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

April Empties: Skincare & Make Up

I got through a crazy amount of products this month so this is the first of two empties posts. I finally started using up all the samples I've accumulated over the past six months or so! I'm going to try and keep these posts as short as possible, I promise.

Boots Skin Tonic in Damask Rose

I like the way toners with rosewater work on my skin. I don't think this particular toner is available any more but I think I'm going to pick up the Botanics version soon.

Clarins Extra Firming Day and Night creams

These were surprisingly good. I complained a lot about receiving anti-ageing products in my Glossybox but I did enjoy using these. I won't be repurchasing them right now but I will keep them in mind when I need to use these sorts of products regularly.

Clarins Gentle Foaming cleanser

This was only a small sample so it's difficult to say how much I like it. It was okay but I don't think it was anything special.

Clarins HydraQuench lotion

This would be a great moisturiser for anyone who has dehydrated skin. I found that it was a bit greasy on my t-zone, though.

Clarins HydraQuench Intensive serum

This product feels very strange. It's much runnier than a typical serum and leaves an odd dry feeling on my hands afterwards. I did like how it made my skin feel, though.

Clinique All About Eyes Rich eye cream

This little sample pot lasted me about three months. I'm using a sample pot of the original All About Eyes right now but I think this is the one I'll repurchase as the thicker texture means that I only use a tiny amount each time.

Clinique Moisture Surge moisturiser

I enjoyed using this lightweight moisturiser. I've got another sample pot which I'm excited to use! I would consider buying the full sized product.

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector serum

I wasn't impressed with this product. It was quite expensive but I had some dark spots on my chin which I wanted to get rid of so I decided to invest. Unfortunately it ended up giving me more spots which kind of defeated the purpose! I did notice some lightening but it wasn't enough to make me repurchase. 

Estee Lauder Idealist serum

This product made my skin feel much smoother but after a couple of weeks' use I didn't notice any lasting effects.

No7 Quick Thinking wipes

These are my all time favourite face wipes. I always pick up a pack or two when I have the £5 off No7 vouchers. 

Sanctuary 5 Minute Thermal Detox mask

This is a really nice thermal mask; the colour is a bit terrifying but I do feel that it helps keep my skin clear without drying it out. I'd consider buying this again but I think I want to try something different next.

Bobbi Brown Everything mascara

This was a pretty average mascara in my opinion. It's not something I'll be buying again.

Elemis Loving Lips Quenching lip balm

 I picked this up on a whim and I was quite pleased with it. I don't know if I'd repurchase it but it's a light mint-scented balm which is surprisingly moisturising. 

Jack Black Black Tea and Blackberry lip balm 

I was excited to try this product but I've not been overly impressed. It kind of just feels like a thicker version of Vaseline and I don't think it's very nourishing. It just sort of sits on top of my lips. It does smell nice, though.

NARS Pure Radiant tinted moisturiser in St Moritz 

This is just a small sample but I like the product. I'm considering purchasing a full sized tube for my holiday but I'm unsure of which shade to go for. It smells lovely.

Revlon Grow Luscious mascara

 I reviewed this quite recently and I have mixed feelings about it. It's not something I'd repurchase.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye primer 

I really enjoyed using this product and this little tube lasted me over 18 months. I'm trying a new primer now but I'd highly recommend this to anyone who finds Urban Decay's primer potion to be a bit too gloopy.


Phew! Watch out for part two tomorrow!


Stace xx

Boots Haul - Soap & Glory, Sanctuary, No7, Revlon & Essie

I got some coupons for extra points from Boots so went a bit mental. They have 3 for 2 on all skincare and bodycare and £5 off No7 products. I've not bought any bodycare products since the summer so I think I'm allowed...These were purchased in two separate purchases and I got almost £15 of Advantage Card points and saved over £20 which is pretty good in my opinion!

Soap & Glory

The Breakfast Scrub - Smells yummy! I'm not a fan of the scent of Flake Away anymore (I think I overdosed on it!) so I'm trying this instead.

Sit Tight - The best firming body cream ever! This stuff really works and I've not owned a tube in a while so I picked one up when on my mad rampage in Boots.

Pulp Friction - Okay, so I got another scrub! I've not been using scrubs recently for some reason. I used to be an exfoliating queen! This one smells much more fresh than the Breakfast Scrub and it lathers up so I can see myself using this in the mornings.

The Fab Pore Facial Peel - I've been wanting to try this for a while. I don't know why it's called a facial peel since it's not a peel off mask...

Sanctuary

Moisturising Foot Lotion - this was my 'free' item. I was looking for a good foot cream so decided to try this.

5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask - I tried a sample of this (I posted about it recently - look out for the blue face!) and liked it so picked up the full size.

No7

Quick Thinking 4-in-1 Wipes - These are my absolute favourite face wipes, I'm sure I mentioned this before! They're too expensive for me at full price but for £2 with the voucher, they're a bargain!

Revlon

Facets of Fuchsia Polish - I was sucked in by the hype! I've used this once and it took forever to dry so I ended up smudging it and taking it off straight away. I will try it again before giving up. Someone suggested using it for an accent nail over OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark so I might give that a go! 

Essie

Fill The Gap Base Coat - I've been looking for a good base coat for a while; both to help prevent staining and to make my polish go on more easily. So far, I'm really liking this. It leaves my nail feeling very even and a bit matte so polishes do go on more evenly. 




No more hauling allowed for a while now! 


Stace xx

Sanctuary 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask

I got a sample of this in a set as a gift and I'm only getting around to try it now. My skin has been playing up recently and I've been breaking out a lot in my chin area so I thought I might as well give this a go.

It's an amazing colour!

It feels warm when you apply it and continues to feel a little warm but it's not uncomfortable at all. It doesn't dry out either so it's a bit more moisturising than more traditional clay masks. You only need to have it on for five minutes so this is great for using in the shower if you're in a rush. I like how this made my skin  feel and I've been looking for a new mask after running out of my others so I think I'll be picking up a full size to try out over a period of time.

It is £10.20 for 100ml from Boots.

Have any of you tried this? What's your favourite mask?

Stace xx