Empties #04

Half of the products you see are featured in nearly every empties post, but I have some products that are new to the feature this time!

Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Washes in Sweet Vanilla & Cherry Blossom and Bewitching Blackberry & Wild Fig (review here) - I love these. The packaging is beautiful, they're foamy, and they smell amazing. At £3, or £2 when on offer, they're more expensive than my usual shower gels, but I'd still happily repurchase them. Sweet Vanilla & Cherry Blossom isn't a scent I usually gravitate towards (I go for fruity ones), but this is beautiful and delicate. Bewitching Blackberry & Wild Fig is more up my street, and I'm tempted to stock up straight away, even though I have so many other bottles to use.

Naked Brunette Radiance Shampoo* and Conditioner* (review here) - Like I said in my review, the shampoo was okay, but it didn't do anything more than my cheaper ones do. The conditioner, however, was great, and was more like an intensive treatment. I've already purchased two more tubes of Naked's conditioners because my Alberto Balsams do nothing in comparison!

Alberto Balsam Shampoos in Strawberries & Cream and Coconut & Lychee - My go to shampoo brand. They're cheap and they do the job! My all time favourite scent is the Strawberries and Cream one.

Superdrug Colour Effects Wash In, Wash Out Conditioning Colour in Mahogany (review here) - Are you sick of me mentioning these yet? Since I used this one up a month or so ago, I haven't been using them, but will start to again next week. I remember going back to uni after using this a few times and a friend thought I'd dyed my hair red. It wasn't until then that I noticed how much of a difference it makes! As well as this, my sister's friend thought I was actually brunette and had just dyed my hair an auburn shade. I like dyed auburn hair just as much as natural auburn hair, so no complaints from me.

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover - Another product I've mentioned time and time again. Removes your nail polish and smells better than others. 

Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean Deep Cleansing Milk (review here) - This has since been repackaged, just to let you know. I liked it, but after using for 8 months, I became bored of it! It did its job, though, and that's all that matters. I'll repurchase, but not for a while. I fancy trying something new.

Simple Baby Moisturising Wipes - I use these for a little bit of everything. Taking makeup off if I'm not cleansing in the shower, wiping off swatches, and cleaning off any products that are looking a little grimy. They're £1.99 for 80, but they're often on offer for 99p. Even better, Lloyd's Pharmacy sometimes have them included in their '6 for £5' offer, and then my sister gets 20% staff discount, so I get 6 packs of 80 for just £4!

Nivea Express Hydration Primer (review here) - I believe this took me 14 months to finish. 14 long months. In the beginning, I loved it, but towards the end, I wasn't sure if it was actually doing anything. My concealer would also sometimes go bitty and roll off my skin, if you know what I mean. I thought this was because I was using too much of this primer and that I didn't let it sink in well enough, but then I went back to using my Witch one and didn't have this problem, so who knows? It's great value for money, though, and I think I just became too used to it to notice its benefits.

Have you tried any of these products?

Empties #002

Why I chose to number these with three digits, I do not know. I'm unlikely to even get to 10! I'm always unsure whether to post about my empties because on one hand: It's useful to see what products I actually use and love, but on the other: I think the products I use are boring, and it's obvious that I like them if I've used them up!

The first product I remembered to save for this post was the TRESemme Naturals Smooth Shampoo. I've bought this countless times because it just works for my hair! Repurchase? Already have!

Superdrug's Raspberry & Macadamia Nut Conditioner - I added this to my online basket on a whim because it was like 99p, and I'm glad I did. It smells so good! It's sweet, almost sherbet-y. I also like that it has a pump. In terms of conditioning, it worked well, too. Very impressed. Repurchase? Yes.

Superdrug's Coconut & Sweet Almond Intensive Conditioner - I bought this the same time as the raspberry one because it was 2 for £1.49. I've used this before and loved it. It smells amazing, and leaves my hair feeling really soft. Repurchase? Yes!

