AD/PR Product (This post contains products which have been sent to me for consideration as a PR sample only, all thoughts are my own).
Over the weekend I looked at my Beauty Empties basket and thought that I really must make a conscious effort to feature everything before the New Year gets here. I have made a pact with myself. If it hasn’t been shared by 31st December then it is going straight out to the recycling bin. I cannot start a New Year with last years empties lying around, it just will not do. That means of course that there might be a few of these posts coming up, but heck, I am told people still love them so hopefully they will go down well.
So, without further ado, lets just kick things off shall we!
First up is the L’Oreal Dream Lengths Rapid Reviver Power Conditioner* which I received in a Latest in Beauty box earlier in the year. Hands down, this is the best affordable conditioner that I have tried all year, maybe of all time. I will be repurchasing this without a shadow of a doubt as it suited my hair so well. It made my hair silky soft, during the shower and for days later, I absolutely loved it. You can find this for around £5.50 and even less when on offer. Trust me, it is a good one.
I also used up the Soap and Glory The Rushower Scent-Sational Dry Shampoo. I am pretty sure I got this in the big gift set not last Christmas, the Christmas before and only just now got around to using it up. I wanted to love this as I do like Soap and Glory, but unfortunately, this just didn’t work for my hair. I didn’t feel that it gave me much oomph, nor did it really help to get rid of the greasy feeling throughout the day. Other dry shampoos tend to last me all day whereas this one I found that after an hour or two I was left feeling a little self-conscious that my hair didn’t look at its best. I know other people really like this but unfortunately, it just didn’t tick the box for me.
Sticking with hair, I also finished off the Bumble and Bumble Prêt-à-Powder Dry Shampoo. I can’t recall where this came from if I am honest, I think I must have got it in a beauty box a while ago as it definitely isn’t recent. I have mixed feelings about this, I liked it in terms of it actively working as a dry shampoo. It worked well, lifted my roots and took away any greasy feeling or look. The issue I had with it was that I found it to be quite messy, I found it went everywhere and given that I wear a lot of black clothing, this wasn’t good. I probably would repurchase this in the future, I just have to be really careful with it, or, I need to change my application method.
Onto skincare, my favourite pastime. The first product I have to share is the Antipodes Manuka Honey Skin-Brightening Light Day Cream. Now, I have featured a more in-depth review of this on my Instagram page which you can find here. I have highlights now for individual skincare reviews and this is one of them (I have only recently started this over there). I found this to be a lovely day moisturiser with a gorgeous runny texture. On a whole, I do believe that it did help with brightening up my skin. I used it solidly until it ran out and rarely deviated from it, from this experience, I do think that it is something which you need to use regularly to notice any difference. It also smelt amazing! Sometimes I struggled to get this to sink in depending on what serums I had used underneath, but on a whole, I loved it. I would repurchase this in the future, along with the eye cream as I am really keen to give that a try.
The next item, which for the most part, I used up (I had to throw the rest away) was The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask*. I liked this product, it is a shame that I didn’t make the most of it as in the end, it dried up and was beyond saving. Luckily, I had used up most of it so I didn’t feel too bad. It was a lovely clay-based cleanser that was gentle on my skin and none drying as so often clay masks can be. I would happily use this again but in truth, whilst I do enjoy a face mask, I do not reach for them as much as I used to, therefore, I am trying to use up the ones I have before I buy anymore. The set of the face masks at Christmas makes a great gift, the jars are made of glass, they’re heavy and of course recyclable, they do feel a bit more luxurious than others out there.
Next up is the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, which, I have to say, I adored. I do not know why it took me so long to buy this, I will not make that mistake again and will try and ensure that I always have one somewhere knocking around. I loved the scent, and indeed spent a few minutes thinking of how I could describe it, it is like no other product I have smelt before. This definitely has a citrus twist to it but it isn’t strong in terms of the actual citrus element. It is just great, go try it if you can or pick up a small size. They do some great bauble gifts at Christmas which is a great way to try this out a fraction of the price. The cleanser itself was gorgeous on my skin, which was to be expected. It was smooth, calming and nourishing and didn’t sting my eyes. Yes, you can use this for makeup removal but in my eyes, it is too good for that, use it as a second cleanse and let it work into your skin! I have read so much about this product for years and years and it completely lived up to expectations.
Another cleansing balm which I used up was the NSPA Softening Cleansing Balm which is completely at the other end of the spectrum to the previous in respect of costs. This cost me less than £10 for a huge tub in Asda, I think it was reduced at the time. Whilst I didn’t love this product, it was a good budget balm. It had more of a waxy texture to it, although it has a very low melting point as during the warm weather in the summer this did go a little runny. The product lasted me a while, although I got a bit bored of it as it was pretty joyless, that being said, it did the job. The only real issue I had with it was that I sometimes got cloudy vision and I really did try and ensure that I removed all of the product properly. This has never happened with any other cleansing balm so I am not really sure why it happened with this one. Overall though, it removed my makeup well and it lasted for a really long time.
I also used up the Elemis Nourishing Omega-Rich Cleansing Oil which I have to say, I really liked. I would purchase the bigger size of this in the future as it worked really well for me. This was a first cleanse product of an evening and it worked beautifully at breaking down makeup and preparing my skin for a second cleanse. Upon contact with water, this becomes a milky consistency which enables you to cleanse easily, I then use a flannel to remove it. I had this product knocking around in my stash and I am not sure why it took me so long to open it, I was really surprised by how much I liked it.
The last cleanser featured today is the Superfacialist Rose Hydrate Miracle Makeover Facial Oil which I have featured on here before, albeit a long time ago. You can use rosehip based oil as a leave-on treatment, or, you can use it as a cleanser. I wouldn’t use it as a makeup remover though for two reasons, one, it is too nice for that and two, it is more of a treatment in respect of one that you would leave on and really massage into the skin before removing. It is a lovely product and one which I think is really affordable when you compare it to similar products out there. This is definitely one of my favourite high street beauty products, I just wish they made it in a bigger bottle.
Lastly, my beloved Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. I haven’t used many setting sprays at all in my life, this is probably only the second from memory. I have to say, it is great and I probably won’t ever stray from it. At the moment I am using the Prep Set and Glow Setting Spray from Iconic London which I received in a beauty box, however, I don’t think it is anywhere near as good as this. There is a reason that this is a bit of a cult product and that’s simply because it works. I use this to set my makeup in the morning and I truly notice a difference when I don’t, my makeup lasts so much longer when I use it which is, of course, the idea. I will be repurchasing when I reach the end of my current one, without a doubt!
So, there we have yet another empties. I hope you made it to the end! Did you spot any of your favourites?
*This post contains PR samples, for more please read my disclaimer.
*Soap and Glory sometimes send me products to try here and there, however, the product featured today was purchased for me as part of a gift from a family member.
