May Empties 2014

I’m currently living with family & trying hard to not to take over the main bathroom with all my lotions and potions. So I have been trying to use up one thing before opening another. Thats harder than it sounds for a self confessed beauty junkie. May was quite a successful month in terms of empties & here is what I finished,

Empties

Germaine de Capuccini Total Comfort Lotion £24.80 for 200ml- I bought this toner in a local salon where I go for my facials. I bought it about a year ago when my skin was sensitive and quite red in places, this was a great toner for calming my skin and keeping it hydrated. This bottle lasted me ages. I also have a foundation by the same brand which I love too. I would re purchase this again as it lasted so long.

ESPA Zesty Lemon Ylang Ylang & Crushed Tonka Beans hand wash £15 for 250ml – my husband loves the ESPA hand washes (I do too) but this one was in his bathroom and he enjoyed using it. It smells fresh and quite summery, it leaves your hands soft and clean but not stripped of all their moisture. I always put hand lotion on after I wash my hands but my husband said this was OK on its own. These hand washes are a little slice of luxury in the bathroom & the scent really lingers after you’ve used them, they last a good 3 months so I’d say they were well worth the money

The Body Shop White Musk Smooth Satin Body Lotion – I like the scent of the body spray & perfume from this White Musk range but this body lotion wasn’t as nice. The scent wasn’t as fresh, I used it all up but don’t think the formula is as nice as The Body Shop’s Body Butters & it wasn’t as hydrating & nourishing so I won’t repurchase.

Garnier Micellar Water £4.99 for 400ml- This bottle lasted me ages, longer than any other Micellar Water & I really liked using it, I used it as the 1st step in my cleansing routine. To tale off my eye makeup and a little of my foundation too. It was gentle enough to take up around my eyes and it did a good job of taking off my mascara & eyeliner without too much rubbing. I would repurchase this & think its a handy product to have. I always follow up with a Hot Cloth Cleanser or an Oil based cleanser.

Tommy Guns Fig & Plum Shampoo* £5.50 for 250ml – This was a great shampoo for taming frizz and a good first step in achieving sleeking more manageable hair. This also made my wavy hair look glossy & my curls looked more polished & less messy. I also had the conditioner in this range & they made a very good pair. I always use conditioner much faster than shampoo so they never run out together. I would repurchase these & noticed my local John Lewis store had a really good selection of Tommy Guns products so I’m going to try a different combo next time. Maybe a hydrating one.

May's Empties

Baylis & Harding Hydrating Honey Hand Wash* £2.99 for 300ml – This was in our kitchen & was a lovely hand wash, not as luxurious as the ESPA one but I guess the price tag is more affordable (especially if you go through them quickly). This was a gentle formula and sweetly scented always a good combination. It lasted a good amount of time & I would repurchase it again. This is also a Fair Trade product so if that is something you look for in products then give this a go. Its affordable, smells nice & leaves hands feeling soft.

Dr. Organic Aloe Vera Deodorant £5.49 for 50ml – I’ve tried to make the switch to natural deodorant a few times but never found one that worked well enough for me to feel comfortable. Then I discovered the Dr. Organics range & they have quite a good selection, this Aloe Vera one was the first one I’ve tried from them & loved it. It left my underarms soft & not irritated. When I’m really hot I get a little damp under my arms but I’m not worried about being sweaty. This aloe one has a very light fresh scent. I will have to see how I get on during the warmer summer but I have since bought 3 new bottles so I am all stocked up. If you have a natural deodorant suggestion for me, let me know.

Origins Make A Difference Skin Rejuvenating Treatment Lotion  – Loved this toner so much, it helped keep my complexion looking bright & feeling hydrated. I thought it was very good at helping to clear up stubborn blemish scaring & I will be repurchasing, although I think since I bought this it has slightly reformulated & improved so I’m excited to compare them.

Tropic Skincare Vitamin Toner £12.00 for 120ml – This is a really nice refreshing facial mist, it smells quite fruity and is packed full of skin loving vitamins & antioxidants and is alcohol free. I like spraying this at every possible opportunity as it made my skin feel soothed and hydrated. I do recommend using it in the morning before you apply your serum / moisturiser & again in the evening after cleansing & before applying your skincare. The spray action was like a light mist not a full on drown your face in liquid (thats happened before). Id say this bottle lasted me a good 7 months. I would repurchase this again, especially as a summer toner.

