January Empties: Products I've Used Up (+ How To Recycle Your Beauty Empties)

I took part in the annual January No Buy Challenge and I'm pleased to say that I completed it! It may also explain why I have a fair amount of Empties to discuss, so grab a cuppa and let's get stuck in. Here's everything beauty-wise that I've used up recently.

Alter/Native by Suma Handmade Soap in Grapefruit & Mandarin*

A lovely 100% natural & plastic-free soap with no palm oil, parabens or SLS/SLES. I used it for washing my hands in the kitchen as the fruity fragrance is great for getting rid of cooking smells like garlic! Repurchase? Yes.

Swell Ultimate Protect & Renew Hair Serum

WFH life has meant that I haven't been blow-drying and straightening my hair much, so this travel-size tube has lasted a lot longer than it would in 'normal' times. Saying that a little does go a long way and it's great for getting rid of frizz, whilst doubling up as a heat protector. Repurchase? Will do when real-life resumes!

Aromatherapy Associates Bath & Shower Oil in Support Breathe

These are my favourite bath & shower oils as they are really potent - a capful in the bath is all you need so you can easily get 2-3 uses out of one of these minis. Support Breathe is perfect to reach for when you have a cold as it helps to clear the sinuses. Repurchase? Yes.

Evolve Organic Beauty Bio-Retinol Gold Face Mask* (reviewed here)

Looking for a natural anti-ageing facial treatment? This amazing Bio-Retinol Gold Face Mask from Evolve is a gorgeous pampering treat with a natural plant-based retinol ingredient that doesn't cause the irritation that's common with regular retinol. I loved using this whenever my complexion looked dull for an instant brightening pick-me-up. Repurchase? Definitely!

Aveda Hand Relief

Aveda may be famous for their haircare, but their Hand Relief creams are a real hidden gem in their product range and they're available in a couple of different scents which all smell amazing. Highly recommend checking them out if your hands need some TLC. Repurchase? Yes.

Organii Soothing Arnica Gel* (reviewed here)

One of my most popular blogposts of 2020 was my feature on 7 Natural Products To Help Ease Muscle Aches & Pains (Post-Gym/Exercise) and it included this wonderful Soothing Arnica Gel from Organii. This topical gel is great for reducing any inflammation or swelling from minor injuries and bruises, and it's very affordable too. Repurchase? Already have.

Tropic Whipped Body Velvet in Coconut Cream*

If you want to smell like sweet coconut ice cream, this luxuriously thick and whipped Body Velvet ticks all the right boxes. It's gorgeous to use after a long hot bath to complete a pampering session as it makes your skin feel so soft. Repurchase? Yes.

Soaper Duper Body Butter in Fruity Green Tuberose

I picked this up after seeing Caroline Hirons mention it and I adore the scent! A beautiful, non-sticky body butter that sinks straight in with an uplifting fresh floral fragrance. Excellent value for money as the large tub lasts ages. Repurchase? Will do once I've used up some similar products first.

Epic Blend Vegan Pineapple Mint Lip Balm* (reviewed here)

Epic Blend are seriously underrated in the lip balm world as I hardly see anyone else mentioning them. They have a really great line of moisturising balms available, with a dedicated vegan-friendly range too. Pineapple Mint is an interesting flavour as it's cooling, fruity and refreshing! Repurchase? Yes.

REN Anti-Pollution Mist* (reviewed here)

Another product that I used to use a lot during 'normal' times, yet now hardly ever reach for is REN's Anti-Pollution Mist. I still love it and it doubles up as a brilliant makeup setting spray, but it's pretty pointless when we're all staying at home sadly. Repurchase? Definitely, once normal life happens again.

Typology Cyprès Genévrier Natural Eau de Parfum* (reviewed here)

One of my favourite brand discoveries last year was Typology and I've been enjoying using their Perfume Discovery Sets. This fragrance Cyprès Genévrier was very fresh and woody, so it's an interesting natural unisex option that can be worn alone or layered over other scents to create your own signature fragrance. Repurchase? I'll pick a fave when I've used up the other samples!

