Empties #10

I'm like a broken record saying I must do these more often and not have such a pile to talk about, but I have a box under my bed so I don't notice it getting full. And I'm also in denial about how much I spend and use so it doesn't help. But none the less, these posts always give a good indication of the things I really love and will get again. Especially when they pop up in every single feckin empties I do - sorry about that!

First I have the massive pile above of hair stuff. I wash my hair daily so I tend to get a big pile of shampoos and conditioners in no time. Favourites of mine are the Ultimate Blends in this brown and also in the red (which I currently have in the shower at the moment). Normally my hair loves this sleek restore duo, but this time I found I was switching up different products to give my hair a little break. I found it to weigh my hair down and it was annoying to be fecking around with. Would totally pick these up again though. Same goes for one of my all time favoruite brands, Aussie. I've nothing to say about them, as they can do no wrong in my eyes.

Blousey was a 50% off christmas sale buy in Lush. I really liked this and would love to have it again, but for the crazy price of €20 I doubt I'd get it a second time. I loved the smell of this and it did leave my hair so soft. Why you so expensive Lush!? My two regular dry shampoos are bought all the time to give some extra oomph in the mornings, but I have been switching dry shampoos a lot in the last while. I might do a quick post/Instagram photo with some info on it.

Lastly in this pile is the Ziaja shampoo that I just did a post on, so I wont go repeating myself! But if I find it in the shops, I'll be picking it up again. Such a big bottle too, it lasted ages!

More Ziaja stuff.. Its hard to deny that I really love the brand! These cocoa butter shower scrubs are amazing and if you see them, don't hesitate to buy them! (then tweet me where you found them!) I've actually asked my local chemist to please put in an order of them and stock them. They are so cheap and work so well, its no shock to say I prefer them to any S&G scrubs! Theres also the lovely Olive Leaf cleansing oil that I used in the shower. This isn't a must have product, but if you like a bit of extra spoiling yourself, then I'd recommend it. It always left my skin lovely and soft, not to mention a gorgeous scent that lasted a good while after.

Aussie no rush shower gel was lovely to try and if it was on special offer in Boots I would pick it up, but theres a lot of others that I would reach for instead of it. I was dying to try out all the scents though! And lastly theres the two Soap&Glory sugar crush body scrub and orangasm body wash. The scrub as I said earlier isn't as good as my new Ziaja love, but it was nice all the same. If I never had something else to compare it to, it would still be my favourite. And as for the shower gel, it can do no wrong, That scent needs to be in everything. Mmm.

Random essencials now. If you hadn't guessed it, Impulse hint of musk is my all time fav - and you can get it in Dealz too! Major stocking up did happen! Also over the past few months I've been getting really in to roll ons. I don't think they are as good for protection as deodorant sprays, but they don't stain, don't effect my asthma and don't clog up a room. So I don't mind having to apply them a little more often. 

I'm not sure whats been happening over the last month or so, but all my skin care went at the one time and I seem to be flying through it. I think its because I'm now wearing a lot of make up daily and in the evening I love to spend a good 20/30 minutes taking it all off and giving my skin a seriously good clean. Ziaja is again making an appearance here, can't get enough of it! The cleansing milk is easily a Boiderma dupe and so is the micellar water. I've not bought the cleansing milk again as I've been using my No7 cleansing lotion, but I've gone though about 5 of the micellar waters - I love them! Also my all time fav face scrub is from Ziaja, I honestly freak if I've run out of this stuff. (Yes, yes I did cry outside the chemist one evening in town when I went to buy it after not having it for 3 weeks and the place had closed for the night. Not a proud moment. But a very much sleep deprived one.)

When I can't get my hands on the Ziaja water, I use the Garnier one and its still quite good. If you were going on price alone then its better value for money. Also I'm beginning to use a eye make up remover again over the past few weeks as my eye makeup has been very heavy. I love the Garnier one and have just this week bought another to keep up the stock!

Waxpert pads are a big love of mine and although I can sometimes forget about them, they always make such a noticeable difference when I do start using them again. I'm going to be getting another pot when I place my next order on Cloud10. Lastly is a random little mask that I added in. I used it so long ago that I've forgotten why I didn't really like it. I think I thought if I put it in then I'd remember but nope, its not coming to me. So do ignore it!

And finally a selection of used up body creams that I've had for ages and used up. I think they are all grand but I'm not sure if I'll be buying any of them again for a while as it got to be a bit of a chore trying to finish them. Don't you just hate when that happens!!

Theres a Seventeen foundation, as normal in these posts! my all time favourite one for colour and some serious heavy coverage. I'm a little oily so I do touch up a little during the day, but I wouldn't hold it against the foundation itself. I think this is about my 7th or 8th. Just bought another two this week as well. Clearly, I have a problem! Same goes for the Wet'n'Wild powder, I really love it and will be picking it up when I'm next in Penneys. Currently I'm trying to finish off the many half used powders I have stilling around the place.

Lastly two very random ones. A Nima brush that I've loved for so long, but finally have to say goodbye to and a Beverly Hills toothpaste. I got the toothpaste at the beauty show and can safely say I don't think it does any of what it claims. I was going to write a ranty post about it, but its only toothpaste after all. Wont be buying it again though, purely because its claims are full of shit.

