Empties #3

Theme of the month is blue....and Nivea. Haha. Not sponsored by them, but they have a lot of nice products, they are very affordable and they are easy to find. 

 

As usual, bath salts. Still like the Westlab ones. I use any of them, Dead Sea Salt, Epsom salt, Himalayan salt. I like them all.
The Noix the Coco perfume from The Body Shop was a gift from the boyfriend; he loves coconut. Not my favorite and doesn't have lasting power but it's nice to spritz a little when I am around him. 
From Yves Rocher, Riche Creme Day cream. As the name suggests this is a very emollient cream for those who have dry skin. Combination or oily skin should not even consider it. It is marketed towards more mature skin but I used it and loved it. For when I have redness or some irritation (I sometimes get too excited exfoliating) this is sooooo comforting. Another one my mom used and I stole from her. :D  I might buy it again, but the Avon Ultimate is easier to get for me. Worth considering it if you have dry skin.
Tea tree oil from Poundland. Used after waxing sensitive areas. Girls know what I mean. I didn't feel it did anything; didn't help with any bumps. I much prefer aloe vera. The Nair waxing strips from Poundland: self explanatory, my legs are smooth. Enough said. 
As deodorant, still L'Oreal for me. It works. It's cheap. Repurchase? Yup.

For shampoo, Pantene Repair and protect light. It did the job, didn't wow me. Bought it from Asda on sale for £1. Conditioner from VO5. They changed the packaging now. I really like the VO5 range and I will continue to repurchase. 
From Poundland Elegant Touch nail polish remover with no acetone. NO. Don't waste your money. Did nothing. Removed nothing. Heck no. :))
This is a good one. Nivea Gentle Exfoliating scrub. Used it daily. It wasn't too gritty, didn't strip my skin. Repurchase? Yes. And speaking of Nivea.....

Body lotions. Lots. One is the new packaging, one in the old. Used them happily. Moisturised my body, but don't expect firming just from mineral oil and some glycerin. And since it was sunny for some time I took advantage and got some rays. After sun lotion was ok; any brand would be good for this. The spray was chosen for the convenience of it, because I could do my back alone. Repurchase? Not right now, when there is a sale probably. Nivea is a brand I buy time and time again. 

Sticking with the theme: 2 lip balms of my all time favorite: Hydro care. Another product I always have is Revlon Colorstay foundation. One more I repurchased is Avon Foot Works Heel Softening Cream. I won't repurchase it, just because I want to try something new. 
Something I am throwing out is Color Trend concealer. It is very old and expired. I would not recommend it. Something else from Avon is the Luminosity serum, now discontinued. It was a silicone based AHA exfoliating serum. Since they decided not to sell it anymore I replaced it with Clearskin Blemish Mark Treatment. This is a BHA product, I chose it because it got good ratings on Beautypedia. Only thing I am not a fan of is the roll-on dispenser that sometimes gets stuck. 
Last but not least is a primer. I really like Rimmel Fix and Protect 002 because even though it is silicone based it is not as heavy duty as the Porefessional from Benefit, which makes it good for combination or even drier skin. An added bonus: it doesn't accentuate flaky skin. I will buy it again at one point. Right now I have too many of them. 

This is it for this month. Have you tried any of the products mentioned here? Did you like them? Please let me know. Have a nice day, lovelies. 

Empties #2

Recycle time! I used up a lot of things again. Is that a good thing? It makes me realize just how much I spend on beauty. Oops. #girlissues. Anyway, let's just jump into it.

For shampoo, the L'Oreal Everriche is the first sulfate free one I tried. Not that convinced to give up bubbles. It was enough to clean my hair most of the time, but after every 3-4 uses I liked going in with a stronger shampoo to avoid build-up of products, because I use dry shampoo....The Batiste one for dark hair. Always Batiste.  The shampoo felt good on the hair, didn't dry it out and smelled so good. Repurchase? Think not. I like sulphates in my hair. 

