July Empties

Sorry for the serious lack of posts during the month of July, I've been unbelievably busy and haven't gotten a spare second.  I'm happy to say I'm back again, I have a couple of ideas for a series that I'm hoping to start in August which I'm sure you guys will love. I'm not going to say too much about it in case it falls through but it's looking promising so far. Seeing as it's the end of July I guess it's time for another Empties post. As you can see from the picture below I don't have too much to show you guys. I don't think I've done an empties post before that hasn't micellar water, I fly through them at a ridiculous rate.

I'm sad to have come to the end of my Ralph Lauren Big Pony Fragrance (#4).  I got this in a set in the January Sales so it has lasted an age considering it has been my signature fragrance for the last couple of months. Many people have commented on this fragrance when I wear it. It is a light floral scent which isn't offensive so I'm guessing a lot of people get drawn to this one. Of course I love the bottle as my favourite colour is indeed purple. I still have the body lotion in this scent left over from the set so I'll certainly be using that up too. I may make a sneaky repurchase of this in Dublin Airport the next time I'm going on holidays which is in the near future.

I've already repurchased Catrice's Camouflage Cream and it was pretty hard to come by as it was out of stock in most Penneys  that I visited. Penneys on Henry Street was a winner and picked one up in there over the weekend. When I first purchased Catrice's Camouflage Cream I wasn't expecting too much from it but  I ended up falling in love with this product. When I'm having a bad skin day this is a full coverage concealer that will hide anything. Considering I purchased this for around €4 I was super impressed with it and believe me when I say this little tub with go an awfully long way. The only issue I think people will have a problem with is the shade selection. I  use the shade Ivory which is the perfect match for me but it is also the lightest shade and I can see it being way too dark for people.

 Of course as I said above it wouldn't be an empties post without a micellar solution. My Cleansing Water empty this month comes from No7. I featured this countless times already in a favourites and an empties post so I won't ramble on too much about it. I've been using No7's Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water for ages now and I always go back to it. In the evenings I apply some to a cotton wool pad and it removes my makeup effortlessly. I find this doesn't irritate my eyes either which is a plus. I do tend to stock up on these when Boots bring out their No7 vouchers so if you want to try it I'd definitely keep and eye out for those. A makeup remover I wasn't too impressed with was Loreal's Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. I had to go through so much product just to remove my eye makeup. If you want a eye makeup remover to take off your eye makeup quickly this definitely isn't it! It's disappointing considering I absolutely loved the micellar solution in this skincare range but in my opinion this is a product to stay clear of.

Lastly I have a mini bottle of OPI's Nail Envy. Even after using this all up I can't give a verdict on it as I did find the bottle to be quite small. My nails aren't in tip top shape at the moment and I think they would need more than a tiny bottle of nail strengthener to be in good condition again. Saying that I have read really good reviews on this product so I may take the plunge and buy a full sized bottle the next time I'm walking by Sally's in town.

Have you tried any of the products above? Would love to hear your thoughts on them?

Laura <3

June Empties

 I haven't done an empties post in quite a while. I should really be calling this post, April/May/June Empties, the reason for me not doing one of these posts is simply because I didn't have any finished products to show you guys.Even though this is three months worth of empties there's not too much here. It has been taking me ages to use up bits and bobs lately, I really need to put the pedal to the metal and start using more beauty products. I may start doing some Shopping the Stash style posts as I definitely have some products that are being unloved. Sure July is upon us now, hopefully it's a turning of a new leaf and I'll have another empties post next month too.

I'm going to start off with my makeup empties which mostly consists of Rimmel products. The favourites from the brand for me has to be their Wake Me Up Concealer and Stay Matte powder. I've gone through so many of these product, unfortunately this Stay Matte Powder actually smashed whilst it was in my bad. I wasn't too disappointed as it was nearly all used up anyway. I get the shade 001 Transparent which I'm sure will match any skin tone. This is such a brilliant all over powder for the price, I always throw it in my bag for a night out as I know it will be easily replaced if I mislay it. I get about a month or so out of one of these powders, I tend to stock up on them when Boots have their famous 3`for 2 promotion on. I can't stand the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation (the lightest shade was way too dark for me) so I was really surprised to find that I liked the concealer. I mainly use this under the eyes to cover up pesky dark circles and they work really nice. I do tend to set them with a bit of powder too so it sticks around til the end of the day. I definitely prefer this concealer over the much talked about Collection offering. I hate to say it but I have a couple of fine lines under my eyes and I feel that the Collection concealer enhances them resulting in them looking way more noticeable. Not a look I want to go for. A new foundation I tried from the brand was their Match Perfection foundation. Having tried their Wake Me Up foundation I wasn't expecting too much from this one but I actually love it. I got the shade Ivory which for me was a little too dark. I did repurchase it in the shade Light Porcelain which is a tad bit too light for me so I think I may just stick with Ivory next time and possibly use a bit of tan. This foundation contains an SPF18, I apply it using my Real Techniques Buffing Brush and it just gives a lovely light flawless finish. Lastly I have a mascara, it takes me so long to finish these! My friend Sinead picked this up for me when she was in Florida earlier this year. The Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara does exactly what it says on the tin. It gives  volume without the clumps, so you can apply as many coats as you want without leaving your eyes looking like a hot mess. I'm not going to go too much into this product as we can't get the brand here in Ireland. Word on the street is that Max Factor's Clump Defy mascara is the exact same as this. I haven't tried the Max Factor but after seeing it in store the brush is the exact same so I'm guessing they do the same job. The Max Factor alternative is a lot more expensive than this one from Covergirl just bare that in mind if you decide to purchase it.

As you can see above I've used up quite a deodorants, I always carry around one in my bag with. These are the new compressed bottles that have hit the shelves, apparently their fazing out all the larger bottles in the the coming months. I for one think it's a great idea as it's way better for the environment. They do state on the cans that one of these has the same amount of product as the old school big cans. I'm not a 100% sure myself as I haven't done a whole lot of research behind but I take their word for it. I do really like the new packaging, it's great for throwing in my bag as it doesn't take up a vast amount of space like the old ones did. My favourite scent out of those pictured above is the Sure Women Bright Fragrance. I've used this particular one for ages and I always come back to it, I just love the scent.

Lastly I have my skincare empties which consists of two micellar solutions and two moisturisers. I've been a big fan of Liz Earle for a while now, I adore their Skin Repair Light Moisturiser. When my Mom went away last year she brought me back a Liz Earle Travel Kit that she got on the plane. The moisturiser isn't the one that I'd usually use from the brand so I've been using it before I go to bed. I did enjoy using it but I probably wouldn't repurchase it. However I probably will be taking a trip to Wilde & Green soon to pick up a new Skin Repair Light moisturiser. My other moisturiser empty is from La Roche Posay, another skincare brand that I'm very fond of. I really like this moisturiser as it mattifies the skin, leaving the perfect base for makeup application. My brother also uses this moisturiser aswell, he's a big fan! Two Micellar solutions I've used up out these two offerings from No7 and Loreal Paris. Having given up using wipes in favour of these I can see such a big difference in my skin. Both of these products are available in Boots and remove all my makeup effortlessly. I would repurchase both of them again, I've actually already bought a new No7 Cleansing Water. It is expensive but I usually buy a couple when Boots bring out the No7 vouchers, that reminds me I really want to try their new mascara. It sounds really good and sure I can never have too many mascaras.