Aussie's Miracle Hair Insurance Leave In Conditioner - Another bottle down! Again, it smells amazing and leaves my hair soft. See? I told you my empties are boring! Repurchase? Already have :)

Liz Earle's Gentle Face Exfoliator - I was sent this some time last year, and actually finished it ages ago, but saved it for this post. It exfoliated quite well, and left my skin feeling soft because it's based in a cream similar to the Hot Cloth Cleanser. I wouldn't repurchase it, though, because it's more expensive than what I'd like to pay for an exfoliator, and I now use exfoliating gloves, sugar, or a flannel to rid me of dry skin (will do a post on this at some point).

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover - I've talked about this before, and still feel the same! It's my favourite nail polish remover, ever. It removes my polish well, and smells good for a remover. It may make my nails stronger and whiter, but I don't know for certain. Repurchase? Already have.

Lush's Ocean Salt Facial Scrub - I really liked this. Some say it's too rough, but I didn't think it was at all! I just had to close my mouth when rinsing it off because of the salt - Yuk! If I didn't use exfoliating gloves, sugar, and flannels to exfoliate, then I would repurchase this.

Superdrug's Colour Effects Conditioning Colour in Mahogany - I wrote a review on the Rich Red shade of this a few years ago (just search for it in the search bar to your left), and decided to use them again. This time I went for Mahogany, and I think I prefer it. It's still red, but it's much darker. It leaves my auburn locks with more intense red tones, which really come to life in the sun. Even with my long, thick hair, I got 3-4 uses out of this, and each use lasted around a week. Don't leave it on for 5 minutes like the bottle suggests, though. I leave mine on for 30 minutes, or 15 in the shower. Repurchase? Already have, but True Chestnut this time.

I hope that was of any use to you! My next empties post will probably be in a couple of months - I find it so hard to use things up! But a few products are already running out, so maybe I'll be posting sooner than expected. Enjoy your weekend!

Stocking Up

Does anyone else stock up on products? I could open a small shop with the back ups I have! I stock up partly because I'm organised, partly because I'm a shopaholic, and partly because it's more cost effective in the long run (I buy back ups when they're on offer). The products in the photo above are mostly necessities. I haven't even included my shower gel, moisturiser or makeup back ups! I would have had to use my bed or floor.

Let me know if you can relate!

Colours of the Rainbow Tag!

I had seen this tag doing the rounds, and when Laura tagged me, I thought I'd have a go myself! For this tag, you simply pick a product for each colour of the rainbow (plus pink). It can be the packaging that's coloured, or the product - whatever you choose! I actually found this pretty hard. I wanted to stay away from nail polishes because I've already done the Favourite Nail Polishes - Rainbow Edition post. I also wanted to pick a variety of products, not 4 or 5 shower gels.

So, for the colour red, I've chosen one of my eBay brushes (you can see my post on them here). For £1.54 (they're now around £2.55), I'm very pleased. It's soft, dense, doesn't shed, and washes well. I've been using it for my powder blushes.

For orange, I picked The Body Shop's Mango Body Mist. I love fruity scents, especially mango, so this is perfect. 

I've cheated a little with yellow because there's hardly any yellow on it! But it's the best I had, and I wanted to pick products I actually use and love. This is The Body Shop's Mango Hand Cleanse Gel. I love it! It smells just like the other mango products, and lives in my bag (I have the other scents laying around the house). I reviewed this, and the other scents, here.

I just had to pick Original Source's Lime Shower Gel for green. I've used this for years. I told you I love fruity scents!

For blue, I picked Nivea's Express Hydration Primer. I've been using this for... over 8 months now, and I've still got over half left. It's very thin compared to the Witch primer, but it works (I reviewed it here).

Maybelline's Rocket Mascara isn't exactly indigo, but it's the closest product I had. I've only been using this for the last couple of weeks, but really like it. It separates my lashes and defines them. I've also been using the Mega Plush one, which is great, but I think I prefer the Rocket because it's not as feathery, so gives a little more definition. 

I chose Cutex's Nourishing Nail Polish Remover for violet. It's my favourite nail polish remover, and all I use now. It does the job and smells nice for a nail polish remover (like vanilla).

I picked Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey for pink (swatched here). It's my favourite lip product, and one of the few I wear to its full intensity.

