April empties

Have you noticed how you seem to go through some products quicker than others? I'm guaranteed to always have hair and skin care products amongst my empties, but this month I don't have a single makeup item. Unfortunately I don't think it's because I don't use it, it's probably more a reflection of how much of it I have in my drawers! I'll try and include more makeup products next month but for now, this is what I've got lined up for April.

Come to think of it, I haven't had a Batiste Dry Shampoo (£2.99) among my empties for a while. It's not that I'm using dry shampoos any less (as if that will EVER happen), it's just that I've had a few other brands to use up lately - have to spread the love... But I'm back with another great product from the Queen of the Dry Shampoo Realm - Monochrome. This black and white mod inspired dry shampoo adds wonderful body and texture to your hair and is a great and quick way to freshen up your hair for those in between days. One of the reasons I really like to use Batiste is the great range of scents that they offer and this one is a bit different from the others with its slightly heavier spicy and sweet scent, a nice addition to any Batiste hoarder's collection. When it comes to facial sprays, you'll know by now that I swear by Caudalie's Beauty Elixir (£10.95) for a mid day moisture boost and added radiance, but if for whatever reason that product isn't for you, you might want to try Avène Eau Thermal Water Spray (£3.15) in stead (I've done a full review of it previously available here). It's a wonderful light facial spray that not only adds moisture to the skin, you can also use it for sun or razor burns - it's a very handy little product. Unlike most facial sprays it's in an aerosol format, so you get a very fine mist when you spray it and so it doesn't end up blotchy on the skin and it distributes perfectly evenly, making your skin look and feel dewy and hydrated. You may not be a fan of facial sprays at all, but I would still highly recommend this, and chances are you might become one.

Even though I like to do different things with my hair - messy bun, waves, straightened, plaits etc I use very few styling products and the only one that has a firm spot on my dressing table is the John Frieda Frizz Ease 3 Day Straight Spray (£6.99). It's an amazing lightweight spray with keratin and a subtle fresh scent that you spritz through damp hair after you've washed it, then blow dry and/or straighten as usual and the spray will protect the hair from frizz as well as keep your hair poker straight, smooth, shiny and sleek for 3 days. I know it sounds too good to be true but this really works and I've already repurchased it more times than I can count!

One of my favorite spring flowers is hyacinths and when I saw a tin of Blue Hyacinth among the range of Lily-Flame Scented Candles (£8.50) I naturally had to try it. I've raved about Lily-Flame candles before - they burn exceptionally well in the tin from side to side for about 35 hrs, so you get plenty of sweet or spicy smelling scent for your money. Blue Hyacinth is a delicate, soft and airy floral with a subtle powdery note and it filled the house with a spring like smell - simply lovely!

In December I treated myself to a lovely little gift set from Caudalie, a trio of hand creams which I have been pampering my paws with and now I've finished one of them - the Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream (£5.70) in Blackcurrant leaf. The Caudalie hand creams contain shea butter and vine extract that help the skin retain moisture, making the texture very lush and silky texture, and it absorbs quickly into the skin, making your hands feel soft and protected. The scent of Blackcurrant leaf is warm, earthy and slightly sweet - it's very summery and comforting, and I would highly recommend that you treat your hard working hands to this little wonder. The next product I've finished recently is the Gatineau Defi Lift 3D Perfect Design Revolumising Lip Care (£28) that I've also done a separate review of previously (you read it here). It's a lovely light and silky balm that nourishes and hydrates the lips making them lovely and smooth but it's so much more than just a lip balm. It's a complete lip care product which you can also use as a lip contour mask since it contains anti-ageing properties that stimulates collagen to add firmness to the lips and its contours, and the best thing about it is that it has an immediate plumping effect without any tingling, that lasts for a few hrs making it great to use as a lip primer. It does come with a hefty price tag, so I prefer to use this overnight as a treatment or in the morning as a primer, but for topping up during the day I use other balms. I love this luxurious product and the effect it has on my lips, and I have actually repurchased this already.

