Beauty Empties #7

LUSH Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly (discontinued)

I am beyond devastated that I can not longer get my hands on this bad boy - the smell of this stuff, guys. My God. It's like blackcurrant fruit pastilles and I can't even. Though the wibbly stuff is a little difficult to get a hold of when actually in the shower, I found that just a small spoonful lathers so luxuriously when used with a shower puff, and the scent lingers on your skin for hours, even longer when used in your hair. I honestly can't get enough. I'm not going to lie, the concept of a shower jelly makes me squirm a little uncomfortably inside. Plus it's sparkly, how could I not? Just a small spoonful of this stuff lathers so luxuriously with a shower puff and apparently doubles as a shampoo of sorts. I could deal with my hair smelling like this all day. Could definitely deal.

Repurchase? If only I could. LUSH do have an entire range of other shower jellies, but the scent of Sweetie Pie was what I wanted.

LUSH Happy Hippy Shower Gel

I've raved about this shower gel about ninety-zillion times. The love I have for this product is mostly based on how heavenly it smells. The fresh citrus-y grapefruit-y scent is a lovely pick me up first thing in the morning. The best part is that it doesn’t smell like dish washing liquid the way many citrus body washes tend to; it's just a natural scent that beats any of the synthetic ones. Period. Aside from the smell, the gel works into a luxuriously thick lather that makes me feel incredibly clean and refreshed afterwards. LUSH claim that you can use this in your hair as well.. I've always been too nervous to use anything other than shampoo as shampoo, but I can imagine it would leave your hair smelling delicious.

Repurchase? I will continue to repurchase until the day I die.

AVON Skin so Soft Defying Flawless Legs

I don't think this is available through AVON anymore, which is a damn shame because it was my secret weapon. I'd just apply it before an event and BAM! Instant, natural looking, even colour to my legs. It contains a whole bunch of ingredients that are said to boost collagen and elastin production as well as moisturise. The cream doesn't have an offensive smell like some "tanning" products do nor does it have an orange hue to it. It's such an easy, mess free way to get some colour on to your body and help to disguise any veins or cellulite you may have, rinsing off with ease.

Repurchase? If it were to ever come back to AVON, most definitely.

LeTan Coconut Oil SPF 30+ (discontinued?)

Now that we're actually getting some sunshine, I've been using this almost every day on my lunch break. The formulation protects the skin from sun damage while also hydrating and leaving your skin smelling all coconut-y and delicious (I get told that I smell like a lamington by my co-workers almost every day). It sinks in nicely IF you don't use too much - as is the case with any body oil. Honestly, you really only need a little bit; sand/grass tends to stick everywhere if you use even the slightest bit too much. Just bare in mind, that just because it has an SPF doesn't mean you can go ahead and bake all day to achieve a tan as this is essentially a tanning product with SPF, not a sunscreen, as it's so misleadingly named.

Repurchase? I've had trouble finding this anywhere, so I've purchased Reef's offering instead. Same thing, different brand.

Kim Kardashian Shimmer Body Lotion

I got this in a three piece set* a long while back. It's not something that I'd usually gravitate towards, but I thought I may as well use it all up anyways. If you love florals, you'll love this frangipani/jasmine scent. The shimmer aspect to the lotion was nice, too - not a chunky glitter but a pretty light-reflecting shimmer. I didn't find it to be as hydrating as I would have liked, however. Overall, just a "meh" product for me: nice but nothing special.

Repurchase? I would pass on this one in the future.

L'Oreal Professionnel 10 in 1 Perfecting Multi-purpose Spray*

It's embarrassing how neglectful I am when it comes to my hair. It's so thin and I straighten it quite often, meaning that is usually pretty dry and brittle. I spray this on the ends of damp hair at night and on dry hair in the morning and the difference in my hair's condition is astounding. I noticed results right after my first use, and it just keeps getting better and better. This is geared towards colour treated hair (which I do not have), but my natural light blonde locks really love this stuff. It's multi-purpose, so it does a whole lot of good things from adding shine and de-frizzing, to heat protection but the most noticeable result for me is how smooth and soft my hair is and how the drastically the appearance of split ends has reduced. It has a pleasant smell, is non-greasy, versatile and makes my hair look and feel healthier than it has ever been.

Repurchase? I hate buying hair products, but I actually would repurchase this, yes.