Conditioner is the VO5 Smoothly Does It in the old packaging.  I like VO5 haircare; they smell good, good price, leave my hair very soft and are full with oils that are so good for your mane. Repurchase? Yup

Lynx Anti-Dandruff Shampoo: I used it as a clarifying shampoo. Yes, it's for men but it has zinc in it and had an interesting texture. It was thick and green, but it really did leave my scalp clean. Repurchase? Maybe the boyfriend will so I will get to use it again. 

Speaking of men products, L'Oreal Men Expert Carbon Protect deodorant is another good one. Is it just me or men deodorants are better then the ones for women? So good, it lasted until I took a shower, no sweating in between. Impressed. Repurchase? Yup; it's summer. 

The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist: smells of roses, which is not my favorite scent. But it's good at hydrating my skin. I used it at the toner step in the routine, as another layer of moisture on my skin. Got it in an 3 for 2 offer: with another one like this and the vitamin C one. Repurchase? I want to try others, so no. 

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Body Lotion: 2 of them. They are not tanning products. They say to use it before self tanning but they do not have color, they are just regular body lotions. That pump was a stroke of genius, so convenient; and they smelled good. Went through them like nobody's business. :)) Got them on sale at Asda for £1 each. If I see them at that price again I will grab a few.

Olay Essentials Refreshing toner: Nice, smelled of cucumber, felt comforting on my skin. It was ok. Repurchase? I want something new...always looking for something new. 

I am so sad to see this go; the Paco Rabanne Ultraviolet EDP.  Smelled divine, lasted so long on me, on clothes and hair I could feel it even after 3 days. A lot of boys complimented me on it. In case you are single, and want to smell attractive. Hint hint. Repurchase? Not in the near future, I have plenty of perfume. 

I bought the Dermaroller a year ago after hearing about it on the internet. Purchased it from Amazon, wasn't expensive; but after some research I found out that this is not good for your skin at all; it only creates scar tissue. So out it goes. 

Avon Solutions Hydra Beyond Cleanser: Took of make-up, cleaned my skin, but hydrating...no ma'am. It's not a foaming one, it had a creamy texture so I don't think it was a bad one, just not for my dry skin. Maybe for someone oily. Repurchase? No 

Cracked Heel Cream: self explanatory. For us who have crocodile skin. Found at Poundland; it was ok but not enough for me. Moving on to another one.

Olay Regenerist Renewal Elixir: This is an AHA exfoliator that I would use at night, or on days when I did not wear make-up because it says not to put any other product on top of it. Didn't see huge improvements in my skin, as it left a sticky film on my skin. Also the fact that you can't use moisturiser with it makes it a 'not for me' product. I need some moisture, thank you very much, not a iridescent shine on my face. Repurchase? No

The last of my foot pads: I have been using them for a while now and I don't think they work; will not buy them again.

Bath salts work. Yup. They soften the skin and help relax the muscles. I am a big fan, use them every time I take a bath. The Westlab Ones are my favorite, but this time at TK Maxx they also had the Canaan Dead Sea Bath Salts so I thought I should give them a try. Didn't feel any diferrent to other brands. Repurchase? Maybe

Caviar Time Collection Eye Cream: bought at TK Maxx a long time ago, liked that it had a pump; but didn't like the product so much. Not finished completely, but I can't remember the last time I used it, so why keep it? Repurchase? no.

Seche Vite: long time favorite. use it every time I do my nails. This isn't finished; you can't use it up, because when you are half away through they goop up. 

Lancome Bi-facil: I had the 30 ml that came in a set with a mascara. Such a good eye make-up remover. It is the type that has 2 layers of product in it and removes even waterproof make-up really easily, doesn't sting the eyes. Repurchase? I would, but the Yves Rocher dual eye make-up remover is just as amazing and it's cheaper. I would recommend both of them to anyone.

Another Olay Anti-Wrinkle Deep Wrinkle Treatment. To see what I think of it you can check my other empties post. 

Avon Supershock Max waterproof mascara: I really like the normal Supershock one, this one not so much. Repurchase? No, that one is better. Yes, another Nivea Hydrocare lip balm. Always have them. Same with the Revlon Colorstay. Staples for me. 

