May Empties: Products I've Used Up

It's my favourite time of the month when my blog feed erupts with everyone's empties posts!  Here are the products that I've used up recently, my thoughts on them and whether I will be repurchasing them or not.

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Currently Using: Nail Products for a DIY Manicure

Lazy Saturdays in my house usually mean two things; tackling a mountain of chores that I've let stack up over the week, and then treating myself to a bit of a DIY manicure.  These are the nail products that I currently like to use:-

Boots Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover & Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover (review)
First things first, I remove any existing nail polish and use either Boots' own brand acetone free version or Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover which is also acetone free.  

Gwdihw Nail Wizard Balm* (review)
Next, I'll apply a tiny bit of this nail balm to the cuticles and leave them for 10 mins or so to soften them up, then I'll wash my hands.  This makes it a lot easier to do the next step if needed.

Leighton Denny Remove & Rectify Cuticle Remover  (review)
Usually once a week, I'll treat my cuticles to a little of this twin action remover and conditioner.  It's a lot gentler than some of the more rapid removers on the market because of the conditioning element it has, but it still does a good job.  I then simply use an orange stick to make everything look neater.

Mont Bleu Glass nail file 
To shape the nails, I use a glass nail file.  Since I've switched to using just glass, I've noticed an improvement in the strength of my nails, especially around the edges where they tended to be very weak in the past.  Would highly recommend getting one and they apparently last for years too! 

OPI Nail Envy & Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
For a base coat, I mainly use OPI's Nail Envy which helps to strengthen the nails and provides a smooth base.  To add a glossy finish, I'll then just apply a coat of goold old Seche Vite.  Done!

What nail products do you use for a DIY manicure?

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Tried & Tested: OPI Natural Nail Base Coat & Top Coat

OPI Natural Nail Base Coat & Top Coat Duo (2 x 15ml, £11, link)

I received this OPI duo for xmas and have been testing them out over the last few weeks.  As much as I love OPI's nail colours, I haven't experimented much with their manicure range (though I can say that their Nail Envy is pretty damn good!).  

I'm impressed with OPI's Natural Nail Base Coat because it simply does everything I want a base coat to do.  The formula is thin, dries quickly, doesn't have an offensive too-chemically smell, and it just makes a good, smooth base for your nail polish.  I've worn it under a few dark reds and blacks, and haven't had any major issues with staining either.  I wouldn't go as far as saying it's the holy grail of base coats yet, but it's certainly one I'd recommend trying out.

OPI's Top Coat on the other hand was rather disappointing.  It takes forever to dry and then proceeds to smudge badly if it isn't completely dry.  Plus it didn't help to prolong the wear of my nail polish either.  Skip it and buy Seche Vite instead.

Have you tried either of these?

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TOP 5: Xmas Party Glitter Nail Polishes

From L-R: OPI - Teenage Dream (NOTD), Essence - Disco Disco (NOTD), Barry M - 150 Red Glitter, China Glaze - Luxe And Lush (NOTD) and Revlon - Facets Of Fuchsia (NOTD).

What are your favourite glitter nail polishes?

P.S: The winner of my German beauty giveaway is Daniella!  Congrats!

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NOTD: OPI - What's With The Cattitude?

Anyone else remember the Shrek Forever After collection that OPI released about two years ago?  I was having a rummage through my nail polishes this afternoon and stumbled across What's With The Cattitude?  I haven't worn this in ages but I absolutely love it.  I don't have many pale sky blues like this in my collection so I really should get some more use out of it!

What are you wearing on your nails this weekend? 

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NOTD: OPI - Basque In The Sun

Still no sign of any sunny weather in the UK (or at least where I am anyway!), but I'm slowly being drawn towards more summery nail polish shades.  Kinda.  OPI's Basque In The Sun, is something of a go-between perhaps?  It's a toffeeish, burnt caramel sort of shade and I can't honestly tell whether I like it or not.  It's one of the oldest OPIs in my entire nail polish collection and I must have bought it when I was looking for 'unusual' colours.  I think it would look much better with tanned/olive skin, but yeah, after I painted my nails, I ended up looking down at them and thinking 'Meh'.  Maybe it's a grower? We'll see.

What do you think? Fugly or not? 

