Empties

I really enjoy reading bloggers' Empties posts so I have started saving my empty bottles so I can start doing my own Empties posts!  Here goes for my first ever!

First up is Beautannia Brideshead Bath & Shower Gel which is available from Space NK.  This was part of a gift set and it was a joy to use, the smell is lovely, describing scent is not my strong point but it is a fresh floral smell and the smell stayed on my skin for a good hour or so after my shower which I really liked.  The gel itself is silky and you only need a little bit and it lathers up well so I was able to make this small bottle last.  I would purchase this in future.....but it costs £30 for a 350ml bottle which I think is a bit steep for a shower gel so if I was in Space NK looking for a shower gel I would probably purchase from the Life NK range instead which is a bit more reaonable price wise.

The second used up item is L'Oreal Mythic Oil Conditioner which is part of the Mythic Oil range, I know people rave about Mythic Oil so I decided to try the shampoo and conditioner from the range.  The conditioner cost £12.10 from Lookfantastic.com and is quite reasonable for the size.  I used up this conditioner but I didn't feel it did a lot for my fine but damaged highlighted hair.  It was just ok, it conditioned my hair but was certainly nothing special and I wasn't mad on the smell.  I wouldn't buy this again but if someone gave me a free bottle I would use it up!!

The third product is L'Occitane Pivoine Flora Shower Gel which was really lovely to use, it was a small bottle that was part of a gift set I got for my birthday.  A little of this shower gel goes a long way and lathers up well.  The smell is gorgeous, it contains a peony extract and it made my bathroom smell so nice.  I don't think the smell lingered on my skin too long but this was still a pleasure to use.  A full size bottle costs £13 for 250ml and I would purchase this in future.

The last item is Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Bath & Shower Cream which was another birthday gift (yes I was very spoiled!)  The packaging looks nice and expensive and the smell is really nice, it contains frangipani flowers and tahitian oil - its a really comforting aroma and I loved using this in the shower over winter when it was freezing outside.  The smell would envelope me and just make me feel a bit better about the fact it was zero degrees outside.  The shower cream is....er.....creamy and lathers up well, I did feel really nice and clean after using this.  I have had a little look online and it costs over £20 so I probably wouldn't purchase but I do hope to receive this as a gift again!!

Hope you enjoyed my first empties post....I am already saving bottles/tubes for my next post!

Review: Clarins Extra-Firming Body Lotion

I was going to throw this empty in the recycling (as you can see from the photo I got every last bit of product out!) but then I thought I should share what I thought of it with you as its a really nice product.

I got this tube of Clarins Extra-Firming Body Cream as a gift with purchase last autumn and for a while it sat in my drawer forgotten but now we are getting towards summer I have been rifling through my cupbards and drawers for firming products!

This lotion claims to restore the skin's youthful density and elasticity. It also claims to instantly smooth away lines, leaving skin soft and satin-smooth.  I would say it definitely does most of those claims.  I found that by applying the lotion daily to those wobbly areas the tone of the skin is definitely improved and the texture of the skin just seems smoother and softer.

However I don't think this cream (or for that matter any cream) can lift an area but hey I wasn't expecting that so wasn't disappointed. 

What I would say this lotion is good for is getting my neglected winter skin ready for the summer and being exposed on the beach......anything that improves the appearance of my skin is a winner in my book.

The lotion was also really pleasurable to use, its fairly light in texture and has a very subtle fragrance which fades really quickly and it absorbs within about two minutes which is a bonus when waiting to get dressed.

The only downside is the price, I had a look online and it costs £40 for 200ml.  I probably wouldn't repurchase as I find that quite expensive as I think I'd go through a tube of this really quickly, its a shame as its a really lovely product.

Review: Rouge Bunny Rouge Long Lasting Duo Eye Shadow in A Major - Fis Minor

I am feeling very lucky at the moment - I won this product in a giveaway on on the Visionary Beauty Blog http://visionarybeauty.blogspot.co.uk/ do check it out, its a fabulous blog!  I was so excited to win as I haven't tried any items from the Rouge Bunny Rouge range before so couldn't wait to try the eye shadow.  Clare from Visionary Beauty also included another eye product which was so generous of her but I will give that its own post as it's lovely and deserves its own review!

