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 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.

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil.

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil, £17.50 for 250ml.

Following on from my post about chemicals and ingredients in skincare last Monday I thought it best I review a product that is free from all of those I listed. L'Occitane Almond Shower Gel is easily accessible- it is available from L'Occitane shops & their website and is also stocked in larger Debenhams stores and online too.

It is a luxury showertime treat, being fairly pricey at £17.50 for 250ml, however I imagine this is partly due to the ingredients- it is free from SLS which is a very cheap 'bulking' product to make bath time products foam and is normally second on the ingredients list of most shower gels (proving it's high content.) The absence of SLS leads me to think the ingredients including in this shower oil are premium or of good quality and therefore worth paying a little extra for.

Lets get down to the details. In my head I was expecting what is the often assumed almond scent in artificial products- that potent smell like amaretto or marzipan. It's a smell I love but I appreciate that the scent of this almond oil is more true to life and less synthetic, it is very subtle and almost nutty, a lot more elegant and a lot less overwhelming. An element of sweetness remains but this isn't overpowering, resulting in a product that both males and females can use without worrying about an after-scent seeming either too masculine or too feminine.
The oil in consistency is runny, as expected. Both it's liquidity and colour could easily be likened to olive oil! I was worried about an oil feeling heavy on the skin or leaving an icky film behind but thankfully this product does neither of these things, it lathers up in a natural, not overly bubbly way and washes off easily leaving skin feeling cleansed and smoothed.

Something I have noticed since using this is my skin seems calmer. I have never thought that I experienced skin sensitivity, particularly on my body but I had noticed recently that after showering my back and legs would become so itchy. This had just become the norm and to be honest I hadn't put two and two together (duh!) and am now certain that something in my old shower gels was irritating the skin in these areas.

I know this product has a certain amount of 'blogger fame' and while I am always a bit wary of such claims I can honestly say that this is worth the hype. It is lovely to use, though understandably a higher price tag than many would like to pay for a body wash. However if you are concerned about SLS, parabens and so on, I would urge you to give this a go- I love it.

Let me know if you have used or continue to use this product. If you can recommend any other shower products that are free from SLS etc then please do let me know as I am really keen to try more!

Thanks for reading,

E.

Empty Products- the October Edition.

It's that time of the month again, empties time!! I've racked up a total of 13 empty products this month, which is pretty good going for me. They're a mixture of skincare, haircare, nails, makeup and fragrance! Read on to see what I think of each. :-)

Bioderma Crealine h2O Solution Micellaire- I really enjoy using miscellar waters, I think they're great because they remove face/base makeup effectively and are gentle enough for all skin types. Bioderma was the first I purchased and probably remains my favourite of them all. It's unscented and I notice an improvement in my skin when I remove my makeup with it before cleansing my face, rather than just using a cleanser on it's own to remove my makeup as well as clean my skin. Bioderma isn't readily available in the UK (though I heard miniatures are on sale in Harrods now) so I use an eBay seller, I think this 500ml bottle cost me between £12-£15. There is something so simple yet tactile about the bottle too, I just love it.
Will I buy this again?
I've got an Etat Pur one to use now but I'm certain I'll buy this again in the future.

YSL Top Secrets Pro Removers Eye Makeup Remover- This 30ml bottle came free with a selection of YSL products in a makeup bag that I was given last Christmas after spending so much on the counter! I absolutely loved this, it removed eye makeup instantly and gently, without irritating my sensitive eyes.
Will I buy this again?
I've got a full sized eye makeup remover still unopened, but I would buy this full sized.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish- Another month, another empty Cleanse & Polish! This is my go-to fail safe cleanser of the moment, it cleanses really well and gently removes any excess makeup. I think it's price is so reasonable for the quality, it contains gorgeous natural ingredients such as chamomile, cocoa butter and eucalyptus oil.
Will I buy this again?
Already have.

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light moisturiser- This claims to offer 48 hour hydration and is targeted towards those with sensitive skin. The consistency of this is quite fluid and it takes quite a long time to absorb. For once, a Vichy product left me quite opinionless.
Will I buy this again?
No.

L'Occitane Ultra Rich Body Cream- This was a sample given to me after my boyfriend spent £22 on a body wash for my birthday. I absolutely adored this, while I only used it once I noticed how quickly it absorbed for such a rich cream that contains 25% Shea Butter. It softened my legs and elbows, and the nourished effects could still be felt in these areas days later, after further showering.

Will I buy this?

