Recent Empties: Shower.

Hair:

L'Oreal Elvive Nutrigloss Sparkling Conditioner: I was sucked in by the new product advertising and purchased the matching shampoo which I am yet to finish. The shampoo is so pretty- a pink jelly with sparkles! The conditioner however is not so pretty, just a plain creamy milky pink in colour, and to be honest it made my hair feel soft like any conditioner would, but also quite heavy and weighed down even though I had rinsed it all out. I didn't like it, and won't be buying it again. 

John Frieda Full Repair Deep Conditioner: This I bought after using it back in September (full review here), it softened my hair and made it easier to comb through. As deep conditioners go, it is a good one, but as always the tub size doesn't last me that long!

Charles Worthington Mineral Hair Rescue: I loved this. This was really effective in what it did, it wasn't as heavy as other conditioners and a little seemed to go a long way. I noticed good results with this and will buy it again.


Body:

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil: (Full review here) This is a wonderful, luxury product. It smells like almonds in a nutty way, rather than an amaretto way. It lathers nicely, though not greatly, leaves skin feeling clean and soft and best of all is is paraben and SLS-free.

Original Source Vanilla Milk and Raspberry Shower Gel: I adore the smell and consistency of this. It is so foamy, yet it still feels gentle on the skin. I try not to buy this often, but it is on offer quite a lot and I can't always justify splashing out on the more expensive, kind to skin shower gels.

Burt's Bees Fabulously Fresh Peppermint and Rosemary Body Wash: (Full Review here) This is a good value for money shower gel, it's free from nasty ingredients and it's 350ml lasts a long time. The scent is fresh and herby, and it lathers and foams really well. The scent lingers on your skin for a little while too, I love that fresh feeling.

Original Source Lemon and Tea Tree Shower Gel: Just a small travel size shower gel I took with me when I was staying in London for a week. It's so so, not as nice as the vanilla milk and raspberry one, and again, I do try and avoid SLS as much as I can. 

Thanks for reading,

E.

Empty Products- the January Edition.

Hiya Lovelies, I've got my January Edition empties post for you today. Hope you enjoy :-)

Johnsons Cotton Buds- Yeah not much to say about these, after all, they are cotton buds. They are so handy, especially when applying makeup I find them invaluable to correct any smudges or create sharp lines with eye makeup!
Will I buy these again?
Already have.

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Hairspray- The fact that this has lasted me since I bought it in August is perhaps an indicator that I don't use all that much hairspray. I thought this was great when I did use it and would buy it full size. It held the style for a good amount of time and didn't smell as hidesouly strong as my Elnett hairspray!
Will I buy this again?
Yes.

Ojon Dry Recovery Shampoo- This month turned into one of those 'using up' months and I had a couple more washes left in the bottle. Whenever I have a shampoo and conditioner duo I have a terrible habit of ditching the rest of the shampoo when my conditioner bottle inevitably runs out first. What is with that by the way? I love the scent of Ojon products but really question the price tag.
Will I buy this again?
No.

The Body Shop Banana Shampoo- This doesn't lather up particularly well which was a surprise considering it contains SLS. That aside, I really enjoyed this shampoo and used in conjunction with the banana conditioner left my hair feel really lightweight and soft. I know I have got Catrine of Unnaked Nails addicted to this!
Will I buy this again?
Yes! And would recommend.

Clinique Take The Day Off Eye Makeup Remover- This was a deluxe sized sample however I cannot find it on the website so maybe it has been discontinued? Luckily I didn't particularly like it, it was one of those eye makeup removers that is really oily and left a residue behind, but it was fairly effective at lifting off long wearing eye makeup. I never thought I'd see the day where I say that I do actually miss Estee Lauder's Take It Away eye makeup remover because it was so good and oil free. Still too expensive though! The search continues....
Will I buy this?
No.

Etat Pur Miscellar Water (not pictured)- I won this in Sandra's giveaway along with a purifying mask and I have got to say I love both products so much that I might do a seperate blog post on them anyway. At first I was put off by the floral scent this had in comparison to my previously used unscented Bioderma solution. However I soon got over it and enjoyed using this. It worked really effectively and didn't leave a residue behind. Miscellar waters are great for removing makeup gently before cleansing, but don't let them replace your cleanser like I have seen so many bloggers do :-/
Will I buy this?
Yes I will as it is the cheapest miscellar water I have seen at only £6-7 pounds on the Etat Pur website and I am keen to try more of their products.


