Empties!

I have used up a lot of products recently and have been saving them for a while now to write a blog post on.

Sally Hansen nail polish remover // Collection 2000 illuminating touch concealer // V05 'Gloss me smoothly' shampoo // Soap and Glory's Thick and Fast mascara // T-Zone nose pore strip // Tresemme split remedy shampoo and conditioner // pure argan oil // Charlie 'Black' perfume // Sally Hansen Insta-dri top coat // Johnson's baby shampoo // Taylor Swift 'Wonderstruck' perfume // Eau De Iceberg perfume // Neautogena visibly clear spot stress control cleansing lotion // Bath and Body works 'Cherry blossom' lotion // Balance Me 'Rose otto' lip balm // Bath and Bodyworks 'Country chic' bodyspray

Sure 'Cotton' deodorant // 2 x Garnier pure active deep pore unclogging facial wash // Sure 'Radiant' deodorant // Listerine 'Clean mint' mouthwash // Oral B 3D white toothpaste // Umberto Giannini sleek and chic keep it straight conditioner

Phew! That was a lot!
What have you finished up recently?

September 2012 favourites

I'm sorry about the light/quality of this picture!

I didn't really have many favourites during the month of September but the few things that did stand out to me  I really enjoyed (and still am!)

Essie's Ride Filler base / St Ives apricot facial scrub / Balance Me's citrus and spice hand and body lotion / Barry M's raspberry nail paint / Bath and Body Works' body spray in country chic

I will be doing more in depth reviews of some of these products soon!
What were your favourite things during September?

Balance Me, citrus and spice.

After my recent blog post reviewing a couple of other products from balance Me, I was contact by them and kindly asked if I would like to test out a couple more of their products. After looking on their website, I was intrigued by their 'Citrus and Spice' line and was very interested in testing out what they were like (and even more interested to see what 'citrus' and 'spice' would blend together to smell like!). 

Citrus and Spice hand and body wash 99% natural RRP £10.25 for 260ml

I haven't used this as a body wash and have instead just been using it to wash my hands. I was worried that with it being made with natural ingredients that it wouldn't lather very well but with two pumps and plenty of water, it lathers really nicely and leaves your hands feeling clean and fresh. I'm someone who is constantly washing their hand and after using this for around two weeks now and haven't found it to be at all drying on my skin.

The main thing I like about this soap is the smell; it smells very strongly of ginger which I really like and I find that I can still smell it quite a while after I've wash my hands. I can't imagine how good this would smell if you were to use it as a body wash in the bath or shower!

Citrus and Spice hand and body lotion 99% natural RRP £12.25 for 260ml

I've so far been using this lotion on my hands and legs and absolutely love it. One thing that puts me off lotions and creams is when they take forever to dry and leave your skin feeling sticky, but this thick and smooth lotion sinks into your skin and dries really quickly leaving it feeling super soft and refreshed.

The scent of this one is a lot different to the soap and smells mostly to me of peppermint, which I again really like and which I think helps add to the refreshed feeling it leaves on your skin. Over the soap this is the product I would be most likely to repurchase, I just love it!

Balance Me is a brand I am becoming more and more interested in and although I have been put off in the past by the scent of a few of their products, the products themselves have not disappointed so far.

If you would like to read more about what balance me say about their citrus and spice line or to look at other products they offer, you can do so by visiting the balance Me website.

Have you tried any of their products? I would love to hear about what you have tried and your thoughts.

*

What's in my travel make up bag?

I recently spent a lovely week in Devon and thought I would write a post about the make up I took with me. On a day to day basis I wear very simple make up, so this isn't going to be the most exciting 'What's in my travel make up bag' you will ever read but I still decided to share it with you. 

 Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation

 Soap and Glory's Thick & Fast mascara, I love this but mine is finally needing to be replaced.

 MUA (now not so clear) mascara which I use to set my eyebrows after I have filled them in.

 Balance Me Rose Otto lip balm

 Revlon lip butter in Cupcake

 L'oreal Caresse lip stick in Tempting Lilac

 Collection lasting perfection concealer which has definitely seen better days now that I have lost the lid!

 Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder

Rimmel eyes hadow quad in 'Smoky Brun', I use the darkest colour from this quad on my eyebrows and the lightest colour as a highlight in the corner or my eyes

Soap and Glory eye liner pencil in black

Real Techniques blush brush

Eco Tools powder brush

Random eye liner brush from Sainsburys

Collection Highlighting concealer

MUA eye liner pencil in brown

MUA mosaic blush in 'English Rose'

Cath Kidston make up bag

Oh, on a side note, I took these pictures on the window sill in the living room of the cottage we rented for the week. I really wish I had a window sill like this! The lighting and space were good for taking pictures which is something I don't have in my own house.

Review: Balance Me Pure skin face wash and Rose Otto intensive lip salve

"Beauty that works naturally"

I haven't tried many natural beauty products so when I heard Glamour magazine were giving away some Balance Me products (a UK based brand which I had heard of before but not tried), I was excited to try some of them out. I first bought the Rose Otto lip salve and then more recently also decided to get the pure skin face wash to try too.

L-R: Face wash, lip salve

Pure skin face wash /skin balancing cleanser 98.8% natural for normal to combination skin RRP £11.00

"Enjoy benefits of balancing spruce knot extract, anti-oxidant rich rice bran oil and sense-awakening frankincense, grapefruit and ylang ylang oils. Allow wash to dissolve make up and daily grime to achieve a balanced, clean complexion without stripping away your skin's natural moisture levels'

So far I'm not the biggest fan of this face wash. It didn't give me the clean feeling that I like to have after washing my face and I felt like I wanted to wash it again using my normal facial cleanser. It has a very herbal smell which I didn't really mind in the tube but since using it to wash my face with, have decided it's a smell I don't really like.

Rose Otto intensive lip salve 100% natural RRP £12.00

"Our ultra moisturising intensive lip salve is a daily beauty must to plump, protect and smooth away dry patches to leave lops kiss-ably soft"

This lip salve is one of the smoothest and softest lip products I have used in a while and most importantly for me, I feel like it stays on your lips for a very long time before you notice it's gone and feel like you want to reapply it. The only thing I don't like about it is it's herbal/rose scent; it both smells and tastes like Turkish Delight - which I hate. Up until yesterday I was bearing the scent but then I started to not feel very well, used this lip salve and the taste actually made me feel sick. I also think at £12.00 this is a pretty expensive lip treatment to have in your collection.

If you would like to read more about Balance Me and their products you can do so on Balance Me website.

Have you tried either of these products? Do you find the scents as off putting as I do?

Haul: beauty

I just wanted to share with you a few of the beauty products I have picked up recently:

1. 'Tangle teezer' dupe from Primark - £1.50

2. Eyelash curlers from Primkar - £1.00

3. Undressed eye shadow palette from MUA at Superdrug - £4.00

4. Sleek pout polish in 'Pink cadillac' from Superdrug - £4.29

5. Balance Me rose lip salve free with Glamour magazine

6. Elvive nutri-gloss shampoo from Superdrug - £1.85

Did you get any of the Balance me items that are currently free with Glamour magazine?