Product Empties #2

Following on from my empties series, here are the Makeup things that I finished.

Primer

• Bourjois Happy Light Luminous Serum Primer - This was a light moisturiser like primer and yes, it did give a luminous look but I didn't find it amazing. I probably should have known that the glow combined with my oily skin was not a good idea in the first place and I think a good moisturiser underneath the foundation would do a similar trick.
• Fake Urban Decay Primer Potion - This came with my FAKE UD Naked palette (sad times when I found out :( ). It had a very runny consistency with a skin colour tint. I have never tried the real thing so I cannot compare but I think this did work to enhance the colour of eye shadows. Slightly worrying since you don't know what are in these fake products so I shall not make the same mistake of buying fake products in the future!!

Foundation

• Rimmel BB Cream Matte (Sample) - I have previously tried the original formula and I quite liked it except for the fact that I became shiny after a while and oxidised a bit so I was excited to try out this matte formula. Sad to say that it wasn't much more mattifying then the original. I think this will be good during drier seasons when I get combination skin because this does not emphasise the dry patches!
• Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude Foundation (Sample) - Other than the colour match issue I had with this, I generally liked this product. It had quite a good coverage and sat very nicely on the skin. I may consider getting the full size if I can find the right colour.

Powder

• Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - I was so happy when I finished my first ever powder! This product was a must for my oily T-zone and I will probably come back to this product in the future.

Concealer

• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - I'm sure you don't need to hear any more of how good this concealer is but the coverage that this product provide is amazing! I wouldn't personally use it for under the eyes since it is quite thick and can easily look caked up but to conceal scars and pigmentation, this really works.

Eyes

• COMPANY Eyeliner - This was a felt tip liner that came in the COMPANY magazine. This did the job but this streaked when applying and the blackness wasn't that great. Since it was a freebie, I guess I cannot expect that much.
• So Susan Flutter Mascara - This came in one of the boxes. It was a very wet formulae with a brush that was in a nice swirl. This was a good mascara for every day but if you are after volume or definition, this probably isn't the mascara for you.
• Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara - This also came in one of the boxes and was surprised with how big the wand was! it was massive! (well... compared to what I usually use anyway.) I did like the plastic spiky bristle never the less and it did a good job of volumizing the lashes. The issue I had was the formula was on the dry side and if you went over the top with your mascara application, it was quite easy to end up with clumpy lashes. 

Lips

• Tanya Burr Champagne Toast Lip Gloss - Clear brown gold with specks of tiny gold shimmer. This was my favourite out of the three that I had. Generally good to wear on a casual day or to top up in the centre of the lips
• Tanya Burr Afternoon Tea Lip Gloss - Quite opaque light pink gloss. This gloss was too blue toned for my complexion and because it was the most opaque out of the three, I  found it quite difficult to wear. It will probably suit people with a paler complexion.
• Tanya Burr Aurora Lip Gloss - A lovely pink gloss with small specks of glitter. I did like this gloss too. 

All in all the Tanya Burr Lip gloss had a lovely sweet scent and felt comfortable on the lips. The disappointing thing was that they all started to smell sour after a year and a half so I had to get rid of them. I'll probably repurchase some and try out some other colours in the future. I am also loving the new packaging and the nail vanish range as well!!

• Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm - This was my first time trying Burt's Bees and I absolutely loved this lip balm. It was quite a hard waxy product and left a tingly feel after application. During the drier winter period, this really helped my chapped lips.

Thank you for reading yet another lengthy list of things and let me know if you have any product recommendation for this coming Autumn and Winter.

Product Empties #1

While I have been absent from here, I have been steadily working through some product.
This time round, I have gathered all the Hair, Body and Skin Care products. There's rather a lot to go through so I shall dive into it.

Hair Care

• L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 Shampoo and Conditioner - I have been using PANTEN products religiously for the past few years so I thought decided to change things up. I think this worked just as well for me so I will probably go back to it at some point. I think it is just a preference of scent. Personally I prefer the PANTEN repair & protect a bit more
• Garnier Ultimate Blends Marvellous Transformer Shampoo and Conditioner - I was drawn to the Moroccan Argan Oil and Camellia Oil aspect of this range but this Conditioner just did not work for me. Also they are both quite heavily fragranced so it might be a good idea to give it a sniff before purchasing.  
• Paul Mitchell Dry Wash Dry - I enjoyed using this. It did leave a slight white residue but after worked into your hair, the powder was not visible. Smelt pretty nice as well. I preferred this compared to the normal Batiste formula so I might consider getting the it in the future
• Colab Dry Shampoo Sheer Invisible New York - I love the Colab Dry Shampoo. It's not suitable for the very oily hair day but for a quick freshen up on your second day hair, its perfect! I have already repurchased my second one! 
• Batiste XXL Plumping Powder - This product came in a beauty box so its not something that I chose to buy but I was not a fan. If you would like to add serious grit in your hair then this would probably be perfect. Once applied, I could not run my hands through my hair! It really was like having glue in your hair. 

