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?

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?

Stocking Up

Does anyone else stock up on products? I could open a small shop with the back ups I have! I stock up partly because I'm organised, partly because I'm a shopaholic, and partly because it's more cost effective in the long run (I buy back ups when they're on offer). The products in the photo above are mostly necessities. I haven't even included my shower gel, moisturiser or makeup back ups! I would have had to use my bed or floor.

Let me know if you can relate!

Recent Beauty Buys

I wasn't planning on posting another beauty haul, but then I kept buying bits and bobs here and there. So, let's get cracking!

Alberto Balsam shampoos and conditioners are currently 4 for £3 in Superdrug, so thought I'd stock up. I used to use the brand a couple of years ago, but then moved on to TRESemme. I've recently gone back to them though because they're affordable, work well, and smell amazing! I bought 3 shampoos because I'm already stocked up on conditioner.

I also bought the Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days Gel Cream with Peach for £2.99. It's just a simple, light moisturiser that absorbs into the skin quickly.

The Simple Baby Moisturising Wipes are normally £1.99, but they were down to £1 in Lloyd's Pharmacy, and my sister had staff discount, so I got them for 80p each - Yay!

Going back to Superdrug, I bought the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair for £4.19. I've gone through tubes and tubes of this stuff, but for the last couple of months I've been using MUA's Cover and Conceal Wand in Porcelain, which has been working fine (especially for £1.50). I thought I'd go back to this to remember how good it is, though.

I often forget to look at the Feel Unique website, but it's actually great. Free delivery, discounted products, and you currently get 10% off your order. I bought Maybelline's Rocket mascara for £6.79 (before the 10% discount). I didn't buy the waterproof version because the last waterproof mascara I bought (Maybelline's Falsies) would not come off, no matter what products I used. You could see that as a good thing, but I want to keep my lashes, not pull them out trying to get the stuff off!

Also from Feel Unique, I bought Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe for £4.99 (before the 10% discount). I don't wear eyeshadow on my eyelids because I look ridiculous, but I like blending them into my lash line to give some definition. I've been using On and On Bronze, but wanted a matte shade.

I then placed an order with MUA because their products were 3 for 2. I picked up 4 of their new £1 blusher shades - Cupcake, Lolly, Bubblegum, and Bon Bon (will be reviewing these in the next couple of days). 

I then bought the Hide & Conceal Stick in Porcelain for £1. I normally use liquid concealers, but thought this would be good for blemishes. It's actually really creamy, which I wasn't expecting! 

I also bought the Power Pout in Runway for £3. I have all the other shades, so thought I may as well get this one too! It's a coral/red, and I'm going to wear it lightly (I also look ridiculous with bright lips)

I thought I'd also show you what I've just ordered from Superdrug (free delivery until the 17th). I bought the Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave In Conditioner and Aussie Dual Personality Heat Protection & Leave In Spray for £6. They're normally £4.49 and £4.69 each. These are both repurchases (they smell amazing!).

Then I added the Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover to my basket for £2.15. This is my favourite nail polish remover and smells nice, considering (like vanilla).

Then I thought I'd stock up on my trusty razors seeing as they're currently better than half price. I bought the Bic Lady Soleil ones for £1.51, and the Bic Miss Soleil ones for £1.48. Bic Soleil razors were the first ones I ever used (about 7 years ago), and they're the only ones I've used since. I do want to try a battery operated one, though, but don't know the good from the bad!

And that's everything! For now, anyway...

Superdrug Purchases!

Superdrug have free delivery until the 24th October, so I thought I'd stock up on some essentials. I stock up on so many things, my beauty draws look like a small shop!

The Superdrug Foam Colour Hair Dyes are for my mum. They were buy one (£5.99) get two free, so these were just £2 each! I bought her one Medium Brown 5.0 and two Light Browns 6.0.

I then added the Simple Baby Wipes x80 to my basket, which were £1.99. The normal facial ones are £2.99 for 25, so these are much more cost effective (and they're practically the same things!).

I'm running low on my much loved Witch Skin Clearing Primer and it was half price at just £3.49, so I couldn't resist.

