Empties Sept/Oct 2012

Timotei Pure Shampoo & Conditioner (Normal/Greasy Hair)

The Timotei Pure range are new(ish) hair care products that are free from parabens, colourants and silicone's. This particular shampoo & conditioner is infused with green tea, and has a light, fresh scent that really stays after the hair is dried. The shampoo lathers well, and the conditioner is lightweight but rinses well and leaves the hair feeling de-tangled, glossy and in great condition. I also found that I didn't really need to use a dry shampoo the day after washing my hair as it wasn't as 'greasy' as it normally can be. So, a big thumbs up for this combo!!

Original Source Cranberry Daily Scrub

For use simply as an everyday scrub, I wouldn't say that this is the best product on the market as the grains are few and far between, so I popped a little on a shower pouff and used as a simple shower wash instead. Not exactly how it is advertised for use, but it worked well all the same and I didn't feel like I had wasted my money. On a positive note, it smells deliciously sweet, lathers well, and left my skin feeling soft. It was a great bargain for a pound.

Aussie Take The Heat Leave in Spray

I have used this product after every hair wash over that past six months or so. It combs through the hair well, and it has moderately helped to protect my hair. It smells good too. Would I purchase this product again? Hmm... its good but it is not the greatest heat protectant spray available, so more than likely I wouldn't.

Boots Extracts Almond Body Scrub

I loved the smell of this product, and it left my skin feeling great. Although it does say it is a gentle exfoliating scrub, it just didn't have enough 'scrub' to it for me, and for a cost of £7.95 for 400ml I think there are better products out there.

Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter

I am a big fan of any of the Body Shop Body Butters, and this particular one is no exception. Made with Community Trade cocoa butter, it did a great job of moisturising my dry skin. All of the Body Butters are a bit on the pricey side, but they always smell great, apply easily, and dry quickly. This little 50ml size is also ideal for travel, as the larger size butters are quite bulky. 

Origins A Perfect World Moisturiser

This little tube was good for a weeks worth of testing, and I have to say that I was really impressed with it. Aside from the smell, which I wasn't overly keen on, my skin felt really soft and moisturised after using this product. It provided a great base for my foundation, allowing it to blend easily. A full size 50ml jar is £33.00, and I think it is a product worth splashing out on.

Flora by Gucci

I love almost all of the Gucci fragrances, and this one is by far one of my favourite scents of all time. As the name suggests, this perfume has a light, floral scent, but without being too sickly-sweet. I would repurchase it again and again, and am really unhappy that this bottle is empty :-(

L'Occitane Precious Night Cream

Oh, how I am falling in love with the L'Occitane range. This particular product claims to reinforce regeneration of the skin, visibly correct deep wrinkles and improve skin firmness. It works overnight, and is just such an amazing product. The smell is a bit iffy, but it is such a rich, indulgent moisturiser that I wouldn't hesitate to spend £49 on a 50ml jar. I don't know how well it would work on deep wrinkles, but my skin absolutely loved it.

L'Occitane Rose 4 Reines Body Milk

As body moisturisers go, a body milk is not something I would have ever considered purchasing. This was before trying out this generous sample. It is enriched with grape seed, and I applied it to my legs, tummy and arms after having a bath. My skin not only smelled amazing, but was left feeling super soft and more than adequately moisturised. I have to say that I was quite shocked after using this product, as I didn't expect any body milk to be this good - they always just seemed too watery in consistency to do any worthwhile moisturising. It has super fast absorption, and the scent is one of a beautiful vintage rose product that your gran would be proud of. A full 250ml bottle retails at £18.50.

L'Occitane Repairing Shampoo & Conditioner

These are products formulated with a natural origin vegetable complex of 5 essential oils. The shampoo aids repair of dry, damaged, colour-treated or chemically-treated hair. The conditioner strengthens, regenerates, nourishes and helps to restore capillary fibres. It also claims to detangle, soften and add lustre to hair. I loved both of these products. After use, my hair felt thicker, glossier and healthier, and in much better condition that it had done for a long time. The shampoo is £14 for 300mls, and the conditioner is £14 for 250mls - not exactly a bargain, but I guess sometimes you get what you pay for. And I would definitely purchase these at full price.

 

I hope you like my empties - what products have you used up lately?

 

Claire

 

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Caudalie Winter Rescue Duo Review

Recently I purchased the Caudalie Winter Rescue Duo in preparation for the harsh winter weather. As soon as the crisp, cold mornings set in I suffer uber chapped lips. My skin also takes a battering, especially my hands which,  after being washed a zillion times a day in work, can be chapped and dry to the point of soreness some days. Frown.

 

This little Duo contains a full size Lip Conditioner and a 30ml Hand and Nail cream.