P.S - Last day to enter my Treacle Moon Iced Strawberry Dream Bath & Shower Gel giveaway! I will be picking THREE lucky winners sometime tomorrow evening.  Get your entries in here!

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NOTD: OPI - Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous

I know that this isn't your typical Spring shade, but I was going through some of my OPIs earlier, and stumbled across this little beauty that I hadn't worn in ages. It's one of a mini set that I purchased from their Swiss Collection, and is the only colour that I currently own which is this wonderful gun/dark pewter metallic silver. I love how metallics catch the light when it's sunny, so I always find myself wearing some of these at this time of the year. Application was typically sheer with this and it needed three coats to build up to this opaqueness. Word of caution though: this is something akin to a nightmare to remove. You'll need to employ the tin foil trick of course, but make sure you have plenty of cotton wool around to mop up the excess glitter that dispenses itself everywhere. Despite this, OPI's Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous is still one of my favourite OPIs.

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January Empties

Here are my beauty empties for this month and whether I would choose to repurchase them or not. The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter - Have used this for years and it's still a firm favourite of mine. Definitely one that I enjoy using in the colder months because it's so thick and moisturising. Repurchase? Yes. Crystal Spring Salt Of The Earth Deodorant Spray (review) - I made the switch to all natural deodorants about a year ago and have mostly been using this brand. It's fragrance free and works great, no problems at all! Repurchase? Yes. Cowshed Cow Pat Moisturising Hand Cream - Received this when it was free with a magazine and although I've liked other Cowshed products, I didn't think much of this. It wasn't particularly moisturising in my opinion. Repurchase? No. Ceteum SCR Gold Creme De Lite - From a Boudoir Prive box, this smelt awful like talcum powder or something! Didn't rate it much as a moisturiser either. Repurchase? No. Lush Glogg & Snow Fairy Shower Gels - I love these, they smell so good. Repurchase? If they bring them back this year, then yes!



Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturiser in Shade 03 - Really liked this, has more of a foundation formula than a traditional tinted moisturiser but it was really good and non-greasy for my oily/combo skin. Repurchase? Yes, will get a full size when my current foundation has run out. The Body Shop Nutriganics Smoothing Day Cream - Didn't like this much, don't think it's right for my skin. Repurchase? No. Burts Bees Honey Lip Balm - One of my all time favourite lip balms, like ever! I always end up going back to this and usually have a spare one around somewhere. Repurchase? Yes. Witch Concealer Stick - I do like this for covering blemishes but will probably try Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection next. Repurchase? Probably not. OPI Nail Envy Mini - Another product that I do like (review) but I've switched to using Trind for now. Repurchase? Maybe. Vinies Luminous Skin Mask - That face mask from Boudoir Prive. I thought it was OK but nothing amazing and the smell was a bit too off-putting for me. Swapped the other sample pot. Repurchase? No.

Have you used up any beauty products this month?

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December Empties

I have a crazy amount of empties this month, due to using up a lot of the contents of my travel bag over Christmas. Here's what I've used up and whether I would buy them again:-





Cowshed Grumpy Cow Uplifting Bath & Shower Gel - this has been in my travel bag since Summer and it reminds me of a subtle version of Lush's Happy Hippy. It has a delicate citrusy scent and is made with essential oils of red mandarin, petitigrain and grapefruit. Repurchase? Maybe - I like it, but I like Happy Hippy more. Lush Vanilla Dee-Lite Body Lotion - another item that I've had lingering in the bag since Summer. It's OK, but definitely a light spring/summer time only body moisturiser for me. Repurchase? Probably not. The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Body Scrub - I got this in a gift set for Christmas and have wanted to try it for ages, but I was a bit disappointed with it. I like the scent but prefer my scrubs to be tougher than this. Repurchase? No.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Day Cream - No idea why this was in the travel bag because I love it! One of my all time favourite face moisturisers and one that is frequently half price or on offer a lot. Repurchase? Yes! Lush Curly Wurly Absolutely Gorgeous Coconut & Vanilla Conditioning Shampoo - I have a serious love/hate relationship with this shampoo. Pros: my hair seems to love it and it makes it incredibly soft. Cons: the little pieces of coconut are just too much of a PAIN to wash out of my medium length/thick hair. Repurchase? Sadly no, I don't want to take half an hour every time I want to wash my hair! Lush Cupcake Fresh Face Mask - Love this so much, absolutely perfect for my oily/combination skin and makes it feel so clean and clear. Repurchase? Definitely.