ChapStick Pawpaw Lip Balm

Is it just me, or do ChapStick products go bad fairly quickly? Every single ChapStick product I've ever owned has gone "off" super fast.. When it was good, it was good, of course, it's just disappointing to have to throw away a product that is not yet fully used up. We all know what a lip balm is like, so I won't get too in to it because it's all pretty standard, but Pawpaw is a welcome ingredient in any product that is designed to moisturise and protect - so there's that, I guess.

Repurchase? Due to the short shelf-life, I would have to say no.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer* in "fair"

I use this every damn day. The formula is thick enough to cover the under eye area and fill fine lines without settling into them or creasing but also smooth enough to blend out nicely. Although this does have a matte finish to it, it still manages not to accentuate my dry skin, which is always appreciated. It does a nice job of disguising the purple undertones of my under eyes, too. The applicator, however... On one hand, I love that it's a wind-up, meaning you can basically get every last drop from the tube, but on the other, I'm a huge fan of the sponge nib component. Although I've gotten used to it now, it's still impossible to clean and is quite large, making it difficult to get the product into the smaller parts of the eye.

Repurchase? Always.

Maybelline FitMe Concealer* in "light"

This baby is a constant use item for me, in conjunction with Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind mentioned above. In fact, I've mentioned this damn concealer about ninety-zillion times on the blog, so I won't spent too much time repeating myself. What I will say, is that although it does provide relatively nice coverage of dark circles, I tend to use this as an under eye brightener rather than a concealer as the light shade is amazing for brightening and highlighting. It's easy to apply with it's doe foot applicator and creamy formula allows it to spread and blend beautifully, leaving a dewier finish all the while feeling so soft on the skin. The creaminess of the formula means it does not accentuate my dry skin, either.

Repurchase? Yes!

The Body Shop Mango Body Butter 50mL

MANGO WILL ALWAYS BE MY FAVOURITE EVERYTHING AND I LOVE THIS SCENT SO MUCH OMG. I'm sure that you've allllll used The Body Shop's body butters at some point in your respective lives - they're all super moisturizing, if not a little too oily for my personal liking. Nonetheless, they work wonders to remedy my disgustingly dry legs and the amazing scent lingers all throughout the day.

Repurchase? Sure, once I've used up my other 99,000 body butters.

Sukin Sensitive Cleansing Gel*

I was recommended this product by a fellow blogger before I really knew a whole lot about skincare for my skin type and I must say.. I didn't like this one bit. I have dry, somewhat sensitive skin, and I've since discovered that gentle cream cleansers are the way for me to go as opposed to a gel, but I thought that being a "sensitive" option, this cleanser would be gentle and soothing. On the contrary, this stuff made my face feel so very dry - it was more than unpleasant. My skin did feel clean, sure, but the uncomfortable, dry feeling that took about 50 litres of moisturiser to counteract just wasn't worth it.

Repurchase? It's a no from me.

Vaseline Healthy Radiance Ultimate 10 Anti-Ageing Lotion sample size

I have about 20 sample sized bottles of this stuff laying around, and it's a pretty rad formula, I'm not going to lie. I keep a bottle on my desk at work, a bottle in my handbag and the rest are strewn all about in almost every room of my house. Despite the 10-in-1 claims, I only really use it as a moisturiser, in which it does an amazing job. It relieves dry, itchy and flaky skin, sinking in nicely without leaving sticky or greasy residue. It's supposed to be amazing on mature skin, too, I'm told.

Repurchase? If I ever run out of bottles, yes.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream - regular and intense

I actually feel as though the regular formula was better than the intense in one my case. Go figure. Vitamin E has soooo many amazing benefits that are good for the skin, Google it if you're not informed (do it!), so I'm a huge fan of both of these creams (one more than the other) - they're especially wonderful for drier skin types. I mix this in with my various face lotions and potions both day and night, and I've noticed a huuugggeee improvement in the condition of my dry patches and the overall smoothness and plumpness of my face. The regular did have quite a strong smell, which I wasn't a fan of, whereas the intense version was pretty much unscented.

Repurchase? I'd pick up the regular offering again (scent and all) in a heartbeat.

Carmex Lip Balm Pot*

Carmex would have to be my favourite brand for lip care - I find their products to be superior in terms of moisturising dry lips in comparison to all other drugstore balms that I have tried (I've tried a lot). This balm goes on nice and thick, yet somehow not sticky, meaning it has some serious staying power and is wonderful for night-time use. It has quite a strong scent, however. Be warned. I got the limited edition "wild" pot with cute leopard print lid - same formula as the original, different packaging. I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of pot packaging for beauty and skincare products, however.