The Lip Conditioner has a subtle vanilla flavour, and is the most amazing product for dry/chapped lips that I have ever used. I applied it before bed and in the morning my lips were miraculously repaired. This effect lasted all day without the need for re-applying anymore product whatsoever. A definite winner!

The Hand and Nail Cream has a very subtle white grape and Shea butter scent. It applies easily, absorbs quickly and leaves hands feeling nicely moisturised. I wouldn't say it is as groundbreaking as the Lip conditioner, but it is a lovely little product that I would most probably purchase again.

The Duo retails at £7.20 (inclusive of postage) at feelunique, which I think is an absolute steal. I think that it would be ideal as a secret Santa gift or make for a great little stocking filler!!

Are you thinking of giving these products a try?

Claire

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Lush Stepping Stone Foot Scrub Review

A little while back, I purchased the Stepping Stone Foot Scrub from Lush. I work long, hard 12 hour shifts where I am constantly on my feet. This really takes its toll, and not only do my feet feel tired and achy, they also tend to dry out - and more so during the winter months.

Looking a little worse for wear :-(

The Stepping Stone Foot Scrub smells amazingly citrus-fresh, and contains pumice which promises to scrub and smooth away dead skin, whilst the jojoba oil moisturises to leave feet feeling soft. Sounds like just the ticket!

I purchased this product on a whim, and having returned home I read through some online reviews, most of which claimed that this is a product that dissolves very easily in water, allowing for no more than one use. For a cost of £2.95 this seemed a little excessive. I followed the recommendation of one reviewer, and crushed up the whole product into an empty pot using the back of a spoon. Bingo! A product that is now fit for multiple uses!

I wouldn't recommend using this product in the shower, as the slightest contact with water and it fizzles away super-quick. I used mine whilst in the bath, soaked my feet for a while, and made this the last product that I used in my routine as the pumice makes for a very uncomfortable feel under the bum when it settles on the bottom of the bath. I towel dried my hands before scooping a small amount out of the pot, and repeated each time to allow as less water contact with the product as possible. I would guess that I can now get around 8-10 uses out of this one product, making it far more value for money.

The Foot Scrub itself is amazing. It is a fine scrub that exfoliates easily and really does leave skin feeling super-soft. Followed by a little moisturiser, my feet now feel pampered to the max. As a side-effect, the palms of my hands are now also feeling rather soft and exfoliated too!! Dual-purpose maybe? I really wouldn't hesitate in repurchasing this product!!

Do you have any handy hints for making your products last a little longer?

Claire

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Joico K-PAK Moisture Intense Hydrator Review

If you want to create that super silky fresh-from-the-salon style at home, then this is the product you may well be looking for...

Joico K-PAK Moisture Intense Hydrator is a treatment for dry, damaged hair that promises restored moisture, sealed cuticles, shine, improved manageability & elasticity. Phew! This is alot to expect from a single hair care product, however, this little beauty did exactly what it said on the tube.

I used it following a normal wash with my Kerastase Shampoo, and after leaving it to work for the minimum 3 minutes then rinsing out, my hair was instantly more silky feeling. Tangles were no match for this mighty product, as my comb eased its way through my damp locks. On drying, my hair smelled amazing, and my silky soft tresses were in the best condition ever. Split ends were sealed and almost invisible, and my hair no longer had that dry-ended I-really-need-a-cut feel.

I cannot recommend this product highly enough, and at £13.95 for 250 mls it is worth every penny!! Go on, treat your hair!!

Have you tried any Joico hair products?

Claire :-)

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Laura Mercier Creme Brulee Honey Bath & Creme Brulee Souffle Body Creme Review

A few months ago, my sister treated me to four lovely Laura Mercier Bath & Body products for my birthday. Since then, I have been waiting for the cold, dark, winter nights to arrive so that I could run myself a hot bath, light some candles, and soak away peacefully in the delight that is the Creme Brulee Honey Bath.

The packaging is so luxurious, and I love the little wooden honey dipper that comes with the product to allow for easier use. As soon as the lid comes off, the delicious smell hits you. It is as amazing as you would expect, and certainly good enough to eat! On first use, I used sparingly, plunging the honey dipper in and allowing the excess to drip away before holding the dipper under the hot, running tap. There were bubbles, but not that many, although I am not a fan of a having a bath full of bubbles anyway.

After a long soak, and a normal dry off with a bath towel, my skin felt soooo soft and silky. It also smelled lovely - adequately scented, but not too overpowering. This is the type of bath product needed on a cold winter night, candles lit around the bathroom, for a relaxing soak before jumping into a freshly changed bed in clean pj's. Bliss.

As for cost, 300 grams is a whopping £31.00. Normally, this would be such an off-putting factor for me, however I would willingly treat myself to this product again and again without a doubt. It is that good!

