February Empties 2016 || Products I've Used Up

You may want to grab yourself a cup of tea and get comfortable as this will be a very long post! First up, I've used up The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil which I found removed my makeup rather well including waterproof mascara. I've finished up a Sanctuary Radiance Exfoliator which for the record has crushed up walnut not plastic beads in it. This helps remove all dead skin cells and leaves the skin soft to the touch without drying it out. I've used up the Dr Jart+ V7 Balancing Toner which I didn't notice a huge difference whilst using and I found it rather annoying to use as you had to use the dropper a few times to get a decent amount onto a cotton wool pad. I've finished up a La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ which I use every morning without fail and helps keep any pesky blemishes at bay whilst helping to prevent any new ones from appearing. I've used up two No7 Protect & Perfect Advanced Serums which I use both morning and night before moisturising to help prevent the first signs of ageing. I think I'll have to invest in the bigger size of this from now on judging by the fact I've used up two tubes in one month!

I've finished up a Botanics Ultra Calm Skin Relief Serum which I used every so often when my skin was looking a little drier than normal to help double up on the moisturisation. I've used up a Lacura Aqua Complete Multi Intensive Serum which is pretty much identical to Hydraluron but at just a fraction of the price which sadly they've now discontinued altogether which is a shame as I thoroughly enjoyed using it. Speaking of Hydraluron, I've used up two tubes of it which just goes to show that I've been a little heavy handed with my products this month. This acts like a magnet with your moisturiser to help hydrate the skin further down and I will forever continue to repurchase and reuse it! I've finished up a Yes To Grapefruit Dark Circle Correcting Eye Cream which I felt didn't necessarily help correct my dark circles but it certainly did help keep my under eye area hydrated. I've used up the No7 Youthful Eye Serum which I use before any eye cream to help keep my under eyes hydrated which just like with Hydraluron, I will continue to repurchase and reuse. I've finished up a L'Oreal Youthcode Texture Perfector Moisturiser which didn't particularly wow me and just felt any other average moisturiser. I've used up two EOS Lip Balms in Watermelon and Summer Fruits both of which I loved just as much as the other. I seem to have these dotted all over the place hence why I've used up two. I'm so glad that I actually have a jar filled of these as I stocked up when I went to America as there's no way I'm paying £5+ for a lip balm!

I've used up a L'Oreal Lumi Magique Pure Light Primer which is one of my holy grail products! This just helps to create the perfect base ready for foundation whilst making the skin appear incredibly radiant. I've finally finished up the Neutrogena Nourishing Long Wear Makeup which I mixed with other foundations to create a custom base. The colour matched me well and I will definitely buy it again when I'm in America. I've used up a No7 Instant Illusions Airbrush Away Primer which I use before the L'Oreal primer purely to airbrush away any fine lines or wrinkles as it just helps to make everything appear smooth. I've finished up another MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Lingering which matches my brows so well and will continue to repurchase unless I find something else cheaper. I haven't used up the Rimmel Glitter Bomb Top Coat in Disco Diva as it's actually dried up however this is such a good nail colour for an accent nail as it's rose gold which packs a lot of glitter! I've also used a pair of Ardell Demi Wispies Fake Eyelashes which I wore for Valentines Weekend and it just made my eyes pop so I can definitely see myself buying these again.

I've finished a Tresemme Heat Defence which if I'm honest, I didn't get on with well as it worked brilliantly to protect freshly washed hair but on second day hair, it just made my hair feel and look greasy which is not ideal. I've used up a huge bottle of Dr Bronner's Magic Soap in Citrus which I used to wash all my makeup brushes and sponges weekly. I absolutely love this stuff and I will forever continue to repurchase it in either this scent or Almond. I've finished up the Moroccan Oil Treatment which I used every time I've washed my hair. I normally used around five to six pumps worth which I know is a lot however my hair definitely needed it! I will definitely repurchase this once I've used up my current hair oils. I've used up a Imperial Leather Apple & Pear Shower Gel which smells incredible fruity and lathers up nicely and will definitely use it again which is just as well, as I have a few more bottles of this in my stash.

I've used up a The Body Shop Almond Body Butter which smelt utterly divine and helped keep my body moisturised. If money was no object, I would buy hundreds of these in a heart beat but for the time being, I'll stick with my trust Soap & Glory ones. I've finished up a Boots Keep It Sweet Strawberry Jam Body Scrub which smells of very artificial strawberries however helps keep my pins exfoliated and is a fraction of the price of the Soap & Glory scrubs too. I've used a Colgate Sensitive Pro Relief Toothpaste which is just like any other normal sensitive toothpaste just not as pricey as most. Once I've used up my stash of these, I'm definitely going to try out a few different ones. I've finished up two packs of the Wilko Maxi Oval Cotton Pads which will forever feature in thesse empties. Lastly, I've used up three packs of the No7 Quick Thinking Wipes which I use for everything but removing makeup from my face. I've also used up quite a few of Lush Bath Bombs including Star Dust, Butterbear, Cinders, Ickle Baby Bot, Yog Nog and So White as well as one Lush Bubble Bar which was Bar Humbug.

If you've made it this far, I congratulate you as I will admit this is a rather lengthy post due to the amount of products I've used up this past month!

February Shine Bright Like A Diamond Birchbox 2016

I've been a little laid back recently when it comes to blogging as some of you may have noticed. I'm not going to make up any excuses as to why but just simply life has been getting a little hectic so without further ado, I'm back with a review of this month's birchbox!