Do you enjoy reading empties posts? Have you used any of the products I featured?

Laura<3

March Empties

It's time for another Empties post, I didn't finish up too many products this months but I like them all alot so I though I'd share them with you guys anyway. I can't believe we're four months into 2013 already, I don't know where the time goes. Saying that March went pretty slow for me. I had some major issues with college that I'm not going to get into but it left me pretty stressed out all the same. Thank god I only have another two weeks left of class. I'm not going to say that the year was enough for me as I do want to go back and do another course in September but I know I'll enjoy the long break over the Summer. March was also a  five week month meaning I only got paid last Friday since the end of February. I've never felt so broke in my entire life, shockingly I've been quite reserved in my spending since payday, I bought new clothes and a few bits from Boots (love their 3 for 2) but that's about it really. I'm trying to save for London and New York so I kinda need to start. Without further ado lets get cracking on with the empties.

I've gone through another bottle of Liz Earle's Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion. I use this stuff in two ways, as a refresher for my tired eyes in the morning and as a makeup remover to get rid of any mascara that stays lurking on my lashes. I get quite a while out of one bottle and for €13 it really doesn't break the bank. I'll certainly be heading to Wilde & Green to pick up a replacement very soon. Next up I have three shower gels to show you. I'm  a big fan of L'occitane's Almond Shower Oil, I got this particular one in a Christmas gift set. I think it's usually €30 to buy this particular size. Not really having the funds myself I doubt I'd fork out this amount of money on it. Don't get me wrong it's a lovely product and leaves my skin smelling amazing but it's a little bit on the pricey side of things for me at the moment. On the other hand a shower gel I'll definitely be repurchasing soon is Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush Body Wash. I'm pretty sure I featured this in a favourites post not too long ago. This stuff smells amazing like juicy sweet limes, I love it! It comes in at about €11 so it's definitely more affordable than the L'Occitane offering. If you like the scrub in this particular scent you'll love the shower gel too. It also comes in a body butter which I haven't actually used much yet, I'll have to search my room for it. My last shower gel is Winter Candy Apple from Bath & Body Works. This is a brand we can't get in Ireland but if we did I know all beauty lovers would be raiding the stores. I've loved every product that I've tried so far from their range and Winter Candy Apple is no exception. It smelled exactly like I though it would. I'm surprised it lasted so long to be honest, Chie sent this over to me in December as a Christmas gift and I really tried to make it last. This particular scent is only available at Christmas time so I'll definitely be stocking up when I go to New York in December. The last product I have to show you guys is a lip product from another American brand called Fresh. This is one of their tinted lip treatments in the shade Sugar Rose. I wouldn't say this beats Nuxes in the race to the best lip balm but I love the hint of colour that it left on my lips. I'll definitely be checking out their range of products when I hit up Sephora too.

Have you tried any of the products above?  What Fresh products should I check out when I'm in the States?

Laura<3

February Empties

February flew by right before my very eyes, where did the entire month go? I had a lot of stuff to keep me busy over the last couple of weeks so I guess that's why! I have a quite a few empties to show you guys which is surprising considering it's a shortest month of the year and I've gone through so much.

First up are my makeup products that I've used up. I find it takes me literally ages to finish them, does anyone feel the same? I did do a Back to MAC during the month so I did take a picture of the products I used up to show you before I rushed to my local counter to get a new lippie. I used one of my favourite blushes Pink Tea, it was from one of their limited edition collections a while back. It was a gorgeous light pink shade which gave a lovely hint of colour to the cheeks. It was ideal for everyday so you can imagine I used this quite a bit. I don't think you can get this blush now but I'll definitely be looking out for something similar. I bought MAC's Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in Duty Free when I was going to Barcelona which wasn't today or yesterday. I remember opting for this when they were sold out of their Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium. I got the shade medium and it is a lovely powder. I would repurchase it again if I hadn't found Rimmel's Stay Matte powder, this is such a gorgeous product and so affordable too. I've gone through so many of these since I discovered it, no wonder it took me so long to use up this MAC powder. I've had MAC's Strobe Cream for ages, maybe even more than a year. I usually just mixed this in with my foundation to give a nice glow. I do like it but it is pretty price I think it's around €30 maybe a little less. I think that there would definitely be cheaper alternatives to this product in Boots. If I was to buy this product again from MAC I'd probably go for it in the lotion hat comes with a pump. I found it rather difficult to get the cream out of the squidgey bottle which was a bit of a nuisance.

  I've had the Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer for a while now. I got it in November in one of their Christmas sets. I'm a really big fan of this brand and I love seeing what new products they're coming out with next. I had heard relatively good things about this primer before I bought it and I do like it but I wouldn't say it's anything out of this world. It keeps my makeup in place all day and that's all I could ask of a primer. Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch is on the expensive side at €26.50, saying that it did do a much better job than some of the other primers I've tried in the past while. I may add this to my shopping list very soon. 

Here are some skincare/body products I used up during the month. I got the L'occitane Amande Delicious Paste Scrub in one of their Christmas gift sets. It smells exactly like their shower oil which is one of my favourites. This was only trial size so I got a bit more than two uses out of it. The only reason why I probably wouldn't purchase this again is the price. It cost almost €40 for a 200ml glass jar of this product which is miles over my budget. I guess I'll be sticking with my favourite from Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub. I love using both these La Roche Posay products for removing my makeup. On the left is their Purifying Micellar Water for Oily Sensitive Skin. I use this to take off all the makeup on my face and it works a treat. I have used it on my eyes before and it does not aggravate but I prefer to use the brand's Physiological Eye Makeup Remover. This gets rid of even the most stubborn mascara, They're Real I'm looking at you. I could use their micellar water for eyes and face but I feel like I'd use way more product to remove eye makeup. I feel like the Physiological Eye Makeup remover gets rid of all signs of mascara quicker. In general, I do fly through both of these products though, I wish they came in bigger bottles.

 Continuing on to haircare, I have two products which I've used up over the last while. I didn't think too much of the Joico K-PAK Deep Penetrating Reconstructor, just wasn't for me. Having heard so many amazing things about this product I was rather disappointed. I wasn't a big fan of the smell (eww bananas) and I didn't think it made any major difference to my hair. I did fidn that this small tube was never ending though so maybe that's one positive. On the other hand I love Redken's Extreme Anti Snap Leave In Treatment. This smells amazing and it works wonders on my hair. As you probably all know I straighten my hair a hell of a lot. I've tried to rock the natural look as of late which consists of my curly/frizzy mane. I just find this product has really improved the condition of my hair since I started using it. I'm definitely going to repurchase this is the future, it is sort of expensive so I'm going to wait a bit before I do. I have a couple of new haircare bits that I bought in the last few weeks or so so I'll definitely bring you a post on some of them really soon.

