December 2013: Used, Abused & Reviewed.

The last empties post of the year and it's a big'un! I finished off a lot of perfumes this month, just in time to stock up on more in the sales

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb: I adore this perfume, the price sickens me slightly when I'm handing over the money but it's such a long lasting fragrance and well worth it. My mum who never likes a perfume enough to wear it daily has now adopted Flowerbomb as her signature scent so I stopped wearing it as often as I used to but I always have a bottle in my collection. Does anyone know what the Zara dupe is called?

Repurchase? Yes. 

Thierry Mugler Alien: When Alien was first released I loved it but over time it started to bring on migraines as it's so strong. A family member loves it now so I've started buying it for her at Christmas, I love how it smells on her but on myself I find it too overpowering. It's a great Winter scent though so I'm sure I'll use up the mini bottle I still have lurking around.

Repurchase? Yes but not for myself.

DKNY Be Delicious: A really fresh scent that smells gorgeous on other people but on my skin it just doesn't work. There's a few different variations now though so maybe I should give one of those a try.

Repurchase? No

Diesel Loverdose: This is without a doubt my favourite perfume and has been all throughout 2013. Diesel isn't a brand I would head to in search of a fragrance but after getting a sample with a Debenhams order I was hooked! The mix of vanilla and liquorice is addictive and the staying power is great, on par with the likes of Alien.

Repurchase? Already have and always will.

NEXT Paradise Body Mist: Back in the day I found a scent from NEXT  that I loved, I loved it so much I stocked up on the gift sets in a sale but sadly it's been discontinued and I only have one bottle of the perfume left. :( it's great for days when I'm not going anywhere and don't want to use a more expensive perfume but still want to smell nice.

Repurchase? I would if I could.

Febreeze Vanilla Limited Edition Candle: I can't remember the exact name of this candle, it's something like Midnight Vanilla but I bloomin' loved it! The scent throw is on par, if not better than Yankee Candles plus I think it was on offer for a quid when I bought it.

Repurchase? If it's still available.

Yankee Candle Clean Cotton House Warmer Jar: Clean cotton will always be in my candle stash in some form. Love this scent, who doesn't want their house to smell fresh and clean.

Repurchase? Yes, I've already got a medium jar burning.

Yankee Candle Sparkling Lemonade Wax Tart: This smelt like the real thing, really fresh and lemony, it even smelt sparkling but as soon as I put it in the tart burner the scent completely changed, smelt more like bath/shower cleaner.

Repurchase? No.

The Body Shop Earth Lovers Watermelon & Eucalyptus Shower Gel: Stocked up on these in the sale aaages ago and I'm so glad to see the back of them now. Everytime I got to what I thought was the last bottle, another would appear. None of the scents really appeal to me and the shower gel itself is very watery.

Repurchase? No.

DGJ Organics Hair Juice Clarifying Shampoo*: A great smelling, reasonably priced, SLS free clarifying shampoo that got rid of any build up without stripping my hair. I used this once or twice a week depending on how many products I'd piled on my mop. You can see my review here.

Repurchase? Yes.

L'Occitane Mango Flower Hand Cream: I stock up everytime these come as a magazine freebie. The original version is still my favourite, I'm yet to find a hand cream that beats it.

Repurchase? Always.

Orhis Nourishing Face Cream*: This came in a BeTrousse box ages ago. I used it up a while back but forgot to include it in my last empties post. Unlike a lot of French skin care products, it wasn't anything special.

Repurchase? Not sure if it's available in the UK but no.

Super Facialist By Una Brennan Tea Flower Purifying Facial Wash*: This face wash has lasted such a long time as I only used it when my skin felt congested. It did help clear up my skin but is heavily fragranced which could cause irritation on sensitive skin if used daily.

Repurchase? No, I want to try a non foaming purifying cleanser.

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra: Ended up with a few samples of this while in Paris and I love it! Still have another one to use then I'll buy the full size. It's a moisturiser for ultra sensitive/allergic skin.

Repurchase? Yes!

Mitchell & Peach Shower Wash*: I was planning to keep this for a weekend away but I'm a shower gel junkie and used it straight away. The scent isn't really my cuppa tea but it did lather well and left my skin feeling really nice.

