Empty Products: The March Edition

Another month has been and gone and finally the sun seems to be rearing its head, hurrah! Read on to see what I loathed and loved this month.

Skin
La Roche-Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel- I have been using LRP products for about two years but hadn't yet used this cleanser. I picked this one up when I was skint and couldn't afford the cleansers that I really want to buy.  A thick gel in consistency, this needed two pumps to cover the face and wash it effectively. It did wonders for keeping my skin calm as it is super gentle, I barely got any spots the months I was using this but did notice my pores weren't being cleansed as effectively as I like. The annoying thing about this packaging is there was product left at the bottom that I wasn't able to get out through the pump! Grrr...

Will I buy this again?
Probably not.


Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic; I ended up only using this sporadically as I don't think it did diddly squat for my skin, I just love the smell, it's like baby wipes.
Will I buy this again?
I cannot justify buying this just because I love the smell!

Shower


LUSH 'Twilight' Shower Gel- This was limited edition in December and after buying a small size I went back for more as I loved it so much. It is scented with lavendar and malt and is fairly strong but therapeutic. I never thought I particularly liked lavendar but I found this really relaxed me and helped me switch off if I used it at night. But as always, Lush really irk me with their 'natural' almost organic approach to their products yet the majority of them contain parabens which I can't help but find contradictory. All in all though, I did like this body wash.
Will I buy this again?
No, it is no longer available.

L'Occitane Bonne Mere Gentle Body Wash- This would have been perfect if it had been SLS free as it was really long lasting with a fragrance that was subtle. Creamy and foamy, a lovely body wash and definitely got our moneys worth as it has lasted really well.
Will I buy this again?
No.

The Body Shop Ginger Sparkle Shower Gel- My friend bought me this for christmas as she knows I normally love the christmas shower gel that TBS release every year. Last years was pumpkin pie and I adored it, but this years just seemed a bit poor in comparison. I like ginger but I didn't like that it had glitter in it. It was a warm winter scent that I enjoyed using, but it wasn't the best.

Will I buy this?
It's no longer available but if it was I probably wouldn't.

& Other Stories Lemon Daydream Body Wash- This was a sample I received with a top I bought. I love the aesthetics of the & Other Stories website, clothes and beauty packaging and am looking forward to visiting the London store next week. This sample disappointed me though, I found the lemon scent to be really deep and actually really masculine. It smelt like aftershave and for that reason I wouldn't buy it full sized.

Will I buy this?
No!


Hair & Makeup

Batiste Dry Shampoo mini- Cherry- I have been carrying around a mini dry shampoo recently as some days my hairs gets lank in the middle of the day and needs a bit of a boost. I have spoken about this one time and time again so I will bore you with no more details!
Will I buy this again?
This didn't last as long as I wanted it to, I think I will stick to full size in future.

Benefit 'Stay Don't Stray' - This was a sample of Benefit's eye primer. I haven't actually used many eye primers so I find it hard to compare it to others but overall I am impressed by it. It definitely makes the pigmentation of eyeshadows more intense and prevents colour from creasing. I only need a tiny bit of this each day so this sample has lasted me absolutely ages. I've still got another one to get through!
Will I buy this?
Perhaps oneday when my samples run out however I would like to give the Urban Decay primer potion a go as they are meant to be fantastic.

Fragrance

Marc Jacobs 'Dot' EDP - Just over a 1ml sample, this fragrance was nice enough but not very memorable. It's fruity and playful.  It's the newest fragrance and while I always find them pleasant I rarely love them enough to buy them full sized, I always hate the clumpy, gimmicky packaging (except the 'Lola' flower I can cope with) and everyone wears them.
Will I buy this full sized?
No.

Britney Spears 'Midnight Fantasy' EDP and 'Believe' EDP- You would be ashamed of me if you knew how long I had been stashing these in my perfume collection. I recently had a spring clean and decided that I have no need for empty bottles just wasting space so have included them in this empties post even though they've actually been empty a while. I used to love 'Believe' when I was younger but I couldn't even describe the scent to you now. I loved the soapy, sweet scent of 'Midnight Fantasy' but I wouldn't buy it again because let's face it, it's never about wearing a fragrance that is constantly on sale at Boots.
Will I buy these again?
They served a purpose and I loved them, but I wouldn't repurchase either now. 

Thanks for reading!

E.

Estee Lauder GWP- The Contents.

As I mentioned in a post a couple of days ago it's currently Gift With Purchase time for Estee Lauder (exclusive to Debenhams). This happens twice a year and is an offer of a free makeup bag containing 7 samples when you purchase two items (this time around, one has to be skincare.)

I thought I'd do a post showing you it's contents, with my thoughts on the products they've included. There's always a choice between two makeup bags; the skincare is what differs inside, I chose the bag targeted towards normal/combination skin but the other is targeted towards more mature (there's a firming moisturiser) or dry skin.

Skincare:

Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser- I'm always dubious to try new cleansers, this one has a floral scent and seems quite thick. I will give it a go when I've run out of my current one but I'm not expecting much. Who knows, I might be proven wrong!

Perfectly Clean Fresh Balancing Lotion- Again, I'm a bit cautious to try this. This is quite heavily scented (fresh and floral) however I think I will give it a go once by Liz Earle Skin Boost toner has run out because I know that this is alcohol free so should be fairly gentle.

Idealist Even Skintone Iluminator- This is a serum that instantly gives a glow and radiance boost to the skin with it's pearly beam finish, it also works on improving any uneven skintone over time with constant use. I always feel that this is a product I should love, so I'm looking forward to trying this. (You get a sample of Advanced Night Repair in the other bag).

Daywear Moisturiser- I've been using this moisturiser full sized throughout the year and have just finished it so this miniature is welcomed. A good cucumber scented moisturiser offering SPF15 but feels a little oily at times as it leaves behind residue, there is an oil free version with SPF 25 avalable for a few pennies more if you did like the sound of this.

Makeup:

'Sumptuous Extreme' Mascara- The brush for this is huge so is clearly a mascara for building bold volume- it's tapered at the end of the wand so it'll be easy to coat those hard-to-reach inner lashes. I've used the regular 'Sumptuous' mascara before and was impressed, as I didn't experience any smudging or 'panda eyes' and the sample lasted me longer than I expected.

Pure Colour Lipstick in 'Pink Parfait'; This is a sweet, wearable, light candy pink which carries that signature fig smell of Estee Lauder lipsticks. All their formulations are enriched with minerals which won't dry your lips out while offering good colour pay off and medium shine. This shade has a slight pearlescent finish to it, which puts me off it but will appeal to others!

Pure Colour Lip Gloss Duo in 'Rock Candy' and 'Plum Divine'- I think including a gloss was a good decision as there's something to please everyone, as not everyone likes to wear lipsticks and visa versa. 'Rock Candy' is very me and I'll use this a lot, it's a pretty milky pink colour with shimmer running through it and will perk up 'Pink Parfait' perfectly. 'Plum Divine' is a little brown toned for my taste but would look lovely on Asian or black skintones, or layered over a brighter lipstick such as MAC's 'Up The Amp' or 'Rebel'.

 

Overall I don't think this set is bad for a freebie, especially if you're a fan of the brand and are looking to repurchase your favourite products anyway. The makeup bag is pretty tasteless in my opinion, however I know that some people love it, packaging is always subjective! It's also a good way to really test out some products if you were new to the brand, as the samples are large enough to try things properly, and those you're not going to try you can give them to friends or family who will!

This offer is on until the 29th September- will you take advantage or are these products not for you?