The last few months I've finished my empties post with a fragrance and that's exactly what I'll do today as well with a very empty bottle of Lady Gaga's Fame EdP (£20.50). Just like with its "creator" there's so much to say about this fragrance - starting with the alienesque spaceship looking bottle, which looks great on a dressing table but if like me you like to spray your perfume into the cap and then smell it - be careful you don't poke your eyes out with the long, sharp legs! You may have seen pictures of this in a black bottle but it's not the bottle that's colored it's actually the liquid itself that's black and when you apply it, it turns clear on the skin. It's an extravagant and dramatic scent and when you first spray it, it's actually quite fresh but that quickly gives way to very distinct florals like sambac jasmine and tiger orchid, and the flowery sweetness is emphasized even more by the use of honey and apricot nectar and the last layer is of saffron and incense. The unusual blend makes it a fairly heavy floral scent with oriental touches and it definitely makes a statement. I did enjoy wearing it, especially during winter time but as we're heading towards warmer days for me this will be far too heavy and as fun as it was to try this scent, it won't get a regular spot in my fragrance collection. Well, that's it for April - which of these products would you repurchase?

When life gives you lemons...

Some natural products seem to be the cure for a little bit of everything. Just look at how many uses there are for honey, ginger, avocado and my personal favorite, the happy sunny lemon. Lemon is exceptionally rich in vitamin C - nature's own antioxidant that neutralises free radicals which is important to fight of colds and infections, it also has a calming effect and can help to get rid of nervousness and tension, and of course it has lots of uses when it comes to beauty. Lemon oil and citric acid is often used in beauty products to treat skin conditions like acne or eczema, but it also has strengthening and shining effects that are useful for hair and nails and with just a few lemons from your closest grocery store you can make all sorts of wonderful home remedies yourself. I'm far too lazy to make my own beauty treatments but since I love to use products that contain lemon, not only because of the healing qualities but also because of the amazingly zingy and zesty smell, I'm lucky that there is so much to choose from in most stores, starting with a great shower gel from The Body Shop.

The Body Shop shower gels are all soap-free, so they're gentle on the skin but at the same time it's easy to work up a good lather for a lovely foamy shower or bath. The Sweet Lemon shower gel contains essential oils to help sooth and moisturise the skin and it has the most amazing sunny, soft and fragrance without the usual tangy sharpness of lemons and instead it's creamy like a lemon mousse - yummy!

For a proper pampering session you also need a rich and indulgent body butter to finish with and for the most amazing range of scents, there's no other brand like The Body Shop. Regardless of which scent you prefer they all have the same ultra rich and creamy consistency enriched with shea butter that will soften even the driest of skins. What I love most about the body butters is that they blend into the skin almost immediately when you massage it in, and that they seem to lock in the moisture for a long time afterwards, making the skin feeling luxuriously smooth. The Sweet Lemon body butter is perfect to use in the mornings to vitalise and prepare you for the day ahead, and the creaminess of it made it a lovely base for both fresh and floral scents. This was one of my favorite ranges from The Body Shop and it's such a shame that they don't sell it in the shops anymore (the closest you can get to this zesty and creamy fragrance is with the Satsumas products), but if you're interested in this gorgeous Sweet Lemon scent you can easily get hold of these products on ebay.

As you probably know by now, I love to surround myself with scent and go through quite a lot of candles, and most of them are from Lily-Flame. I have reviewed several of their candles before since they have a great range of scents with something for everyone, and they usually burn really well for about 35 hrs or so. One of the first candles I tried from them is the Lily-Flame Citrus Crush Scented Candle (£8.50) which is a beautifully fresh tangy and summery mix of lemons and tangerines that is so invigorating and energising. It's a perfect mood booster - it always makes me feel very harmonious and refreshed and I absolutely adore it.

A product that I had read a lot about and was really looking forward to trying is the EOS Organic Lip Balm (£5.99) and the first one I got was in Lemon drops. It's a 100% natural and organic product with SPF which is rich in vitamin E, shea butter and jojoba oil to help keep your lips moisturised and smooth. For me the biggest selling point is the adorable packaging - it looks like a yummy little candy egg and it comes in loads of different tempting flavors, one more delicious than the other. It has a very subtle and fresh lemon scent and flavor that unfortunately doesn't last very long on the lips, but it adds a lovely natural sheen to the lips. What I really need from a lip balm is for it to also add long lasting deep moisture that nourishes the lips, but the texture of the EOS lip balm feels more waxy than moisturising or creamy and I find that I have to use quite a lot of it to get that sense of hydration, and I also have to reapply it very often for that feeling to last. Overall it's a cute product, almost a novelty type of lip balm - great as a gift for someone and if you're curious about these little pots, Naturisimo has a great range of flavors and they also offer free delivery worldwide.

