Thursday 25 July 2013

June/July 2013: Used, Abused & Reviewed.

I have 2 months worth of empties to get through so I'm going to try to keep this post as short and to the point as I can or we'll be here all day but if you have any questions, ask away.

Girlz Only Dry Shampoo 'Party Nights': I really like this dry shampoo, it come's in 3 or 4 different scents and works just as well as Batiste. The scent lingers on the hair all day but if you have a sensitive scalp then it can cause you to itch like a Nitty Norah. I'm fine as long as I wash my hair the day after using this. If you have dark brown/black hair you need to make sure you brush it through really well as it's very powdery. It's cheap and cheerful but the name kills me, am I alone on this?
Repurchase? I already have another one in the cupboard.

Liz Earle Eye Bright*: I love most Liz Earle products but this isn't one of them. I know for some people it works wonders at refreshing tired, sore eye's and getting rid of puffiness but I really don't think it does anything for me.
Repurchase? No

Green & Spring Restoring Face Serum*: I haven't fully used this up, there's a tiny bit left but it's out of date now. If you love oils, you'll love this. It's called Restoring Face Serum but it's actually an oil that works really well at softening any rough patches of skin. I get a random patch under my eye and chin and noticed a difference from the first use. You can read my full review here.
Repurchase? I'm sure I will at some point.

OSMO Deep Moisturising Shampoo: I've had this for such a long time. I didn't use it often as it contains ingredients I try to avoid but if my hair was feeling really dry and looking a bit ratty it made a big difference. It smells nice, lathers up well and made my hair look/feel smooth.
Repurchase? No, I prefer other shampoo's.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir: Probably one of the most hyped up products ever. I reviewed it last year (link) and I've gone through 2 or 3 bottles since then but I don't think it's the wonder product it's made out to be. I don't see any improvement in my skin when I use it, if anything it dries my skin out if used too often but I do enjoy using when the sun's shining or when I've got a migraine and feel a bit sick.
Repurchase? I'm using up my last bottle now but doubt I'll buy it again.

JASON Apricot Scrubble*: I started out really lovin' this face scrub but over time it became too harsh for my skin so I used the rest as a body scrub. I love JASON products but Apricot Scrubble isn't a product I would recommend to anyone with overly sensitive skin. If you like a good manual exfoliator though and know it won't upset your skin then this is a good one to go for. It's reasonably priced and free from harmful ingredients.
Repurchase? No

Liz Earle Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash: I bought this in a set of 3 last year and did enjoy using it, it's very gentle on sensitive skin and can even be used on babies but it's too expensive for what it is. If you're someone who likes to splash out when it comes to bath and shower products it might be one worth trying.
Repurchase? No.

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara: This was my mascara of choice for yeeeaaaaarssss. It's one of the blackest mascara's I've ever tried and made my lashes look full, long and curled but for some reason it doesn't work as well for me as it used to. I'm not sure if the formula has been changed or maybe my lashes have.
Repurchase? Not sure.

REN Neroli & Grapefruit Body Wash: REN body washes - I love them, my purse hates them. They're gorgeous. I love the packaging, the scents, the ingredients, the texture, I love everything about them except the price. The Neroli & Grapefruit version was my morning shower buddy, it helped wake me up with its fresh, citrusy scent.
Repurchase? Not at full price.

Toni & Guy Platinum Blonde Conditioner: This has been lurking in my bathroom for what seems like a million years. I bought it as a shampoo/conditioner duo but found the conditioner pointless. It has a purple tint but not enough to counteract any brassy tones. The shampoo was a lot better.
Repurchase? No

Garnier Ambre Solaire Medium Bronze Natural Dry Body Mist: Another forgotten product. I do like this but prefer other brands like Hi-Shi. I ended up with a few random streaks everytime I used this even though it claims to be a no streaks tan.
Repurchase? No

Leonor Greyl: I have no idea what this is called, it just says 'Palme' but its a solid oil which melts when in contact with heat and can be used as a pre shampoo treatment. I usually leave treatments on overnight and I did feel a bit of a difference after using this but not enough to make me want to buy it.
Repurchase? No

Lightening Whitening Teeth Whitening Pen: I'm all over anything that claims to whiten teeth and after seeing a few people rave about this I was daft enough to place an order using their discount code. It. Doesn't. Work.
Repurchase? Never

Figs & Rouge Sweet Geranium 100% Organic Balm: I REALLY liked this. It can be used on the face, body and lips to help sort out any dry patches. The tin is really small and cute too.
Repurchase? Yes but in a different scent.

