Empties / October 2013

Skincare:

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution: not much to say about this one - everyone loves it, everyone uses it. Although - as I mentioned in my holiday haul post - I'm branching out and started trying different brands, this is still my favourite in the micellar water world.

Repurchase: definitely!

Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes: I use wipes before the gym to remove most of my face make-up; these were allright but a bit on the dry side and I felt I had to scrub more than when using other ones.

Repurchase: no.

Wei White Lotus Moisture Rich Eye Blend: I received this eye cream in the January Birchbox; It's quite thick in consistency, so I mainly used it at night for this reason. Nevertheless I enjoyed using it and didn't feel heavy on the skin (just takes a while to absorb).

Repurchase: maybe.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm: ohhhh my precious - I love everything about this lip balm - the grittiness, the smell, the performance. The matte finish is also an unusual and welcome quality. You can read more in my original review here.

Repurchase: hell yeah!

Bodycare:

Liz Earle Orange Flower Hand Wash: can go wrong with a bit of posh hand wash ;) Lovely fresh scent, lathers nicely and not drying - I actually really liked this wee sample.

Repurchase: yes.

Sprout Cream: Sprout's now become S.W. Basics but same lovely products. This is a very thick cream, nearly pure shea butter. I used it on rough areas as knees, elbows and heels and lasted ages. Love the sweet smell, too.

Repurchase: yes.

L'Occitane Date Bouquet Hand Cream: this was from the shea butter limited edition from last year. L'Occitane hand creams are probably my favourite hand creams ever, the date scent was lovely too. I'm currently using the Passionate Jasmine version and it is just as gorgeous - You can check this post for the Limited Edition 2013 scents :) 

Repurchase: always!

Nivea Firming Body Oil: pretty inexpensive body oil, for after shower use that I highly recommend! Easy to dispense, not greasy and beautiful scent.

Repurchase: yes.

All in all a very positive month! Have you tried any of these products yet?

*** New items added to the Shop :) ***

Empties / May

Body Items

SilDerm Stretch Mark Massage Oil: another GlossyBox offering coming to an end. I use body oils daily after the shower and this is pretty average. Don't get me wrong - it's not bad and it didn't make any difference to my stretch marks (not that I had any hopes, anyway) but it's nothing extraordinary either. It smells like lavender and rosemary.

Repurchase: nope, I can get alternatives for cheaper.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer: the Elasticizer is one my favourite hair masks. You leave it on pose for 20 minutes before shampooing; it needs to be applied on wet hair which kinda of annoys me because by the time I jump in the shower, I'm freezing! ;) but that's me for you, I get cold very easily.

You can read my original review here, my opinion hasn't changed.

Repurchase: yes.

No7 Smooth & Improve Cellulite Treatment: hated it hated it hated it and then multiply by a 1000. The actual product takes ages to absorb and, even with all the massaging, I didn't see any improvement on the cellulite. I didn't enjoy using the applicator either (you can see a picture here) but had no choice because you can't open the bottle and use it normally. Well, you may want to cut the bottle like I did, if it gets REALLY frustrating.

Repurchase: hell no... it's over 20 quid and not worth it!

Lush Fair Trade Foot Lotion: I really like this foot cream and I have used it few times in the past. It looks quite thick but doesn't leave a greasy residue; it smells minty but not in an overpowering way and it's bright pink!!! The joy! :D

Repurchase: yes

Face Items

Jane Iredale PureLash Extender and Conditioner: I didn't actually finish this product but found it at the back of my drawer and had completely forgot about it. It's all dried up now and pretty old so I wouldn't use it on my eyes anyway. I remember not being particular impressed with it and it made my lashes crispy too.

I have tried few lashes primers but, to be honest, it's an additional step so rarely use them; also because I don't see a huge difference - one day I'll try the much hyped Dior one and see what I've been missing out on.

Repurchase: no.

REN Frankincense Revitalising Night Cream: to be honest, I've been *I don't want to say disappointed* unimpressed by many REN products and this cream is also average for me. It absorbs well and I strangely love the peppery smell but I can't justify buying it for that reason alone. It's still a nice night cream but I can get the same performance cheaper from the high street. Shame! :(

Repurchase: nope.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair: What can I say? This is my favourite night serum. I know it doesn't work for everybody but when I use it, my skin looks considerably improved OVERNIGHT!