The last lemony product in this zesty collection is the Lush Lemony Flutter (£6.50) which is one of the must have products that are part of my hand and nail care routine. It has a lovely rich buttery consistency with lots of nourishing oils from soya, avocado and coconut and. Take just a tiny bit of the butter, heat it up between your fingers and massage it into the cuticles and hands for an intensely moisturising and creamy treatment, and you're left with a gorgeous soft and sweet scent on your hands. Since it is such a rich cream it does leave a very slightly oily feel and sheen on your nails that I personally just leave to sink in over night, but if you want to do a manicure afterwards - you need to wipe the nails clean. I use this fantastic product at least four times a week and I'm convinced that it's helped to make my cuticles stronger and healthier.

So when life gives me lemons, I prefer to put them in beauty products and enjoy the delicious fresh and sparkling scent of warm summer days - at least it's a lovely reminder until we get there in a few months time. Do you make your own beauty products - or if you're more like me, preferring it to be served to you - which are your favorite products with lemon?

January empties

This might sound a bit strange for a shopaholic who shows no restraints at all when it comes to buying new things, but often when I get something new it take ages before I actually open it and use it - and that takes quite a lot of restraint I can tell you. Mostly it's because I want to finish something else up first and I also quite enjoy knowing that there's a "shiny new toy" waiting for me when I've been good and disciplined enough to use another product up first. That leads me on to the empties of this month, and since I've been quite good I think I can reward myself with finally opening one of my new goodies.

I don't think there will ever be a monthly empties post where I don't have a dry shampoo since it's a staple item for me, so let's get the dry shampoo out of the way first... I'm sure I'm not the only one who rely on dry shampoo to refresh the hair in between washes, or maybe even use a little for added texture, even if oil control isn't needed. The one I finished the past month was Batiste's Paisley (£2.99) which is quite a rich, flowery and slightly spicy scent. For some reason I can't find it anymore online, although I have seen it in Boots but there are of course so many other lovely Batiste scents to choose from and I've already got my next one lined up.

Last August I did a post on the wonderful Avon Apricot and Shea Butter product range, and since I quickly discovered that it was a very limited edition, I've cherished it and only used it every now and then to make it last as long as possible but the day has now come when I've finished the 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner, Shower Gel and Body Lotion. I only use 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioners every now and then as they can be quite harsh on the hair, but since this one contains shea butter it doesn't strip down the hair and I was surprised at how easy my hair was to detangle after I'd used it. I like a lot of Avon products but I also find that some of the products from the Naturals body care range smell lovely but don't always add a lot of moisture, however this is not at all the case with these. It's probably because of the shea butter, but both the shower gel and body lotion were quite thick and creamy to use and felt really luxurious especially since they made the skin feel very soft and hydrated for a good few hrs after the shower. But let's also talk about the amazing scent for a minute - it's a lovely soft and juicy mix of fresh sweet apricot and subtle vanilla from the shea butter, and it reminds me of a yummy and irresistible ice cream sundae. It's absolutely gorgeous and I so wish that Avon would bring it back - I would be first in line to pick up 10 of each product!

The lovely Caudalie Beauty Elixir (£25.59) has been a part of my daily beauty routine for a few years now and I finish both my morning and evening cleanse with a refreshing spritz of this amazing facial spray and I love it so much that I actually carry it with me in my handbag and use it throughout the day too. Why do I love it? - well I'm glad you asked... First of all the dispenser sprays just the right amount to add moisture but without making your skin wet, and it settles on your skin in a fine mist that adds radiance and hydration. Secondly, the scent is wonderfully aromatic with lovely zingy mint, warm rosemary, a hint of orange peel and subtle rose - divine, and lastly it really perks up not only my skin, but my mood too - so what's not to love? It's an indulgent treat but after all, we all need a little indulgence in our lives.