LUSH 'Cupcake' Fresh Face Mask- Ben and I shared this after we had drunk a couple of Baileys. We really didn't like the consistency or the sickly chocolate smell. As with all the fresh masks from LUSH that I have tried, I couldn't wait to wash this off, the consistency bought me to gagging point- so thick and lumpy! It did however make my skin feel soft and smooth afterwards as it exfoliates as you remove it. This was given to us, so I'm not disappointed as I didn't spend cash on it.
Will I buy this?
No!

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum- I'd become a bit slack in using this so this 30ml lasted me a while. To be honest I am not too sad to see it go, I don't notice a huge difference in my skin when I am using this to when I am not it had just become a staple in my routine for the past year and it felt odd not to use it. Some of you may know that I am on the hunt for a more natural serum, as this one does contain parabens.
Will I buy this again?
No.

Sample Pot- This was a sample of Bare Minerals' answer to Advanced Night Repair, similar in colour and texture this serum absorbs quickly and left the skin feeling a bit plumper and nourished. It is paraben free along with other undesirable ingredients however again, I'm not sure I loved this enough to buy it. Or perhaps I am just being stingy ;-)
Will I buy this?
Maybe.

Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Mattifying Moisturiser- I loved this and have already repurchased. It is my perfect day moisturiser as it is a light lotion that absorbs so quickly leaving the skin feeling fresh and ready for makeup! I have written a full review here but in short it is great for combination or blemish prone skin as it contains salicylic acid which cleans out pores. Really lovely stuff but I do wish it had inbuilt SPF.
Will I buy this again?
Already have :-)


Origins High Potency Night A Mins- This lasted me approx three months and was my chosen night cream. Firm in consistency, I was worried it would feel too heavy on my skin but it was quite the opposite. It soaked in fairly quickly and in the mornings my skin didn't feel dry or irritated. It's only since this has run out that I've realised how much I liked it. I LOVED the smell, it smells like orange sherbert.
Will I buy this again?
It's been ordered!

Empty Products- The November Edition.

I'm baack! Time to show you what I finished last month, what I thought of 'em, and whether I'll buy it again! Any questions you have about any of the products leave me a comment below and I'll get back to you.

Boots 'Smooth Care' Facial Hair Removal Cream- Oh yeah, I'm going there. It may be TMI for some people but I love this product way more than the Veet option. It's a hair removal cream especially designed for hair on the face, I use it on my upper lip as I don't like getting it waxed (the upkeep is too much/the hair will grow back uneven or coarse/I don't really want to walk around town with a red strip above my lip) nor do I like getting it threaded when I could save a whole lot of money and do it myself. The tube has lasted me a long time (let's say a year because it has a 12month expiry) and I think it is effective at what it does and a good price too. I don't experience any irritation or sensitivity after using this and it is a bargain.
Will I buy this again?
Already have!

Emma Hardie 'Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm'- This was a free sample, it was 15ml and came with an Emma Hardie facecloth. The sample lasted me approximately a week being used twice a day which is pretty good. I absolutely loved it, the whole process of using a balm to cleanse with feels so luxurious and this product really seems to pamper the skin, plus I experienced no negative side effects. See a more indepth review by clicking here.
Will I buy this?
Oh fo' sho'

REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk- Luckily I didn't pay for this as it was a 30ml sample. I first noticed how strong it's scent was, it was so intense and not particularly pleasent and for review purposes I tried it removing a full face of makeup. It removed makeup really well but three days after using this twice a day my skin broke out like I have never experienced in my life. I have never had a big problem with spots and at the age of 23 I never expected to have such a break out, my diet or liestyle hadn't changed and that was the only new face product I was using that week. I don't want to blame the cleanser but I don't know what else it could be. For empties sake I used it to the end, I wanted to prove myself wrong but my skin worsened. It has put me off the brand completely. Has anyone else experienced this?
Will I buy this?
No. Even if it didn't cause the breakout, I hated the smell. Too strong.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic- This was a 50ml sample that came with a cleanse and polish that I ordered online. I adore the smell, it smells a bit like baby products. In a good way, haha. It contains some gorgeous ingredients such as aloe vera, vitamin e, and cucumber and is alcohol free which is a must have in a skin toner, too many contain harsh alcohols ready to strip your skin! This really soothes the skin after cleansing or exfoliating and makes the skin feel healthy and supple.
Will I buy this?
Yes, I treated myself.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Cream- I do think this is worth the £36 price tag, as it seems to have done wonders for my partner. He now uses it religiously! In texture this is a thick balm, which is a consistency I prefer in eye cream than to a thin lotion. My fiance has suffered with eczema for years and developed dry, flaky skin all around his eyes which is heightened in the colder months. Since using this every night he has experieced no flakiness or flare ups around his eyes and I do think it is due to this product. I enjoy using it too, though I can't see a huge difference on me.
Will I buy this again?
Yes, we both use it and it seems to help maintain his skin in a good condition.

Clinique 'All About Eyes' Eye Cream- This was a sample in a recent GWP. I'm always a bit wary of Clinique skincare, it is so laden with chemicals. The number 2 clarifying toner is an amazing stain remover....therefore it's not going anywhere near my face.
We had run out of the eye cream mentioned above so thought we'd use this in the mean time. It's a light consistency that feels like a lotion or moisturiser, it absorbs well and leaves the under eyes feeling a bit fresher. This didn't last us long so I can't comment on whether it improved my under eyes, but it didn't seem to do anything for Ben and his sore skin!
Will I buy this again?
No.

Estee Lauder DayWear Moisturiser- This was a sample pot in the most recent Gift With Purchase. I like the cucumber scent this has but I would definitely recommend the oil free version over this one, it never seems to absorb like I want it to, always leaving a slight film on the skin! I never notice any benefits or bad points when using this, it is just average. I have used up a 50ml tub in the past but I can't say I love this or would want to use it again.
Will I buy this again?
No.

John Frieda Full Repair 'Perfect Ends Sheer Mist'- This is similar to most heat protection products I have used in the past and seemed to do it's job well, it helped maintain a smooth feeling to my hair. I did notice it held the blowdry well too, which is a huge bonus. I think the bottle is too small though...
Will I buy this?
I don't think so.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in 'Cherry'- It's in my empties every month. I think it does a good job for the price, and I like the cherry scent the best.
Will I buy this again?
Already have!

Soap and Glory Hand Maid Gel-  Antibacterial Hand Gel is an absolute must have for me and this one by Soap and Glory is my favourite. While it removes any nasties your hands may have picked up, anitbacterial hand gel is self absorbing so you don't have to worry about rubbing it off afterwards as you would with normal soap. This one has a really nice scent which completely counteracts the high intensity smell of alcohol present in other hand gels. I really hate having dirty hands or feeling like they might be dirty, so this is a definite repurchase for me.
Will I buy this again?
Already have!

As always, let me know if you use any of these and what you think and link me to your empties posts because I lurrve reading them!

Empty Products- the September Edition

As I mentioned before, empties posts are one of my favourites to both write and read. I also secretly really enjoy hoarding my empty products throughout the month so that I can give myself a pat on the back for using something to the end and not getting bored of it halfway through use. #beautybloggerissues

 

Batiste Dry Shampoo in 'Cherry' - Cherry is my chosen 'flavour' for Batiste, I'm not a fan of the other scents apart from the 'Original- Clean and Classic' one. Since I've gone blonder the slight white residue that this can leave behind at times isn't as much of an issue which is a plus. I would like to try other dry shampoos, such as the new VO5 one, but I don't like to gamble my money on hair products that might not work for me.

Will I buy this again?

Already have!

 

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Moisturising Conditioner- This was a 50ml miniature that came in a set with it's matching shampoo and and hairspray for about a fiver. This conditioner lasted me about 4-5 hair washes which means it's the perfect travel size for a holiday. It was thick and luxurious but I didn't notice that it brightened my blonde.

Wil I buy this again?

