First Empties Post...

Hello!

So, I really enjoy these kinds of posts by other people, mainly because I enjoy reading mini reviews about products to see what people would re-purchase and what they wouldn't. It's an interesting way to get small reviews of lots of products in one go. I've been meaning to do this post for ages and have had a small bag under my desk for me to put my empties in...but...well...it's sort of started to overflow because I keep forgetting to do it! So this post is a little bit epic, but hopefully it'll become a bit of a regular feature so I won't have such an epic post for you next time! I also find posts like this always give me an incentive to actually make an effort to use up products, rather than just keep buying more for no reason... So on with the epic post (lots of pictures too...I'll try to keep the waffling down as much as possible I promise!)

Hair Products:

• Alberto Balsam Blueberry Shampoo and Conditioner for Extra Nourishment - These were both poundland picks when I couldn't find my usual Alberto Balsam ones. These smell really lovely but I didn't really notice my hair feeling "extra nourished" really. Would I buy again? Only if I couldn't find my usual ones really. It wasn't amazing enough to sway me.
• Alberto Balsam Coconut and Lychee Shampoo and Conditioner for "pampering and nourishment" and "detangling" - This smells delicious and makes my hair feel really soft. Would I buy again? Yes! I've already got a new set and a backup (it was on offer in Sainsbury's at the time.)
• Original Source White Pear and Avocado Damage Limitation Conditioner - This was a 99p store special and was mainly because I felt my hair needed a little something extra but I wasn't rich enough to be able to afford a high end hair mask. I love the smell of this (the body wash is fab to!) and it feels really nice. Would I buy again? Yes. It's a good treat for my hair but isn't like a proper hair mask, so if I could afford a proper one I'd rather go for that.

• Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Deep Nourishing Intensive Mask - This smells AMAZING!! I only needed a tiny bit of this (very short hair is very handy sometimes!) and it really made my hair incredibly soft. Would I buy again? Yes! But only when it's on offer. It's usually a bit too expensive for me.
• Macadamia Deep Repair Masque - This was a sample form a beauty box and lasted me ages. Only issue is that it was in a sachet...always annoying when you don't need to use it all at once. This was really really nice. It left my hair feeling really soft and nourished. I really liked it. Would I buy again? Yes without a doubt....if it wasn't so expensive! I think you can sometimes find it in TKMaxx sometimes so it's always worth a look!

• Fudge Membrane Gas - This is maximum hold and amazing. I need extra firm hold for my hair as it goes quite flat quite easily. Down side to this is that it tends to a) leave a fine film of white powder on ANYTHING it touches and b) it sets my asthma off a little bit....oops! Would I buy again? I probably would if I saw it in TKMaxx again for as cheap as I got this one, but I would have to use it outside because the fine film of powder was just the worst.
• L'oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray in Supreme Hold - Love, love, LOVE this hairspray in any form. I personally find that the Diamond Hold is better for me, but this one is still fine. Would I buy again? Yes I would, but maybe not this hold. If it's the only one I can find, then I'm happy with it but I'd prefer a firmer hold for work. 

Body Products:

• Original Source Mint and Tea Tree Shower Gel - This really wakes you up in the morning! It makes my skin feel very cold when there's a slight breeze though! I did buy this when I was with Mr Rude (slight name change there...and somewhat milder than I would like to make it tbh...but I'm a better person than that...well, for the time being anyway! Haha!) because I knew he liked using this one, so I had it for when he stayed over. I'm nice and thoughtful like that you see. Would I buy again? Probably not if I could get a different scent. I like the smell of this one but I really don't like feeling cold after a shower!
• Original Source Lemon and Tea Tree Shower Gel - This smells so lemony and wakes me up quite well in the morning. It makes my skin feel really soft too. Would I buy again? Yes because it smells good and feels nice. I like most Original Source products and you can pick up a lot of them for cheap in Wilkos and the 99p store so their always a bargain, especially as I find I don't need to use that much in each go, so they last for ages!
• Radox Shower Smoothies Tropical Tranquillity - This was free from a girl I was on training with recently as she wasn't going to take it with her. I gave her my mini Soap and Glory body butter as I didn't like it at all so it was a nice trade! Anyway, this was nice enough but I wasn't thrilled by it. It has a vague exfoliating property but it doesn't really do much to be honest. Would I buy again? No. It did leave me skin feeling a bit slimy if I didn't stand in the shower for a good 5 minutes afterwards. No good for an early morning rush!
• The Body Shop Mango Shower Gel - I'm obsessed with this shower gel. It's the yummiest smell ever! You don't need much to feel like you're properly clean and it leaves a really subtle scent on my skin after, so for days off when I don't want to wear perfume, this is lovely! Would I buy again? Yes and I already have! I love this so much that I'm tempted to get another one as a back up just in case they suddenly decide to stop selling this...