Man, that was a really long post, fair play if you read to the end you little rockets! :D

My Hair Care Routine

Not everyone has nice things to say about my hair, especially when they see thats its dyed a few shades. But what you might not notice is that there are hardly any split ends and if you feel it, its silky. (I have gotten many a 'oohhh!' when people touch it. Its so satisfying to hear that!) I don't do lots with my hair, I'll admit it. Apart from dying it and washing it daily, I never really bother to style it unless I'm really jazzed about an event. After a few questions of what I use and how I keep my hair in such good condition considering its dyed, I though that I'd do a post on it. Sure why not!

Firstly I am actually a natural blonde and in the summer months when my natural shade is on show, it will turn a strawberry blonde with light highlights from the sun. However this will be the first summer in about 4 that I've had my natural shade on show. I'm letting my hair grow out (although the itch to dye it is crazy!) so I'm not harming my roots with bleach which is a plus. But the ends of my hair are dyed purple every second or third week, depending on how faded its gotten. So if your into changing your hair colour, I'd suggest just the ends. Not as harmful and you can chop it off if you get really sick of it and don't want to take the colour out or redye it!

I like a few brands of shampoo and conditioner, one being Aussie. But I will use basically anything on my hair, I'm not fussy. The only thing that I stay away from is Head and Shoulders as it strips colour very quickly with any colour. Right now I'm really loving Aussies volume shampoo and their wonderful 3 minute conditioner mask. I have limp hair that is continuously knotty - and with the harsh water we have in the house, it doesn't help. But these two, especially the conditioner, always helps to keep my hair less knotty. Next on the list of things to try out is the Ziaja natural olive collection. I hope it works on my hair just as well! If my hair is really sleek and flat after these products, I will sometimes use a Lush hair/face product mid week that contains salt to give it some texture. It always works a treat.

After a bit of a hair cut, done by yours truly (you can see I'm not too bothered about messing up the hair, as it always grows back!) I made sure that my split ends didn't come back with the help of some hair oils. The one I'm using at the moment is a Tresemme one and one pump does perfectly. I use it daily and have noticed a massive difference in my hair, so I'd highly recommend picking up one. It can be hard finding an oil to suit your hair, so you could be on the hunt for a little while. (But for the most part, the ones you pick up in Boots are all under €10, so its not too bad.)

I've also started using a vo5 heat protect spray as I like to blast my hair with the hair dryer in the morning. If you have long hair you'll understand the need for this, or suffer the horrible wet clothes and back for half the day. I really like this and although I've only been using it about a month, I think it might be helping. Less static and frizz after brushing it out anyway!

And for my dye, I love and always highly recommend the Live XXL in purple. I have gone through easily 20 or 30 boxes of this stuff and it has the best colour pay off of all the alternative shades and brands out there. Because I only dye the ends of my hair, I tend to leave this in for a few hours or even overnight for an intense colour. Don't worry, my hair has never been worse for wear, changed shades, gone green or fallen off! Although I wouldn't recommend using it for that length of time if your doing your roots and close to the scalp. 

Lastly if I'm having a shower but want to give my hair the day off, I'll use a dry shampoo and a little Aussie leave in conditioner spray. Right now I'm loving the Herbal Essences dry shampoo, but I do switch it up a lot. This is about my 5th bottle of this particular one. And as everyone is a little obsessed at the moment over hair brushes, I have been a long time lover of my Denman brush. It seems to get out my knots the best and is dead handy to clean. You can pull off the head and out of the teeth by the row to clean them all.

Thats all there is really, just lots of oils, conditioners and protectors! Have you any favourite hair products or maybe something you could suggest for me to try out? I love new hair things!

Empties #9

I didn't think I would have enough to do a full empties post, but after having a quick look in my box of bits, I realised I will always have enough for a post. I go through things so feckin quickly! 

First are three perfumes that I've been hording because they look pretty on my shelf. I've used up all of my lovely Body Shop smokey rose and recently bought myself another one. This is the kind of scent thats musky and heavy, totally perfect for the colder months. But I like it so much I'll be using it in the summer too. Is that a weird thing? I feel like your meant to change your perfume with the seasons, but if I like it, I'm a gona' wear it. Doesn't matter if its snowing or boiling! 

The other two are a mini Kylie Minogue 'darling' and the purple bottle from Ghost. I always was in two minds when it came to darling, I liked it but it was just a little too sweet, maybe someone younger would love it more. Or maybe I'm just at the grumpy 'theres too many colours and salts in these smarties' stage of my life. The Ghost one is an old favourite that I never seem to think of picking up. Perfume is so damn expensive! This is a lovely light floral scent thats just right up my street. Out of all three there, I'd recommend smelling this one the most. (Not that I can even tell you the name other then 'its the purple one!') Sorry lads.

Dove 2in1 was nabbed in Dealz and much loved by my hair. I always feel so extra fancy when I use something from Dove, but I especially love when it only costs €1.49! Smells great and leaves my hair silky. All the good things in this bottle.

The herbal essence shampoo that I did a review on over here is nice and I liked using it, but I think theres so many other great shampoos out there that I'd pass on picking this up again. It doesn't leave my hair as smooth as garnier or aussie.

Pantene was picked up on FragranceDirect and was a treat, but I would only get it if its on offer and not full price. I can't say the same for Aussie 3 minute miracle though, I'd pay serious money for that stuff! Its one of my all time favourite conditioners and I'm a massive fan of their shampoos too.

Lastly Aussies new shower gel that I did a full review of them over here was lovely and I'd pick it up again. Same goes for the amazingly gorgeous smelling Soap&Glory orangeasm. This entire range is just to die for, that and the almond scented products. Oh man!