I love a good tag! I tag everyone reading this :)

Recent Beauty Buys

I wasn't planning on posting another beauty haul, but then I kept buying bits and bobs here and there. So, let's get cracking!

Alberto Balsam shampoos and conditioners are currently 4 for £3 in Superdrug, so thought I'd stock up. I used to use the brand a couple of years ago, but then moved on to TRESemme. I've recently gone back to them though because they're affordable, work well, and smell amazing! I bought 3 shampoos because I'm already stocked up on conditioner.

I also bought the Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days Gel Cream with Peach for £2.99. It's just a simple, light moisturiser that absorbs into the skin quickly.

The Simple Baby Moisturising Wipes are normally £1.99, but they were down to £1 in Lloyd's Pharmacy, and my sister had staff discount, so I got them for 80p each - Yay!

Going back to Superdrug, I bought the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair for £4.19. I've gone through tubes and tubes of this stuff, but for the last couple of months I've been using MUA's Cover and Conceal Wand in Porcelain, which has been working fine (especially for £1.50). I thought I'd go back to this to remember how good it is, though.

I often forget to look at the Feel Unique website, but it's actually great. Free delivery, discounted products, and you currently get 10% off your order. I bought Maybelline's Rocket mascara for £6.79 (before the 10% discount). I didn't buy the waterproof version because the last waterproof mascara I bought (Maybelline's Falsies) would not come off, no matter what products I used. You could see that as a good thing, but I want to keep my lashes, not pull them out trying to get the stuff off!

Also from Feel Unique, I bought Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe for £4.99 (before the 10% discount). I don't wear eyeshadow on my eyelids because I look ridiculous, but I like blending them into my lash line to give some definition. I've been using On and On Bronze, but wanted a matte shade.

I then placed an order with MUA because their products were 3 for 2. I picked up 4 of their new £1 blusher shades - Cupcake, Lolly, Bubblegum, and Bon Bon (will be reviewing these in the next couple of days). 

I then bought the Hide & Conceal Stick in Porcelain for £1. I normally use liquid concealers, but thought this would be good for blemishes. It's actually really creamy, which I wasn't expecting! 

I also bought the Power Pout in Runway for £3. I have all the other shades, so thought I may as well get this one too! It's a coral/red, and I'm going to wear it lightly (I also look ridiculous with bright lips)

I thought I'd also show you what I've just ordered from Superdrug (free delivery until the 17th). I bought the Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave In Conditioner and Aussie Dual Personality Heat Protection & Leave In Spray for £6. They're normally £4.49 and £4.69 each. These are both repurchases (they smell amazing!).

Then I added the Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover to my basket for £2.15. This is my favourite nail polish remover and smells nice, considering (like vanilla).

Then I thought I'd stock up on my trusty razors seeing as they're currently better than half price. I bought the Bic Lady Soleil ones for £1.51, and the Bic Miss Soleil ones for £1.48. Bic Soleil razors were the first ones I ever used (about 7 years ago), and they're the only ones I've used since. I do want to try a battery operated one, though, but don't know the good from the bad!

And that's everything! For now, anyway...

Superdrug Purchases!

Superdrug have free delivery until the 24th October, so I thought I'd stock up on some essentials. I stock up on so many things, my beauty draws look like a small shop!

The Superdrug Foam Colour Hair Dyes are for my mum. They were buy one (£5.99) get two free, so these were just £2 each! I bought her one Medium Brown 5.0 and two Light Browns 6.0.

I then added the Simple Baby Wipes x80 to my basket, which were £1.99. The normal facial ones are £2.99 for 25, so these are much more cost effective (and they're practically the same things!).

I'm running low on my much loved Witch Skin Clearing Primer and it was half price at just £3.49, so I couldn't resist.

I also wanted to try the new Nivea Express Hydration Primer, which was only £3.99. I love the packaging - It comes in a glass jar! It's lighter in consistency than the Witch one and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'll test it out tomorrow and see if my concealer creases on my eyelids (I have red, oily eyelids, you see... mmm, sexy).