So firstly I was struck by how pretty the packaging was:

I love the wee bunny rabbits!

Its so whimsical and pretty isn't it?

When I first looked at the eyeshadow I thought it looked gorgeous and it was something that I would definitely have been tempted by if I had seen it in a shop.  One half of the pan is a very pale gold colour and the other half is a lovely browny gold colour .

The shadow feels creamy and applies like a dream, I have been applying the pale gold colour all over my eyelid, it gives really good coverage even though its such a light colour, it has a slight shimmer but is not too full on.  I then take the brown colour along the crease and to the outer corner of my eye and blend.  And thats it, its so simple and yet looks so pretty on. 

The shadow lives up to its name and really is long lasting, I have used it every day this week - I probably apply it at about 8.30am and its still there at 10pm and it doesn't crease.

So my verdict on my first Rouge Bunny Rouge item is that its amazing and delivers on every aspect.  I am so going to have to own more of this brand!  As far as I know you can't buy RBR anywhere in the UK apart from online, I know Zuneta.com stock it.....I was just on the site looking at the other products.....I want them all!!  Can any of you recommend any other must-have items from RBR?

Review: Essie Jelly Apple

Essie's Jelly Apple nail polish used to be one of my favourite shades and then I forgot about it...oops!  So I am really happy that today I remembered it and now it is on my nails I remember why I love it so much.

Its a very true red shade - there is no coral or orange in this red and I think this makes it look really classy whilst still being a bright red.

It applies well, two coats and you have a lovely deep colour and using the Seche Vite top coat leaves you with a really nice glossy finish.  I am pale and it works on my skin but I really think this colour would suit most people.

I am so glad I have found this colour again - I will definitely be wearing it loads more....its back in my favourite Essie varnishes!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Review: Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Body Oil Spray

Last year I was so disappointed that Estee Lauder omitted the Body Oil Spray from their Bronze Goddess collection.  I love the Bronze Goddess Skinscent perfume and I find that by also using the body oil, the layering process really makes the fragrance last.

I was over the moon when I found out that the Body Oil Spray was to be sold this summer and as soon as it arrived in Boots I was at the Estee Lauder counter purchasing a bottle!

I have been using the Bronze Goddess perfume and oil for the past three or four years and often use it on the hottest days as is not in the least bit heavy.  The oil is a dry oil so you spray on your body (the spray is brilliant by the way and minimises oil going anywhere it shouldn't (unlike the Tom Ford body oil I own that just ends up everywhere!)   Once you have rubbed the oil in your skin is left with a slight sheen and is not in the least bit greasy - perfect.

So onto the fragrance.....I think when I first smelt both the body oil and the skinscent it immediately transferred me to the beach, it reminded me of a very nice, expensive sun lotion, I think that is probably the notes of coconut and citrus.  I find it hard to describe fragrance but this is, to me, the perfect holiday by the beach scent! 

I am even thinking of buying another bottle of the body oil spray just in case Estee Lauder don't bring it out next year.....I am a woman obsessed!!!

I paid £35 for 100ml at Boots.

Review: Wax Lyrical Day at the Spa Candle

Recently I was browsing in Boots at Westfield, its a big branch so often has ranges that you don't get in the smaller stores.  In this branch they had a whole section devoted to candles - I was a bit overexcited when I saw it as I love to burn a candle at home and I have an expensive Diptyque habit that I am trying to overcome so I thought I would give another brand a try.

After much sniffing and comparing I decided to get a Wax Lyrical candle, it was £8.50 for a candle that has a 35 hour burn time which seems pretty reasonable.  The candle I chose was called Day at the Spa and had a lovely crisp yet slightly floral scent, just smelling it made me feel relaxed.  I couldn't wait to get it home and flood my bedroom with the fragrance.

