September Empties ft. Antipodes, A'Kin + Lush

Only 11 emptied products this month, but at least I hit double digits!

 

Rexona Girl Tropical Energy deodorant- A constant repurchase, I adore this aerosol deodorant.

L’Occitane Ravissant shower gel*- A lovely product from one of my favourite body care brands. I wasn’t as enthralled with the scent as much as I am with the almond range, so I’d rather spend my moolah on that line instead.

A’Kin Sweet Orange + Sandalwood body scrub*- My full review is here for this lovely and gentle body scrub.

Garnier Fructis Sensitive Scalp shampoo- A staple in my routine, and the only shampoo my scalp will tolerate.

Kmart Makeup Remover cotton pads- Cheap and nasty, these get the job done with ease.

The Jojoba Company Jojoba Bead and Bamboo facial exfoliant* (3ml)- This made my skin feel smooth, but afterwards it felt sensitised and a little tender to the touch. Wouldn’t repurchase as it just didn’t work for me.

Pantene single dose intensive treatment program*- I used this ‘single dose’ treatment twice after receiving it via PinchMe, and it made my hair feel nice and smooth. Would considering repurchasing if I didn’t have a million other hair products to use up first.

Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel foundation- My HG foundation, sadly discontinued. Love the ‘skin like’ finish and ease of application- have backups ready to go!

Lush Honey I Washed the Kids soap*- As much as I love the honey scent of this, this is the second bar I’ve trialled and it just leaves my skin feeling strange. I find it hard to run my hands over my skin after I’ve used this, like it has been stripped (though it isn’t technically drying either…) I’ve no love for this Lush cult favourite, beautiful scent aside.

Clinique Take the Day Off makeup remover- I quite like this bi-phase makeup remover, even though the residue it leaves behind is sometimes a little bit annoying. I would repurchase this (but am going to wait for the next GWP, ‘cause that is how I roll)

 

So now it is your turn to share! How much did you empty this month, and what cleansing oil or balm do you suggest I try next?

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty x

Switching up the Skincare - cleansing oils & balms

I was a little bit disappointed to get to the end of my DermalogicaPrecleanse* recently, as I really enjoyed the way it easily cleaned my makeup off and kept my skin clear until the very end of the bottle. Rather than rush out to repurchase (tempted though I was) I thought it best to use up some of my other cleansing oils/balms in order to behave as ‘normal’ people do haha fat chance! I guarantee that I will be repurchasing this in the future though!

 

The first cleansing oil I pulled out was the Sanctuary Spa Ultimate Facial Cleansing Oil, which I purchased from Priceline when the brand first hit the shelves. I was pumped to use it and adore the packaging and aesthetic of the brand, but for some reason I thought to check out the ingredients before I slapped it on my face. I was just getting over a huge upsetting breakout, so when I saw that the words ‘mineral oil’ were first on the ingredients list, I physically stepped back to think about what it might do to my skin.

I haven’t been brave enough to test it out despite the rave reviews I’ve read online, I just can’t see how an ingredient like mineral oil can be good to grumpy skin like mine. I’m not claiming to be an expert on ingredients or skincare in general, so if you want to read more about mineral oil in general I highly recommend you check out Beauty Mouth by Caroline Hirons aka the skincare queen. Hirons has spoken at length about the negative aspects of mineral oil, and I think it her blog is a must-read!

I dived into my stash to find something else to use up, and came across my half empty Antipodes Grapeseed Butter Cleanser, which is a thick balm inside a thick plastic tub. I loved using it but moved onto other things (as beauty bloggers do) in order to review for the blog, but I am really happy to come back to this. It needs to be removed with a flannel/muslin cloth and I find it really moisturising, but I’m happy to report that it doesn’t leave me oily or break me out.

Do you precleanse every day?

Do you prefer cleansing balms or cleansing oils?

*Provided for review, but that hasn’t affected my intense love for it. Thanks Dermalogica! Honesty, always.