Product Empties #3

Hi everyone, today I have another empties post for you and again it seems to have piled up without me noticing! Sorry!

Haircare

Loreal Elvive Nutrition Gloss Light Shine Shampoo 400ml

I have been buying this shampoo for years and its one I can’t do without! This is my ultimate shiny hair shampoo and I love it! Constant repurchase!

Dove Advanced Hair Series Oxygen Moisture for Fine Flat Hair Shampoo 250ml

I really liked this shampoo, it has a great fresh scent and cleaned my hair really well without dragging it down. I can't say I saw much of a difference in volume but nothing works in my hair anyway! Would definitely repurchase!

Avon Advanced Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner 250ml

Another hair product I’ve had for ages, I finished the shampoo version of this quickly but conditioners are a whole different story for me! I love the smell of this, I think it’s an apple scent and it made my hair really soft and a lot less frizzy after drying! Would repurchase!

Vo5 Refresh Me Quick Dry Shampoo

I love the scent of this dry shampoo and the fact that unlike Batiste the spray comes out clear so leaves no white cast! I usually buy this in Savers but haven’t been able to find it the last few times I've been in :( hoping they haven’t stopped selling it or even worse, making it! Will definitely repurchase if I can find it again!

Lee Stafford Treatment For Hair That Never Grows Past A Certain Length 200ml

I have had this product for ages too and this is about the second or third pot I have gone through. While I’m not sure it made my hair grow any longer as I already have quite long hair, it definitely made my hair a lot softer and more manageable! It’s on offer in Boots quite often and it’s worth noting that it’s scented like one of the Thierry Mugler perfumes, either Angel or Alien, I can’t remember which! Would repurchase!

Body Care

Soap and Glory Foam Call Body Wash 500ml

This isn’t my favourite Soap and Glory scent but it’s still nice. The product itself lathers really well but it annoys me how it doesn’t have a pump like some of the other body washes! I wouldn’t actually repurchase this particular body wash as I prefer Clean on Me or  Clean Girls but I always get some Soap and Glory sets for my birthday and Christmas so I will probably happily use another one of these in the future!

Johnsons Baby Lotion 200ml

No babies here but I love the smell of this and it's always on offer! It’s not the richest moisturiser but I love putting it on before bed as the scent is quite powdery and relaxing and I think it helps me fall asleep! Would repurchase!

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter Body Moisturiser 50ml

This was a mini I had that I took with me on a night away to Dublin then just continued using when I got home! I think I have mentioned it in previous empties posts before, it is a favourite of mine and one I will always repurchase :)

Skin Care

Nivea q10 Plus Anti-Wrinkle Pore Refining Day Cream SPF 15 50ml

This is maybe my third of forth pot of this moisturiser, I love the scent, it’s quite fresh and not too overpowering. I really like how this feels on my face too, it dries in quickly and smooth’s over my face giving me a good base before I put on makeup! Would repurchase!

Alpha H Liquid Gold 100ml

This is my second bottle of this and I love it! I use it a few times a week and find my skin to be a lot smoother and it just looks in better condition, I can’t quite put my finger on it!  I’m currently using the Fist Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads but also have a new bottle of the Liquid Gold in the house that my mum has conveniently swiped so I will share it with her :)

Misc

Cutex Ultra Cleansing Nail Polish Remover 200ml

This is probably the third or fourth bottle of this I have gone through! I like the fact its ultra-cleansing and I find it removes my nail polish with ease! Already repurchased!

Burt’s Bees Hand Salve 8.5g

I got this in a set ages ago and found that a little goes a long way with this product! It has quite a strong scent and includes almond oil, rosemary and lavandin to moisturise, stimulate circulation and prevent scarring! I found this to be quite greasy to use all over my hands but it worked really well on my elbows, heels and cuticles! Would repurchase!

See my previous empties here and here!

Again, apologies for the length of this post, congrats if you made it to the end! I absolutely love doing theses posts and feel like I’ve got through so much stuff I've had sitting “nearly finished” for ages! I’m also getting through sample sizes and alternatives to products I love instead of rushing out to buy a replacement straight away so I’m feeling really productive! Let me know if you’ve tried any of the products above and what you thought of them :)

Boots/New in at the Drugstore Haul August 2015 #3

Hi everyone, I have a sneaky Boots haul for you all today! I saw a few weeks ago that Soap and Glory had released a few new products and Max Factor had a new foundation and lipstick range out that I wanted to try so I took advantage of the 3 for 2 offers and buy one get one half price and treated myself!

Here’s what I got:

Soap and Glory

Soap and Glory Original Pink Body Spray

I’m a big fan of the Original Pink fragrance so love the fact they have added a matching body spray to the line-up! However, I had this on me today and it didn’t last on my skin at all! I've spoken about my love for the Mist you Madly body spray on my blog before and it lingers all day on me so I was really disappointed with this!

