Empties #1

Hello Lovelies!

So exams are FINALLY over. Five science exams in 2 weeks is never going to be fun really is it? I am however. incredibly excited that it is over (and after rather a lot of laptop hiccups along the way) I am back to blogging again :)

I have used up a lot of products in the last couple of months and instead of throwing them away, I have carted all the empty bottles, boxes and jars back home from uni so I can show you lovely people what I have used and what I thought of them.

Just a warning, this is a very long post...

 LUSH Creamed Almond and Coconut Smoothie

This product is described on the tub as 'a beautiful shower soap for dry skin smelling of vanilla and ylang ylang' They have in fact, got the scent description pretty accurate, it definitely has almond in there too, but although its has coconut in the name, it isn't overly obvious or overwhelming. I bought this at least a year ago now and it has taken a very long time for me to get through it, I used in conjunction with the LUSH Glorious Mud Shower Scrub to create a paste like mask for all over the body (yum...) I found that it left my skin feeling super smooth and smelling lovely. I would rather use it in conjunction with something else though, as alone it leaves that strange squeaky soap feel all over the skin - that I don't particularly like. I would repurchase this but only if I bought the mud scrub at the same time. (They have however, discontinued it, so that throws my dilemma out of the window!)

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer,

When I first applied this cult hair treatment it was to wet hair and I hated it. I had no idea what all  the blimmin'  fuss was about! It just so happens, that I then did a little research and it turns out I was doing it wrong *doh!* I reapplied it to dry, newly coloured hair (pink and purple dip-dye dontcha know ;) and it was amazing, my hair was super soft and shiny even after it had been bleached. I received this sample size in the FeelUnique beauty box before it was discontinued otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. It is way too pricey for me to consider purchasing although if you are not a penniless student then I would highly recommend it!

Garnier Intensive 7 days Ultra Softening Lotion (Dry to Extra-Dry Skin)

There is not much I can say about this product as it is fantastic. It is light weight, sinks into the skin really quickly, is very nourishing and smells divine. It is also a bargain at around £2.99 here and is a definite repurchase for my hols!

Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Body Cream

Another fabulous moisturiser. Much thicker than the Garnier one so I would recommend leaving it on overnight to sink in. I also really loved the spongy, souffle like texture to this one as it was something a bit different. As with all Soap & Glory products it smells heavenly. Its in a mid price range at £10.50 for 300ml  from Boots (often on 3 for 2). Would repurchase if I didn't like to experiment and try new things so much!

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover

This is a pretty standard polish remover. It does the job, doesn't make a mess, smells reasonable (but I wouldn't recommend sniffing it...) and it is reasonably priced. I'm not too sold on the whole 'whitening' aspect but this is my go to remover and I have already bought a new one.

Soap & Glory The Scrub of Your Life

Yet another lovely Soap & Glory product. This one smells like the much loved Hand Food and Righteous Butter (I think its their 'pink' scent.) It is a very good scrub. It doesn't leave an oily residue which is a nightmare when shaving and is abrasive enough to get rid of dry skin. I would have repurchased this if it wasn't for my new love (also Soap & Glory) which a post is coming up for very soon!

Elnett Satin Diamond Hold Hair Spray,

I have been using this since I was around 13 and still love it. I have already repurchased this. Enough said :)

Phyto Express Conditioner for Colour Treated Hair

This was a sample in another of the FeelUnique Beauty Boxes. I literally cannot tell you my opinion on this. It's all a bit meh really. My hair wasn't particularly damaged at the time of use and there wasn't really enough in the sample to make a proper judgement on the product. I suppose it's always good to use things up though! Has anyone used this and liked/disliked it? I'd be rather intrigued to know.

Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream,

I love this stuff. Its thick yet absorbs quickly, highly moisturising, great for my dry, sensitive skin and if the Pixiwoo girls love it then that's good enough for me! Wonderfully inexpensive and definitely a repurchase (when it is actually in stock!) Available for £7.65 here.

Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser Dry/Sensitive Formulation

I wasn't impressed with this product at all. I was actually rather disappointed with it considering how much I love the Cleanse and Polish. I will be posting a separate review with my reasoning soon. There are definitely better products out there that are much cheaper (see above!)

And finally, some products that are on their last legs so I thought I'd give them an honorary mention...

Lily Flame Parma Violets Candle

This smells just like Parma Violets, therefore I love it, therefore I am rather sad that it has about 10 minutes of burn time left. Definite repurchase if I can justify the price *sad face*. Available here, my mum has the Fairy Dust one which is also a lovely clean, fresh scent.

