Product Empties - April 2016

Hi everyone,

It's product empties time again, and I have a mixture of products that I've had before and some new additions.

Colgate Max White Mouthwash
This is the first bottlen of the Colgate Max White mouthwash that I have gone through, and I'm currently using my second bottle. I got this to see if it would help my whitening routine, and I think it has a little bit. Just make sure you rinse your mouth with water after using this, as this is recommended. I would consider buying this again, but I'm on the hunt for a new mouthwash, preferably without the alcohol; which this product doesn't contain.

Alberto Balsam Tea Tree Tingle Clarifying Shampoo
I originally got this as I was the hunt for a reasonably priced clarifying shampoo, and I was really impressed with this shampoo. It made my hair feel really clean and refreshed. I'm currently using my second bottle, and I would purchase it again.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
This is the first tube I ever purchased, and its taken me two years to use it up. This saved my hands from being really sore and chapped during the colder months. I already have a back up waiting to be used, and I would consider purchasing it again.

Lush Ocean Salt
This is one of the grittiest exfoliators I've ever used, and I have gone through at least five of these over the years. It also smells like a cocktail. I would definatly buy this again in the future, but I currently have two to work through.

Superdrug Coconut Water & Coconut Oil Hair Mask
This is a lovely quick and easy hydrating hair mask, which left my hair feeling well conditioned. The scent of this is amazing, as it reminds me of the orange, lemon and pineapple cordial that I used to drink when I was younger.

Grace Cole Lily & Verbena Hand Wash
I picked this up on a whim at TK Maxx, as the scent was really nice and I was in need on some hand wash. This ended up lasting me around three to four months. I might pick it up again in the future.

Imperial Lather 'Rock Pool' Purifying Hand Wash
This was okay, and it did the job. The scent was also nice. But I'm unsure if I would buy this again, as I went through this really quickly.

B&BW Black Cherry Merlot Deep Cleansing Hand Soap
I love the deep cleansing hand soaps from Bath & Body Works, and the Black Cherry Merlot  scent reminds me of a Bakewell Tart, but with a subtle hint of Musk. I will buying more of these in the future.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate
This lasted me around a year with nightly use, and a little bit goes a long way. I'm not sure if I noticed a difference in my skintone while using this, and I'm unsure if I would purchase it again.

Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Serum
This is the best serum I've used during my daytime skincare routine, and my skin is already missing it. My skin never felt so hydrated, and I've already purchased a second bottle.

Pai Rosehip BioRengerate Oil
This is stuff is amazing a night time oil, and I have noticed a change in the appearance of my skintone since using this, and so did a couple of other people. I'm currently using my second bottle, which is in my 'Project Use It Up'.

Body Shop Coconut Shower Cream
I've repurchased this a few times in the past, but I'm unsure if I would buy it again. Not because of the scent, but because of the packaging as I found this extremely difficult to get out of the bottle, which is unusual for a product from the Body Shop.

Sure Maximum Protection Anti-Perspirant in Confidence
I've repurchased this a few times in the past, and I really like the scent. But, I think I've found something I like a little better. I might consider buying this again in the future.

L'Occatine 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream
This did the job, as its quite a thick formula. But I'm unsure if I would repurchase it again.

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water
I didn't find this an effective micellar water, and this is also scented. So, I wouldn't buy this again.

Impulse Rock & Love Body Fragrance
This is was really nice, and it was handy to keep in my locker at work for a little refresher. I may consider buying this scent in the future.

B&BW Georgia Peach Pocketbac
I love the pocketbacs from Bath & Body Works, and the Georgia Peach scent was a lovely juicy peach fragrance. I will of course buy these again.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
I had the pleasure of trying out this cleansing balm for around three weeks. The scent of this is really Spa like, but from trying this out I've realised that cleansing balms aren't for me. Don't get me wrong, as it is a nice product; just not for me.

Laura Mercier Creme de Pastache Hand Cream
This is my favourite scent from the Laura Mercier range, and the hand creams are lovely. I may consider buying another one in the future.

Mitchum Pure Fresh Deodorant
I have come to the conclusion that I'm not overly fond of the Mitchum deodorants. The scents are okay, but the product itself isn't effective enough for me personally.

Fragrance Review: Chanel Chance Eau Tendre EDT

Hi everyone,

I thought I would review another fragrance which has recently been added to my fragrance collection. Only this time its an EDT, which is something I don't usually purchase as I actually prefer EDP over EDT fragrances.

The Chanel Chance Eau Tendre fragrance is a lovely light, fresh scent; but because it has a subtle warmth too it, it actually makes it ideal to wear during the colder months of the year.

The fragrance itself is very similar to Marc Jacobs Daisy, but this has a slightly stronger scent throw. This is a lovely, warm fruity scent with a complex base. But, the base notes don't overpower any of the fresh fruitiness of the actual fragrance.