I added Superdrug's Coconut Oil to my basket because I've been meaning to purchase a pot and it was only £2.29. I already have a coconut oil, but I wanted to try the solid, natural form.

I've tried Liz Earle's and No7's hot cloth cleansers, so wanted to buy Superdrug's Hot Cloth Cleanser to compare. I've been liking hot cloth cleansers because they're gentle and moisturising on my skin. This one was on offer for £4.99 (normally £5.99).

I then bought another bottle of Cutex's Nourishing Nail Polish Remover for £2.15. This is my favourite nail polish remover because I really like the smell and it does a good job at removing my nail polish, funnily enough.

Lastly, I stocked up on Superdrug's Hair Grips (£1.39) and Superdrug's Emery Boards (99p). I go through so many packs of these. I don't know if that's because I use them all the time or because they go missing all the time!

And they're my purchases! Oh, I do love free delivery.

Beauty Buys

Hello! Despite having a beauty blog, I rarely buy a lot of beauty products. I only buy necessities, such as concealer and mascara. Recently, however, I have bought more beauty products than usual. As you can see, I have already been using these products (I couldn't wait!) and will have some reviews up shortly. 

So, where shall we start? The three pots with brown lids, on the near left, are Boots Extracts Fairtrade Brazil Nut 50ml pots. I won all three on eBay for £3.84, including P&P. I already own a small pot of the Brazil Nut body butter (as well as a handful of other scents) and love it. It's similar to the Cocoa Butter scent, but a lot better, in my opinion. 

I had a trusty Boots No7 £5 off voucher, so decided to try the No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser. Without the voucher, it is £10, so I only paid £5 for it. You get more product than you do with Liz Earle's variant and it's a lot cheaper. It removes my make-up well and leaves my skin slightly soft, but it doesn't leave it as soft as Liz Earle's. I'm not too bothered though, seeing as it's much more affordable.

Next, I bought the Palmer's Moisturising Body Oil. You can buy this from Superdrug, Boots, Feel Unique, Amazon etc for around £5. Before this, I had never used a body oil because I thought it would leave me oily, like the name suggests. Oh, how very wrong I was! It sinks in to the skin incredibly well and leaves me less oily than a body butter or lotion would. It leaves your skin silky soft, just as it claims to. A more in depth review of this will be up shortly.

Did I need any more shower gel? No, I have bottles and bottles of the stuff. But I just had to buy the Nivea Water Lily & Oil and the Sunny Melon & Oil Shower Gels. These were £1.24 each (half price) from Boots. They smell divine!

I bought the Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover from Superdrug a while ago, so cannot remember the price. It's between £1-2 though. This is my favourite nail polish remover. It removes nail polish well, but it's the scent that keeps me repurchasing. It's slightly more subtle and sweet than your average remover, and doesn't make me feel sick.

As I said, I rarely buy beauty products, especially hyped up make-up items, so it was out of character for me to buy the Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush in Flushed. I bought this from Superdrug for £5.99 (normally £7.99). You get a lot of product - 12.4g! The shade looks vibrant and slightly scary in the pot, but it's very natural looking, once applied to the skin. It feels... satin-y - A lot different to the NYX cream blushes. I suppose this is because it has a cream-powder finish. 

Whilst in Superdrug, I also picked up the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick for £5.99 too (normally £7.99). I love fuss free lip products, so stains are my best friends. A lot of people are describing Lovesick as being a hot pink shade. I think it leans far more purple than that. For that reason, I bought the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Sweetheart from eBay. I had to buy this shade from America because the UK doesn't have it. It annoys me that the UK always has limited product shades. Anyway, I paid £7, including P&P from America, from this seller. I think that's a pretty good deal! It took just over a week to arrive. Even though Sweetheart is more pink than Lovesick, it still leans cool toned/purple-y. I wish Revlon brought out more shades - A warm pink would be great.

Lastly from Superdrug, I bought Barry M's Pink Silver Glitter Nail Polish for £2.99. I wrote a post about it here. It's a beautiful shade and has changed my mind about glitters.

So, there you go! I hope you enjoyed this post. If you would like me to review any of the products above, just leave me a comment.