2014 Favourites: Part Two

Part two of my 2014 favourites includes skincare, haircare, and bodycare products (you can see my makeup favourites here). I'm probably missing something, but the ones above are the ones currently in my collection. I've given the full prices, but, aside from the Lush products, I've never paid them! They're on offer more times than not.

The Body Shop's Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter (£12) and Silky Cleansing Oil (£10) have become my favourite cleansers. They remove makeup so well and leave my skin feeling incredibly soft. I find they both do the same job; they're just different formulas. The Silky Cleansing Oil is quicker to dispense, but the Sumptuous Cleansing Butter won't leak if you were to travel with it.

The other cleanser I've been loving is Lush's Ultrabland Facial Cleanser (£7.25/45g or £11.50/100g). Like the others, this is my second repurchase, and it won't be my last. Again, it removes my makeup well, and I can open my eyes without it stinging. It leaves my skin feeling moisturised, and my combination-oily skin would be fine if I didn't use anything else. It makes my skin feel moisturised in an ever so slightly tacky way, like I have actually just moisturised.

Another Lush favourite of mine is the Ro's Argan Body Conditioner (£16.50). This second pot was a gift I asked for, for Christmas, because it's expensive. It''s amazing, though. You put it on and wash it off in the shower, and you're left with moisturised skin, just like you would be with a body butter. It makes moisturising in the winter so easy (and a lot less cold!).

Another body product I've enjoyed using is the Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash in Bewitching Blackberry & Wild Fig (£2.99-£3.15). I've tried all the scents, and this one's my favourite. I just love foam shower gels, and think these are a great alternative to the Rituals ones.

In terms of hair, the TRESemme Platinum Strength Shampoo (£4.99) really impressed me last year. I find most shampoos do the same thing, and as long as they clean my hair and don't dry it out, I'm happy. This did those things, but also made it feel incredibly soft, without weighing it down or making it greasy. The conditioner was also good, but I didn't even need it with this. I now have an entire draw of this range, which should last me through 2015!

The Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner (£4.39) is still a favourite of mine. It smells great and conditions my hair like no other. The shampoo is also good, but can be a little too clarifying at times. The brand no longer has a website or social media accounts, but can still be found in Boots. I really hope they stay there!

Well, this is no surprise. The Superdrug Colour Effects Wash In Wash Out Conditioning Colours (£1.49) have been favourites of mine for years. Some of my most popular posts are of these, and they're included in nearly every Empties post. They just give my auburn hair that extra vibrancy, which I'm regularly complimented on. They've gone up in price to £1.49, but were recently on offer for 3 for £3, so I bought another 9 to add to my stock.

2014 saw me find a new appreciation for hand creams. My absolute favourites so far are the Figs & Rouge ones (£3.95/20ml or £6.95-£7.95/80ml), particularly the Cherry Blossom and Mango & Mandarin scents. I also love The Body Shop Hand Creams (£3.50), with Mango, Frosted Cranberry, and Vanilla Brulee being my favourites.

Finally, I'm never without a pack of Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets. They absorb any excess oil without disturbing your makeup, and I normally use these at lunchtime to freshen up. I don't think they're available in Boots or Superdrug anymore (I think they were discontinued), but you can get them on eBay and Amazon. I bought 5 packs for £3.49 including delivery (they used to be £2-3 individually).

Do you love any of these products?

Empties #10

Mitchum Pure Fresh Deodorant Stick, £3.20-£3.35/41g, Boots or Superdrug

I rarely talk about deodorant on here because there's not much to say about it, but thought I'd mention this one because it's my new favourite. It comes in a stick formula, which is my favourite, it smells fresh (and also sherbety?), and keeps me dry and smelling clean. They're usually on offer for 2 for £4, too.

Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave In Conditioner, £4.49/250ml, Boots or Superdrug

A classic. I've been through bottles and bottles of this stuff. It smells incredible and leaves your hair feeling soft.

No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes, £7/30 wipes, Boots

I would never, ever pay £7 for these, and I don't think anyone does. They're usually the product people pick up when the £5 off vouchers are floating around (which is regularly). They removed all my makeup easily enough and didn't dry my skin out, but then my Simple Baby Moisturising Wipes don't either (and they're a lot cheaper!). I've already bought another pack of these because I can get them for 42p with staff discount, but I wouldn't recommend them over any others.

Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara, £7.99/9ml, Boots or Superdrug

One of my all time favourite mascaras. It darkens and lengthens my lashes, and doesn't clump, which is all I look for in a mascara.

Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly, £3.50/100g, Lush

I used to be a Lush Mystery Shopper, so bought this with the credit they gave me. It smells very fresh, which I love, but it's not something I'd buy again. It's expensive for what it is, and you end up wasting a lot of it. I can appreciate the gimmick, though, and think it's worth trying at least once!