P.S - How To Recycle Your Beauty Empties!

All of the glass and easy-to-recycle plastic PET empties will be put into my council's blue bin kerbside recycling scheme, but for the harder-to-recycle stuff, I will be:-

• Recycling the pumps, lids and atomisers with Neal's Yard Remedies - more info at the bottom of their website here.
• Recycling any other products that my local council doesn't accept at The Body Shop, L'Occitane or with Garnier's Terracycle partnership - more info here.

What have you used up recently?

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August Beauty Favourites

Can you believe that it's September tomorrow?! The time is flying by! Which is why I need to press pause for a moment and reflect on my August Beauty Favourites before another month rushes past. This favourites edit includes an awesome foundation and concealer, a frizzy hair fighter, a self-tanning facial product that won't make you look like Donald Trump, a fab new lip plumping gadget, and an incredible budget skin care dupe. Phew!

PMD Kiss Lip Plumping System* (£125, link)

If you like the look of fuller lips, but are way too squeamish to get anything as extreme as lip injections or fillers done, PMD's Kiss Lip Plumping System is the best alternative for those who are after a bigger pout without the needles. This clever, new-to-the-beauty-market gadget uses a 'pulsating vacuum' in conjunction with a topical serum (that's included), to plump up the lips in a painless and non-invasive way. To use it, you simply charge the PMD Kiss beforehand, apply the minty serum to clean and dry lips, choose the setting you want (there are two; a quick one and a longer one) and then place the device over your lips in sections. It's easy to do, doesn't hurt at all, takes less than 5 minutes and it's safe to use as often as you like.

I was sceptical about this at first because the device wasn't pulling on my lips as much as I thought it would be (you do feel some suction of course, but it's certainly not as strong as I imagined), but looking in the mirror afterwards, I did see a noticeable difference, especially with my thinner top lip. The results lasted for about 3-4 hours for me, and PMD say that with daily use, you can achieve longer lasting results.

It's not going to give you ridiculous Kylie Jenner style lips (cus we ALL know those are fake!), but it certainly helps to plump them up which is great if your lips are uneven or you have very thin lips to begin with. This device also helps to boost collagen production with long term use, as well as helping to smooth out lip lines, so it can be useful for older women who are want to get back some of the fullness that can be lost through ageing. It's certainly not cheap, but if you fancy a splurge, it's one of the best pain-free lip plumpers that I've tried so far.   

 Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic* (100ml, £5.99, link)

I've been a big fan of Superdrug's own brand skin care ranges for a long time now, mainly because they work incredibly well, are super affordable, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. But they've really hit the ball straight out of the park with an amazing new dupe for one of my favourite skincare products, the infamous PIXI Glow Tonic. 

Superdrug's version contains the same magical ingredient of 5% Glycolic Acid that's in the PIXI Glow Tonic and also has extra natural botanical extracts in it to further boost the skin. It's a brilliant liquid exfoliating toner to add to your skincare routine if you don't already use one, or simply pick it up to try out and compare if you're a PIXI Glow fan. An absolute steal at just £5.99 and one of the best beauty bargains that I've come across all year.

Tropic Sun Drops Gradual Tanning Facial Serum* (30ml, £22, link)

Facial self-tanners can be really hit and miss and I've used my fair share of 'duds' over the years. The problem seems to lie in how they work as some can turn the skin too dark or with a hideous orange tone, and there are some that I've tried which don't give any colour to the skin at all! My go-to has always been James Read's Sleep Mask Tan, but this product from Tropic has been giving it a run for its money over the past month.

Tropic's Sun Drops look very scary and dark in the bottle, but they're designed to be added to your regular daily facial moisturiser for a streak-free and natural looking glow. As you're essentially mixing a gradual tanner pigment into your moisturiser, you can easily control how dark you want to go - add 2-3 drops for a light and subtle colour, whereas 4-6 drops will give you a more tanned and sunkissed glow. The colour will continue to develop over a couple of hours, and you can use more in the evening if you want a darker result. I've really been enjoying using this serum and it smells great!