MAC Brush Cleanser,

This is a pretty standard, well known product. I have had it for ages and it does the job well along with disinfecting my brushes. It is pretty pricey though but it does take me a while to get through. Available here if you think its worth the £8.50 price tag. I'm on the fence really...

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner

I don't really have spot prone skin but it's nice to have something gentle, yet effective on hand for those times when your face decides to erupt over night (luverleee ;) When I feel like I'm starting to break out more than usual or I just feel like my skin needs a deeper cleanse, I use this as my toner for a couple of days and it clears my skin right up. It is also one of those clear skin products that tingles and feels as though it is actually working, which for me is always a bonus! A lovely product. It is available here for the rather reasonable £4.50.

Elemis Exotic Lime and Ginger Hand and Body Wash

This is yet another beauty box sample. It is a lovely luxurious shower gel that smells very earthy and gingery which I loved. A good night time bath/shower scent that I thoroughly enjoyed using. The price yet again put me off (at £18.50 for 300ml I would personally class it as extortion :P) but if you fancy a bit of luxury it is available here.

Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion.

I have a love hate relationship with this product so I will just list the good and bad points that I have found when using this and you can make your own mind up...

Good

• Fabulously moisturising
• Good for sensitive skin
• Long lasting moisture
• Sinks into skin quickly

Bad

• Can do the evil 'bits of roley product that go all bobbly on the skin' thing :| (I sincerely hope that made sense) but that is never a good look:P 
• The smell isn't too fantastic (kind of organic *good for you* food shop oatmeally smell) I personally find it foul but it doesn't stay on the skin at all so I can put up with it!

Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Make-up Remover

This is another staple in my skincare routine. It is just a standard, inexpensive and very gentle eye make-up remover that I find works very well :)

Phew!

Considering I haven't posted for ages I really can ramble on!

Anyhooo, well done if you made it this far :)

If you would like any in depth reviews please let me know and I will try and do them for you!

Much Love

Lou

xx

A One Minute Miracle.

Hello Lovelies,

As you may have noticed, a culmination of Uni revision and a lack of blogging motivation has left my little corner of the Internet looking a little unloved of late. It may have been a lack of inspiring new things to talk about or just sheer laziness :P 

Never the less, I have discovered an exciting new product (well for me at least) that is definitely worth sharing!

Ever since I started painting my nails, which sadly also includes nail polish remover, nail files etc. my hands and nails have become very dry. Add this to the unpredictable British weather and I was heading for hand hell! ( ever so dramatic ;)

I carry moisturiser everywhere with me and try to keep it in check however, every now and again it just isn't enough.

That's where this comes in!

It is the L'Occitane One minute hand scrub. First of all, it is bloody amazing, so technically you could stop reading here! I will carry on with some detail though, for those of you that are sensible and don't impulse buy, unlike me! 

What the box says: The One minute hand scrub has been formulated to reveal incredibly soft hands in 1 minute.

It's bi-phase formula consists of a phase of organic brown exfoliating sugar to gently scrub and eliminate dead skin cells, and of an oily phase(shea, sweet almond and grapeseed oils) to help soften and nourish hands.

And my oh my does it! This is the most moisturising scrub I have ever used. Now I'm not sure if I have ever used a scrub specifically for hands before, but I have used others instead (such as the soap and glory breakfast scrub.) This one is the best by far, it smells divine, very similar to the L'Occitane shea hand cream. It settles into two layers, the scrub at the bottom and a layer of moisturising oils at the top. There is a tiny spatula that you use to mix the two together before applying a small amount to the hands.

When I rubbed this into my hands (do it over a sink not a carpet, I learnt the hard way...) I instantly felt how wonderfully luxurious it is as the oils sank into my skin. The sugar is rough enough to get rid of dry patches yet not too harsh that your skin is left feeling sore. 

You can rinse it off straight away after scrubbing, although I like to leave it on for another minute or so, to let  as much oil soak in as possible.

Once I rinsed the product off, my hands were soft as a babies bum!

I didn't even need moisturiser.*shock horror*

I bought mine as part of a set that also included the full size shea hand cream.

It cost me £25 ( I bought it in store) which may seem steep but it has already a lasted a good few months (with many more left!)

You can buy the set for £29.76 (probably for a limited time) here, or you can buy it individually for £13 here.

Now I wouldn't have purchased this if it hadn't been in a set, as it is something I tend to overlook. I am glad I did though, as I will almost certainly repurchase this when mine runs out!

A fantastic product that I couldn't recommend enough.

Let me know if you have tried it.

Much Love

Lou

x