2017 Quarterly Empties - Quarter One and Two

I'm forging ahead with my quarterly empties efforts but have two lumped in together for this post, covering the first half of the year. Being pregnant threw off my brain a little bit but I kept all of my empties for this late post! I'm definitely buying a lot less than I used to and finishing/giving away products more often so I think a pared down stash is becoming more possible for me than ever before.

 HAIR

Still very boring in the hair stakes over here, I'm loving the Cedel shampoo as it really does soothe my scalp and I'm planning on stockpiling it for later on. I also really liked the L'Oreal conditioner as it left my hair really soft and the packaging is gorgeous.

 

Would repurchase: Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo, Cedel Anti-Dandruff Medicated Shampoo, L'Oreal Elvive Volume Collagen Conditioner

Probably wouldn't repurchase: Garnier Fructis Instant Melt-In Mask, Awapuhi Mango Moisturising Conditioner

  

MAKEUP 

I'm really pleased to have finished the MAC MSFN and enjoyed using it, but I'm interested in trying out other powders once I've rotated through all the ones I've hoarded in my makeup drawers over the years. Right now I'm back onto an old Maybelline Dream Matte powder (remember those?!) that needs to be finished and is showing some major pan. The gel eyeliner dried up and the lip crayon sadly fell apart soon after purchase, and I'm not going to bother trying to depot it or anything like that so out it goes. 

Would repurchase: MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural, essence Gel Eyeliner, Skindinavia makeup Finishing Spray, Max Factor Masterpiece Glamour Extensions Mascara*

Probably wouldn't repurchase: Face of Australia Sundae Sheer Gloss Lip Crayon

SHOWER

Those Palmolive body butter body washes are decadent and smell amazing, despite the confusing name. Peppermint Crush is just stunning and I want to get a bottle to use in the festive season this year! I made an effort to pull out some travel sized shower gels to show them some love rather than hoarding them away - I used the Sweet Magnolia and Clementine while in Queensland and it was lovely. The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea collection was nice to use, and while the Grown Alchemist Pearl, Peppermint & Ylang Ylang body exfoliant comes in a stunning metal tube but I just found it a bit too tricky to squeeze out each time I showered.

Would repurchase: Palmolive body washes, Original Source shower gels, Bath & Body Works shower gels, The Body Shop shower gels, Priceline Body Scrub (sadly discontinued)  

Probably wouldn't repurchase: The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Body Scrub (not scrubby enough for me) Grown Alchemist Pearl Peppermint & Ylang Ylang Body Exfoliant

 FRAGRANCE 

Loved everything Mr and I used up in this category - both of the male products were nice and didn't annoy my sensitive pregnant nose, and I thoroughly enjoyed using the body spray as well as the beautiful Vivienne Westwood perfume (that packaging though, swoon!)

Would repurchase: Old Spice Denali Body Spray, Ralph Lauren Polo Blue*, Bath & Body Works Wild Madagascan Vanilla Fragrance Mist, Vivienne Westwood Flirty Alice perfume*

 SKINCARE

I was impressed by so many of these products - the L'Oreal moisturiser was so luxe and reminiscent of Lancome products in so many ways, and I unexpectedly fell for the La Clinica Anti-Aging Cleansing Oil which my skin just adored. It smelt quite strongly of a florist which put me off at first, but the effect on the skin was unbeatable and I will definitely be looking into buying this product down the line. I used up the small tub of The Body Shop body butter as my first foray into tummy moisturisation after purchasing a gift set at a thrift store (hence all of the Fuji products in this post!)

Would repurchase: L'Oreal Skin Perfection Moisturiser, La Clinica Anti-Aging Cleansing Oil*, The Body Shop Body Butter (probably in a different scent next time though) Origins Modern Friction, Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil

Probably wouldn't repurchase: Dove Go Fresh Face Cleanser*, Burt's Bees Radiance Facial Cleanser with Royal Jelly*, Neutrogena Makeup Removing Wipes*, Josie Maran Pure Argan Milk

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Glad to have finally posted these empties, now to continue making my way through some more products to whittle down my stash and try new things! 

