Mass Empties #1

Repurchase 
Chance by Chanel Eau Fraiche - see full review here
I already was lucky enough to recieved this in the Eau Parfum from my Brother this Christmas. To be honest, I can see myself buying this scent forever. I'll be a little old lady and still pulling my Chanel perfume out of my (hopefully) Chanel handbag. This scent is girly but seductive - it has strong lasting power too.
 
Pantene Repair & Protect Shampoo
I haven't used Pantene for ages, I tried this small bottle and actually really liked it. I quite like the smell as it is fresh. It cleans deep into my head as well and even though it is a gentle shampoo, it feels as though it is clean my scalp too! 

Corsodyl Daily Defence Mouthwash
I have really sensitive gums; I need something which cleanses and cleans my teeth and gums. It isn't overpowering or super strong - I hate when mouth washes are really strong. But after using this for a fortnight, I can tell the difference in my teeth and dental care. Would recommended it to everyone, as it is a quick and easy way to help your towards healthy gums and teeth. 

Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner 
I have a supply of this in the larger size already. I really like it but not as an everyday shampoo but as one of thoses that I used after using a clarifying shampoo such as BIG. It makes my hair feel super soft and shiny without weighing it down. It is also sulfate & paraben free which makes me like them more as I believe it is kinder on my hair. 

Lancome Star Bronzer in 02 - see full review here
Even though this is in my repurchase section and I would 100% buy it again, the only thing that does put me off is the price. It is £32.50 which for a bronzer which doesn't actually last that long is pretty annoying. However, the glow it gives is beautiful. It is buildable and has a slight shimmer in it so it contours your face more when the light hits your face. 

The Body Shop Cranberry Joy Room & Linen Spray
I have this already and I am a quarter through my current bottle. I have notice they have gone into the sale so I need to get into my nearest Body Shop to stock up as this scent only comes out at Christmas and it is my favourite. I love the berry scent and I use it mainly on my bedding inbetween washes, just to freshen it up. I haven't found anything that comes close to this. 
     
Might Repurchase  
Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner
I really did like this and the reason that I only might repurchase it was because I prefer the 'Nourishing Oil Care' one. I did like this and thought that it really conditioned my hair but I just prefered the silkiness of the oil care and the that it is a little lighter than the Intensive Repair. 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in no.52 - see full review here
When I bought this at first I really didn't like it. I thought that it wasn't anything special, but as the cooler months started to draw in - I realised what was great about it. It is super light and it is blendable whilst nourishing the skin. It gave a dewy glow which I need when the weather starts to get cooler. The only thing is, is that I find it similar to Rimmel Wake Me Up - just not as heavy - but I think I prefer the Rimmel. 

Soap & Glory Hair Supply - see full review here
I am not keen on the smell, which is my first observation about this product. I don't like that traditional Soap & Glory smell in a hair product. I also find that this mask is quite thick and heavy. That aside, it does really nourish my hair when it is feeling super dry which not many hair masks touch my hair when it is rough. I prefer this mini tube too as I only use it on the odd occasion.

The Body Shop Peppermint Foot Soak - see full review here 
I haven't used any other foot soaking products, I liked this one as it felt as though it was softening the hard skin on my feet. Also the peppermint smell lasts as well which I find cheaper products don't usually do. I just think this does the job and does it well. 

Lush Oatifix Fresh Face Mask
I am working my way around all of the Lush Fresh Face Masks. I love most of them, like the rest and the only one I dislike is the Cupcake (as it made me break out). This Oatifix is really great when your skin is feeling sore, like if you have been over indulging in products, or the cold weather has got to your skin and even if you have sun burn. It contains a blend of bananas, vanilla and oats. It didn't do wonders for my skin as I need masks for blemishes but I would recommend it for anyone who needs to brighten up their skin or has super sensitive skin. 
    
Won't Repurchase   
Umberto Giannini Intense Beauty Conditioner
Again as you know I am a smell person and if I don't like the smell of something, I normally don't like the product unless it is amazing. To be honest when I put this conditioner on it hardly made any difference on my hair whether I put this on or not.  
 

nSpa Jojoba & White Jasmine Body Polish
I love the smell of this unlike the Umberto Conditioner. The thing that lets this product down is that it doesn't feel like a polish. It feels like a shower gel which has these little annoying bits in it which doesn't actually do anything. It was okay but not something I would use again.