Here are three random products that really didn't fit in anywhere else. I used up two deoderants which I'm not going to go in depth about, they do the job and that's that really. I didn't really like the Pamolive Soft & Gentle Jasmine & Coco Milk, I much prefer the Nivea scent. I do buy different scents now and again, at the moment I'm using Dove's Pomegranate & Lemon Verbena scent which I really like. It came in one of the new compressed cans which are so much handier to pop in my bag as their so much smaller than the original cans. I think this is such a good idea as it's good for the environment  apparently they're planning on phasing all the large cans out in the coming months. I also finished up Butter London's Powder Room Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover. What can I say this is nail polish remover? It does exactly what it says on the tin so the pretty much the same as any other polish remover out there. I probably won't be repurchasing this as I really like the Bourjois Magic Nail polish remover which reminds me I have to get this again the next time I'm in Boots. I miss it!

Have you tried any of these products?

Laura<3

December/January Empties

I can't believe it has been almost a week since my last blog post. The past few days were hectic with work and then I had minor surgery yesterday. It just didn't seem like the right time to be writing blog posts as I had other things on my mind. The surgery went fine and I'm at home now so over the next while I'll have plenty of spare time on my hands to write regular blog posts. I was planning on watching some of my favourite TV series too but it seems most of them are on hiatus in the States, I'm so disappointed. I've decided to start watching Pretty Little Liars, I never really got into it before but I've decided to give it another go. I really like the books so I'm surprised I never liked the series from the start, hopefully I'll manage to get through a couple of episodes this time around. So if I'm not writing posts on here you'll know what I'm doing. When I'm not blogging I actually really miss it alot, I have a couple of ideas jotted down in my notebook. Let's just say I'm not short on topics I want to discuss in the coming weeks. Today's post is going to be my January Empties, I didn't do one last month as I hardly had anything to show you guys. Surprisingly I only finished one product during December so I didn't think there was really any point on doing a post centred around one empty. It just wouldn't make sense at all but this time around is different as I have quite a few products.

I'm going to start off with the haircare and shower bits that I finished up this month. I feel like I fly through shower gels regularly. I can't take full credit because if I leave it in my shower someone else is bound to use it. Not going to lie it drives me mad, looking for my favourite shower gel and finding it half empty. My shower gel empties this month are from Lush and Bath &Body Works. The latter is a Secret Wonderland travel mini that Chie sent me over in one of our swaps. I adore the light floral fruity scent and I'd definitely repurchase this if we had a Bath & Body Works store here in Ireland. The travel minis are the perfect size for the gym and travelling, I actually got a lot of use out of this small bottle. The other shower gel I used up is Lush's Snow Fairy. I bought this ginormous bottle before Christmas and I can't get enough of this scent. My Mom loves it too as it's  nice, sweet and of course pink! It's definitely one of my favourites from their range of shower gels available. Unfortunately this is a limited edition scent that  is only released at Christmas time and I didn't stock up on it this year. I have one or two minis that will last me a month or two at the most. When I finish them off I'll have to wait til the end of the year to pick them up again. The haircare duo I finished this month is from Ojon. This is a one of those brand that I'd heard a lot about but never tried myself. Last year they had a one day Trade In event in their stockists where if you brought in a empty shampoo bottle they gave you the Damage Reverse Shampoo and Conditioner. This was a deal that I'm glad I took advantage of as I really enjoyed using these two products.  I have quite damaged hair after years of straightening it. I've laid off using heat styling tools on my hair in favour of the natural look but the damage had already been done. After using this for a while I did see a big different in the condition of my hair, it seems a lot more nourished and glossier. I can see myself buy these again in the future when I finish some of the haircare products I already have. I know Ojon products can be expensive but I feel if you find a range that works you may as well splash out on it a little. I've seen quite a few amazing reviews on their Rare Blend Oil, I'm really tempted to give it a try too. Hair Oils are being talked about all over the blogosphere lately so I'm hoping to find a good one for my locks, if you have any suggestions let me know.

I finished numerous makeup products this month which usually never happens. My favourite out of the bunch is Rimmel's Stay Matte powder in Transparent. I've lost count of how many of these I've gone through. There super affordable and keeps shine at bay which is exactly what I look for in a face powder. A foundation that has made it into a couple of my monthly favourites posts is Urban Decay's Naked Skin (2.0). I love this stuff, it a nice light formula that's quite buildable. I used my Real Techniques buffing brush to apply this and it leaves my skin looking flawless. I can see myself repurchasing this again, it was a bit on the pricey side but it did last for ages so I can't complain. Another product that was influenced by other bloggers' reviews is Bobbi Brown's Corrector. I bought this and the creamy concealer as a birthday gift with a Brown Thomas gift card I received last February. I got the shade Light Bisque which the ideal match for my skintone. It's the perfect size for my makeup bag, has a small mirror in the lid and it's great for hiding those pesky dark circles I get under my eyes. How I wish I got more sleep! I do like this product but I want to try the Laura Mercier Undercover Pot. I've wanted to purchase this for a while but never got around to it and it's that little bit pricey. Seeing as February is my birthday month who knows I may treat myself. I want to use up the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit first though. A primer that I used up is Too Faced Primed & Poreless. I've had this for ages and bought it after I finished a sample size from a Too Faced gift set. It does remind me of Benefit's Porefessional which I also got on with well but both are on expensive. Since I finishing up my Primed & Poreless, I've started using Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer which I love. Again this comes in at the €26 mark but one tube of this has been lasting me ages and I'm extremely happy with it. Next up I have a Kiehl's #1 lip balm. I love these a lot and I find they work great on my super dry lips during this time of year. I already repurchased three in a cute tin before Christmas as I knew I was running out. This particular scent reminds me of holidays as it smells like coconuts. If the scents aren't your thing you can buy the original version which is scentless. There's also a tinted version available which would be perfect for those days when your not in the mood for lipsticks. I always throw one of mine in my bag for if I need them on the go.

Lastly I have some skincare empties. Liz Earle came out with this special edition Cleanse & Polish *last year in aid of the Prince's Trust. A young entrepreneur Rebecca Taylor put a twist on the original version and added rose and lavendar essential oils to the mix. The end product was a success and I myself loved it. I used this to remove my makeup at night as I found the scent really relaxing. The packaging is also gorgeous, it was a nice change to the duck egg green packaging. I'm going to keep this on my new desk which I'm getting for my birthday in a few weeks as I think it looks so pretty. £2 from each Cleanse & Polish sold went to the Prince's Trust work with young people. It was nice to know you were making a difference in someone elses life when you purchased this product. From what I know of this isn't available anymore but hopefully Liz Earle may do a campaign like this again in the future. I've never been too fond of MAC's skincare, I used it before I started blogging over two years ago and I never really got on with it. When they brought out their travel sizes a while back, I decided to give their Cleanse Off Oil and Fix+ a go. They weren't too pricey and I knew they'd be great for travelling. I used Fix+ none stop and even bought a full sized bottle. However I quickly forgot about the Cleanse Off Oil until last month. This removes every last trace of my eye makeup amazingly well and I absolutely loved the stuff. This small bottle did last me a good while but I have a feeling I'll purchase the full sized product the next time I'm at MAC. I'm just not too sure how much it is but I'm guessing roughly under the €20 mark I hope. Last but not least I used up all my Beauty Fixation Makeup Removers. This box contains 24 applicatiors which are basically cotton buds that have makeup remover in them. You snap the end with the blue line on it which releases the formula inside the tube. I thought these were really great if I made a mistake with a particular eye look for a night out. I didn't have to wreck the whole look using a cotton pad soaked with makeup remover. Saying that I think these cost around €8 and think you could just buy cotton buds and soak them in some eye makeup remover to get the same results. It may take a little bit longer but it would indeed be a much cheaper alternative.