I'd be tempted to buy the travel kit if I saw it again and was going on holiday, but I doubt I'd get this full sized as it didn't do much for brightening my blonde and I've been enjoying using his Full Repair range here.

John Frieda Full Repair Deep Conditioner- As I was sent this to review I used it during every wash so that I could see the full effects. I really like this product, I like it's scent and the way that it does seem to do what it says on the tub- after washing it out my hair feels healthy and soft and best of all there's no residue left behind. See my full review here.
Will I buy this again?
I will definitely buy this, and will probably use it every other wash to make it last longer, as it is an intensive treatment. 

Soap and Glory 'Clean On Me' Shower Gel- For a fiver you get a huge amount of shower gel that has lasted me well. I have always loved the sweet, soapy smell that this has, and love even more that I can smell it on my skin hours after showering. It's creamy, lathers well and feels more expensive than it is to wash with. I wish I hadn't looked on the ingredients list after I'd bought this, I think it's a shame that parabens have been included and while I know that I must use products that contain them everyday, I feel it's unnecessary in a body wash.

Will I buy this again?
If my judgement hadn't been a bit tainted I would have, but sadly I've been put off it a bit.

Mitchum 48 Hour Advanced Control aerosol deodarant in 'Powder Fresh'- This is the first and last time I'll include a deoderant in an empties post or it'll bore you all to death seeing the same one month after month. This is the best deoderant I have ever used and since discovering this a few years ago I've never looked back. It totally works, and isn't particularly harsh on the skin. Would recommend if you're looking to try a new one.
Will I buy this again?
Already have and always will!

Vichy One Step Cleanser- This 200ml bottle lasted me approx 6 weeks and was used twice a day. The milky fluid made a change to the stiff cream of Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish, and while it was enjoyable to use, you had to work it more to remove makeup and dirt. I liked how gentle this was. Full review here.

Will I buy this again?

I think I will, but for now I've gone back to 'ole reliable Liz.

Estee Lauder 'Advanced Night Repair' serum- This is my second bottle finished, the 30ml lasts me about 3 months. Advanced Night Repair is a night time repair serum that works on mending any damage caused to the DNA within the skin cells to help prevent premature ageing. It's hard to put my finger on what this product is doing for my skin, but it just seems to improve the quality of it; when I meet women who have been using this for years, their mature skin looks plumper and in better condition compared to other women of their age. Ben has suffered with patches of eczema on his face for years- since using this in conjunction with the Advanced Night Repair eye cream he hasn't encountered any bad flair ups. You can see a mini review here.
Will I buy this agin?
Absolutely, my skincare routine feels lost when I don't have this to hand.

Estee Lauder 'DayWear' moisturiser- This is a fresh cucumber scented moisturiser with sun protection factor 15. I found this to be a good moisturiser as I didn't experience any dryness while I was using this, the only downside was that I found it took a while to absorb at times. I would prefer the oil free version next time.
Will I buy this again?
I've got a miniature of this from my Gift With Purchase so will use that up but I'm not sure that I would buy this again as I am developing a big interest in natural skincare at the moment.

BareMinerals Matte SPF15 foundation in 'fair c10'- At the time I bought this, it did wonders for me. My skin was a post-Christmas mess and I was yet to invest time and money into researching skin care. Every liquid foundation I was using was seperating on my skin after a couple of hours and looked awful, so I trotted over to the BM counter and tried this. It offers a light medium coverage and works with the natural oils of the skin over a few hours to develop into a beautiful, flawless skin finish, it's not often you can say a foundation looks better halfway through the day than when it was first applied. It got ignored for a while, and I used the last dregs of this as a setting powder this month, which also gives a nice finish.

Will I buy this again?

I think I will oneday in the future, but I do think it is pricey for the amount you get, and the fairest shade is still a wee bit off (it's not obvious though).

L'Oreal Lumi Magique 'Touch of Light Illuminating Pen' in 01.- I liked this as it was a good high street offering for those who can't fork out for YSL's Touche Eclat. I enjoyed using this, it offers a natural light coverage and does brighten the under eye area. 

Will I buy this again?

I think I would but it's not a must have for me.