I also wanted to try the new Nivea Express Hydration Primer, which was only £3.99. I love the packaging - It comes in a glass jar! It's lighter in consistency than the Witch one and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'll test it out tomorrow and see if my concealer creases on my eyelids (I have red, oily eyelids, you see... mmm, sexy).

I added Superdrug's Coconut Oil to my basket because I've been meaning to purchase a pot and it was only £2.29. I already have a coconut oil, but I wanted to try the solid, natural form.

I've tried Liz Earle's and No7's hot cloth cleansers, so wanted to buy Superdrug's Hot Cloth Cleanser to compare. I've been liking hot cloth cleansers because they're gentle and moisturising on my skin. This one was on offer for £4.99 (normally £5.99).

I then bought another bottle of Cutex's Nourishing Nail Polish Remover for £2.15. This is my favourite nail polish remover because I really like the smell and it does a good job at removing my nail polish, funnily enough.

Lastly, I stocked up on Superdrug's Hair Grips (£1.39) and Superdrug's Emery Boards (99p). I go through so many packs of these. I don't know if that's because I use them all the time or because they go missing all the time!

And they're my purchases! Oh, I do love free delivery.

My Current, Daily Beauty Routine (Evening)

Hello, all! Welcome to the second part of my current, daily beauty routine. You can find my morning routine post here. 

I shower in the evenings because I leave my hair to dry naturally and prefer to have relaxed mornings. I've been washing my hair with TRESemme's Salon Silk Shampoo and Conditioner (Superdrug, £4.99 for a 900ml bottle) for a while now. I usually buy them when they're half price. They're so affordable and last for months! I've also been using Liz Earle's Botanical Shine Shampoo* and Conditioner for Dry and Damaged Hair* (Liz Earle, £8.50 each). The shampoo is SLS free and contains many natural ingredients, so I've been using it every couple of weeks to give my hair a deep cleanse. Every time I've used the conditioner, my hair has gone dry, which is weird considering its claims.

After I've shampooed and conditioned my hair, I've been washing my body with Treacle Moon's One Ginger Morning Shower Gel (Tesco, £2.99). I love it so much! It smells like Starbursts. I then shave, which isn't interesting! and then I've been washing my face with No7's Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser (Boots, £9.95). It removes my make-up well and leaves it fairly soft. Not as soft as Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish though. I've also been trying out Nelsons Pure & Clear Purifying Daily Facial Wash* (Boots, £7.85). It removes my make-up well... that's all I have to say about it, really. It's not an exciting product, but it does the job.

I don't regularly moisturise my body, but I've been making an effort to do so more often. Once out of the shower, I've been using Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturising Body Oil (Boots, £5.10) (Review here) or The Body Shop's Coconut Beautifying Oil (The Body Shop, £9) (Review here) to moisturise. If I don't use those, I'll use Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion (Boots, £3.77) or The Body Shop's Raspberry, Mango and Sweet Lemon Body Butters (The Body Shop, £12.50 each).

Once my body is moisturised, I moisturise my face with The Body Shop's Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream (The Body Shop, £11) (Review here) or Simple's Kind to Skin Sun-Kissed Moisture Cream (Boots, £4.99). The Simple cream gives my skin a light tan, making it look healthy and glowing.

Next up to receive some TLC is my hair. I use Aussie's Miracle Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner (Boots, £4.49) and/or TRESemme's Salon Silk Serum (Boots, £4-5) on the ends of my hair. I don't use these every night. I use them once or twice a week.

And that concludes my current, daily beauty routine!

Thank you for reading!

*PR samples

Summer Bargains

Hello, all! I feel like I haven't blogged about my beauty or clothing purchases for a while, so thought I'd show you the things I've bought in recent months. As you can see, I haven't bought much at all. This is because I've been buying books, crafts and items for my room. Also, if I have bought a beauty product, I have shown you it in a post already, so didn't feel the need to include it in a haul. As I was gathering the above items, I realised that all of them are appropriate for the Summer months, and all but one of them was bought with an offer.