Do you do monthly empties on your blog?

Laura<3

November Empties

I can't believe it's exactly three weeks and counting til Christmas, can't you tell I'm very excited. The only thing I need to do now is start buying presents for people. I'm not going lie when it comes to this time of year I leave everything til last minute which is never a good idea. I always get things done in the end which is the main thing. I'm currently writing a list names of people I still need to get presents for and it's growing by the minute. I decided to take a quick break from all that and show you guys my November Empties. I've definitely used up alot more products than I did in October. I guess I wanted to make room for all my Christmas presents! I have quite alot of shower products in my empties this month. This seems to be the case every month, either a hoard of shower products or skincare. Funny I may mention the latter as skincare bits will be featured in this post also, surprise surprise!

My first two empties are shower gels, one is from Bath & Body Works while the other is from Philsophy. I like both of these alot, they've both lasted me ages which is a surprise as everyone uses my shower gels in my house Cinnamon and Vanilla are my favourite scents so of course I was going to love Cinnamon Buns from Philosophy. This can be used as a shampoo, bubble bath and shower gel, I've been using mine as the latter of the three. I like how it's a multi purpose product, I doubt I'd ever use it in my hair though. As you probably all know Bath & Body Works isn't available in Ireland (BOO!) which is a shame for us as it's such a gorgeous brand. My lovely Youtuber friend Chie from the States sent me over the Pink Chiffon shower gel with a few other products from the range a while back. The Pink Chiffon scent is gorgeous and I wish I hadn't run out of this as it's going to be impossible to pick up over here. At least I still have a body lotion and triple moisture cream in the same scent to keep me going for another bit. My last shower empty is The Body Shop's Vineyard Peach Body Scrub. In October I bought this and the body butter in the same scent as they were on special. If you love peaches, you'll love this! I always fly through scrubs in general, so I finished this one quite quick too. I probably will buy this or another Body Shop scrub soon, I have my eye on the Vanilla Bliss scrub from their Christmas collection. I just wish they weren't so ridiculously expensive. As you can see I photographed a deoderant in with my shower empties aswell. I just thought it would fit in better here than in with the makeup. This can of Palmolive Soft & Gentle Sensual Aromatherapy last me for ages. The scent is Wild Rose & Vanilla which I'm undecided on. I like Vanilla scented things but I didn't get a whiff of it from this, it definitely smells more like rose in my opinion. That's not saying I wouldn't purchase this again, it just didn't really grow on me this time around.

Next I'm going to show you guys my skincare empties which consists of three cleansers and a moisturiser. I'm by no means finished all of the cleansers during the month of November, I've had these for a while. First up is my favourite cleanser of all times, the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish I've done a full review of this on my blog previously which you can see here. This is my fourth bottle of this amazing cleaner and I'll have to buy a replacement very soon. My skin always feels nice and squeaky clean after I use this as it takes my makeup off really well. A product I didn't like too much and I couldn't wait to be done with is the Boots Botanics Gentle Cleansing Cream. This by no means gentle on the skin. I ran out of my micellar solution during the month and I decided to give this a try and I can't say I was overly impressed with it at all. It claims to be for sensitive skin which I don't suffer with but I do tend to get reactions to products now and again. My face was left fairly red after using this cleanser and it didn't take my makeup off at all. I don't have anything good to say about this, it was definitely a waste of money on my part. I should of just bought another micellar solution as my skin gets on so well with them. The last cleanser I finished up this month is the Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel. I got this as a part of a set before I went to Manchester in July. I didn't start using it right away so that's why I'm only finished it now. This cleanser reminds me of  Bobbi Brown's Balm Rinse as it smells quite similar to it. The product itself is a thick gel which I apply to dry skin. When in contact with water this loosens the product up so it's easier to work into the skin. I really enjoyed using this cleanser and I would buy it again if it wasn't so expensive at around the €30 mark. The last skincare empty I have to show you is a moisturiser which is the La Roche Possay Effaclar Mat. I have oily/combination skincare that can look very shiny indeed. I've been using this moisturiser along with a primer before I put my makeup on and it leaves my skin looking nice and shine free! Effaclar Mat is such a lovely make up base, I'm so glad I got the chance to try it. It's not too expensive either from what I can remember so I imagine this will be making its way into my shopping bag very soon.

Lastly we have some makeup, well some 2 makeup bits and a nail polish remover. I'm going to start with the latter from Bourjois which is their Magic Nail Polish Remover. I really love this stuff alot as it's takes the hassle out of removing my nail polish entirely.The products lifespan was cut short though as I ended up spilling it absolutely everywhere in my room I don't recommend leaving the lid off this at all as it does contain liquid nail polish removers in it. I tipped off it by a complete accident and I ended up making a mess. Now last but definitely not least, my two makeup empties. The Clinique Bottom Lash mascara has served me very well indeed. I don't know what I'd do without it now, it's great how it's small enough to reach my tiniest lashes. I'm not the biggest fan of Clinique skincare at all as I had a really bad reaction to their products as a teen. I stayed away from the brand since then and the Bottom Lash Mascara had been my first purchase from them in literally years. I actually seen a set which includes this mascara as well as other mascara samples from the brand so I may pick this up instead of buying this individually again. My second makeup empty and the last product to be featured in this Empties post is MAC's Nubile Paint Pot. This came out in a Limited Edition collection last year called Posh Paradise along with numerous other paint pots. I picked up three from the collection itself but Nubile was by far my favourite. It's a natural peachy shade so it  was easy to wear everyday. I'm disappointed that it was limited edition as I would of definitely repurchased it again. I'm going to buy Painterly the next time I'm at a MAC counter, it's very similar to Nubile I think so it will be a great replacement. I just hope I don't get side tracked while I'm there and buy some bits from this years Christmas collection. I've seen it walking by at a glance and it looks so pretty.

What products have you used up this month? Do you enjoy Empties posts?

Laura<3

October Empties

I can't believe there's only two month left in 2012 is it just me or has this year gone by in a blink of an eye. Sorry for the lack of posts during the last month, blogging has seriously taken a back seat since I started college. October has flown by and I can't believe were into November already, the cold weather has really hit us in Ireland it's freezing out!! Even though I feel like my hands are ready to fall off with the cold, I love this time of year. I've already dug out all my Winter woolies, I can't get enough of wearing beanie hats right now. I've seen a few bits on Asos that I want to pick up so don't be surprised if you see a fashion post very soon. Empties wise during October I didn't finish too much, I think with college and work I'm surprised I have anything to show you.

