For Christmas I wanted to wear something festive on my nails, so decided to go for Star Spangled from Orly which I got free with Cosmopolitan in the December 2013 edition.
Again my photography skills does not do this justice, but the below is slightly better.
I would describe this as the perfect Santa red, as the name suggests this does have some glitter in it, but it is fine and smooth. I love glitter but hate feeling like I have sand paper at the end of my nails.
I have never tried anything from the brand before but was impressed with this. I used two coats with my normal base and top coat, although I think you could get away with one. It was easy to apply with no streaks and dried quickly. It did chip but I don't think anything lasts long on Christmas day, well not what I am like with opening presents, and chocolates anyway.
I would definitely like to try out more from the brand but never seen them stocked anywhere. Does anyone know any UK stores that stock the brand?
The full size 18ml is available for £10.25 from graftonsbeauty.co.uk.
What polish did you rock for the big day?
Last year I shared what I got in my stocking, and you can read that post here. I thought I would share again, as I love seeing what everyone else got. Like last year I was lucky enough to get two stockings, one from my mum and one of my boyfriend. I must say that my boyfriend did a great job with my stocking, as he wrapped everything individually but also kept the original packaging so I could get some good photos.
In my boyfriends stocking there was the contents of Soap & Glory Bright and Bubbly which includes The Scrub of Your Life, Hand Food, The Righteous Butter, Clean on Me and a shower puff. I love Soap and Glory and don't think you can go wrong with a set for someone at Christmas.
He also gave me the Clarins All About Lips Collection which includes Rouge Eclat Satin Finish Age-Defying Lipstick in shade 13 Woodrose, Colour Quench Lip Balm, Instant Light Lip Perfector and some Gloss. I was over the moon to get this as I have wanted to try the Lip Perfector for ages. The packaging on the lipstick is also gorgeous, I think it might be the prettiest lipstick I own.
Lastly from my boyfriend was the Essie Winter 2013 Collection, which includes three mini bottles of Shearling Darling, Parka Perfect and Toggle to the Top. I actually nearly bought this for myself the weekend before Christmas, I guess it just proves that my boyfriend knows what I like.
I think he did a great job with my stocking and I really appreciated that he wrapped every single product individually. He also put loads of chocolate coins in it. Maybe next year I better do him a better stocking although he seemed to like his, which had a few golf bits and bobs, chocolate, sweets and some of his favourite cider in it.
My mum got me a set from Sugarlips including Strawberry Shortcake Lip Scrub and Forest Fruits Lip Balm. I will be interested to see how this compares to the Lush Lip Scrub as I must say I am not a huge fan of that. Lip Balm however is a product that you just can't have enough of.
I also got this Bath Fizzer my mum knows I love nothing more then a hot bath to chill me out so look forward to trying this one out.
I also got a festive shower gel which I seem to get every year, I don't think I used up the one I got last year so must try harder this year.
One of the cutest gifts I got was this gorgeous mini nail file for Cancer Research UK which is a charity close to my heart at the moment. I have recently had a much loved family member diagnosed with terminal cancer and like many have lost loved ones to cancer.
I also got a shower comb and hairband which will come in very handy. Due to a very rough couple of weeks my poor skin and hair have been very neglected so I will definitely be using these bad boys.
Lastly I got a Chanel nail polish in shade 503 Inattendu and who doesn't love a bit of Chanel for Christmas.
Does anyone else 28 still get a stocking?
I bought this months ago for my travel bag, but after using up my last conditioner and never really travelling I decided to give this a go.
I can't say that this made my hair any more voluminous but then I am not sure much can. This didn't seem to hydrate my ends enough either. I felt like my ends were getting drier and drier however long I left this on. I do find my ends gets very dry when my hair is longer - my hair is about an inch and half below my shoulders. It doesn't really get much longer as it just seems to get really dry, split and snap.
I feel a bit bad for this product as I know this isn't a glowing review but my hair is a real pain in the backside. It is very fine with a very sensitive scalp, it also doesn't like being styled or growing. To put this review in context I felt exactly the same about Philip Kingsley Body Building Conditioner which is £15.30 for 250ml from feelunique.com.
This is on the other hand £1.49 for 100ml from boots.com or £4.50 for 500ml for the full size available here.
If your hair isn't as problematic I would definitely recommend picking this up over the Philip Kingsley as to me they are pretty much the same.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a good conditioner?