My two favourite things to use is the Seventeen stay time foundation and Collections extreme felt tip eye liner. I can't say enough good things about them both, I think I'm on my 5th/6th bottle and 3rd pen. Full flawless coverage and the easiest to use blackest black eyeliner. Don't question, just go buy them and thank me later.

Also my sister brought me Ruth Crillys CoLab hair sprays down from the north and I'm really in love with the London scent. They are super light weight and work quite well. I wish that they were easier to pick up in the south though. If you see them, pick one up. I'm 99% certain they will work well for most people. (But if you have super not washed in like 2/3 days hair, it wont work for you. Its not the heavy duty kind of spray.) 

 I did a review of the two of these Bioderma and Ziaja cleansing milks (cos' they are so dupes!) over here, so I wont bang on about them. But I highly recommend picking up some of the Ziaja range if you stumble across it. Its a really amazing Polish skincare brand thats so wonderfully affordable! 

I'm compiling a shopping list of Ziaja products I have to repurchase next time I'm on Talbot st. in town. This toner will be top of the list, its a really lovely one and I'll also be on the look out for a new cleansing water from this brand too as I'm all out now,

Lastly are these random bits. I can't recommend the human+kind family remedy cream enough. You can use it for so many things and it really helped my eczema on my hands. I hared my way through it and will be getting another as soon as I can deal with forking out over €12 for a tiny tube. 

We don't even need to comment on Green Angels body lotion ot Soap&Glorys orangeasm body cream, they are both amazing. Although I think I'll be picking up S&G a little quicker as its more affordable and easier to come across. 

And finally another bargain in Dealz, I'm a big fan of roller ball deodorants as they don't effect my asthma half as much as sprays do. Not the most amazing protection if your exercising, but its grand if your just doing normal day to day things. 

New Aussie Body Wash

Aussie is one of my favourite brands when it comes to hair, I especially love their 3 minute miracle conditioner. So when I heard that they had ventured into the world of body wash I was more then intrigued. There are four different body washes in the *Aussie body wash collection, each with its own special scent to suit your mood.

Shower smoothie body wash is a creamy pearlescent pink thats meant to be 'like a big warm hug for your body' with macadamia nut oil. It leaves skin smooth and I personally think it smells most like the traditional Aussie scent out of the four washes. The one suggested for a pick me up is the mega watt body wash, the only one I have yet to try out from the range. It contains Australian ginseng that is meant to be energising and leave you feeling awake and silky soft. The last one to leave you soft and smooth is the no rush body wash. This one is to sooth, relax and help you mellow. Packed with jojoba oil this will possibly leave you the softest out of the three in this list.

The fresh mate body wash is one one thats targeted for getting you super squeaky clean as opposed to the other three targeted at getting your skin lovely and soft. This has eucalyptus extract to 'make you and your skin feel ocean fresh and squeaky clean in no time'. 

Overall I really like these and will without a doubt be picking up the mega watt to try it out. They all smell vaguely like the original Aussie hair products, but thats not a bad thing if you really love the brands scent. I like that each one is for different moods and have been using them accordingly - even if the shower is almost overflowing with body washes! My favourite has to be the no rush so far, but I find that the shower smoothie foams up the best out of the three here. My one issue with them is the price, €3.99 for 250ml and €6.49 for 400mls is a little steep. However at the moment the 250ml bottles are on offer in Boots for €6 if you get two. If you wanted to give them a try if your a big Aussie fan like me, now is the time while they are on offer!

*I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here. 

Fragrance Direct Haul

Its not often that I do online shopping, prefering to go and see the products in real life. But when there are all the deals to be had, it would be rude not to pick up a few bits. Most of what I have in this haul is things by the Body Shop and I've a bone to chew on here, I am a massive fan of their things, buying lots for myself recently along with a lot of Christmas presents for others. But the main issue is that their Irish site and in store there are never any sales or offers on the way there is on UK sites. Its such a pity as the euro prices of their things make it more of a luxury once in a blue moon buy. Its disheartening to read UK bloggers talking about the amazing 40% off deals they got. Alright then, rant is now over! 

The first thing that I set my sights on were the body butters. If your looking for just one thing to try out from the Body Shop then it has to be one of these. They are so wonderfully thick but easy to apply and sink into your skin making it beautifully soft only after one or two uses. I got mine in shea butter as its one of my favourite scents, I was delighted they had it! One of these tubs cost me £2.99.

I also picked up the tea tree oil thats just perfect for all the face uglies that are forever popping up on my mug. This was I think £0.99 compared to the guts of €10 so I was delighted to be able to try it out. Since getting the haul in the post, I've been using this loads and I have to say it works really well, I'd recommend it to anyone.

Years ago the Body Shop had a shampoo and conditioner with the scent of nettles. It wasn't for everyone but I really loved it. When they discontinued it I searched high and low online but never again could get it. Since then I've not been too interested in trying out anything hair care, but when I saw these little bottles for £2.99 I decided to pick up 2 each and give them a go. A regular bottle is €9.95 for the biggest bottle. I've not tried them out yet, but if I like them I'd consider forking out for them. I just love my hair care products! 

I also got a little tea tree skin clearing toner for £1.99 as I'm all about that spot fighting stuff. I'm still trying to find the holy grail products to finally work for my skin. And I've gone though bag loads, so fingers crossed this one might work for me. 

Again, all about the hair care. I love a good hair mask and this pantene one is something I've not had in years! I used to love it, but theres so many out there I kind of forgot all about it. For £1.99 I couldn't pass it up and I've used it once now. Its just as lovely as I remember.

