Thursday, September 19, 2013

Products I've Finished: Empties #4

I've finished off another batch of products.  Prepare yourself, it's a long one...


Soap & Gory Sugar Crush Body Scrub (£10)
I really liked this scrub, it was really moisturizing and smells amazing.  Especially for Summer.  However, I used it up quite quickly, I think because it's more oily than some other Body Scrubs I've used.  Also, I think I prefer the Breakfast Scrub from Soap & Glory over this one.  That being said, I still may repurchase this (if it ever gets released in the US, that is!)

The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Butter ($18)
This was kind of underwhelming.  I've heard so much about the Body Shop Body Butters, and this wasn't anything special.  I needed a lot to moisturize my entire body, so it ran out quite quickly.  I don't think I'll be repurchasing this anytime soon.

Caudalie Divine Oil ($49)
Another underwhelming product.  This was a nice product, and I like that I could use it on my hair, body, or face (although it was best for body), but it's just way too expensive for what it does.  I won't be repurchasing this.

REN Morroccan Otto Rose Body Cream Sample ($44 for full-size)
This was an amazing body cream.  It was very hydrating, and I didn't need too much to moisturize my whole body, so it was pretty good in terms of value for money.  However, it's quite expensive, so I'm not sure yet as to whether I'll repurchase the full-size or not.


John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo & Conditioner ($6 each)
This was a really nice set of shampoo & conditioner.  I'm not sure how much repair it actually did, but it worked well for cleaning my hair, and definitely didn't damage it any further.  I would definitely consider buying these again, especially at this price point - bargain!

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Shampoo & Conditioner ($6 each)
This was another nice set.  Although my hair isn't blonde, it does go brassy quite easily, so this worked well to help counteract that as much as possible.  I think it worked quite well and I will definitely be repurchasing these soon!

Redken All Soft Shampoo ($14.50)
I finished the matching conditioner in my last empties post, and once again, I was underwhelmed by these.  This isn't a bad shampoo, but it's no better than something I could get from the drugstore.  I won't be purchasing this again.


Redken Color Extend Rich Recovery ($16.50)
I really enjoyed using this hair mask.  I used it about once a week, and I really feel like it helped to make the color last longer in my hair.  However, it wasn't a miracle worker, my hair did eventually start to fade back to a brassy blonde color, but that was really inevitable.  As much as I liked this, though, I won't be repurchasing it, mostly because I've decided to stop coloring my hair, so it would be kind of pointless.

Tresemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray ($4)
Standard Heat Protectant.  It does the job, and it's not ridiculously priced.  It sprays really evenly, as well.  I've already repurchased this and I will probably continue to do so.

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner ($17)
I love this stuff.  It's an amazing detangler, plus it hydrates my very dry ends, as well.  I will definitely be repurchasing this very, very soon!

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray ($25)
I'm in love with this product.  It doesn't dry my hair out too much (unlike the shampoo and conditioner version of this), and leaves me with a matte, beachy look.  I've already repurchased this, and will repurchase it again after I finish that one!


L'Occitane Immortelle Precious Cleansing Foam ($27)
This was a nice cleanser; HOWEVER, I will not be repurchasing this, as it has SLS in it, which is bad for your skin.  I will look further into this particular line and see if there is anything more suitable for my skin, but this is definitely a no-go for me.

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm ($55)
I've already proclaimed my love for this cleansing balm, so I won't go on again.  It's on the repurchase list, but I have other cleansers to get through first!

REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask ($55)
Beautiful mask.  I used this once to twice a week after exfoliating, and I really felt like this did something for my skin.  I will be repurchasing this, but I'm waiting until I have 10% off of Sephora before I buy it, since it is so damn expensive!

Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream For Face SPF 30 ($32)
Another amazing product.  I really love this sunscreen, my only gripe is that it peeled a bit after application, which I found really annoying.  I'm working through a different sunscreen at the moment, but I may go back to this after I finish my current one!


NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm (€7)
I didn't actually finish this product, but I did throw it away with pleasure.  I know it's a cult favorite, but it dried my lips out so badly, for multiple weeks.  I hate this more than words can describe.  I definitely wouldn't recommend this product.  Although, I know many people swear by it, so I may just have had a VERY bad reaction to it.