The ECO Rosehip Oil: it is supposed to be very good for your skin, but it was too thick of an oil for my skin to absorb. Bought this at TK Maxx, but the dispenser didn't work, it wouldn't push down so I had to open it every time to get product out. It got rancid before I finished it, so I just poured the rest on my body. Repurchase? Nope. 

Last, I wanted to include this one here, because it is so good. The Amway Glister toothpaste. Way better then the average one you find at a local shop. Way better. Kept my breath frest all day, prevented staining and tartar build up. As soon as I switched to a drugstore brand, right now Colgate, I noticed a difference. I want it again. Is anyone a rep for Amway? How can I buy one?

Gerovital H3 Retinol Eye Cream

A romanian product. Yey for that! Gerovital is a really respected brand, they put out very good products and a lot of people like it. And it's made in Romania. 
The applicator on this eye cream is a little weird, but I like it. You have to press it down on your eye area and product will come out. It doesn't dispense too much, a half of pump is enough for one eye, but you can control exactly how much you want; half a pump or a full one, which I really like, makes it so easy to use. The tube keeps the ingredients in it stable, no air gets in. That is important when it has retinol or other ingredients that are sensitive to air exposure. 

It is a white light weight cream that sinks in the skin easy and fast but still leaves it felling moisturised. A pet peeve of mine is eye cream that is way too greasy. Not only my skin will not absorb it, but it will mess with my makeup and give me milia (those little bumps in the eye area). I need something that absorbs in 10 minutes and then I don't want to feel like I have anything left in that area. While I can't say if it does anything for wrinkles since I don't have a lot of them yet, I have issues with allergies that make my undereyes puffy and irritated and during the day scratchy, so I need a cream that takes care of my skin and keeps it healthy. Just think about all the thing you to do it, from removing makeup and rubbing it to do so (no matter how gentle you are you still press on it), from squinting your eyes in the sun or in front of a computer, and the constant application of product in a place that is already sensitive. And if you have allergies like me, you probably touch your eyelids way more often then you should. All that stresses it out, so at night putting this on feels very soothing. Definetely worth a try, and it's not that expensive, around £6..sau 30 de lei :). I used it every day since I got it a few months ago and it's still not finished. Love it!
Who else has heard of Gerovital? Or where can I buy it in UK? Let me know. 

Rating:

5 out of 5

NSpa Moisturising Shea Butter

This smells so good. I put it on and it makes me wanna eat myself. Aham...
That's about it with the good stuff. When you rub it in, which you have to because it is a thick formula, it clumps off. Like a silicone primer would. Never experienced that with a cream before. I can't make it to sink in, my skin would not absorb it, and I've tried to put it on wet skin, on dry skin, massage it in, or just spread it gently. Nothing works. Only reason I am keeping it is because it smells divine. I will use it just before sleep when it doesn't matter that my legs don't feel smooth so that I smell yummy, but I will not buy it ever again. Also, I was amazed by how long the ingredient list is. All those things are definitely not necessary for a body cream.

Is that excessive or what?

Anew Ultimate Day Cream

This is supposed to be for women over 40. I am 23, but still use it. Don't agree with age limits on products; if it's good I'll use it. This has SPF 25, which is why I got in the first place.
I didn't have any cream with sun protection in it, and since I am an Avon rep this was just convenient to get. It has a very creamy texture and when you rub it in it just melts. Ahhh... It feels luxurious for sure. Now, it doesn't sink in as fast as I would like it, but I do prefer this then a sun protection only product. Those tend to be greasy. Like you have vaseline on your face, and I'm not a fan of that. 
So in my mind, rather then not using them under make-up and expose my skin, a cream with spf in it is better. 
Keep in mind that I give it a full 10 to 15 minutes before I start putting make-up on, and on occasion, when I had too much on I blot with a tissue before putting on something else. This way, I never had a problem with make-up moving over the day. My mom uses it too and likes it a lot. That's how I first tried it, I dunk my fingers in her pot. Evil me. 

