It's me again,
I've noticed i've developed a large collection of products i've recently used up, and before I throw them out (or rather recycle - our area is being used as a guinea pig for a year for a new recycling scheme the council is trying out!), I thought I would go through each one quickly and decide whether I would consider purchasing the same item again.
1. Bourjois Biodetox Foundation, RRP £10.99 (for 30ml) from most highstreet/drugstore cosmetic stockists
I have had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this foundation (mostly hate). I purchased this back in December and initially reviewed it here. I felt rather let down by this as I know Bourjois (being manufactured by Chanel) have a really good reputation for their foundations, but I just wasn't impressed. It was powdery, easily transferable, and although I could eventually get it to work a bit better by buffing in with a stipple brush (and applying a lot of moisturiser beforehand), I was desperate to use it up! I do like the idea of it being organic though, and think other companies should follow this idea, but suffice to say I shall not be repurchasing!
2. Veet in-shower hair removal cream for sensitive skin, RRP £6.10 (for 150ml) from most highstreet/drugstore chemists, supermarkets etc
Now, not to put you off or anything, but I am a (unfortunate) girl of the pale-skinned-dark-haired variety, and hair removal is an ongoing battle for me (I will rejoice the day they make permant hair removal which is not only painless but not pricey!). I used to get my legs and bikini line waxed on a regular basis, but (in an effort to save money, as you may have noticed!) I bought an epilator for my legs, and have switched to hair removal creams for my bikini line. I actually prefer the cream to waxing on my bikini line: yes you have to do it on a weekly basis, but the regrowth is fine AND there's no pesky ingrown hairs. I am definitely going to repurchase this (look out for it in supermakets on special offer - Tesco currently have this half price), but if you are going to try it, please make sure and do a patch test - Sarah at SWalker Make-up unfortunately had a bad experience after Veet changed their formula (read here).
3. L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara, RRP £8.19 from most highstreet/drugstore cosmetic stockists
As you can see this mascara was a well used one! I remember reading that this was Lollipop26's favourite mascara at one point, so of course (being the sheep I am!) I ran out to get it, and I have to say it is a really good, reliable, does-what-it-says-on-the-tin product for quite a reasonable price. I love the fact it has a good old proper bristle brush (I don't make much of the plastic "wands"!), and it has a really buildable formula. I would definitely go back to this, had I not wanted to test out a few others first!
4. Johnsons 3 in 1 make-up removing lotion _**Discontinued??** RRP £2.99 for 200ml
I've had a search about for this online, and I can't find it on the likes of the Boots or Superdrug website, only on places like Amazon, which makes me think this particular product might have either been renamed/repackaged as something else, or replaced by other similar Johnson's products. It is a very simple effective formula, suitable for both on face and eyes, and for sensitive skin, and I probably would think about buying it again (if I see it instore) as it is ideal for those times when you just want a quick basic cleanse (i.e. in from a night out!)
5. Nivea Radiently Smooth Body Scrub, RRP £6.25 (for 150ml), available at most highstreet/drugstore chemists/supermarkets etc (although mine was received as part of a giftset at Christmas)
The usage directions for this scrub advise you to use it only twice a week, which made me think it must be really "hardcore" and grainy, but it's quite the opposite. Just like the illustation on the package, its more of a gel with little bubbles inside, and whilst it does leave skin quite smooth after, I could easily use this every day, and had to use so much product to get any exfoliating effect whatsoever that I literally used all 150mls in a week! Had this not been part of a giftset I would never have purchased it, and probably won't again as there are other exfoliators out there which do a far better job of actually exfoliating!
6. Boots Cocoa Butter & Mallow lotion, RRP £2.99 (for 300ml), available at Boots Chemists
I bought this some time ago in replacement of my beloved Palmer's Cocoa Butter lotion, and I actually purchased it thinking it would smell like cocoa butter. It doesn't. This doesn't mean I don't like it however - the smell is actually quite sweet and summary, and very subtle. The product itself is very lightweight and sinks in really easily and does leave skin quite soft. I probably will repurchase this at some point, although I have a ton of other moisturisers to work through first!
7. Lancome Juicy Tubes Lipgloss, RRP £14.50 (for 15ml), available online and in most department stores
I actually got this as part of a limited edition set of three from TkMaxx for £16 ( I would NEVER pay £14.50 for a lipgloss on its own, unless it not only looked amazing but made the tea too or something...) and ened up selling the other two on Ebay. It's lasted me quite a while, and does give quite a nice subtle peachy shimmer, but my ELF conditioning gloss gives just as good an effect, and only for £3.50, therefore unless I find another giftset bargain, I won't repurchase!
8. Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser, RRP £3.99 (for 50ml), available at most highstreet/drugstore chemists and supermarkets
I used to use this a couple of years ago, and recently when I heard it was Kylie Minogue's cleanser of choice, I thought "oo I must try that again", and picked a jar up from Superdrug. However, I am quite aghast at the amount of product you get for your money. The jar is TINY. And fair enough £3.99 in the grand scheme of things is not that much, but when you think about how much product you use at a time (i'm always very generous with my cleansers), I got through this 50ml jar in no time. The lid is bigger than the jar! The product itself gives a lovely cooling effect on the skin, and it is excellent for a deep-down clean, especially if used with a muslin/face cloth for an exfoliating effect. However for younger skins it might be a bit too thick/greasy, and for this reason I probably won't use it again for a while. However if I do go for a cold-cream type cleanser i'll be buying the Boots version instead where you get more for your money!
I've also got a couple of other products waiting in the wings that are on their last legs, so i'll probably get another use-up post done in a couple of weeks.
Hope you found it helpful and speak soon!
Melanie x