Superdrug Face & Bikini Wax Strips, £4.29/20, Superdrug, review here

They remove the hair I want without irritating my skin, and that's all I can ask for! My hair grows so fast that I have to use these every couple of weeks, but I don't mind for the price. I usually buy them when they're on offer for 2 for £5 (which is now!)

Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash in Moisturising Honey & Almond Milk, £3.15/200ml, Boots or Superdrug, review here and here

I love these body washes. I prefer the fruitier scents, but still enjoyed this one. It's slightly sweet, but still neutral, so I can see many people liking it. I usually buy them when they're on offer for £2, but definitely think they're worth the price.

Have you tried any of these products?

Empties #08

As I'm writing this, I already have three products for my next Empties. I could include them here, but that would mean taking the photo again!

I don't like to include every shampoo and conditioner I go through in these posts because it gets incredibly tedious. However, this one's worth mentioning. I even dedicated an entire post to it here! It's the Tresemme Platinum Strength Shampoo. I was skeptical at first, but it really did make my hair feel softer, stronger, and overall healthier. I've already bought more, and would definitely recommend giving it a go.

The Nivea Waterlily and Oil Shower Gel was something I bought ages ago because it was on offer, but only started using it recently. I usually prefer fruity shower gels which pack a punch, but enjoyed using this delicate number. I didn't notice my skin feeling any more moisturised, though. It's nice, but nothing special, so I probably won't repurchase.

I can no longer see The Body Shop's Vineyard Peach Body Mist (review here) on their site, and I'm kicking myself for not stocking up. It smells like a fresh, juicy peach, and it's amazing.

I also finished up another bottle of Superdrug's Colour Effects Conditioning Colour in True Chestnut (review here). I think I've mentioned one of these in nearly every Empties, and I'm starting to sound like a broken record! Just read my review or previous posts to find out why I like them.

I liked the Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer (review here). It left my skin looking and feeling smooth, mattified it slightly, and made my makeup look better. I just wish the packaging was different because I had to pry the lid off and whack the bottle on my palm to get the last little bit out (which was actually more than a little bit).

The Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Intense Black and Colour Tattoo Gel-Cream Eyeshadow in On & On Bronze are not empty, but they are drying up (after having them for years, may I add). Both are creamy, intensely pigmented, and last all day. They've become part of my daily routine, and I've already repurchased both.

Have you tried any of these products?

Bedside Beauty

I've unintentionally accumulated a small gathering of products beside my bed, and thought I'd talk a little about them today.

Just before bed, I'll sometimes want to moisturise areas such as my elbows, knees, and feet. My body butter of choice at the moment is Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush Body Buttercream (review here), but I'm also a fan of The Body Shop's Raspberry and Vineyard Peach varieties. They all smell incredible, aren't too greasy, and provide my skin with a lot of moisture, leaving it soft and subtle.

I've also been moisturising my hands before bed because they've been needing more TLC since starting work. I'm absolutely loving the Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in Cherry Blossom (review here). It isn't greasy in the slightest, but still leaves your hands feeling hydrated. It also smells amazing!

For facial moisturisers, I have the Organic Surge Blissful Daily Moisturiser (thoughts here) and the Balance Me Moisture Rich Face Cream. I used, loved, and finished my pot of Organic Surge Super Intensive Daily Moisturiser, so am now making my way through the Blissful Daily version. It's obviously not as moisturising, but still sinks in well and leaves my skin feeling soft. The Balance Me one is a generous sample I received in a magazine the other month, and I'm still making my mind up about it. It isn't greasy, and leaves my skin adequately moisturised, but it's heavily fragranced. If you don't like strong rose scents, you'll struggle to use this.

For lips, I have the Blistex Intensive Moisturiser and Nivea Soft Rose Lip Balm. The Blistex Intensive Moisturiser is amazing, and leaves my lips feeling softer than any other product. More often than not, though, I find myself gravitating towards the Nivea Soft Rose Lip Balm because my lips don't need the Blistex one every night. The Nivea one is just like your standard tube of lip balm, but it's one I use a lot.

For blemishes, I use the Nelsons Pure & Clear Blemish Gel. It seems to do the job better than others I've tried, and that includes Lush's Grease Lightning.

Then I just have some products that I haven't been using that often, but are there just in case. I'm still deciding whether The Body Shop's Vitamin E Moisture Serum gives my skin any extra moisture. I'm honestly not sure. Then there's the Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Oil, which I'll use if my skin is feeling particularly dry (which is not that often).

Have you tried any of these? What products do you use in the evenings/just before bed?

