Products I Used Up | May 2015

This month's empties are probably to be strictly fair somewhere from the early part of the month as I tried to get ahead of myself before heading to Dubai but nonetheless here is the latest stash of products that made their way into the empties pile.

Radox Relax Bath Soak with Lavender & Waterlily 
I go through Radox Bath Soaks like water and like to buy a different scent when repurchasing. The recent one I have been using is Lavender & Waterlily which is ideal for my Sunday evening bath.

imPRESS Press on Nails, Kiss & Tell*
imPRESS nails are my saviours when I'm heading out and have left it too late to paint my nails. I recently wore these on my trip to Bob Bob Ricard where I knew I'd be posing with a champagne glass or two and couldn't have a chipped manicure on show.

ActivBod Pick Me Up Scrub*
I wish I didn't use up the ActivBod Body Scrub so quickly and had left it to take on my hols. It's size and energising scent would've been perfect but alas I enjoyed it too much to put on hold. I would definitely repurchase for future holidays (only not on this occasion due to using other products) although it's size and speed I went through wouldn't make it necessarily ideal for sitting in the bathroom. One of the gym kits certainly.

007 Fragrance for Women* link
There's certainly a theme for this months empties being those I loved and went through at a rate of knots. I was sad to reach the end of this surprising fragrance favourite. Novelty fragrances have proved me wrong and this was a great smelling perfume for an afforable price. I will definitely be thinking about repurchasing this when we hit cooler weather.

Cuticura Dry Skin Protective Hand & Nail Cream* link
Compared to recent favourites from Roger & Gallet there is no competition from Cuticura. This is the sort of hand cream that I associated from years ago when they were nothing products and served a function rather than being 'luxurious'. As a functional product this was a good one but not something I'd rush to repurchase, it was just too boring for me.

SENSPA Detox Bath Salts link
I picked these Bath Salts up during a trip through Waitrose with the anticipation that these would detox my soul. Sadly that wasn't strictly the case, nor realistic expectations on my part. As for the realities of the product I wasn't so much of a fan. The salts made my baths a gritty experience which wasn't pleasant and I didn't find there were any pleasures nor benefits from using.

Hugo Boss, Woman* link
Nina Ricci, Nina* link
I used to wear Hugo Boss some years ago so it was nice to return to an old favourite. From The Fragrance Shop's recent Discovery Box (which I must post about soon) is once again proves what a great idea to return to old favourites that you might not always want to purchase full size.  Nina Ricci is perfume brand I dabble with but whilst I like the scents I'm never quite sold on them.

Sure Maximum Protection Deodorant link
You really don't need another paragraph about how much I love this deodorant do you? As an aside it's currently on holiday with me in Dubai and managing to keep up the pace.

Bumble & Bumble Thickening Hairspray link
Sorry to end on a downer but I blooming hate this stuff. It smells of Jaegarbombs and leaves my hair first wet then dry. Many times I've given it the benefit of the doubt, styled my hair. Sprayed on the hairspray and am left with a wet mop. Back to Elnett for me.

So there you have my Empties for May, some good, some bad. Stay tuned for a mini 'bonus' holiday empties post.

*PR Sample

October Empties

Products I've used up link

Halloween is upon us, Bonfire Night is on the horizon which can only mean one thing - Empties time. Let's take a look at the products I've used up this month.

Clinque Body Butter link

It's taken me nearly a year to use up this tub of body butter from Clinque and you can find my review here. In short it's thick body lotion which does the job but not a product I enjoyed, hence it taking me so long to get through. Ideal for the colder weather when you want something more heavy duty but if you're a fan of scented products this won't be top of your wish list. 

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation link

I did not like this foundation at all and thankful it was only a sample. I had a couple of these testers but didn't even get to the bottom of the first such was my dislike. It clung to any dry patch of skin I had, and I have little but it exaggerated ones I didn't know existed. 

imPRESS Nails* 

Short on time and heading out for the day I grabbed a pack of imPRESS nails to ensure nails looked tip top. After a shaky start if you read this post you will know I'm converted. And if you follow me on Instagram you will know my niece was a fan too!

