June Empties

So it's been so long since I did an empties post and I kind of missed keeping track of what I use up every month so am starting them again. I guess that's the OCD part of me rearing it's head.

Anyway, here's what I used up in June:

1) Dermalogica Age Smart Renewal Lip Complex - I wasn't impressed at all by this (hence the reason I never bothered reviewing it). I didn't notice any different in the texture or fine lines around my lips and actually think it irritated me more than anything if I wore it a few days in a row.

2) Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream - Not a big fan of this either. It had a cooling sensation on the skin which I just found uncomfortable in winter and it seemed to burn a little around the edges of my nose . My skin also never really felt clean after using this either.

3) Avene Ystheal Emulsion - This was a sample and didn't make enough of an impression for me to want the full size product. It had a weird yellow tinge to it that I could see on my skin which I didn't like at all.

4) Be in Awe Shaanta Night Balm - This cream smells like cough syrup which I found just odd when putting it on my face. It did make my skin nice and soft but was just so hard to get out of the container. My thumb is now able to break rocks from pumping the top on this thing.

5) Lancome Genifique Youth Activator - This is a lovely serum that makes my skin feel so smooth and my pores seem to just disappear after use. I just wish I could afford a full size tube of this!

6) Davroe Lemongrass Detangler - I absolutely loved this product and used it every time I washed my hair before trying to put a comb in it. It left my hair nice and soft and stopped a lot of frizz from happening. I've actually missed it since I finished it so will be looking into getting some more I think.

7) Dove Go Fresh Deodorant in Nectarine & White Ginger - I seem to use this deodorant religiously. I will try another in between and then always go back to this one. Unfortunately, this can is virtually full but the spray mechanism has seized for some reason and won't work so it has to be chucked, boo!

8) Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black - This is one of my most favourite mascaras and I have had so many of them over the years (I may have a bit of an obsession with getting Clinique gift-with-purchases and they always have one in there). My lashes always look so lush and long when I use this and it never clumps or smudges even after the longest or hottest day. I think the brush is awesome too.

9) Pure DKNY fragrance - I suck at describing fragrances so I won't even attempt to. I liked this enough to use up the sample but wouldn't buy it for myself. It just doesn't wow me enough.

10) OP Therapy Body Hydrator with Emu Oil - Oh boy, this has been a skin saviour for me since winter hit. It's such a lovely thick cream that makes my dry, itchy and eczema prone skin give a big sigh of relief when applied. It's supposed to be unscented but it still has a natural 'animal oil' kind of smell to it so isn't completely scent free. It just doesn't have any artificial scents added to it which I like. I will definitely be getting myself some more of this.

11)  Spa Fresh Blends Romantic Discovery Bathing Ritual - This was a gorgeous bath powder which had a lovely scent but I really disliked the 30,000 pieces of rose petal that was left behind in my bath each time I used it.

12) Emergin C Scientific Organics Phytocell Cream - I used this at night before going to bed and really liked it. There wasn't anything remarkably overwhelming about it but it was still a nice cream that left my skin feeling moisturised and soft at night.

13) Kerastase Resistance Ciment Thermique - I've had a few of these sachets to sample lately and I find it great to use when I straighten my hair but not for any other use. It's a bit too thick for my fine hair and weighed it down too much to use everyday.

So, that's what I managed to get through during June. It wasn't a huge month but good enough.

Michelle xx 

December Empties

So I'm a bit late with this post as I just couldn't seem to get time to get any photographs done over the past few days and then the whole process of getting them onto the computer, and blah, blah, blah.

Anyway, here is everything that I got through in December. There were quite a few things due to some items being only of sample size:

1) Garnier Roll-on Deodorant Invisi Mineral - I love the Garnier deodorants and use them regularly. I bought a roll-on to try something different for a change and actually quite liked it. I'm normally a spray kind of girl but didn't mind using this roll-on instead.