Emma x

*Products provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

2016 Empties - First Quarter

Why did I leave the first instalment in this years empties so late? Purely because I am forgetful, but I want it up for my own personal record so this will be short and sweet with the next instalment up this Friday!
SHOWER

I'd purchase all of these shower products again - The Body Shop makes amazing shower gels, Original Source is my affordable go-to, Palmolive scents are divine and Lush is lush - need I say more?
PERFUME + HAIR

I was disappointed with my Hollister Silver Strand Beach Body Spray that I ended up using as a room spray - I adore the scent and ambience of their stores but think their true scents are the way to go as this smelt of alcohol to me. I'll miss the addition of a classy rose scent in my collection now that I've finished up Bvlgari Rose Essentielle, and it will be a while before I purchase the lovely smelling Schwarzkopf Ultimate Repair Anti-Damage Mask again as I'm trialling a stack of other hair products now.
SKINCARE

This is the section that makes me feel most accomplished. For the first quarter I used up Maybelline Make-Up Remover* (wasn't effective) My Beauty Diary Red Vine sheet mask (enjoyed this) Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips (automatic repurchase) and am tossing the Yes to Cucumber Wipes* as they dried up before I could finish them. I was sad to finish off my Dermalogica Precleanse as it's my favourite cleansing oil, and my love affair with La Roche-Posay Efflaclar Duo+* is well documented on this blog. I also used up an adorably teensy Bioderma Crealine H2O and Caudalie Cleansing Water, which was okay but I still prefer the classic Bioderma or Garnier cleansing waters.

 

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What products do you find most satisfying to use up? It's always frustrating if the product is limited edition or hard to get your hands on, but even finishing my favourite skincare can be annoying because it just means I have to fork out more cash to have it back in my routine!

-Emma x

 

 

*Marked products were provided for consideration.

Bali Holiday Essentials

I was known as the go-to villa for all of our friends needs during our recent trip to Bali, and it felt great to have all the products on hand that we needed during our two week stay. The amount of insect repellent and sunscreen we went through was phenomenal, but I think it's the random travel essentials that really get overlooked in the beauty department so here mine are.

Sadly there has been many a time while travelling across Asia when toilet paper was scarce, and even here in Melbourne my Mumma always taught me to have a small pack of tissues in my handbag in case of an emergency. I also highly recommend scented hand sanitiser which is a great thing to use before eating, drinking, after you wash your hands and in a pinch the Palmolive Fig & Coconut  scent worked a treat for me in a stinky Balinese taxi as a personal perfume!

Another great little product to throw into your travel bag is the Manicare Nail Polish Remover Pads, which is a whole lot easier to cart across oceans than a bottle of remover and makes it so easy to switch up your nail colour during the trip. I brought along a particular polish to wear to the wedding we were in Bali to attend and these wipes were terrific for whipping off my bright holiday colour to reapply something more wedding-appropriate!

My current  favourite foundation is sadly housed in a hefty glass jar (thanks Revlon!) so I knew I needed some of these little Manicare travel pots to scoop some out into. It meant that I could still rely on my favourite base product without having to worry about smashing a glass full of foundation during my trip, and it also worked well for my Origins Drink-Up Intensive Overnight Mask and my Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner which I brought in my skincare bag.

As always, I had to bring some bits from my stash of French wonder products - a travel sized La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP Body Balm which came in handy for keeping my arms moisturised in the air conditioned villa, and the Uriage Bariederm Reconstructive Barrier Cream which was used as a chafing cream and to prevent sweat rash in the heat.