Bargain Beauty Haul

I've bagged some great bargains recently, especially in the last few days, so thought I'd gather them together and have a little ramble!

The first product is the Nina Ricci Nina perfume. I was going to buy this from Boots, but found it on allbeauty.com for £31.80 instead of £54. Although it's still not the cheapest perfume out there, I thought it was a great discount.

On top sits a set of three Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butters in Berry Smoothie, Strawberry Shortcake, and Peach Parfait (all shades I've considered buying in the past). I found this little gem in TK Maxx for £7.99, instead of £7.99 each. It's the first decent beauty item I've found in there! 

I bought the Maybelline Elixir in Mandarin Rapture in Boots yesterday. This retails for £6.99, but I used a couple of vouchers towards it. There's also a 3 for 2 on all Maybelline products at the moment, if you're interested. Apart from the slight shimmer (and it's only slight), I like this so far. It reminds me of the NYX Butter Glosses, in the sense that it's balmy, glossy, and still packs a punch of colour. Unfortunately, we don't have a huge shade selection over here in the UK, but there's still a couple of others I have my eye on.

The EOS Sweet Mint Lip Balm wasn't a huge bargain, but thought I'd include it here anyway. I bought it from Amazon for £3.91 including P&P, but they've now changed the price, so I'd suggest looking around yourself. I wanted to know if these hyped little balls were any good before buying a big value pack for presents. So far, so good. I'll keep you posted!

The Witch primers were on clearance in Superdrug for £1.75, and they were buy one get one free. Two primers for £1.75? Yes, please! The Superdrug Colour Effects Conditioning Colours (£1.49) were also buy one get one free, so I picked up a couple more.

I definitely didn't need any more wipes, but had a £5 No7 voucher to use, so thought I'd pick up the No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes (£7). My staff discount on top made these just 42p. It would have been rude not to! I then bought the Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm (£9.50) with another voucher I had, and ended up paying just £2.36 for this. Lastly, on the No7 front, I bought the BB Lips Beauty Balms in Geranium and Blush Coral (£9 each). I had a £3 off voucher, and because I bought two makeup products, I received a free gift box. It contains a mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and eyeshadow brush. The shades are ones my mum will love, so I'm going to give it to her as a present.

There's currently a 3 for 2 across all hair products in Boots, so I picked up the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor (£4.99), the Naked Rescue Intensive Care Shampoo (£4.39), and the Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner (£4.39). I also had 25% off and double points vouchers, making these even cheaper.

After I bought these (and annoyingly used my 25% off voucher), I noticed that the Organix Hydrating Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner bottles were on clearance for £1.75 each (down from £6.99). They also qualified for the 3 for 2 offer and discount, so I paid just £1.02 each. I think it was meant to be because there were just three bottles left, and two of them were shampoo (I go through more shampoo than I do conditioner).

Have you picked up any bargains recently?

Recent Purchases (Accessorize, Bourjois, and Pacifica Bargains)

It's that time again! These are some of the things I've bought in the last couple of weeks.

Accessorize currently have a sale on, and I can never resist their sales. I spotted the lemon coin purse a few weeks back, and thought it was so cute and would make a nice present, but held off buying it because I knew there would be a sale soon. I ended up paying £3.50 instead of £7. I like that it fits cards in, unlike many coin purses. The sticky notes book was also £3.50 down from £7. Cute stationery at a great price is always a winner! I also picked up five pairs of underwear ranging from £2.50-£3.50 down from £5-£7. I love Accessorize's underwear, but it's expensive, so make the most of their sales. I then went back yesterday and bought the coral dolly shoes for £12.50 down from £25. I spotted these last month, but wasn't willing to pay £25 for a pair of dolly shoes. Then I found them in the sale in my size, but ended up talking myself out of buying them. When I went back in yesterday, they were still there. The last pair in my size. It was meant to be.

When the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks first came out, I wasn't interested. None of the shades appealed to me, and I was going through a light, balmy lip product phase. I then swatched them again and really liked the look of 02 Frambourjoise, a pinky red shade. Fast forward a week and they were on offer for £5.99 in Superdrug, so I couldn't refuse!

The Pacifica sets I've had my eye on for months finally went down in price on Tesco Direct. They're currently £7.50 down from £15 (£18 on Feel Unique), so I ordered Indian Coconut Nectar and Island Vanilla (I may have to get Tuscan Blood Orange, too!). I already own the Ruby Guava set, which I managed to get in January for just £5. I think they're great products for your bag, and make beautiful gifts, too.

What have you been buying recently?

New Things

I used my iPhone for the photos above because my camera and I aren't getting on at the moment. I may use my phone for future hauls, too, because it's a lot quicker! This week, I've received my dissertation and final assignment grades (all good, thankfully), updated my CV and applied for a job, finished watching Chuck, watched the first season of OITNB, started watching Prison Break, and shopped. All in all, it hasn't been bad!

