple

I'm not one to only wear darker shades in the autumn/winter and lighter shades in the spring/summer, but I've been gravitating towards pastel shades recently, and they just so happen to be season appropriate. The shades above are the most pastel ones I own. The shades I considered pastel before these are no where near as light!

Sinful Colours Easy Going - £1.99 - review here

Easy Going is an off white pink, which looks clean and delicate on. It's beautiful on its own, but is also the perfect base for nail art. It takes three coats to become opaque, which isn't great, but I can deal with it.

Essie Go Ginza - £7.99 - review here

I used to stay far away from all purple shades, but in the last couple of years, I've come to love lilac and berry shades of polish. This is the lightest lilac I own, and I love it. Again, it's very clean. It takes two coats to become opaque, which is great for such a pastel shade.

Barry M Gelly Sugar Apple - £3.99 - review here

Sugar Apple is one of my most recent additions. Like I said in my review, it's a pastel, yet vibrant, aqua that can appear mint green in certain lights. It's thinner and streakier than the other Gelly polishes in the range, so takes 2-3 coats to become opaque. I was expecting better, to be honest, but love the colour so much that I'm willing to overlook this! 

What are your top nail polishes for spring?