Repurchase? No. It's too pricey at 20 quid, I would have to love the scent to spend that kind of money on shower gel.

Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel: Can't remember too much about this other than it didn't irritate my skin.

Repurchase? No

REN Vetiver v7 Hand And Body Cream: Wasn't a lover of the scent and it didn't feel as luxe as other REN products. There are better hand and body creams out there, a lot cheaper too.

Repurchase? No.

SBC Echinacea Gel: The reason I bough this was to use on my temples for migraines instead of having to take painkillers all the time. I'd heard on QVC it's great for headaches and when you're stuffed up with the cold as it contains natural decongestants - menthol and eucalyptus. I swear by the Arnica Gel by SBC, it really helps with back pain but the Echinacea Gel didn't do a lot for me.

Repurchase? Not in this form but I might try the bath/shower gel.

ESPA Lift & Firm Intensive Eye Serum: My eye area just felt tacky after using this, didn't notice any change for the better in the ol' saggy baggy area.

Repurchase? No.

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara: (not pictured) My current favourite and it has been for a few months now. If a mascara can give a curl to my almost downwards pointing lashes and hold it all day, it's a good'un! It gives me length and volume too. Doesn't crumble into my eyes or irritate them at all, it's brilliant.

Repurchase? Already have, think I'm on my third tube now and bought the Lash Potion and Plumping versions to try.

Macadamia Moisturizing Rinse*: Another product I finished ages ago but forgot to include. Not the best conditioner I've ever used but I love most Macadamia products I've tried. You can read my review here.
Repurchase? No.

Trevor Sorbie Beautiful Volume Dry Shampoo: I usually use Batiste but this was on offer in Boots a while back. If you prefer a simple, clean scent from your dry shampoo rather than the various scents Batiste offers, go for this. It didn't offer more volume than other dry shampoo's I've tried before but it was nice enough.
Repurchase? If it's on offer again.

Essyta Lait Corporel*: An organic body lotion that smells a bit funky. It left my skin feeling nice and soft but other lotions work just as well.
Repurchase? No.

Did you get through many products this month?

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*PR sample

August 2013: Used, Abused & Reviewed.

Another month is almost over which can only mean one thing - it's time to get rid of all the empty products I've used up over the last few weeks. I'm still having problems with blogger, I can't lay my posts out how I normally would and I'm having trouble adding links. I have reviewed most of these products so just have a wee search through my blog if there's anything you would like more info on.

KIKO Light Legs Crackling Mousse*: This stuff was a godsend when the weather was really, really hot recently. It instantly cools on contact with the skin and as the name suggests, it crackles. I know a lot of people might think it's quite a gimmicky product but if you have a job that invloves a lot of standing (hairdressers etc) then you'll know how tired and achy you're legs can get at the end of the day. This crackling mousse really helps to refresh and soothe legs. It's also great if you have restless legs.
Repurchase? Yes! I think it's limited edition though, I'll have to check.

Bioderma Sebium H2O Micelle Solution*: I haven't tried the original version of this in a few years but unlike most people, I wasn't blown away. To me it didn't work any better than other makeup removers/micellar waters out there. I'm not sure if the formula has been changed since then or how different the ingredients are between the original and this Sebium H2O version but I prefered this slightly more. It didn't irritate my skin at all and it did remove make up but mascara doesnt disappear with one seep of a cotton pad.
Repurchase? Bioderma is a lot easier to get hold of in the UK now but unless you live in London, you'll more than likely have to order online. If I was in a shop that stocked it then I probably would buy it but I'm more likely to stick with something like the L'Oreal Micellar Water, it works really well and is a lot easier for me to get my hands on.

PRO:VOKE Touch Of Silver Weekly Treatment Shampoo: Can't fault this shampoo. It's designed to get rid of brassy, yellow tones from blonde/grey hair and it really works. I pick mine up from Boots where it's often on offer, think it's around 2 quid.
Repurchase? I thought I already had but I lifted the everyday version by mistake. The purple isn't as vibrant as the weekly treatment so doesn't work just as well but I'll get a new bottle next time I'm in town.