I featured the necklace in my New Favourites #05 post. It's from Accessorize and was £6, which isn't too bad for them. It's small, sits on your collarbone nicely, and goes with most things. I also have my eye on another Accessorize necklace, but it's £15, so I'm going to wait and hope it's in their next sale!

Even though my ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light is still going strong, I wanted to buy a back up. I bought it here for £4.99 including P&P. Now that it's gone up to £3.95 on ELF's website and P&P is £2.95, it's cheaper to get it on eBay. I know ELF often have codes floating around, but I didn't want anything else.

I bought the No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter yesterday for £6.95 because I had one of those £3 off vouchers to use. I wasn't planning on getting it, but loved how it swatched. Also liked the BB Lips Beauty Balms, and wish I'd picked one up now!

I then bought the Barry M Loud Mouth Extreme Liquid Lip Colour in Show Off for £3.99. It's a warm, coral pink, which is very pigmented and similar to the Sleek Pout Paints. I tested it out yesterday evening and it was still present after three hours, a stir fry, and a bowl of ice cream (half a tub, really...). It had faded, but it was even. I then went ahead and ordered another three shades, so look out for reviews and swatches soon!

The mug is from Wilkinson and was £2. The print is nice, but the main reason I bought it was because of its size. It's like a small bowl, fitting two normal sized cups of tea in!

The tins were from TK Maxx and cost £2.99-£3.99. I'm always on the look out for tins because they're great for storing my baking bits (and anything else).

The yellow satchel was from Primark and cost £6. I've only ever used bags for school/uni, so have never owned a small one. I loved the colour of this, though, so just had to get it. They also had it in mint and pink. This is probably my favourite item I bought yesterday because it's so different to anything I have!

The knickers were also from Primark, and were only £1 each. They have a nice shape and look good on, so I'm happy.

The last three photos are of boring items, but they're items most of us use. The lint rollers were from Primark and were £1.50 a pack. Lint rollers are a must in an animal filled house! The Bic Soleil razors were from Superdrug and were down to £1.83 from £3.69. I already had a couple packs stored away, but couldn't resist a couple more. They're something I'm always going to use! The Mitchum deodorant sticks were £1.48 and £1.66 from £2.99 and £3.35 (this offer isn't online, though). I started using Mitchum deodorants earlier this year and they seem to work better than others I've tried. 

I use Simple Baby Moisturising Wipes for removing makeup before cleansing, spot cleaning my brushes, and freshening up. They're normally around £1.99 for 80, which is great in comparison to standard facial wipes. However, I usually get them when they're 99p or 6 for £5 at Lloyds Pharmacy. My sister also happens to work at the latter, so gets staff discount. 67p for 80? Yes please!

The last photo shows my inner age. My new net curtains arrived yesterday and I really like them! It's surprising how much a new pair of net curtains brighten your room. I'm mentioning them because they were a bargain from eBay. For my large window, I paid £5.70 including P&P. You can find the listing here. You can probably get nicer ones, but for the price, these are great. They also look better than others I've had in the past.

What have you been buying recently?

Collective Haul

Going through my Instagram earlier, I decided that my small purchases here and there over the last couple of months could actually be grouped together for a 'haul' post. I show all the little things on Instagram, but then forget to even mention them on here until I review them!

So, the first photo is of OPI's Steady As She Rose, which I bought from Fragrance Direct for £3.99. It's a beautiful, light, dusky lilac. I've already swatched and reviewed this here, and have compared it to Models Own Utopia here.

I've also been buying more Bath & Body Works hand gels recently. I already owned Vanilla Berry Sorbet and Fresh Picked Apples, but then bought Tuscan Melon, Market Peach, Island Nectar, and Sweet Pea last month. They were all £1.99 including P&P from various eBay sellers, which is a rip off compared to American prices, but I really wanted them! They keep changing their prices and stock, so I won't link you to any listings, but just search 'bath and body works hand gels' and you'll find them. Market Peach is my favourite, which is no surprise! They all smell exactly like their names, and Island Nectar smells like really sweet mango with a hint of floral.

I then bought Barry M's Gelly Nail Paint in Sugar Apple from ASOS because I wanted it (obviously) and could get student discount and free delivery. You can see my swatch and review of it here. The formula's not the best, but it's a beautiful shade.

I don't think I suit sunglasses at all, but want to start wearing them more because I seem to squint outside a lot, and squinting = more wrinkles when I'm older. I bought the ones above from Primark for just £2. The style is a lot bigger than I'm used to, but I like them. I may buy some without the brown tint next.