Soap and Glory Archery 2 in 1 Brow Sculpting Crayon and Setting Gel

I haven’t tried this out yet but I have high hopes for it if it’s anything like the other brow products Soap and Glory have! Embarrassingly I now own all their brow products, would anyone like a review and comparison post on them all? Let me know in the comments!

Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Instant Perfecting Power Primer

I got so excited when I saw Soap and Glory had started doing a primer! I haven’t tried this yet because I have a wedding this week so I’m trying not to use anything new on my face in case I break out but this will be cracked open next week for sure :)

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker GlossStick 3D Volume Lip Shine in Nudist and Technicoral

These are like the baby sisters of the original sexy mother pucker gloss sticks! As far as I can tell, there is a lot less product in these which doesn’t bother me because I doubt I will ever finish off the originals anyway! These also come without the infamous tingle some Soap and Glory lip products have! They give a lovely wash of colour and shine and feel really moisturising on my lips! I want the other colours now!

Max Factor

Max Factor Miracle Match Foundation in Warm Almond

I saw this on Really Ree’s blog a while back and just really liked the look of it so ordered it! I used to love their Miracle Touch foundation but thought it was quite dear and I went through it quite quickly. Again, I haven’t tried this in case it breaks me out – I swear I’m so paranoid!

Max Factor Lipfinity Longlasting Lipstick in Evermore Lush

Again I think I saw this on Ree’s blog and as it was 3 for 2 I picked it up to try it! It’s a gorgeous berry colour and although it claims to last up to 8 hours I can’t see this being the case! I tried it out today and it was really easy to apply and felt quite moisturising. With lipsticks like this that are a little darker than I would usually apply, I rub them in with my finger to stain my lips a little more so I don’t have to worry as much about transfer! I noticed there was a little glitter in the lipstick but it wasn’t too obvious!

Max Factor Crème Puff Blush in Nude Mauve

This is my third Crème Puff Blush now and I absolutely love them! The give such a subtle healthy glow to the skin they are gorgeous! While it’s easy to go overboard with some blush I think these are absolutely failsafe and everyone should have at least one!

Collection

Collection Crème Puff Lip Cream in Fairy Cake

I've seen this in a few of Alix’s videos and it looks gorgeous so I finally bought it! I love her blog and channel and think she has such good recommendations! This is such a bright corally pinky colour and the formula is really easy to work with! Even though its matte it feels quite moisturising. I can’t say much for lasting power yet as I literally just tried it on to see how it looked but for £2.99 you can’t go wrong!

There we go, a slightly blogger influenced haul! See my previous Boots/Drugstore Hauls here and here! Have you treated yourself lately?

What’s in my Handbag?

Hey everyone, today I thought I’d go through what I keep in my handbag! I usually have a far bigger handbag but I bought this one a few months ago from River Island (it doesn’t seem to be online anymore) because I loved the colour and thought it would be perfect for summer! When I changed over I took out some unnecessary weight I was carrying round so here are my absolute essentials!

From left to right:

Plasters

I go through phases where if I’m breaking in new shoes (flat or heeled) I will get at least one new blister a day for about two weeks so I always have patches to hand in case this happens to help cushion my poor heels and/or toes!

Painkillers and a bobble

I don’t actually use painkillers all that often but I always carry some on me in case of emergency and end up giving more away to people that have asked me for them than using myself! The bobble is just there because it fits on nicely and you never know when you will need one!

Tooth Floss

This is an absolute must for me; I hate feeling like I have food stuck between my teeth after meals so I love having this to get rid of any that’s left behind! Nice!

Nail File

This is just a cheap glass file off eBay and the quality isn’t great but if I snag a nail it’s handy to have to smooth over! I want to upgrade this soon to a better quality one like the one I have in my manicure post here!

Tissues

In case of emergency sneezes, nosebleeds or getting stuck in a public bathroom with no toilet roll. Enough said!

Soap and Glory Hand Maid Hand Cleansing Gel

For freshening up on the go if there’s no sink to wash your hands! I love the smell of this one!

Soap and Glory Mist you Madly

This is usually my scent of choice so I keep this smaller bottle in my bag to freshen up throughout the day! This stuff smells seriously amazing, I love it!

Soap and Glory Hand Dream Super Cream

I can’t be without hand cream in my bag I reapply so often throughout the day! This one absorbs quickly and smells lovely!

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer

This is a powder, concealer and mirror in one and I couldn’t be without it! See my full review here.

Marc B purse

I like purses that have a zip pocket with plenty of spaces for cards and a coin zip inside and this has all that! I’m slightly disappointed with the quality of the outter lining of this; it’s looking a bit battered now. Although it’s not real leather it was the most expensive purse I’d bought so I think I’ll stick to my usual River Island offerings in future!