I'm going to start off with the smelly products e.g shower gel, deodorant etc I finished this month. I'm not going to spend too much time on the deodorant as they do pop up in alot of my empties posts. Out of the two I prefer Sure Bright (pink canister) but at the end of the day they both do the same job. Like everyone else I just like to carry them around in my bag so I always repurchase at least one of these!! The shower gel I finished this month is Korres Vanilla Cinnamon shower gel. Wow this smells absolutely amazing! I know their shower gels can be a bit on the pricey side but they don't contain any nasty chemicals and I find them quite moisturing too. I love Vanilla and Cinnamon so this was definitely a match made in heaven! During October I also finished one of my favourite fragrances, Couture Couture by Juicy. This is the second bottle I've gone through and I love this stuff. It's such a nice wearable scent and my favourite out of the other Juicy Couture fragrances. I know this perfume is pretty expensive so I may hold out a while to repurchase it. I really want to try Viva La Fleur soon, I seen it while I was shopping the other day and it looks lovely.

Again I finished alot of micellar solutions this month. I can't get enough of the stuff since I stopped using face wipes a while ago. The only problem I have with them is that I fly through bottles in a blink of an eye. I must at least two bottles a month or something along those lines. I'm a big fan of Vichy's micellar solutions, I think there great. I prefer their Calming Cleansing option to take eye makeup off aswell as using it to take my foundation off. On the other hand I wouldn't use their Normaderm Micellar Solution anywhere near my eyes, it makes them sting so badly and wasn't a pleasant experience at all. I finally tried the much talked about Bioderma and I have to say I really liked it. It's great for taking off heavy eye makeup and the like. I wouldn't go as far as saying it took all my makeup off with one cotton pad, I'd say four! That said I could see myself buying this again soon, now all I need to do is find a good Ebay seller. Lastly from skincare is Lush's Ocean Salt Facial Scrub. This was the first time I tried this scrub and it definitely won't be my last. Firstly it smells amazing, one of those products I could sit around smelling all day and it's not because it contains vodka. The scrub itself is quite harsh so I wouldn't recommend it to people that have very sensitive skin. This one pot last me ages so I may treat myself to the bigger tub the next time I'm at Lush.

My one and only makeup empty this month is Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer. This may look full but I've been scratching the insides of this very tube out for days. I wasn't a big fan of the foundation of the same name but I love this stuff, I've already bought two back ups while the Boots 3 for 2 was on. I mainly use this under my eyes to make them look alive in the morning. Hard to do at 7am I can tell you but for me this stuff works amazingly well. I use the shade Ivory which is the perfect match for me. I do think Rimmel should bring out more shades as there's only four to choose from at the moment which is quite shabby indeed. It states on the tube that you can use this on blemishes but I haven't, so I can't really judge on that. I'll try the next time I use it and let you know.

What have you finished up this month? Have you tried any of the products above?

Laura<3

September Empties

I don't have too many empties to show you guys this month, so I thought I'd put it up a little earlier. Some products are repurchases that I really like. I have alot of products that I'm nearly finished with so expect a pretty big post at the end of October. I can't believe how quick the year has gone, I'm starting college in two weeks so I'm hoping to still be able to post regularly. I can see myself being really busy with work and college but I'm excited to start my course, I'll definitely let you guys know how its going throughout.

I have alot of skincare empties this month so I'll show you them first. The Caudalie Cleansing Water was in my empties in August. I go through this stuff at a ridiculous rate but I like how it removes my face makeup aswell as eye makeup really well. It's for sensitive eyes so I haven't had any irritation whilst using this which is a plus as I find some micellar solutions can't be used on the eyes. It is a bit on the expensive side at around €17 but I think it's definitely worth the money. I'm going to pick another up next week on payday as I also used up my miniature one I got in their travel set. I found their travel set really good and for €15 I would certainly recommend to anyone who wants to try the brand as you get a shampoo, body lotion, face serum and shower gel in it too. They are all decent sizes too so you get a good idea of what the brand is like. My Mom is coming back from Spain tomorrow and she picked me up Bioderma. After reading so many brilliant reviews on this I'm really looking forward to trying it, maybe I'll be converted to using it instead, we'll have to wait and see. Next up I have two moisturisers, Vichy's Normaderm Total Mat* and the Elemis Fresh Skin Softly Softly Daily Moisturiser. I got the latter as a part of a set in Superdrug while I was in Manchester in July. It's a pretty small mini so I can't really determine how good this actually is. From what I've felt after using this, it does the job quite well. Like Normaderm Total Mat it's quite light but very moisturising. I know the Fresh Skin range is not readily available here but you can get it online. After having a bit of trouble with ordering stuff from the web lately I can't see myself repurchasing this and the full sized product seems pretty expensive (€28) On the other hand Normaderm Total Mat, is more on the affordable side of things (€16).  It's light gel formula which I found great with my oily skin. I did find it kept my shine at bay and it works really well under my makeup as it gives a nice matte finish. It has a beautiful scent that I love, but if you don't like scented skincare maybe I'd stay clear of it. This is another product I'll be repurchasing come payday.

I have two makeup empties this month and they both come from MAC. This is the second Lingering Eye Brow Pencil I've gone through, it remind me of those rotating pencils you use to get in school. I bought this while I was in Manchester and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. I really like the way it looks on my eyebrows and the colour is great but it is awfully expensive and I can never see how much I've used up. I could be doing my eyebrows and run out this after doing one eyebrow which would be embarrassing. This pencil also snaps easily which could be me as it use to happen in school with those rotating pencils. Another empty is their Pro Longwear Concealer, I've had this ages and the pump is broken so that's why it looks like there is so much product left. There probably is but I can't get to it as it's all caked to the side, I think it has dried up by now. I like this concealer as it has nice coverage, great for covering blemishes and lasts pretty much all day. I wouldn't use this under my eyes as it is quite heavy and I don't think it would look right at all.. I've found so many cheaper alternatives since I bought this that I don't think there is a need to repurchase it anytime soon.

I've done a full review on both these eye makeup removers recently. I wasn't too keen on No7's offering but I really like Vichy's Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover for Sensitive Eyes*. It does exactly what it says on the tin and removes every trace of my eye makeup. This even removed Benefit's They're Real mascara which I find a nightmare to get off my lashes in the evenings. I know in my review I list the prices for both of these products, I remember Vichy's eye makeup remover not being too expensive aswell. I'd just love if it came in a bigger bottle.