From eBay, I bought these white rose fairy lights for £11.99 including P&P. They're quite expensive for what they are, but I wanted some fairy lights that looked good turned off as well as on. They're not very long, but they're just the right length for the header of my bed.

After finishing writing my dissertation last week (handing it in Thursday!), I decided to go shopping, but didn't really buy much. I did buy some pretty bras from Primark, though. I love the style of them, and they were only £4 each.

I bought the NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler from eBay for £6-7 because I didn't want to pay £5 + £4.50 P&P on the NYX website. I should have waited, though, because I ended up ordering from them last week as they had free P&P! I've already swatched and reviewed this here. It's my new favourite lip product!

On the same day I bought the Primark bras, I also bought Models Own Beach Bag in Superdrug. It was £5, but I had some points to use on my beauty card, so it was cheaper. It's the first polish that's caught my eye from them for a while, and is a neon pastel peach. You can see me wearing it here, but I don't know if I'll be blogging about it because I'm not 100% happy with my application! It's also hard to capture on camera.

Finally, two products which arrived today (after Interlink screwing up): NYX's Powder Blush in Taupe and Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel. They had free delivery on orders over £10, so thought I'd pick up a couple products I'd had my eye on! The blush is for contouring (or attempting to), and I wanted another Butter Gloss because I love Peach Cobbler so much. This one is beautiful, too. I'm not usually one for lip gloss, but these are something else!

I've also just ordered from The Body Shop because they finally have a peach body mist! I can't tell you how happy I was when I saw it on their website. What have you been buying recently?

Superdrug Face & Bikini Wax Strips

I started waxing my upper lip a couple of years ago when I noticed the hair in blog photos. To be fair, it was only noticeable in close up shots with the flash on, but I decided to remove it anyway. I was surprised at how soft and smooth my skin felt afterwards, and makeup applied better, so I carried on doing so. Up until recently, I was using some wax strips I'd won in a giveaway years ago. They finally ran out, though, so I went on the hunt for more. I came across the Superdrug Face & Bikini Wax Strips for £4.29 or 2 for £5. They come with 20 strips (10 face to face) and 2 finishing wipes. They remove the small hairs well and don't leave my skin aggravated, and that's all I look for when it comes to waxing. I'll be buying them again, but will still be looking out for others to try!

Do you have any wax strip recommendations?

Empties #05

Two Empties posts in a month! What is going on?! I must have been nearing the end of all my products at the same time. You probably won't see another for months after this.

The Body Shop Body Mists in Cranberry Joy and Mango 

I love fruity scents, so it was no surprise I loved these. I've already repurchased both! They're £7.50 full price, but there's always a great offer going on. I actually got the Cranberry Joy one in the sale, and there was a code on top of that, so ended up paying just £2.10.

The Body Shop Hand Cleanse Gel in Mango

I have every scent of these, and unsurprisingly, I finished the mango one first! Will definitely be repurchasing. They're £2.50 full price.

NSPA Lime Hair and Body Wash (review here)

Finally, a lime shower gel that's just as zesty, if not more so, than my beloved Original Source one. At £2 for 500ml from Asda, I'll definitely be repurchasing.

Witch Anti Blemish Skin Clearing Primer

I finally finished this! It seemed to last an age. I liked it. Makeup went on smoother, and it prevented the concealer from creasing around my eyes. I will repurchase, but would like to try something new first. It's normally £6.99 in Superdrug, but currently on offer for £4.66, if you're interested.

Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner 

At £4.19/250ml, Naked conditioners are more expensive than I'm used to paying, but I love them. They condition much better than other conditioners I've tried.

Superdrug Colour Effects Wash In Wash Out Conditioning Colour in Warm Chocolate Brown (review here) 

Do I really need to say anything here? At least one of these little bottles is featured in every Empties post! Warm Chocolate Brown wasn't as intense as the others, but still made my hair a little more rich and vibrant.

Biore Ultra Deep Cleaning Pore Strips

I had these for ages, as you can see by the old packaging! I wasn't impressed. They lifted a few blackheads, but that's it. I was expecting more. I've also heard they can rip your skin, but I never experienced this.

Have you tried any of these products?

Recent Purchases

I wasn't planning on posting about these items, but was in the mood to blog, so here we are!

Primark bag - £12

I've never owned a formal bag, but with uni about to end and interviews about to begin (hopefully), I thought it was about time I did. I'd heard people talk about this being similar to the Zara Office City Bag, which I quite liked the look of, so decided to buy it. However, once in store, I wasn't sure, so left it. Then I found one I liked in H&M, but it looked very similar, and was £24.99 instead of Primark's £12, so thought I may as well get the cheaper of the two. It's smart, practical, and I like the texture of it. I've already taken the Atmosphere 'leather' tag off, though, because it just cheapened it.