Over winter I've really focused on hydrating my skin and that goes for not just my face, but my body, hands and feet too. It's oh so easy to ignore the tootsies so I quite like to have a really pampering, lovely cream to motivate me to being nice to my feet, and the lotion I've used the most is Burt's Bees Peppermint Foot Lotion (£12.99) which has a lovely fresh and icy cool scent of menthol and peppermint oil. It's quite a milky lotion, and not as rich and buttery as I would usually go for, but it absorbs quickly, nourishes and hydrates the skin as well as locks in moisture. The feet feel so refreshed and energized after using it, and it's a great excuse to put on some cute socks afterwards to help the skin soak up all the moisture even more.

Since I wanted to make some space in the perfume drawer for any goodies that Santa might bring me in December, I made a real effort to finish up some perfumes that only had a little bit left in them. This meant that I had to do something I don't do very often - wear the same perfume several days in a row, and this herculean task meant that in the end I actually finished off my Marc Jacobs Honey (£33.15). Contrary to what you might, think this is a very sunny, playful scent with lots of fruity notes; fresh pear, sweet and juicy mandarin and orange with only a subtle golden honey sweetness to it. At the same time it's soft, warm and inviting and not sharp or zingy in any way. For me it's a lovely balanced and uncomplicated scent and while it probably is a typical summer scent I think it works just as well in the winter since the cooler temperatures really brings out the crispness of the fruit. It's a delicious and sparkling scent that I've definitely enjoyed wearing, but for me it's a little bit on the light side and for that reason I don't think I'll be repurchasing it at the moment. 

As you may remember I bought a lot of Lily-Flame candles (£8.50) before Christmas that have filled the house with different wonderful festive scents that I hadn't tried before. I love candles that have a very distinct scent and that really capture a mood, and Christmas Spice did just that. It's a homely, warm and welcoming scent of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves - absolutely lovely. I've raved about Lily Flame candles before - they have a great range of scents to choose from, look good enough to eat, are very reasonably priced and last but not almost most importantly, the burn so well. Burning time is about 35 hrs and they burn really REALLY well - from side to side, completely down to the bottom of the tin with no waste at akk as you can see in the photo, now THIS is how a candle should burn in my view. If you haven't tried Lily Flame candles yet I highly recommend them and have actually just placed a new order for more scents to take us into spring.

The last product of this month's empties is the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (£9), which over the party season has been absolutely brilliant at helping my makeup stay on longer. It's a nice, non perfumed spray that somehow mysteriously lowers the temperature of the makeup, so that it stays in place without any smudging or shine. It feels lovely and cooling on the skin and I've used about 4-5 spritzes of it both after foundation (but before powder) and once I've finished my makeup completely. The only thing I would say is that the spritzer isn't brilliant and instead of a fine mist, it's a bit more watery so I spray this quite a bit away from my face and then lean into it, if you see what I mean. Despite this I still really enjoy it and will definitely repurchase it and this time, I'll go straight for the big size.

That's the end of the empties, time to start over on the batch for next month and I've set myself a goal - to finish up even more products for February's post. Do you think I'll manage? - well there's always the prospect of starting to use a shiny new product to keep me motivated...

December empties

I can barely believe that there's only one week to go before Christmas! I've spent the last few weeks bringing home so much stuff for Christmas that the cupboards are filled to the brim of food and hidden away presents. Well, good thing then that I've also tried to make some space by finishing up a few products.

As you may know Operation Rapunzel to get my hair to grow even longer has been in action these last few months, so you probably won't be surprised to see that there are 4 empties today that are related to hair care. The first one is the Kérastase Elixir Ultime hair oil (£27.60). It's a wonderful light oil with a gorgeous scent of sweet and rich moringa that is great for repairing and nourishing damaged hair. Like most hair oils you can use this for some many purposes, as a conditioner, treatment, detangler or as a styling products. I only use a few tiny pumps of oil, and my hairs feels so smooth and silky and cared for. Out of the hair oils I've tried, this is one of my absolute favourites and despite the price tag I would definitely buy it again as it's a real investment in your hair.

