Products I've used up | March 2016

I have a healthy collection of empties this month so I'll dive straight in with a bath time favourite, MOA Fortifying Green Bath Potion*. Aside from the packaging speaking to me on many levels and whilst it might not be the most cost effective product at the mere hint of a sniffle I'd be running myself a bath with this herbal blend of peppermint, fennel, fir needle and birch. All ingredients that would help detoxify, calm, relax and ease aching muscles but most importantly, it was the scent. This is the only contender to Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir to fill my bathroom with such an amazing scent which lasts long after my bath water has run away.

I won't dwell too much on the sample of Chanel Les Beiges Foundation as I was lucky enough to receive it for my birthday and anticipate a review coming soon but if you're impatient perhaps read my introductory post on the foundation and obtaining product samples here.

Mascaras for me either seem to last forever or disappear very quickly, and in the case of the Covergirl Star Wars mascara it was the latter. A thin brush that worked to lengthen lashes and worked a treat on my bottom lashes it become quite a favourite and obviously it's frequent use saw it's rapid decline.

Philosophy's Hope in a Jar in this smaller size was a handy TK Maxx find which I'd always been keen to try. I'd heard Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Moisturiser was a dupe and had picked it up on one of my US trips and whilst I did attempt some comparisons and I found both great to use I did find them worthy of a dupe comparison post.

It always seems when I travel I have a Soap & Glory Righteous Butter available and this was one I took to Florida. With a little left in the tub I wasn't going to leave it behind. We all know by now how good the Soap & Glory Body Butters are so I won't bore you with another rave review.

I was quite excited when this sample of Ren Revitalising Night Cream came my way and rather than save for a trip away I decided to pop into my bedside cabinet. Unfortunately I wasn't blown away by this night cream at all. There was nothing about it that made it feel luxurious which is what I look for from my evening skincare products.

The sun is starting to show it's face and soon more and more skin will be on show and I'm trying to get into the habit of tanning. I've moved onto other products now but the past months I was using Tantruth The Ultimate* which I shared with you here.

And then there is Eloquence Beauty Firming and Moisturising Eye Gel* a product I''ll be missing come hayfever season. This was a great eye product and worked a treat during my long haul flights and easing jetlag. Don't forget to check out more of the Eloquence Beauty range in my review post.

Oh yes the empties continue and first of all is a disappointment in the form of Secret Deodorant, a US purchase. I don't know why I even bothered to a) waste dollars on a deodorant and b) take up valuable suitcase space on one when I know how much I love Sure Maximum Protection but we'll blame the blogger in me wanting to try something new. It wasn't a bad deodorant and didn't perform too badly it just wasn't a match for Sure.

Gilette Satin Care Shaving Gel* is another product I remember from years ago and was a constant in my bathroom. These days I have enough revolving products in my bathroom without using shower gel to wash and shaving gels to shave. That said it is a great product and if you have sensitive skin and shower gels aren't cutting it when you're shaving your legs then its definitely a worthy purchase.

I'm not the biggest liquorice fan but I did enjoy trying Organii Liquorice Shower Gel* and it was a worthy companion to my shower routine. And after the shower my body lotion of choice was Bomb Cosmetics Cherry Pie*. The scent of this was delicious and whilst it wasn't the most thick lotion for really dry Winter skin it worked well for me.

Finally is Batiste Stylist Smooth It Frizz Tamer* which is not a product I really need as I don't suffer from frizzy hair and instead passed on to my mum to try and she's been enjoying it. I'm slightly regretting the choice as I may want it back once we hit Summer and humidity kicks in.

What have you been using up this month?

*this post contains press samples

Halloween at Home

There's something about Halloween I love, I don't know whether it's just my general appreciation for a 'theme' or the excuse to dress up but love it I do. As such be prepared for some Halloween themed posts over the next few days as I get into the spirit (ha!) wherever possible, no matter how tenuous (fi it's so much as slightly pumpkin coloured you may find it here next week.

Today I'm starting things a little more low key for those who perhaps aren't fans of the spooky holiday and won't be roaming the streets Trick or Treating next weekend. Instead here are some of my picks for a Halloween pamper session at home.

Many a Saturday night I can be found in the bath tub and what better product to use than MOA's Fortifying Green Bath Potion*. Housed in a bottle which would not look out of place in Professor Snapes Potion's Lab this is really quite 'bewitching'. I know I shall stop soon. Rid yourself of stress, aches and pains whether from the constant trick or treaters visits, or maybe you were pounding the streets yourself climb into a bath of peppermint and fennel and return that spring to your step.

Last weekend I gave this a try and quite frankly it is amazing. The peppermint scent fills the bathroom and you have that hit in your throat as you feel the aromatic scent - this would be ideal if you were suffering from Autumn sniffles. Climbing into the bath I really felt myself relax and a weight lift of my shoulders, and that's as someone who isn't really one for kicking back and relaxing in the bath. Even when I returned home later that afternoon the bathroom still had the lingering scent. 

What would a post on bath time Halloween treats be without the inclusion of Lush. I'm not a frequent Lush shopper but you can bet as soon as the seasonal items hit stores I'm first in there. I think it's almost mandatory as a blogger to feature the Lush Sparkly Pumpkin and this is it's second appearance on Florence and Mary. This year I passed on to my mum to try after she commented on my instagram photo of them in store as I must admit cleaning up the glitter after using isn't something I enjoy. Clean up requirements aside this is a fun addition and would make a great gift for younger hostesses if you're attending parties or teachers. I managed two uses from one bar and maybe could've got away with three if I were more diligent. As I commented last year my biggest disappointment is that it isn't pumpkin scented and instead it's more zesty. 

New to me from Lush this year was Lord of Misrule Shower Scream (Lush's pun this time not mine!), usually found in their bath bomb offering. I'd not tried this either and whilst I was initially happy with my Sparkly Pumpkin purchase after one sniff I was hooked on Lord of Misrule and threw it into my basket. Appropriately green coloured this has a more sweet scent than I would expect from the vanilla and really reminds me of some sweets or something which I just can't put my finger on. It's a thick cream which nourishes the skin and worked better than my expectations allowed for shaving purposes. This is definitely one I'll be looking out for next year. You can find more of Lush's Halloween range here. 

The easiest way to get into the Halloween spirit without needing a full make up tutorial and face paints is by painting your nails an appropriate colour. If orange is a little too garish and black too gothic then maybe try purple? My pick is Belvedere Road from Nails Inc which is sadly discontinued from my hunt to link online but I'm sure you can find the colour that's just right for you.

If you'd like some more Halloween reading you can find that here and don't forget to let me know how you will spending Halloween.

*This post contains press samples