Joan Collins First Base Foundation* (30ml, £25, link) & Fade To Perfect Concealer* (5ml, £17, link)

Joan Collins' makeup line continues to impress me after I fell in love with her gorgeous lipsticks earlier this year, so I've been keen to try out some more products from her brand. I decided to test out the First Base Foundation after seeing only positive reviews online and I love it! It comes packaged in a luxurious glass bottle with a gold coloured pump, and I have the shade Warm Medium which is a perfect match for my post-Summer skin tone right now. This foundation has a lightweight and silky feel to it, blends easily and offers light to medium coverage with a very natural looking finish. One pump is usually all I need for a nice and even base, and it does a great job of blurring imperfections and any fine lines, without clinging to dry areas.

To compliment the foundation, I tried the Fade To Perfect Concealer which is like a love child of YSL's Touche Eclat and NARS Creamy Concealer. It has the consistency and light reflecting power of the former, yet provides more coverage to help cover up dark circles. It goes on smoothly, stays put all day and doesn't settle into fine lines, plus the packaging feels really high-end and luxury.

Swell Ultimate Protect & Renew Serum* (50ml, £20, link)

As I've probably mentioned a million times, my hair is naturally very dry and frizzy, so I rely on a range of styling products to keep it in check. I've been particularly loving this Ultimate Protect & Renew Serum from Swell recently because it really helps to tame frizz during hot and humid weather. It's a lightweight serum that isn't sticky, and it doesn't weigh down my fine hair either (the whole Swell range is designed for fine hair so it's a good brand to look into if you have the same hair type). In addition to its frizz-taming abilities, it also protects hair from heat styling, adds shine and helps to keep dry hair hydrated for longer. This serum is 97% natural, free from silicones, cruelty-free and vegan-friendly too which is brilliant!

What are your beauty faves this month?

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June Empties: Products I've Used Up

I usually post my Empties right at the end of the month, but there's no way I'm going to finish anything else in the next couple of days, so here's a slightly earlier than usual Empties post. Here's everything that I've used up recently and my thoughts about whether I'll be repurchasing them or not. Enjoy!

Living Nature Sensitive Cleanser

Whenever my skin feels like it's going to break out or throw a tantrum, I'll switch whatever cleanser I'm using to something like this Sensitive one from Living Nature to help calm it down, so I've been using this on/off for a couple of months now. I've gone through tubes of it in the past and it's lovely and gentle on the skin. Great for a morning cleanse, or as a second cleanse in the evening. Repurchase? I have a lot of cleansers to use up at the moment, but I would definitely repurchase this in the future.

Swell Advanced Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner

If you have fine hair like I do, these are a must-try! I love the Swell range, and these are SLS and silicones-free. As they are quite pricey, I like to alternate them with some more affordable brands, but they are absolutely fantastic and work a treat! Managed to get these on offer in the Christmas sale. Repurchase? Yes, I'll be sure to snap them up next time they're on offer somewhere!

Swell Ultimate Volume Masque*

Used a full-size tube of this masque before and loved it, so it was handy having a travel size in my toiletries bag. It's a really great hair mask for anyone who has fine hair that needs extra hydration and volume, as it doesn't leave your hair feeling weighed down. Lovely stuff. Repurchase? Yes.

Aveda Outer Peace Blemish Relief Pads

These pads were an impulse buy because I saw them on a half-price offer a few months ago, but I sadly didn't see any difference by using them. They didn't make my skin or blemishes any worse, but they didn't clear up anything either. Repurchase? No.

Bodhi & Birch Camomile Sky Bath & Shower Therapy*

I was so lucky to win this in a giveaway at Christmas time and I've thoroughly enjoyed using it as a luxury shower gel. I love Bodhi & Birch's Bath & Shower Therapies and this Camomile Sky scent is so fresh and unusual. Lovely for Summer. Repurchase? Will do once I've used up some other ones!

