April Empties: Products I've Used Up

I can't quite believe that it's May already - where has the time gone this year?! Here are my latest Empties/products that I've used up, my thoughts on them and whether I'll be repurchasing any or not.

YOPE Ginger Sandalwood Natural Liquid Soap* (reviewed here)

This huge bottle has been in my bathroom for months and I've been using it for so many different things; as a hand wash, shower gel, to clean my makeup brushes, the list goes on! It's a brilliant multi-purpose liquid soap and I loved the fresh Ginger Sandalwood scent. My only bugbear with it was that the pump was prone to clogging up which was annoying. Repurchase? I'm trying to cut down on my plastic waste, so I probably wouldn't repurchase it as I'm switching to a lot of bar soaps instead, but I do like this range a lot.

Davines OI Shampoo (link)

I picked this up in the last Cult Beauty sale and it's such an amazing shampoo that's definitely worth all the hype (Caroline Hirons is a fan). It really suited my hair (fine with oily roots and dry ends/lengths) and a little went a long way which is a massive plus considering that it's quite pricey. Repurchase? Definitely will when I see it on offer again.

Benecos Seabuckthorn & Orange Shower Gel* (link)

If you want a shower gel that feels luxurious and high end but only costs £6, you can't go wrong with any of the body washes from Benecos. I've used this Seabuckthorn & Orange one a couple of times in the past and often go back to it because it smells so good! Lovely, gentle SLS-free formula too. Repurchase? Will do once I've used up some others.

Human+Kind Orange Conditioner for Dry Hair

Another orange scented product that I've thoroughly enjoyed using is this Conditioner from the ethical brand Human+Kind. I loved the scent, texture and how it made my notoriously dry hair so soft and manageable after every use. Repurchase? Sadly not as I believe this has been discontinued now.

Organiqua Hemp, Peppermint & Cocoa Lip Balm* (reviewed here)

Looking for a plastic-free lip balm? Try this one! I've been using this lip balm since Christmas and it's served me well throughout the Winter months. It's 100% natural and has a simple blend of nourishing ingredients like Shea Butter, Hemp Oil and Cocoa Butter to keep chapped lips at bay. Repurchase? Yes, I'll buy it again once I've gotten through some of my crazy lip balm stash!

PHB Ethical Beauty Hydrating Facial Tonic in Ylang Ylang* (link)

This was a lovely toner to use when the weather was colder as it very much suited my skin when it was drier and more dehydrated. If you have mature skin, I think you'll also love this. Repurchase? Will do next Winter.

Ecodenta Coconut Toothpaste* (link)

I've had a couple of messages from people asking if I use natural toothpaste, so I thought I'd start putting them into my Empties posts for those who are interested. I've tried out a few from Ecodenta when they were in the Penny Sale at Holland & Barrett and recently finished this Coconut one. It helped to brighten up my teeth a little and I liked the coconut flavour which was a nice change from mint. Repurchase? Not sure as I'm trying some from Lavera now and think I prefer those!

What have you used up recently?

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A Sunday Pamper with Khadi, Davines, Treaclemoon and Skin & Tonic

Sundays were made for taking some well earned 'me' time and indulging in a good old pamper. Here's an easy four step pamper that you can do at home which will leave your hair and skin feeling amazing.

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Haircare review: Davines MOMO Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner for Dry/Dehydrated Hair

For most of the year, my hair feels naturally quite dry, but during the Winter months, it gets incredibly dry so I always have to switch up my shampoo & conditioner to something much more hydrating.

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December Empties / Products I've Used Up

So here it is, the last Empties post of the year.  Thought I'd put this up a little early so that I can pop them all in the recycling bin before it's xmas.  These are the products that I managed to finish up in December and whether I would repurchase them again:-

Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask* (reviewed here)
Love this face mask - it clears up any blemishes quickly and makes my skin feel wonderfully clean and clear.  Repurchase?  Yes.

Yardley English Lavender Luxury Body Wash
I've had this lingering around in my bathroom since March when it came in a Joliebox and I've been slowly using it up ever since.  It's not my favourite lavender scent in the world (a bit too 'powdery' for my liking), so I just used the rest up in recent baths.  Repurchase?  No.

Davines Authentic Moisturising Balm
So sad to see my last tube of this get used up!  I used it as an intensive hair treatment and loved how soft it made my hair feel.  Repurchase?  Yes, I'll pick up a full size when I've used up some other hair masks.

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
This is the original cooling peppermint formula that Burt's Bees are famous for.  Personally I prefer their Honey formulas more, but this was still nice to use.  Repurchase?  Maybe.

Essential Care Organic Calendula Balm* (reviewed here)
A great multi-purpose all natural and organic balm that can be used on any dry/chapped bits.  This little tub lasted ages!  Repurchase?  I have lots of multipurpose balms in my current stash, but it's certainly something I'd pick up again in the near future.

