June Empties

How can it be 1st July already?!  The year is flying past!  I've had another good month trimming my stash of products and haven't bought an awful lot either due to other expenses so, at long last, I actually have some space in my beauty draws!!

 

• Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Face Wash (review here) - a well-priced face wash that I found particularly suited my oily / combination skin.  I think if you have normal / dry skin it would be a little harsh for you though.  I wouldn't repurchase, simply because I didn't think it was overly special or unique.  
• The Body Shop Chocomania Body Scrub (review here)  - Loved this, it had just the right amount of scrubbiness present to exfoliate the skin and contained enough nourishing oils to ensure my skin was left supple and  moisturised.  I believe this is limited edition and will not be around for much longer so if you fancy trying it get along to a store soon!
• No 7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser in Medium / Fair - I've blogged about this tinted moisturiser from No7 many a time as its my go-to tinted moisturiser.  I love how it has SPF15 in it too.  I've lost count of how many tubes of this I have got through and I already have 2 back ups purchased with the Boots / No 7 vouchers, making it a bargain £7 a tube.  
• Benefit They're Real Mascara (review here) - I have  a love / hate relationship with this mascara.  On the one hand it leaves me with lovely looking long lashes but on the other hand it is a nightmare to remove!  Despite my best efforts I still find traces of it on my lashes two days later.  I also found that it was making my sensitive eyes quite sore recently so it has been relegated to empties pile despite the fact there is still some product left and I've only had it a few months.  I would not repurchase as I think there are better and cheaper mascaras available.

• Label.m Protein Spray - I've had this for ages and I think it originally came in a Christmas gift set a couple of years ago.  It is essentially a heat protectant spray which I found did the job well but no better than other similar sprays which are noticeably cheaper.  For this reason, I wouldn't repurchase.  
• Cowshed Wild Cow Bath and Body Oil -  I don't think there have been any Cowshed products I've tried (save for the lipbalm) that I haven't loved and this bath oil is no exception.  Cowshed are my favourite bath oils due to their super-moisturising properties.  I think I already have a back up bottle of this waiting in the wings!
• Batiste Blush - A handbag staple for me, I don't go anywhere without a mini can of Batiste these days.  Blush was a new scent for me and, I have to admit, not my favourite.  I much prefer the Tropical scent as it reminds me of holidays.  I will repurchase Batiste but not Blush.  

• Lavera Hand Cream (mini review here) - a nice, quick absorbing hand cream.  It wasn't anything out of the ordinary but I did like that it was a natural product.  I would perhaps repurchase if I wasn't so in love with my L'Occitane hand creams! 
• No7 Quick Thinking Wipes - I think these have replace the 4 in 1 wipes that No7 used to do but I can't really see any noticeable difference between the two.  I get through a ton of these, both for removing swatches and for refreshing my skin after exercise.  I usually stock up on them when the Boots / No 7 £5 voucher is floating about but I don't think they are particularly any better than most other wipes.
• Clearasil Overnight Serum - I wouldn't normally purchase anything from Clearasil as I've previously found them rather harsh and stripping for my skin.  However I won this from their facebook page a while ago and I have to say I rather like it.  You only need to apply a tiny amount to any blemishes and it totally dries them up overnight.  You will need to ensure you apply a good dose of moisturiser the next morning though to ensure it doesn't leave you with very dry skin, but in terms of reducing blemishes and redness quickly, it does the job well.  I would consider repurchasing but I also want to try out the Origins Blemish Treatment Gel.
• Olay Complete Care Daily Cream with SPF15 - A fairly standard moisturiser which includes added SPF15 as a bonus.  I found this did break me out a little as it was a little too rich for my combination skin.  I ended up using it on my dry elbows which actually worked quite well!  I wouldn't repurchase.
• Dr Hauschka Hand Cream (review here) - a thick, but non-greasy hand cream.  This was a small travel-sized sample but unfortunately I couldn't abide the scent so I won't be repurchasing.
• Dr Hauschka Quince Body Moisturiser (review here) - Another travel-sized sample which really wasn't enough to test properly.  Again, I wasn't overly fond of the scent so won't be repurchasing. 

Have you tried any of these products?
What have you finished up this month? 

April Empties

 

Another month, another large pile of empties amassed!  I'm actually quite proud of myself for finishing off so much!

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub (review here) - I didn't mind this, finding it quite gentle, although a little drying.  However I wouldn't repurchase.

Nina, Nina Ricci Body Lotion - receieved as part of a gift pack, it had a very strong scent.  As I often find with perfumed body lotions, it wasn't overly moisturising.  Wouldn't repurchase.

Tigi Dumb Blonde Shampoo - Love this and always have a tube on the go - I've already repurchased!

Lush Cinders Bath Bomb - this came as part of a Christmas gift set.  I like it but its not my favourite of the Lush Christmas bath bombs. I prefer the Abombinaball and Satsuma Santa!

Vaseline Essential Moisture Clean Feeling Body Lotion (review here) - a decent basic body lotion for normal skin but I prefer more heavy duty body butters. Wouldn't repurchase.

Marks & Spencer Spa Collection Ultra Energising Shower Gel - This came as part of a gift pack. It had a lovely minty menthol scent, great for waking me up in the morning.  Would maybe repurchase.

No 7 Cleanse & Care Eye Make-up Remover (review here)- really disliked this.  Would not repurchase.

Garnier Fresh Essentials Eye Makeup Remover - My staple eye make up remover.  I've already got two backups!

L'Occitaine Hibiscus  Hand Cream - I love L'Occitaine hand creams as they are rich and non-greasy.  Will certainly be looking at others in their range.