Lastly I nabbed an Aussie spray leave in conditioner for coloured hair. I have gone though about 7 bottles of this stuff since being introduced to it years ago by a friend. Its perfect to throw in before heading off for the day, before bed, or just a quick spray to make brushing your hair easier. I'm a massive fan, but it can be about €6, so seeing this for £2.99 was a bargain. 

You'll be able to find most of what I've talked about above over on Fragrance Direct. But because lots are really cheap, things can sell out fast. Keep an eye on the site, they are always adding loads of new bargains!

Empties #5

Ah lads, why in the name of god do I manage to leave it so long before I have a look in my empty bag of bottles and realise that its overdue a clearing out and a post about what I've been using up? I don't know at all, but my god, here is yet again another mad long one with lots of photos. So, sorry about that!

First off there are all the Garnier Ultimate Blends shampoos, conditioners and masks. Out of these three there is not one I wouldn't pick up again or recommend to anyone and they have been cropping up in my monthly favourites for a while now. They all left my hair softer and in better condition, they smell lovely and I'm a big big fan of their one minute leave in conditioners. If I was going to pick up one of these again I would say it would be the brown bottles of sleek restorer as they smell divine and they are the last ones I used, so naturally still fresh in my mind. Bonus points that this brand is always on sale in Boots, half off and some lovely advantage card points? Yeah I'll take them all thank you!

As always this kind of post wouldn't be complete without a few Aussie products in there somewhere. I have one shampoo and two conditioners, but I have to admit after using so much of the lovely Ultimate Blends things I might be more inclined to pick them over Aussie. However nothing can beat the Aussie 3 minute miracle conditioner for soft makings AND a lovely smelling head. Tiny bit on the pricey side if you don't get them in an offer though. 

  

Kerastase shampoo is something I have had in my drawer for well over a year. I remember getting it at a blogger meet up and all the girls going mad over it, I was delighted (and clueless) a little bit too. After trying it out a few times I just didn't get what the hype was all about. Nor did I get the price tag of €20, say whhaa?! I finished it up when I was on a use up half finished products binge, but I am still scratching my head. 

H'suan Wen Hua was something I tried a while ago in the hope that it would help me get the birds net of a head sorted out a little more. You can read my review of it here.  

Who doesn't go through a bundle of deodorants and dry shampoo? I love these small bottles to throw in my handbag and they are normally on offer too. I also picked up one for €1.49 in Dealz the other day, so you really can't go wrong! Impulse hint of musk has to be my favourite body spray of all time and I am forever stocking up on them. Has anyone else noticed the price of Impulse creep up in the past few months or is it just me? Sneaky!

I have banged on aboout Batiste more then is possible so I'll not say too much. My only regret is that Boots doesn't stock Timotei dry shampoo as well. I think this is one of the best I have ever used and was really sad when it came to an end. I picked it up in Tesco on offer one day and haven't seen it since. It doesn't leave a layer of white powder across your hair like Batiste seems to always do. Its just magic stuff. If you see it make sure and pick one up, its so worth it. Oh and please please tweet me too, I need it back in my life!

Two of these scrubs were in my top 3 body scrub post thats over here. I really love Soap&Glory, it has to be one of my favourite brands for body scrubs and moisturisers. But on the other end of the scale there is the Amatomicals scrubs and the easy to pick up Flower Pharh that you can get in most Tesco's. I go through body scrubs like its the end of the world, so I always look for ones that might be on the cheaper end of the scale! Although the breakfast scrub lasted especially long. And oh, oh the smell! Om, nom nom nom.

Since I finished my Botanics all bright eye make up remover I have been trying out lots of other ones with no luck at all. This is by far my most favourite of the lot , easy on the eyes and takes anything stubborn off in no time. Its also on offer in Boots a lot, but in the past few weeks I haven't been keeping an eye. Now that I'm reminded its off to Boots tomorrow for me! I did a review of it way back when, over here.

Three bath/shower gels now, and two are from Lush. I've slowly but surely been making my way through all my Lush booty and my ban is nearly up! I can't begin to talk about the list of things I want from that shop, my god. This is my second bottle of The Olive Branch is a gorgeous fresh shower gel that smells like olives (well, duh) and quite, savory? Its hard to explain but it wakes me up in the morning and I was sad to see it all gone. The other is Snow Fairy, a cult product that smells like all the sweetest sweets in one little bottle. I didn't use this one up, it was given to himself who loves rock star soap and snow fairy. However it does smell quite nice from afar.

Last in this pile is a massive bottle of bubble bath in chocolate cupcake from Beauticology. I was expecting way more from this product if I'm honest. I used it up quickly as the bubbles it made quickly disappeared in the bath. It did have a lovely chocolate smell but didn't do much else for me. I think it was from a set I got in the Christmas sales and if I remember right the set itself was a lovely presentation, but I might skip these products when buying gifts this year. 

Even more Lush things - I swear these are really old! Cupcake is my go-to face mask. I never buy masks from Lush, instead waiting until I have 5 empty pots to bring back so its a special treat! Cupcake is a chocolate mask that targets impurities and spots, so its perfect for me. I never notice a huge difference in my skin from using this, but sometimes its just nice to put a face mask on and enjoy the little things in life. On the other end of the scale is the Rudolph face mask that was out at Christmas time. Don't worry, this has been used months ago and was just lurking empty in the back of my drawers. I hated this one with a passion.. I just realised that I blogged about this in my last empties post! I must have put it back in my drawer by accident! Oh well, you can't always be on the ball. At least everyone can be aware to stay clear of it if it comes back this Christmas!