Primark shopper bag - £1.50

Cotton shoppers are so handy to have around, and you can't complain for the price!

Primark white face cloths - £1.50, and duck egg 'luxury' face cloths - £2.50

I've started using Lush's Ultrabland cleanser, so was in need of some face cloths... there's nothing else to say here!

Superdrug Face & Bikini Wax Strips - £4.29 or 2 for £5

The only wax strips I've ever used were some ones I won in a giveaway a few years ago. I finally finished those recently, though, and was in need of some more. Lack of variety and mixed reviews left me undecided, but then I came across these. I'm hoping they perform well, but if they don't, I haven't lost a great deal of money.

Real Techniques Blush and Expert Face Brushes - £5.87 and £5.29 from Asda Direct

I use the Powder and Stippling ones every day, and wanted to try these two next. I couldn't resist when I saw the prices; so much cheaper than Boots. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya - £7.99 from Boots

After falling in love with Revlon's Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon, I wanted to get my hands on this beautiful peach shade. There's currently a huge 3 for 2 going on in Boots, but I'm ever so indecisive, so just left with this. Will be kicking myself later, no doubt.

Do you have any of these products?

2True Nail Polish in Shade 17

This is my 800th post!

I spotted this beautiful, peachy pink shade in Superdrug a few months ago, and thought I'd give it a go for £1.99. The formula leaves a lot to be desired, though. It's sheer, so you need 3-4 coats, and rather streaky. It's also not fast drying, as it claims to be (UPDATE: I painted my nails around 2pm, went to bed around 11pm, and woke up with dents and smudges in my nails. Definitely not fast drying!). Still, I love the colour, and was instantly drawn to it!

Have you tried any 2True nail polishes?

Empties #04

Half of the products you see are featured in nearly every empties post, but I have some products that are new to the feature this time!

Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Washes in Sweet Vanilla & Cherry Blossom and Bewitching Blackberry & Wild Fig (review here) - I love these. The packaging is beautiful, they're foamy, and they smell amazing. At £3, or £2 when on offer, they're more expensive than my usual shower gels, but I'd still happily repurchase them. Sweet Vanilla & Cherry Blossom isn't a scent I usually gravitate towards (I go for fruity ones), but this is beautiful and delicate. Bewitching Blackberry & Wild Fig is more up my street, and I'm tempted to stock up straight away, even though I have so many other bottles to use.

Naked Brunette Radiance Shampoo* and Conditioner* (review here) - Like I said in my review, the shampoo was okay, but it didn't do anything more than my cheaper ones do. The conditioner, however, was great, and was more like an intensive treatment. I've already purchased two more tubes of Naked's conditioners because my Alberto Balsams do nothing in comparison!

Alberto Balsam Shampoos in Strawberries & Cream and Coconut & Lychee - My go to shampoo brand. They're cheap and they do the job! My all time favourite scent is the Strawberries and Cream one.

Superdrug Colour Effects Wash In, Wash Out Conditioning Colour in Mahogany (review here) - Are you sick of me mentioning these yet? Since I used this one up a month or so ago, I haven't been using them, but will start to again next week. I remember going back to uni after using this a few times and a friend thought I'd dyed my hair red. It wasn't until then that I noticed how much of a difference it makes! As well as this, my sister's friend thought I was actually brunette and had just dyed my hair an auburn shade. I like dyed auburn hair just as much as natural auburn hair, so no complaints from me.

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover - Another product I've mentioned time and time again. Removes your nail polish and smells better than others. 

Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean Deep Cleansing Milk (review here) - This has since been repackaged, just to let you know. I liked it, but after using for 8 months, I became bored of it! It did its job, though, and that's all that matters. I'll repurchase, but not for a while. I fancy trying something new.

Simple Baby Moisturising Wipes - I use these for a little bit of everything. Taking makeup off if I'm not cleansing in the shower, wiping off swatches, and cleaning off any products that are looking a little grimy. They're £1.99 for 80, but they're often on offer for 99p. Even better, Lloyd's Pharmacy sometimes have them included in their '6 for £5' offer, and then my sister gets 20% staff discount, so I get 6 packs of 80 for just £4!

Nivea Express Hydration Primer (review here) - I believe this took me 14 months to finish. 14 long months. In the beginning, I loved it, but towards the end, I wasn't sure if it was actually doing anything. My concealer would also sometimes go bitty and roll off my skin, if you know what I mean. I thought this was because I was using too much of this primer and that I didn't let it sink in well enough, but then I went back to using my Witch one and didn't have this problem, so who knows? It's great value for money, though, and I think I just became too used to it to notice its benefits.

