Recent Empties

I was tempted to call this post 'January Empties' but decided against it as I never really finish products each month.  I tend to get bored halfway through a product and go to something else, leaving a trail of half empty products behind.  I thought the title of 'Recent Empties' was more fitting as I'd probably only do this sort of post every few months or so, when I've got a bit of a collection going on!

As you've probably guessed by now, I'm a massive Soap and Glory fan.  I bought Foam Call a while back and have really enjoyed using it. The scent has only recently been overtaken by Sugarcrush as my favourite, and it still smells blummin' good, but I probably won't repurchase any time soon as I've just started using the Clean On Me bottle that came in the big Christmas gift set.  Calm One Calm All was the first S&G product I ever bought and I honestly don't know how many bottles I've gone through since.  The only thing that'd stop me repurchasing this is if they brought out a bubble bath in the other Soap and Glory fragrances.

I bought this L'Oreal Shampoo on the recommendation of my hairdresser who said sulphate-free was best for coloured hair. This is the only one I could find on my local high street so I thought I'd give it a go before I splashed my cash on something more expensive. I have dyed red hair and this definitely helps slow down the fading process.  I've also recently finished the conditioner in the same range but forgot to include that in the photo - sorry! I've already repurchased both, but I think next time I'll have a look online for an alternative.

I'm cheating slightly here as there's still a tiny bit of my La Roche Posay Micellar Water left, but it's close enough to being empty that I thought I'd include it anyway! I've already reviewed this here so I won't go into too much detail in this post, but I was really happy I decided to try this type of cleanser, and I'd definitely use this one again.

Another staple of mine is the Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara.  This was the second time I'd bought the 'fusion' version, and I definitely prefer this version.  I'll use this again at some point, as False Lash Effect is always a mascara I go back to, but I'm happy with the other three I seem to have on the go at the moment, so I'm not in too much of a rush!

This Garnier Essentials Moisturiser is a brilliant budget buy, and is the one I turn to when I'm short on cash.  It's brilliant for this time of year when the cold weather can really make your skin dry. The price does seem to have gone up since I last bought it; it's currently £5.99 in Superdrug. Still fairly cheap, but it is often on offer and I'm sure I've picked up a pot for less than £4 before.

Lastly is my Stella perfume from Stella McCartney. I treated myself to a small bottle of this last year and have been in love ever since. I'm rubbish at describing scents, but apparently this has notes of rose, amber, peony and mandarin essence.  In other words, it smells blummin' lovely! I've already repurchased another small bottle, along with a the body lotion in the Christmas gift set (in the sale - woo!) but I think I'm going to save up and get the larger bottle next time round.

So that's all my empties at the moment.  If you've done an empties post (or video for all you brave enough to do You Tube!) feel free to link me to it in the comments!

Most Wanted #1: Feel Unique

I don't know about you, but I'm forever browsing beauty websites such as Feel Unique and making wishlists of things I love.  These are the things I'm currently lusting after.

Despite having lots of it, my hair is actually quite fine and therefore tangles very easy, resulting in my freshly washed, sleek and straightened 'do looking all matted within five minutes of leaving the house. According to many a review, the Tangle Teaser is the way to go.  I've been considering getting one for a while, but the price has always put me off a little bit,  although it's price worth paying if it's as good as they're made out to be I think! I like how the compact ones like this have a protective cover to help protect the teeth when it's in your bag, as I've heard the teeth can easily be bent if you're not careful.

I've always just used an inexpensive eyelash curler to curl my lashes, but now my current Boots own one has gone to eyelash curler heaven (i.e. I've lost it!) I want to invest in a good one.  I've heard nothing but good things from the Shu Uemura one, and lately also this Shiseido eyelash curler has been getting good reviews.  Still, £18 is a lot to pay for an eyelash curler, so I still may take a look around to find a cheaper alternative.

Now that Christmas and New Year are a distant memory. I'm starting to think about summer and how it'll be here before we know it. I'm naturally pretty pale and my legs are as white as they come.  This Works' Perfect Legs Skin Miracle is a serum that is supposed to perfect, repair and enhance our pins, making them look 'perfect' for the warmer weather.  This would be great for someone like myself, who is a little cautious of fake tan, and just wants a hint of colour as we're going into summer.

Despite my fake-tan phobia, there is still a little part of me that whishes I could apply it successully, even if just for nights out and special occasions.  I've heard that the Sienna X range is supposed to be good and to be honest I think it's about time I manned up and got to grips with fake tan! I like the idea of this Instant Bronzing Gel because if things go horribly wrong, I could simply wash it off and revert back to my pasty self!

I've been having my hair coloured red for the last six months or so, and as much as I love it, it's a pain in the backside to keep up with as it fades so quickly.  I've been following my hairdresser's advice and have been using a Sulphate-Free shampoo to help reduce fading.  This Kerastase Cleansing Balm has recently caught my eye.  This is a rather intriguing product; it's not advertised as a 'shampoo', there's no conditioner in the range, and no mention of using one.  It is also said to produce little to no lather, and you're to leave it on your hair for a few minutes like you would with a conditioner.

