February Empties

I've used up a Aussie 3MM Reconstructor which has become a sunday ritual product! It helps transform my dry, damaged locks into healthy, shiny locks which I will continue to repurchase! I've finished up the Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Moisture Lotion which I actually used as a foot lotion as I'm not too keen on the scent. It does an okay job but I won't be rushing out to repurchase in a hurry. I've used up another Soap & Glory Clean On Me Shower Gel which I use as a shaving lotion and will forever be repurchased! I've finished up the Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave In Conditioner which helps detangle my hair as well as leave it soft and shiny - I will repurchase this as soon as I've used up some more leave in conditioners.

I've used up the Nivea Double Effect Eye Makeup Remover which does not remove all my eye makeup and it leaves a greasy residue behind - will never repurchase! I've finished up the Boots Conditioning Nail Polish Remover which I used to remove any glitter nail polish. It did the job and have already repurchased. I've used up the Garnier Micellar Water which I absolutely loved and will repurchase despite the fact that I went through it far too quickly! I've finished up the Botanics All Bright Micellar Water which although it left my skin feeling a little tight and dry, I will repurchase as it helped to truly remove my makeup. I've finished up a tube of the Crest 3D White Luxe Sensitivity Toothpaste which really helped with my sensitivity and helped whiten up my teeth. I've used up the No7 Overnight Revitalising Eye Balm which did a good job at moisturising my under eye area but didn't necessarily help with any dark circles so I won't be rushing out to repurchase. I've finished up a tube of Eysilix which I absolutely loved and will repurchase once I've finished up a few more eye creams!

I've gone through three packs of the Wilko Maxi Oval Cotton Pads which features in every single monthly empties post as they're the only cotton wool pads that I use. I've finished up a pack of the No7 Quick Thinking Wipes which I use for everything but removing my makeup. I've used a Lush Ickle Baby Bot Bath Bomb which helped to destress me and soothe my senses. I haven't used up the Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara, No7 Lash Adapt Mascara or the No7 Extreme Length Mascara but all three, I did not get on well with as they either clumped up my lashes or did nothing at all to them.

February Birchbox Review

To tie in with Valentine's Day, the February box has a theme of "Birchbox Loves" - a selection of products both beauty and lifestyle which the Birchbox team love and adore! As always, they've included the usual inserts of the standard postcard format (not pictured) where they cover product favourites from cult brand Caudalie as well as tips and tricks on how to get ready Birchbox style as well as different ways on using coconut oil.

The first product that caught me eye a generous sized sample of the Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum (£45) which is a highly concentrated serum that helps reduce of the appearance of acne marks, scars and general dark spots and reavel a brighter, more even complexion. This serum is right up my street and I cannot wait to start using it!

Another product that I was excited to see is the KMS Hair Play Dry Wax (£15.50) which essentially is a dry wax spray that helps achieve a perfectly undone look with tousled definition and a matte finish with lots of volume and texture. As I'm so bored with my normal go to hair look, I'm excited to start experimenting and what better way to experiment with my hair than with this!

Next up is a Birchbox exclusive in the form of T London Darjeeling Hand & Body Lotion (£6.50+) which reminds me so much of my good friend Sophia! This is inspired by the reviving, delicate aroma of Darjeeling tea which is packed with jojoba and aloe oil to uplift your spirit and renew the skin all whilst leaving it silky soft and moisturised. Despite not being a tea drinker myself, I'm sure I will put these to good use epecially on a pamper evening.

Another Birchbox exclusive is the Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner in Black (£11) which is one of the most creamiest formulas I've used! The shade itself is a intense, bold black which should last all day which you can both use as an eyeliner or blend it out for a smokey eye look. 

Another makeup edition to the box is theBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen (£10) which is one of those lip-to-cheek gel tints that I've never really been a huge fan of. It's a beautiful red-ish toned pink that you can either swipe on the lips for a hint of colour and immense gloss or dot onto the cheeks and quickly blend on the cheeks for a flushed look. I doubt I'll get much use from this so it'll be getting passed along to a friend.