Sure Maximum Protection link 

Mentioned countless times on my blog and it no doubt wins the award for most appearances in an empties post. I won't say any more but feel free to take a look at this post if you want to know why I'm a fan. 

Radox Mango Mayhem Shower Gel* link

Another brand that is mentioned many times by me is Radox. Mango Mayhem featured in my July Favourites post and was the perfect Summer staple. Stay tuned for more Radox goodness coming up soon.

Soap & Glory Hand Food link

Another hand cream bites the dust and I love both the scent and size of this tube of Hand Food from Soap & Glory. A recent trip to Boots to restock on some items meant that the full size of this ended up coming home to me due to a 3 for 2 offer and will now sit on my desk at work.

A-DERMA Sensifluid Micellar Water* 

I don't get excited about micellar waters beyond their use for removing make up and stepping in when I'm feeling lazy but I did get excited about the packaging of this product. Compared to L'Oreal and Garnier Micellar Waters which I love to use but struggle with their bottles this was able to perfectly distribute product onto cotton pads without spilling everywhere. That said despite being a good product for the price point I think it's unlikely I'll repurchase as I'm happier with the cheaper brands.

A-DERMA Hydrating Cream* 

I only reviewed this moisturiser from A-DERMA recently in this post so I won't say any more than this is a thumbs up for those who want a lighter product and is perfect for the Summer months. 

St Ives Apricot Body Scrub* link

Another reviewed product that you can read about here. There are no complaints from me about the product although it is like cement to remove from the bath if it dries. I liked this product and it worked well for me but I couldn't maintain excitement about it. I would repurchase for it's price point although when pay day hit I treated myself to an old favourite, The Breakfast Scrub from Soap & Glory as if nothing more than the scent lends itself well to the Autumn months. 

Molton Brown Blue Maquis Hand Cream link

Stay tuned for more Molton Brown Hand Cream empties as I'm just getting to the bottom of another bottle. I swear I've had a collection of Molton Brown hand creams in my possession for years - they just never seem to disappear. One sat in my bathroom and another in my kitchen. When neither of those destinations seemed to aid their completion I took them to work as the pump dispensers make for easy application. I find the formula of Molton Brown hand creams to be rather thin and runny which I don't enjoy and prefer cream than lotion. I wouldn't repurchase again, and certainly not in larger sizes but if you're looking for a product that will last a long time this might be for you. 

Molton Brown Travel Reviving Cempaka Body Wash link

I took this bottle of body wash from Molton Brown to Las Vegas with me as it doubled up as both shower gel and bubble bath. I can't argue with Molton Brown for their range of products but I don't know if it's overuse over the years but they don't excite me like they used to. I would happily repurchase this product and if I received as a gift I wouldn't be disappointed but I'm not sure I'd rush out to replace.

Kiehls Powerful Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate link 

I recently stayed over at my brothers and grabbed this sachet to take with me rather than a full size product. I have used this product in the past and didn't quite get the results claimed but I'll happily use in it's sample size when needed.

What products did you use up this month?

imPRess Nails | I'm converted

imPRESS Nails* link

You may remember that I've not had the best experiences with imPRESS nails in the past. The two previous times I have worn them I've lost nails before the evenings out but having recently attended a blogger event with impress I was now armed with a sizeable supply that meant further testing could be had. 

 
As I mentioned early mornings aren't my thing and whilst I had enough time to remove the lingering polish from my nails applying the falsies was not going to happen before I left the house. Instead I decided to put them under the rigorous testing conditions of applying them on the train! As you can imagine it received some strange and flabbergasted looks from fellow commuters but needs must people.

One thing I could never argue with is how easy imPRESS nails are to apply. You simple use the prep wipe over your nails, peel off the backing of your chosen nail and stick.
 