Lip products including Max Factor Intensifying Lip Balm in Charming Coral, Carmex Pomegranate lipbalm and Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Carnival Spirit

I feel naked without some sort of lip product on so I’m surprised there is only three in my bag this time! The Max Factor and Revlon ones are great for adding a bit of colour to my lips and the Carmex one is so moisturising!

Diary and pen

To write down all my exciting weekly plans…not. I do like to have it to write down appointment times and birthdays though! This pen is the best handwriting pen ever, I went through so many of these at school and university then I can’t find them in shops anymore but they are still available online! It’s the Breast Cancer Campaign Pentel Line Style ballpoint pen and if you write a lot you need one of these!

Chewing gum

Self-explanatory, you’re either the person always asking for chewing gum or the one trying to hide it so you don’t have to share it out ;)

Like I said at the start, this handbag is a lot smaller than I would usually use but it’s good to clear out your handbag in a while! I usually prefer bags that zip over completely but I love the colour and style of this one so much I made an exception! It does have two outer zips as you can see in the photo as well as a main compartment. It has a removable shoulder strap but I like to keep it on and another thing to note about this bag is there is no mini compartment in the main bit to hold your phone which is a bit annoying!

PS. Apologies for the crinkled state my bed is in; I swear it came up worse on camera than it actually is! What are your handbag essentials?

Makeup Storage Solutions/Alternatives using Nutella and Ferrero Rocher packaging

Makeup storage that is affordable is something I am always on the lookout for and I usually get mine from Homebase, H&M or Ikea. However, last Christmas I had a few bits and pieces of makeup lying out on my desk that I wanted to tidy up and found an even cheaper alternative.

My aunt had got me a box of Ferrero Rocher’s as a present and once I worked my way through it I tried out a few blushers and bronzers inside and was happy with how they fit. It also easily holds a few eye shadow quads from Soap and Glory and the fact it’s so compact encourages me to use different makeup I have more often!

Similarly, a few of my eye products started rolling around my desk and were too small for my Ikea plant pots which are already full of brushes so I went downstairs and grabbed a Nutella glass. It was the perfect size to store mascaras, eyebrow pencils and concealers!

Anyway, I thought I would put up a quick post showing how I use my alternative storage for anyone who is maybe on a budget (and also so I would have an excuse to buy myself a box of Ferrero Rocher and another jar of Nutella)! It’s definitely not the most pretty of storage but it’s cheap and it’s handy and you do get a chocolate fix out of it :)

The Ferrero Rocher packaging can also be used for storing lipsticks upright or chubby lip pencils laid down which is what I’m using my second one for now! 

 Here’s a little look at what powders fit in my Ferrero Rocher packaging.It’s the perfect size for the Soap and Glory eye shadow quads (What’s Nude and Smokey Dokey) and Solar Powder, The Balm’s Bahama Mama, The Body Shop Honey Bronzer 02, L’Oreal Glam Bronze 06, Illamasqua blusher in Hussy and the Wet n Wild blushers (Mellow Wine and Pearlescent Pink)!

 While we're on the subject of Nutella jars, does anyone else have about 100 Simpson’s glasses from a few years back? I was obsessed! Do you use anything strange to store your makeup in? 

How to get rid of those Annoying Arm Bumps

Arm bumps or keratosis pilaris to give it its proper name is a harmless condition that results in rough, almost permanent like goose bumps on the back of some people’s arms. Excess keratin builds up blocking the hair follicles resulting in the white bumps on the back of the arms and this article explains it a whole lot better than I can if you want more information! 

There are a few things I do to minimise the appearance of my own “arm bumps” which is important for me especially in the summer when I’m wearing t-shirts and sleeveless tops. This is just what I’ve found that works for me as I don’t particularly like the look or feel of them on myself and if any of you are bothered by the same condition it might help you too :)

When I’m in the shower I’ll make sure to exfoliate using exfoliating gloves like the ones pictured (which are £1 from Poundland) and a good exfoliator like Soap and Glory’s Pulp Friction. This lathers up really nicely while providing a good exfoliation ensuring my skin is at soft as possible.

After I’m dried off I will moisturise my body as normal then use a thicker cream such as Nivea Soft or First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream to rub in a splodge (technical term there) quite vigorously onto the backs of my arms until it’s all dried in. I feel like this action gets the blood moving like dry brushing would but takes a lot less time!

My arms will be a little red afterwards from the rubbing but this soon calms down to leave nice, soft almost bump free arms! (Sadly I don’t think anything gets rid of them completely) I’ll exfoliate about once a week but will rub the thicker cream on my arms about twice a week to keep them as soft as possible and the bumps at bay!

Have you got any tips to get rid of the arm bumps or any products that help you?