No 7 Quick Thinking Wipes - I always pick these up when the £5 off Boots vouchers are floating about.  I don't think they are worth the £7.50 full price though.

Charles Worthington Full Volume Shampoo (review here) - again a decent highstreet shampoo which cleansed my hair and left it feeling shiny but sadly didn't deliver on volume.  May repurchase.

Laura Mercier Full Blown Mascara in Black (review here) - Really liked this natural-looking, lengthening mascara.  I will certainly be repurchasing once I get through my current mascara stocks!

Bobbi Brown Touch up Stick in Warm Sand - my everyday concealer, I have already repurchased.

Have you managed to finish any of your stash this month? 

Have you tried any of these products?

Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Daily Facial Scrub

I have to admit, the main reason I purchased this facial scrub was for the scent!  I am a sucker for a sweet, fruity scent and although I don’t like the taste of grapefruits, I  adore their scent. But how did the scrub itself perform, other than making me smell sweet and tasty?!

The Neutrogena Visibly Clear range is aimed at preventing acne and blemishes and unblocking pores, and I picked this up in the hope it may tame my, often unruly, skin!  I prefer to use a gentle scrub daily, rather than a harsh one a few times a week so, in that respect, this one ticked the box for me.

The product is a medium-consistency gel, containing fine scrubbing grains.  It does come out of the tube quite fast so you need to ensure you don’t accidentally squeeze too much out as you only need a pea sized blob to cover your whole face.

I really liked the scent which was sweet but now overpoweringly so, just refreshing enough to wake me up on a cold, dark winter’s morning!

I’ve been using this daily for the past few weeks and whilst it is fine, I’m not sure how much it is actually doing.  I’ve had a breakout on my chin (which I attribute to another product) and this scrub has certainly helped to smooth some of my flaky, combination skin, but I don’t feel it has performed better than any other scrubs I have used in the past.  I do like how the grains are small and non-scratchy though, meaning they don’t irritate my skin further.  As for preventing blemishes, it does contain salicylic acid which is a well known active ingredient against blemishes and breakouts, and used in conjunction with other products in the range, this should help with keeping your skin clearer. 

Verdict

I adored the scent of this but felt it didn’t really do much of anything to my skin and it certainly wasn’t a stand-out product.  For the price though, it certainly wasn’t bad, and if you need a general scrub for everyday use, you could do worse than purchase this.  If you have normal to dry skin, I would avoid this product as it can be quite drying, mainly as it is formulated and targeted at oily, blemish-prone skin.  Whatever your skin type, I would always advocate the use of a light moisturiser afterwards. 

3/5

Price - £4.59

Where to Buy – Boots, Superdrug

January Favourites

I seem to have quite a few favourites this month, I guess because some of these were Christmas or Post Christmas purchases and they all still seem very shiny and new!

Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash

I haven’t managed to review this yet but I am finding it great for my oily / combination skin as it cleans without stripping away oils and really makes my skin feel very clean.  I’m not sure how good it would be for drier skins though.

Tom Ford Violet Blonde

A Christmas present from my lovely hubby!  This is more of a weekend scent for me, reminding me of holidays and trips away.  I won’t embarrass myself by trying to describe the notes, but needless to say it is gorgeous!

Top Shop Cream Blush in Neon Rose – I reviewed this here as part of my cream blush post and was reminded of it when The Sunday Girl posted about it recently.  I love the way that it is not a traditional cream blush formulation, as it changes from a cream to a powder on the skin and lasts all day.  Only the tiniest amount is needed!

Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Mascara – review here

This is my current favourite mascara (and boy do I have a lot of mascara!).  A great natural look, no flaking or smudging and the most important thing-  no CRISPY LASHES!

Mac Matchmaster in 3.0 - review here I have been wearing this foundation a lot recently and although I did find it a little too dark initially, I have been wearing it with a little of the Nars Orgasm Illuminator to tone it down a little and give a more radiant look.

Kiehl's Eye Alert – review here

I really enjoyed using this eye cream which I bought on a  whim from a blog sale.  I’m almost finished it and currently deciding whether to repurchase at full price or to finish off my Liz Earle eye cream which I wasn’t as enamoured with.

Laura Mercier Lip Gloss in Mauve 

This is my first Laura Mercier gloss and I very much like it.  A great my-lips- but-better shade, it has a gorgeous cocoa butter scent and is a great shade to go with lots of looks.  This was a limited edition product I think with the Space NK gift set, but based on the quality of this gloss, I will be investigating others from her line.

Chanel Illusion d’ Ombre in Emerveille - review here

This has been included in my monthly favourites previously and I am still enjoying the ease at which I can smooth this on with my fingers, add some mascara and I have an easy eye look in less than a minute, with no complex blending of several different shades. 

What were your favourites this month?  See anything above that catches your eye?

Mini Haul!

A quick post to show you some of the products I have accumulated over the past week or so and what you can look forward to seeing reviewed over the next couple of weeks. 

A-England Polishes in Tristam and Guinvere

I haven’t tried any A-England polishes before so I’m looking forward to trying out both of these and doing some swatches /NOTD posts for you. I love discovering new brands!

Tigi Bed Head Dumb Blond Shampoo

I was getting particularly fed up with the Naked shampoo I have been using (review coming up, but I guess you can tell what my thoughts are already!) so went back to an old favourite. This keeps my coloured hair looking bright and shiny without weighing it down and gets rid of any product build-up. 

Garnier Fresh Essentials Eye Make up Remover

Another repeat purchase. I’m onto my 3^rd bottle of this and haven’t found anything better so far. It works wonders on my eye make up without stinging my sensitive eyes.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub and Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash

I love the scent of both of these and I’m looking forward to seeing how they work! 

Victoria

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