Have you tried any of these products?

Recent Purchases from Boots, Superdrug, and Primark

I was ahead of schedule for one of my assignments last week, so decided to do a spot of shopping! 

From Boots, I picked up a couple tubes of Naked Conditioner because they were on offer for £2.79 each (normally £4.19). I highly rate their conditioners; they make my hair as soft as intensive ones do. 

I then bought the Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel for £2.99. In the last year, I've developed the habit of pulling out the hairs of my eyebrows when I'm stressed or in deep concentration, and this sometimes leads to the shape of my arch disappearing, so wanted a pencil to recreate this. I'll still be filling in most of my eyebrows with a powder, but wanted this for definition. Hazel looks like a light-mid brown in the pencil, but I've found that it transfers to a very warm tone. I have auburn hair so this isn't a problem for me, but I'm not sure if it will suit some brunettes (many seem to love it, though). The L'Oreal blonde one looks like a similar shade, but cooler in tone, so I may try that next.

I didn't own a silver glitter, and wanted one to apply over lilacs, so bought Barry M's Diamond Glitter Nail Polish for £2.99.

Because of the 3 for 2 offer, I then got Sinful Colours' Nail Polish in Easy Going for free! I've already swatched and talked about it here.

From Superdrug, I just had to buy 2True's Nail Polish in 17 for £1.99. I can't resist bright, peachy shades! I haven't used this yet, so am not sure what the quality is like, but I'll be testing and blogging about it next week.

I bought the Elegant Touch Kaleidoscope Nail Wraps last month, but they're still available in my local Superdrug, so thought I'd include them in this post. They were £2.50 down from £6, and I think they're so pretty. I'm going to use them for accent nails.

From Primark, my sister bought me this lamb dressing gown/nightie thing as an early Christmas present, and it cost £10. It's so soft and comfortable! I want to get the teddy one next.

I bought my sister the penguin throw for Christmas last month, and it was only £5! I thought I'd include it in this post as well because it's still available to buy.

I also ordered a knitted jumper from Boohoo for £15 last week, and it's okay, but nothing special. It's the kind of knitted jumper that goes fluffy straight away, and not in a good way.

Other purchases include two pairs of jeans and a satchel from ASOS, and a satchel from Accessorize. The jeans are standard, and I'll probably write a separate post on the satchels!

What have you been buying recently?

Empties #03 - I finished a body butter!

As I've already mentioned it in the title, I'll start with The Body Shop's Mango Body Butter! It's the first one I've ever finished, and I feel like I've accomplished something! I normally alternate between my products, so instead of finishing one, they're all half empty. The actual product was good (or else I wouldn't have finished it!). It sank into my skin well and left it moisturised for days. Mango is one of my favourite scents, too.

Let's head back over to the left. I finished two more Alberto Balsam Shampoos in Strawberries & Cream and Sun Kissed Raspberry. The Strawberries & Cream scent is one of my favourites, and I've already stocked up on a few bottles of it! The Sun Kissed Raspberry is nice, but very subtle. They perform well in my hair, and I can't complain for 99p!

I also finished a bottle of the TRESemme Naturals Conditioner. Again, TRESemme is a brand I regularly use and have had no problems with, so I've already bought another bottle of this.

The Body Shop's Banana Conditioner was okay. I liked the scent, but the conditioner itself was average, and I wouldn't pay the full price of £4.50 for it. I was surprised, actually, because it's a product so many people love. The bottle also made it very difficult to get product out.

Aussie's Miracle Hair Insurance Leave In Conditioner has been part of my routine for years, and I've already repurchased. It leaves my hair feeling soft, and smells incredible.

I haven't been using them for the last couple of weeks, but you can see I used them a lot before then, and that's the Superdrug Colour Effects Wash In Wash Out Conditioning Colours. The shades I have here are Rich Warm Brown and True Chestnut. I love these, and have spoken of them many times before. I have three more bottles in my draw, and will purchase more in the future.

The Body Shop's Vitamin E Face Mist was a product I bought simply because I was trying to get to a certain amount to qualify for a code. I like how fine the mist is, and it is refreshing, but that's all. I don't feel like it helps improve my skin or the longevity of my makeup. I don't think I'll repurchase this - I'll just refill the bottle with water!

Superdrug's Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser is similar to their Vitamin E one. It removes all my makeup well, and leaves my skin feeling moisturised. I can't say my skin looked brighter, though. 

The MUA Cover & Conceal Concealer has been part of my makeup routine since the beginning of this year, and thought it was about time I ditched this one and bought another. For £1.50, why not?! It has a light to medium coverage and a dewy finish. I'm not the biggest fan of the dewy finish, but I apply powder over the top anyway, so don't find this a problem. It doesn't always cover blemishes well, so I use another concealer for this purpose.