 Face Products:

• Boots Cucumber Cleansing Wipes - These are really nice and refreshing and don't make my skin feel dry or anything afterwards. I think they are good for taking my make-up off fully too, which is handy for lazy nights. Would I buy again? I like them but they've been put up in price recently and they aren't THAT great you know? So no, I probably wouldn't buy them again.
• Pure 3 in 1 Make-up Removal Wipes - These cleanse, tone and moisturise all in one wipe and are amazing for lazy nights (or drunken ones...) I still moisturise after these just because I do have very dry skin on my cheeks and I'd rather not mess it up too much. Would I buy again? Yes, and I have. They are 2 for a pound in poundland and very handy to have around! I try not to use these for everyday because I know how bad they can be for my skin, but they are still handy to have for just in case (for the one night out that I have a month...)
• Boots Cotton Wool Pads - Standard for any nail obsessed person, but also a standard in my skincare routine. These ones are really good as they don't fall apart easily or anything. Would I buy again? Yes but only on offer. They are actually quite expensive normally and Superdrug ones are really good and cheaper most of the time.
• Wilkinson's Cotton Wool Pads - These were crap. They fell apart so easily and just didn't work for me. Would I buy again? No. Unless I was completely desperate, but I can't ever see that happening really...

• Clean and Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash - This has really fine micro-beads in it and isn't very harsh on my skin at all. I think it does help with my dry skin but I feel like I need to get a face wash that might help moisturise my dry skin and then just use this one twice a week instead. Would I buy again? I did recently re-purchase this as I needed a face wash and was in a rush, so I just went with what I knew. If anyone can recommend a good face wash without exfoliating properties, I'd love to know! (I would use the Bare Minerals one as loads of people love it...but it has Pineapple extract in it and I'm allergic to pineapple so it dries me skin out more! Rubbish.)
• Estee Lauder DayWear - The lovely Lyn gave this sachet to me so I could try it before deciding on which free gift to get (for myself of my Mum) and I liked it but not enough for me to get the gift for myself (I'm such a nice daughter! Haha!) Anyway, she ended up giving me another little gift anyway with a small pot of DayWear in! This sachet contains enough for a few uses and it is nice, but it's a little too scented for me to be comfortable with putting on my skin every day (it's so sensitive!)  Would I buy again? No, I wouldn't. It's quite expensive for something that I wouldn't want to use on my face everyday.
• Superdrug Tropical Smoothie Self Heating Mask - This smelt divine I must say! It heated up very quickly too. However.....it also melted off my face (into my mouth and onto my clothes I might add!) and was just WAY more hassle than it was worth. I liked the tropical/cocktail peel off one they do but I didn't like this at all.  Would I buy again? No. Not ever.
• Listerine Total Care Mouth Wash - (Not technically for my face but close enough) I really liked this. It's in "Clean Mint" flavour (which is the purple one) and I really liked the way this left my mouth feeling fresh without over doing it.  Would I buy again? Yes definitely. I'd choose this one over the other mint ones any day.
• Vinies Luminous Skin Mask - Another Beauty box sample that has been around for far too long. This was a really nice mask...as long as you weren't going anywhere too soon as it did leave my skin looking quite red for a while afterwards!  Would I buy again? No I don't think so. It's difficult to get and quite expensive so I'm not that fussed.
• The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Day Cream - I got this in a small set quite a while back and used it everyday for about 3 months before this was used up! I still have a bit of the night cream and the cleanser and toner left. This was really nice on my skin and absorbed quite quickly, which was nice! It helped calm my redness and dry skin as well and is for sensitive skin so I've had no problems with it! Would I buy again? Yes....and I already have. I brought the bigger sizes though as I knew I liked them all. My daily skincare routine has become much easier!