Next up is the dry shampoos of the month and both are from Batiste in the scents Cherry (£2.99) and XXL Volume Big & Bouncy (£3.99). Batiste will always be a brand I turn to for dry shampoo because of the wide range of scents that they offer, and they keep re-inventing themselves with new and exciting releases. The cherry scent comes in a cute retro bottle and it has a sweet, fairly intense cherry scent and although it's nice it's almost a little too heavy for me since I prefer lighter scents on my hair that won't interfere with whatever perfume I'm wearing. Big & Bouncy is more of a fresh floral and it's very effective for adding texture and extra body to the hair at the same time as it refreshes and controls oil and I would definitely get it again to help create updo's that stay in place all day.

Key to my routine to encourage my hair to grow is using the Lee Stafford's Hair Growth Treatment which is a protein rich mask that you use as a treatment in between your shampoo and conditioner and you apply it not only to the ends of your hair, but to the scalp as well and a healthy scalp is important for healthy hair, after all the hair grows from the scalp - not the ends. It's a wonderful rich cream with a lovely nutty scent that makes the hair feel very soft and volumized. I've really enjoyed using this every week and I'm already working on my second tub so that I can give you an update next month on how it's worked for me - and if my hair has grown longer which I really hope.

That's the hair products out of the way, so let's look at the others starting with the Gatineau Floracil Eye Makeup Remover (£17.50). It's a non-oily very gentle but effective remover that contains camomile to sooth and refresh the eye area but that also cares for the eyelashes at the same time. In the evening I usually take two cotton pads, soak them with Floracil and put them over the eye lids for a few seconds, and it's as if all the makeup, even water resistant mascara just dissolves and gets wiped away. There's no rubbing or pulling of the delicate skin and no stinging sensation in the eyes. If like myself you spend most of your day in front of a computer screen, your eyes might get a bit tired and weary, and just relaxing with a few pads of Floracil, is a few minutes of every day luxury.  This is without a doubt the best eye makeup remover I have ever used and I will definitely get another jumbo sized one in January and since it should last me about 5 months, the current offer on Salon Skincare really is excellent value for money.

One of the nail care brands that I completely swear by is Sally Hansen and I have used the care range for years now. I must confess that I have strayed and used other brands in between that promise miraculous nail growth, but I have always come back to Sally Hansen since I find that the products actually work and one of the products I've used almost non stop the past year is the Nail Growth Serum (£6.95). The serum contains Biotin, which is famous for helping hair and nails to grow and also for improving the quality. You massage it into both the nail and the cuticle and it certainly helps your nails to grow and I also find that the nails feel stronger and more even. I do prefer the Nail Growth formula that you can use as a base case, but both products are great and if you find it difficult to grow your nails, this might be a great product to try.

Just as I had planned on wearing a lovely glamorous Hollywood look with red lips and a winged eyeliner, my Avon Glimmerstick Liqui-glide eyeliner (£2.50) gave up the ghost. Timing couldn't have been worse! The product has the consistency of a liquid eye liner, but it's in a pencil form and has great precision, which is great for me since I find that liquid liners can be quite difficult to work with. The liner lasted really well throughout the day without any smudging but it was also easy to remove in the evening. I wore the shade graphite - perfect for creating a flick but not quite as harsh as darkest black, all in all a very nice and budget friendly eye liner.

The last empties is one of the winter scented candles I recently bought from Lily-Flame Candle (£8.50). Winter Wood was a fresh, but woody and aromatic scent, almost like the scent of Christmas tree. In the tin it was a bit soapy but I was very positively surprised and it filled the room with a lovely homely scent. I'm usually never disappointed in the candles from Lily-Flame - the scents are great, the candles burn a long time and they usually burn really well. This time however I wasn't pleased when the candle after about 15 hrs refused to burn any longer and had turned into the shape you see in the photo. A bit disappointing, but at least the other candles that I bought haven't let me down, and are just as great as I've come to expect.

I didn't manage to finish as much as I had hoped this month, but I'm sure I can find space somewhere if Santa is kind enough to bring me some lovely beauty bits and pieces this Christmas...