Algenist Overnight Restorative Cream Sample ($90 for full-size)
This was a nice, rich night cream, but it wasn't nice enough to merit the $90 price tag, so I won't be purchasing the full-size.

Caudalie Grape Cleansing Water Sample ($28 for full-size)
This was a fine cleansing water, but it doesn't hold a candle to Bioderma, so I won't be buying the full-size of this, either.

Melvita Rose Floral Water Travel-Size ($23 for full-size)
This was a really nice toner, just as nice as the LUSH one, if this one is easier for you to get your hands on.  I'd definitely consider buying the full-size of this, but I need to get through what I own first!

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller ($13)
I really liked this for mornings.  It has a slight tint, which helps to cover the dark circles, and it was really cooling, which helped with my puffy morning eyes.  I don't think it really helped with my dark circles beyond slightly covering them with the tint, but I did like the product overall.  I may repurchase this, but it's not something I'm going to rush out to the store for.


Burberry Sheer Concealer in No. 01 Light Beige ($40)
This is probably my favorite concealer I've ever tried.  It gives the perfect amount of coverage, and never feels heavy on the skin.  However, I'm trying to work through the concealers I have through first before I repurchase this, but we'll see how long that lasts, to be honest...

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara ($5)
I liked this mascara, but it's not something I'm going to rush out and buy.

Diorshow Lash Plumping Serum ($28.50)
This is a really cool product - it lengthens and gives volume to your lashes by applying this before your mascara.  I really liked this, and definitely noticed a difference.  However, it's more of a luxury than a necessity, so it won't be on the repurcharse list for a while.

Maybelline The Rocket Mascara ($6)
This mascara grew on me.  I initally hated it, but now I actually kind of like it and may consider buying it again!

Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara ($6)
I also really like this mascara, it's good for volume, and for a really natural look, but I'm not going to rush out and get it again, though I may repurchase it again one day.

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara ($6)
My pick of the bunch.  This is such a good mascara for volume, and it's at the top of my list for repurchasing!


Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat ($4)
My base coat of choice.  It does the job, and it's only $4.  I do really hate the packaging, though.  After about halfway through the bottle, it starts to get gloopy and the brush can't really reach the product well anymore.  However, I will still most likely repurchase it.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat ($4)
My top coat of choice.  I have the same gripes with packaging as I do with the base coat, but man does this stuff dry quickly!  After about 30 seconds, my nails are dry, it's fantastic!

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Sample ($22.50 for full-size)
After the horror of the NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm, this was the only thing that saved my lips.  I already repurchased this, and will continue to, despite the steep price!

Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner Travel-Size ($9)
This is a nice leave-in conditioner, but I don't think it's any better than a drugstore leave-in conditioner, so I won't be purchasing this again!

Essence Nail Polish Remover (€0.85)
A standard Acetone-free nail polish remover.  I won't be purchasing this again, since I just moved back to the US and we don't have Essence products, but it's a perfectly fine nail polish remover.


Rituals Under A Fig Tree Candle (€17)
I wasn't a big fan of this candle.  It smelled really nice when I stood right over the candle; however, when I was 5 feet away or more,  I couldn't smell a damn thing.  I do plan to get my money's worth out of this and convert it into a brush holder, though!

NEOM Complete Bliss Candle (£15)
I love this candle (see full review here)!  It smells just like roses and I can't get over how great it smells and how easily it fills up a room.  If I had easier access to NEOM products, I would continually repurchase this.  Unfortunately, they're a UK brand and it's quite difficult to purchase their products internationally :/


YSL Volupté Sheer Candy in 02 Dewy Papaya ($34)
I had a massive change of heart on this product.  I initially hated it, I though it gave no pigmentation to the lips and felt like I had wasted my money.  However, I recently started to use it and fell head over heels in love.  It does only give slight pigmentation, but it gives such a beautiful peachy-tint to the lips.  I'm definitely going to be purchasing this again!

Caudalie Lip Conditioner ($14)
This is another winner in my books.  This is a very hydrating lip balm, and would last quite a while on me.  However, I still ended up going through this entire tube in one month!  It also doesn't have an SPF, which is upsetting. So, I'll probably be sticking to my Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments from now on!


Congrats if you made it through that huge amount of products!  I've been putting off this post for a few months, so everything really accumulated.

Follow with GFC on the sideof the page