The Handmade Soap Co. Goats Milk Honey & Beeswax Soap: The Handmade Soap Co is a new-ish 100% natural skincare brand from Ireland. I'd never heard of it untill around Easter time when the fambo done the once yearly museum visit. Not gonna lie, museums don't float my boat so I headed straight to the gift shop where I came across so many different products from this brand. I noticed my hands were less dry while using this, it had a lovely creamy texture and the bar didn't go slushy as quickly as other soaps.
Repurchase? Yes but maybe in a different scent as the Goats Milk & Honey range doesn't have much of a scent to it, think it's fragrance free.

Dainty Doll Mascara/Eyeliner Duo: The mascara barely coats the lashes, doesn't curl, lengthen or anything else and the liquid liner wipes straight off. Awful product.
Repurchase? No

Elemis Exotic Cream Moisturising Mask: I really loved this mask at first. It can be left on for around 20 minutes or overnight. I usually leave it on overnight to get the most from it but over time I've found other masks that work just as good, if not better and cost a lot less.

Repurchase? No.

Barefoot Botanicals Rosa Fina Face Lotion*: I finished this aaaages ago but just came across the empty bottle. I love Barefoot Botanicals and enjoyed using this. It's free from nasty ingredients and was very gentle on my sensitive skin and added just the right amount of hydration.

Repurchase? I'm sure I will at some point.

Sure 'Cool Pink' | Soft & Gentle 'Wild Rose & Vanilla': I'm almost at the end of my deodorant stash now, think there's only one left in my cupboard. Both deodorants worked well and the Wild Rose & Vanilla smelt so good.

Repurchase? I would repurchase both but I won't. I'm switching to more natural deodorants and really love the Citrus one from Weleda.

Bodhi Ylang-Ylang Incensa Body Moisturiser: I really shouldn't like the scent of this but I do, I love it! It smells so rich and the scent lingers for hours. Finished the matching shower gel a while back and it scented my whole house everytime I used it. I won the duo from Sandra/Beauty Balm's giveaway. This is the only scent I've tried so far but want to get my mitts on the Mint The range. If you've tried it, does it mainly smell like mint?

Repurchase? Definitely.

Yankee Wax Tarts - Christmas Eve & Winter Wonderland: I love Yankee Wax Tarts, they last such a long time, way longer than Yankee claim they will and They work out much cheaper than the candles. I like Christmas Eve but Winter Wonderland smells like pine toilet duck.

Repurchase? Christmas Eve - Yes. Winter Wonderland - Nuh-uh.

REN Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream: I've gone through a few tubes of this now. It's one of the best moisturisers to wear under makeup. I find it makes foundation go on a lot smoother and it's light enough to use when I'm having an oily skin day.

Repurchase? Yes.

Green People Eye Gel*: Another one I finished ages ago but only just found the empty tube. It's very cooling, felt great when my eyes were puffy or irritated and it's reasonably priced.

Repurchase? Probably not, there's other eye products I prefer.

Green & Spring Refreshing Eye Cream*: Most eye creams come in 15ml tubes but this one was a whopping 30ml and lasted an absolute age! It isn't the cheapest eye cream out there but it's free from horrible ingredients and holds the same amount of product as a bottle of foundation.

Repurchase? Same as above, there's other eye creams I prefer.

Pure Thoughts Natural Handmade Soap Honey, Oats & Orange | Coffee Bean & Shea Butter: This brand can do no wrong in my eyes, I've loved every product I've tried so far. Both of these soaps are sample sizes but were big enough for me to decide I love them. They contain oats & coffee beans so I'm guessing they're designed to be used on the body for a light exfoliation but I used them for my hands as I'm trying to get away from drying handwash.

Repurchase? A big fat yes!

Have you tried any of these products?   

June/July 2013: Used, Abused & Reviewed.

I have 2 months worth of empties to get through so I'm going to try to keep this post as short and to the point as I can or we'll be here all day but if you have any questions, ask away.

Girlz Only Dry Shampoo 'Party Nights': I really like this dry shampoo, it come's in 3 or 4 different scents and works just as well as Batiste. The scent lingers on the hair all day but if you have a sensitive scalp then it can cause you to itch like a Nitty Norah. I'm fine as long as I wash my hair the day after using this. If you have dark brown/black hair you need to make sure you brush it through really well as it's very powdery. It's cheap and cheerful but the name kills me, am I alone on this?