Let's start with the Superdrug order I placed over a month ago. Superdrug had an amazing offer on the sun lotions (I know they don't come under the 'beauty' category, but I still wanted to include them). Selected products were half price and then buy one get one free. They also had free delivery, so I just had to order! So, for the Nivea Sun Invisible Protection Spray and the Nivea Sun Spray, I paid £7.15, including delivery. Around £3.50 per bottle is a bargain, considering they're between £12 and £15 each when they're full price. I've tried them a couple of times and like them. I'm really not fussy when it comes to sun lotion though. As well as the sun lotions, I bought the Simple Kind To Skin Sun Kissed Moisture Cream for £4. I've used this a couple times a week for a month and I really like it. It gives me a subtle, natural glow and makes me look healthy.

The next order I placed was with ASOS. I bought Models Own Fluro' Orange nail polish for £3.50 in the sale (I blogged about it here) and a skinny, lilac waist belt for £3, which was also in the sale. I was unsure what size to get, but I bit the bullet and went with a small. The smallest hole on the small belt is perfect, so I'm glad I'm not any slimmer! I also bought some other things, but they're for a birthday present.

The last item I bought, which arrived this morning, are these New Look chino shorts. These were an absolute bargain! They were originally £17.99, but were in the sale for £5.40. Then, I had my student discount and a free delivery code, so altogether, I paid £4.86 for them. They fit perfectly, just like all of my other New Look shorts. I can't wait for the sun to come out now.

So, they are all the beauty and clothing items I have recently bought. It's not much, but I didn't have the patience to wait until I bought more things to blog about them.

I'm off to make cheese straws (The recipe will be up shortly). Thank you for reading!

Simple Facial Washes

Click to enlarge

Simple do a handful of facial washes, each suitable for a specific need (Age Resisting, Radiance Brightening, Oil Balancing, Spotless Skin) but the two above are the two main facial washes in the range.

Left- Refreshing Facial Wash Gel: "Tired skin will look revived as you gently rinse away make-up, dirt and pollution with our Kind To Skin Refreshing Facial Wash Gel."

Right- Moisturising Facial Wash: "To avoid tight skin after washing use our Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash for thoroughly cleansed and nourished skin."

Both are fragrance free and soap free, perfect for sensitive skin.

They also lather well and remove all traces of make up.

& you can save a few pennies with these being just £2-3 each.

If you're looking for an affordable, simple, everyday facial wash which will not irritate your skin, then these are perfect for you :)

For more information, visit Simple's website: Simple.

x

Simple Derma Intensive Relief Cream

Simple Derma Intensive Relief Cream for very dry, sensitive skin prone to eczema & dermatitis.

Price: £3.99

Simple say: For skin that is very dry, sensitive or prone to itchy irritating conditions such as eczema and dermatitis. This unique and innovative Simple Derma range prepared by our sensitive skin experts, gives you immediate soothing effects and long lasting care that will calm and help relieve irritated skin.

Specially formulated with a highly effective naturally derived humectant Aquaxyl™ and Canola Oil, this concentrated, fast acting Intensive Relief Cream deeply hydrates, restoring your skin's natural moisture levels as it protects and prevents further moisture loss.

It works by wrapping a protective barrier around your skin that locks moisture in and keeps allergens and irritants out, enhancing your skin's natural barrier function and helping to restore and maintain skin health.

My thoughts: My skin is normal, and not even close to being dry but I use intense moisturising products because I want my skin to be the softest it can possibly be. I've been using this for a couple of weeks; on my neck, chest and hands. I've been using it in these places as these are the places that give away your age. I'm hoping that deep moisturising will help me age gracefully.

This cream absorbs well and leaves my skin extremely soft straight away.

How is this cream any better than the other intense moisturising products on the market? I here you ask. Well for some people, it isn't. It's just another rich cream for very dry skin. However, if you have sensitive skin this product will be beneficial to you. This product, like all other Simple products contains no perfume and no colour; the two main causes of irritation to the skin.

I have also been reaching for this over my other products because it looks and sounds professional and medical. That, and having used other Simple products, I trust what they have to offer.

Would I recommend? Yes I would :) and having just looked up the price, it's very affordable for such a great rich moisturising cream.

x

Simple Eye Make-Up Remover Pads

Price: £3-4

Simple say:

Simple Cleansing Eye Make-Up Remover Pads will remove all eye make-up even waterproof mascara and won't sting or irritate your eyes.