I would love to have this full size, it'd be a perfect winter moisturiser.

Kiehls 'Creme De Corps' All Over Body moisturiser- This was a favourite of mine and was featured in my May favourites. Luxurious, soft, and doesn't take too long to absorb, it's ideal if you're looking for an unscented intensive body moisturiser. This is technically Ben's, so he used it up and I thought I'd include it in the post, I only used it sporadically but I always enjoyed it when I did.
Will I buy this again?
I'm sure Ben will ;-)

Lee Stafford Hot Shots 4 Blondes- I used to use these religiously when I had white bleached hair when I was younger. This time around, they don't seem to have done much though girls at work keep commenting that I seem to be blonder and blonder each week so perhaps it has been working more than I know noticed. It's a purple treatment that you lather into shampooed hair, before conditioning. You're meant to leave it on for 2 minutes but I always try and do 5, it eliminates brassy, yellow tones to colour treated hair to create a more pure blonde.
Will I buy this again?
This was a repurchase but this time I'm undecided. I think I will try another purple treatment first.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in 'Cherry'- This will probably appear every month. You can read what I think here.
Will I buy this again?
Already have.

17 Miracle Matte pressed powder in 'Ivory Porcelain'- While this was nice n' pale, it was too powdery and heavy on the skin no matter how little I used. The entire product lasted me about two months, but it did shatter when it was near empty and I lost a lot of product when I subsequently opened it!
Will I buy this again?
No.

Nails Inc 'Harley Street' ridge filler- Though this isn't technically empty, it has died a death. The brush no longer reaches the product unless tipped and the product is a gloopy mess. This has served me well as a base coat and I've used it so much over the last year. It smoothes the base of the nail well and doesn't take very long to dry.
Will I buy this again?
I've got another basecoat to use up at the moment, but it doesn't even compare to this one. I will buy this again when I've got a spare tenner.

Hugo Boss 'Orange' EDT-  I've had this for a loong time and for a while it was my favourite but then I felt that it didn't last very long on my skin and stopped wearing it as often. I think my tastes have changed (working next to the perfume department hasn't helped!) so I won't buy this again even though it is a gorgeous scent. I remember an old friend of mine telling me 'if I was a girl, I'd want to smell like that' when I hugged him, and I was wearing this at the time. That sounds quite funny written down, but it was a nice compliment all the same.
Will I buy this again?
No.

Dolce and Gabbana 'Pour Femme' EDP- This was a 2ml sample size of the new fragrance. I've never really liked D&G perfumes and this one was no exception; it's overly sweet, heavy and unoriginal.
Will I buy this?
No.

Marc Jacobs 'Daisy' EDT- Another sample. This is a pretty, feminine and playful scent that I imagine would appeal to a large age range. It's fresh and floral, a lovely day scent or for the summer.
Will I buy this?
No- I don't love the scent enough, and I don't like the bottle!

Do you use any of these products, if so what do you think of them? Please link me to your empties posts too, they're my favourite to read!

Midweek post: L'Occitane Milk Body Wash

L'Occitane Bonne Mere Gentle Body Wash, £22 for 600ml.

Whenever I walk past the L'occitane shop in Cardiff I always look through longingly. Well, on my birthday this looking caught Ben's attention and he dragged me in there for a birthday treat. Straight away I saw this and knew I had to have it!
It appealed to me with it's 'gentle' and kind-to-the-skin claims, I'd noticed some dry patches cropping up here and there, particularly on my lower legs and the back of my arms, and I like to use body washes that aren't too strongly scented or overpowering. I also thought it would be suitable for Ben to use too, should he want to borrow it (he has sensitive skin).

There was a choice between a milk or honey formulation. I chose the milk because I remember getting a giftset years ago with a milk bubble bath in it and I loved it.
The texture is creamy and feels like a foaming moisturiser. It lathers amazingly well, you're coated in bubbles after just a pump or two and it smells softly of milky-creamy goodness. I've noticed that said dry patches I mentioned above have been restored back to normal and my skin doesn't feel tight or dry after showering.

This is a luxury bathtime treat, and I would really recommend this body wash, particularly if you suffer with sensitive skin or are suffering from any skin ailments, I imagine this would be lovely and soothing on sun burn.

The pretty packaging also can't go unmentioned-simplistic and appealing with a tasteful nod to vintage- like other L'Occitane products. I love the way it adorns our bathroom!

What are your favourite L'Occitane products? Would you pick honey or milk?