May 2013: Used, Abused & Reviewed.

Another month is almost over which can only mean one thang: Monthly Empties! I don't know about anyone else but Empties posts are one of my favourite posts to read. I love seeing what products people work their way through and if you're anything like me, you have a weird sense of achievement everytime another bottle/jar/tub bites the dust. Here's what I've worked my way through this month and my thoughts on each product..

 

Philosophy Pure Grace Hand Wash: It's no secret that I'm obsessed with all the Grace scents from Philosophy. They smell so clean and fresh and never bring on one of my dreaded migraines. I've had this for ages now, think it came as part of a QVC TSV last year. It foams up nicely and I think I'm right in saying it contains SLS but for some reason I didn't have any problems with it drying my hands out. If anything it felt quite moisturising and the scent lingers on your hands for hours after. It's a really lovely hand wash but expensive for what it is.

Repurchase? Not at full price but definitely if it was on offer or included in another TSV.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish: This product needs no introduction. For many years it was my Holy Grail cleanser and even though I prefer balm cleansers now I ALWAYS make sure I have atleast 2 of these in my cupboard. It cleanses the skin brilliantly without ever leaving my face feeling tight or dry and it's fab at removing eye make up.

Repurchase? Yes, always.

Yves Rocher 3 Detoxifying Teas Micellar Water: I think everyone knows my thoughts on micellar water by now so I'll leave my rant for today. If you want to know more about this product check out my post here. The reason I use micellars is to remove the bulk of my eye make up before cleansing as my flannels and muslin cloths were starting to look very grubby no matter how often I replaced them. It removes makeup well but not in one swipe of a cotton pad, no micellar water does. If you have sensitive skin, give this a wide berth as it really stings any dehydrated areas.

Repurchase? No.

Cath Kidston Bluebell Hand Cream: I wasn't a fan of this at all. The scent is horrendous (to me) - extremely floral and overpowering. It just felt like a budget hand cream, not a patch on my beloved L'Occitane.

Repurchase? No.

SBC 3in1 Complete Cleansing & Toning Gel: This is one of those cleansers that claim you don't need to use water to remove it. The texture is a runny gel and it does leave the skin feeling refreshed but only if you rinse it off with water and a flannel. I tried to tissue it off as directed just out of curiosity but I could feel residue on my skin and had to wash my face again to feel clean.

Repurchase? No.

Frederic Fekkai Glossing Conditioner: I had wanted to try the Glossing range from Fekkai for ages but it's on the pricey side so I always talked myself out of it but in a swap with Lina she included the Glossing Conditioner. It's not at all what I was expecting! It's lightweight and rinses easily yet does a great job of smoothing the hair and adding a glossy look once styled.

Repurchase? I would but it contains parabens. Booo!

Weleda Wild Rose Creamy Body Wash*: I posted about the mini Weleda products at the start of the month (link) and have been more than impressed with all of them. This body wash moisturises the skin without leaving any residue behind.

Repurchase? I still have a lot of body washes to get through but I'm sure I'll order a tube at some point.

Dove Colour Radiance Express Treatment Conditioner: This is a lot better than I was expecting. It's a great budget conditioning treatment and smells lovely but it made my roots really greasy after a day. My roots are on the oily side anyway but this conditioner just sped up the process even though I only applied it to my midlengths/ends.

Repurchase? I've still got a couple of tubes left but once they're gone I don't think I'll be in any rush to repurchase.

Lavera All-Round Cream: Love this stuff! The texture is similar to a body butter but unlike a lot of butters it sinks into my skin immediately. It can be used all over the body, even the face and the scent is lovely! It's a creamy, lemon scent but not sharp at all.

Repurchase? Yes.

Yankee Candle 'Christmas Cookie': This is one of those scents I could quite easily eat! It's sugary sweet but not sickening over overpowering. Think walking into a bakery and smelling all the freshly baked goodness.

Repurchase? Definitely but I've got enough candles to keep me going for a while.

Rodial Life & Style Candle 'Rehab': I raved about Rodial Candles here and they're still a firm favourite. The only thing I don't like about them is the price - £45! I managed to find them in the Debenhams sale for a tenner last year and stocked up. I think there's 3 different scents in total but I only own Rehab (roasted almond & honey milk) & Lounge (honeycomb & vanilla) they smell divine and make pretty brush holders once they're finished (link)

Repurchase? Not at full price. I still have 2 left but will stock up if I ever find them on sale again.

AUSSIE Dual Personality Curl Defining + Shine Mousse: I'm not the biggest fan of Aussie haircare. Yes the products smell nice and the 3 minute miracle conditioner leaves the hair incredibly smooth (because it's packed full of silicone) but the products always leave my hair looking flat and feeling like I need to give it another good scrub. This mousse is the exception though, it's actually quite good but as with most if not all mousse products, it makes the hair look wet and crispy. Once my hair is fully dry I re-scrunch my waves with clean, dry hands to get rid of that look. It still defines my waves without looking like I have product in my hair.

Repurchase? I prefer the TIGI Bed Head Foxy Curls Hi-Def Curl Spray.

Apivita Anti-Fatigue Moisturising Eye Patches With Rose: Apivita aren't winning me over when it comes to their eye products. These patches were a lot better than the overnight eye cream/mask but didn't do anything worth shouting about.

Repurchase? No.

100% Pure Coconut Nourishing Body Cream*: From the same brand I was raving about on Wednesday and guess what, I love the body cream too! It smells good enough to eat and the scent lingers on the skin for hours after. It absorbs into the skin straight away so there's no waiting around doing the naked dance before you can get dressed after a shower.

Repurchase? I have the same lotion in a few different scents that I haven't tried yet. Once I've used them up and know which one I prefer I'll be placing an order.

Fresh Skin Pina Colada Fragrance Oil: I adore anything pina colada scented so of course I had to choose it when I was making room sprays and fragrance sachets. You can read more on that here.

I used up a deodorant too and even though I mainly use my Weleda Citrus Deodorant now I still have a lot of deodorant to get through thanks to my bulk buying habit. The Nivea Double Effect Violet Senses has been in my empties posts a few times before but I still don't like it.

Did you finish many products this month?

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*PR sample