Fragrance Notes

Top: Graprefruit, Quince, Melon
Middle: Hyacinth, Jasmine
Bottom: Amber, Cedar, Iris, White Musk

If you enjoy wearing subtle fruity fragrances then this could be for you. If your a little unsure you could always see if they have any samples available for you to take home and try it for a couple of days.

Review: REN Clarimatte Toner

Hi everyone,

I have been using the REN Clarimatte Toner once a week, as part of my Sunday facial routine. This can either be used as a toner, or as a spot treatment.

The REN Clarimatte toner aims to unclog pores, reduce pore size, as well as removing any dead skin cells. This will leave the skin's complexion looking clear, smooth and even toned. Also, this toner will help to prevent future breakouts, and reduce oiliness due to the anti-bacterial properties within the toner itself.

The anti-bacterial and pore reducing properties come from Salicilin, which is from Willow Bark, and also Flavonacids in Mayblossom. The REN Clarimatte toner also has the added benefit of skin friendly AHA's that include glycolic acid and lactic acid, and these will help to decongest the pores and also remove any dead cells which will help the skin to renew itself.

After using the REN Clarimatte toner your skin will feel cleaner and fresher, and over time your skin's complexion will balance and even itself out. 
If your using this as a spot treatment just dab a little of this over the spot every night before you go to bed, and hopefully with a few nights it should dry the spot out.

Beauty Haul - April 2016

Hi everyone,

I've done a bit of shopping recently, and I thought I would share with you what I brought. This was done over a course of about three seperate shopping trips. 

Vichy Normaderm Night Detox Moisturiser
I thought this would be great to use inbetween using my more expensive moisturisers, just to bridge the spending gap a little bit. This is meant to an excellent night time moisturiser, and because I have got quite a lot of faith in this product, even though I've never used it before; I ended up buying two.

Avene Cleanance Expert Emulsion
I thought this would be an excellent choice of moistuiser to add to my acne/ breakout sincare routine, as I don't actually have a specific moistuiser for it. 

Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Serum
This is just a repurchase, as it made such a difference to my morning skincare routine, because it added the extra hydration to my skin that it was lacking.

MAC Single Eyeshadow in 'Tempting'

This has been on my MAC wishlist for a while. I decided to get this shade as its a lovely brown-bronze shade and I don't have anything like this in my collection.

MAC Paint Pot in 'Painterly'

I decided to go for the 'Painterly' paint pot as I don't have any cream matte base eye products in my collection. So, I thought this one would be ideal as I will help me to turn my eyes into a blank canvas before I apply any eyeshadow.

MAC Fix+

I have finally decided to "bite the bullet" and get a bottle of Fix+, as few of my cream/ gel products have just gone ever so slightly dry (I do store them upside down), and I got this to revive them. I also got Fix+ as I have just recently purchased a few loose pigments, and by adding this it will them more intense and hopefully last longer on the lids.

Bobbi Brown Blushers (L-R) Peony, Nectar & Pretty Pink

Bobbi Brown Blushers

I love the blushers by Bobbi Brown as they are really pigmented, and they blend nicely. Also, a little bit goes a very long way. So, I decided to invest in three more, and the ones that I chose are Peony, Nectar and Pretty Pink.

Illamasqua Pure Pigments

I had some difficulty taking photos of these, so this is why there is no photograph. Anyway, I have been wanting to buy the pure pigments from Illamasqua for a good few years, and I have only just got around to purchasing them. I decided to get two out of three shades I want, and they are in the shades 'Fervent' and 'Static'. Fervent has a brown base with blue/ green glitter, and Static has a white base with pink/ blue glitter.

L'Oreal True Match Foundation in N1 Ivory
I thought it would be to try some more foundations from the high street/ drugstore, as I currently only own two and they are from Boujois. So, I thought it would be nice to try the foundations from L'Oreal as I've always been curious to try them, and they do receive good reviews. I thought I would give the True Match foundation a go, especially since it has just been recently reformulated over the past few months.

L'Oreal Infilliable 24-Hour Matte Foundation
I thought I would give the new L'Oreal Infilliable Matte foundation a whirl, as I don't actually own any matte foundations. This one seems lovely, because when I tried on the back of my hand it had a lovely light formula and it provided coverage.

NYX Butter Lipglosses
Yeah, we can finally get hold of NYX products here in the UK, but only in some Boots stores or Boots online. I have been wanting to try these since they first came out in the States, but they were quite difficult to get hold of. So, I decided to get two shades in 'Peaches and Cream' and 'Cupcake'.

Georio Armani Si EDP 50ml
This is a fragrance that I wouldn't usually buy, as its quite strong when it first goes on the skin; but once it has warmed up on the skin its lovely. The only way I can describe this is a grown up sweet cosy fragrance.

