January Empties

I haven’t made a bad attempt at finishing things off this month and there have even been a couple of full sized products finished for a change!

Label.m Resurrection Style Dust – review here

I love this and was upset to run out as I probably use it a couple of times a week when I am planning to be out all day or if I’m going out after work.  I have decided to try another similar product – the Tigi Sugar Dust so I will see how that works for me as it is a little cheaper.

No 7 Quick Thinking 4 in 1 Wipes

Not much to say about these, just standard wipes that I use if I am feeling too lazy after a late night (I know, tut tut!)

DP London Body Lotion - quick review here

I liked this but it wasn’t particularly remarkable and I certainly wouldn’t pay full price for it.

Clarins Multi-Active Day Early Action Wrinkle Correction Cream – quick review here

This was a decent day cream that went on quite thick but seemed to moisturise well without leaving me too oily.  I would perhaps consider purchasing a full-sized version or another product from the range.

YSL Belle d’Opium

Didn’t like this at all.  Heady and very powerful, it was not to my taste, and was used instead as a room spray!

Clinique Mild Liquid Facial Soap

This was a sample that I think I probably received as part of Clinique Bonus time which I always seem to get sucked into!  I wouldn’t say it was particularly mild and I certainly wouldn’t use this on a  daily basis, but it was good to use after I had been for a run and really left my skin feeling clean.  I would suggest following up with a good moisturiser though.

Body Shop Sweet Lemon Shower Gel

I love the scent of this and always buy a bottle of it if I am going on holiday.  I adore pretty much any citrus scents as they are so fresh and light and certainly very summery.  I have a body butter in this scent too that I have yet to try  - I really must make an effort to get through my body lotion stash!

Dr Organic Bioactive Skincare Organic Rose Otto Skin Lotion - quick review here

This was a decent body lotion and it would certainly be suited for those who love rose scents.  However, it was not really to my liking as it was a little strong for me, and I have rather a lot of other body lotions to work my way through first!

Saturday Samples!

This is the first in a semi-regular series of posts in which I will be delving into my sample box and trying out a couple of products that have so far been neglected. These will not be full, in-depth reviews as I obviously will not have been able to test them out vigorously. They will be more of a quick snapshot of initial thoughts.

So lets see what I have been trying out this week!

Clarins Multi-Active Day Early Action Wrinkle Correction Cream

Phew, the name is a bit of a mouthful! In my head, I always think I am a bit young for anti-wrinkle creams (I permanently feel about 17 and the amount of responsibility I have sometimes scares me!) but I do need to face up to the fact that I probably need to start using these kind of creams soon, especially with the big 3-0 approaching later this year….

This is a daycream that Clarins suggest you use every morning on your face and neck and claims to be suitable for all skin types. The tube contains a reasonable 15ml and I have been using this for at least 10 days and I’m still not quite finished it.

I always associate anti-wrinkle creams with heavy, rich, oily formulations which are too much for my sensitive, combination skin. However I was pleasantly surprised by this one as it was not greasy in the slightest and in fact had a rather thick texture that I think would make difficult to spread on drier skin. I did not experience any outbreaks or issues with my skin whilst using it and whilst I have not been using it for long enough to assess whether it actually ‘reduces early wrinkles’, I would consider buying the full sized product.

Quick verdict

A surprisingly good lightweight skin cream which promises to ‘reduce early wrinkles to leave skin smooth, fresh and younger-looking again’. Whilst I don’t think this would be suitable for those with drier skin, for those with combination skin this could be a good place to start with preventive anti-ageing skin care.

Price –£38

Where to Buy –  Feel Unique, John Lewis, Boots, Clarins

DP London Firming & Smoothing Body Cream 

DP London produce a small range of products which include organic ingredients and botanical oils and have a real luxury feel about them, albeit with a price tag to match! They are a fairly new company, having only launched in the latter part of last year.

This was a very small sample so I was really only able to assess the moisturising properties of the cream and the overall appearance, texture and scent and not the firming and smoothing properties. What I did manage to try out, I liked. It has a very luxurious scent and sank into my skin easily without feeling greasy. I usually use a body lotion or cream at night before bed and I found that it sank in quickly so I wasn’t waiting forever for it to dry before I could clamber into bed! I’m not sure how moisturising it really was, compared to a cheaper brand such as Nivea or a Body Shop body butter, and at £36 for a 175ml jar, you could probably get something which felt just as luxurious for a good £10 less.

Quick verdict

A nice treat which feels luxurious and combines organic and fair trade ingredients. However it is rather pricey and personally I would never spend this much on a body lotion as I think you can buy products which are just as good for much less.

Price- £36

Where to buy – DP London,

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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