Clinique All About Eyes
I like this eye cream a lot and have gone through a couple of pots of it in the last two years.  It's a good, everyday eye cream and one to try out if you haven't before.  Repurchase?  I fancy a change so as this was my last pot, I've decided to switch to using Korres' Evening Primrose Eye Cream at the mo.

Dermasalve Body Cream* (reviewed here)
Another product I've had in my bathroom for a while.  This was OK and something I used when I experienced eczema flare ups, but I much prefer LUSH's Dream Cream and Barefoot's SOS Body Lotion to this.  Repurchase?  No.

balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash
Love the delicate rose/turkish delight scent of this and it's one of my favourite natural body washes to use.  Repurchase?  Yes, but only as a treat as it's a little pricey.

Barry M Lip Gloss Wand in Toffee (reviewed/swatched here)
Another favourite product that I've used up is this lip gloss from Barry M.  Smells and tastes just like toffee and is a gorgeous nude shade with a little shimmer.  Repurchase?  Already have!

Have you used up any products this month?  
Feel free to link to your empties posts below!
 

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Joliebox - July

After last month's delay, Joliebox have upped their game and sorted out their delivery service, hooray!  The boxes are now dispatched via Yodel couriers and I arranged for mine to be redelivered this morning.  Here's what's inside my July Joliebox, themed 'Summer Essentials':-

• Full size 15ml Etat Pur Pure Active A22 - Salicylic Acid 300 -  A powerful and effective treatment which can be used on acne prone and blemished skin.  I do suffer from breakouts so I'm sure this will come in handy, and I'm interested to see how it compares with the old D.I.Y aspirin method.
• Sample size Jane Iredale Tantasia Self-Tanner - This is a moisturising gradual self-tanner than can be used on the body as well as the face.  The sample tube is so tiny that this would only really work on your face which is how I'll use it.  You wouldn't want to tan just ONE leg now would you?!
• Two mini Nailgirls nail polishes, in Gold and Bronze - Not heard of this brand before, but I love metallic nail polishes and these shades look very pretty.
• 60ml Wen by Caz Dean Sweet Almond and Mint Cleansing Conditioner - This looks very promising, a mostly natural hair conditioner made with natural herbs and botanicals.  Will definitely be trying this out soon.
• Joliebox toe separators - handy to pop in the travel bag.
• 75ml Davines Authentic Moisturising Balm - To make up for last month's delivery fiasco, Joliebox have put in a 'Special Extra' into each box which I think is a really good idea because it shows they've acknowledged that a lot of people were annoyed about the delays.  I love this product and have used up a tube of it before, so I'm very happy to have another one as a freebie!

Summary: Congrats to Joliebox for sorting their delivery service out and for coming up with a great box this month which is varied and full of products that I know I'll be using soon!

Did you get a Joliebox this month?

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Joliebox - March

This month's Joliebox boasts a first for any beauty box; it contains all full size products! Do you think someone perhaps took notice of the drama surrounding last month's box of small (but still sample) sizes? Hmmmm. There's also the addition of the 'Joliemag', a 24-page glossy magazine showcasing new beauty products, meet the team features and how-to guides etc, which is pretty neat. Onto the products that I received, firstly there's a 200ml Yardley Luxury Body Wash in English Lavender. Now, I'm probably in the minority here when I say that I actually like lavender, I know that it's certainly something of a marmite scent for most people so I can imagine a few being disappointed with receiving this. I've seen some of the other floral scents that were sent out so I guess it's just one of those luck of the draw things? The product that I'm most excited about is the Davines Authentic Moisturising Balm which was sent out with one of the other beauty boxes recently and I thought it sounded really interesting. It's a 98% natural balm that can be used on hair, face and body so I'll certainly make use of this. Oh how I love multi-purpose products!

Two make-up items were included this month, an Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Powder Pink and an LCN nail polish which is a German brand I believe. I'm happy with the colours that I got sent; the nail polish looks like a pretty shimmery peach shade and I've been meaning to experiment with a pink eyeliner for that 'wide awake/bigger eyes' look. There's also a little extra in the shape of the Joliebox mirror which isn't exactly great quality wise as it looks mega cheap, but no doubt it will get thrown into one of my many make-up bags regardless. Summary: I thought this box was great, all things that I will use again which is always good of course!

Whilst I'm here, I just wanted to add my two cents to the news of the Carmine box being no more. Carmine was definitely my favourite out of all of the beauty boxes as they always offered great value and a good range of products. Sad to see them go, but I didn't think much of them merging with Glossybox. What was that all about?! I don't think I'll be signing up again to Glossybox, though my mind may change if they become more like how Carmine used to be. I'm sure only time will tell.

Did you receive a Joliebox this month? What did you think?

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