Right sorry it's late, but here is what I have used up in October.
L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution this is the second bottle I have been through and I still haven't written a full post - naughty blogger. Safe to say I like this, I haven't tried Bioderma so can't compare but can't see myself shelling out for that when this is so good. It is available everywhere including supermarkets but is currently on offer on superdrug.com for £3.32.
L'Occitane Ultra Rich Body Lotion which I reviewed fully here. There is nothing really wrong with this product I just think for what it is it is expensive. My boyfriend really liked this, so maybe I am missing something. That said however much he likes it I wouldn't be buying the full size.
Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser I have lost count of how many of these I have now got though but I have banged on about this here and countless other times. I have found my skin has been a bit oilier than usual so may try one of the other hot cloth cleansers they do. At the moment I am trying to use up all the small samples I have stashed away, but can't recommend this enough.
Estee Lauder Revitalising Supreme Global Anti-Aging Creme which is not something I would have bought but it came with a gift with purchase. I did write a full review here and I love the packaging as it looks so luxe, but the product itself did absolutely nothing for me. It is seriously expensive so unless you have a sample I would save your money and try something else.
Rituals Honey Touch Rich and Nourishing Body Cream this has to be one of my favourite products of the last few months. It smells absolutely amazing and is gorgeous to use. I even cut this bad boy open so I could get ever last bit of this out. I have written a full post which you can read here. I don't need any more body lotions but this has made my Christmas list, so maybe I will be lucky and get the full size.
Dior Miss Dior only a tiny sample but this packs a punch. This isn't a scent I would normally be drawn to but now this reminds me of my holiday, so have been using quite a bit. I do like the scent for a night out but doubt I will buy the full size. I am looking for an everyday fragrance which isn't too pricey so if anyone has any recommendations please let me know. I have done a full review on this which you can read here.
Sure Clear Aqua after using the Aloe Vera Sensitive version for months and being sick of the white marks I decided to try this one. I am happy to report that this has the same protection with an non offence scent and a great anti white mark formula I have already picked up another one of these.
Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara was a bit of a disappointment, maybe I was naive in thinking that a mascara could actually help my lashes grow but this didn't It also has a huge wand which I found difficult to use. This did give a nice natural look but I just couldn't get on with the wand. I have written a full post here.
I got this as part of a gift set last Christmas, you can read what else I got here. I decided to take this on my recent holiday as it smells amazing. I can't really describe the smell other then divine and heavenly.
The product itself is quite thick, not so thick that you are furiously rubbing away to get it to sink in though. It isn't as emollient as L'Occitane's Ultra Rich Body Lotion which you can read my review on here, but I do prefer this.
If you use the correct amount, which is less then you think, this absorbs into the skin almost instantly. There is no residue left on the skin. Your skin is left feeling and smelling amazing with no greasiness or stickiness so you can get dressed straight away. If you use a lot this will take a little longer to sink in but it still isn't tacky and will fully absorb within a few minutes.
I have horrible skin on my upper arms but I do think that they look and feel better after using this. In my opinion my skin is smoother and less bumpy.
I have some other products from Rituals stashed away and after using this I can't wait to get started on them. I am always banging on about premium priced products not smelling luxurious or just not being worth the price, but I genuinely love this. This isn't cheap but if you are looking for a real indulgent treat or a lovely gift then I don't think you can go wrong with this.
That said I am not sure I would purchase at the moment as one I am on a spending ban (let's see how long that lasts) and I really don't need any more body lotion.
This is available from feelunique.com for £17 for 200ml.
This month there is a plethora of freebies and I picked up a Cosmopolitan Elle, Glamour and Marie Claire.
Cosmopolitan have four mini nail polishes from Orly available. I picked up the shade Star Spangled which looks like it will be perfect for the party season. I will definitely be rocking this on my work Christmas party. I haven't ever tried the brand before, so it will be interesting to give this a go.
The other shades available are Hair Band a gold glitter, Country Club Khaki a nude shade and Naughty a deep red.
Elle have three mini Benefit Ultra Plush lip glosses available, Dandelion, Hoola and Coralista the shade I picked up. Shockingly I have never tried any of their lip glosses or blushes but have wanted Coralista for ages. I was so tempted to pick up all three but stuck to the shade I most wanted to try.