2) Clinique Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser Mousse - I received this as part of a gift with purchase not too long ago and found it to be a really nice cleanser. My skin didn't feel dry at all after use and it didn't cause me to break out at all either. I'd definitely repurchase this.

3) Urban Rituelle Organic Hand Cream - This came in one of the monthly beauty sample boxes I get (I can't exactly remember which one) and I totally fell in love with it. It's got a gorgeous smell and made my hands feel so soft and moisturised after use without being overly greasy. A definite repurchase item.

4) Kerastase Ciment Thermique Heat Activated Reconstructor Milk - I received some samples of these again in one of the monthly beauty sample boxes and quite liked how this made my hair feel after use. I used it after shampooing and conditioning one day and then blow dried my hair a bit before using my GHD and my hair did feel super silky afterwards. Not bad considering I have fine curly hair which usually has the consistensy of straw.

5) Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector - This sample also came in a monthly box and I just loved it. My skin felt so silky smooth after applying it at night before going to bed and it didn't make me feel greasy or have smell that was too overpowering either. Except for the super high price tag, I'd most likely purchase this again.

6) Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil - I just haven't been able to get on the cleansing oil bandwagon yet. Maybe it's because I haven't found the right one for me or maybe they just aren't the product for me in general. I really didn't like using this cleansing oil, much the same reaction I had when I tried the Shu Uemura one as well. I'd rather stick with my cream, gel or foaming cleansers instead I think.

7) Elizabeth Arden Intervene Stress Recovery Night Cream - This would have to be my most favourite night cream of all time. See my review here. I almost shed a tear when I finished this product. I hinted and hinted so much for hubby to get me another for xmas but to no avail. I'll just have to try and work up the courage to spend the money on getting another one.

8) Pantene Split End Fuser - I received some of these to trial for the Beautyheaven trial team and am loving them so far. I don't really have any split ends but they make my curls look really nice and eliminate all signs of frizz which is a miracle in itself. Even though I'm not benefitting from this product in the way I'm supposed to I still think it's great so far.

9) Derma Intensive Facial Wipes - Three words to describe these wipes...... Worst Wipes Ever! I've never used facial wipes before that have been so useless. I needed at least two in most instances to clean my face as they are so thin and flimsy that they just don't seem to remove anything. I will definitely never be buying these again.

10) Neutrogena Build-a-Tan - I started using this on my mission to tan. See my review here. I will definitely not be purchasing this again as I just didn't like it one bit.

11) KUR Haircare Protecting Curl Spray - Another bad, bad product. It's not anywhere near empty but it's going in the bin anyway. I don't even remember where I got this from but it's just awful. The smell is horrendous and it makes my curls feel crispy and sticky and just plain awful. I could imagine the feeling of using this product a bit like drenching your hair in hair spray when it's wet and then letting it dry. Not a nice feeling to me.

12) Bio Oil - I love what this oil does for my skin but seriously wish they could change the smell of it. It just doesn't agree with me at all and it's such a shame as I'd live on this stuff if the smell was better.

13) Montagne Jeunesse Facial Masks in Deep Pore Purifying and Anti-Stress - I used two of these this month, one was a fabric mask infused with essential oils which you laid over your face for it to work and the other was your typical mud type mask. The fabric mask just felt a bit too weird for me and it looked utterly frightening as well! I much preferred the mud mask instead. These are great value masks that you can really feel the difference in your skin after use. I have a little stash of them that I forgot about so I'll now start using these on a regular basis again.

So, that's it for December.

Hope you all had some nice relaxing time off over the Xmas and New Year period. I didn't really as I only work two days a week anyway but hubby was home for almost two weeks which was nice.

November Empties

Yeah, this post is a little late but we have had almost a week without internet at home and I am only just catching up on everything that fell behind because of that.

This month has been a huge month for using up products, mainly because of the amount of samples I receive now because of the monthly beauty sample boxes.

See below:

1) Marc Jacobs 'Oh Lola' Sample - I really loved this perfume and have been using it quite a bit. It's surprising how much use you get out of those little spray bottles.