The jar packaging is not my favorite. I prefer an airless pump. But oh well, half of the creams out there are in a jar so I have to deal with it. It is made of glass, which means it is rather heavy. That, and the gold make it look really nice and fancy; in my opinion. And even though that should not matter, we all get sucked in by nice packaging, don't we? 
I can't speak to how good it it against wrinkles, since I don't have them yet, but the spf alone helps with that. And my mom is a big fan, went through many jars, so it must be good. 
Overall, I like it, but I'm not it's biggest fan. I might purchase it again because it feels very comforting on the skin and contains a decent spf, enough for everyday use.

Rating:

3 out of 5

The Clarisonic Alternative - Magnitone

Is cleanser not enough? Sure it is. But for us beauty addicts, when we hear about a new gadget we need to get it! I use 'need' loosely. :) 

Everyone and their mother raved about the Clarisonic, while a lot of the more seasoned beauty connoisseurs said it doesn't work. But the itch was still there. So I bought the less expensive version of it; since I'm not rich. 

Reading it's description, the Magnitone sounds like it will do the exact same. I do not own Clarisonic so I can't compare them, but I'm happy with my purchase. For someone who considers exfoliation as important as brushing their teeth, this gadget is a must. And you can find it at around £50 which is more then half of the cost of the more popular one.

My favorite thing about it is that I can use it when I don't want to bombard my skin with a manual exfoliator, but I still need a deep cleanse. My skin gets patchy a lot, so I need to get those bits off, but when it does that it's also usually irritated. The retin-a issues. This is perfect for those days. I use primer and Colorstay... which stays... and sometimes sun protection, and setting spray. A quick wipe of something will not cut it. I know so many people praise the benefits of double cleansing, but I am just too lazy for that. I want it off in one go. 

Because it does not spin you can't scratch your face with it. And it keeps you from overdoing it because it beeps every time you need to move on to a different part of your face. It's idiot proof; or should I say you can use it even when you get home drunk. Don't judge, we've all been there at one point. :)

Mine came with it's own stand, so I can just keep it in the bathroom looking all nice and fancy. One thing I've noticed is that the buttons started to get colored. They were white in the beginning, but now they have a slightly yellow tint to them. Don't know why. And I clean it with soap after every use. It's not a big deal, but it happened on the one I have. In it's pack I also got the big body brush, very useful for ingrown hairs, and a massage head that I use on my scalp. If you never did that, you should try. It feels so relaxing, especially if you got a migraine and you already took more pain killers that you should. Don't judge, those are not from drinking. :)

Overall, I really do enjoy it. I use it almost every day and I consider it a good investment, because scrubs get used up, whilst this lasts you a long time if you don't break it. You just charge it and it's ready to go. Plus there are so many uses for it. So happy I got it. Now if it breaks would I go buy it again? I would ask for it at Christmas...or birthday, or Valentine's, or because I am cute. Whatever works. Ha ha

Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray Original

This is so good! I sometimes had to do a 12 hours shift....lovely, I know! This made my make-up stay all day and looked just like when I first applied it. Magic!
I don't know where to start really. I just like everything about it. The mist is super fine and even when you put 12 sprays on, like I do, it doesn't dissolve your make-up, you just have to wait for it to dry. It doesn't oxidise your foundation, which a normal face mist might do. 

If you didn't know, this is the exact brand that does the sprays for Urban Decay, but they are cheaper when you go directly to the Skindinavia Site, plus they almost always offer free shipping and an extra full size bottle for a 25$ order. You can't beat that. For me a bottle lasts about 3-4 months, but I use a lot of it, so it could go even longer. Will not be without it. It changes everything. I use the original one, because that is what I first ordered and I like it so I will stick to it, but they offer other ones for oilier skin, for bridal make-up, one that gives a dewy finish.
This one is slightly dewy, but not that much that it gives you a glow; just takes the powdery look away. Nothing bad to say about it. Just try it, it's amazing. And let me know if you are as impressed as I am with it.

Rating:

5 out of 5