Glamour have four full size Nails Inc polishes, they are exclusive Kate Spade shades. I picked up Uptown Glamour a gold metalitc. I know I have very similar colours in my stash but I felt that way about all of the shades. I guess that is a sign that I have too many nail polishes but I couldn't resist another one for the bargain price of £2.
The other shades available are New York Noir, a black, Soho Silver a metalictic silver. Thinking about it I don't have in my collection, but I can't imagine I would ever wear and Big Apple Red.
Lastly Marie Claire had a full size Rituals Fortune Scrub. I have been loving a body lotion from Rituals recently so knew I had to pick this up. I haven't tried yet but this smells gorgeous.
This month really has been a good one for freebies what did you pick up?
I have been using this mascara for five months now so thought it was time to review it. This claims to help your lashes 'grow stronger' with each use. I have used pretty much daily and I haven't noticed any long term difference in my lashes. I am not really sure how you can measure whether your lashes are stronger, but I assumed that they might grow longer.
The other thing about this product that I don't really love is the wand. It is massive and I find that as well as coating my eye lashes I also get my lids.
If the wand wasn't a massive fibre one this review might be different. I just think that the wand is too big. The mascara itself is a good everyday mascara, it doesn't smudge or flake. It also adds a nice amount of length and is easy to remove. I just can't get over the wand.
This hasn't put me off Revlon mascara and am tempted to try their Lash Potion, as it appears to have a smaller wand. But if anyone has any recommendations for a great mascara please let me know
This is available from boots.com for £9.99
This post has been hanging around in my drafts for ages. The reason being that my camera or probably more likely, my photography skills just don't capture this shade correctly. As you can see it looks pretty much neon orange but it is actually a pinky coral. I have taken tonnes of photographs in all sorts of different lighting but this is the best I can do. The best swatches I have found are from thepolishaholic.com so if you haven't seen this shade pop on over to her blog.
This is from the same collection as Full Steamahead, which I reviewed here and Naughty Neautical which you can check out here. I have to say that this is my favourite, out of the three. It is a gorgeous summer shade, and I love the hint of shimmer in it. I have worn this loads and it even came away with me to Bulgaria.
I really do love Essie after trying out these polishes. The brush is amazing and it makes application so much easier. The formulation I also love, opaque in two coats and dries quickly. I would still always use a topcoat for longevity.
One last thing is that this is very similar to Nails Inc Mayfair Mews which I reviewed last year. The only difference is that this has a shimmer running through it. I also prefer the formulation of this as I found Mayfair Mews to be very sheer.
Although this is part of the summer collection this is still available from boots.com for £7.99 for the full size.
I got this at the beginning of the year, you can read the post I hauled it in here. I had high hopes for this after falling in love with their Advanced Night Repair, but to be honest have been a bit underwhelmed by this.
There are some definite good things about this.
Firstly the packaging is gorgeous but for the price it should be. The second thing I like is that this is not heavily scented and is lightweight in texture. It is more of a gel then a cream and sinks in very quickly. You also don't need a lot so this 15ml size has lasted a lot longer then I expected. I only used at night and lasted a good couple of months.
Onto the things I didn't like, I just don't feel that it did anything. As I said I only used this in the evening, as I preferred to use the Caudalie Vinosource Moisturising Sorbet in the morning, you can read my full post on that here. When I woke up my skin didn't feel noticeably different. I like my skin to feel softer and more hydrated in the morning after using a night cream but this just didn't do anything. It is marketed for Dry skin so did think that it would leave my skin more hydrated, but honestly products a fraction of the price offer more hydration in my opinion.
That leads me to the subject of price, 50ml of this will set you back £58. I know the Advanced Night Repair is expensive but hand on heart I notice a difference in my skin, this I don't.
This is obviously an anti-aging product and I am not sure what age you are 'meant' to start using these, but I still thought I would have noticed a difference. I don't think 28 is too young to be starting to worry about wrinkles and what not.
This is available from johnlewis.com for £58 for 50ml.
I am sure everyone has tried this, I think along with Nars Sheer Glow this has to be one of the most talked about foundations. I got this last year when I went to York, and can't believe that I haven't written a post on this sooner.
As I am sure you know, you have to shake this before applying. If you don't shake it enough this is very watery and runny. On a side note about the shaking this is not a foundation to use if you are getting ready early and your boyfriend is still asleep.