Last but not least is a lifestyle extra in the form of a satchet of The Chia Co Oats + Chia (£4.95 for 5) which comes in many different flavours of which I receieved the Mixed Berry flavour! I've never tried chia seeds but I sure love oats so I'm excited to see how this compares to my normal porridge.

Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Body Lotion

As much as I love having a bath, I hate moisturising my body afterwards as all I really want to do is just get straight into my PJs and get cosy! I've been trying to make a conscious effort to moisturise my body after every bath - no matter how annoyed/tired/cant be bothered I am, I will make sure that I will. For the past year or so, I've been reaching for the Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Moisture Lotion which I actually got in the 2013 Soap & Glory The Yule Monty Gift Set.

The Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Moisture Lotion (£10) is an ulta nourishing, fruity-liquid moisture milkshake with super-smoothing powers over rough elbows, bumpy upper arms and flaky lower legs which is scented with their fruity fruitigo fragrance.

I will happily hold my hand up high and admit that I am not keen on the scent - I just don't understand how people can love the fruitgo scent as to me, it just smells of artificial mango. With that in mind, I've actually been using this as a foot lotion instead of a body lotion and I find that it does the job just as well! It's a extremely light weight lotion that sinks into the skin almost immediately after applying and it leaves the skin incredibly soft and nourished! As much as I love how soft it makes my feet feel, I've noticed that after a certain point the nozzle will stop working completely. Whether that's because it may be blocked and need rinsing or because the lotion hardens up over time and therefore cannot be dispensed, I don't know. I'm hoping that maybe they will change the packaging design in the future or I could just cut my losses and opt instead for the butter verson. Overall, this is a brilliant moisturising lotion if you can stand the scent. I've already moved onto my next bottle of this and surprise, surprise, it's being used to moisturise my feet again.

Samples I've Used Up 020

I've used up four samples of the Lancome Visionnaire Serum which features in every single one of these posts. This helps to even out my skin texture and leaves it feeling so soft and hydrated! I've still got a mountain of samples to go before I commit to buying in full size. I've finished up a tube of Soap & Glory Heel Genius and I just don't understand what all the hype is about! It's an average moisturiser which does an okay job and the smell isn't all great. I've finished up a generous sized tube of Campos de Ibiza Almond Moisturizing Body Milk which didn't smell anything like almonds and wasn't all that moisturising.

I've used up a little bottle of the RMK Make Up Base which I liked but didn't love. It helped make my makeup last but it smelt very strongly of alcohol so it's definitely put me off buying it in full size. I've finished up a sample of the Origins GinZing Brightening Mascara which did a brilliant job at defining my lashes and lengthening them although I didn't notice the brightening effect which I personally think is a bit gimmicky. Lastly, I've used up a sample of the Clinique High Impact Mascara which I absolutely loved at first as it gave a lot of volume with my lashes to make a impact which is what it is intended to do. However, when it started to dry up a little, it didn't have the same impact so I doubt I will purchase in full size.

Botanics All Bright Micellar Water

If I had to name one step in my skincare routine that I love doing then it would most definitely be removing my makeup! I love nothing more than removing a full face of makeup after a long day of work and I like to really spend my time doing so, ensuring that every last trace is gone. Recently, I've been using the Botanics All Bright Micellar Water to do just the job and I thought I'd share my two cents on it.

The Botanics All Bright Micellar Water (£2.99) is a 3-in-1 cleansing solution that feels as gentle as water on the skin to help dissolve makeup, unclog poes and remove impurities. Just like with the rest of the All Bright range, this contains hibiscus which acts as a mild exfoliator to help brighten up the skin.

I personally like to soak a cotton wool pad in the solution before sweeping it across my face - concentrating mainly on my base makeup before using a seperate makeup remover for my eye makeup. This helps to remove all traces of makeup within a few seconds and as it does the job so well, I don't feel the need to use any elbow grease to scrub it off. After use, my skin can feel a little tight and dry in areas and if I do accidently sweep it across my eyes, it tends to sting a little which I believe is because of the hibiscus. Despite it drying my skin out a little which can be fixed with a little facial oil, this is a brilliant budget makeup remover and I will definitely be purchasing it again!