The scent of Christmas

What does Christmas smell like? Well, I think the answer to that is different for everyone but for me it has several different scents. There's the warm soft, spicy, citrus scent of food, drinks and goodies, there's the aromatic, deep green and earthy scent of the Christmas tree and there's the dry, cold, clean smell of snow. When I stocked up on candles for the month to come, this is exactly the mix of scents that I tried to capture, so let's have a look at what I ended up with.

There are several great candle makers that come up with wonderful tempting scents but my favourite brand is Lily-Flame Candles. Ever since I stumbled on my first candle in Waitrose - Fairy Dust, which I must have used about 10 of this year..., I've been a great fan and have tried quite a few candles from their range. Lily-Flame do scented tins in different sizes, candles in a glass and reed diffusers, but I especially like the scented tins. They have a super range of scents with something for everyone, and the candle in each tin looks so pretty with marshmallow type decorations in different colors - good enough to eat actually. The scented tins are very reasonably priced at £8.50 and for that you'll get about 35 hrs of burn time and they burn exceptionally well, not leaving a crater in the middle with lots of waste on the sides.

Jack Frost is a gorgeous cool, sparkling crisp and ever so slightly sweet scent of lemon grass and musk, and for me it makes me think about sunny, cold and snowy Boxing day when you've been out for a long walk and you come into the warmth to eat some more yummy food - oh.... I can't wait... 

From cool and crisp to something completely different with Winter Wood. It's a very distinct, warm aromatic and strong but fresh scent of Christmas tree and pine cones. I hadn't tried this candle before and I am a little bit apprehensive since in the tin it almost smells a little bit like a soapy bubble bath, but fingers crossed it'll warm up more forrest and less soap. 

Now we come to the more homely, foodie scents, starting with Christmas Spice - a warm, and aromatic hearty mix of cinnamon and ground cloves which creates a very spicy, almost slightly oriental smokey scent. This to me is the night before Christmas - you're all snuggled up in your best Christmas leggings and jumper in front of the fireplace with a Christmas tree, having mulled wine and mince pies.

The last candle is also of a foodie kind, smelling just like a scrumptious Christmas dessert. Festive Cheer has rich chocolate, roasted nuts and almonds, and spicy but sweet gingerbread. It's a wonderful piquant and very slightly peppery smell.

These are all very different but they're also all of them comforting, and reassuring in their own way. It'll be lovely to have the different scents of Christmas filling the house. I wonder which candle I should start with...?

November empties

If I may say so myself I have been SOOO good this month, finishing up quite a lot of products. It's not that I don't like the stuff that I already have and want to get rid of it, it's just that I like to try new things more and I can't try those things until I've finished others.... oh dear - it's tough being a beauty junkie.

The first items I've been good to finish are a Shower gel, Body Lotion and a Body Mist from Bath & Body Works' Secret Wonderland range. I've mentioned before that I really like the shower gels and body lotions because they feel so luxurious and gentle on your skin, and since they contain vitamin E and shea butter they also make the skin very smooth and moisturised. Secret Wonderland is a juicy sweet and fruity scent of different sun kissed berries - strawberries, raspberries and goji berries rounded with subtle gardenia, jasmine, creamy vanilla and lovely warm musk. It's a very whimsical and romantic fragrance that makes you think of late summer. I've really enjoyed wearing it and I will definitely get it again when I get the chance.

I love to use serums as part of my skin care routine and this month I finished up Estée Lauder's Perfectionist serum. It's a silky and intense anti-wrinkle repair serum with a slightly lilac tint, that you can use both during the day or evening. Because of it's firming qualities and since it firms up the skin almost immediately I've mainly used a tiny bit under my moisturiser during the day. It's made my skin look really relaxed and plump, and since I'm all about plumping and nourishing when it comes to skin care this has been wonderful to use, and I would highly recommend it to anyone with tendencies towards dehydrated skin for an extra boost in the morning or in the evening before going out.

