Monday 11 August 2014

Empties - June/July

Kia Ora!

This is a little late, but I'm going to blame all the subscription boxes that insist on coming at the end of the month. Better late than never though!

I was supposed to post this as just a June Empties, but I didn't get there. So I'm going to make this a bi-monthly blog post, especially since I don't seem to go through products very fast. I'm gobsmacked at how many products some people seem to go through each month!


Argania Hair Oil - Light

I really liked this hair oil. I've never really used one before but this one was great. 
It was a nice consistency, that easily spread through wet or dry hair. It made my hair shiny and it looked great, and it was a great hold over on days I didn't have time to wash my hair. 

The other wonderful thing about this product is the lovely caramel smell. It is delicious, and made me want to use this product even more. 

I do have the red version of this hair oil (not the light version) and it is a thicker oil, which is 'gloopier' for lack of a better term.

Repurchased: No
8/10


Pam's Round Makeup Pads

I had these in a drawer and simply used them up before getting some new ones (Swisspers). I don't really have anything to say, other than I don't remember them being awful or great, just average.

Repurchased: No
6/10


Sebamed Day Defence Cream

I got this sample in a Goodiebox. It was quite nice, although was supposed to be for dry skin, which I don't have. I used it as a night cream as it was so thick, and it worked fairly well for this. There wasn't an overpowering scent, and my skin appeared to like the moisturisation that this cream provided.

I imagine this cream would work better for people who need that extra oomph from a moisturiser, and I'm not in the target group. However it is a simple, easy to use cream that does work for other skin types (perhaps not during the day under makeup but is great at night).

Repurchased: No
7/10


Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

I got these from Goodiebox too (in the same box as the Sebamed above), and I quite liked them. I've never tried anything like this before so it was a new experience for me. I had two so I tried one and my partner also used one simultaneously. 

The strips are put on a wet nose, and you have to wait for them to dry (10-15 minutes) before peeling them off. I was surprised at the amount of gunk that was pulled out of my nose. My partner's nose gunk was huge, and it was a bit disgusting. It did seem to help clear up some of the grossness of my nose pores, at least for awhile.

Overall, an interesting experience and I will try this again. I looked into buying more Biore ones, but they are quite expensive. So I'm currently waiting for some I ordered from iHerb. 

Repurchased: No
7/10



Surmanti Ecosoya Candle - Lychee and Ginger

I won this in a Facebook competition, which was a great way to try their candles. I loved it!! 
Surmanti says that the candles burn for up to 50 hours, and I think it did burn for a similar time but I didn't actually time it. 

The scent was lovely, not too overpowering but it did fill up the room. Even just taking the lid off would lightly scent the room (and the house sometimes). I can't say enough good things about this candle without repetitions. 

You can get them from here if you are interested.

Repurchased: Soon
9/10


Karen Farley Age Defying Intensive Moisturiser

This one is a free sample I received - from a brochure in the letterbox if you can believe it. It was a decent 20ml sample and it lasted for aaaages!

I liked using this moisturiser as both a daytime and a night-time product, and the pomegranate scent was delicious. It was a decent product but not rave-worthy. I would be happy to use this again if it wasn't so expensive to repurchase.

Repurchased: No
8/10


Oasis Beauty Berry Brightening Tonic

Oh la, this product is my holy grail and I never want to be without it. I've been through 2 samples already and my full-size turned up and made my week.

The toner smells lovely. It has a strong berry scent, which lasts on the skin for about an hour after use, regardless of whether a scented moisturiser has been applied over top. I've been using it on a daily basis and I pop some on a cotton pad and gently wipe across my face, holding for longer on breakout patches or larger pores.

The toner made my skin feel quite tight on the first couple of uses, but this has discontinued with daily use. My skin soaks up this product and loves it.

The Oasis Beauty website has a bunch of wonderful looking products, and you can find them here if you are interested. Keep an eye out for a blog post dedicated to this company!

Repurchased: YES!
9.99/10 (because nothing is perfect)


Lush Tea Tree Water Toner

I got this sample from Lush as part of a skincare consult (see my Magical Free Things blog post for July for more info). It smelled great, as everything from Lush does. I used it for about a week, and it worked quite well. My skin seemed to like it, and I felt great using it.

I would recommend this, however after finding my Oasis Beauty Tonic the Lush one pales a bit in comparison. I like it, and it works well, however it isn't holy grail material.

Repurchased: No
7/10


Avene Gel Cleanser

I got this in my first Violet Box and I really loved this sample. It was 50ml so it lasted for about 3 weeks (or more, I wasn't keeping track). It made my face so soft and left it feeling clean of dirt, grime and grossness. I would really love to buys some more but it is so expensive, and there are so many other cleansers to try out!

Overall, great product which gets the job  done!

Repurchased: No
8.5/10


Oasis Beauty - Beauty Sleep

Another product from my new favourite company. This tiny looking sample actually lasted for about 2 weeks which is fantastic because it shows how long the full size product will last (and as it is rather expensive this is a good thing).

The cream is very thick and has a lavender/herb scent. It sinks in quickly but does take a few hours to fully assimilate into the skin. I love how my skin is really soft the next morning, and this lasts for most of the day. I've been skipping morning moisturiser because I feel like my skin is really hydrated using this every night.

Repurchased: Not yet, but I'm saving up!
8.5/10

Well that's it for now folks. I hope you enjoyed reading about things I've used up (even though most of them are samples). I hope my thoughts help if you are thinking about buying any of the products I've mentioned. I'm happy to answer any other questions if you want any more information.

Until next time ...

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