Repurchase? I already have another one in the cupboard.

Liz Earle Eye Bright*: I love most Liz Earle products but this isn't one of them. I know for some people it works wonders at refreshing tired, sore eye's and getting rid of puffiness but I really don't think it does anything for me.

Repurchase? No

Green & Spring Restoring Face Serum*: I haven't fully used this up, there's a tiny bit left but it's out of date now. If you love oils, you'll love this. It's called Restoring Face Serum but it's actually an oil that works really well at softening any rough patches of skin. I get a random patch under my eye and chin and noticed a difference from the first use. You can read my full review here.

Repurchase? I'm sure I will at some point.

OSMO Deep Moisturising Shampoo: I've had this for such a long time. I didn't use it often as it contains ingredients I try to avoid but if my hair was feeling really dry and looking a bit ratty it made a big difference. It smells nice, lathers up well and made my hair look/feel smooth.

Repurchase? No, I prefer other shampoo's.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir: Probably one of the most hyped up products ever. I reviewed it last year (link) and I've gone through 2 or 3 bottles since then but I don't think it's the wonder product it's made out to be. I don't see any improvement in my skin when I use it, if anything it dries my skin out if used too often but I do enjoy using when the sun's shining or when I've got a migraine and feel a bit sick.

Repurchase? I'm using up my last bottle now but doubt I'll buy it again.

JASON Apricot Scrubble*: I started out really lovin' this face scrub but over time it became too harsh for my skin so I used the rest as a body scrub. I love JASON products but Apricot Scrubble isn't a product I would recommend to anyone with overly sensitive skin. If you like a good manual exfoliator though and know it won't upset your skin then this is a good one to go for. It's reasonably priced and free from harmful ingredients.

Repurchase? No

Liz Earle Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash: I bought this in a set of 3 last year and did enjoy using it, it's very gentle on sensitive skin and can even be used on babies but it's too expensive for what it is. If you're someone who likes to splash out when it comes to bath and shower products it might be one worth trying.

Repurchase? No.

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara: This was my mascara of choice for yeeeaaaaarssss. It's one of the blackest mascara's I've ever tried and made my lashes look full, long and curled but for some reason it doesn't work as well for me as it used to. I'm not sure if the formula has been changed or maybe my lashes have.

Repurchase? Not sure.

REN Neroli & Grapefruit Body Wash: REN body washes - I love them, my purse hates them. They're gorgeous. I love the packaging, the scents, the ingredients, the texture, I love everything about them except the price. The Neroli & Grapefruit version was my morning shower buddy, it helped wake me up with its fresh, citrusy scent.

Repurchase? Not at full price.

Toni & Guy Platinum Blonde Conditioner: This has been lurking in my bathroom for what seems like a million years. I bought it as a shampoo/conditioner duo but found the conditioner pointless. It has a purple tint but not enough to counteract any brassy tones. The shampoo was a lot better.

Repurchase? No

Garnier Ambre Solaire Medium Bronze Natural Dry Body Mist: Another forgotten product. I do like this but prefer other brands like Hi-Shi. I ended up with a few random streaks everytime I used this even though it claims to be a no streaks tan.

Repurchase? No

Leonor Greyl: I have no idea what this is called, it just says 'Palme' but its a solid oil which melts when in contact with heat and can be used as a pre shampoo treatment. I usually leave treatments on overnight and I did feel a bit of a difference after using this but not enough to make me want to buy it.

Repurchase? No

Lightening Whitening Teeth Whitening Pen: I'm all over anything that claims to whiten teeth and after seeing a few people rave about this I was daft enough to place an order using their discount code. It. Doesn't. Work.

Repurchase? Never

Figs & Rouge Sweet Geranium 100% Organic Balm: I REALLY liked this. It can be used on the face, body and lips to help sort out any dry patches. The tin is really small and cute too.

Repurchase? Yes but in a different scent.

Apivita Moisturising & Nourishing Mask With Honey: I really had high hopes for this brand but so far I've only liked one product (I think) I didn't really notice much difference in how my skin looked or felt after using this mask and it did sting when first applied so it isn't something I would recommend to anyone with sensitive skin.