OPI RapiDry Top Coat - This was from a minis set, it's OK but nowhere near as good as Seche Vite. Repurchase? No. Clinique All About Eyes Rich - I've used the regular version of this for nearly two years and switched to this one when I received it in a giftset for my birthday. It's thicker than the regular one so I've only ever used it at night before going to bed. Repurchase? No, I think I'll stick to the normal one. bareMinerals Flawless Defintion Mascara in Black - a fantastic mascara that I featured in a Favourites post a while ago. Repurchase? Yes.

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin - another product that I love, I've used the normal UDPP for years and switched to this when it came out. It's nice enough to wear on its own and have a gorgeous subtle gold shimmer tone to it. Repurchase? Yes. Rahua Voluminous Shampoo & Conditioner - I was excited to try these out after receiving them in a Boudoir Prive box. They were nice enough to use but I didn't really notice that much difference to my hair. Repurchase? No. Deborah Lippmann The Stripper To Go Nail Lacquer Remover Mitt - From this month's Glossybox, I had high hopes for this but found it really annoying to use. The mitt is absolutely soaked in nail polish remover when you remove it from the sachet and as I was using it, the excess fluid got all over my hands and it STINKS! Plus, it only removed about six nails worth of polish before drying up and becoming unusable. Rubbish! Repurchase? Hell no.

What beauty products have you used up this month?

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Joliebox - December

It's finally here, my Joliebox arrived today! As a regular subscriber to Boudoir Prive, I was really excited to hear about their merger with Joliebox, the bestselling beauty box in France and to see what they would come up with for their special launch/Christmas box. Unfortunately my Joliebox seems to have gotten lost by Royal Mail (the post has been particularly dreadful in my area, the same thing happened with my Glossybox, so annoying!), so Joliebox dispatched a replacement box straight away. Although I'd already seen the contents of the box from other blog posts, I was still excited to open it and unwrap the goodies.





As you can see, the box is still wrapped beautifully and has now changed over to a sleek and chic black box with white tissue paper. The contents leaflet has also changed to a luxe feeling menu layout on textured paper. Out of all of the beauty boxes that I sub to, I think the new Joliebox is the most well designed in terms of class and elegance. It just screams luxe and high-end to me.




This launch box is filled to the brim, with an additional two bonus items included. Certainly impressive. Here are the contents:-



(1) OPI Gold Shatter Nail Lacquer, full size - WOW. Being a nail polish junkie, I already have this, but I can certainly appreciate that most people will find this the standout product in the box. When I first heard people squeeing over this on Twitter, I was convinced that it must have been a mini size given that Glossybox had a mini OPI polish a couple of months ago, but no, Joliebox included a FULL size. I think this gold shatter polish looks great over black nails.



(2) Mitchell and Peach Shower wash, 50ml travel size - "an invigorating shower wash containing natural English honey, Vitamin E and wheat proteins." Not a brand I've heard of before, but happy to be introduced to as this features 100% natural fragrance and uses pure essential oils from a family run Kent farm. It smells fresh and the packaging makes it look like its from an expensive hotel.



(3) New CID Cosmetics i-gloss in Coconut Ice, full size - Like the New CID lipstick that I received in a Carmine box, this lipgloss has the same light up gimmick. The gloss is a very pretty and wearable everyday nude with a touch of shimmer which I love.





(4) Jane Iredale 24 Karat Gold Dust Shimmer Powder in Rose Gold, full size - "a multi-use shimmer powder to apply to cheeks, eyes, lips, body and even hair, contains real 24 karat gold flakes." You don't get much more high end than a product which has gold in it do you?! I can't wait to play with this because Jane Iredale are a brand which I've been wanting to try out for like forever (they're cruelty-free, mostly natural, paraben free etc). Swatched above with the New CID lip gloss.



(5) Yon-Ka Vital Defense Anti-Aging Cream, 5ml sample - "anti-aging prevention, antioxidant and anti-pollution cream to help the skin preserve its youthfulness." Although I find anti-aging creams as exciting as watching paint dry, I do like the sound of this being like a 'shield' against pollution, so I'll probably put it to the test next time I'm in London.