As the name suggests this is very light, however a little goes a long way. I find the best way to apply is with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. I apply a thin layer all over and then dab and blend a tiny bit extra on any redness. Obviously I still need concealer under my eyes and on any blemishes, but otherwise this really does provide enough coverage.
I like to use with a primer as I find foundations look and sit better on my skin with one. I personally don't have an issue with foundation lasting on my skin but other reviews have said that this could be better. Another thing to note about this is that this is scented, so if you are sensitive it might be worth testing before hand.
The best things about this foundation for me are the colour match. I am shade B10 which I believe is the lightest shade, but honestly I have never found anything which matches so well.
The second is, this makes your skin look great without feeling like you are wearing anything. I hate it when you touch your face, and you can feel a layer of foundation. This feels like nothing but really perfects your skin.
The only thing I am not keen on is the packaging. I know a lot of people like the packaging, yes its lightweight and good for travel. But I don't travel that much and think that a brand such as Chanel could do a bit better. Another small thing with the packaging would be that it would be great to see how much of this is left.
Moan about the packaging over, I honestly love this foundation. Everytime I use it I remember why I love it so much. It is definitely worth the hype and is now my Holy Grail foundation. It's not cheap but I do think if you get your base right your more then half way there.
You can pick this up from debenhams.com for £32 for 30ml.
I got this when I went to Bicester Village absolutely ages ago. Before I lost weight I would go shopping and end up buying mostly body products and nail polish. I didn't want to buy clothes until I lost weight. This went on for quite sometime until I bite the bullet and joined Slimming World. Long story short, I have a lot of shower gels, bubble baths, scrubs and nail polish.
I had always wanted to try L'Occitance as had spent many happy hour coveting the products on QVC. I never bought any as lets face it you can buy shower gel and moisturiser cheaper elsewhere. After walking around Bicester for a few hours and finding very little for under £100 which is still tasteful and in your size, L'Occitane and Molton Brown seem like bargains.
Enough about how this ended up in my possession, what is the actual product like?
This has the same scent as the Ultra Rich Body Lotion, which I have written a full post on here. I am not overly enamored with the scent, to me it just smells like soap. That said it isn't offensive and would be great for the whole family as both men and children could use. I just feel that a shower product in this price range should have a more luxurious smell.
The scent isn't the only other thing about this which lets its down, this really doesn't lather well. I am not sure whether it is because it is detergent free, but to get a good lather out of it you need to use a lot with a shower puff.
Although this doesn't lather all that well it does feel lovely on the skin. It doesn't dry the skin out or irritate it. Again I imagine this would be good for children, although do children shower? I always had a bath as a kid.
Overall this is an none offensive product, I don't think many could take a real dislike to it. I just feel that I would rather save my money and put it towards a real luxury.
I got the 500ml size which I can't find anywhere but you can buy 250ml for £13 from feelunique.com
I decided that instead of lugging a large bottle of fragrance with me on holiday I would take a sample. I opted for Miss Dior. I assumed it would be the Dior version of Coco Mademoiselle, which I will write a full ode to one day.
This apparently has been 'created for an elegant and spirited young woman in love' however I personally think it has quite a sophisticated and mature scent as its quite musky. Maybe I am not 'elegant and spirited' but I wouldn't describe this as a young scent.
It has notes of Italian Mandarin, Jasmine and Patchouli, and this definitely has staying power. Unlike my beloved Coco Mademoiselle I can smell this for hours.
I don't think that this is a very me scent and although my boyfriend said he liked it, he does prefer my trusty Chanel. That said as soon as I smell this I think of my holiday so quite tempted to get it. If I did repurchase I think I would save for nights out as I think it might be a bit much for everyday.
One last thing is that I did notice that when I wore this I got bitten by god knows what regardless of whether I had any anti mosquito stuff on, so be warned.
This is available from feelunique.com for £47 for 30ml
I have bought a couple of things since my last haul. I was hoping to treat myself at Duty Free. But my local airport however is tiny and the one in Bulgaria wasn't much better, so I ended up buying nothing.
Just before my holiday I had a last minute panic that I wouldn't have enough bikinis so needed, yes needed, to do a last minute asos order. I ordered several bikinis (but only kept one) but needed to spend £100 to get free next day delivery. I was only a couple of quid short so spotted a Rimmel London Salon Pro nail polish for £3. I haven't tried any of the Rimmel nail polishes for years, but have heard good things about the Kate Moss range, so thought why not. The colour I got was 347 Disco Fever. This is still available from asos.com for £3.
