It's been a while since I did an 'empties' post, primarily because I completely forget to stash away those empty vessels and they end up in the bin but this month I have made a conscious effort to put aside those empty products. So I'm going to run through my empties and whether they will be repurchased or already have...

Yves Rocher Cocoa & Pistachio Hand Cream | £1.95 75ml

I always have a couple of tubes/bottles of hand cream on my bedside table as the last part of my bedtime beauty routine involves slathering my hands in moisturiser before bed. This cheap and cheerful hand cream from Yves Rocher smells divine and although I don't have over dry hands unfortunately it does very little for me on the moisturising front so this one won't be a repurchase.

B. Pure Micellar Water | £4.99 150ml

I've tried a fair few micellar water's and none have stood up to this. Not only does it remove all traces of makeup but it also leaves my skin squeaky clean and smooth. I use this as part of a 'double cleanse' at night meaning I will use this prior to my cleanser and together they deliver a super deep cleanse. I have a stockpile of this micellar water, you can often pick it up for half the rrp from Superdrug.

Premae Balance Rescue Facewash  | £30 200ml

If you read my blog regularly you will know that I have a real soft spot for Premae's products. This gel cleanser has done wonders for my skin, with it's completely natural ingredients it provides a deep cleanse whilst leaving my skin soft and nourished. This product is a regular repurchase as it's such a staple in my routine.

Lush Tea Tree Water  | £4.25 100ml

If like me you suffer from troublesome skin occasionally then you will love this toner. Containing only 6 ingredients it effectively balances oily skin and removes the last traces of your clearer whilst helping to fight your spots. I will repurchase this somewhere down the line, I've just started a toner from La Roche Possay so I will see how I get on with that one first.

Batiste Dry Shampoo Cherry | £2.99 200ml

I doubt I'm alone in favouriting Batiste dry shampoo, it's great for giving you one last day in between washes and giving volume to hairstyles. I've already repurchased only this time I have gone for a trio of miniatures I picked up on sale from ASOS.

Loreal Miss Manga Mascara | £8.99

This mascara is one of my favourite drugstore products. It does an amazing job of lengthening and separating lashes with a smudge and clump free formula. I definitely would repurchase this mascara, I have Lancome Hypnose open at the moment (I don't like to have more than one mascara open at any one time) but this would be top of my list for future purchases.

Lush Mask Of Magnaminty | £5.50 125ml

Lush offer a great variety of affordable yet effective skincare products and mask of magnanimity is at the top of my list for face masks. When I'm suffering from a bad break out this mask does wonders for my skin. I go through bouts of buying Lush products, unfortunately I live 30 miles away from my nearest store so I can't just pop in, I do order online when I have a largish order to put through but because they are full of fresh ingredients they only tend to last for 14 days.

Lush Cosmetic Warrior Mask | £6.50 75g

This is my all-time favourite mask for break-out's, it does a quick and super effective job of clearing break-out's and reducing the size of those horrible large spots that just won't budge. The smell takes some getting used to (think garlic mayo!) due to some of the ingredients but when it does an amazing job like it does, I can live with it!

Eyeko Eyeliner | £12

I absolutely love this eyeliner for it's precision but I do find that the formula smudges and as it's a felt tip pen style liner it dries up so quickly! This unfortunately will not be a repurchase, I much prefer a gel liner for the depth of colour.

Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion | £21.50 50ml

The one pictured is a sample size from a Benefit gift set. This oil-free lotion preps skin for moisturising and leaves skin soft and dewy without looking oily and slick. I have gone on to purchase the full size product as my foundation seems to look so much better with this moisturiser worn underneath!

Aromatherapy Associates Inner Strength Bath & Shower Oil | £40 55ml

Again in this photo this is a sample sized product, from Birchbox I think.  I smooth this oil all over my body before getting into the shower and within seconds of the water hitting my skin the bathroom is filled with the uplifting scents of sage and frankincense. I will definitely go on to purchase the full size product.

Vasanti Brighten Up Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator | £26 120ml

This is another Birchbox sample, I'm on a mission to work through that huge draw full of samples I have! Whilst this exfoliator smells lovely and has fine particles to help buff dead skin away I didn't find it abrasive enough for me, I do own cheaper and more effective products. It's not the worst I've tried but its far from the best so for this reason I won't go on to purchase the full size.

Phew this month's empties has certainly been one of skincare, I find it hard to get through makeup as I have so much of it and do a weekly product rotation. Have you spotted any of your favourites here?

May's Edition Of Birchbox

Rather excitingly Birchbox collaborated with Sophie Bloomfield the Beauty Director from fashion and beauty magazine Harper's Bazaar with their must-have beauty picks for Spring/Summer. When Birchbox announced their collaboration it caused quite a stir on social media with beauty enthusiasts eagerly anticipating May's edition and quite rightly so as this box has some fabulous products in it! Let's take a look into my box and the items I received...

One of the products everyone wanted was Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish. This award winning (100 awards to be precise!) cleanser lifts dirt and makeup from the skin's surface with a little help from two of nature's best astringents- eucalyptus oil and rosemary, polishing the product off with their 100% cotton muslin cloth it leaves skin radiant, smoothed and soothed. Gentle yet effective it can even be used to remove eye makeup. Funnily enough I placed an order for this very product earlier in the week and it came the same time as my Birchbox! Whilst I am more than happy with my current cleanser I was intrigued to know why this product has such a cult following...I will pop a post up once I have tried it this evening.

I was hoping that I would have one of the polishes in my box after seeing the spoilers and I was so pleased when I opened the box to find the shade Persimmon by expert salon brand Soigne. This gorgeous coral shade, leaning more on the orange side, will be the perfect Spring/Summer shade for fingers and toes! The packaging of this polish makes it feel a lot more expensive than it is (rrp £11). It comes in a gorgeous Chanel-esque black and white box with the polish being hugged firmly by black foam inside. I only did my nails yesterday evening so won't be trying it out tonight but it's next on my list!

Another great sample-sized product from Benefit this month. I have tried their 'They're Real!' mascara before and it's really good, it gives lashes both length and volume with a natural looking curl. The formula is jet-black and the special brush is definition enchanting, easily layered to take you from your day-to-night look. I find the best application is to wiggle the brush from lash base to tip, giving you volume without clumps.

I do love a good bath oil, although I tend to shower more I do have a lovely little collection in the bathroom for when I do decide to take time out and indulge. I have tried Aromatherapy Associates Morning Bath & Shower Oil before, containing grapefruit, rosemary and juniper it's a great energy booster for use in the morning or after travelling. There's enough for one bath in the sample, I will add this to my collection to indulge in soon.

Last but not least in my box was Beauty Protectors shampoo and conditioner. I rarely stray from my usual shampoo and conditioner but I do have a little box of samples which are great to pack if I'm going away for the night. Beauty Protector's range is designed to revive heat styled hair, guard against further damage and hep heal any that's already been done. The formula contains honey pearl powder which is rich in conchiolin which acts like the hair protein Keratin.





Overall I think this was a fabulous box full of a good variation of great quality products. I have only been with Birchbox for 3 months and I haven't been disappointed yet.

Jodie

xoxo