No7 Overnight Revitalising Eye Balm

Eye creams are one of those steps that you have to have a lot of patience with to see results as they are definitely not a one trick wonder that everybody is led to believe. I've only ever used up a few eye creams since I've started blogging as I like to stick with the one I'm using instead of swapping and changing. One that I've been using for the best part of a year now has been the No7 Overnight Revitalising Eye Balm and as I'm drawing close to finishing it, I thought that now would be a better time to share my thoughts on it.

The No7 Overnight Revitalising Eye Balm (£12) is a gel like consistency that feels both cooling and refreshing under the eyes. It contains a combination of ingredients that claim to help visibly improve dark circles and puffiness whilst softening the appearing of fine lines and calming redness. After applying the night before, the skin around the eyes come morning should feel more revitalised, softer and more firmed.

Unlike previous eye creams that I've used, this feels completely different when applying it under the eyes as it feels tacky yet is absorbed almost immediately. I haven't noticed any vast improvements in my under eye area since I've begun using it nor have I really noticed anything at all apart from the simple fact that they feel softer and appear more hydrated than before. I wouldn't necessarily agree that it helps improve the appearance of dark circles as mine are still noticeable although maybe not quite as dark as before. Overall, this is an okay eye cream but I wouldn't necessarily rush out of my way to repurchase it. 

Crest 3D White Luxe Sensitivity Toothpaste

Whilst out in the States, as well as buying lots of makeup and skincare, I couldn't resist picking up a toothpaste or two especially when I was eating lots of Reeces Pieces and drinking more than my fair share of Mountain Dew which when combined with using whitening strips, it means that my teeth were feeling extremely sensitive! The toothpaste in question that I picked up is the Crest 3D White Luxe Sensitive Toothpaste which is the US version of Oral B.

The Crest 3D White Luxe Sensitivity Toothpaste ($3.97) has been specially formulated to relieve tooth sensitivity and whiten the teeth at the same time. It contains the same sensitivity active ingredient that Sensodyne contains but is a fraction of the price and is the only sensitivity toothpaste with the power of 3D White.

Since using this toothpaste, I've noticed that my sensitivity to both hot and cold foods has reduced dramatically with only the occasional flare up here and there. My teeth also look a lot whiter which is surprising as I haven't used a whitening strip since September last year. Overall this is a brilliant budget toothpaste and I will most definitely be stocking up on this when I'm next in the States!

Lush The Kiss Lip Scrub

I never truly suffer with unruly chapped lips - I apply lip balm most days and don't feel the need to invest in a lip scrub especially when my previous one tasted revolting. That was until I caught wind of Lush's The Kiss Lip Scrub containing hundreds of thousands of which I was instantly sold on as it's not like every lip scrub has sprinkles in it.

Lush's The Kiss Lip Scrub (£5.50) is unlike any other lush lip scrub as it contains edible hearts and hundreds of thousands as well as the normal blend of caster sugar and oil with the added extras of cocoa butter, fine sea salt and silician mandarin oil to make this one hell of a uplifting, exfoliating salty sweet treat.To apply, you simply dip your finger in the pot and gently buff it over the lips surface before licking or wiping it off. You can also make it less abrasive by applying a layer of lip balm before application closely followed by applying lip balm to lock in moisture.

As this is only the second lip scrub I've tried, I wasn't expecting it to be so fine in texture! It is literally like really fine sugar with sprinkles mixed in which is slightly hard to pick up with your finger. It is also makes it extremely messy when it comes to rubbing over the lips as it gets everywhere! The edible hearts and hundreds of thousands are more of a gimmick than anything else although I don't mind them as it makes it more valentine appropriate. Despite how gimmickly messy it is, it sure does a damn god job at buffing up my lips especially when used only a few times a week closely followed by a good application of lip balm. I would advise you to pick it up whilst you can as I don't expect it to be on the shelves for much longer especially when it's limited edition!

Boots Haul 017

I recently had a few gift cards and vouchers burning a hole in my pocket and I thought that I better spend them to take advantage of a few offers that were happening at the time in Boots. Now whilst I may have broken a few of my beauty resolutions, in my defense these were deals that I simply couldn't resist to take advantage of as well as the chance to save money in the long term. I also didn't buy all this in one trip, this is several trips combined.