Do you use any of these products? Make sure you link me to your empties posts as they are my favourite to read :-)

John Frieda Full Repair x2 Review

John Frieda Full Repair Deep Conditioner, £6.29 for 150ml. 
John Frieda Full Repair Perfect Ends Sheer Mist, £6.99 for 75ml

I have dyed my hair since I was 13, when I had my first set of highlights put in. Since then I have had white/lilac hair, yellow (don't ask), brown hair, black hair, ginger hair, and I've gone back full circle recently and opted for blonde highlights run through with my natural hair colour. We'll see how long this lasts...

10 whole years of hair abuse has seen my locks loose most of it's vitality, it's certainly had a time of it. Sorry hair!

I only started taking a proper interest in hair products when I placed a Bumble&Bumble and Ojon order in the spring. While I got on with the Ojon dry recovery range, I can't help but feel it doesn't quite justify that exortionate price tag and I have an on/off relationship with BB Salt Spray.

When I was offered to try two products from the John Frieda Full Recovery range I gladly accepted, I hoped that I'd see positive results so that I'd be able to repurchase in the future as they are reasonably priced and easily accessible. 

The Deep Conditioner is something my hair obviously needed. A scoop of this from the tub and massaged into the ends of my hair and left for a few minutes has made my hair smooth and soft, and also reduces the knots in my hair that I, annoyingly, always have after washing. It's scented with a fruity salon smell and it doesn't create that icky product build up that some conditioners can leave behind (no matter how long you rinse), resulting in an intensive mask that feels lightweight on the hair. I will continue to use this and will definitely buy this one again, I just wish it wasn't packaged in a tub- they're so awkward when you're in the shower and have wet hands!

The Perfect Ends Sheer Mist is an after wash treatment, that sprayed into towel dry hair maintains the smooth feel that the conditioner created and also offers protection against heat treatments. Similarly to the conditioner, there's no residue left behind that products in the same price range do, in my experience. As heat protection sprays go, this is a nice one, it seems to hold the blow dry well- my hair stays straighter for longer after using this.

I've been more than impressed with the Full Repair range and am thankful to have been sent them as they have helped my hair maintain a good condition and are within the price range that I am comfortable with spending on hair products. (I'm running really low on the Deep Conditioner already!)

I'd be really interested to try the Perfect Ends Deep Infusion Serum when I'm next in Boots or Superdrug, as I think it would accompany the Sheer Mist well by optimising protection and perhaps helping condition and smooth out my knots.

What hair repair products do you use? Will you be picking any of these Full Repair products up in the future?

If you want to watch some helpful how-to videos created to promote the John Frieda repair range, see my post here with a link to the videos. They've since added more for you to check out so it is worth subscribing to the channel. I'm off to learn how to do a hair bow now, laters!

1960's beehive with John Frieda

I've recently been alerted to this set of videos presented by John Frieda hair stylists Jake Davis and Giles Robinson to help simplify hairstyles (including the ever popular top knot) and blow drys whilst promoting the John Frieda Full Repair range which has been available for a few months now.

Today I just thought I'd show you the videos and tell you how I got on with trying their 1960s beehive look.

Are these videos really hairstying made easy? 
I've said here how I'm not exactly skilled when it comes to hair, always opting for easy styles each day so it was nice to give something new a go for a change.

I found the step by step video very informative and it did actually break the hairstyle down into manageable chunks that even a hairstyling dummie like me could manage.
Overall, I was quite pleased with my effort, opting for a more modern take on the beehive by wearing it a bit messy. I chose to pair it with sixties inspired makeup too! I would really recommend the videos if you were looking for a bit of help with a hair dilemma or wanted to try something new. Make more please, John Frieda!

1960's Beehive: click
TopKnot: click
Full Body Blow Dry: click
Perfectly Straight Blow Dry: click

Check back soon as I'll have a review post on two of the Full Repair products within the next couple of weeks.

Please note: I was contacted to post about the videos on my blog so that you guys can watch them, however it was my choice  to try the beehive hairstyle myself so that I could give my own opinion of how easy I found the tutorial in the video, therefore my positive feedback is my own opinion, as always!

P.S. I'm moving house today so I may be absent for a little while, as soon as we have t'internetz connected I'll be back! :-)