I absolutely love the design on Marc Jacobs' perfume bottles, and Dot is no exception.  I love my Stella McCartney 'Stella' perfume, and wear that pretty much every day.  But a girl can never have too many perfumes, can she? Ever since smelling this while shopping in Manchester back in September, I've wanted it and since nobody bought me it for Christmas (sniff!) I may just have to treat myself!

Lastly is the Stilla 'In the Night' palette which I think every blogger and their dog has and/or has reviewed.  I've swatched this goodness knows how many times in Boots, and I love it.  I'm currently debating whether to get this, or whether to go for the Naked 2 palette.  I love the original Naked palette, and as yet I don't own any Stilla, which is why I'm kind of leaning towards getting this one, but I'm still undecided.

Have you tried any of the products in my wishlist? Would you recommend it, or is there an alternative out there that is better? Let me know!

Little Nail Haul

 

I own a ridiculous amount of nail varnish for someone who doesn't wear it all that often. It's not allowed for work so I only really wear it if I have a couple of days off together, or when I'm on holiday.  This doesn't stop me from adding to my 60+ collection,  so I thought I'd share my latest additions with you all.  While reading the lovely Louise's blog post on which nail products she was lusting after, I followed her lead and ordered some nail dotting pens.  They were an absolute bargain at less than £2 so I couldn't resist! I love nail art, but as I only really wear nail varnish for a day or two at a time usually, it's never worth having anything super fancy on my nails 'cos it'd be a bit of a waste! Plus I'm not very artistic, so anything too complicated would be beyond me! For under £2 you get five double ended, dotting tools. I'm not sure if they're all meant to be different size as at least four of the points look practically identical to me.  There's still plenty of variety in  size though so it's not the end of the world!

 
I was in Topshop one day last week and found myself browsing the makeup stand, and somehow came away with three nail polishes. Damn, I hate it when that happens!  ;) The three that happened to make their way into my nail collection were Prim and Proper, Granite and Threadbare.  Prim and Proper is a lovely mid toned pink  It's a bit more muted than the other pinks I own, making it perfect for this time of year when you don't feel quite right painting your nails with bright, pastel colours, but you're getting a bit bored of your 'winter' nail colours. Next up is Granite which I believe was part of the 'Darkside of Nude' collection, so it may not be still available in your local store. It's a deep, dark blue grey colour that wold look amazing with a glitter top coat. Threadbare is described as a creamy nude; I'd say it was a very pale, milky coffee colour with a tiny hint of grey. To be honest, both Granite and Threadbare are both shades I wouldn't normally reach for; Granite is a little dark for my liking, and I'm not usually a fan of nude polishes like Threadbare.  But I really liked how these three colours looked together; I thought they complimented each other nicely and I thought they'd make for some pretty designs with my new dotting pens.

L-R: Threadbare, Granite, Prim and Proper.

So far I've only had time for a quick play around with my new goodies. The dotting tools seem easy enough to use, and for a rushed first attempt, I don't think I did too badly! I found it easier to carefully pour a tiny bit (you don't need much at all) of your chosen colour onto some paper, then dip the tool into that, as opposed to dipping it it into the bottle itself. I've not been very imaginative so far, just doing a simple polka dot effect. But hopefully with a bit more practise I can do something a bit fancier!

Review: Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub

I've mentioned before how much I love Soap & Glory, and I've been lucky enough to reveive the giant gift set for Christmas each year that they've been doing them.  This year was no exception, and one of the products I was most excited about was the Sugar Crush body scrub.  The body scrubs are possibly my favourite Soap and Glory items, Breakfast Scrub being a particular favourite of mine, so I couldn't wait to give this new offering a go. I even skipped exfoliating for a good week or so to really put it to the test... the things we do...!

This scrub is actually quite an old product, but is not one I'd tried before.  It used to come in the old style blue packaging when Soap and Glory first came out.  I'd never really tried any of the 'blue' range so I don't know if this is the exact same, or whether it has been reformulated.  Either way, I'm glad it's back because it's blummin' fab! Sugar Crush contains smashed brown sugar & sweet lime, almond oil and macadamia grains.  This is a brilliant combination, as you get the exfoliation from the sugar, a lovely fresh fragrance from the lime, and the almond oil which is great for your skin.  Sugar scrubs are gentler than salt scrubs, but I still found this to get rid of any dry patched,  and with the added almond oil, my skin was left super soft.

As usual, the packaging is great.  Obviously we all know how to use a body scrub, but with Soap and Glory products, you have to read the directions anyway, right?!

Use your Sugar Crush in the shower once, twice or three times weekly, depending on the level of scaliness you struggle with. (Four times - even - if you've ever been labelled 'old lizard legs'.)

Soap and Glory descirbe this scent as 'Fresh, Zesty and Irresistable'. And they're not wrong.  This stuff smells incredible.  It's so fresh and fruity, and it is fast becoming my favourite Soap and Glory scent.  It smells kind of like sherbert and it also reminds me of Opal Fruits* Starburst sweets! The scent even lingered in my bathroom for ages afterwards. It's definitely worth a sniff if you've not tried it yet!  There's also a shower gel and body butter in the Sugar Crush range which I'll be sure to try out soon.  I have loads of Soap and Glory already, but with the advantage points vouchers that came with the Best of All gift set, it'd be rude not to wouldn't it?! ;)

*showing my age there!