Here are three random empties that didn't really fit in anywhere else. I got this mini Kiehl's Grapefruit Bath and Shower Liquid Body Cleanser in a goodie bag at a instore event when I purchased their whipped body butter. I didn't notice anything too amazing when I was using this but it smells gorgeous and it apparently contains humectants that traps the moisture in your skin. I don't know if I'd repurchase this again it remains to be seen. I can't take full credit for finishing this whopper bottle of Soap & Glory Clean On Me, I left it in my shower and the whole family has been using it. I got it in a gift set last Christmas so it has taken ages to use up the whole thing. This shower gel has that gorgeous scent that you'd recognise with most Soap & Glory goodies. I would buy this again but maybe not this humongous bottle. Before I forget has anyone seen all the Christmas gift sets already in Boots? There's so many gorgeous Soap & Glory ones this year, I have my eye on so many especially the makeup ones. The last random empty is the Body Shop's Almond Hand & Nail Cream which I absolutely love. It smells amazing, works really well and leaves my hands feeling super soft. The only thing I dislike is the packaging, I don't if it's the pressure in the small tube but everytime I open this it goes everywhere, resulting in me losing so much of the product. I want to repurchase this again but I may try the Hand & Nail Butter in the tube and use it at night.

Have you tried any of these products? What have you finished up this month?

Laura<3

August Empties

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is the first of September, I don't know where the year has gone. I'm hopefully starting a college course next month which is super exciting. I've had bad experiences in the past with my courses, they all get cancelled before they even start, what's up with that? It's going to be so weird starting at the same time as my little brother who is like three years younger than me. We are both doing Business related courses just in different colleges so it should be a interesting month ahead for both of us indeed. Another thing I want to do during September is my theory test and finally learn how to drive for once. You guys have to hold me to this one, I always put it off for some ridiculous reason unknown to me. Well enough about what I'm getting up to during the coming month, this post is my August Empties. When I started looking through them I didn't realise that I finished so much. Does that only happen to me?

You may be wondering how I store all my empties without people in my house thinking I'm weird hoarding bottles. I use this bag I got in Forever 21 about a year ago, it was a impulse buy on my half as it's tiny and there's no way I'd use it for anything else. It's cute though and the perfect size to hide away all my empty products. This month I've finished quite a few micellar solutions, they were all a quarter full last month so it was about time I finished them. Some I've loved and others are good but not worth the excessive price tag, you'll see what I mean further down.

First I'm going to start with body products, the odd one of the group is the funny monster head. This is actually a Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitiser, that the lovely Chie sent me last year. It smells amazing like sour apple sweets. I really like it and if we had one of these stores in Ireland I'd certainly pick up some more. I have another Bath and Body Works empty in this post and that's the travel size Pink Chiffon fragrance. Oh my I adore this scent it's like nothing I've ever smelled before. Again it was a gift from Chie for my birthday back in February, I was so disappointed when I was nearly out of it. Luckily Chie offered to pick me up some products in this particular scent. I got the package in the post last week and wow I can't wait to try everything. There will be a post up very soon. I went through two more of my favourite body products during August, Kiehl's    and Soap & Glory's Breakfast Scrub. The latter is amazing and if you haven't smelled it yet, go and do it the next time your in Boots. This is like my fourth tub of this and I can't get enough of it, definitely my favourite scrub out of their range. The label melted away in the shower so that's way your currently looking at a plain white tub, it's not like this in the shops. I've had this small bottle of Creme de Corps Body Moisturiser for a while, it was pretty expensive (€19) and would of been much better value if I had of bought the bigger size. It's a heavy cream which works wonders on dry patches, leaving my skin lovely and soft. I recently bought the Creme de Corps Soy Milk and Honey Whipped Body Butter and I probably will use that up before I buy this. Out of the two I'd probably prefer my newer purchase from the brand  as it smells absolutely amazing, I featured it in my Summer series not too long ago.

Here's two not too exciting empties but I thought I'd include them anyway. On the left we have Garnier's Mineral Anti-Perspirant which I actually really liked, I don't know if it leaves your underarms feeling fresh for 48hrs as I usually use it before then but it's good. I also finished this La Senza Discover Me purse spray, I bought this years ago and it smells really beautiful. We don't have this store in Ireland anymore so I more than likely won't be getting Discover Me again for obvious reasons.

I finished up only one makeup product this month and that's Rimmel's Stay Matte powder. I've been using this so much lately, I even favour it over alot of my high end bits, it's super affordable and gives a nice finish. I actually hit pan on this a week ago and unfortunately I was out at my friend's leaving party last week and it shattered in my bag. I already bought a backup so it's all good. I've had the Kerastase Ciment Thermique for nearly a year and it worked wonders on my hair, it's a heat activated reconstructor and I used it before blow drying. I did notice my hair looking healthier after using this a few times, I'd love to repurchase it but pricewise it's a bit out of my budget at the moment. When I was in Manchester last month I picked up a Philip Kingsley Travel set which included the Elasticizer and Moisture Balancing Shampoo and Conditioner. I thought the set was pricey at £20, but then I seen this size Elasticizer retails for around €18 so I guess I did get it in the end for a decent price. I always fly through shampoos super quick so it was no wonder I finished this so soon. I can't really comment on how I felt about this product as it came in such a small tube. I'd be interested in getting the full sized just to try it out and see.

Last but not least the skincare empties as you can see I've finished quite a few products over the past month. As I said above I've been trying alot of micellar solutions, I chucked out the wipes and gone for these. I forked out the money for This Works Clean Skin 5-in-1 Water and though I was impressed this was certainly not worth €26. I don't think any cleansing water in its right mind would to be honest. There are so many cheaper alternatives out there and yes this is a lovely one but it could do with being that little affordable. Another two micellar solutions which are a bit on the cheaper side of things are the offerings from Caudalie and No7 which I both love. I've already repurchased the Caudalie Cleansing Water, it just takes my makeup off like a dream and it's not too pricey which is a plus. A product that I'm not too fussed about is the No7 Eye Makeup Remover. I use to like it a while back but it leaves my eye lids so greasy which is a nightmare if I want to apply my eyeshadow right away. I'm much prefering Vichy's Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover which I'm nearly all out of, I need to repurchase it tomorrow when I finish work. You'll probably hear about it again in my September Empties next month. Another eye makeup remover I finished this month is from Garnier, I'm a big fan of this one and it removes my eye makeup really well. If I'm running low on funds I usually pop this in my trolley but if I want to treat myself I go for Vichy's offering. I also finished two products from Liz Earle, their Deep Cleansing Mask and Gentle Exfoliator. The latter is a repurchase and even though it's not my favourite exfoliator at the moment, it gets the job done which is all you can really ask for. On the other hand I love their Deep Cleansing Mask, I've had this for ages now as I only use it on my tzone. The product itself contains manuka honey and concentrated clay which removes all nasty impurities and oil in the skin. I can vouch for this working amazingly, I see myself repurchasing it the next time I'm in Wilde & Green, I need to take a visit soon. Lastly one of the products I've been using alot over the Summer months has been refreshing sprays like Avene Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water. These are amazing on those hot stuffy days which if I'm being honest we haven't had enough of in Ireland this Summer. Anywho I always have one of these in my bag just to refresh my skin and my makeup throughout the day. You can get them in large sizes in most stores but I think this particular size is hand bag friendly. They also last ages so there's no need for the full sized unless you want one for the house or office.