Ila Bath Soak for Pure Relaxation

This is a really calming bath soak to use for those busy days when you get home feeling stressed and just need to unwind. Perfect for a relaxing pamper with some candles and a glass (or two) of wine! Repurchase? Yes, the full size is very reasonably priced so it's on my shopping list.

L'Occitane Shea Hand Cream

Just a mini that I had in my handbag - this is still one of my all time favourite hand creams. Ideal for very dry hands and doesn't feel sticky or greasy at all. Repurchase? Already have some more minis in my stash.

Conscious Skincare Pure Body Butter*

A very simple but effective body butter made with just pure natural and organic ingredients like Coconut Oil, Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter. It's got an amazing lightly whipped texture to it and works so well for eczema and general dry skin. A little goes a long way so it's taken me months to get through this huge tub! Repurchase? Yes.

Balance Me Radiance Face Mask

I've mentioned this face mask on numerous occasions and I still love it a lot. A great one to reach for if your skin is feeling congested or looking dull - it really helps to brighten everything up and gives your face a gentle manual exfoliation at the same time. Repurchase? I may have a few more travel sizes in my stash somewhere that I need to dig out.

Roques Oneil Therapie Restore Aura Spray

One of my favourite Christmas presents that I received last year was a Roques Oneil Therapie Gift Set which included this full-size bottle of their incredible Restore Aura Spray. It's made with a calming blend of essential oils and it smells absolutely heavenly! Lovely to use as a relaxing facial spritz when you're feeling stressed, or as a luxury room/pillow spray to help you to sleep. Repurchase? It's expensive so it's on my wishlist for the time being!

Which beauty products have you used up recently?

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July Empties / Products I've Used Up

It's Empties time! You guys know the drill by now - these are all of the products that I've managed to finish up recently, and my thoughts on whether I would repurchase them again in the future or not.

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Beauty Box: Naturisimo Gorgeous Hair Discovery Box review

Naturisimo's latest Discovery Box has gone on sale today, and it contains everything you need to get gorgeous, healthy looking hair this Summer.

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My Top 16 Beauty Products of 2015 - The Best Of The Best

Top 16?! But you're only supposed to choose 15 products I hear you cry! Sorry guys, it was hard enough trying to shortlist these as it was so I'm giving you a cheeky extra one completely free of charge. Here's are my 2015 beauty favourites!

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October Empties / Products I've Used Up

It's Empties time once again! I didn't manage to finish off as many products as I would have liked to, but a small Empties post is better than no Empties right? Here's what I used up last month.

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Budget Beauty: Naturisimo Haircare Heroes Discovery Box review

Hot on the heels of last month's skincare themed box (reviewed here), Naturisimo have today released their latest limited edition Discovery beauty box, which features a luxury range of eco-friendly haircare products. Let's see what's inside! 

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June Favourites

June signalled a proper start to Summer weather wise, so many of my favourites this time around reflect this, as well as some that I've simply fallen in love with recently.

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Handbag Heroes: The Hair Powder Volumisers Edit

Big hair will always be in fashion, but if your hair is fine like mine is and prone to looking as flat as a pancake, look no further.  Here are some of my favourite Hair Powder Volumisers which also fit nicely into your handbag.

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The Mid Week Pamper Treat: Swell Advanced Volumizing Masque review

Swell are one of the best natural haircare brands that I've ever used and I posted a rave review of their award winning 3 Step System for fine hair a few months ago here.  Their Advanced Volumizing Masque is currently gracing my bathroom and is the perfect hair treatment for a little mid week pampering.

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Haircare Review: Swell Hair 3 Step System - Advanced Volumizing Shampoo, Conditioner & Root Nutrient Complex

Swell have been on my radar for quite some time, so when the opportunity presented itself to try some of their products out, I had to jump at it immediately!  Here are my thoughts on their bestselling 3 Step System for fine hair.

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