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?

Timotei Golden Highlights Conditioner

I mostly like to get my shampoos and conditioners in sets cos' I'm fussy like that. But recently I've been picking up a lot of mismatched hair products as they have been on special offer and I can't walk by a value or half off sign without at least getting one thing. It would be rude not to!

Timotei has surprised me over the last month with not only a great dry shampoo but also this, a really good all round fab conditioner. This is the golden highlights 400ml infused with 100%natural camomile extract and skin neutral ph, so if you have golden highlights (or just blonde ish!) and very sensitive skin this will be great for you. It also has 0% parabens too, if thats your sort of thing. I really like the smell of this, it isn't overpowering like some conditioners can be but at the same time you are still able to get a nice scent from your hair all day, even when its dry and has been though the works.

I like to leave this on for about 10 minutes in the shower or if I'm in the bath then it could be anything up to an hour. Whatever the length of time (but the longer you leave it the more time it has to work on your hair!) I always find that my hair is softer, easier to manage and easier to brush out. My hair is also fecked with a lot, between bleaching, dying and not getting the attention or love it really needs. However the other day a girl in a coffee shop felt it (we were talking about hair and she asked to feel mine, it wasn't some random hair toucher!) and was surprised by how soft it was, despite it looking a little less then soft kitty. I told her about this conditioner and we had a grand time swapping product thoughts. (I was crushing hard by the time we said bye, it was love at first hair flick) A lot of people have the misfortune to touch my hair when it is full to the brim with dry shampoo and mistake my hair then for being brittle and dry, the sexy head that I do have! But its either dry shampoo or flat, slightly greasy hair. I always pick the bottle over limp hair!

You can get this in Tesco as Boots doesn't seem to stock this one. Its on offer and all at the moment! Find it over here for a bargain.

March Favourites

We are in April, can you believe it? I can't. And if your like me, any bit of sunshine and the shorts are out and sun cream is getting slapped on like no ones business! Holy mammy I got out to the garden and went wild with the photo taking and flower picking (while no one was looking that is- risky stuff picking your mothers prize flowers.) I have a load of different things I've been loving this month and can't wait to tell you all about them, so lets get crackin'!

I did a make up face yoke kind of post ages back here and also a comparisons post on this Wet'n'Wild concealer palette against the Catrice one. I said Catrice was much better in my Jan Favs, in my BOBBlogChallenge here and here and I still stand by that. Honest to god, I pure rave about the stuff after looking back at all those links! Its more creamy, better selection of colours and doesn't sting near my eyes. But over the last month I have been using this non stop because my poor Catrice is no more. Surprisingly enough I'm noticing all its great qualities. Its cheap, it lasts much longer then the Catrice palette even with daily use, it covers well and bonus points for the highlighter which I've been slapping on the face whenI contour (Yes, I now contour. Close your mouths, I shocked myself enough as it is.) So Wet'n'Wild gets a big thumbs up this month. But boo on the slight stinging.

 I got a W7 In The Buff eye shadow palette only the other week from the Cosmetic outlet - post here on all the goodies I hauled! And since then it has been true love. Like head over heals love. Its meant to be a dupe for the Naked 2 palette and for a fraction of the price. I bet this is bringing all the boys to the yard, promises of milkshakes or not! I have done a tonne of different looks with all the 12 nude matte and shimmer goodness(es), things I would never normally think of or have the confidance to do. Take a goo at my Twitter or my Instagram to see some of the photos of recent colours I've used. I'm going to do a full post on this in time, just to brag about how badly I can wipe powdery colours across my face. Sexy, non?

My Cleanse Off Mitt? No words can describe my love, as someone who is a lazy arse about taking her makeup off. If I come home from a party or night out then boom, 2 second scrub round the chops with this beaut and I'm already half way to bed. Read my full review of it here - warning though, I make faces and some of them aren't purtty.