Another Lush product is my much loved and missed (until the ban ends!) aqua marina cleanser. It smells awful if your not used to it, like a day at the beach when the tide has gone out. All seaweed and ugh. But it makes my skin feel really lovely and I find it clears up the bigger, redder spots that can crop up. I can't wait to get my hands on this again and it lasts so long. I had that pot for nearly 2 months.

A product that I don't go through fast is the antiseptic cream that can be used for burns, cuts and also on spots. I really love this stuff, it drys out spots over night and I always notice a huge difference in the morning after using it for just one night. A holy grail in terms of spot fighting treatments. It also lasts for ages and I love that its a multi purpose product. 

Something that I've had for I don't know how long is my Soap&Glory The Greatest Scrub Of All facial exfoliator. I liked this and would buy it again but since I started buying more face scrubs I have found loads that I really like. In other words, this is on the list of good ones, but along with a lot of others. 

I think by now its safe to say I've gone through about 10-12 bottle of True Match foundation by Rimmel. My god is that stuff good and a lot of the time its on offer. Half of the reason I always pick it up is because I know it works for my skin tone and I'm afraid to fork out for something that might not work as well. I must expand on the foundation buying and try out more! But I do like this one, its really easy to build up too.

Two more continuous repurchases for me are the Natural Collection pressed powder and Essence black liquid eyeliner. Again I have easily gone through about 15 of both of these. Every time I walk by the stands I pick both of these up. They are both under €3, both easy to use and stay put all day. Just what I'm looking for. 

Lastly my mini tube of They're Real Benefit mascara. I am a massive fan of this mascara and already have a brand new full sized one waiting to be opened after I finish trying out a few other mascaras. This is my holy grail mascara - and thats saying something considering the totally crazy price. 

Sorry this was crazy long! Anything catch your eye?

Empties #4 Photo/Review Heavy!

I have really long hair, I dye it all the time and wash it every single day. Man I use a lot of hair related things, I know that. But its not until I looked in my box of empties under my bed that I realised  I go through a feckin' lot of stuff! (And were not going to talk about the wardrobe full of hair stuff either, no sir.) So this is just mainly going to be a quick look at what I've used up in the past few months with links to some of the products and mini reviews of the rest! Sorry for the length of this post, but I think its a nice way to see what I really love and what I'll never buy again, all cut down into one post!

Lets start with the hair considering I have been banging on about it so much. 5 conditioners, 1 shampoo and a thickness booster. Cos' thats just how I roll. I've had loads of other shampoos but I normally throw them out and forget to save them. I think its clear by now how much I love Aussie, have a look at my review of one of my beloved Aussie conditioners here.

The blogger world went mad for L'oreal Elvive's new Fibrology range that came out a month (or two?) ago. Everyone was running to the shops to nab the shiny blue bottles. One of the things that caught my eye was their thickness booster. I read rave reviews and couldn't wait to try it out as I'm always looking for new things to give my hair that va-va-vooom! I was going to write a separate review for this but after using it I was so let down that I didn't bother to. It was hard to use in the shower as the tube was a screw off cap and when your holding a blob of conditioner, your wishing for that third hand to magically grow. The product itself makes your hair more course on the first wash, but after that I couldn't see any difference from using it. This was a big let down and a pricie one at €7.69 a pop. 

I used the LeoBancroft and HeadMasters together as they were on sale in Tesco and I can never say no to sales. I really loved both of them and if I see them on sale again I'll definitely pick them up. They smelt lovely, made my hair super soft and didn't weight it down at all. Big thumbs up here. Plus would you look at the fancy packaging? These are the types of bottles I invite people over to my house to look at. Oh yeah. I also picked up Timotei golden highlights conditioner in Tesco too. Keep an eye out for it if you can get your mitts on one! Have a look at my review of it over here. It leaves your hair silky soft. 

Next is all the necessity bits that you really can't do without. A little travel size Soleil lady shaving gel, I think I picked this up on offer a while ago. Its a really handy size and like this gel but Tesco own brand is way cheaper and you get much more product for your money. Its also easy to use, smells nice and is in a purple bottle. (but mainly cos' of the purpleness.) Two bottles of Batiste that I can't live without, but I have been using way more of the Timotei dry shampoo recently, I think Batiste has major competition there. I also have a billion deodorants as well, no one likes the thoughts of smelling anything but delightful! I love Nievas anti-white marks sprays. I did a review of the battle of  Vaseline .v. Nivea roll ons over here if you fancy a goo.

Way back at Christmas I was excited to try out Lush's new Rudolph face mask but after just one use I knew it really wasn't for me and was a major let down. It had a really odd consistency that was hard to spread across your skin with large chunks falling off. I felt the mixture was poorly thought out and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I hope Lush don't bring it back next Christmas and work on something else instead. On the other end of the scale then two things that I really loved.
The first is my Marks&Spencers New York perfume that I have a review of over here. The smallest size is about €7 and is perfect for throwing in my handbag. I get so many compliments when I'm wearing this and I have since bought two more. Can't get enough of this stuff!

Moving away from the cheap and cheerfuls for a second to talk about No7. I got this lovely little Cleanse and Clear eye make up remover in a set and used it like it was liquid gold. I can't wait to run to my nearest Boots and pick up another one. Its a tad pricy around €11.50 but I think its too good not to get. It doesn't irriate my skin or my eyes, gets all the make up off in seconds and theres no scrubbing the life out of your eye balls to achieve a clean face. Winning!

