Gone in November...

So the title of this post is inspired by this song by Wyclef Jean 'Gone 'Til November', it's quite a chill tune for a monday night!

So these are the products I have used up in the last month or two, I have been trying to 'shop my stash' I just seem to have a lot more in my 'stash' than I realised! Ooops!

There is a bit of variety here, some I will repurchase others I will not.  I make it sound so complicated eh?!

So, the hair...

Batiste Dry Shampoo for dark and deep brown hair.  I posted about this waaaay back in March, here, and this is me just finishing up the can! I won't be repurchasing this which is a shame as the shade is great for my dark hair but the fallout is not a good look.  Also, I find this seems to make my scalp feel quite itchy and irritated, not something I usually have a problem with.

Percy & Reed  Totally TLC Hydrating Mask.  I used up some Percy & Reed products in my September empties post, here, and my opinion of the Totally TLC hydrating mask is similar.  It is a bit too hydrating for my fine hair so I use it before shampooing.  It contains marshmallow and coconut oil to nourish and moisturise.  As with the other products, I feel this is overpriced for what it is, it has a subtle, clean smell but no coconut.  It is easy to apply, it's not thick like alot of other hair masks.  I didn't notice much a difference in my hair.

Finally, KMS Hair Play Makeover Spray from my recent birchbox, here.  This is nice, my boyfriend sniffed my head and told me I 'smelt like fruit' thanks to this little nugget! I do like it, the powder is quite white unless you do it from a good distance.  I would repurchase but £10+ for a dry shampoo is a bit on the steep end for me. 

The face...

Rimmel Match Perfection Loose Powder in Transparent.  Rimmel are pretty dependable and I would say this powder has never completely blown me away but it sets my make up well enough, doesn't oxidise (get yellower/darker) throughout the day like the Clear Complexion one, doesn't cake and isn't too yellow.  I think I would repurchase this as it is good for the price and it does last quite a while.  It doesn't really do much in the way of minimising pores though. 

Elizabeth Arden All Gone Eye and Lip Make up Remover, phew, that's a mouthful! I got this deluxe sample size as a gift with purchase last year and it has lasted me for quite some time.  I Like the duo-phase make up removers, I think oil is much more efficient at removing mascara whilst still being gentle to the eye area.  You just shake this up so the liquids mix and put a dash on some cotton wool and apply to eyes, simples. I would repurchase this but would like to explore other varieties from other brands - I have heard the body shop camomile one is really good.

The Bod... 

Soap & Glory Heel Genius.  I think this is my third tube of this and I have a fourth waiting to take its place.  This is best applied after you have given your feet a bit of a pamper and finished off with some cotton socks or booties overnight and you will wake up with lovely, soft feet.  It has a slightly menthol smell to it and is lovely and cooling on hot feet after a days work.

Soap and Glory Mist You Madly fragranced body spray.  As much as I love Soap & Glory, I am actually glad this is finished.  This is a rather heavy floral, I didn't think it was a fruity floral as it claims on the bottle and a few minutes after spraying this on my body or my clothes, I couldn't really detect any scent.  This has been living in my work locker for the last year and a half trying to be used up!  I won't be repurchasing this I'm afraid.

Lastly, Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Intensive body moisturiser.  If you don't like the smell of the original 8 hour cream, chances are you won't like this.  I found this easiest to use on my hands and arms, it is a very thick cream and it felt quite 'stiff' to rub into my skin, almost like using a shower gel without being in the shower... Was great on my hands though.  I think this would be best for targeted areas such as knees, elbows and shins but as an all over moisturiser, it just requires too much elbow grease.

And that's that! 

Scary to think the next time I do one of these posts will be 2014!

One point I will mention, I  cut the ends off most of my squeezy tubes etc as there is often a few more uses worth left in the tube.  I got another 5 applications from the Elizabeth Arden!

Have you tried any of these products?

What scents do you like in your lotions and potions?

Hugs,

Jodi

xxx

To buy or not to buy?!

I have been on a real mission to use up some of the lotions and potions I have collected over time.  I'm really bad for being impulsive in the supermarket when it comes to skin and hair products in particular so I'm making a real effort not to buy any more.  Fun times no? 

First up to be used up was my Percy & Reed splendidly silky moisturising shampoo and conditioner.  These were nice to use but I felt the moisturising element was too much for my fine hair if I used this for more than two washes in a row,  the conditioner was nice and I used it almost as a mask before shampooing.  The have a nice, subtle smell and something about them reminds me of the James Brown range of shampoos.  Both shampoo and conditioner contain blueberry extract to cleanse and sweet almond milk to moisturise.  At £14 and £16 respectively, these are not cheap and although they are nice, I expect my mind to be a bit more blown for that price.  

Next up was the Caudalie cleansing water.  This was a real eye-opener of a product.  It takes make-up off with ease, leaving no residue and no sensation that it was ever there.  I bought mine from feelunique.com a while back and it lasted for ages.  With grape water (full of vitamins and antioxidants) and camomile (to calm and soothe) this is suitable for all skin types and can be used to remove eye make-up too.  I have since discovered l'oreal skin perfection, see here, but if I see this on offer, I may very well buy it again.  

Tesco Vitamin E toner was also something I used up and to be honest, I was quite glad when I did.  Toner is like the forgotten step in skincare for me, I always try and remember to use but then I slap on my moisturiser without a second thought for it.  This was not a bad product by any means, it was nice and gentle on the skin, removed any residue of make-up left on the skin and was only about 80p.  It just didn't excite me very much, but is any toner that exciting? I don't think tesco do this particular one anymore but they do a cucumber one for the same price.

Charles Worthington Dream Hair.  I really did not like this for my hair at all.  this was part of a set and was the last part to be used up/ given away. For a cleansing shampoo, I felt this was so heavy on my hair.  the scent was quite nice but that is only ever a bonus.  Growing up, Charles Worthington shampoo and conditioners were, to my eyes, proper grown up luxury.  I used to get the moisture seal products as a treat and they made me so happy! I still like the products but this set was a huge disappointment. No link for this set at the mo' as Boots.com is not co-operating again.

Lastly, Balance Me wonder eye cream is something that I actually have a back-up of and I'm glad I do.  I just have to finish a dermalogica one first! |this contains hyaluronic acid which helps lock-in moisture and plump up the undereye area.  I did find it was nice and soothing on my undereye area and it did help to diminish my dark circles somewhat.  Again, this is quite pricey but a little definitely goes a long, long way and it is jam packed full of natural, skin friendly ingredients.  

Do you have any favourite products that you repurchase over and over?

Hugs,

Jodi 

xxx