Product Empties

Another week, another load of finished products!

I know some bloggers/youtubers do these kind of posts on a monthly basis, but mine are more as-and-when, as i'm *trying* to be good and use up products before I buy any more!

These particular types of posts/videos have really taken off recently (I used to call mine 'product use ups - would I buy again?'), and I think they are a really good way of not only obtaining reviews/opinions of products on the part of the reader/watcher, but also letting yourself see (as the reviewer) what products you really do like and go through the most.

♥ FCUK Signature Body Butter - I am a bit of a body lotion junkie, and can safely say that this is the first ever body 'butter' that does indeed have a texture like butter! I could put my finger in it and it almost felt quite 'spongey' and was very luxurious and thick (it contains almond oil and shea butter) but yet sunk in quite quickly. I also loved the smell - if you love oriental, woody, almost maculine scents, then you will love this - it is described as a combination of musky woody base and enticing floral bouquet, topped off with a hint of vanilla on the Boots website. Would I buy again? I didn't actually buy this - it came as part of a set for Christmas I think it was - but I would consider getting some again, especially if I saw it on special offer somewhere (RRP is around £6 for 200ml - I'm used to paying about £2 for my Palmers Cocoa butter!)

♥ Lush Ultrabland facial cleanser - I never used to 'get' the obsession with Lush ("£4 for a bath bomb? You must be mad" I used to scoff), and I can't remember what the exact turning point was, but I have well and truely been bitten by the Lush bug and now i'm OBSESSED and want to try anything and everything offered by them!

I was on the hunt for a new cleanser to try after I finished my Naked Skincare cleanser (in my last Product Empties post here) and decided to pick up this smaller version (Ultrabland is available  in 45g and 100g pot sizes). Ideal if you want something you can smear all over your face to remove makeup and cleanse at once (yes, that's me, i'm lazy), Ultrabland is quite heavy and rather oily, and you will need to remove it with a muslin cloth or similar - cotton wool pads will just fall at the first hurdle! Would I buy again? I can imagine this is a product that i'd like to use in the winter months when my skin is dry and needing some TLC. It feels slightly too heavy for my skin right now whilst it's rather sweltering outside (at last!).



♥ Lush It's Raining Men Shower Gel - (I told you i've been bitten by the Lush bug!) This was a bit of an impulse buy as i've heard so many things about it and like to use nice things in the shower! I personally wasn't bowled over by it (and Lee really didn't like it!) but I didn't hate it or anything - it's a perfectly nice, honey-based scent - I just personally don't see what the hype is! Would I buy again? Probably not, especially when it costs £4.25 for a small100g bottle.

♥ Naked Skincare Up Tone Girl Toner - Toner has become a staple product in my skincare routine, largely because I like to doubly check i've remover all my makeup and cleanser. I picked up this particular one from Naked Skincare some time ago along with the cleanser and eye gel. I like the Naked Skincare range, not least because they don't test on animals, try to use organic/natural ingredients as much as they can and are very affordable. I also like their quirky product names and packaging designs. This toner did the job in terms of ensuring all cleanser/makeup was removed, but in terms of any other 'jobs' (for example I thought the witch hazel would help with spots), it didn't seem to do much. Would I buy again? If it was on offer I might consider it, but I have since discovered what could be my holy grail toner (from Lush, surprise surprise!) and am enjoying using it right now.

♥ Thierry Muglar Angel EDP - My favourite, favourite, favourite perfume, and one which I try not to go through too much of but seem to quite a lot, much to the other half's dismay (it isn't the cheapest of perfumes)! Would I buy again? Yes - or preferably get someone else to buy it for me!

♥ Illamasqua Freak EDP sample - This one is a bit of a cheat, being a sample 'n' all (and did only take me about 2 uses worth to finish it), but it's 'an empty' so it's being included! It's a bit of a weird one this perfume: when I first wore it I did NOT like it - it seemed rather mumsy, boring and quite frankly not unlike synthetic air freshner (according to the Illamasqua website it is a concoction of dangerously exotic unconventional flowers that Illamasqua has unashamedly blended together to celebrate the night)! - but it seemed to change once it settled and I even received a couple of compliments on it. Would I buy again? I might add the free sample to my online basket should it ever be offered again, but I wouldn't fork out £59 for the 75ml bottle!

♥ No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara - Is it just me, or do No7 have the biggest mascara range ever?! They always seem to be coming out with a new mascara...This particular one is a 'sample' size that was included in a promotional gift set (again at Christmas. I've got gift sets coming out my ears during the festive period!) and i've only just got round to using/finishing it. As you can see from the bottom photo, it's got 3 different 'facets' to the plastic brush head, but to be honest I didn't notice any great difference in application when using one side to another. The mascara formulation itself is pretty standard too - I wasn't particularly blown away! Would I buy again? No - probably not even if I had a No7 £5 off voucher, as even with this discount it would still be about £7 and for an 'ok', bog-standard mascara I wouldn't want to fork out that much!

What have you used up this month?

Melanie x