 Anatomicals have some really great products and some really crappy ones. I've blogged about both kinds and I'm still on the fence with this anti-stress face mask that I got in a beauty box. Did I think it did much? Not really. I might pick it up just to try out again but I wouldn't go out of my way to look for it. Theres better stuff in their range to try. Look at my review of their throb head here. Another little packet is this argan oil hair mask that I picked up in Penneys for about €2. I loved this, made me feel fancy and my hair silky with added bonus of a lovely smelling head! I'll definitely be picking this up again soon, so should you!

I made my way through all of my Body Shop shea butter body scrub that I have a full review of over here and my oh so gorgeous shea shower cream. I will be running full speed to the Body Shop for more of their shower cream, this was such a lovely treat in the shower! It was easy to apply, didn't leave my skin feeling like theres was a layer of goo on it, left me feeling soft and smelling quite divine, if I do say so myself! Make sure and have a sniff next time your passing by one of their shops, its good stuff!

I managed to polish off a Cocoa butter from Marks&Spencers and a non scented moisturiser from Boots own range over the past few weeks. I liked both of these but doubt I will pick them up again. I didn't feel a massive difference in my skin after using them and felt they were both a little heavy and I had to do the Flappy Cold Dance of Doom in the bathroom to help them dry. Lets just say I feared some of my bits would fall off and not make it. Apart from that, they were those 'meh' products that you have a more or less neutral  approach to.

 Last in this pile is my Lush the olive branch body wash. I am really sad that I came to the end of this bottle and don't know if my will power will hold up until my Lush ban is over in September. This smelt really great but from talking to others its a marmite kind of preference for some. Apart from smell, this left my skin really soft and a tad oily so there was no need to moisturise after. If my hair was really uber dry I sometimes washed my hair with it to give it a mini extra condition and tlc! All rounder this bottle.

I can't even say a bad word about the lot above. My Catrice concealer holy grail has been banged on about so much. One of the reviews is over here with much better photos! Same goes for the Benefit dupe of the year, Seventeens phwoarr paint concealer. I have a rave review of it here. Both of these concealers are so cheap and work so well you would be mad to fork out for high end products that might only work half as well!

Next my two favourite foundations, Rimmels perfect match in ivory with a spf of 18 and Seventeens on the spot foundation that has spot reducing ingredients. I have gone through countless bottles and tubes of these two and if I'm having a really awful skin day, I mix the two together for a fuller coverage that works a treat. Both of these are under €10 each and Boots is doing a lot of 3 for 2 offers at the moment, might be the time to stock up!

Lastly my favourite liquid eyeliner that I have used for easily 5 years now, Essence. Its €3.09, it stays put and the applicator is so easy to use. These should be like hens teeth but you can get them in Penneys and a lot of chemists. Wonderful! Lastly is my Urban Decay eyeshadow base. I don't use eyeshadow bases a lot, but when I do I use this and have no words for the lasting results. I can see why its a cult product!

The Best Of Beauty Challenge: Hair Heroes

Yet again theres like 15 minutes until 7pm and here I am again frantically typing away at the aul computer. (As you can see by the crappy phone pictures I can't find my camera. Little fecker knows I'm in a hurry!) Some of us (me) just never learn huh? This is week 2 of the lovely Samantha from All The Buzz's bloggers challenge. If you haven't seen week one its here and explains it all! Now lets get crackin' that clock wont stop for me!

I didn't even need to pause to think about this weeks topic of hair heroes, they are so good they Immediately come to mind. I'm a wash and go kind of girl, leaving the mousses, sprays and goop for the pros. Me, I'm a big lover of good smelling shampoo and wonder working conditioner.

Aussie Conditioner:

Yes, I literally mean all Aussie conditioners. Oh mammy that is my idea of pure heaven. I bang on about it a lot over here.  I love their coloured one at the moment, but give me a leave in mask, a quick 3 minute and rinse, even a nice spray in, leave in type. They make your hair feel like silk and the smell. Ugh, the smell! Its all too good to be true, but it honestly is. My hair regularly gets brushed to an inch of its life, split ends everywhere like its the next big fashion statement. It has to deal with a blast of the harsh hair dryer and yet, its soft and not too bad - if I do say so myself. Aussie ore on offer in Boots right now, 3 for €13. Promise me you'll leave me some too?

Batiste:

I'll be shocked if no one has this in their hero lists, its the only thing that can make a bad day a little better. I like batiste the way I like my arms, they do a good job and I couldn't live/do much without them. Need I say more? Oh well, if you insist! They smell gorgeous, make your hair look more socially acceptable (!) come in a variety of scents and for each hair colour. Sigh, its true love.

Hair Ties:

I know it sounds a bit stupid but you can never have enough of a good thing and those hair ties that don't have little pieces of metal holding them together are my go-to kind of things! You can get a big bunch again in Boots for less then €2.40 ish in lots of colours. Lovely!

Really thats it from me, I have yet to find the perfect shampoo, I'm ashamed to say. But really if it looks like it will lather in my hair, I will use it. (dog shampoo included, but that was a once off, didn't read the label kind of experience. I can report that my friends dogs are the most pampered girls out there!) I'm a little in love with my Denman brush, but thats only because I have had the misfortune to use a tangle teaser. Oh well! See you lovely people next week! You can follow the fun on Twitter with the hashtag #BOBBlogChallenge.