Have you used any of these products, did you like them / repurchase them? Let me know.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Curly Hair Trio

Haircare Trio

My hair is quite long & has a natural curl to it, I tend to let it dry naturally and don’t style it all that much. I like the casual look. However my curls never look that polished and having quick thick hair they get weighed down easily and end up looking limp and frizzy. I have been on the hunt for some high street haircare that makes my curls look bouncy and glossy & these are the three products that have been saving the day.

I like to use travel sized shampoo and conditioners alot of the time so I can test them out to see if they work for me before spending money on a full size.

John Frieda Curl Around Shampoo

This is a lovely creamy shampoo which makes my hair feel so soft and if I really wanted to I could skip the conditioner as this provides enough hydration. It is easy to wash out and doesn’t weigh down my hair.

I’ve said in previous posts that I am washing my hair less which is working out well for me as my curls seem to be better on the 2nd & 3rd day. My hair is still quite glossy by the 3rd day too and I think it is so much healthier since I cut down on washing it. I get alot less product build up.

Toni&Guy Frizz Smoothing Curl Conditioner

I do like Toni&Guy haircare and over the years (many years) have used alot of their products and I do tend to like them. This conditioner is lightweight and very hydrating. It does cut down my frizz which makes me very happy no one wants to look like Monica from friends (Bahama’s episode).  This adds enough hydration and gives my hair a lovely glossy look without weighing it down.

Tommy Guns Clever Curls and Waves Texture Spray*

Heaven in a bottle. This gives my hair that extra hold and texture without drying it out I spray it from root to the ends giving it a little scrunch and my curls hold alot better. This stuff is magical. If you suffer from hair that likes to go flat & a bit lifeless, a few spritz of this and your hair will be good to go! I have also found that this doesn’t dry my hair out. I have reviewed a shampoo & conditioner from Tommy Guns here if you want to see that.

If you have curly / wavy hair what products do you like to use?

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Three Products I’m Loving

I use the same skincare and makeup products day-to-day. I seem to be in a bit of a routine with both. I thought I’d show you 3 products that I’ve been really enjoying using at the moment.

B. Pure Micellar Water

B. Pure Micellar Water – this is quite a new brand which is being sold in Superdrug they have a great range of skincare and makeup. I only picked this up to see how I got on & I’ve been using it for about a month now. I have tried various Micellar Waters over the past year and out of the ones I’ve tried this one from B. Pure is my favourite.

It is sold as a cleanser, but I have to say that I use this to remove most of my makeup, however I do use a cream cleanser and face cloth to remove the rest. This is a really refreshing cleanser it smells nice too, it smells fresh but I wouldn’t be happy just using this without washing my face too. I am happy I picked this up and will be repurchasing it when it runs out. You can buy it in Superdrug for £4.99

Tommy Guns Serum

Tommy Guns Weather Protect Dew Drops Serum * There is nothing I like more than to have glossy healthy looking hair, as I get older my hair seems to be more frizzy than glossy. I’m always on the hunt for great haircare products that keep my hair healthy and in good condition. This serum which I received in a goodie bag last year has been a god send during what I would say has been the coldest winter EVER!

A couple drops of this Tommy Guns Serum works magic, you run it through wet hair, I mostly put it through the length of my hair as if I put too much product on my roots my hair gets really weighed down and goes greasy quickly. This serum gives your hair such a fantastic glossy finish and leaves it so soft to the touch. I’ve also tried it on dry hair to manage frizz and to add a little shine (only a tiny amount) and that works great too. This 50ml bottle is going to last me years! You can buy this serum online for £6.50 for 50ml

Nivea Express Hydration Primer

Nivea Express Hydration Primer – The beauty world seems to have gone primer mad this past year and I was pleased to see a high street brand release a really good one. With this being a great price I use it everyday under my base and find it to be lightweight and hydrating. It works well to make my foundation last all day. It not only lasts it helps keep my skin hydrated. Not a huge amount to say about this other than I like it and its a great budget primer.

Nivea have released two of these, the one I have is for Dry & Sensitive Skin and the other is for Normal / Combination Skin. £4.99 for Superdrug

What have you been loving so far this year?

* I was kindly given the Tommy Guns Serum to try. But the review is 100% my own.