February Empties

I've managed to work my way through a few full-sized products this month, including - gasp! - a body lotion!

Biotherm Lait Corporee Anti Drying Body Milk with Citrus Extracts  (review here) - a deliciously scented body lotion which sinks into the skin quickly.  If I didn't have a ton of body lotions already to work my way through I would consider buying a full-sized tube.

 

Nivea DNAge Cell Renewal Anti-Age Body Care - I've had this for ages and it was time to use it up.  I'm not even sure it is even still available to purchase but I wasn't that impressed with it as it wasn't particularly moisturising so wouldn't repurchase.

 

Balance Me Handcream (review here) - I liked this and indeed I have liked all Balance Me products I have tried to date.  Would certainly repurchase.

Bliss Lemon and Sage Soapy Suds (review here) - I liked using this as a shower gel but was unimpressed with its performance as a bath foam. I wouldn't repurchase as there are too many other bath and shower gels that I'd like to try out.

Toni & Guy Warm Blonde Conditioner - This has been languishing in my bathroom for quite some time, mainly because I wasn't that impressed with it and I preferred using other conditioners I have had on the go such as the Tigi Dumb Blonde.  I wouldn't repurchase as I didn't feel it was moisturising enough for my dry, coloured hair.

Green & Spring Mild Toner (review here) - Despite not being a regular toner user, I loved this and will certainly be purchasing a large bottle as soon as funds allow.

Kiehls Eye Alert (review here) - This eye cream was just what I was looking for.  It absorbed quickly and was not greasy, leaving my eyes feeling hydrated and refreshed.  I did realise after purchasing that it was supposed to be for men,  but I tend to think products such as eye creams are the same for men and women, they are usually just scented differently.

Have you managed to finish any products this month?

Saturday Samples #4

Another week has flown, by so its time to see what I have managed to try out of my samples box this week.

Dermalogica  Multivitamin Power Recovery Mask

From previous reviews I had read, this mask seemed to be a lifesaver for tired, dull skin. I have been working a lot lately and getting home late so I thought this would give my skin the pick me up it so desperately needs.  

Although it says it is a mask, the product goes on as a clear gel and you leave it on for 10-15 minutes, once a week, to work its magic.  I didn't experience any tingling on application, and after the time was up, I rinsed it off as directed.  The next morning, I woke up to 2 huge blemishes on my chin which are still there now and refuse to budge!  I can only put these down to the mask and therefore I won't be using it again.  It may be that I didn't use it correctly or that it is just a big coincidence, but it is most likely that it was too rich for my combination skin and my skin reacted in the way it knows best!  I won't be trying this again and it will be going in my 'donate to friends' box!

Price - £24.85-£33

Where to Buy - Jersey Beauty Company, Pure Beauty

Ojon Damage Reverse Instant Restorative Hair Serum

I only had one use out of this so I'm not sure how much I can comment on its restorative properties.  I generally don't tend to use serums much as although I have dry, processed ends, my scalp and top half of my hair gets oily very quickly.  I tried using this only on my ends, following my usual shampoo and conditioner routine.  It certainly tamed any flyaways and made my hair sleeker and smoother, however towards the end of the day it did start to look rather lank and lacking in volume, despite only using a teeny tiny amount.  I've come to the conclusion that serums are probably not for me, although I could see this working for those with thick, dry hair and those who are prone to the frizzies. 

Price - £22

Where to Buy - John Lewis, House of Fraser

Green & Spring Light Cleanser

I am not usually a cream-based cleanser person, preferring instead to use a facial wash, eye make up remover and a toner afterwards to remove my makeup at night.  First impressions of this cleanser is that it is very thick and feels very luxurious, however the thickness comes at a price as I found it almost impossible to get the cleanser out of the bottle!  I did manage eventually, but it took rather a lot of effort and I notice if you purchase the full-sized product it comes with a pump, which is much more user friendly! 

The cleanser has a lovely lavender scent which feels quite soothing and calming before I go to sleep and it removed my makeup easily, including my mascara, and was very gentle on my sensitive eyes.  I do like Green & Spring products and if you are into more natural cream cleansers, this could be a good option, however it is too rich for me and it hasn't managed to convert me to cream cleansers yet.

Price - £28

Where to Buy - Green & Spring, House of Fraser, Bath and Unwind

Victoria

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Saturday Samples!

This week’s samples are a mixture of bodycare, skincare and makeup.