Big Boots Haul

You would think I spend my youth in Boots and I would like to say your right but sadly its not true at all. Le sigh, oh well! I went this time on a mission to get something to help with my hair as its recently gone like straw and also I wanted to find a few new things to help with my spots and breakouts. That and I needed one or two repurchase of some much loved make up. Whats a girl to do but go shopping!

Ugh I can't say one bad thing about Aussie if you paid me. And at 3 for €13 how could I say no? Almost out of shampoo, another bottle of conditioner to try help my poor hair and if that doesn't work then some extra love with my spray leave in conditioner might just do the trick! And all aimed at coloured hair to top it off, lovely stuff!

I went looking for a Garnier face wash for blemishes and spots after being recommended it on Twitter and reading about it on a blog post but do you think I could find it! So I settled on Neutongena that had an offer of any two for €7, now you couldn't go wrong there! I got a 3 in 1 cleansing lotion to help with spots and a spot treatment gel. I can't wait to see if they work or not, blog post up at some point.

Next I got the essentials of Veet hair removal cream, Nivea deodorant and some Boots own brand razors. Not the most exciting things in the world but we all need them!

I had a No7 voucher for €6.50 and I have had my eye on their rapid spot reduce treatment for ages so I couldn't pass up the offer! Only left me paying €6.45 which was brilliant. I can't wait to break this out and bathe in the stuff to see if it works at all! I'll report back once I have had a good test run of it.

I also was cheeky and got Vaseline spray and go body moisturiser that was reduced from €6.15 down to €4.15. Again, I have read reviews on it and wanted to try it for myself for ages now so this was perfect. 

Lastly I got a natural collection black eyeliner and seventeen pressed powder that I had run out of and really needed as I like my pale panda look. As you do like! 

Thats all from me for now. Any sneaky purchases that you have made in recent times or something that you have had your eye on for ages and want to get soon? As always keep happy and have a fab day!

Provoke Touch Of Silver Sensations And Aussie

I have been colouring my hair on and off for years now, from deep plums, blues, pinks to my current slightly peroxide blonde. Now (and I have the pictures to prove it!) I am naturally a blonde, dirty blonde if yo will but I love the light look right now. When I dye my hair I never give it much love at all. I throw in some shade of blonde that I got in a bottle in Boots, not even bothering with a particular brand , just whatever is on offer or what colour looks like it might suit my mood that hour. Its a good way to pick permanent hair dye, right? I think so too. Just before the bloggers Christmas dinner back in December I decided I would dye the top half of my head in the same Cat just whatever falls in to my basket passing way that I do. But after it going a brassy white blonde from not being cared for, I went on the hunt.

Que Provoke touch of silver sensations shampoo and conditioner for gray, blonde and white hair. It protects from fading, dullness and gives it back a slightly softer and nicer shade. What I really like about this besides it working, is the smell. It doesn't have the normal fruit or floral scent that nearly all hair products have, it has a more high end just-went-to-the-hairdressers kind of smell. And bonus points for the salon look and smell but the next to nothing price! The fancy eye catching bottles and the purple colour of the product itself. Thanks, I'll just take the shelf full and be on my way.

 Anyway it really does work, I have the proof on my head after all! After only about 4 days using this I could visibly see a difference in how my hair looked. The grayish-green hue that had once been was gone and a softer, but still very white blonde look, was left. I also used the conditioner every second day as my hairs condition was less then loved from getting blow dryed and violently brushed (thanks tangle teaser) all over the place. However I noticed while the colour of my hair was looking better, the texture and general health of my hair was still downhill and the conditioner wasn't working.

I would highly recommend the shampoo for anyone who has coloured hair and wants to keep it looking amazing, but the conditioner in my opinion did nothing at all and was a waste of money. Instead I ran to Tesco and nabbed my life saver, go to hair care range, Aussie. I like to change up my shampoos and conditioners, trying new things is great fun! But really Aussie has my heart and I would think it would take a very special product to change my mind on that. Get the 3 minute miracle colour conditioner to go with this shampoo or even go the extra mile and get Aussie recharge colour leave-in conditioner. 

As always hope your all having a great day and week! Loved writing a review for this as it was an amazing thing to find that worked so quick for me, hope I find more to share with you all soon! x

Things I've Used Up #2

If you've just popped by, hey lovely of you to come take a look at my blog. I did a #1 post last month, over here. I just love reading empties posts, I can't help but be nosy!

So way back at the start of this year I got to know Fragrance Direct quite well and ordered the famous Macadamia Oil shampoo while it was cheap because its not normally something I would ever be able to fork out for. I'm glad I didn't spend a lot of money, I honestly couldn't see any difference in my hair and the shampoo was difficult to get a good lather in my hair. Ok, its colour safe, sulfate free and paraben free which are all great, but this just isn't for me.

A quick sniff of this empty pot and I'm wishing I still had some left! I did a big review of Soap and Glory's Scrub em and Leave em over here. While on the topic of reviews, I also did a review of Love Lettuce too. I can not wait for my next visit to Lush to repurchase this stuff or maybe pick up a different one and try them all! Amazing on the skin.

When the blogs of the world went a bit crazy for texturising sea salt sprays, I had to see what they were all about and picked up Aussie dual personality aussome texturising and conditioning gel spray. I am a big Aussie fan and found this to be a lovely treat for my hair, giving it a bit of volume and lots of texture to play around with and style my hair. Thumbs up all the way, it even wins on the smell. I'll be picking this up again.

Bit odd but I repurched my Vitamin C tablets. Winters rolling in fast and I am so prone to getting colds! By taking one of these everyday I am helping my body that extra little bit to keep me well. Have you sorted your vitamins? You can get these in Boots, Tesco or even your local garage!