My first port of call was at the Estee Lauder counter where if I bought two items, I'd get 500 advantage card points which combined with a gift card meant that I wouldn't really be spending my own money technically. I knew that I wouldn't be leaving without the Estee Lauder Little Black Primer which I've heard so many good things about since it launch and I must admit that since using it, I cannot live without it! You can use it in three ways; either on bare lashes to naturally tiny them or use it as a primer before your normal mascara to help make your lashes look more voluminous and more defined or as a top coat, to help set your mascara with a water-resistant finish. I use it the last two ways which help make my lashes look more defined and volumious whilst not flaking away after a full days work. As there was really nothing else that I really needed, I decided to pick up the Sumptuous Giftset which comes with a full size Sumptuous Mascara as well as a duluxe handbag sized Pure Colour Envy Lipstick in Desirable which is the perfect pinky-nude shade which I'll definitely be rocking from time to time.

Next armed with two vouchers for the same transaction; £3 off when I spend £12 or more on Soap & Glory as well as a voucher to get Soap & Glory Glow Job free for when I buy anything from their skincare range. I decided to pick up the one thing that I definitely use which is the Soap & Glory Drama Clean 5-in-1 Micellar Cleansing Water which helps remove makeup from both the face, eyes and lips as well as the Soap & Glory Glow Job which when I got to the till, I only ended up paying £3 total for both items which is a steal! Lastly, I decided to pick up an Essie nail varnish as I had a voucher for £2 off so I picked up Peach Daiquiri which is rather similar in colour to Cute As A Button but is more red toned than peach. 

Lush Heart Throb Bubble Bar

I never really care for the Lush collections unless there is a particular product that grabs my attention. On my most recent venture into Lush, I decided to pick up a few products from their Valentines Day collection. I only picked up a few things including the Heart Throb Bubble Bar.

The Heart Throb Bubble Bar (£3.65) is a two layered, vivid red bubble bar sandwiched together with sticky gold glitter butter-like-cream-glue which you could get up to six baths from if you divided it up right. It shares the same scent of their African Paradise Body Conditioner - a mixture of essential oils and frangipani which when combined with nourishing shea butter, makes it extremely moisturising!

Unlike other bubble bars that I've used in the past, I was rather disappointed with this one due to the lack of bubbles it made however it did turn the water a beautiful shade of red which will be perfect for Valentines Day! As it is loaded with shea butter, it leaves the skin beautifully moisturised and soft so you can opt to skip the body lotion if need be. I personally quite like this bubble bar for the water tinting aspects and moisturising properties but I'm disappointed that it didn't create a mountain of bubbles like many have in the past.

Lush Haul 003

I know that it wasn't too long that I recently ventured into Lush however after seeing lots of people posting about their hauls, I simply couldn't resist buying a few pieces. I made sure to get a good mix of both bath bombs and bubble bars from both their limited edition Valentines Day collection and their standard range.

One bath bomb that I seem to always pick up is the Ickle Baby Bot which is more aimed to children than adults however I cannot resist it's jolly blue face with little stumpy legs as well as it's soothing lavender scent! A bubble bar that I haven't had in a while is Blue Skies And Fluffy White Clouds which smells strongly of patchouli and frankincense and helps you to relax and get away from the world. Another product that I haven't had in a while is their Blackberry Bath Bomb which helps to banish all stress and tension leaving you feeling rather relaxed and calm. It's definitely one of their more basic bath bombs but it definitely makes quite the impact in the tub. I couldn't resist picking up the Space Girl Bath Bomb purely because it's covered in glitter that will no doubt cover the entire bath rub. This was a pure impulse buy but after finding out that it contains popping candy, I'm excited to use it!

From their Valentines Day collection, I couldn't help but pick up the Heart Throb Bubble Bar which I don't personally want to break up as its such a cute heart shape! This apparently turns the water bright red upon breaking apart and leaves the skin beautifully soft. I'm sure that I'll have fun using this eventually! The last item I bought from Lush is their The Kiss Lip Scrub which contains caster sugar, sea salt, edible red hearts as well as hundreds of thousands which definitely makes it a sweet tasting scrub!