Repurchase? Yes, Sir.

The Body Shop British Rose Shower Gel 60mL

I got this travel-sized shoer gel as part of the British Rose Essential Collection, in which I received for free for spending over a certain amount during some sort of promotional period. Hoorah! This shower gel (and the rest of the British Rose collection) smells absolutely heavenly. If you're in to rose scents (obviously), then you need this in your life. It lathers up beautifully and is moisture rich which are both things that I need out of a shower gel.

Repurchase? Yes.

The Original Beauty Blender

This obviously isn't empty, but it is well past time to throw it away. Look at the state of that thing. *shudders* I prefer sponges to brushes when it comes to make-up application and I prefer the Beauty Blender to all other sponges that I've tried. I feel as though a damp beauty blender is far superior in terms of applying and seamlessly blending foundation and concealer. If you haven't tried the Beauty Blender, a) where have you been? b) it's definitely worth the investment.

Repurchase? Forever.


AVON MagiX Face Perfector Primer

This primer wasn't actually empty; it was about 2/3 of the way used up. I actually had about 3 of these primers in my stash (all have since been donated) - AVON keep sending out free bottles with my orders. I'm not the biggest fan of this primer. It's not bad by any means, I just have others (Benefit POREfessional*, Too Faced Hangover Primer*) that I prefer more. It has a sort of gel-to-powder texture to it and it does make my skin feel smooth and soft. My skin was mattified but not dry and my make-up applied smoothly over the top. I feel as though my make-up does last longer in conjunction with this primer, but nothing crazy.

Repurchase? I would not.


Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel x2

I love, love, LOVE this moisturizer. So much so that I've gone through two pots recently. It's got such a clever gel formula that continuously releases moisture throughout the day without going too far and leaving the skin looking oily. It has such a refreshingly light and non-sticky texture that my skin slurps right up. My dry patches have been getting the nourishment they need and my skin looks supple. The scent actually reminds me of jellybeans, which is an added bonus.

Repurchase? Of course.

L'Oreal False Lash Butterfly Wings Waterproof Mascara

This is a tie with Maybelline's Lash Sensational* for my all-time favourite mascara. The close-togetherness of the bristles on the wand mean that it's almost impossible to have a clumpy finish when using this, and the actual shape of the wand really helps to extend those corner lashes that are hard to reach to give the lashes a more "up and out" look, which is great if you have smaller eyes like myself. The formula is amazing in which it takes only one coat (I always do two, however) to substantially lengthen and curl the lashes. It's waterproof, dries quickly, and doesn't smudge, transfer or flake.

Repurchase? Yes!


La Roche Posay Toleriane Riche Moisturiser*

This is geared towards dry, sensitive skin types which is exactly the kind of formula that I need. This is the first formula that I've ever found that actually makes my skin oily. I don't know if that's just the finish that such an intense product gives or if it's too moisturising for me (I've never heard of such a thing) but my skin is always left feeling sticky and looking shiny come midday, no matter how little I use. It does do a great job of eliminating my dry patches and that uncomfortable dry feeling, however, so I only use it on dessert dry days, focusing mostly on the tops of my cheeks, my chin and around the sides of my nostrils.

Repurchase? Probably not.


Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+*

I absolutely love rosehip oil. It's the ultimate skincare ingredient if you ask me! I apply 3-4 drops after my shower, before moisturiser every night and mix 2-3 drops in to a light moisturiser every morning. The improvement to my skin since using rosehip oil is insane! It works to moisturise dry skin without leaving any oily trance of its existence and it leaves my skin feeling so soft and healthy. If I skip the rosehip oil for any reason, I can always notice it's absence. I always pay extra for the Antioxidant+ version of Trilogy's rosehip oil - it's more than worth it, trust me.

Repurchase? YES!

What products have you loved and used up lately?

See also: Beauty Empties 1-6

As always, this post has not been sponsored in any way, meaning that none of the items mentioned have been sent to me, endorsed or paid for by anyone other than me, myself and I. This post does, however, contain affiliate links. I will always disclose such information with an asterisk (*) for full disclosure to my readers.
Feel free to find and purchase these products elsewhere if you don't get down like that. :)