Whilst spending the day in Norwich with my mum I picked up a couple of bits from Superdrug. The first is the MUA Undress Your Skin Illuminating Foundation. I have wanted this since it featured on missbudgetbeauty.co.uk. I have never really tipped my toe into the drugstore foundations as I am so pale, I worry I will end up looking like an oompa loompa. I think that there are only three shades available, which is a bit poor. But I swatched two and they both looked pretty similar. I did go for porcelain to decrease the chance of looking orange. This was an absolute bargain as was on offer so was £3 for 35ml and it still appears to be on offer here.
The last thing I picked up from Superdrug was the MUA Pro-Base Fixing Mist. I have always wanted to try one of the Urban Decay ones but couldn't really justify the price tag on a product I wasn't really sure I needed. I recently read a rave review on this, although annoyingly can't remember whose blog it was on. My mum also picked this up as she mentioned she has noticed that now she is getting older her makeup doesn't last as long. This is available from superdrug.com for £5 for 60ml.
Whilst I was walking down the aisles at Tesco I saw some Ardell Demi Wispies and knew I had to get them. I don't know if before I discovered YouTube I had been living under a rock but I had never heard of this brand before. I have attempted to wear false lashes before with little success, but I am sure paired with some tweezers and some tutorials I will be fine. These were in the bargain end of the makeup aisle and I can't find them online at tesco.com but are available from superdrug.com.
The last product is Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair II I loved the original and now that the new version has the stamp of approval from carolinehirons.com getting the new improved version was a must. I picked this up from my local Boots and realize that I may have paid over the odds as I paid £48 however on boots.com it is £44. I have sent Boots an email asking if there has been a mistake. I always blindly assumed that the prices were the same, the response I got back was
I can confirm that prices of items that we stock online and in store can vary. This is due to the fact that Boots.com and Boots Stores are two separate businesses and have their own respective Marketing teams.
So there you have it, before you buy instore get out your phone and check you can't buy cheaper online.
Anyway I know I say this after every haul but must stop spending
This month the magazines have some good freebies, so I picked up a copy of Red, InStyle and Cosmopolitan.
With Red there is 50ml of thisworks really rich firming lotion. Other then some of their deep sleep range I haven't tried anything from this brand. I know it well loved by bloggers so I am looking forward to trying this out. I am also hoping that it might firm up my thighs for my next holiday which is at the beginning of December. I will keep you updated.
InStyle have three minis from Ren, the Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream, Vita Mineral Active 7 Eye Gel and Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk. The only products I have from Ren is a similar pack I got with Red a few months ago, which you can see here. I still haven't used but will keep if I go away for a few nights.
Cosmopolitan had 50ml of St. Tropez Instant Tan Wash Off Face & Body Lotion. I have tried the Rimmel instant tan a couple of times to vary degrees of failure but am determined to master fake tan. I feel that it is an important life skill to master. Hopefully I will get along with this.
I haven't been able to find Marie Claire yet who usually have good freebies, but have I missed any good freebies?
A bit late, but better late then never - right! I thought I was going to use up a lot of products in September as I went on holiday to Sunny Beach in Bulgaria but actually ended up using up very little whilst I was away.
Philip Kingsley Flaky/Itchy Scalp Shampoo which regular readers will know is the only shampoo I use. I honestly can't say anything bad about this, other than it is a bit pricey, but it is worth it. A 1000ml seems to last me about 6 months and I do wash my hair everyday and my boyfriend does use this too occasionally. I always buy mine from feelunique.com due to the free p&p and also these always tend to be quite well discounted in the sale.
Rituals Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel although I have two full sizes of these I hadn't actually tried this until last month. I actually brought this as I thought it could double up as shaving gel - it doesn't. This smells amazing but is not thick enough to really double up. It also runs out mega fast although this only a 50ml size. I will be interested to see how I get on with the 200ml. You can buy the 200ml from .feelunique.com for £8.50.
Mark Hill Holiday Hair Cover Up Protection Spray I fell in love with this product last year after going to Turkey so knew I had to bring away with me again. I did manage to burn my scalp this time but it was only a tiny patch right in my hairline which I obviously missed. This does make my hair very greasy looking which is alright if you are going to be round the pool or the beach but not really great for sight seeing. I did do a full post on this last year which you can read here. I will definitely repurchase and take with me when I go to Lanzarote.
