August Empties

It's empties time again! I didn't get through a lot of products this month but I did use up more make up items than in previous months.

Garnier Body Tonic Sugar Scrub

I mention this body scrub far too much on this blog but it really is my favourite! I've already bought another tube of it.

Sanctuary Mum To Be Shower Oil

I got this as an extra in a swap once and thought it was a bit strange to be sent something meant for pregnant women but I decided to use it up anyway. It's just okay.

The Body Shop Green Apple Shower Gel

I love the scent of this product; it really does smell of apples. It's not the most moisturising shower gel out there but I still like it.

Osmo Berber Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo

I enjoyed using this shampoo. I recently reviewed a trio of products from this line (here) including this shampoo. 

Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser

This moisturiser is great if you have blemish prone skin. I apply a thick layer of it before bed when I feel my skin needs it. It also works well under foundation so I sometimes use it in the mornings too. I've already picked up a couple of new tubes of this.

Revlon Lip Butter in Fig Jam

This is/was my favourite lip butter shade. It's a dark brown/plum shade that is a lot more flattering than it sounds! I actually tracked down a MAC lipstick to dupe this because Fig Jam is sadly not available in the UK. 

Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Sample

I mixed this with my Chanel Perfection Lumiere foundation sample to help with staying power/oil control and loved the combination but I won't be heading out to pick up the full size of this.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in Electric Cherry

These glosses smell delicious and I love the non-sticky formula. This particular shade looks a bit weird on me (according to my boyfriend anyway!) and it was limited edition, I believe, so I'll not be repurchasing it. I am interested in trying other shades from the Pure Color gloss range, though.

Maybelline One by One Mascara

I liked this mascara and reviewed it (here) but I don't think I'll be repurchasing it for a while because there are so many other mascaras I still want to try.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Sample

I used this up by mixing it with the Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid and loved the results but on it's own I wouldn't recommend this foundation. 

Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Sample

I really liked the effect of this mascara but it was so dry and quite difficult to use so I'm not sure if I'd purchase the full size. Besides, I've not managed to find a UK seller which stocks this.

MAC 188 Brush

I want to cry about this one! This isn't an empty as such but I managed to break/ruin my MAC 188 brush. I was washing it and pulled a little too hard on the bristles so the whole brush head popped out. I've had this brush for well over a year and it was my favourite highlighting brush. Let this be a lesson to you all...be nice to your brushes. 

Sally Hansen Insta Dri Top Coat

I've already repurchased this. It's frustrating when I have to get rid of these when they're still half full but they just become too gloopy to use.

Did you use up many products this month?

Stace xx

August Haul

I had every intention of not buying anything this month and failed miserably! I'm consoling myself with the fact that most of the items weren't too expensive and the priciest item was a birthday present.

Botanics Cleansing Face Wipes

These were under £3 in Boots when I bought them so I thought it was worth giving them a go. I used them when I went back home this month and I've got a review of these coming up soon.

Boots Baby Extra Large Cotton Wool Pads

These were recommended by Zoe from Zoella and they're great! I used to use about eight small cotton pads to remove my make up but I only need two of these.

Boots Baby Shampoo

I use baby shampoo to wash my brushes and I sometimes use it to wash my hair if my scalp's feeling a bit irritated. 

NARS Bronzer in Laguna

This is the first high end bronzer I've ever purchased! It was a bit of a birthday present to myself. 

Elie Saab Le Parfum

This was part of my birthday present from Boyfriend. It smells gorgeous :)

Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser x 2

This is one of my favourite moisturisers and I like it especially if and when I get break outs. I've purchased so many tubes of this in the past, I've lost count! They were in a 2 for £5 offer in Boots.

Botanics Microdermabrasion Polish

My favourite scrub, The Body Shop's Vitamin C Microdermabrasion, is running low so I decided to replace it with this cheaper alternative to see how well it compares.

Garnier Body Tonic Sugar Scrub

This is another repurchased product, it's probably my fifth or sixth tube of this scrub!

Cuticura Passion Flower & Mango Anti Bacterial Hand Gel

I love my little Bath & Body Works Pocket Bacs but I'm running low on those so I picked this up to replace those.

L'Oreal True Match Foundation

I've been on the hunt for a nice drugstore foundation which doesn't break me out so I decided to give this one a try.