VO5 Perfect Lengths Serum Mist
It has taken me AGES to use this up but I was determind to do it. I HATE the smell and it made my hair feel greasy if I put too much on and it was hard to control how much you apply. I am just happy to have used 80% of this so I can now throw it away. 

The Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Lotion 
Not my favourite smell but nice enough! For me unless I adore a body lotion I rarely repurchase it, they normally have to blow me off my feet for me to repurchase but I did enjoy using this scent. 

Mark Hill Beautiful Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner - see full review here 
I just HATE these from the beginning but I used them up when I was at the gym because I am normally too tired to care much at the time. However always regretted it afterwards, my hair felt clean but it was left frizzy, dry and had that feeling of when you don't wash a product out - even though I had spent ages washing it out. Steering clear of these - even though they have been rebranded. Has anyone tried this?

That was a big empties, I will be doing another one next month as I am trying to use up all of my minis and products which only have a little left in. It is saving me money and it definately saving me space.

Are you using up your bits or just throwing them out?
      

Christmas at Lush

So I am slightly annoyed at myself for doing this post after Christmas and now 50% of this stuff is now unavailable. The thing is that this year I asked for a few bits for Christmas, so I wanted to wait for my full collection to show you all! I am a full Lush addict and I love going into there stores are the people are always super friendly and helpful which always makes me make at least one purchase - damn them. I know there products are on the pricey end for what they are but I can honestly say that I love them!

Soaps

Honey I Washed The Kids - £3.40 for 100g 
This soap is gorgeous for dry, 'wintered' skin, enriched with honey.

Rock Star - £3.40 for 100g 
An old classic, it smells super girly and lathers up whilst still nourishing the skin.

Sea Vegatable - £3.10 for 100g
It contains lavender and sea salt which helps with blemishes on the body.

Snow Globe - Discontinued (Christmas 2012) 
This lime citrus smelling soap is right up my street, it is refreshing and kind on my skin.

Snowcake  - Discontinued (Christmas 2012) 
Marzipan Christmas smelling soap, it has a slight bit of glitter on the top of the soap but underneath it is just pure white.

Bath Bombs

Golden Wonder - Discontinued (Christmas 2012)

Butterball - £2.45

Rocket (actually a bubble bar - oops) - Discontinued (Christmas 2012)

Space Girl - £2.10

Party Popper - Discontinued (Christmas 2012)

Dragons Egg - £3.20

Bubble Bars & Bath Melts

Candy Mountain - Discontinued (Christmas 2012)

Christmas Eve - Discontinued (Christmas 2012)

Santas Sack - Discontinued (Christmas 2012)

Melting Snowman - Discontinued (Christmas 2012)

Moustache - Discontinued (Christmas 2012)

Magic Wand - Discontinued (Christmas 2012)

Hair

Shine So Bright Hair Balm - £4.50 for 10g
This pricey balm is actually lovely on the ends of my hair, it is really soothing and helps banish that frizzy end look. A little goes a long way.

Trichomania Solid Shampoo  - £5.25 for 100g
I am still not a solid shampoo convert as I find it a faff, yet this one is packed full with coconut and really helps smooth and repair dry hair. 

 

Extras

Snow Fairy Shower Gel - Discontinued (Christmas 2012)
This sugar, sweet shower gel is super girly and is great before a night out.

Twilight Shower Gel - Discontinued (Christmas 2012)
This should be used in a before bed shower, the strong lavender scent helps relax you and your muscle. It is great after a long day. 

Whoosh! Shower Jelly - £3.50 for 100g
I was using the Sweetie Pie Jelly and I had glitter in it and that was a no no for me, however this one which is enriched with grapefruit and essential oils not only feels great on my skin but also wakes me up.

Dream Cream Hand & Body Lotion - £10.95 for 240g
This is heaven for when my skin is particularly worst for wear, I would recommend it to anyone who has super sensitive skin.