Birchbox have definitely been upping their game recently when it comes to their monthly subscription boxes and unlike other beauty boxes that have been taking the Valentines Day approcach, Birchbox have changed up the ballgame and continued with their powerful messages with this months box being no exception. This month's theme is Shine Bright Like A Diamond which is filled with products to help you look and feel bright like a diamond also. So let's delve in and see what's inside!

The first product in the box is from their inhouse brand LOC; One And Done Shadow Stick (£8) that all subscribers got to choose which shade they preferred. I went ahead and chose Champagne Problems which as the name suggests, is a beautiful champagne colour that just looks effortless on the lids. This is actually a full size product which is rather tiny but I'll making sure to give it a lot of loving!

Next up a sample of the Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster (£47) that I've been wanting to try for the longest time ever after hearing many people rave about it! It contains a high powered vitamin C complex that helps to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles to protect the skin from further damage. It's loaded with antioxidants and moisture binding ingredients that help to keep the skin nourished and hydrated. I'm looking forward to introducing this into my skincare routine although I'm a little worried that if my skin likes it, I'll have to buy the full size which is rather pricey!

One of the most exciting additions to the box is a full size Spectrum Tapered Powder Brush (£7.99) that I've been seeing a lot recently on Instagram! The brush is certainly eye catching with a pink handle and blue and purple bristles to match which are ever so soft! I bet this would work wonders with setting concealer under the eyes or even applying blusher, not that I wear any that is!

I tend to stick to my usual body butters in a tub so I doubt the Cochine Water Hyacinth & Lime Blossom Hand & Body Lotion (£19) will be getting much use from me sadly. It's packaged with shea butter and aloe vera to soothe and hydrate the skin with hints of zestly lime blossom and woodsy water hyacinth to scent the skin. Although with that being said, I could just add it to my stash of hand creams to use.

It appears that I have an abundance of theBalm Frat Boy Blush/Shadow (£15.50) samples from recent beauty boxes so this addition will be getting passed onto a friend for sure! It's a beautiful pale pink with a subtle hint of shimmer that would look beautiful on pale complexions for a hint of colour.

The last addition to this months box is a Derm Eyes Make-Up Remover Wipe (£9.50) which I'll be keeping in my handbag for an emergency as I don't tend to remove my makeup with a wipe as I opt for micellar waters or cleansing oils if I'm honest. These are hypoallergenic cleansing wipes that are ideal for sensitive eyes as they've been created with a super soft fabric to both cleanse and hydrate the eye area without irritation.

This box sure contains a wide variety of items and have definitely got me excited for the March edition!

Samples I've Used Up 030

I've used up a decent sized sample of Redken Colour Extend Conditioner which I recieved in a beauty box many moons ago that I only recently discovered in my stash. I managed to get nearly three full applications from this and I used it every other time I washed my hair to maintain my blonde after toning it the wash before. It didn't particularly wow me so I won't be buying in full size. I've finished up a REN Rose Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser which I got four uses from and as far as hot cloth cleansers go, this wasn't my favourite one. I've used up two Activbod Cooling Finish Lotions which I used after I had a shower after the gym and it was okay although I used it primarily to moisturise my body that to cool it down. I didn't finish the Beauty Protector Beauty Cream Hand & Body Moisturiser purely because it's so darn thick, you can't easily get it out of the bottle so a very bad packaging fail there sample wise. I've used up the Nip + Fab Dry Leg Fix which I used all over rather than just my legs and it kept my body moisturised however I wouldn't rush out to buy it.

I've finished up the No7 Eye Makeup Remover which I had to really rub at my eyes in order to remove even the tiniest amount of eye makeup which is not ideal. I've used up the Nuxe Nuxellence Detox which I liken to Lancome Visionnaire except not as pricey. I love the results that it gives and I've already got a full size of this waiting to be used in my stash. I managed to get three full face applications from the Glamglow Youthmud Exfoliating Treatment and I just loved how it made my skin look and feel when I removed it. Luckily enough, I have a full size of this in my stash which I will start to use once I've used up a few face masks. I've used up the ESPA Hydrating Floral Splash which I used as a hydrating toner after using an acidic toner. Funnily enough, I also have this in full size in my stash waiting to be used once I've used up a few more toners. I've finished up the Sk:n Brightening & Firming Eye Cream which is pretty much identical to the Origins Ginzing offering as it gives almost the same results. I've used up the Lancome Genefique which I've raved about before and won't bore you with it again.

I've finished up the ESPA 24 Hour Replenishing Moisturiser which smelt very natural but did a brilliant job at hydrating the skin. If I didn't have lots of moisturisers to use up then I would repurchase this in a heart beat! I've used up the last of my samples of Lancome Visionnaire which if it wasn't so pricey, I would buy in a full size however I will stick with Nuxe Nuxellence Detox as it gives near identical results but for a fraction of the price. I've finished up the Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief which I felt that it did nothing for my skin in terms of keeping it hydrated when we had the freezing weather a few weeks ago however I believe that it's best suited when it's a lot warmer so I may try it out again in the next few months. I've used up two fragrance samples - Estee Lauder Modern Muse and Paco Rabanne Lady Million; both of which smell beautiful and would buy in full size as soon as I've used up a lot of fragrances. I've finished up the Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Supreme Lash Building Mascara which I used primarily after using a fibre mascara as it just helped to build my lashes even more. I've used up the No7 Extreme Length Mascara which is looking a little worse for wear as I used it to seperate and define my lashes inbetween coats of mascara. Lastly, I've finished up the Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara which I used immediately after using a white mascara primer to help make my lashes darker whilst creating some serious volume.