Empties #4

Every time I've finished something up I've just been shoving it in the bottom drawer of my bedside table and I didn't quite realise how much I'd actually collected up until I emptied it all out so here is my well overdue empties post and I've finally got my bottom drawer back!

Hair

Elnett Heat Styling Spray 

I don't quite know why I haven't repurchased this because I really enjoyed using it, it's a heat protection spray with volumising qualities that are meant to last for three days and it really did work, my hair was so much more voluminous after I'd dried it.

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray

I am currently waiting for a new one of these to arrive because I can't live without it in the summer! This is the best salt spray that I've ever used, I spray it on damp hair and then let it dry naturally, giving it a bit of a scrunch to encourage waves and it leaves such a lovely undone beachy look. 

L'oreal Paris Studio Line Texturising Spray

This can get quite sticky so it's best to use for updo's because if you wear your hair down it tends to look a bit greasy and feel matted up. I did really like this but it would be better if it was a little bit lighter like the Bumble and Bumble Dryspun Spray.

Ojon Instant Restorative Hair Serum

I really wanted to like this but I didn't, it smelt awful and It was really heavy on my hair and I found it to tangle my hair up and make it a nightmare to brush.

Aussie Three Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner

You can't get anymore convenient than three minutes on and then silky soft hair! This was lovely to use and left my hair in a brushable state which is a miracle.

Bumble & Bumble Thickening Hairspray

I can see why this is so popular, it made my hair look visibly fuller without making it crusty or greasy looking.

Skincare

Origins Never A Dull Moment Face Polish

This is a really gentle exfoliater that I probably didn't use as consistently as I should have but whenever I did use it my face felt clean and soft.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

I think there's been one of these in every empties post that I've done and it needs no explanation! It is a holy grail product like everyone says and there's no doubt I'll be getting a new one at some point.

Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion

I took this on holiday with me because the sun really dries out my skin and the last thing I want is a peeling nose! It kept me moisturized and I don't think I got one patch of flakiness or even a tight face when I'd been out sunbathing.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Facial Oil

I got this when I'd had a really bad breakout on my chin and I couldn't shift the red marks that were left and this really, really helped clear it all up. I'd definitely buy it again if I needed some marks fading and apparently it's good for stretchmarks as well.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess

I LOVE THIS PERFUME!!!!! I'm on my second bottle of this and I will rebuy it every Summer that it carries on being released. It's coconutty perfection and I live in it!

The Body Shop Camomile Eye Make up Remover

I love black eyeliner and lashings of mascara so I need all the help I can get removing it at the end of the day. This is so gentle and really does the job, I've just bought another one as well so it must be good!

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spray

I completely forgot about this (that's how long these empties have been collecting up) and I had good intentions to repurchase but never got round to it and now how much I enjoyed using this is all flooding back! It's perfect for this weather because it's so refreshing and left a lovely glow.

Lush Snow Fairy

Do I even need to elaborate on this?! This Christmas I'm going to be stocking up on these bad boys, it's my favourite Lush time of year!

Origins Ginzing Moisturizer

Hands down the best day moisturizer that I've used in a long, long time and I really need to get a new one of these because I really miss using it and it should have lasted longer but a certain boy took a liking to it...

Face

Benefit The Porefessional Primer

This served me well on holiday and kept my makeup in place in the heat and I also found that it is quite matte so saved me from being an oily mess! I wouldn't repurchase this full size as there are primers you can get in Boots that are just as good but it was nice to revisit!

Topshop Glow in Polish

I cannot rave about this enough, it's my holy grail highlighter and I've repurchased this as well as back ups because it has the habit of disappearing for months at a time and I can't be without it, my glowing face relies on this little pot of magic!

NARS Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc

Another one of my holy grail face products that I always repurchase and have even got another shade for when I'm looking a bit less pale which I've never done before! It's the perfect coverage for me and I love the radiant finish.

Maybelline Concealer

It's such a shame that this exploded because I was loving the fomula, coverage and spongey applicator but the twist to dispense product has put me off buying it again because it wasted no end of product and was really messy.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and Serum Foundation

I didn't even realize I had two types of this until I had them side by side to take the pictures! This is my favourite drug store foundation and the most similar to NARS sheer glow with a lovely finish and medium coverage and if I'm short on pennies and NARS is out of reach that month this is always what I'd go for.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Powder

This is a nice natural powder that is really light and not cakey at all, I would definitely reccomend this if you're in the market for something new.

YSL Touche Eclat

I really do love this but it doesn't last very long so I can only get them on special occasions because of the price but it really is the daddy of all clicky pen highlighters and can hide a night of partying no problem!