Popcorn Lip Scrub - Discontinued (Christmas 2012)
I am a huge fan of the bubblegum flavour, however I tried this several times and didn't like it, the final time that I did try it I liked it so I bought it instantly.

What have been your Christmas Favourites?

My Sunday Pamper

Hello My Loves, 
I am a massive pampering person, I literally couldn't think of anything better than to spend my Sunday evening in the bath getting myself ready for the rest of the week. I thought I would share with you the stages and why it is my favourite time of the week!

First up, I always make sure the bathroom door is shut when I start running the bath, this allows all the hot water steam up the bathroom. I turn on the radio (usually Magic) or I put a playlist of YouTube videos on my iPad. Then I light some candles and I am ready to go. 

For this bath I am using Lush FUN Bath Playdough - in PINK (which smells like Snow Fairy if you are familiar with Lush. I hold it under the running water and watch it lather up, then once it begins to disperse I drop it in the water. 

These are my bath tools: Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub; Venus Breeze Razor; Lush Honey I Washed The Kids Soap; The Body Shop Bath Gloves; The Body Shop Bath Puff 

I soak myself in the bath for a while before I start any preparation to make sure that I am really relaxed! I put my Bath Gloves on then take a scoop full of Breakfast Scrub and then exfoliate the top half of my body first then the my second. I'm not sure why I do it in this order, but it just seems the right way for me as after I shave my legs (not my favourite job). I always seem to miss at least one section on my leg, thats when I use the puff and the soap to moisturise my legs and also shave off any stray hairs. The Lush Soap that I use is really nourishing and moisturising for my skin and I love using it! It is one of my favourite Lush products. See a full review of The Breakfast Scrub here. Once I let the bath empty, I use the shower tap to wash off any excess products. 

My Body Tools: Sure Deodorant in Cool Pink; Neutrogena Deep Moisture Body Lotion; Garnier Ambre Solarie Self Tanning Mousse; Xen-Tan Face Tanner in Light; Tanning Mitten (not pictured)

Once I get out of the bath this is where I start to do my body work and start my hair. I tend to put a hair mask on before I start this whole process and wrap my hair in cling film to let my hair have a really deep treatment. Out of the bath I towel dry myself and apply the body lotion and spritz on the deodorant. Then whilst the body lotion is sinking in, because it is thick it takes a few minutes, I start to do my hair. I wash off the hair mask, then shampoo twice with this Lush clarifying shampoo (see full review) followed by a nourishing conditioner which has oils in it for extra conditioning. After washing I brush out with my Tangle Teezer with a leave in conditioner to finish my conditioning process. 

My Hair Tools: Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Pak Hair Mask; Lush Big Sea Salt Shampoo; Dove Nourishing Oil Care Conditioner; Dove Intensive Repair Leave In Conditioner; Tangle Teezer 

My Face Tools: Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask; Bioderma Crealine Cleanser; Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm; Green & Spring Deep Face Scrub; La Roche-Posay Effaclar K; Grease Lightning Spot Treatment; Origins GinZing Eye Cream; Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub; Nivea Caramel Cream Lip Butter 

This is my most intense skincare regime that I have when my skin is really down in the dumps, for example if I have had a stressful week or been over indulging with junk food and alcohol then it plays havoc with my skin. I use the Bioderma to rid my skin of most of the make-up then I make sure I get off any stubborn make-up with the Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm which removes all excess and softly cleanses the skin. The Green & Spring   scrub really clears out the pores and is a great base for the Lush face mask to repair and soothe the skin. After all of this I splash my face with cold water and pat dry. I moisturise with Effaclar K which is light and helps keeps blemishes at bay. Grease Lightning is a soothing applicator on any large spots and it helps reduce redness and size. For the finishing touches I dabbed a small rice grain size of eye cream around the eye area, then exfoliating my lips with the lip scrub and cover with a thick layer of lip butter! 