Eysilix

Indeed Labs are renowned for their cult favourite; Hydraluron and have a huge following of worshippers including myself as they can simply do no wrong! Recently, I've noticed that my current eye creams aren't quite cutting it in the moisturising stakes so I decided to try out one of lesser spoken about products, Eysilix. 

Eysilix (£24.99) is an eye cream which combined ten leading peptides along with the latest botanical extracts to help minimise the look of puffiness, dark circles, crow's feet and wrinkles all whilst hydrating the eye area.

Unlike other eye creams that I've used in the past, Eysilix is one of the more thicker ones I've tried yet still feeling fairly light in texture. My skin loves it as it drinks it up within seconds as it instantly feels hydrated and my eye area looks slightly more awake than before. I've been using this most days for the past four months and I must admit that my under eye areas do look better - I no longer have noticeable dark circles and the slight creases are not as visible as before which is a definite bonus. I personally wouldn't say that this is a one trick wonder as with everything, you do have to have patience and give it time before you start to see noticeable results. There is still a lot of hype surrounding this product and I would say that it is true just you do have to stick with it! I will most definitely be repurchasing this at some stage but for the time being, I've got a few more eye creams to use up.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

As much as I love applying makeup, I love removing it even more and I enjoy taking my time removing every last trace of makeup before proceeding with the rest of my skincare routine. As I'm trying to stick to my beauty resolutions of spend less, use more; I've been using up products within my stash so recently, I've been using the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water to help remove the bulk of my face makeup.

The Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (£4.99) which is a simple water solution that helps break down makeup before removing it entirely, leaving the skin clean and refreshed without the hassle of rubbing or rinsing. Unlike most traditional micellar waters, this comes housed in a clear container with a pink pour style cap that many have likened to Bioderma except being a fraction of the price.

I personally like to soak my cotton wool pad and sweeping it across my face - concentrating on my face makeup and then going in with a seperate makeup remover to remove my eye makeup. It literally melts away my makeup within a couple of seconds and I find that I don't need to use any elbow grease at all as it does the job so well. After use, my skin doesn't feel dry or tight like some micellar waters can do but rather it feels refreshed and clean. This is definitely one of the better micellar waters I've tried as it does exactly what it claims to do albeit I'm not too sure on the 200 uses claim as I'm pretty sure it won't last me for that long! I will definitely be repurchasing this as soon as I've used up a few more makeup removers.

January Favourites

Thoroughout January, I've found myself falling back in love with the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner which removes any impurities and dead skin cells and helps reveal soft, smooth and brighter looking skin all in one sweep. I reserve this for the evenings as that is when I like to really spend my time doing my skincare routine and I like to ensure that I go over my skin a few times with this to get the full effect. The only other skincare product that I've been loving throughout January is the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ which I now mainly use every other morning to avoid my skin getting used to it. It's a blemish busting cream which helps heal extisting breakouts as well as prevent any new ones as well as helping to combat redness, minimise blackheads, reduces red marks and scarring as well as helping with any oil. I find that a little goes a long way with this so it's definitely good value for money.

A repeated apperance from NARS Laguna Bronzer definitely means that it's now love as it would now appear that I've overcome my breaking out issue after a few days of using which now means that I can wear it all week long! It's the perfect bronzer to contour with as it's not quite matte so it has a slight sheen to it which looks beautiful when the light hits the cheeks. I love this so much now that I've turned my back on my beloved NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny! The only brush that I've been using with the Laguna Bronzer is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush which is the ideal shape to contour with. It gets right into the hollows of my cheeks and blends it out beautifully so that no harsh lines are left - I urge everybody to try this brush to contour with as you won't regret it! The last product that I've been loving throughout January is the Maybelline Colour Elixir in Petal Pusher which hasn't been featured on the blog until now! This is literally the perfect lipgloss to add a slight wash of colour and gloss without feeling sticky or tacky on the lips. I never used to be a lipgloss fan until now so I'm determined to try more from the lineup.

What products were you loving during January?