I also finished up another product to nourish and restore the skin after the time I spent in the sun this summer - Origins Starting Over. This moisturiser is packed with mimosa which is great at stimulating the creation of collagen and protein in the skin cells to keep the skin toned and protected. It has a lovely light consistency, that makes the skin feel supple nourished and refreshed, and the amazing scent of fresh and zesty citrus fruits makes this cream a pleasure to use. Even though Starting Over builds up the skin, for me personally it doesn't give the amount of hydration my skin craves during the autumn and winter, so despite being so lovely I won't be repurchasing this until next Spring.

A few months ago I bought the Revlon Lash Potion Mascara after having read some good reviews of it and to start with I was quite happy with it. The formula was dry already from the start, but I thought that the large brush with triple-grooves gave a good coverage, the lashes looked noticeably thicker, longer and separated. I also found that the mascara lasted well and didn't cause any smudging, so all my first impressions weren't bad. However even though the brush gave good coverage I found that it was a little stiff to work with, and as time went on and the consistency got really gloopy and clumpy it got very difficult to get an even coverage. I know that the consistency of mascaras change throughout their lifetime, but this changed too much for me. What started as a promising mascara, unfortunately ended as a bit of a disappointment and I wont be getting this particular one again.

As the days are getting darker and I'm getting more and more into cozy evenings in front of the TV-with hot chocolate mood I have really sped up my "consumption" of candles. I go through them at lightening speed, which is why I have three empty ones this month. I'll start with some from my favourite candle makers Lily-Flame. By now I must have bought and used about 15 different candles from Lily-Flame and they've never disappointed me. They have a super range of scents with everything from floral to citrus, from fresh clean and natural to foodie inspired and they burn really well. I've mentioned before that this year I'm doing something I've never done before - I'm changing the scents that I wear and  surround me with, to fit the season. With Halloween coming up I can't think of anything more appropriate than a candle called Spook which has adorable little bats on the tin. It's a mix of fudge and toffee apples, which sounds really yummy but unfortunately this candle didn't work for me at all. The scent of the fudge and the toffee was far too buttery, and it completely overtook any crisp freshness from the apples which would have balanced it out - ultimately, for me the scent is almost sickly sweet. But to end on a positive note, the second candle from Lily-Flame amongst the empties is the wonderful Mellow Figs & Garden Mint. It's a mix of mellow earthy fig and crisp cool mint that creates a very welcoming piquant and fresh scent - gorgeous, and I look forward to getting it again! 

The last product in this months empties is a Yankee Candle in Black Cherry. It's a great mix of the sweet and sour from cherries that makes a lovely rich and delicious scent - it smells exactly like real cherries taste. When I got this candle it smelt so strongly before it had even been lit, that you could get months and months scent out of it even without burning it. If like me you like cherries, this is a must have candle and you won't find anything else like it.

Well, that's that for this month, and by the end of this week I'll have the first two empties for December's batch - I really AM doing well and my reward is that I can finally start using some of the products that I have been saving for months!

Guilt free chocolate treats

Chocolate, hmm - just the thought of it make chocoholics all over the world go nuts for it! We all know about the downside of eating too much chocolate, so let's not dwell on that, but fact of the matter is that dark chocolate can have some health benefits too if eaten in moderation. E.g. it can reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and eating chocolate also releases endorphines making you happy. To celebrate the beauty of the cocoa bean I thought I would do a post entirely dedicated to chocolate - but the guilt free way of enjoying where you can surround yourself with the amazing rich cocoa scent and enjoy all the flavours without any of the calories!

Let's start this chocolate bonanza with the Bourjois Bronzing Powder, Delice de Poudre. I am almost ashamed to mention this product again since I know it has figured in at lot of previous posts, but I guess that just shows how much of a staple item this bronzing powder is to me. The super fine texture makes it lovely to apply and I use it for sculpting when I'm a bit paler and as a blusher when I have a bit of a tan. For me both the shade 51 and 52 are great to work with and it gives color with a very subtle, barely noticeable shimmer of gold for a healthy look, without giving that dirty appearance that some bronzers can. The chocolate bar look of the packaging is so cute, and the dusty scent of cocoa that reminds me of an old chocolate bar is pleasant and a fun element.