Chanel Eau Tendre EDT 50ml
I've had my eye on this for a while, but have never got around to buying it until now. This is a gorgeous perfume, and once it has settled on the skin it actually has a lovely warmth to it. Because it has warmth, it makes it ideal to wear during the colder months.

Review: Pixi Overnight Glow Serum

Hi everyone,

I have been using the Pixi Overnight Glow Serum for around six months, and I really enjoy using it as part of my Sunday facial routine. But, I do only use this once a week, as its an intense glycolic serum.

Claims
- Exfoliates and soothes the skin overnight
- Reveals a brighter complexion
- Helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines, and fades sun spots over time
- It helps to calm the skin, as its enriched with cucumber and aloe vera
- To nourish the skin it has vitamins A, C and E

The Pixi Overnight Glow Serum is a serum, but with a gel formula, and its also a concentrated serum because it contains 10% glycolic acid and arginine; so it might not be suitable for people with sensitive skin.

The aim of the Pixi Overnight Glow serum is to even out the skin's complexion, as well as making the skin itself look more radiant, and it does all this while you sleep.

This is a lovely, but intensive glycolic serum and this is why I only use it once a week. Also, a little bit goes a long way - no more than two drops of this at the most. The Overnight Glow Serum gets to work straight away, as you feel it tingling once it has been applied. The tingling sensation might feel a bit strange and intense when you first use it, but your skin will slowly get used to it. In the morning when you wake up you still may feel some tingling - nothing to worry about, just make sure that you cleanse, tone and moisturise your skin as normal, and then apply SPF.

The first time I used this the tingling was fairly intense, and I actually ended using a drop or two too much. Because of overdoing it the first time I actually ended up with plumper lips than usual, but this only lasted for around a day at the most. Over the past few months my skin has adapted to using this product, and its also slowly benefiting as well because when I wake up thr following morning my redness seems to have calmed down quite a bit. I've also noticed that my skin seems brighter than what it was before I started the Pixi Glow Serum.

Review: Vichy Purete Thermale Fresh Cleansing Gel

Hi everyone,

I thought I would review for my cleanser that I'm currently using as part of my morning skincare routine.

I'm currently using the Vichy Purete Thermale Fresh Cleansing Gel, as part of my morning skincare routine. I haven't been using all that long, but I have been really impressed with this cleanser, which is unusal as I don't really go for cleansing gels.

The aim of this cleanser is to remove impurities from the skin that have been caused by environmental factors such as pollution particles and dust, as well as excess sebum which the skin produces naturally. It also aims to reduce discomfort and prevent the skin from drying out due to using hard water.

  The formula is enriched with mooring, contains no parabans, and is even suitable for sensitive skin. It also contains Vichy Thermal Spa Water.

I really enjoy using this cleanser in the morning, as its quite refreshing. It has a lovely gel consistency, and a little goes a long way. I currently use two pumps of the cleanser to do my entire face, and it seems to be more than enough.

  To use I first wet my face, then message two pumps of the cleanser onto my face, and then slowly add water. By adding some water it will help the cleanser to foam up a little. Once I have cleansed my face I then remove the cleanser with a hot flannel, and I do this a few times just to make sure that I have removed the cleanser completely. Once it has been removed it leaves my face feeling fresh, clean and slightly moisturised.

Review: Elemis Cleanser & Toner

Hi everyone,

I thought I would review for you for my current cleanser and toner, which I'm currently using as part of my night time skincare routine.

Elemis Lime Blossom Cleanser

The Elemis Lime Blossom cleanser is filled with active ingredients, which will help to balance out and repair the skin. The cleanser itself has a lovely light, silky texture, and a little does go a long way. It also has a light fragrance, so it may not be suitable for people who have very sensitive skin. The key ingredients inside the cleanser are vitamin E, lime blossom and Lecithin.

I really like to use this cleanser as a hot cloth cleanser, and it works this way really well. I don't need no more than two pumps to do my entire face. It leaves my skin feeling clean, fresh and slightly moisturised. Because its filled with active ingredients it's more beneficial to the skin than other cleansers on the market.

Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner

This is a lovely, gentle purifying toner, and it doesn't contain any alcohol. The toner itself aims to restore the pH balance of the skin. Its also a spray toner, which means you can either spray it onto a cotton pad or just directly onto your face. The toner contains extracts of lavender, Quillja wood and Sweet Betty flower, which leaves the skin feeling clear and fresh.

I really like to use this toner as a spray toner, because its so refreshing and relaxing due to the lavender and this makes it ideal for my night time skincare routine. A few squirts of this and I'm done, but I do have to leave it about 30 seconds before I apply my serum/ oil, as it can leave my face just a little too wet.