Eyes

Benefit Fake Up Concealer

This isn't for your eyes but it somehow managed to sneak in with all the eye products! This is a brilliant product and it is as moisturizing as it makes out and more I found when it used to transfer my bottom lash mascara all under my eyes but a bit of setting powder soon sorted that out and it's just the price that puts me off again as there are so many drugstore brands that do under eye concealers just as good and half the price.

L'Oreal Falsh Lash Telescopic, Million Lashes & Miss Manga Mascaras

L'Oreal is my brand of choice when it comes to my eyelashes and I've tried every high end brand going for a mascara that I deem worthy and none of them come close to how thick, long and fluttery my lashes are especially with Million Lashes. Miss Manga I wasn't so keen on and it only really took to my bottom lashes so I wouldn't bother with that again but the others are a welcome addition to my makeup bag!

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner

This would be my liquid liner of choice if it didn't dry up so quickly. It stays put and stays dark when it's new but I've found that even a week after starting to use it it's going grey and is hard to apply. I don't know if it's because I've been using the mini version but I just wish it lasted longer.

L'Oreal Superliner

Now this is my liner of choice, can't you tell?! It lasts forever and is still as black as the first time that you used it, the tip is the perfect shape for getting a good flick on the go and it lasts all day or night long.

ELF Eyeshadow Primer

If you want crease free, long lasting eyeshadow and still get change from a fiver then this is what you're after. Because of the price I didn't have the highest of hopes despite reading some rave reviews but I was wrong and it is as good as everyone says!

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Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish Spray

Bumble & Bumble, Dryspun Spray £21.50

I can't resist a product that promises to deliver big hair with minimal effort and after all the reviews I'd seen on the Bumble and Bumble Dryspun thickening spray I had to add it to my basket when I was picking up some last minute Christmas presents!

Bumble and Bumble describe this spray as a 'translucent dry spray that creates instant fullness and texture' which is pretty spot on really. This is a kind of finishing spray and it's made to use when you've styled your hair and are ready and raring to go. My hair is quite long and there's a lot of it so because of that I lose the volume as it's so weighed down. Depending on how my hair is I either spray this on the lengths to give it more texture and thickness or I spray it on my roots and mess it up a bit to add some body there. The best thing about this is that you don't even know it's you've got it on, it doesn't leave any residue in your hair or make it feel greasy or chalky - perfection!! This might not be for you if you like more of a polished look because it does leave you with an undone, bedhead vibe. 

This is a little bit pricey for what it is but it works wonders and has been compared to the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray which is knocking on £40. If your hair is falling flat after the festive period and you have a few extra pennies to spend then I would definitely give this a go!

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Monthly Favourites | December 2013

Well this month has gone in a blur of eating too much, drinking too much and spending far too much! Christmas is over for another year and in a few hours we'll be welcoming in 2014. December was definitely a month of glamming it up and long pampering sessions that come with days off work. These are the products that got me through the festive season!

When you get your base right the rest of your makeup seems to follow and with my Real Techniques foundation brush shedding like crazy and leaving my face covered in bristles everyday I knew it was time for me to invest in a new foundation brush because the moustachioed look really wasn't for me. The MAC 190 is my first MAC brush and it is so soft, it doesn't get gunked up with liquid foundation and it goes on flawlessly, I love it! It's a given that there's going to be a few hangovers occurring in the month of December and that is where Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser comes into the equation - this is literally perfection in a tube for those days when you just can't be bothered but need something on your face. It's lightweight and leaves you looking really healthy and glowing, the perfect way to hide a few too many drinks the night before! Something else that's a given in December is rocking a red lip and my favourite lip combination has been MAC Dangerous with What a Blast! Lip Liner they're both orangey reds and combined make a real statement lip that is pretty much indestructible - eat, drink, be merry, whatever you do this baby isn't coming off. In this months Birchbox I got this Alima Eye shadow in Paris and it is beautiful, It's been my first choice for eye shadow all month. This is a such a lovely shimmery beige, it's a really wearable neutral but with a bit of a glittery kick. I think I've spent more time in the bath this month than I have all year and that is down too my lovely Lush bath bombs and bubble bars - I can't get enough of them! As you can see my Magic Wand has been used a good few times already and it leaves you with a pink bath full of Snow Fairy smelling bubbles but if you didn't get your hands on it this year you'll have to wait until next Christmas now because Snow Fairy has gone into hibernation, boohoo! I love big hair, the bigger better I think and this Bumble and Bumble dry spun finish spray has helped get me well on my way to Hairsprayesque heights - it's lift and texture in a tin, just spray for volume!

I hope you all have an absolutely lovely New Years Eve, me and Joel are just staying in with a takeaway which I think is a sign of getting old - roll on 2014!!!

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