2) Palmolive Naturals Shower Gel with Almond Oil & Vanilla - I can't even remember when I bought this shower gel as it literally lasted forever. I swear there were some little Palmolive elves coming into my shower every week and refilling this bottle. Talk about a good value shower gel. This is maybe one to keep as a backup in your bunker for when the world ends and you won't be able to make it to the shops for a while :-)

3) John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo & Conditioner samples - These were nice products to use but nothing to really rave about. I think I only got about three uses out of each one so not really enough time to come to any real conclusion.

4) Sunsilk Super Shine Shampoo & Conditioner travel sizes - I originally purchased these to put in my hospital bag when I was going in to give birth to my son and then completely forgot about them when I got home. I eventually found them again when looking through my bathroom cabinet and decided to just use them up. This is a nice no frills shampoo and conditioner.

5) QV Bath Oil - I love this stuff and put a little into every bath no matter what else I've put in there too. I've also put a small amount into my son's bath now and then if he had any skin flare ups. It leaves you feeling so soft and really helps with any eczema or dry patches you might have.

6) MOR Body Butter samples in Belladonna and Italian Blood Orange - It is no secret that I have a MOR fetish and I received these samples with my last full size body butter order. The Italian Blood Orange is just delicious.

7) Clinique Clarifying Lotion - This was a great toner and made my skin feel super clean and seemed to really help my moisturiser sink in. I think I received this as a gift with purchase many moons ago and was another product I found in my bathroom a while ago and decided to finally use up.

8) Kerastase Shampoo & Treatment samples - These sachets just didn't contain enough product to adequately cover my hair. I could manage to work in the shampoo all over but the treatment was nowhere near enough. I don't even have very long hair (it's only a few centimetres past my shoulders) and it's very fine so there's no way these would be enough for anyone with normal hair.

9) Erborian BB Creme and Elixir Au Ginseng samples - I was surprised at how many uses I got out of each of these samples. I think I got about 3-4 days out of the BB Creme because it was so thick and about 3 uses out of the Elixir. This BB Creme was thicker than most foundations I have used and was a little hard to rub into my face at times. A little really goes a long way and it covered everything! The Elixir was a gorgeous consistency and made my skin feel so super soft after use. I also liked the way it didn't make my face feel sticky after applying like some of these creams have a tendency to do.

10) ROC Complete Lift samples - I am in love with this cream and have been using it every day in the mornings before applying my makeup. It makes my skin look awake and feel super soft. I had a bit of raw red skin around my nose a week or so ago after having a cold that just wouldn't go away and this cream has healed this skin perfectly without any stinging or irritation.

11) Gatineau Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate sample - This sample was teeny weeny tiny and I think I only got 2-3 uses out of it so really not enough to tell whether it was much good or not. I did like the smell, I can at least say that much.

So that's it for November.

I hope everyone is looking forward to Xmas this year? This will be our first Xmas with our little man as a family so it should be super fun!

October Empties!

Ok, so I made a pact with myself at the beginning of October that I would make it 'Sample Month' where I would try and use up as many samples of everything that I had.

Even since subscribing to some of those monthly beauty sample boxes I've become inundated with samples and thought it was time to finally start using them all. It was kind of fun to use a few different products that I wouldn't normally and has made me a bit more adventurous now in wanting to buy different things.

Here is what I managed to get through in October:

* Rexona Womens Naturals Deoderant - I know, this isn't anything even remotely exciting but I included it because it is one of my favourite deoderants of all time and I seem to gravitate towards buying it again and again. It's a nice light scent that doesn't overpower any perfume I might wear and most importantly it always keeps me feeling fresh, even at the gym. An all round excellent product.

* Nivea Irresistibly Smooth Body Lotion - This was a nice moisturising lotion that isn't too overpowering scent wise like some of the other Nivea products can be and it left my skin feeling lovely and soft.

* Dermalogica Microfoliant - I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this product. I do like it but it's a little bit much for my sensitive skin on a daily basis. See my review here.