I love Simple's Baby Moisturising Wipes, and have already stocked up because they're better than half price at the moment! 80 for £1.99 is good, but it's even better when they're 98p. They just do their job - They remove my makeup without stinging or drying my skin out, and they help keep my eye/eyebrow brushes fairly clean until I wash them. I don't see the point in buying more expensive wipes. Others may be more moisturising, but I don't buy them to moisturise because I have moisturisers for that!

I'm also finished with The Body Shop's Raspberry and Lemon Body Butters, but not because they're empty. They're actually almost full, but I've had them for too long and now they're smelling a bit off. This is why I need to stop buying new products and use what I have! I've learnt my lesson now. I even resisted buying more tubs of the Vineyard Peach one because I knew I wouldn't get round to using them. They were down to only £3, too, so it took a lot of strength to resist!

Have you used any of these products before?

Stocking Up on Essentials

My essentials were running low, so thought I'd stock up while some of them were on offer! I either use TRESemme or Alberto Balsam Shampoo & Conditioner, with my favourite being the Strawberries and Cream scent. I couldn't find it on the shelves anywhere, though, so when I found it online at Chemist Direct, I bought 4 bottles (98p-£1.04). I did want to buy 8, but restrained myself. To make up for the postage cost, I also bought the Pomegranate, and Mandarin & Papaya, shampoos and conditioners, which are also difficult to find in stores. From Superdrug, I bought another tube of the Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser because it was just £3.32! With this, I bought two more packs of Simple's 80 Baby Moisturising Wipes for 99p each (they're normally £1.99) and MUA's Cover & Conceal Concealer for £1.50. A few days later, I noticed that Maybelline's The Rocket Mascara was £3 off and buy one get one half price, so I bought two for just £3.74 each! It's one of my favourite mascaras, so I was pretty chuffed with that. Lastly, from eBay, I bought ELF's Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light for £5.99. It's normally £3.75 on ELF's website, but the postage makes it more expensive, and I didn't want to buy anything else, so bought it from eBay to save a little bit of money. I've been using the Medium shade of this kit for years because I thought Light would be too... light! But it actually suits my eyebrows more.

Do you stock up on your essentials? Or wait until you've finished them before repurchasing?

Superdrug Colour Effects Conditioning Colours

I tried my first Superdrug Colour Effects Wash In, Wash Out Conditioning Colour back in 2010, and even wrote a review on it here. If you look beyond the terrible photos (!), you'll see that I was pleased with the effects Rich Red had on my hair. 

They're now £1.29 instead of 99p, but I think they're worth the 30p increase. They're also currently 'buy one get one half price', and with student discount, I managed to get the four above for just £3.48. I do love a bargain! 

As I said in my review a few years ago (and in a couple favourites and empties posts), these are not dyes. They're not going to make a drastic change to your hair, but add, for the most part*, warm or red tones (*apart from the blonde shades). 

I used to work them into damp hair and leave for 20-30 minutes, just like any other dye. Now, I put them on while in the shower and leave for 10 minutes. I do this every couple of days until I finish the bottle to build the colour up, and then they last for a couple weeks (or a week if you only apply it once for 30-40 minutes). The packaging used to say to leave in for 5-20 minutes, but it's now changed to just 5 minutes. I wouldn't recommend this because it's not going to make a difference! For me, they last for 3-4 uses, and like I said, I'll do all of these uses over a week in the shower, finish the bottle, and then leave the colour to fade away. Or you could just leave it on for longer and not use it as often. 

In terms of the shades, there's a couple suited towards blondes, and the rest are all very warm or red toned. Even the brunette shades, which I've been using this week, give me a lot of redish tones and leave my hair vibrant (I have auburn hair). The Mahogany shade will give you red tones, like Rich Red, but they'll be much darker. Rich Red is an orange red, whereas Mahogany is a dark red, and these tones are really prominent in the sun. My hair actually looks red in direct sunlight when I use this. True Chestnut is a mix of brown and red, and I didn't think it did anything at first, but you can definitely see a difference in the sun. This is my 'my hair but better' shade. The brown shades, Warm Chocolate Brown and Rich Warm Brown, don't add true red tones to my hair, but they're still very warm and coppery, making my hair a vibrant version of itself. I don't know if they'll have the same effect on brunette hair, but they're the effects the shades have on my auburn hair. 

As for the conditioning factor, I don't think they condition all that much. I don't see this as a problem, though, because you wouldn't buy these as conditioning treatments. You'd buy them as colourants. I really like them, and think they're a cheap way to change your hair colour up a little!

Have you tried any of the Colour Effects Conditioning Colours?