As I didn't have room on my lap nor stable conditions with a chugging train to contend with I had to literally match a nail and apply. This actually didn't work out two badly and I had a system of popping any unsuitable nails into the empty box as I went and it didn’t take long at all and was fairly fuss free.
 
With hindsight it would've made more sense to leave my thumb nails to last as I was concerned about popping them off as I peeled away the backing of other nails bit they didn't actually cause me any trouble.

I wore the nails for three days and was impressed (no pun intended) that they have lasted the distance. If were to be critical the length I was so used to with acrylic nails now feels a little long and talon like but if I were feeling ambitious I could have always filled them down and I liked the extra challenge to my Candy Crush game mastering the longer nails. The only major downside I don’t enjoy with these nails is running my fingers through my hair and hair getting caught in them so much on occasion I’ve ripped far more out than I would like and am then sitting there pulling out stray hairs from the nails. 

I decided to remove them the evening of the third day due to going out the next and didn't want to end up losing a red nail and being left looking unkempt although when I was armed with an orange stick whilst it was simple to remove them it did take some effort so I think I could've gone for day four. 

I'm lucky enough to have a few packs of impress nails and having been convinced I will definitely reach for these when I have another lazy day.

Have you had any luck with imPRESS nails?

*PR Sample

August Pay Day Haul

This month's pay day haul was specialised around a masked ball that I was due to attend on the following weekend and a desire to try out this tutorial from Pixiwoo.

Firstly I jumped online and ordered the Anastasia Brow Wiz in Brunette from Cult Beauty. A much raved about product I was intrigued to try and I'm pleased to say I'm in love. This pencil is a breeze to apply and is far easier to grab than my previously used Mac Charcoal Brown Shadow and brush.

Next there was a trip to Space NK for a threading appointment which of course allowed for the opportunity to spend some cold hard cash. Bloggers seem to opt for the Xen Tan Absolute Luxe which I was going to try but after seeing the price tag and remembering that it was Deep Bronze Luxe cheaper that a friend had applied on me previously I thought I'd stick with that option. Caudalie Divine Legs has been on my wish list for sometime and just in case the Xen Tan experiment went awry I decided to have that on standby (thankfully it wasn't necessary!). As I would be wearing my Cinderella sandals  my feet need some sprucing up with Margaret Dabbs Exfoliating Foot Mousse. I'm a bit on the fence with this product. It was a completely blogger brain washed purchase and I think I could've got the same results from a cheaper product and to be quite honest, it doesn't even smell very nice.

From Superdrug I picked up some goodies from Sleek, their Contour Kit and Luminous Pressed Powder and onto Mac for some new brushes to add to my collection; the 239 and 210. Unfortunately Painterly Paint Pot was out of stock so it was over to Boots and the suggested alternative, Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit. The Boots haul didn't end there of course. Whilst I've been avoiding acrylic nails and doing my best to get my nails into an acceptable state without some Impress Nails they wouldn't be up to scratch for a black tie function. Unfortunately whilst initially thrilled with the results, simple to apply etc the thumb nail didn't last the night (thank god for the eyelash glue in my bag) and by day 2 the remaining nails were rising up and my hair was getting caught up in them and all sorts that I pulled them off. I was pleased with how easy they were to remove and whilst I wasn't wowed I would use this product again for a one night occasion.

Barry M Dazzle Dust and Bumble & Bumble Finishing Spray were the final products, the latter being a product my mum and I had seen on a recent shopping trip.  Thinking it was only £6.50 we both picked one up and decided against them when they were rung up at £10. Then we spent the whole shopping trip admiring our hair with it's finish that we had to return and buy them. I thought it would be perfect for my up do at the masked ball yet completely forgot to add a spritz when I left the hairdressers, typical.

A slight cheat to the haul is the Garnier Perfect Blur as my friend passed this over to me as she wasn't a fan. I've yet to try myself but I'll keep you posted on my findings.

Now it's time to halt the spending as I'm off to Las Vegas next month and I need all my cash to go wild in Sephora!