Do you bring products like this when you travel to a tropical climate?
I'd love to hear what your travel essentials are?
-Emma x

The Scrub Selection

Body scrubs would have to be my favourite body product, followed closely by body lotions thanks to their ability to perfume the skin. I love how clean a good body scrub can make you feel after a shower, and following a wonderful full body scrub experience at a spa in Bali on my recent holiday, I rounded up the body scrubs I've been using lately which are all quite different to one another, and put them on trial.

The creamiest of the lot, the Palmolive Body Butter Peppermint Crush Exfoliating Body Wash ($7.48) is more of a luxurious body wash than anything that would provide an adequate scrub in my opinion, but it's worth noting that I'm partial to a coarse sugar or salt scrub and so I begin with a bias. That being said, I adored this and liked that the small scrubbing particles weren't annoying in any way, and simply provided a touch of mild exfoliation when I used this in conjunction with my shower puff.

This Kmart branded Jasmine Paradise Body Polish is perhaps the most enjoyable scrub for me in the traditional sense of the word, with the strong jasmine fragrance also being pleasant (I'm yet to try the other scents in the range, but look forward to it!) Polish is the perfect word for what this does to the skin, and the oil to scrub ratio is pretty spot on for a product that sits around the $3 mark (though I did get a bit of shower water in it at some stage, and at the start it is quite dry and needs a-mixin'!)

Dirty Works Life's a Beach Coconut Scrub* ($8.80) was the tropical hopeful in my shower caddy, and is a gel formula with sparse scrubby bits scented with artificial 'coconut' (I don't actually get much of a coconut scent from this at all!) I quite liked the Soap and Glory-esque packaging and the fact that it is available at Coles is also a big bonus, but truth be told I'm going to try the other body scrub in the line (Buff Your Stuff!) and leave this one for those who like gentle, daily scrubs.

Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff* ($15.95) is a pretty pink concoction that seems to be pretty big across the UK, and is finely milled and quite scrubby considering the fluid formula. Technically marketed for fake tanning ladies of which I am not one, this gel texture scrubs really well because it's designed for removing the old and grotty tan residue when you want to start afresh. The scent of this is the main drawcard in my opinion - a floral melon scent that is so, so delicious. I sadly dropped and broke the top of this when I first used it so have taken to pouring out of the top after screwing the flip-top lid up, but it hasn't bothered me too much as I really like the scrub.

Clockwise from the top left:
Palmolive Peppermint Crush
Dirty Works Coconut Scrub
Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff
Jasmine Paradise Body Polish

What scents tempts you most when it comes to body products? Are you a lover of strong scents in your scrubs and lotions, or do they turn you off a purchase? Do you like gentle or more abrasive formulas?

-Emma

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Minty Christmas

One thing I love about the festive season is the Christmas scents. Being in the midst of summer means our Christmas differs quite vastly from the experiences of those across the pond, we wear summer dresses rather than Christmas sweaters etc. and it doesn't always feel right to indulge in warm and spicy scents as the air con roars. Instead, I like to partake in a bit of peppermint action as I feel like it's a year round winner for me - creamy warmth if it's cold and a fresh tingle if it's hot = perfect!

Presenting to you, my pepperminty Christmas body product favourites!

I have hoarded my Bath & Body Works stash since our honeymoon in late '14 and brought the Twisted Peppermint Body Lotion out for another round this year. The sweet edge of this makes it more like a sweet peppermint lolly than a spicy mint on the skin which is what makes it so wearable in my opinion. I really regret not buying it in candle and body wash form, I think it would have been amazing for that as well. 

Back in October I purchased the Palmolive Peppermint Crush Body Butter Exfoliating Body Wash to squirrel away for use in December and it's something I always sniff when I'm doing the groceries but had put off buying for some reason. It's seriously delicious and lathers up perfectly with a shower sponge - it's very light on the exfoliation however, so would be great for lovers of light, everyday scrubs but may let heavy-scrub-lovers down if they're buying it for that reason.

I'm off to continue smelling like a walking candy cane thanks to these two beauties - hope your December is shaping up to be a great one!
-Emma