October Empties / Products I've Used Up

Tuesday 30 October 2012


It's that time of the month again - empties time! Here are the beauty products that I have managed to use up recently, what I thought about them and whether I'd repurchase them again.

October Books List

In honor of the month of Halloween, most of the books that I've read in October have a horror or dark theme to them.  If you've yet to pick a Halloween read, then perhaps one of these will interest you?  Here's what I've read this month:-

Review: Schwarzkopf OSiS+ Flatliner Iron Serum Spray

Monday 29 October 2012

 Schwarzkopf OSiS+ Flatliner Iron Serum Spray (200ml, £10.11, link)*

I recently signed up to Hairtrade's Blogger Partnership (special thanks to Fran for drawing my attention to it), so every month I will be reviewing a product that I've chosen to try out.  For those of you who haven't heard of Hairtrade before, they are one of the UK's leading online retailers of hair extensions, hair care and beauty products and stock all the top brands. 

Tag: Why Do You Wear Make-Up?

Sunday 28 October 2012

A selection of some of my make-up favourites

This tag has been doing the rounds on the blogosphere recently and I've been enjoying reading everyone's personal responses to it.  It's interesting to see why people choose to wear make-up and some of the history/background to their experiences with make-up in general.  When I read Miss Jayne Becca's post on this recently, I decided that it was time to do my own!

Review: Bumble and Bumble Mending Masque

Friday 26 October 2012

 Bumble and Bumble Mending Masque (150ml, £29, link)*

I abuse my poor hair far too much with blow drying and hair straighteners, so I always reach for a repairing hair treatment once a week in an attempt to make it happy again.  For the last few weeks I've been testing out this one by Bumble and Bumble

The Ciate Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar

Wednesday 24 October 2012

 Ciate Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar (£38, link)

When I first saw this Ciate Advent Calendar causing beauty bloggers and nail polish junkies everywhere to squee with sheer delight, I told myself that I wasn't going to get it.  As I'm saving up to visit my mum in Germany soon, I am on a STRICT spending ban.  Under no circumstances am I to splurge on completely unnecessary beauty purchases until after my trip.  Well...

Review: Neal's Yard Remedies Rose Facial Oil + the NYR Rose Absolute Provenance Story

Tuesday 23 October 2012

 Neal's Yard Remedies Rose Facial Oil (50ml, £21.50, link)*

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of beauty products that contain rose, especially when it comes to skincare.  Roses are my all time favourite flowers and their scent is just so feminine and classic, what's not to love?  So when Neal's Yard Remedies got in touch with me to ask if I'd like to learn more about where the rose absolute essential oil that they use in their products comes from, I was certainly intrigued to find out where this beautiful flower is grown and how it is harvested.    

In love with a water bottle? Meet my Bobble!

Monday 22 October 2012


I know what you're thinking - I've gone completely insane - what the hell am I doing writing a post about a plastic bottle?!  But this is no ordinary bottle, it's an eco-friendly Bobble and I love it! 

Review: Liz Earle Healthy Glow Powder Blush in Nude

Liz Earle Healthy Glow Powder Blush in Nude 03 (6g, £16.50, link)*

When it comes to blush, I always opt for ones which will look the most natural.  It's safe to say that I'm not a fan of the bright fuschia pink cheeks look, so when I saw the range of shades in Liz Earle's Healthy Glow Powder Blush line, I knew I had to try one out.

5 Mini Reviews: Burt's Bees, AD Skin Synergy, Living Nature, Dr Bragi & Essential Care

Sunday 21 October 2012


This week's 5 Mini Reviews is mainly centered around skincare and features some samples that I've been using for a while, as well as some new ones I've tested out in the last few days.

Joliebox - October 2012: The Pure and Natural Box

Saturday 20 October 2012

 Joliebox (£10 per month + P&P, link)

I was so excited to open this month's Pure and Natural themed Joliebox - I'm pleased with the contents and really like it when beauty boxes branch out to do a themed box like this.

