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.

Empty Products: The February Edition

Well that month just flew by! I know it is a short one but still, it's as if I blinked and there was March. This month I didn't finish many products, perhaps that shows how busy I have been, I'm not sure, but here we go anyway!

La Roche Posay Physiological Micellar Solution: Not much to say about this other than it is pretty much the same as all of the other miscellar waters out there! This one doesn't have a scent particularly and does the job well, it struggles with mascara but I haven't used one that doesn't. It doesn't leave a residue behind either. It's easily accessible for those of you who are only aware of Bioderma, you can buy this one in Boots.
Will I buy this again?
Already have.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in 'Cherry'; Ah, Batiste. My old reliable friend. Great dry shampoo that is easy to use and helps maintain clean looking hair while adding a bit of a volume boost at the roots too.
Will I buy this again?
I am trying to get through some other dry shampoos at the moment but they don't really compare in terms of ease of use and effectiveness so I will definitely be buying this again.

Soap and Glory Hand Maid Antibacterial Gel; This is one of my favourite antibacterial hand gels because it doesn't smell too strongly of alcohol. I also like that it is pink :-)
Will I buy this again?
Already have!

Champneys Aqua Therapy Recharging Bath Tonic- This gives the bath a few bubbles that last about 20 minutes and turns the bath water a lovely shade of blue. I wasn't too keen on the scent though, it was a bit masculine.
Will I buy this again?
No, it was nothing special.

Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment- I loved this, it helped maintain the ends of my hair, kept it looking healthy and free from split ends. Since I have stopped using this my hair does look a bit unkempt so there has been a noticeable difference. You can buy this from Hairtrade.
Will I buy this?
Yes I will.

Clinique Airbrush Concealer in 01 Fair- I love this concealer. It is packaged like Touche Eclat and is dispensed through a brush. I don't use the brush as I don't find small point brushes like that particularly useful but the product itself is lovely. A medium coverage liquid concealer, this really smoothes over the skin and brightens areas. I didn;t really use it under my eyes but I loved using it to 'top up' throughout the day as it isn't very heavy. A great makeup bag concealer.
Will I buy this again?
Yes.

Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Cleanser- This is my second one of these. It is an SLS free foaming wash that contains salicylic acid which is great for clearing out clogged pores. I love this and definitely notice that I have clearer skin when I am using this, however it is a bit too powerful to be used twice a day. I like this to be my morning cleanser!
Will I buy this again?
Yes but having a month or two break from it.

Vichy, I love you.....

Vichy Purete Thermal One Step Cleanser, £11.00 for 200ml.

I think one of the best beauty discoveries in the last year (for me) has been the French thermal water brands that can be found at very reasonable prices in larger Boots stores.

I first wrote here about La Roche Posay and how it transformed my naughty skin in under three weeks, since then I've tried Vichy's water spray and Avene's factor 50 cream for the face (though I love slathering it over my body too!) and now it's time for me to tell you about Vichy's creamy cleanser...

Despite me literally daydreaming about Emma Hardie's Moringa Cleansing Balm my budget at this present time cannot quite stretch to it (though the moment I get a new job it's being purchased!) so I asked myself what else I wanted to try and of course Vichy popped into my head, as I am yet to have a bad experience with the brand.

The consistency of the cleanser is a milky liquid and about the size of a 5p piece on the palm of your hand will gently wash your makeup away, though I always repeat this a second time just to be sure and thorough! It's white and has a soapy scent which I love and is a welcome change to the herby smell of Cleanse & Polish.
Personally I have found it is best applied to a dry face then splashed off, then the second cleanse lathers up and creates more of a deep clean rather than just makeup removal.

I only have good things to say about this product, it is gentle yet removes stubborn eye makeup with ease. My skin feels so fresh and comfortable afterwards and it didn't disrupt my skin one single bit. I've been using this for a month now and I've noticed that my skin condition is constant and I have developed less spots than usual (however I have been using it in conjunction with a weekly application of Origins Clear Improvement mask- review to come on that one!)

As ever, I do not review skincare until I feel it has been properly trialled. At £11 I think this cleanser is worth every penny, plus it should last me a while even when used twice daily due it's whopping 200ml size.

Vichy is paraben free and targeted towards sensitive skin though I can see it benefiting all skin types
Although this product claims to be a 3in1 product (cleanser, eye makeup remover and toner) I still use a toner seperately to then be followed by a serum and moisturiser.

Have you dabbled in the delights of these French skincare brands? What is your favourite cleanser?

Wonder Product #2 La Roche Posay Effaclar K

 La Roche Posay Effaclar K Renovating Care For Oily Skin, £13 for 30ml

Since moving to Wales in July, I've been suffering with terrible skin. It is the worst it has ever been, I have quite an uneven skin tone but growing up I was really lucky with my skin; it wasn't sensitive, it wasn't spot or acne prone. I couldn't understand the changes it my skin, and it noticeably got worse September onwards. I hadn't changed my skin care routine, and was basically confused as to what was going on! I consciously changed my skin care routine, twice, but nothing helped. Feeling a bit of a lost cause, I decided to try La Roche- Posay because I'd read in a magazine that it had done wonders to others skin.

It's a serum like consistency, a milky liquid that absorbs into the skin within minutes. The packaging calls it a 'fresh, hydrating and non greasy cream-fluid texture.'

Smell; It's a hard one to describe. It smells like something that has been made in a lab. Good, right? Not too overpowering or chemically, though.

 

I've been using it twice a day for two weeks and I can honestly say that it has transformed my skin back into it's old self. For the first week of use I kept a diary to show you lot how quickly it worked.

Day One; I had a no makeup day and used this morning and night. 

Day Two; I've woken up and can see a visible difference. Blemishes seem calmer, and redness has toned down. I used this before my makeup (primer afterwards) and after I washed my face, before bed.

Day Three; No new blemishes or spots!! Skin looks clearer.

Day Four; No changes

Day Five; A slight disruption in skin but nothing like before, skin tone remains even!

Day Six; No changes

Day Seven; I look freshfaced and healthy. Today there are no spots or blemishes, and my skin tone appears more even.

The packaging states that this is for combination- oily skin, for irregular skin tone and blocked pores. It's a daily care product which unclogs pores and helps to transform and refine skin texture. Used daily it will help prevent a relapse of any former skin imperfections.

It says that the results should be a smoother skin texture, tightened and unblocked pores, clearer skin and a more radiant complexion.

The only downside is that from the way the products were displayed (in Boots), and perhaps the language barrier (it's all in French, and I ain't a French speaker), it wasn't clear to me if this product should have been used in conjunction with anything else, and I didn't even know if I was picking the right one. I found the process of picking and purchasing this quite time consuming and confusing, but I obviously (luckily) chose the right product. I wish there was some congruency/consistency/guidance in what other products to use with this one, so that I could have my entire skincare regime by La Roche- Posay!

At £13 I'd say it was completely affordable for how it has changed my skin for the better, so pleased to have found something that actually works for me!

What products have helped your skin? Do you use La Roche- Posay?