Mark Hill Sunset Smoother Aftersun Conditioner another product I now won't travel without. This smells just like holiday in a bottle to me and I find is great for restoring my frazzled locks, after a day in the sun. This is actually the same bottle I took to Turkey as my hair really can't handle too much conditioner. I take ages to get through even a small bottle. I have repurchased this already and would do again and again. I did a full post here on this.
Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet I really loved this, this is so lightweight but so hydrating at the same time. It has a nice fresh scent to it which is not over powering and it just makes your skin feel better. If you want to read me wax lyrical about this some more then I did a full review here. I will definitely get this again as I have really missed using it.
Radox Bath Smoothies Tropical Tranquility last month was obviously the month I used up some of my favourite products, as I loved this stuff. It smells gorgeous like a tropical drink and being Radox produces lots of bubbles. This is definitely a brilliant budget bath time treat as was only £3.15. I have struggled to find this at Boots or supermarkets since falling in love with it but it is still on superdrug.com. If you want to read my full review you can find it here.
I am not really sure how regular my posts will be at the moment. I am currently trying to finish off one unit of my AAT course and we have already started another so free time is a bit thin on the ground at the moment.
I got this just before my last exam as I was so stressed I thought a few nice baths would help. I l love baths but don't tend to have as many in the summer as it's just too hot. I picked this as this definitely has a summer scent.
The scent is what makes this product, it is gorgeous. It is a blend of almond,coconut and myrrh and it smells good enough to drink. It does even have 'don't drink me' written on. I always wonder if anyone does try to drink these.
Being Radox this does foam up nicely and although it might not be the most luxurious bubble bath it doesn't dry out your skin.
I think this is a brilliant bargain for only £3.15 for 250ml. It smells equally as good as Lush's Yuzu and Cocoa Bubbleroon which I reviewed here. It is also 10p cheaper and you get a lot more then two baths out of it.
I will definitely be getting a few more. I did buy this in Boots but I can't find it but it is available from superdrug.com.
I bought this as part of a gift set absolutely ages ago. I had high hopes for this after watching too much QVC. Does anyone have to ban themselves from watching their beauty shows? And don't get me started on what I have to do to avoid their Nail Inc shows.
Anyway back to the product the scent surprised me I don't know what I expected, but to me this just smells like soap. I think I was expecting something a bit more luxurious to go along with the price tag, as this is not cheap. That said the scent is very unisex and non offensive.
Talking of unisex my boyfriend really likes this. No he doesn't moisturize his body but one evening he had a really sore back so I used this to give him a back rub. I am not sure how much I helped but he did comment on how nice this was.
I was also expecting this to be a lot thicker and difficult to work into the skin. In fact this is easy to smooth over the skin as a little goes a long way. It doesn't sink in very quickly and does leave a somewhat greasy residue on the skin. I don't find the residue unpleasant I just wouldn't recommend putting skinny jeans on after using this.
Overall I like the product and do think that it leaves my skin soft and smooth but I wouldn't purchase the full size. If I was going to spend £20 on a body lotion I would get the Molton Brown Coco De Mer Body Lotion which is £2 cheaper for 50ml more and smells amazing.
This is available from feelunique.com for £20 for 250ml
I know the sale is no longer on but I thought I would show you what I bought. I have said many times that my scalp is very problematic and I also have very fine unmanageable hair, so I wanted to really make the most of the sale by investing in some hair care.
Philip Kingsley Flaky Itchy Scalp Shampoo regular readers will have seen this in other hauls and empties, but I did actually debate getting the Philip Kingsley No Scent Shampoo instead. As much I love this shampoo my scalp is still never completely clear. I was tempted by the No Scent one as it SLS free which is a common irritant. I however decided to stick with this one as I would only have purchased a small size of the no scent so I didn't feel I was making the most of the sale. I got a 1000ml for £36.38 usually £41.25 here.
Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner in a bid to sort out my scalp and keep on top of it, I know I should use a scalp tonic. This one apparently stimulates blood to the scalp, absorbs excessive oil and protects against bacteria. I will let you know how I get on with this but I have used another of his toners before but never consistently. I am determined to give this a good go. I paid £13.50 instead of £15.30 for 250ml available here.