Biotherm Lait Corporee Anti Drying Body Milk with Citrus Extracts 

Normally I am a bit meh about body lotions / milks / butters as I don’t have particularly dry skin and never really have the time to sit around waiting for lotions to sink in before getting dressed. I do however often moisturise dry patches such as knees and elbows and it is for this purpose that I have been using this body milk. 

This sample came from a business class travel bag hubby managed to scrounge on our honeymoon, along with some champagne even though we were in economy!  The consistency is fairly light and certainly non-greasy and it sinks in very quickly. I adore a citrus scent and this one is gorgeous and reminds me of satsumas (!), although it doesn’t seem to stick around for long, unlike some of the Body Shop body butters. So far it seems to be doing a fairly good job of providing some moisturisation but if you have particularly dry or scaly skin, this probably won’t be heavy-duty enough for you. 

Quick Verdict

A gorgeously-scented body milk that sinks in quickly, this is a good luxury product which seals in moisture and leaves your skin feeling smooth.

Price - £30.13

Where to Buy - Boots

Green & Spring Mild Toner 

I often think of toners as being something which strips the skin of oil, leaving it dry and in a worse condition than it was initially. This small travel-sized sample from Green & Spring appears to have proven me wrong as it lives up to its mild claims, with a gentle scent of rose, which seems to sooth and soften my skin without stripping it, and instead leaves my skin feeling refreshed after cleansing in the evening.

I have had no breakouts whilst using this and I have been using it daily for around two weeks so I think a full-sized bottle, whilst not cheap at £22, would last you a long time as I am still only halfway through the bottle.

Quick Verdict

Whilst I’m still not sure if toners are a vital and necessary part of my skincare routine, I have enjoyed using this one as I found it gentle enough for regular use on my sensitive, and often temperamental, skin. If you are looking for a new toner, it may be worth giving this one a try. 

Price - £22

Where to Buy - Green & Spring, Bath and Unwind, House of Fraser,

Dior Forever Foundation in 020 Light Beige

I haven't tried any Dior foundations previously so i was interested to see how this wore.  The product itself was quite liquid and watery and glided on easily with my fingers.  I have tried to provide swatches below but they have come out a bit darker than it really is, due to the absence of natural light.

Unblended Swatch

Initially, I thought this shade was a bit light for my skintone but once I had blended it in, it seemed to 'settle' and left a very natural, semi-matte finish.  I would say it has light-medium coverage and it evened out my skin tone and left me feeling like I wasn't wearing any foundation.  Having only tested it once, I can't really comment on the lasting power, but suffice to say I have been wearing it for about 6 hours and I have not yet needed to blot it, it is still looking pretty much as it was when I applied it and it was applied on only moisturised skin with no primer.  

Blended Swatch

Quick Verdict

I will certainly be taking a closer look at this foundation and seeing if I can try a larger sample for a few days.  It was easy to apply and blend and had a very natural-looking finish which would be perfect for an everyday foundation.  It also includes SPF25 which is an added bonus.

Price - £29.50

Where to Buy - Boots

December Empties!

 

Despite being away for 2 weeks of December, I don't think I have done too badly with getting through my stash last month.  Although Christmas and sale shopping has increased it again...!

Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo - A great cleansing shampoo that I have been using several times a week. I bought it as it was SLS-free and I have been trying to use less chemicals in my beauty routine. However I won't be repurchasing as although it was fine, I don't think it is HG material.

Garnier Fresh Essentials Eye Make Up Remover - a repurchase and I will be buying this again.  It removes my make up very effectively whilst being gentle at the same time.  It doesn't sting, cloud my eyes or leave an oily residue which makes it a winner in my books!

Marks & Spencer Almond Hand Cream - I can't remember when I got this but it has been lurking around for ages as I found it too greasy to use on my hands as it doesn't sink in easily.  I've been using it on my scaly elbows instead and I am glad to have finished it.

Green & Spring Indulging Shower and Bath Foam - A nice relaxing rose fragrance which I used as a shower gel rather than a bath foam.  It was pleasant but I didn't feel that it was unique enough to warrant buying a full-sized bottle.

Dove Deeply Nourishing Body Wash - I have a feeling this came with an ASOS order some time ago.  Nice to use but not remarkable, although it left me skin feeling soft and not dry like some shower gels can.  There was no discernible scent which may be a plus for some people, but I like my morning shower to have an invigorating scent to wake me up!

The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub - I reviewed this here and it was pleasant but not 'scrubby' enough for me, plus I found the scent a little overpowering (I'm never happy!).

DP London Handcream - this was a sample I was sent a wee while ago.  It did the job and sank in easily but was not interesting enough to make me want to purchase the full size, especially as I have several handcreams on the go at the moment.