I followed the Creme Brulee Honey Bath with the Creme Brulee Souffle Body Creme. The only downside to the Body Souffle for me is that, after one use, I am completely addicted. You may well wonder why this is a bad thing - it is purely down to the cost, as 300 grams of this little baby is an even more whopping £43.50 - eek!!!

This product has a much richer, creamier scent than the Honey Bath. It is quite lightweight in consistency, applies really easily, and absorbs super quick. A little product goes a long way, and the nut oil is evident on application as the skin glistens for a few seconds before it is then fully absorbed. There is no sticky, greasy residue with this product. All it leaves is skin that feels extra silky soft. It dries with a slightly muskier scent - definately not a sickly sweet scent anyway.

I would guess that 300 grams would, if used for full-body daily moisturising, last around one month, which can work out to be very expensive! Having slated the price, they've got me over a barrel with this product, and I know that, despite the price label, I would definately re-purchase. I would even go so far as to say that it is the best body moisturiser I have EVER used!! I would highly recommend this as an extra special treat for yourself, or as a really nice gift for others. It's Amazing!!


So that's it for my review, hope you all liked it :-)

Please feel free to leave your comments!

Claire

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Saturday Afternoon Post :-)

Don't you just love it when a courier knocks the door with a parcel of goodies on a Saturday Afternoon? I LOVE feelunique.com

Goldwell DualSenses Rich Repair 60 Sec Treatment 200ml - I ha vent had my hair cut in a salon for just over a year. As awful as this sounds, I have now finally got the length of hair that it had taken me about 10 years to try and grow. despite this neglect, I wouldn't say my hair is in really bad condition, but it does need a treatment every now and again as the ends are quite dry. I had recently heard a review of this product on Youtube by Ruth of A Model Recommends, and for £8.45 I thought I would give it a go. It has that intense, salon-product scent to it, and promises a visibly enhanced healthy shine and smooth, silky hair in 60 seconds. Sounds great! I cant wait to try this out!

Caudalie Winter Rescue Duo - Admittedly, this was an impulse buy. As I have said before, I am always wanting to try out new hand creams, as my hands become dry and sore through washing them a zillion times a day in work, and the winter weather only adds to this. With ingredients like avocado, Shea butter & grape-seed oil, I have high hopes for this product. I am also suffering the worst dry lips ever at the moments, and am hoping that the vanilla lip conditioner is going to work some magic on them. This set cost £7.20, which was a bargain I thought :-)

Caudalie Peach Shower Gel - This was another impulse buy, especially as I didn't realise that Caudalie produce bath & shower products. I thought it was only facial skincare! This shower gel smells exactly how you would expect, is soap-free and claims to be non-irritating. I have sooo many shower gels, but I don't mind adding this one to my vast collection as I seem to be getting through them all quite quickly. At £8.10 for 200mls, it is quite reasonably priced.

Have you ordered anything from feelunique lately?

Claire

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Mini Urban Decay Haul

A few blog posts ago, I shared my disappointment of the re-vamped Big Fatty Mascara by Urban Decay. This product had been purchased along with a few others, so I thought I would do a mini Urban Decay haul for you.

As a side note, I have to say that I really love the rock-chick-esque packaging that Urban Decay have going on at the moment!

My most favourite ever Urban Decay eyeshadow has to be Sin. I have loved it since forever, and its popularity as part of my make-up collection never dies. It is the only shade in my Naked palette that has a significant 'dent' in it. I think it is such a versatile colour, which I wear alone for daytime/work and vamp it up by blending it with Darkhorse or Hustle for an evening look. So, when I discovered the 24/7 eyeshadow pencil available in Sin, I just had to have one! Crease-proof, waterproof and Ultra Long lasting. The Pigmentation is fantastic, and I cant wait to give this little beauty a whirl :-)

I also purchased the new Karma brush. this was another product that, like the Big Fatty Mascara, was mis-sold to me. I was told that this brush was multi-use and suitable as an applicator for blusher & foundation. Thinking that this was ingenious for travelling, I snapped it up only to discover that it is for foundation only. It feels very soft, and I have read only good things about it so far, so despite my initial disappointment that it is not what I first thought, I am excited to try it out.

I also had two freebies thrown in with these purchases. The Midnight Cowboy lipgloss mini is right up my street. It is almost sheer with a delicate bronze/gold sparkle. It smells delicious, and is the perfect size for taking on a night out.

I also had this eyeshadow & primer tester. Although the darker shade of eyeshadow scares me, I am determined to give it a go all the same. And I have heard many a rave review of the Primer Potion, so this comes as a very welcome tester.

I hope you all like this mini-haul. have you treated yourself to any Urban Decay goodies lately?

Claire

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