NOTD: China Glaze - Gothic Lolita

Friday 19 October 2012


China Glaze's Gothic Lolita is a medium creme purple with the tiniest hint of pink shimmer.  I bought it earlier this year and wasn't all that impressed with the formula, which is on the thick side.  However, I've really been drawn to it this week and have always loved this shade of purple.  With some extra patience, I painted my nails with it on Tuesday and it's still going strong.  I think the name is pretty cute too!

What are you wearing on your nails this weekend?

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My 7 Winter Skin Saviours

Thursday 18 October 2012


Although technically it's not winter until December, I'm sure you'll all agree with me that it's getting very cold, especially in the evenings now.  If you're looking to stockpile some beauty products that will keep your skin happy in this weather, then look no further.  I've picked 7 of my favourite winter skin saviours that I reach for the most often at this time of the year:-

Review: NUXE Baume Prodigieux Levres Nutri-Protecting Lip Care in Natural Crystal

Wednesday 17 October 2012

 NUXE Baume Prodigieux Levres Nutri-Protecting Lip Care in Natural Crystal (7ml, £16, link)

If you're anything like me, you'll have been slathering lip balm on like it's going out of fashion this week, what with the weather turning very chilly here in the UK.  With so many tinted lip balm/care variants on the market, I was pleased to come across this lip care/ lip gloss hybrid by NUXE

Review: terre d'Oc Mineral Powder Foundation, Powder Eye Shadow & Gloss Sublime Lip Gloss


Last week I was lucky enough to attend a terre d'Oc blogger event and some of you wanted to see reviews of the make-up that I received in my goody bag, so here it is!  Plus, if you haven't tried out any terre d'Oc make-up before, then this post may serve as a helpful introduction to what the brand has to offer.

Tried & Tested: LUSH No Drought Dry Shampoo

Monday 15 October 2012

 LUSH No Drought Dry Shampoo (115g, £6.50, link)

As you've probably guessed by reading that subtitle up there, this is another rave review of a product that I've been wanting to try out for a while.  I've seen this mentioned on so many blogs that I've lost count, so naturally it was the first thing that sprang to my mind when my Phil Smith Dry Shampoo ran out the other day.

Review: Liz Earle Signature Lip Colour in Tea Rose

 Liz Earle Signature Lip Colour in 07 Tea Rose (3.5g, £14, link)*

I was very excited to try out this lipstick from Liz Earle when it arrived through my letterbox.  Like the rest of her make-up range, all of the Signature Lip Colours are in easy to wear shades and provide a sheer wash of colour.  Perfect if you're a fan of the 'My Lips But Better' look.

What's On My Bedside Table?

Sunday 14 October 2012


I've always enjoyed reading these posts by other bloggers, so today I've I decided to do my own 'What's On My Bedside Table?' post.  These are a selection of beauty products that I often apply before going to bed.

5 Mini Reviews: Liz Earle, Madara, LUSH, Burt's Bees & Rituals

Saturday 13 October 2012


The samples above for this 5 Mini Reviews post, have all come out of my recent travel bag.  Here's what I thought about each product:-

Review: Butter London Lippy Lipgloss in Trout Pout

Friday 12 October 2012

 Butter London Lippy Lipgloss in Trout Pout (7.1ml, £14, link)

When Butter London (those lovely people who do the stunning square-bottled nail polishes), launched a range of matching lipglosses earlier this year, I was oh so tempted to splurge and pick some up.  But as often happens (sadly), my bank balance wouldn't have been too pleased, so these Lippys went onto my enormous beauty wishlist.  So you can imagine how happy I was when I saw Alice selling one on her blog sale, and in the shade I had been most coveting too no less!

5 Autumn/Fall Nail Polishes

Thursday 11 October 2012

From L-R:
Zoya - Petra (NOTD), China Glaze - Dress Me Up (NOTD), Zoya - Dree (NOTD), Nails Inc - Savile Row (NOTD) and Barry M - Mushroom (NOTD)

Let's face it, Autumn is a dreary, wet and miserable season if you live in the UK.  Summer is over, the nights are drawing in, it's time to put the heating on, and it seems like forever until xmas!  However, out of this misery, I do enjoy the traditional autumnal shades that come around every year, especially for nails.  Above, I have chosen five of my favourite autumn-friendly nail polish shades which reflect the changing season well and will match the current A/W trends that are everywhere right now.