My Mani Pedi Tools: The Body Shop Peppermint Foot Lotion; The Body Shop Foot Soak; The Body Shop Peppermint Foot Scrub; Sanctuary Heel Balm; Ped Egg; The Body Shop Spiced Vanilla Hand Cream; Cuticle Sticks; Sally Hansen Top Coat; No7 So Smooth Base Coat; Lipsy Red Hot Date Red Nail Varnish; Barry M 150 Red Glitter Polish, The Body Shop Nail Buffer; Nail Scissors; Toe Separators

Here is my pedicure routine - See Here
I chose this gorgeous glittery red colour which is such a party colour!

Ta Dah! I'm ready for the week ahead! 

What are your weekly preparations?

Lush BIG Shampoo

On my usual quest of finding shampoo to fix my dry hair I found I stumble upon this beauty. Okay I was using up all my shampoos which I have accumulated over the past months so I was particular on the hunt for a shampoo. I've never used a Lush shampoo and I think the price alway had put me off but wow-o-wow they are amazing! (I say they when I mean one as I have only tried this one.) 


 However, after watching one of missglamorazzi videos she mentions this shampoo was good for clarifying. It took me a while to buy this product as I thought the sea salt so automatically dry my hair. I brought the product in the end was because I wanted the sea salt to clear excess product on my scalp. The really helpful Lush assistant did reassure me that because the shampoo consists of coconut oil it isn't too drying, though she did recommend that I only use it once a week because I dye my hair it can be quite stripping for the colour and your hairs natural oils. 


But seriously, I have NEVER had so many compliments in my life on my hair; it looks great, feels great and I have fallen in love with this shampoo. I wish I could use it every time I washed my hair but I know it would ruin my hair. So now I need to find a shampoo which gives me these effects but is slightly milder for a more frequent use. It is quite expensive at £11.25 for 330g but I think for Lush products it is worth it. Mainly because they are filled with natural ingredients and the service that you receive in store is the best on the high street. I am Lush bias as I am in love with the brand. 


 Has anyone else tried other Lush shampoos?

Morning Skincare Routine #1

So I thought I would share with you all my current morning skincare routine. Now I do try and stick with this as much as I can but due to whether I am rushing in a morning or not depends on if I do my full routine or not. A little disclaimer, my skin is combination/dry and I tend to have really sensitive eyes. 


Step 1 - I use my Clinique Take the Day Make-Up Remover which I only ever tend to use if I was wearing fake eyelashes the night before or had been out and didn't take off my eye make-up properly. This remover is great for getting of stubborn excess of eyelash glue. 


Step 2 - Is obviously the famous Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, which I massage onto dry skin whilst the sink fills up with hot water. I use the muslin cloth which comes with it and ring all excess water before rubbing it off in circular motions section by section. Rinsing in-between. The splashing my face with cold water afterwards. 


Step 3 - Lancome Tonique Douceur - Softening Hydrating Toner which is alcohol free. I love the smell of this and most of all I love the way it makes my skin feel. To me it kind of smells of Palma Violets. I just sweep this over my face with a cotton wool pad. 


Step 4 - I leave my skin for a couple of minutes before applying Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator. I don't like this as much as the standard Idealist but I am just using this up for the sake of using up products. 


Step 5 - This cucumber smelling moisturiser is really hydrating and soothing. My skin cane sometimes feel slightly sore after using products but this one gentle 'kisses' my skin. It is the Estee Lauder DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme. I recommended anyone with a similar skin type to mine to try this :). 


Step 6 - Origins GinZing 'efreshing Eye Cream to Brighten and De-puff' - I dab a rice grain size amount underneath my eyes and smooth through. I have such dark bags under my eyes which really open them up and I love this product and the best thing about it is it lasts for ages because you only need a small amount. 


Step 7 - Is a combinational step and if I am wearing a blocked colour lipstick that day,  then it is vital. I scrub my lips with this Bubblegum Lip Scrub which is a sugar scrub that you lick off. I then smooth it over with La Prairie moisturising lip balm and it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, I cannot get enough of this and it is the best lip balm in the world. I have really bad cracked lips which flake so badly. This makes my lips beautiful soft and I love this product for making them that way. :)


What are your skincare treats and tricks??

My Half Year Favourites

Bourjois Delice de Soleil Bronzer in 14 Tanned Skin - I brought this because I love the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer but I hate the packaging because it doesn't have a mirror. So I brought this new one which has a 360 degree mirror and has a slight shimmer with the bronzer and I love it as it is great for on the go. 