Apivita Moisturising & Nourishing Mask With Honey: I really had high hopes for this brand but so far I've only liked one product (I think) I didn't really notice much difference in how my skin looked or felt after using this mask and it did sting when first applied so it isn't something I would recommend to anyone with sensitive skin.
Repurchase? No

Weleda Wild Rose Smoothing Capsules*: I can't really comment too much on this as there was only 2 capsules in the pack but it's a facial oil designed to soften the look of fine lines. It felt nice on the skin and is really good to apply before doing a facial massage but 2 uses isn't enough to notice much difference.
Repurchase? No

Pure Thoughts Apricot & Orange and Mango & Peach Face Masks: Love this brand. The masks come in powder form which you then mix with water to create a paste. They're free from nasty ingredients and have never irritated my skin. You can buy samples to try before committing to full sizes and the soaps are gorgeous too!
Repurchase? Yes

ESPA Super Active Lift & Firm Intensive Eye Serum: This is only a small sample but it lasted a long time. I've wanted to try something from ESPA for ages so was really excited to see this in my Latest In Beauty advent calendar but the excitement was short lived - I didn't like the texture, it's like a sticky gel that felt tacky even once it had dried and it didn't make any difference to my eye area.
Repurchase? No

Talika Skin Retouch: I can't remember much about this sample apart but it did improve the look of whatever area of skin I applied it to. It can be applied to the face, hands and neck, and from what I can remember, it was silicone based so it's not really something I would want to use daily.
Repurchase? No

100% Chemical Free 100% Natural No-Germs Deo: This is one of the deodorants I bought when trying to find a more natural deodorant to use but sadly it didn't do much. It's still more than half full but more than likely out of date by now. It's fragrance free and didn't sting even after shaving but it was just like spraying water under my arms.
Repurchase? No

The Boring Bits:
Sure Cotton Dry Deodorant
Cotton Pads x2

I've mentioned the Montagne Jeunesse Nose Pore Strips loads of times, you can read my review here but in short, I do recommend them.

Phew! Thought I was never gonna get to the end of this post.

Have you tried any of these products?

Follow me: Twitter | Bloglovin' | SheSaidBeauty
*PR sample

10 comments:

  1. I personally love the caudalie beauty elixir! I tried to stop using it but I think it adds a glow to my skin when I put on over my make up :) Although I do agree that too much can dry your skin out.

    Annie | www.raspberphobia.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I'm in the minority with this product - it doesn't do much for me but I do love the scent.
      xo

      Delete
  2. I've used a ridiculous amount of things up recently, keep forgetting to keep the packaging and have thrown most of it away! I agree about the Caudalie Elixir, nice enough but doesn't really do that much for me either.

    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always chuck things out then have to go bin raiding when I remember, lovely.

      The Caudalie Elixr is nice for the summer but apart from that I find it a bit bleh.
      xo

      Delete
  3. Great empties! I love Pure Thoughts products. I'm not a fan of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir as I can't stand the scent! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The scent is definitely a deal breaker for most people. I don't mind it but wish the mint came across stronger.

      It was you who got me started on Pure Thoughts.
      xo

      Delete
  4. Love these posts! The Caudalie Beauty Elixir just confuses me so much... What's even the point? Idk, it's probably one of the few products that have been hyped up but I'm not rushing to buy. lol xx

    ferdies-place.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was like that with the Revlon Lip Butters, everyone loves them but I still haven't bought any.
      xo

      Delete
  5. I love the title of this and the fact that the majority of the products got a big fat NO under "repurchase". I agree with you on REN. Beautiful products, but pricey. I'm also a big fan of Montagne Jeunesse. Green, work great, dead affordable.

    Ali

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, there isn't going to be many repurchases from this months empties. Maybe I was just in a bad mood through July. haha Wish REN was more affordable, gorgeous products.
      xo

      Delete