Repurchase? No

Weleda Wild Rose Smoothing Capsules*: I can't really comment too much on this as there was only 2 capsules in the pack but it's a facial oil designed to soften the look of fine lines. It felt nice on the skin and is really good to apply before doing a facial massage but 2 uses isn't enough to notice much difference.

Repurchase? No

Pure Thoughts Apricot & Orange and Mango & Peach Face Masks: Love this brand. The masks come in powder form which you then mix with water to create a paste. They're free from nasty ingredients and have never irritated my skin. You can buy samples to try before committing to full sizes and the soaps are gorgeous too!

Repurchase? Yes

ESPA Super Active Lift & Firm Intensive Eye Serum: This is only a small sample but it lasted a long time. I've wanted to try something from ESPA for ages so was really excited to see this in my Latest In Beauty advent calendar but the excitement was short lived - I didn't like the texture, it's like a sticky gel that felt tacky even once it had dried and it didn't make any difference to my eye area.

Repurchase? No

Talika Skin Retouch: I can't remember much about this sample apart but it did improve the look of whatever area of skin I applied it to. It can be applied to the face, hands and neck, and from what I can remember, it was silicone based so it's not really something I would want to use daily.

Repurchase? No

100% Chemical Free 100% Natural No-Germs Deo: This is one of the deodorants I bought when trying to find a more natural deodorant to use but sadly it didn't do much. It's still more than half full but more than likely out of date by now. It's fragrance free and didn't sting even after shaving but it was just like spraying water under my arms.

Repurchase? No

The Boring Bits:

Sure Cotton Dry Deodorant

Cotton Pads x2

I've mentioned the Montagne Jeunesse Nose Pore Strips loads of times, you can read my review here but in short, I do recommend them.

Phew! Thought I was never gonna get to the end of this post.

Have you tried any of these products?

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*PR sample

A Recent REN Order.

Having a look on the REN website always results in placing an order, doesn't it? I'm almost at the end of my Elemis Papaya Peel now and although the Gatineau Radiance Enhancing Gommage is my favourite out of all the chemical exfoliators I've tried to date and I would 100% repurchase, and recommend it I just fancied trying something different. I was going to go for the REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask as it seems to be the mask of the moment but I had a sample last year and I'm sure my sensitive skin didn't react to well to it. Instead I went for the F10 Smooth And Renew Mask which should suit me alot better as it's designed for sensitive skin but basically does a similar job to the Glycolactic Renewal Mask plus it's a tenner cheaper for the same amount of product. At the time I placed my order there was an offer on - free delivery for orders over 30 and 4 free samples. Free delivery gets me everytime so to bring my order upto £30 I added the Oat And Bay Conditioning Shampoo & Pro-Vitamin Conditioner to my basket. I hadn't heard of or read any reviews of REN's hair products apart from the reviews on the website when I clicked on them. The reviews were all positive but instead of going for the bigger sizes I went for the 100ml bottles to try out first. I'll be bringing these away with me in December and post a review after that. The 4 samples I chose: Invisible Pores Detox Mask - I've wanted to try this for a while now and I've read some great reviews. Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask - I've tried this before like I said but thought I'd get another sample while I had the chance and see if my skin can tolerate it any better now. T-Zone Balancing Day Fluid - I actually got this for my dad to try! :D I mentioned before that I finally managed to get him to ditch soap for cream cleansers and he's even admitted himself that his skin has improved so, so much. He's also obsessed with eye cream now and I'm forever decanting mine into travel pots for him but trying to get him to use moisturiser hasn't been so easy. He will kill me if he ever reads this! haha There was 4 free samples but I got sent 5 for some reason and the last two are the same product but in different packaging and with slightly different wording Vita-Mineral Day Cream/Vita-Mineral Radiant Day Cream - I didn't fancy any of ther other samples so just went for this. Moisturiser samples are always handy to have and hold quite a decent amount of product.

Let me know your thoughts on the Oat And Bay Conditioning Shampoo & Pro-Vitamin Conditioner if you've tried them.

Don't forget to enter my international REN giveaway here & BeTrousse giveaway here.