L'Oreal Color Infallible Shadow in Goldmine

This was a total impulse buy because I knew if I spent more than £15 I'd get a little gift set for free. It's very glittery!

L'Oreal Color Riche Polishes in Dating Coral & Femme Fatale 

These were emergency airport purchases because I didn't like the manicure I'd planned to keep on for a week. I'm addicted to these little bottles of polish.

Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara in Brown/Black

My mum used to use this. In fact, she probably still does! It was on offer so I picked it up to see what it's like. I've never tried a Max Factor mascara before. I went for the brown/black shade because it looks a bit softer and more natural.

17 Blemish BB Balm in Medium

I don't know what possessed me to buy this because I know I don't like western BB creams but I always want to try new ones just in case they're not rubbish! I've tried this a few times already and I don't hate it, which is a good sign. I'll probably be reviewing this in a few weeks.

MAC Select Moisture Cover Concealer in NC20

I picked this up on a blog sale for around a fiver. It's a couple of shades lighter than my skintone but I'm planning to use it on my under eye area.

I had a coupon for £5 off a Feel Unique so I made a little order!

Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Lotion

I needed a new moisturiser to use when I don't need to use the Clean & Clear Dual Action so I picked this up on a whim. I was a bit disappointed when it arrived as it's only 30ml rather than the 50ml I expected; I should have read the description more carefully!

Sally Hansen Insta Dri Top Coat

I needed a new bottle of this and it was under £5 on Feel Unique so I popped it in my basket. 

NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm

I'm a lip balm junkie so I knew I'd have to get around to trying this at some point. I'll be posting a review of this soon!

Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Body Lotion

When I buy clothes from ASOS I always end up with at least one beauty item in my basket and this body lotion is what made it into my most recent order.

Boots Nail Polish Remover

This was another product repurchase!

Essie Fiji

I've been wanting this colour for such a long time and Boots were running a points event where you would receive 10 points per £1 if you spent over £15 so I added this to my basket in order to take advantage of the extra points. At least, that's what I'm telling myself!

LUSH BB Seaweed & Brazened Honey Fresh Face Masks

I was after a new face mask but after looking in Boots several times, nothing took my fancy so I popped into LUSH and picked up a couple of their fresh face masks. I've tried Brazened Honey before and it wasn't my favourite mask but I was given it by accident instead of Love Lettuce this time so I'm interested to see if my opinion has changed. Expect to see reviews of these quite soon. I should also mention that Rachel, the girl who helped me in store was absolutely lovely. All the staff in LUSH on Buchanan Street in Glasgow are great so if you're in the area I'd highly recommend popping in!

If you'd like to see reviews of anything I purchased please let me know in the comments. 

Did you buy anything nice this month? If you have a haul post or video, leave me a link!

Stace xx

Garnier Body Tonic Firming Lotion

When I looked through my previous blog posts and didn't find one dedicated to this product, I was surprised! I've been using the Garnier Body Tonic Firming Hydrating Lotion for about six months ago and it's a product I've already repurchased three times. 

I first came across this body lotion when picking up the corresponding body scrub (which is also a firm favourite of mine). As a general body lotion, it's not the most hydrating on the market but I tend to use it on areas of my body which don't need a lot of hydration anyway. It's a light lotion which smells a bit like lemons that sinks into the skin quickly. 

The selling point of this lotion is it's promise to make the skin appear smoother and I have to admit, I was skeptical. However, after using this product daily for a few weeks there was a definite improvement in the texture of the skin; it looked considerably smoother. It doesn't give results as drastic as a product like Sit Tight from Soap and Glory but it's also about a third of the price twice as much product. The biggest drawback is that you do have to commit to using it daily in order to see results, in my experience. 

For some reason I can't find it on the Boots or Superdrug websites but I can assure you that they do sell it! It's usually on offer for around £4-5.which I think is a very reasonable price. I featured this product in a post about holiday preparations so if you're still waiting to jet off somewhere sunny, I'd recommend trying this if you're a bit self conscious of your wobbly bits!

Stace xx

Holiday Preparation: My Favourite Body Products

Any of my regular readers will know I went on holiday at the end of May. I had planned on doing a post like this before going away but just didn't get around to it but I thought it'd still be useful since most people probably haven't gone on a summer holiday yet!

I use quite a lot of body care products on a regular basis anyway but before going away I try to incorporate a number of products which leave my skin looking smooth, even and perhaps a little more firm.