Revlon Lip Butter in 095 Creme Brûlée - This is the second Revlon Lip Butter which I have and it is my favourite everyday one particularly for when I am working as it is such a nude colour and compliments my everyday make-up well. 

GOSH Velvet Touch Lipstick in 153 Flirty Orange - If you follow my blog or have seen any of my recent post and I love this lipstick. Not much I can say, I just love this colour. 

Fashionista Khol Eyeliner in 1 Erin - I found this right at the beginning of the year and it got lost in an old handbag but found it again about March time. It is the perfect Khol eyeliner as it is a rich black texture and doesn't smudge unless you smudge on application and it is pretty cheap too. 

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - I know there is a huge hype around this product and I am on my second one of the year after receiving one for Christmas last year. It has just transformed my skin. 

Lancome Tonique Douceur Toner - I never really used toner until this year where I wanted to make sure I had a full skincare routine. I used a couple of low end toners which dried my skin out. But I will be repurchasing this again and again. 

Paul Mitchell Super-Charged Moisturiser Hair Treatment - I have dry hair mixed with dyed blonde hair which equal super dry hair. This treatment is amazing... am currently on a hair "diet" from my hairdressers because of the peroxide disaster which I had last month. I leave this treatment on for a few hours and it works its magic on my mop and bang it's beaut. 

Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub - I think this is my third or fourth pot of this scrub and by gosh I think only this year I have realised why it is my favourite. I'm finishing up my numerous Body Shop scrubs which I own and whilst they are gorgeous, they don't have the thick abrasive texture that The Breakfast Scrub has. 

Garnier Summer Body Gradual Tanner - Deep Sun Kissed Look - Nearly finished this bottle and it is leaves my skin feel beautiful and it doesn't smell bad either. The moisture sinks in quickly but you don't know the effects until after a week, I think. Still it does the job and doesn't go patchy or streaky. 

Garnier Ambre Solaire Self-Tanning Dry Body Mist - Quick, easy and clean. I found that this was like giving myself a spray tan but for myself. I do get through this like water which is a pain but it isn't too expensive, I think around the £10 mark. And it doesn't come off in the shower, it fades but doesn't come off which is a bonus!

Lush Helping Hands Handcream - WOW. Smooth beautiful hands in one pump. I LOVE THIS :) 

I love reading other people's monthly favourites but I just find that this year is flying by and the next minute I know it will be christmas. Eeek that is such a scary thought. Anyway, basically what I am attempting to say is that I can't keep up with the monthly favourites. Thus now I am doing my half yearly favourites - yes we are half way through 2012. I don't know where it has gone. So I thought I would show you what I have been loving this year so far. 

Lush Easter Range (& a couple of extras)

Yes, I have had ANOTHER mini Lush haul, seriously I can't go shopping without stopping in Lush. I just browse and then somehow I end up in at the till then out of the store with a bag a goodies... Eeek.


Fluffy Egg - Bath Ballistic - £2.95 - - - The Fluffy Egg is really ideal for an easter gift and they look cute. But the smell is really really sweet as though the egg was made out of candy.


The Carrot - Bubble Bar - £4.95 - - - Okay, I had to be honest first, this is OVER priced for what it is but I can't get over how much I like this. It doesn't smell anything like carrot, and I can't detect what the smell is. But doesn't it look great?!


Dorothy - Bubble Bar - £2.99 - - - Without sounding odd; this one looks fantastic but kinda smells like toilet cleaner in a weird sort of way. It isn't just me who thinks this but my boyfriend and Mum also agree.  I've already used it as I am a 'save the best til last' kinda gal and can't get over the smell. :-S


Pop in the Bath - Bubble Bar - £2.90 - - - I'm beginning to think that these could be great air fresheners

Lush Haul *February

* Dream Steam - Steamer Tab - £2.50

* Magic Mushroom - Bubble Bar - £2.45

* Karma - Bubble Bar - £3.10

* Leap Frog - Bath Ballistic - £2.75

* Yuzu & Coco - Bubbleroon - £2.95

* Sex Bomb - Bath Bomb - £3.10

* Happy Blooming - Bath Melt - £3.85

* Rock Star - Soap - £3.25

* Creamy Candy - Bubble Bar - £2.45

* Sugar Babe - Body Scrub - £2.60

* Fair Trade Foot Lotion (from a gift set) - RRP: £8.95 (225g)