What have you finished up this month? Any products I should try?

Laura<3

July Empties

Sorry I haven't blogged in quite a bit, most of you know I've been away in Manchester. I only got back on Sunday and life has definitely been hectic over the past two days, having a bit of free time on my hands I've decided to pop up my empties post for July. Alot of people on Twitter said they'd like to see a haul post featuring what I bought while I was in Manchester so I'll try to get that up shortly followed by a vlog style post telling you guys what I got up to over the nine or so days. On to my empties, the layout I've been sticking to over my past empties post has been working for me pretty well so I'll be continuing with this format from now one. During the month of July, I've finished alot of haircare and shower products mostly, looking over my last couple of months empties post I can certainly see trend forming as I consistently use them up.

I'm going to start with the haircare products I've finished this month. The first two are the Deep Conditioner and Full Body Shampoo from John Frieda's Full Repair range. I absolutely love the shampoo and I've already repurchased it. I use it alongside the Full Repair conditioner which I never seem to run out off. The shampoo gives a great lather, I know this is caused by sulphates and the like but I need my shampoo to do this. I just don't feel like my hair is clean otherwise. I'm undecided if I like the Deep Conditioner or not, it doesn't way my hair down like alot can but I did use this up really quickly. Maybe I was using too much who knows, it did leave my hair looking lovely and soft though which I can't complain about. I can remember this being kind of expensive so it remains to be seen if I'll repurchase this again. I finished my Scwarzkopf  Guardian Angel heat protector this month. I've had this stuff for ages, not going to lie when it came to using this sometimes I'd forget. It's probably why it's lasted so long. It is a good product and it does come in a fairly big bottle so I'll definitely be picking up another one of these soon.

As I only have a shower in my house I do fly through a lot of products. If I leave them in there they may disappear even quicker. Again I've finished another three shower bits. I'm going to start with the one I liked least, Kiehl's Creme de Corps Nuturing Body Washing Cream. I'm a big fan of the original Creme de Corps body moisturiser but I just wasn't feeling this product at all. It would be great for people who dislike scented body washes, it just wasn't for me at all I like when my shower products smell good. Don't get me wrong though it does moisturise your skin so it does its job, I just wished it smelt nicer. Also €10 for this size product as well is a bit excessive in my opinion so I won't be repurchasing this anytime soon. On to two products that I love and are repurchases for me. I love all Soap & Glory scrubs, especially this one in particular. It has such a beautiful scent that is right down my street. The fun packaging ticks all the boxes for me too. My other favourite is L'occitane Almond Shower Oil. This stuff is amazing, it leaves you skin so smooth and smelling lovely. The eco friendly refill I used up fills  two of the 250ml bottles. I made a bit of a saving buying this too as opposed to buying repurchasing one 250ml. If you haven't tried this stuff yet your missing out.

I've had both of these primers for an age so it's certainly been a relief to finish them up. I got them both in sets with other products a while ago. I've heard alot of things about them so I couldn't wait to give them a bash. After using up these two samples sizes, I can honestly say there's nothing too special about them. At a push if I had to buy one I'd go for Smashbox's Photo Finish primer, maybe I'd try the oil free version though. For the price that both these products are I'd have to be a 100% percent sure that I liked them before I bought them and that's really not the case at all with these two products. My primer of choice at the moment has got to be Too Faced's Primed & Poreless, it's not the cheapest around at €27 but I've nothing bad to say about it. I need to use a primer before I apply my makeup as I do have quite oily skin and this does the job perfectly. I was really excited to try both of these primers so I'm disappointed I didn't like them too much.

I finished four products whilst I was in Manchester. I already bought a backup for my YSL Touche Eclat in Dublin Airport before I ran out completely. It's much better value to buy some high end brands there as you do make quite a saving. I'll be talking about more of the bits I bought on holidays in my haul post. I got my tan done while I was in Manchester as there was a Spa at my hotel. It turned out nice but I still had to rush out and buy a scrub to get rid of some unwanted tan. Not that there was too much. The scrub I got was Superdrugs own brand Pomegranate and Cranberry. I didn't particularly like this too much. It did its job but the artifical scent was sickly so I couldn't wait to be done with it. I know alot of you will see Lush Snow Fairy shower gel and will be thinking where did she get that? Well the answer is my Mom bought a hell of alot during the Christmas sales for me and I decided to bring this mini on holidays. I love the smell of this stuff it's unreal. I wish they stocked it all year round. The last empty from Manchester were a packet of Nivea wipes. Over the past few months I've stayed clear of these and I've definitely noticed the difference in my skin. I just bought a packet for my holidays to take off my heavy makeup but I wouldn't put these anywhere near my eyes anymore. For that I actually picked up a bottle of the Caudalie Cleansing Water in Boots and so far so good I really like it. I'm half way through the bottle already, I fly through this stuff unbelievably fast.

I have four miscellaneous empties this month that don't really fit in anywhere else in this post. I've been flying through anti bacterial hand gels, I always have one in my bag. The two I used up over the last while are Bath & Body Works Lemon Pomegranate and Soap & Glory Hand Maid. I've already repurchased the latter, not only is it my favourite out of the two but it's also way easier to get a hold of. If you don't like the alcohol scent which is a given with hand gels, I'd go for Hand Maid. It has that gorgeous recognisable Soap & Glory scent. I was sorry that I finished my Sephora purse spray this month as again it's almost impossible to get a hold of in Ireland. The pineapple grenadine is amazing and is perfect for Summer. The product size is perfect aswell as it doesn't take up too much space in my makeup bag and it did last for ages. The last of my miscellaneous empties is this super bottle of nail polish remover. I must have this for at least a year now, it took me that long to finish it. I don't know the name of the brand that makes it but from what I can recall I got this in Penneys. It was around €3 so it was definitely worth the money for the amount of time I got out of it.

Have you tried any of the products above? What do you think of empties posts?

Laura<3

June Empties

Another month has just flown by ridiculously fast. If you think about it half the year is gone already which I find hard to believe. Seeing as it is July I thought I'd start off with my June Empties post, I'll follow on with my favourites during the week. I didn't finish too much this month but it's enough to justify doing a empties post I think. Like last month I'm going to seperate the products into categories again as I feel it reads and looks better.

Firstly I'm going to start with shower products I've used up. Two of the products come from The Body Shop and Lush, my favourite shops for shower products, everything smells so yummy. I've had this pot of Lush's Creamed Almond & Coconut Smoothie since Christmas, I've been trying to make it last as it got discontinued. I really don't know why it was as I do believe it was pretty popular. They replaced it with Ro's Argan Body Conditioner which honestly doesn't compare at all and smells horrible in my opinion. Creamed Almond & Coconut Smoothie had a amazing gorgeous scent and left my skin feeling so soft. I don't think there's anything like it in Lush at the moment which is disappointing. Another product I finished during June and loved is The Body Shop's Chocomania Body Scrub. If your not eating chocolate like me for whatever reason you should definitely give this a sniff. It's an amazing scrub too and this size product lasted me a two months or so. For me the only downside is the price, it's the price €18.95 which is rather pricey for a scrub. I know Hollister's Laguna Beach Body Mist isn't necessarily a shower product but I thought I'd squeeze it in here. I tend to use this straight after I have a shower so it makes sense to be included. I've this bottle forever probably a year now and I love this scent. It stays on the skin much longger then some body sprays I've tried. I didn't particularly like the body lotion in the same scent so I gave that to a friend. The next time I'm in Hollister I'm going to pick up another spray maybe in a different scent, I think there's two others to choose from.