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer I got a tube of this for my birthday from my mum as she loves this stuff. Again I haven't used consistently but when I do use it my hair always feels amazing and does seem to behave better. I am hoping that if I use regularly the condition of my hair will improve and maybe just maybe become more manageable. I got 75ml for £11.25 which is usually £12.75 here.
If you do want to try Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer you can pick up a 40ml sample with this month's InStyle.
Philip Kingsley Stimulating Scalp Mask if you read my recent empties post here. I used up a Scalp Mask from Philip Kingsley which I loved. Unfortunately this has been discontinued and replaced with two new scalp masks. I have tried the exfoliating one and not been overly impressed so I am hoping that these are better. I got these for £4.13 each instead of £4.70 available here.
Now that I have all the products I just need to use them.
What did everyone else get in the FeelUnique.com sale?
First things first, sorry for the lack of posts. I haven't been very well and life has just been mega busy. I am also going on holiday soon so not sure how many posts will be coming up in the near future so apologies in advance. But here is what I used up last month.
Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer this was one of the first products I reviewed which you can read here. Its strange how much your opinions change but now I am full on addicted to this. It has been lovely to use in the summer as is so refreshing. I also think that although this might not brighten my skin I do think my skin looks better after using this. I will definitely repurchase this. It is available from johnlewis.com for £13.50 for 200ml.
Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream I liked this eye cream as it wasn't too heavy or greasy. It did also seem to work on my under eye circles however I didn't have the same results as I did with the Benefit It's Potent eye cream. For that reason I wouldn't purchase. You can read my full review here
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish my love for this has been well documented on here and you can read my very first post, which was a review on it here. This year I decided that as much as I love this, I just don't love how much it costs. I have since discovered the Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser which I am now using daily. I was keeping this for special occasions and then I realised that is crazy. Its taking up space and what type of special occasion was I waiting for. I will probably not buy this again but I still love this. This is available from johnlewis.com for £14.75 for 100ml.
Philip Kingsley Scalp Mask I won't say too much on this as it has been discontinued but basically I loved this. I have a very problematic scalp and this stuff really helped. Philip Kingsley has brought out two different masks to replace this and so far I have tried one which I don't think is as good. I will write a full post on that, and I may have bought the other one as part of a haircare haul coming up soon.
No7 Completely Quenched Moisturising Body Lotion I have done a recent post on this here so I won't launch into another rant, but safe to say I didn't like this. Seriously save your money this stuff is not worth over a tenner.
Marks & Spencer Coconut Shell Smoothing Body Polish this is what inspired me to start the mini Monday series as this has been hanging around for years. I kept meaning to take it with me on holiday but I always seemed to reach for something else instead. I can't see that this is available any more but it smells amazing like summer in a bottle. I didn't really like anything else about this as I felt it was just too thin to be an effective scrub, but the smell alone was so good I soon used it up. If anyone has any recommendations for coconut scented products please let me know.
TRESemme Heat Defence Spray which is a bog standard edition to the pile. I have been trying a different brand this month which I think I may prefer but how effective these are I don't know. You can pick this up everywhere but I get mine from boots.com for the points.
Percy & Reed Smoothed, Sealed & Sensational Volumising No Oil Oil another product I had high hopes for which I blame QVC for. I didn't really get on with this product, I didn't find it did anything for my hair. I am starting to lose the will to try and get any volume in my hair, it just doesn't co operate. I also have to say that although this is called no oil oil, it did make my hair look greasy if I used too much. I have done a full post which you can read here.
Nivea Extra Gentle Eye Make Up Remover after deciding that I should be more careful with what I put on my eyes I decided to get an actual eye make up remover. I tried one of those duo phase ones and didn't like the oiliness on my already oily lids. This is very gentle but does still remove normal mascara, I don't wear water proof so can't comment on whether it will shift that. It also doesn't leave any form of residue. Although I liked this I have fallen in love with Micellar waters so will probably just keep using them. This is available from boots.com for £2.39 usually £3.39.
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair first up I was going to write a full blog post but I wanted to really test the product and by the time I was ready to write it, it had been reformulated. Anyway I loved this product, this seemed to calm down my forehead, which has always been a problem area. Since I have been without for about a month I have noticed my skin change again. My forehead is mega shiny again and not very smooth. This also really calms down break outs. I was planning on checking whether this was at duty free when I go away next week but now I will have my eyes peeled for its new version Has anyone tried the new one I have read so many great reviews like on Beautymouth.com and viviannadoesmakeup.com
Sure Aloe Vera Sensitive Anti-Perspirant lastly the least glamorous product of the bunch, maybe I should just let you know if I change deodorant as this is seriously in ever empties post.
