April Empties: Body, Fragrance & Hair Care

If you spotted yesterday's post you'll know I got through a lot of products in April. This is the second instalment!

Boots Extracts Mango body butter

I found the texture of this body butter to be really odd. I felt like it didn't really sink into the skin very well and considering how thick it was, I didn't find it more moisturising than lighter lotions. The scent wasn't great either.

Boots Extracts Shea Butter body butter

I preferred this scent to the Mango but it still had the odd texture. I won't be repurchasing either of these products.

Burt's Bees Coconut foot cream

This product is so greasy and thick but it does work well as an intensive foot cream. I don't think I'll be rushing out to replace this.

Clarins Extra Firming body cream
This was a Glossybox sample and I loved it! If the full size wasn't so expensive, I'd have picked one up by now.

Garnier Body Tonic lotion
I've been meaning to review this for a while - this is a great light moisturising lotion which also firms the skin. I think it really works and I'm already on my second bottle!

Garnier Body Tonic sugar scrub
This is my new favourite exfoliator and I already have two waiting in the wings!

Molton Brown Vitalising bath and shower gel
Another Glossybox sample that I enjoyed using up but probably won't rush out to buy. It did leave my bathroom smelling delicious, though.

Sanctuary Moisture Rich foot butter
I don't know why they call this a butter as the texture is very light and creamy. It's just a standard foot cream which smells a bit like lavender. I won't be repurchasing.

The Body Shop Earth Lovers Apricot and Basil shower gel
I got this free when I bought their loyalty card and I'd forgotten about it until recently. I really liked this shower gel because it was gentle enough for my skin but still nicely fragranced. The only issue I had with it is that it's very runny.

The Body Shop Satsuma body butter
This is one of my favourite scents from The Body Shop and one I will continue to repurchase. My one gripe with this is that it's not one of the thicker body butters (it's for normal skin) so I get through it much more quickly.

BeneFit Ring My Bella 
I went to BeneFit to sniff So Hooked on Carmella but found it was too sweet for me so the assistant recommended this and I impulsively bought it. I like the scent when it's first sprayed but it doesn't linger long enough on my skin for my liking.

Hugo Boss Femme

I picked this up on a whim when I had a money off voucher and it's just okay. It's very light and floral.

Aveda Smooth Infusion shampoo and conditioner
It's hard to say how much I liked these because each tube only contained enough for one use. I got these in a She Said Beauty box.

Macadamia Natural Oil Rejuvenating shampoo
This is my third bottle of this shampoo so it's safe to say I enjoy using this!


...and that's it! Phew.


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

40% off NYX!

Hello everyone,

I just thought I'd pop on here to write a quick post about an offer Cherryculture.com is currently running on NYX products. I've used the site several times to buy NYX and Milani products and I've always been pleased with their service. The shipping costs are reasonable and the products are so much cheaper than they are from UK sites, I've found. The offer is for 40% off selected NYX products including blushes, lipsticks and eyeshadows. I'm seriously contemplating a couple of blushes! 

I hope this was helpful to some of you and please let me know if you decide to place an order!

Stace xx

Wishlist Wednesday - Skincare

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel - £28.60

I'm in need of a new face mask and I've heard good things about this one so it's on my wish list!

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - £9.90

Does anyone in the beauty blogging community not either own or want this? I just want to see what all the fuss is about. 

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - £41

I need a new serum. I've been debating buying this for some time but the price is so off-putting. 

Origins Ginzing Eye Cream - £21

I know this is a product that divides opinion but I've only recently started using eye creams and it's one I want to try.

Bliss Triple Oxygen Treatment Kit - £30

Just the sound of this kit makes me want it! I like that it includes trial sized products as the full sizes are pretty pricey.

Let me know if you've tried any of these products - I'd love to know what you think of them!

Stace xx

YSL La Laque Couture in 6 Rouge Dada

This is the other product I picked up at the YSL counter recently. I'd never heard anything about their nail polishes before and since I already have a few nail polish brands which I'm pretty loyal to, I was reluctant to try it. However, after swatching it, I changed my mind. 

The formula looks really thin and watery which was off-putting as I'm not a fan of sheer polishes but it's not sheer when applied. Because it's of the thin formula and wider brush it glides on to the nails so easily. I applied two coats and it's completely opaque. I can't say anything about the wear time just yet but that's not usually an issue for me since I change my polish so often.

(apologies for the slightly messy nails...I got a bit over excited about this post!)

The packaging is gorgeous and the shade Rouge Dada is a great classic red. These are not cheap at £18 each (link) so I'm glad I went for a really wearable shade. 

Have you tried any of these?

Stace xx

Ps - I should add that the staff at the YSL counter in Debenhams on Glasgow's Argyle Street are lovely!