* Kerastase Elixir Ultime - This was a great product to keep mu hair frizz free. I applied a small amount to my hair after showering and it made it feel so soft when dry. It has an awesome smell too!

* Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Cleansing Oil - I wasn't a fan of this product at all. I've seen so many people rave about it but it just didn't do it for me. I just couldn't get the hand of using an oil to cleanse and I always felt as if my face was still greasy and dirty after using it.

* Lancome Genifique Youth Activator - I absolutely love this serum. Since using it I have really noticed a difference in the texture of my skin. It's the first time I've ever used something where I have really noticed such a difference. This product is definitely going on my Christmas wishlist!

* Clinique Turnaround Body Lotion - This was a nice body moisturiser but I didn't notice anything majorly different with my skin after using it to justify the normal price tag. It moisturised, it had a light fresh scent, that's about it really.

* A.S.A.P - I've been using up a lot of samples from this brand as I received a heap from Beautyheaven a while ago. This month I finished some of the Sheer Tint Moituriser (I am in love with this product, see my review here), some of the Daily Exfoliating Facial Scrub and some of the Gentle Cleansing Gel (I have reviewed this here). I still have heaps of these samples left which I will most likely finish in November.

* Pure Fiji Coconut Milk Shower Gel - This was a nice shower gel that had a lovely smell. Unfortunately there wasn't really enough in the bottle to get a good feel for the product as I think it only lasted about 3 or 4 washes.

* Sundari Sandalwood Cleanser - I received a few samples of these from Beautyheaven a while back as well and have been using them sparingly as this product seems to burn my face a little for some reason. Obviously there is something in it that reacts to my sensitive skin.

* Garnier Body Intensive 7 Day Repairing Lotion - I loved this lotion. I coated myself in it every night after showering and my skin never felt so soft. This will definitely be a moisturiser that I will keep using in the future.

Anyway, that's about it for now.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

October Lust Have It! Box

I'm a bit slow on posting the contents of the October Lust Have It! box this month as I've been doing nothing but studying for my two CPA exams next week and have basically had no life. Everyone probably knows what's in the box for this month but I had already taken the photos and thought I might as well write about it anyway.

Here's what this months box looked like once opened:

And here's what it all looked like when taken out of the box:



A breakdown of the contents is as follows:

* Lancome Genifique Youth Activator (2 x 5ml) - this is a serum which claims to reactivate your genes and stimulate the production of youth proteins. I think it's nice that we got given two of these samples rather than just one so that we can get a better picture of how it works because 5ml really isn't much to work with to see if you like a product or not.

* LimeLily Cosmetics Cream Blush in Gorgeous - This is a blush refill and I think you can buy the holders separately according to the YouTube video posted by Lust Have It! It would be good to get all 6 colours of this over time to have the set.

* Lush 'Honey I Washed the Kids' Soap - This is a toffee and honey scented soap. I love Lush products and was devastated when my local one closed down a few months ago so am really excited about getting this soap.

* Taut Collagen Orange Drink (50 ml) - I find this product a little weird and really don't get it. Supposedly you drink a bottle of this three to four times a week and it provides you with an easy and delicious natural source of concentrated bio-available collagen. It's also further enhanced with synergistic co-nutrients including Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide and vitamins such as B1, B2, B6, E and Beta-carotene. Not too sure on this one......

* Kerastase Resitance Range - 2 x Bain De Force Shampoo, 2 x Ciment Anti-Usure Reinforcing and Finishing Treatment and 2 x Ciment Thermique Heat Activated Reconstructor Milk sachets.

So, that's it for this months Lust Have It! box. I'm glad that there was a makeup product in this months box again. I actually wish it was a bit more evenly distributed between makeup and skincare/haircare in each box as I'm starting to get an overload on skincare/haircare samples.

I'm definitely keeping my subscription going though as I feel like a little kid at Christmas every month when my little goody boxes arrive in the post. My husband just shakes his head. He clearly doesn't understand..........