(6) Joliebox Concealer Brush, travel size - like everything else in this box, this little brush feels really high-end and hasn't shed at all, impressed! Definitely another addition to my travel bag.



(7) Kusmi Detox Tea, - "a delicious blend of Mate, chinese Green Tea and lemon grass full flavoured with lemon." This smells gorgeous, can't wait to try it. I love, love, love teas like this and the packaging is so beautiful and it's good for you too, what more could you ask for?

Summary: Out of all of the Christmas beauty boxes, Joliebox definitely wins in my opinion. I am so pleased with this box and really hope that it's not a fabulous one-off. Given the fact that I've loved all of the previous Boudoir Prive boxes, I don't think it will be and looking on the French Joliebox website tells me that these boxes really do have the edge, if you're looking for a beauty box which has luxe/high-end products.

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NOTD: OPI - Sweet Heart

I have an interview tomorrow so I've had to finally scrub off Facets (which I've been wearing relentlessly), and apply a neutral "work friendly' shade. I chose OPI's Sweet Heart and it applied nicely in two coats.

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Tried & Tested: OPI Nail Envy

I wear a lot of nail polish and as a side effect, my nails aren't exactly in a brilliant condition. They're not awful looking, but they're not exactly pretty without polish on either. I'm not one to go for the long, talon nails look, but I do like strong nails that look healthy. With the onset of Winter, I've noticed my nails getting weaker and starting to split a little at the sides so I decided to pick up a mini size bottle of OPI's bestselling nail strengthener, Nail Envy, to try out. I must admit that I'm incredibly sceptical of these kinds of products because I think the secret of having great skin, hair and nails is mostly down to a good diet, beauty starting from the inside etc, so I was interested to see if this would actually make any difference.

OPI's Nail Envy has a protein and calcium rich formula to fortify and harden weak, thin or brittle nails, and the original one that I tried dries to a clear, natural finish. For the main course of treatment, you apply two coats on the first day and then apply one coat every other day for the rest of the week. After seven days, you need to remove all of the Nail Envy with an acetone free remover and then you can repeat the process the next week and so on. One point to remember is that Nail Envy doesn't act as a base coat, so whilst you're using it, it's best to avoid dark nail polishes that could stain.

Verdict: I've been using this for about three weeks and it does seem to be working, kind of. My nails feel stronger than they ever have before, but as they grew longer, I did notice that they began to split again a bit at the sides which is the main problem that I had in the beginning. Other than that, I was genuinely surprised by how much stronger my nails felt. Especially on the last day of the week, before removing all of the coats, my nails felt like hardened plastic and looked incredibly shiny. I'm not sure if I would personally purchase a full size bottle of this yet, but you're interested, I would recommend getting the mini size first before splurging.

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NOTD: OPI - Teenage Dream

When the Katy Perry for OPI collection came out earlier this year, Teenage Dream was the only polish that I really wanted to get. It's completely girly but what can I say? I'm a sucker for glitter!

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NOTD: OPI - Party In My Cabana

Excuse the rushed application, this OPI was delivered this morning as part of a swap and I was eager to try it out. I think I like it, definitely another pink that I'd probably prefer on my toes though.


(from L-R: OPI Charged Up Cherry, OPI Party In My Cabana, OPI Confuscious Says Coral, Essie Mauving-Along)

Party In My Cabana fits in with this family of pinks. It's not an exact dupe for any of these but I think it's similar by a shade or so.

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NOTD: OPI - Jade Is The New Black

Quite possibly my favourite shade of green ever.

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NOTD: OPI's Marquis d'Mauve

I bought this polish when I was banning myself from purchasing unnecessary items; e.g telling myself that I do not need ten near identical shades of pink etc. Marquis d'Mauve is a colour that seems unique to OPI and I haven't found a dupe for it anywhere. It's a beautiful rose-bronze-gold mix, which in the bottle sort of looks like a MAC mineralize skinfinish. So pretty.

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NOTD: OPI's You Don't Know Jacques

Excuse the smudgy nail!

You'll have no doubt seen this a million times before, but it's still one of my favourites.
Applies perfectly in two coats and is a gorgeous dark grey-mixed-taupe colour.

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