I should also mention the candle itself is a lovely blue colour and comes in a sturdy glass jar and is accompanied by a lid (not pictured - sorry).

Sadly thats were all the good points end, I have burnt this candle about five times now, for about two hours a time and I am so disappointed that virtually no smell comes from it.  I am not exaggerating but I can leave my room and when I return I cannot smell a thing (normally when you leave and come back you can really smell a scented candle).  Last night I went right up to the candle and sniffed and only got the faintest smell.

So to sum up if you want a blue candle that smells of nothing by all means purchase this, but if you want a candle that fills your room with a lovely fragrance steer clear!  I am so gutted I wasted £8.50 on this....ah well you win some you lose some!

Do any of you have any recommendations on any candles that are cheaper than Diptyque but that do smell lovely when lit?

Review: Dermalogica Active Moist Moisturiser

For too many years I didn't moisturise.....I know, its not good is it?  When I was younger I had oily skin and was prone to the odd breakout, as I got older my skin seemed to settle down a bit and is not longer oily and I would say I now have combination skin.

The reason I didn't moisturise - well I found most moisturisers were fine for the first day or two but would then cause me to break out in spots.  I would then stop moisturising and my skin would calm down and the spots would go.  Then I would try a different moisturiser and so the circle would begin again.

I have tried cheap moisturisers from Superdrug and Boots right through to pricey creams from Space NK and Selfridges but found the results were the same.  It was about eight years ago (when I was 30) that I went for a Dermalogica facial and I fell in love with their products but one product in particular really stood out to me.......

......Active Moist was used at the end of the facial and felt really nice, one of my favourite things about it is that it absorbs into my skin really quickly - literally within a minute its totally absorbed (my pet hate is products that just seem to sit on the skin.....I end up wanting to wash them off). 

I was given samples by the facialist so decided to give them a try and hand on heart, it was the first moisturiser I had ever used that agreed with my skin!  It didn't cause one single spot, it didn't make me look greasy so was perfect to use both morning and night.  It also seemed to help the texture and tone of my skin.....I am sure my skin needed some moisture after years of not moisturising.

Active Moist is fragrance free, oil free and very lightweight.  It is not the cheapest product but I only use a small amount for each application and find that a large tube lasts me the best part of a year.

50ml costs £30 and 100ml costs £43 at www.jerseybeautycompany.co.uk

Review: Kiehl's Supremely Gentle Eye Make-up Remover

Recently I have been posting about new items I have acquired which of course is great fun for me but I thought I should tell you about my holy grail products, the products that I have found that I always repurchase and use on a daily basis.

A few years ago I always used Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Make-up Remover and had no problems with it.....until I developed an allergy to it.....literally overnight!  I then moved onto a Ren Eye make-up remover which was then discontinued so I then tried Talika Gentle Eye Cleanser which I really liked but I seemed to get through a bottle of this stuff at lightning speed and seemed to constantly be repurchasing making this product quite pricey.

I wasn't having that much luck until I tried Kiehl's Supremely Gentle Eye Make-up Remover.  I think the name drew me towards it, as someone who has experienced an allergie reaction to an eye make-up remover I wanted something gentle however the test is that some days I wear shadow, liquid liner and lashings of mascara so it needs to be effective at cleaning this all off.

I am happy to say that this product delivers on every front!

I love that this is a light creamy lotion and not at all greasy (it reminds me of my former Ren favourite), it isn't fragranced and is safe for contact lens wearers.  It contains Contains cooling Cucumber Gel, Antioxidants (Lutein, and Beta-Carotene) and Apricot Kernel Oil.

To use, I dampen a cotton wool pad and put a small blob of remover onto the pad and then press gently over my eye and hold for about ten seconds and then I wipe.  I then fold the pad and repeat on the same eye and its that simple.  It takes everything off and doesn't leave my eyes irritated or red.

I can't advise if this works on waterproof make-up as I don't use waterproof make-up myself but it works a treat otherwise. 

It costs £17.50 but lasts for ages as you only need to use such a tiny amount.