Another Lush product I finished last month is the Brazened Honey face mask. I really like how this product leaves my skin looking fresh and bright. The way this mask looked kind of put me off to start with. If you've used this before you'll know what I mean but if you haven't I'll just warn you and let you know it's not the most attractive colour. After trying this I really want to try some more Lush masks. Let me know your favourites. I've been ditching the wipes lately in favour  of cleansing waters.  I feel like my skin has definitely improved since I stopped using them. This month I finished up No7's Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water for Normal/ Oily skin. I love this stuff and I've already done a post here. The only problem I had with this product is that the bottle isn't big enough. I tend to fly through cleansing waters for some reason and run out in no time. I had a few No7 vouchers floating around and I repurchased this yesterday, I can see this being a welcome addition to my skincare routine. The last skincare product I finished during June is Origins GinZing Eyecream. I've only started using eyecreams lately, I just never thought I needed them before now. After a closer inspection in the mirror  I realised I did and I bought this. Origins GinZing Eyecream doesn't do much for fine lines but it definitely brightens up the under eye area. This is actually a good little product when I remember to use. Again the only thing stopping me repurchasing this anytime soon is the price. I think there's so many alternative products out there at the moment.


I only finished two makeup products this month, the first of which is MAC's Lingering Eyebrow pencil.  The shade, Lingering is the perfect shade for my brows and it fills them in nicely. This reminds me of the electronical windup pencils you use to get in school and it snaps the exact same too which really annoyed me. I think I finished it up so soon because it just kept breaking. I want to repurchase this eyebrow pencil again so I'm hoping this one was just a part of a bad batch. I think for the price it shouldn't be breaking all the time. Did anyone have the same problem with it? Another makeup product I ran out off is my favourite eyeliner, Loreal's Super Liner Carbon Gloss. I saw such a amazing review on this product and I wanted to try it for ages. A couple of months ago I finally bought it and I love this eyeliner. It quickly became a part of my everyday makeup routine. It has such a nice applicator which applies the liner beautiful. I was so disappointed when I ran out this so I'll be definitely popping into Boots the next time I'm out shopping.

 Do you do monthly empties post? Have you tried any of the products I've finished this month?

Laura<3

May Empties

My mission this month was to finish a few makeup products. I've been doing empties posts a while now and I never seem to use up any at all. I finished three makeup products this month which is an achievement in my eyes. Makeup products aside, I've used up a ridiculous amount of stuff throughout May. To save you from being bombarded with loads of pictures, I've decided to split all the products into groups.  So there's only five in total which seems a bit easier on the eye.

I'm going start off with the makeup products I've used up. It seems to take me forever to use up mascaras for some reason so this is a monumental moment. The One by One Volume Express mascara is definitely my favourite Maybelline mascara. I was a big fan of their Falsies mascara when it first came out but when I tried this I changed my mind completely. The oval shaped brush captures every lash and gives my lashes that extra bit of volume without clumping. Another small detail I love about this mascara is the packaging who wouldn't like that colour. I can see myself repurchasing this again after I finish some more mascaras. Another eye product I finished up this month is MAC's Fluidline in Blacktrack. I've had this for ages so I couldn't wait to finish it. I never leave the house without a bit of liner and mascara on so I was surprised with how long it took me to use this use. I do think Fluidline is a bit overpriced seeing as there is so many cheaper alternatives out there. The last of my makeup products is Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua, I've used every last morsel of this foundation and I can't wait to repurchase it. I use the shade B20 and it's the perfect match for skin tone. I love how it gives a nice natural looking finish. I've tried this foundation in the new compact form, I can't say I'm too gone on it yet. I much prefer the liquid foundation it's easier to apply, for me anyway. I will be repurchasing this before my Manchester trip as I don't think I could go two months without it.

I've only tried a few product from Redken in the past as I do find their products expensive. All Soft wouldn't be my favourite shampoo and conditioner, it does leave your hair moisturised and looking silky but I much prefer the Extreme range. I have heat damaged hair so I feel the latter works for me much better. I love Soap & Glory's Pulp Friction, it's such a lovely scrub that has a gorgeous fruity scent. I got this in a set at Christmas time so I'm not sure on the price but nothing from this brand is usually too expensive. I actually rushed out and bought a refill of the next product  as I love it so much. I first spotted L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil on Vivianna's blog, she raved about how good it was. I'm glad I tried this as it's such a lovely product and smells amazing. I'm going to try and pop up a review soon.

Here are all the smellies I used up. I'm not going to go into much detail about the body sprays as I'm sure alot of you have tried them already. I always have a Impulse spray in my bag, my favourite scents are Goddess and Tease. Very Very Pink isn't my favourite scent so I doubt I'll buy it again. Attract for Her, the first women's deoderant from LYNX was nothing to special in my opinion. I really didn't like the packaging as it does look rather masculine and it didn't have a unique scent. You can read my full Attract For Her review here. The perfumes I finished this month were two of my favourites. Both were presents from my Mom and Sister and I've has them for ages. Lola is my favourite Marc Jacobs fragrance, I know this is a refill but I've repurchased this a tonne of times. My Mom got me the handbag size which came with a purchase as well as another refill. It's good to know I'm not all out of this yet. Viva La Juicy is such a nice Summer scent it smells gorgeous. Isn't the bottle beautiful? I'll be hanging on to it as it's just so pretty. I didn't like the original Juicy Couture but this is something different. I may not repurchase for a while as it is expensive. I may try to pick it up in duty free in July.

I love Vichy's Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution, this size comes with a pump which I prefer as I feel like I'm not wasting any product. I went down to my local shop to repurchase it only to see that this was a promotional size so it's not available any more which was pretty disappointing. It was such a bargain too and lasted ages. I'm on a look out for a new Micellar Solution to try so if you have any recommendations let me know! The next skincare product is a small one but I do enjoy using it. I haven't tried too many sheet masks as there not available in Ireland. I got a couple of these in a swap and I really like them. They do make me look like Mike Myers from Halloween H2O but I can deal with the cause there great. The Aloe Mask left my skin feeling so refreshed and it does smell quite nice too.

My empties post wouldn't be complete without a few miscellaneous products thrown in. I always carry hand sanitisers in my bag, these ones from Bath & Body Works are great. I received these as part of my swap with Chie. There such a handy size and don't take up whole lot of space at all.  My favourite out of the two is Lunchbox, it has a really nice fruity scent. I wish Bath & Body Works products were more easily available in Ireland as I'd definitely pick up a few more of these.

Have you tried any of these products? 

Laura<3