 Make-Up Products:

• Natural Collection Clear Mascara - I used this on my eyebrows to tame them on bad days. It;s really good at what it does and is a nice clear mascara (well...until it turns murky brown from my eyebrow powder of course...) Would I buy again? No. It's lovely but there are cheaper clear mascaras out there and I only need to spend a pound on one if I want to.
• 17 Falsifeye Mascara in Brown Black - This was free when I brought two products aaaages ago. It does create a nice effect but I'm not a fan of the huge brush on it really. Would I buy again? No. It's not my cup of tea I'm afraid.
• 17 Photo Flawless Mascara in Black Copper - I really liked the curved wand on this mascara and the colour was nice too. Again, it was free when I brought 2 products and I ended up preferring this to the other one. Would I buy again? probably not. If I had to pick one 17 mascara it would be the Wild Curls one for sure as it's really good...but since using the Bare Minerals ones I probably won't go back to other mascaras.
• NYC Lengthening Mascara in Black - I quite liked this for an everyday mascara but the wand is a brush one and I prefer the comb wands personally. Would I buy again? Again, no. I didn't see any lengthening properties to it at all.
• 17 Blusher in China Pink - I loved this colour so much! It's subtle if you wanted it to be or you can build it for an intense look. Just a really pretty pink. Also the first powder item that I have EVER used up! When it got to the very last dregs it did break but I kept the remains in there as I could crush them down to use as a loose powder! Would I buy again? I did re-purchase this..and then sent it off to someone else. Again, working on a make-up counter means you can't wear other brands so this would just sit around waiting for a night out (rare!) so it was nice to pass on this lovely colour!

 Nail products:

• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat - My go to top coat every time I paint my nails. I haven't tried any others yet because I love this one so much that I don't feel I need to change it up at all. It does exactly what it's suppose to and makes my polish touch dry in 30 seconds. They are usually smudge proof in 2-3 minutes unless I've done fancy multi-layer nail art, then it can take longer. Would I buy again? YES! I'm on to my 6th or 7th bottle of the stuff now and always have a back-up just in case!
• Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips - I got these on a whim to try them out in a "these could be good for emergencies" but they were a hassle to put on and didn't look great either. I can see why people might like them but I just found that painting my nails would've been easier. Would I buy again? No. Just not worth it.
• Superdrug Nail Polish Remover - I've found that this stuff just works really well for me. It doesn't make my nails feel gross or anything either. It smells a bit because of the acetone but I don't mind that really. Would I buy again? Yes because it works and I like how quickly it can remove polish (even glitter polish!)

 Perfumes:

• Calvin Klein Euphoria Sample - I really love this sample but it settles weirdly on me and give me a headache. My Mum loves it though! Would I buy again? Not for myself, no. But for my Mum, yes!
• Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Sample - I have the full size of this so I use these samples as handy ones for in my handbag, and boy have they come in handy. I really love this fresh scent and am in love with the bottle it comes in too! Would I buy again? Yes and I already have (ok, technically it was a Christmas Present last year but still...)
• Marc Jacobs Dot - I like this perfume but it doesn't last very long on me at all for some reason. Would I buy again? I do love it but if it doesn't last very long, then what's the point in spending so much money on it?

(Just a quick note...all of these perfume samples are fully used but there's still the smallest amount left in the spray bottle. It's about 3 sprays worth and it's SO frustrating to not be able to get it out! Anyone else annoyed by that??)

So there are my empties for the last....while... Next time there won't be so many I can assure you! I have so much stuff and tend to very my products a lot but maybe I'll do individual empties posts so I can fully review the item? I'm not sure yet. Give me a shout on which you prefer if you want!

So have you reached the ends of any products that you loved or loathed? Disagree with any of my loves or loathes?? Any face wash recommendations???

Until next time,

xoxo