Ah, Timotei you sly dog you! Here was me thinking it was the kind of cheapy brand you could nab in the pound shop and did the job ok. But oh no, they went off and brought out a dry shampoo without informing me of its wonder, great power and general magical abilities. This is without a doubt the best dry shampoo I have ever tried. I know right, what is she on about? Has she lost the run of herself altogether now? Its all that fresh air, not doing her the least bit of good! Go way and stop that sort of thinking! I'm going to do a better review of this really soon, but for now just take my word for it, run like crazy and buy ever bottle you can find. Then send some to me. It doesn't leave white residue like Batiste, gives the locks volume and it lasts all day. You'll never need to shower again. - Ah here, slight exaggeration but you get what I'm jabbering on about. I found mine in Tesco on sale. Go, run!   

Next is nail varnish, a slight obsession of mine. Seventeen is a brand that can do no wrong in my eyes, they do amazing dupe concealer for Benefits Boi-ing, they do gorgeous eye shadows and they now do amazing nail varnish. Who created the brand and can I marry them please? This is the new colour clash nail effects in 'in the surf'. Blue speckled nails with white. Orange. Baby pinks! Oh be still my beating heart, its almost too much. You only need one coat of this stuff, it makes the most divine looking nail art and I will be wearing it all summer. I mean allllll summer. Prepared to get bored of my nails fast. 

Another little gem is my Anatomicals headache relief balm soother. I got it the same time I ordered my Cleanse Off Mitt from Cloud10Beauty. I got it on a whim, thinking it wont work but it was cheap and thought it might be something cute and different to try. It actually does reduce my headaches, I'm shocked to say. It smells really lovely and slightly minty, its hard and compact in the tin but the moment you touch it it tuns into this lovely oil thats so easy to spread over your temples. I even use this before bed sometimes to relax me and help me sleep. I'm considering this as a stocking filler already! (No one shoot me, I am 24/7 365 days of the year about Christmas, ok!?) 

Lastly, my Penneys shoes. Would you look at all that blue glittery goodness packed onto one pair of shoes! I got these bad boys last year and I have a feeling they might bring out something similar again this year. I didn't wear them much as they cut the footies off me but after saying fuck it and breaking them in, I now want nothing else on me. Happiness is glitter feet. They are comfy, finally and aren't too unstable like some of the shoes Penneys dishes out. I think I paid about €7 for these. I need to go back and stalk the shelves in there for the summer, just in case they pop back in! 

Tesco, Lidi And Essence Haul

I know, whats with all the haul posts you ask! Well I have been picking things up in the past few weeks and instead of doing loads of little hauls I thought one or two big ones is the way to go! I got a few essentials and then just a few things that I couldn't leave behind. 25% off make up? Half price on shampoo? Who am I do say no to things that good.

First off I toddled round Tesco last weekend and found half price things like they were going out of fashion. Some Timotei conditioner for blondes and holy moly - did anyone else know that Timotei did dry shampoo?! I've never seen it before and with it being half price I naturally grabbed it and ran before they changed their minds! I also got a Pantene shampoo for fine hair as mine is lacking that va-va-voom lately. Lastly I might have been sucked into an offer on Yorkie 3 pack. Can't remember the last time I had one and with 3, they are made to share (if you have a choice or not - sneaky boyfriends!)

I was also in Lidi and couldn't be more delighted to find that my local was stocking cotton pads again all for only 45cent. I go through cotton pads like a mad woman between removing make up and nail varnish, so I got two packs. What a feckin' bargain! I got a load of baking ingredients too for some birthday cakes when I spotted they had a stand full of seeds. Naturally I had to pick up the hardest thing to grow, some pumpkin seeds! I got a pack for my friend too, she loves growing things and I'd say we'll have a little competition on who can grow the best ones! (were mad like that.) 

And lastly *pauses to drool* my local chemist had 25% off all Essence make up. My knickers were in a right twist trying to choose what to get, but like a trooper I managed! I picked up an eyeliner, lip stick, eye shadow concealer base, express drying nail varnish drops and a gorgeous light blusher. All this for under €10, it pays to have a look in your local.

Thats all from me for now. As always I hope everyone is having a great day and week. Keep your eyes peeled for bargains going and you might still be able to pick up some of these bits in the shops!