Dermologica Age Smart Lip Renewal Complex - I didn't feel this did much really, perhaps there wasn't enough contained in the tube to form a proper option and to test it fully but I did get about a week's application.  As it is meant to help prevent the signs of ageing and minimise contour lines, I feel I may be a bit younger than the target age group for the product. 

Tom Ford Violet Blonde EDP - This was a sample that I fell in love with almost instantly.   I'm hopeless at describing perfumes so I won't attempt to, however if you get a chance to spritz this, do so as I have had so many compliments on it.  It is now one of my current favourites along with Prada Candy and I received a full-sized bottle for Christmas.

Victoria

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November Empties

Not a great attempt this month but I am so close to finishing quite a number of products so I predict December will be good, unless I get sidetracked!

No 7, 4 in 1 wipes x 2, £7 - I got through a ton of these in Thailand and wouldn’t travel without them. I always pick some up when I have numerous No 7 £5 vouchers to spend.

Green & Spring Relaxing Body Lotion, £22, 300ml - This was a travel size that I received in a gift pack. It has a very strong lavender fragrance, so if you are not a huge fan of lavender I don’t think this would be for you. I used it in the evening, before bed, and found the scent very relaxing, however it does stick around for quite some time. The consistency of the lotion is rather thick so it does take some time to rub in and absorb and I didn’t find it particularly moisturising, and I expected better for the price. I would not repurchase, mainly as I have heaps more body lotions to work my way through.

Soap & Glory, Scrub Your Nose In It, £7.40 - I reviewed this previously here (Review – Soap & Glory Scrub your Nose in It) and my opinion of it has not changed. It is a perfectly acceptable scrub but I think there are probably better ones out there, especially for oily skin and I wouldn’t repurchase this. As an aside, I have yet to find a Soap & Glory product that blows me away, as I find most of their products fairly average. But then again, perhaps I am not trying the right products?

Nivea Had Lotion Express Hydration  , £3.05 - This was reviewed last month here (Review – Nivea Had Lotion Express Hydration) and now that my hands are less cracked and dry, it does seem to be a very good lotion which is not oily or greasy. I do still prefer scented hand products but I would repurchase this as it does the job well for a very reasonable price.

Cowshed Lippy Cow Natural Lip Balm, £5 - I really disliked this! I received it in a Cowshed order some time ago and it is everything I don't like in a lipbalm – greasy, oily and it just sits on the lips and provides no moisture at all. It has no discernible scent and although it goes on clear, it doesn’t particularly give an attractive sheen to the lips, it looks greasy and not at all attractive. This This is the only Cowshed product so far that I have disliked and I would definitely not repurchase it.

Company Spotlight: Green & Spring

Image from http://popsop.com

I love a chance to pamper myself with a long hot bath after a stressful week and I am always looking for new and interesting products to try out.  One of my more recent discoveries has been Green & Spring.

Green & Spring are a British company, who specialise in using natural botanical ingredients and essential oils in their products, with all items made in the UK.  Their products are free from parabens, SLS and synthetic fragrances. 

They produce a variety of products in several different scents which include

• Lavender (Relaxing)
• Rose and Jasmine (Indulging)
• Peppermint (Revitalising)

The lavender fragrance is my favourite as I find the smell of lavender very calming and soothing.  I have tried both the Shower and Bath Foam (£18) and the Body Lotion (£22)  in the relaxing scent and I love them both although I do find the body lotion quite thick and it takes a while to sink in.  The bath foam is very strongly scented and makes my bathroom smell gorgeous, whilst also producing a decent amount of foam which is not drying on my skin.  I haven’t yet tried the bath oils but they are next on my list as I love the feeling of my skin after using oils in the bath. 

In addition to bath products, they also produce a variety of skin care items including moisturisers, day and night creams, eye creams, scrubs and shampoo / conditioner.  I have tried sample sizes of the day and night creams, and whilst they feel very luxurious, they are a little too heavy for my oily / combination skin.  I would, however, especially like to try the hand cream as I suspect it will be very nourishing and soothing which is just what I need in the current temperatures.

Verdict

Green & Spring are a great brand to try if you enjoy a bit of luxury and prefer products which are more natural and paraben free.  The scents are quite strong in all of the products I have tried, so you may want to approach with caution if you have particularly sensitive skin or if you prefer more subtle scents.   

Where to buy

You can purchase Green & Spring from John Lewis, Look Fantastic, direct from their website or from one of the many stockists listed here. The travel sizes are a great way to explore the range without having to spend too much.