My thoughts:

These are so cute! They fit in the palm of your hand. If you're lazy like me then these are great; I just can not be bothered to put eye make up remover onto a cotton wool pad haha. These already have the product soaked in the pads so you just pop one out and off you go. They have just enough product on and remove waterproof mascara well.

You could use a normal cleansing wipe but as these are designed to use on your eyes, they do not irritate the skin.

Each pack contains 30 pads which should last you a couple of weeks (If on average you use 2 a day)

I couldn't really tell a difference between the normal and brightening pack, both do the same job.

Would I recommend? If you're lazy then yes :)

x

Simple Radiance Brightening Moisturiser Review

Price: £4-7 depending on the store you purchase from. Superdrug is cheaper than Boots.

Simple claim:

"When your skin's happy and glowing, you feel healthier and happier too! Our Brightening Moisturiser SPF10 is a perfect blend of active ingredients and light reflecting particles to protect, condition and illuminate your skin throughout the day. Perfect for even sensitive skin."

My thoughts:

The cream is thick, sinks into my skin well and leaves it feeling deeply moisturised, but this isn't a product suitable for me. My cheeks are a normal skin type, meaning they're not dry, oily or blemish prone, and because of this, the product looks great on my cheeks. The product is however, another story on my T-zone. My T-zone is oily and this moisturiser highlights that.

It does give you a glow/shine doing exactly what it claims but is not suitable for oily skin types.

I think this product would be great for people with dryer skin.

Overall - It's a good product, but not if you have oily skin as it will highlight this. A great product for dull/dry skin.

x

Simple's VIP of August Prizes!

I am Simple's VIP of August and my prizes arrived today!

It was like Christmas!

Eeek!

This is meant to be £50 worth of goodies but me and my sister worked out that it is a lot more than that. Even if everything cost £2 each, that would still come to £82. Most of the products there, excluding the travel products and face wipes, are around £3-4 each. (After Sun Lotion £7 and Sun Sensitive Facial Lotion £10 are two examples of the higher priced items!)

Looks like I'm set for life.. ah who am I kidding? This is being written by a beauty addict on a beauty blog hehe.

Thank you Simple so so soooooo much!

xo

Simple's VIP of August

is me!

I'm a very happy Louise :)

Just thought I'd state this in case anyone left an offensive comment:

I was not chosen for publicity, as Simple know nothing about my blog. I was chosen as I have been a loyal VIP; referring friends, leaving comments, taking surveys and earning points.

x

July Favourites

1. Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash - Review can be found here. Pink, smells of pink grapefruit and removes my eye make-up well.

2. Pantene Shampoo. I was using Tesco's shampoo for a while and when I changed to this I could certainly feel a difference. My hair feels much healthier and conditioner does not have to be used with this because it makes your hair soft on its own :)

3. Simple Exfoliating Body Wash. Has just enough scrubby bits :)

4. The Body Shop Raspberry Body Butter. This moisturises well but the reason why it has made my July favourites is the smell - Raspberry jam! It can be smelt from every corner of the house when I use it haha.

5. Barry M Intense Eyeliner Pen in Royal Blue - Review can be found here. Great pigmentation, waterproof, smudgeproof and lasts all day!

6. Barry M Lip Paint in Pinkie Gold Sparkle 132 - Review can be found here. Simply a gorgeous colour. This product, along with the one above are both fairly new and I have only used in the last week but I love them so much they had to be included.

7. Bloom Mineral Plus Lipstick in Ragtime - Review can be found here. Moisturising, light on the lips, great pigmentation, smells like vanilla, lasts for a reasonable time and the packaging is super cute.

8. Bloom Shadow Liner in Soft Taupe - Review can be found here. I use this over my black eyeliner to blend it out. It also gives a shine and another dimension to the black, making my eyes look more awake.

9. The Body Shop hair brushes. These are great quality and love that they're made out of wood.

10. Aveeno Hand Cream. A non greasy hand cream is essential as we all need to get on with our daily tasks and this certainly absorbs quickly leaving your hands feel refreshed and soft :)

I have been accepted on to the AVEENO^® Discoverer Programme, helping to spread the word about AVEENO® products. I get sent free AVEENO^® samples and have the possibility of being rewarded with additional benefits.