I got this in my Christmas Stocking after some serious hinting. I have heard so much about Caudalie and was so excited to try out some of their products in these little minis.
To be honest this wasn't one of the products I had heard a great deal about but when looking through my collection of moisturizers I decided to give this a go. This is seriously lightweight but strangely the wettest moisturizer I have ever used, if that makes sense. When I squeezed some out onto my hand I thought that this wouldn't be moisturizing enough but when you blend into your skin it so hydrating.
It doesn't leave any form of residue and sinks in very quickly which I love. It doesn't include any SPF but seeing as all my foundations do I can forgive it this. It can be used both day and night, I have only been using the in the morning but would imagine that this would be great at night time too.
There is a faint scent to this which is very fresh and which I like but if you are sensitive to scented products I would take that into consideration. The brand is free from parabens, mineral oils, SLS and many other nasty things.
I will definitely be purchasing the full size of this when I have used up all my moisturizer stashed away. I can safely say that this is one of the best moisturizers I have tried.
This is available from feelunique.com for £19.55 in the sale, usual price £23 for 40ml. Alternatively if you want to try a selection of their products including 10ml of this. This set is available in the sale for £10.44 usually £12.
As it was my best friends birthday this week, I decided I needed some amazing nails. I wore a green skater dress with black and gold accessories so went for Nails Inc Chelsea Embankment.
This is a serious full coverage glitter polish. I am wearing three thin coats, as if you apply too thick can take forever to dry. I also don't apply a topcoat to help make removal a fraction less traumatic.
One thing I love about this polish apart from just how stunning this looks is that it doesn't feel like sandpaper and catch on everything. It is also perfect when you are in a hurry, as you don't have to worry about being mega neat with textured polishes.
Wear time with this was slightly shorter because of the lack of top coat but still remained chip free for 4 days.
The only con with this is the removal, honestly removing glitter polish is a pain in the rear. I saw the funniest pin on pinterest which said 'Men will never know the agony of childbirth, menstrual cramps, or taking off glitter nail polish' which I think sums it perfectly.
If you can handle removing glitter polish then I would recommend this, it is available from nailsinc.com for £11. For those of you who just can't deal with the hassle I would strongly recommend Ciate Sand Dunes which I reviewed here.
I got this with the August 2012 (yes 2012) Glamour magazine and only just got round to trying it out. I am not sure why I took so long to try this as heard so many great things about it. I was even more interested in trying this out after using Benefit's B.Right It's Potent Eye Cream which I reviewed here.
First up I hate the packaging. I know some people love these tubes but they drive me insane. You can't see how much of the product you have left and you can't get every last drop out. This is only a sample however, and it seems that the full size product is packaged differently, so I guess this point is moot.
Now onto the product, this is fragranced. It's kind of a floral potpourri smell which I am not that keen on. Unless you apply loads, which you don't need to, its ok though. It's a light cream which absorbs quickly and feels very hydrating.
I must be honest I didn't notice the same results as I did with the Benefit. That said I don't think my circles have got worse, so maybe my eye area is as bright as it's ever going to get.
Would I purchase this - I don't know to be honest. I am definitely going to be buying the Benefit eye cream ,as I was blown away with the results. To me this just didn't compare, that said this is a nice product.
This is available from lookfantastic.com for £20 for 15ml
As you may know by now if you have read any of my posts on my hair. I have very fine hair and not loads of it, so I am always looking for something to give it a bit of volume. I decided to give this a try as I hadn't been having much luck with higher end products. I also liked that this included heat protection, so would save me using two products. I would usually start with the positives but other then this is cheap there isn't much going for it.
The first issue I have with this is the nozzle, its useless. It doesn't spray an even mist over your hair, it just squirts it onto one bit. I am not sure if the nozzle cause the next issue but brands need to stop using these useless nozzles.
My second issue is that this simply doesn't work. I don't notice that this added any volume to my hair at all. It didn't even add a bit that then fell out within a few minutes. It was also very sticky and made my hair look greasy.
I would make the bold statement that my hair actually looks better without using this. It made my roots look lank and greasy and it definitely didn't add any volume. I can't even bring myself to use up the rest of the bottle, so say goodbye as this will not be featuring in an empties post.
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