No spots, radiance and smooth skin so I'm a bit sad to see it go but it was nearing the expiry date so can't complaint, it lasted a long time.

Repurchase: absolutely!

Sprout Cleanser: I used this cleanser to remove the first layer of make up at night; it did a good job and left my skin soothed. I found the scent to be soothing for the mind, too. 

Sprout has actually re-branded as S.W. Basic of Brooklyn but for what I can see that's the only thing that has changed - Full range review here!

Repurchase: yes.

Sorry for the loooong post but I did finish more items than usual this month (hurray!) - do you like empties posts?
xxx

Empties / March

oh man, I've been away for a while!

I've been sick and literally stayed in bed for over a week and I'm still recovering, feeling very weak and generally tender in the throat/stomach department; actually, my husband also commented that he had never seen me so ill (and that's something because I'm notoriously a proper wimp!)

I usually write my posts daily and post them and yep, even typing was too much of a task... anyway, that taught me I should start to schedule!!!

Bit of catching up to do now... starting with my recent empties:

The Beauty Parlour Boob Tubes Day/Night: I got these creams for the breast area in Superdrug - they were around £6 on offer and they are huge size bottles so lasted a long time. I can't say I have been impressed by either: the day product is a cream, whilst the night is a gel. The performance was pretty similar but nothing special. I want high performance ingredients for this delicate area and these were just ordinary good moisturizers.

Repurchase: no.

Aveda Energizing All Over Body Cleanser: underimpressed by this item too. It has a lovely refreshing and herbaly scent and milky consistency but honestly, I would never spend that kind of money on a body wash. It was nice to try it but didn't particularly impress me.

Repurchase: no.

Clarins Extra-Firming Body Cream: I love Clarins body products and the Clarins High Definition Body Lift is one of my all time favourite.

This cream is pretty thick and I wouldn't normally need something so rich but It melts in the skin beautifully and has a gorgeous scent, too. I like to use it at night, for that reason and I bet it will do wonders if you have dry skin. Can't vouch on the firming properties because the sample didn't last long but I'd be glad to use it again.

Repurchase: maybe, if I find it on offer.

Sprout Lip Balm: this is an all natural cocoa lip heaven goodness! It melts on contact with the lips, it is extremely moisturizing and if you're a lip balm junkie, you definitely need to try this!

 I love the packaging of this range too - you can read more here.

Repurchase: yes - the citrus version is already on my wishlist. :)

Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque: Originally, I got the first sample in a GlossyBox ages ago and then I managed to stock up on a few other bottles; I think this is the third one that I finished and I still love this mask as much as the first time I tried it.

It works very gently but leaves the skin revitalized and looking radiant like nothing else... will definitely need to invest on a full size real soon.

Repurchase: hell yeah!

BioEffect EGF Serum: my holy grail! Another GlossyBox discovery and again I have used few of this wee bottles in the past 2 years. I don't use only this thing as my skin routine, purely because I like to try different products but when my curiosity will reach saturation point, I will settle for this! Well, settle is probably not the right word since it's bloody expensive but totally worth it.

Repurchase: yes, for life!!!

Which products did you discover last month??

xxx

Empties / December

Philosophy shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath trio: I really struggled to finish these off. The scent pay off is not great - you can read my opionion here as it hasn't changed.

Repurchase: nope.

Lush Helping Hands: I really like this hand cream; I have used it in the past and always go back, periodically. It's very moisturising but a bit greasy so I only use it around the house. Also love the kinda of yeasty smell. :)

Repurchase: yep.

Sanctuary 5 Minutes Thermal Detox Mask: this is one of the deep cleansing mask that I use once a week, after my steamer session. I like that it's fast acting and the charcoal purifies the skin very well but the consistency is kinda of gluey and you end up using more than needed. Also, it needs to go on wet skin which doesn't help on spreading the product on the face.

Repurchase: probably not.