Skin Care

• L'Oreal Perfection 3 in 1 Purify Micellar Solution - I enjoyed this product. Nothing ground breaking but did the job of taking off your make up (although I did follow up with a second cleanse with a face wash). I don't usually wear waterproof mascara so removing eye make up wasn't an issue either. I'm currently using the Ganier one and honestly speaking I don't have much preference. I'll probably purchase it again at some point in the future.
• Liz Earl Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - This was my first cream cleanser and as I loved using this! Totally understand the hype. I feel cream cleansers were far less drying on the skin so I think it will be ideal for the coming season. 
• Clearasil Vitamins & Extracts Wash and Mask - This was actually my 2nd or 3rd bottle so I clearly like it. Rarely do I use it as a mask but as standard pleasant face wash.
• Clean & Clear Advantage Clear & Soothe Daily Scrub -  As face wash goes, this probably did the job but as a Scrub, I did not like it. Yes, there were some beads distributed throughout but nowhere near enough to actually have a scrubbing effect in my opinion. 
• Body Shop Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser and Calming Toner - I did enjoy both products bur probably will not repurchase it again. As for the Cleanser, it was a nice creamy consistency but I don't think it did a good job of removing make up. Also the packing is a pain. It was really difficult to get the product out!! As for the Toner, it was a nice gentle toner. I may consider getting this when I feel like going back to basics with my skin care.
• Superdrug Pebbles Facial Buffer - You can probably tell by the list of products but I have a fair bit of acne on my face. I've been trying to find the best way of cleansing my skin and came across this new line at Superdrug. Its basically a small Loofah sponge. Once it is soaked in water properly, it does get soft enough to use on the face. I am actually a fan of this and I think this provides the right amount of exfoliation. For those who would like a gentler exfoliate, I would recommend the Konjac Sponge.
• Botanics All Bright Refreshing Eye Roll-On - I am still unsure about the whole eye cream thing but I guess it doesn't harm to use one. This one had a clear gel texture and was refreshing to use in the mornings because it had a metal roller. However, I'm not entirely sure whether it actually moisturised my under eyes or not. I preferred the Simple's eye cream better than this one so I probably will not repurchase this.
• Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Treatment Cream - I absolutely love this and I can't remember how many tubes of this I have gone through. I think it actually works to heal my spots quicker. One issue is that it balls up under make up if you rub your foundation in a lot. If anyone has a recommendation of spot creams that you can use under make up let me know! 
• Clearasil Blemish & Marks Treatment Cream - I'm not sure about this product. I didn't feel like it helped my blemish and marks but at the same time, I understand that a single cream is not going to be a quick fix for acne scars...
• SkinPep Hydra Boost Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum - This came in a beauty box and was a nice product to try. It had a clear gel-like texture and made my skin bouncy. However, I believe this is a anti-ageing product and for someone who is in their early twenties, I'm not sure if it is necessary quite yet.
• Neutragena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Moisturiser - I really like this moisturiser and have already repurchased this. This gives the right amount of moisturising effect for my oily skin and is perfect under make up
• Neutragena Visibly Clear Spot Stress Control Ultra-light spot treatment moisturiser - This moisturiser was a clear gel type. I wasn't wowed by its performance and wasn't impressed when it balled up so I won't be purchasing it again.

Body Care

• Dove Go Fresh Pomegranate Aerosol Anti-Perspirant Deodorant - This was OK as deodorant went but by the end if its use, I got sick of this scent so I have chosen a different deodorant now. I think its just a matter of preference.
• Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter - This was my first Body Butter from the Body Shop. I'm really bad about moisturising my body but the lovely smell made me want to use it. However, I found this too thick and greasy for my liking. Having said that, I'll probably purchase some other scents when they have the sales on.

This was rather a long list of products but I hope some of you have found it useful in a way!

Thank you for reading :)

What do you think about Beauty Boxes?

Hello.
Yes. It has been a while since my previous post. University life took over.... apologies.

Anyway, I am back today to ask you about Beauty Boxes. Are they a good idea or not.

Over the course of this past 2 years, I have tried out some subscription type boxes and some one-off type boxes from both Birchbox and LatestInBeauty. When you see the difference in the value of its actual worth and the price of the box, it sounds like such a bargain. Not to mention the excitement of getting a post!! I'e listed some other pros and cons.

Pros

• Good value for money 
• Discover new things
• Get to try out a wide range of things without committing yourself to the full size product (in some cases)
• Get some discounts on the product if you do love them and decide to purchase
• It is just simply rather exciting!!

Cons

• You accumulate things that you don't really need
• There are always going to be a type of product that you don't like or use (bronzers in my case)
• You get multiples of the same thing 
• You get the same type of product (what are you meant to do with 3 brow kits!! It takes a while to finish 1 off let alone 3)
• There's going to be good months and bad months

I think Beauty Boxes are great now and again for treats or gifts but a subscription that gives you one every month is in my opinion too much, especially for those who doesn't make testing and reviewing products their job.

Let me know what you guys think!