* Helping Hands (from a gift set) - RRP: £6.75 (100g)

 Think Pink - Bath Bomb - £2.45 ( I dropped this before takin the photo... :( It still made a great bath) 

Yes, this is my february Lush haul... I have grown to really really love Lush. Can you tell? I didn't buy this in one big haul but in staggering shopping spree - as this way it gives me more chance to go in Lush lots of times. There are also a couple of little bits that are from a gift set that I received for christmas. This haul doesn't include the post that I did on Lush's Cupcake Mask and Lush's Jasmin & Henna Fluff Eaze Hair Moisturiser they were also purchased this month. 


What I love about Lush:


1. The products are natural which means they are kind to your skin - my theory is that if you want great looking skin you need to use nice products. 


2. The products look innovative and they smell great too.


3. While the prices are on the expensive side when you compare the fact that some of the bombs or bars you'd use a whole one per bath - I think verses the quality of them they are great. 


4. I can take them out of the packaging and put them in my cupboard or on the side and they aid as an air freshener. 


I am going to put a quick review about the products that I have already used. But the ones that are still sitting in my cupboard are: Dream Steam, Karma, Happy Blooming, Creamy Candy and Sugar Babe along with Sex Bomb and Rock Star - but these are just stock of products I have used before :P


Magic Mushroom - it smelt like strawberries and cream, it wasn't as over powering as some of the products that you can find in Lush. I was personally attracted to the look of the mushroom as I was cute. It crumbled in the bath nicely and there were no lumps (I hate when bombs/bars leave lumpy bits) the water was postbox red accompanied by frothy white bubbles. I used the whole mushroom for one bath as I don't think there would had been enough for two - that and the smell had weakened significantly once created into a bath. 


Leap Frog - it turned my bath bright green which was a bit odd getting into, there was a little note inside the bomb which I thought was sweet. "This is a kissed from the prince" (something along those lines). The smell reminded me of washing powder - it felt fresh although not my favourite smell - I brought it more for the way it looked. 


Yuzu & Coco - My favourite scent I think - coconut oil and shea butter, leaves you skin feeling kissable and nom. The macaroon shape means it is easy to split it between two baths, I didn't find that it bubbled as much as other bubble bars I have used. It felt like a treat on the skin though. Love Love.


Sex Bomb - A staple love of mine though I do get annoyed with trying to put it in half so I don't use a whole bomb per bath as this one is massive and I think it could be more value for money to split it. If you have any tips that would be great?! Again this one is girly looking, girly smelling and very very pink!


Rock Star - This soap bar last for ages, like months, though this could be because I only use it maybe once or twice a week as I normally have showers but try to make one day a week for a bath - two if I'm feeling I need it. This soap is sweet smelling but you can detect vanilla in it, it is gentle on the skin. I'm on my second lot now, but I want to break away from it as there are plenty more than I MUST try!


Foot Lotion - I work part time in retail whilst doing my degree, so after a long shift my feet are normally quite achy. This lotion is refreshing and lovely with peppermint and spearmint smells. I love it as much as the Body Shop one they are both fab in my eyes. 


Helping Hands - I wished that in the shops when you buy this that it comes in the same pump as it does in the gift sets. I carry this one in my handbag and it is probably the best hand lotion I have used (second to that would be Helping Hands by Soap & Glory). It contains honey, almond oil and coco and shea butter, these are the smells that I can detect, but also aid to why it is so smoothing. 


Think Pink - The smell I find similar to Sex Bomb but it is a lot small in the size so I put the whole one and it turned my bath pink and had little confetti hearts which scattered about. Obviously because I dropped it, it was pre crushed so had no floaty lumps. The only thing was that similar to Sex Bomb it left a pinky stain in the bath but it was easily removed with a  squirt of Flash Bathroom Cleaner.


What's your favourite Lush product??