Dr Nick Lowe Dark Cicles Correcting Cream: this is a decent eye cream but I wasn't blown away - plus it din't make any difference to my dark circles. I need to mention that I, instead, really liked another Dr Nick Lowe eye cream... you can check the review here.

Repurchase: no.

Sprout Toner: I loved spritzing it over my face, every morning! It's very refreshing - perfect to start the day - and also balancing - ideal to keep the odd spots at bay. The pump works great and I will definitely re-fill the min bottle for travelling. The only thing I would mention is the smell of vinegar (one of the main ingredients is organic raw apple cider vinegar, actually) which doesn't linger on the skin so it doesn't bother me but you're warned! :)

Repurchase: yes. 

Introducing / Sprout p.2

Sprout Cleanser*

This cleanser is as simple as it gets: organic rosewater, organic vegetable glycerin, organic tea tree oil.

Did you notice the organic list? Yep and because it's also soap-free and alcohol-free, it's not drying... and no parabens, of course!

I've been using it in the morning - I spritz it on a cotton wool pad and wipe all over my face to get rid of the possible make up residue of the night before.

It's ideal for both sensitive skin and problematic, where the tea tree oil comes in handy.

Sprout Toner*

I think the toner could be the most controversial of the lot; it contains raw apple cider vinegar - giving it a strong vinegar smell - which may not be for everybody.

Myself - well I love vinegar and I could easily drink it so the smell doesn't bother me.

I have also learned that you're supposed to pat your face dry, after using a toner, otherwise the atmosphere will pull moisture away from your skin, leaving it dehydrated. Did you know that?

Sprout Exfoliant*

This is the face exfoliant of the line and contains a mix of almonds, oats and sea salt. They are finely milled and comes in a velvety powder.

You need to add few drops of water in the palm of your hands and then work it into the face; it leaves the skin soft and glowing... just be careful to keep the product dry inside the jar.

Sprout Lip Balm*

This wee tube is my favourite, definitely! I love smothering my lips with this indulgent stick. It's very soft and not sticky and leaves my lips super soft and smelling (and tasting) like cocoa.

There are also cinnamon, citrus, peppermint and vegan versions available... I want them all!!!

You can argue that the ingredient list is so minimal that you could try and make these yourself but when I think about beauty, I think about treating myself, pampering myself and I find comfort in knowing that somebody else has gone through the trouble of resourcing the best raw materials and all I need to do is buy and enjoy them!

You can check the bodycare reviews here.

You can buy Sprout on the official website www.sproutskincare.com and - for the Uk - is also available on www.cutecosmetics.co.uk

Introducing / Sprout p.1

I'm so excited to be talking about this brand today - Sprout.

Lately, I've been trying to go more natural with my skincare/beauty products so I've been researching the web for the latest offerings; I got to say, I've been often disappointed as some brands seem to associate natural with boring, unfortunately!

When I came across Sprout for the first time, the packaging caught my eye at first - loved the blackboard style labels and also the actual jars and bottles have got that je ne sais quoi... simple yet cool!

The lovely Adina - founder of Sprout Skincare - kindly offered to send me a samples from the whole line to try, straight from Brooklyn New York.

Sprout Body Scrub*

This product is simply made with demerara sugar, organic shredded coconut and organic coconut oil; the instruction literally says to 'apply to wet skin. Lick your hands'. Great! I do love a multi-use product. ;)

But seriously, I wanna eat this considering I'm totally obsessed with coconut... in the kitchen and in the bath!

It's the perfect consistency for a body scrub - quite rough at first but on contact with the wet skin, it doesn't scratch at all and the oil leaves a nourishing film.

Sprout Cream*

Apparently, this is the mother of all Sprout products.

The base is wild-harvested shea butter sourced from the Fair Trade Women's Cooperative in Ghana; the shea butter is then whipped with extra-virgin coconut and olive oil.

I would call this more a body butter as it's very rich in consistency and literally sinks deep into the skin, like melted butter; personally, I found it ideal for my dry areas as heels, knees and elbows but it's suitable for the face, too.

Guys!!! Again this smells divine and I would happily just spread it on a slice of toast!

What do you think... are these products that may interest you?

Check back tomorrow when I'll be talking about the skincare items, too.

Thank you for reading!!! :)

xxx