Are you a fan of Autumn/Fall shades?  Which are your favourites?

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Review: Inika Organic Liquid Foundation in Beige/Medium

 Inika Organic Liquid Foundation in Medium (30ml, £29.50, link)*

I reviewed some Inika products last month which you can read about here, and was kindly sent their newly repackaged and soon to be released, Organic Liquid Foundation to try out.

Amarya Organic / Natural Beauty Box - October 2012

Wednesday 10 October 2012

 Amarya box (£10 + P&P per month, link)

October's Amarya box is a balance Me themed one, and features four travel sized samples from the natural brand.  Inside were the following:-

terre d'Oc Blogger Event, London

Tuesday 9 October 2012


Yesterday, I hopped on a train and went down to London for an intimate blogger event hosted by the French brand, terre d'Oc.  I was very excited to see some of their make-up and skincare range, all of which are made from natural and organic ingredients.

October/November UK Magazine Freebies: Benefit, L'Occitane & Liz Earle!

Sunday 7 October 2012


It's been a while since I rushed out to the newsagents to pick up some beauty freebies (last time was back in summer I think), so I was very pleased to see a range of goodies available this month.  Here's what I picked up:-

Review: Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets

Thursday 4 October 2012

 Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets (50 per pack, £2.99, link)

Having an oily t-zone can be a right pain in the ass.  You put your make-up on in the morning and then by mid-day, instead of that glowing, dewy complexion that you achieved at 7am, you have a horrible, greasy shine down the center of your face.  NOT attractive!  This is why blotting papers are a handbag staple for many women (and men!) who are plagued with the curse of the oily t-zone.

NOTD: Zoya - Dree

Wednesday 3 October 2012


Whenever I think of Autmun/Fall in nail shade terms, I immediately think of dark olive and khaki greens.  Zoya's Dree is a firm favourite of mine.  This murky olive green applies beautifully in just two coats and like all of the Zoya polishes I've tried so far, doesn't chip on me for almost 5 days.

What are you wearing on your nails today?

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EOS vs Balmi - Battle of the Sphere Lip Balms!

Tuesday 2 October 2012


When I first heard of a British dupe for the ever popular EOS lip balms, I made a mental note to check them out ASAP.  As a lip balm junkie, I always have several on the go at any one time, so what was one more to add to my happy stash party?  Luckily for my bank balance, I had imposed a spending ban on such balms at the time, so I missed out on the hype when Balmi launched in Boots.  But I knew I was going to get one at some point, and lo and behold, one arrived in last month's Joliebox!  So now I can finally do a comparison review, let the battle of the sphere lip balms commence!   

Review: Japonesque Brush Set Touch Up Tube in Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month


 Japonesque Brush Set Touch Up Tube in Pink (£16.95, link)*

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the time of the year when lots of brands release special 'pink' products to show their support for this good cause.  Japonesque have released several pink products, one of which is a pink version of their Touch Up Tube.

September Favourites

Monday 1 October 2012


Is it October already?!  Time for me to do a recap of my most loved beauty products for the previous month then?  Here are my September Favourites in all their glory:-

Review: Liz Earle Botanical Essence No. 15 Eau De Parfum

 Liz Earle Botanical Essence No. 15 EDP (50ml, £45, link)*

With a certain festive holiday a mere 84 days away (sounds a long way off yet, but we all know how quickly time seems to fly these days!), some of you may already be starting your mental wishlists of what gifts you'd like to purchase for your nearest and dearest.  Perfume is always a popular luxury gift idea and a brand new fine fragrance from Liz Earle has been released today called Botanical Essence No. 15.  So if you're looking for something a little different to give this year, read on.
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