I seem to be a big fan of Garnier at the moment! It's not a brand I've ever really paid much attention to but the Body Tonic Sugar Scrub was recommended by Kelly so I picked it up and the corresponding body lotion. I loved the scrub instantly; it exfoliates nicely and smells great. I think this is my fourth tube! The one pictured is actually a new one since I used up the previous one before I went away. 

The body lotion is marketed as a firming lotion and I have to say, I think it works pretty well. It's not as effective as another product I'll get to in a minute but when I use it every day over a period of time there is a noticeable difference (well, my boyfriend notices without me telling him I've been using it!) 

The other Garnier product I'd been using was the Intensive 7 Day body lotion in Honey which is targeted at those with sensitive skin. I've tried a few other scents in this range and I think Honey is my favourite; it's not very overpowering. The product itself is quite lightweight and sinks in quickly yet leaves my skin feeling hydrated. It's a huge departure from my favourite Body Shop body butters but I really rate these lotions.

I used a couple of other firming creams which I only use occasionally. The Sit Tight cream from Soap & Glory is excellent, it really works on any bumpy areas on the thighs. It feels incredibly tingly and warm so be aware of that before trying it! I used this for a week before going away. I used a Nip+Fab Tummy Fix gel on my tummy area too but I don't think it was as effective although I guess the texture of the skin there is very different. It also tingles but not as much at the Sit Tight. If you're wanting something that's a great quick fix, go for the Sit Tight.

Now we get to my favourite topic, feet. I'm kidding, I hate feet. I don't like my own feet, I don't like other peoples' feet...eugh! I use a foot file after I shower and always use cotton socks after applying a foot cream but I've really struggled to find a foot cream that works well. Until I found this little gem from The Body Shop. It's the Honey & Beeswax Hand & Foot Butter and it was recommended by Estee. It seems expensive for a little tub of foot cream but if you've struggled to find anything that works I'd definitely tell you to give this a go. I've used it a lot already and still have about 2/3s left. 

So those are the products I used, I hope that was helpful!

Stace xx

Garnier Skin Naturals Body Tonic Sugar Scrub

If you've been reading for the past few weeks you'll know I've been having some major issues with body scrubs lately. I tried one from Boots Botanics and another from Boots Extracts; both left me with horribly sticky skin and they left a ridiculous film on my bath (grr!)

I'd seen this Garnier scrub mentioned a few times in YouTube videos so I decided to give it a try in the hope that my luck with body scrubs would change. And it has.

This is an excellent body scrub for me. It smells great (very lemony!), it's not a pain to use and it leaves my skin feeling nicely exfoliated without leaving any sort of greasy film. The directions recommend that it should be used three times a week and I think that's about right. 

This is priced at £7.15 for 200ml (link) which is pretty pricey since I paid less than £6 for 450ml from Botanics. I like it enough that I would repurchase, though. I got this as part of a 3 for 2 offer which Boots usually have.

Stace xx

Review: Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector in Medium

Before

 After

Product: Garneir BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector

Price: £7.99 for 50ml from Superdrug (normally £9.99)

Description:

"2 letters for perfect-looking skin...instantly! Garnier’s B.B. cream, Miracle Skin Perfector, with mineral pigments and vitamin C. It unifies, illuminates, hydrates and helps protect with SPF 15. Available in two shades."

What's Good About It?

I like that the texture is a bit thicker than most 'tinted moisturiser' type products because it seems to sit on the skin better. It leaves a nice sheen to the skin (see before/after photos above). If you find that a bit too dewy or want more coverage, you can add a powder. I used MAC MSF Natural and it looked pretty good. The coverage is light but it does even out skin tone reasonably well compared with other similar products I've tried.

What's Disappointing?

The shade range is the biggest issue with me. Even if they only had four or five it would mean there'd be something for most people because it's sheer enough that you don't need to have your exact shade. I'm around an NC30 in MAC and this is just a touch too dark for me. I'd say it would be great for someone who's an NC35/40. The Light shade won't work for anyone with pale skin. I might try it on myself but think it might be too light. From other reviews I've seen I'd say it's around an NC/NW20 in MAC terms.

Overall Score/Comment:

5/10 - this would be a nice product for someone looking for very light coverage who can find a match with one of the two shades. Sadly I don't think it's for me; I'm a bit 'meh' about it, to be honest.

Have you tried this? Thoughts?

Stace xx