Yet another shampoo, this time its Fruit Essence by Boots. This one is called goodbye dry ends for mid to long hair. I regularly buy these from Boots, they remind me a lot of Herbal Essences as they smell just as nice but for half the price - oh would you look at that poetry! For under €2 you can pick up one of these and they all have matching conditioners too. Bargain!

Lastly my Natural Collection pressed powder in cool. This is a permanent product in my make up bag and I have already repurchased tow more of these. Works well, keeps eveything in place and cheap too. What more could you ask for. Loads of my family and friends love this particular product, its fab!

Have you entered my Halloween giveaway yet?

Huge Boots And Pound Shop Haul

As you can see, I went a tiny bit mad the other day in Boots and bought some essentials.. And then some lusted after goodies I've been wanting to try for yonks. First off was a bee line to the shampoo and condition section as I am nearly out of my normal Boots €1.95 stuff. It was 3 for 2 so I got a lovely smelling Dove set and an Aussie deep conditioner that I tried years ago and loved ever since. (Benefits of having showers at friends houses you see.) I got some Boots own brand chamomile and lemon balm shampoo as it was cheap as chips and smells lovely. 

I finally caved in and got Maybelline baby lips in cherry, I really can not wait to try it out! I picked up buy one get one half price cotton pads as I'm nearly all out and repurchased my Natural Collection powder in two colours because again they were on offer and I want to see which colour is the best now that I'm using a different foundation. I also managed to finally find and repurchase 17's eye shadow trio in metallic toffee (see it here in action!) It was harder to find then 

I needed to get some more Vitamin C tablets as I'm all out and really don't want to get one of my seasonal horrible colds, ugh! I got some Impulse into glamour (oh it smells so good!) and a little roll on Vaseline with aloe just to try it out. Hair pins grow legs and walk off on me so I threw in a pack and to finish off the crazy Boots rampage I picked up a packet of exfoliating mitts. 

Lastly I saw that a pound shop had all its Halloween stock in and even dragged my mother in I was that excited! I came away with a little Frankenstein and a ghost, two sets of spider earrings and my favourite thing ever - confetti and glitter!

Have you entered my Halloween giveaway yet?

Things I've Used Up #1

These posts are all over the place and I also love watching them on YouTube. There is something so satisfying about finishing a product and being able to replace it with new and exciting things. I have been trying to be very good and not buy anything until I have used up bits of half used products and bottles of fun. So now that I am going use-up-old-things mad, expect more of these types of posts in the near future! You'll have noticed I went a bit wild with taking photos outside while the few days of sun shine graced us, unlike the rain I'm looking out at now..

First off is my new favourite cleanser, Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream. It smells wonderful and is really soft and gentle on my skin without drying it out at the same time. It has hibiscus which is a brightness booster and natural AHA's from the flower act as mild exfoiliators that leave your skin feeling very loved. It has no nasty parabens, basically does what it says in the bottle! I will definitely be repurchasing this little beauty again really soon once I finish using up one or two half bottles of cleansers I have floating about. Normally it costs a little over €6 but right now Boots is having a 3 for 2 1/3 off sale, so grab one for a bargain! 

My lovely 500ml bottle of Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo for dry and damaged hair that has lasted me nearly 3 months! I wash my hair everyday and I really loved the smell of this shampoo, so I picked it up just to try it out. I have used Aussies conditioners before and have always noticed how shiny and soft they left my hair. This shampoo was no different. Its €7.59 but sometimes you can get these on offer, right now in Boots they are doing a 3 for €13 on selected Aussie products. I'll get this again for sure, but first I want to try out some other brands to see if they are as good.

I think its fair to say I am a lover of Nivea deodorants in general (see here) so I got a massive 250ml Nivea Invisible Black and White Pure 48hr Anti-Perspiration . It smells nice, works well and the best part is that there are no marks left on clothes at all. I always have a little bottle of this kept in my handbag too for when I'm out and about just in case. Nivea can do no wrong in my books.

Picture on the right is not my own. Source: lush.co.uk

Hmm, LUSH's The Joy Of Jelly shower jelly. I wasn't mad about this scent by the end of the pot, but it did make an amazing bubbly bath for me several times and was fun to play with and poke at too! It kind of reminds me of the sex bomb bath bomb smell, but a little stronger. Its a lovely purple colour that has rose, jasmine and ylang ylang packed into it. Like all shower jellies can be broken up and frozen or used all at once. You can use this in the shower on your body and hair or in the bath. Not sure if I will be getting this again and it doesn't seem available on their site anymore. Here are some other jellies instead. At least its one more pot to add to my pile of pots to return and get a free face mask from! Read my Love Lettuce Face Mask review if you don't know about the LUSH recycle programme. 

Next comes Rimmels Hide The Blemish Concealer in Ivory. I have gone through tonnes of these little sticks and still think they are the best long lasting concealer out there. It has such amazing coverage that really hides both blemishes and dark circles. I couldn't ask for more. This costs just over €5. You can find it on the Rimmel stand in Boots, but they don't seem to have it online. Oh dear. You can also see it here in my whats in my makeup bag post.

And lastly my go to colour of the summer was Barry M's Blueberry. Its a gorgeous light blue that just screams sunshine and ice cream! Its all used up and you wont be seeing that colour on my nails again this year since were now in Autum, but you can be sure I will be getting this again in time for next summer. You can read my full NOTD review here.