Despite a bad experience with a Lush Fresh Face Mask, I wasn't ready to give up on the idea of them yet and I wanted to give them another chance. On recommendation I got the Lush Fresh Face Mask in Cupcake, and wow I'm so glad I did! The description says that the mask is more intended for younger, acne prone skin since it helps to absorb excess oil, but I have skin that tends to get dehydrated and it still works like a dream on my skin. When you open the tub you immediately notice the gorgeous scent of mint chocolate, created by the different mint ingredients that help to balance and tone the skin. Since this is a clay mask, the consistency is lovely and thick and it gives a really deep cleanse, getting rid of any impurities but it also feels gentle and soothing. Using this mask is such a pleasant sensation; you'll look and almost smell like you've smothered your face with Nutella and it feels heavy on the skin but cooling at the same time, and after you've wiped it off with a damp cloth, almost giving it a mini exfoliation the skin feels very clean and soft, and I will definitely be getting this again.

Sticking with Lush products, for me one of the most genuine chocolate body care products is the Sonic Death Monkey Shower Gel.What I like in particular about this, is that the rich and sweet chocolate scent is broken up with a zesty, fresh and invigorating scent of lime making it a tad spicy, lovely and decadent, but not sickly sweet or heavy - which many chocolate scented products can be. Since I like to keep to one scent when it comes to my body care products, we of course also have a body butter to go with the shower gel - the Body Shop Body Butter in Chocomania. I have tried lots of Body Shop body butters so I was a bit surprised to find that the Chocomania is slightly different than the others. This might just be me, but I don't feel as if it's as thick as some of the other ones I've tried. It's still very creamy, pleasant to massage in and it melts in beautifully, but I don't get the same sense of deep long lasting hydration as with most of the others, even though it's supposed to be great for dry skin. Chocomania smells yummy, a bit like Maltesers and I do enjoy using it, but personally I wish it was even thicker in it's consistency.

Now we're getting to the really interesting stuff, starting with a candle. Yes I know it sounds crazy, a chocolate scented candle, can that really work? I had tried many candles scented with chocolate before and never thought that any of them were any good. I found them synthetic, waxy and sickly - that is until I tried a Lily Flame candle in Chocolate Truffles - oh my goodness. This fills the room with a gorgeous warm, rich, indulgent and luxurious scent that smells exactly the way that chocolate truffles taste! I don't know how they've done it, but Lily Flame have definitely captured this scent perfectly. I've talked about Lily Flame candles before and for me they are the best - the range of scents is amazing, and most importantly they burn really well for about 35 hrs, straight down in the tin, leaving no waste at all. Delectable chocolate in a candle - who would have thought?!

 

My last pick for this chocolate feast is a Cologne Spray in Chocolate Chip Cookie from the fantastic Demeter Fragrance Library. Demeter has over 250 different colognes and body care products inspired by everyday objects and experiences. It's a completely unique perspective on fragrance based on clear, straight forward and uncomplicated scents that are familiar to everyone and that tap into feelings of well being and simplicity. Some of the top selling colognes include the following: Apple Pie, Tomatoes, Vanilla Cookie Dough, Basil, Gin & Tonic, Rain, Wet Garden, Grass, Laundromat, Marshmallow, Orange Cream Pop, Pina Colada or Raspberry Jam - I dare you not to be tempted by at least one of them.

The scent of Chocolate Chip Cookie is like freshly baked cookies just out of the oven, made from a combination of light and dark chocolate, - sweet and light but slightly bitter as well, brown sugar and sprinkles of half melted chocolate chips. It's fascinating how incredibly genuine this smells! As it is a cologne it won't last very long, I'd say no more than perhaps 3 hrs, and there's definitely no risk of it being heavy or overpowering. But what a fun way to carry a favourite scent with you during the day and spray on when you need a pick me up or just to boost your mood.

After all this talk about chocolate I'm getting a bit peckish so perhaps some hot chocolate with a chocolate cookie - any takers...?

September empties

It feels as if it was just yesterday that I wrote the empties post for August - where does the time go? Today I have quite a good mix for you with a little bit of everything and you may recognize some of them from previous posts.

One of the first products I finished this month is my staple Daily Energizer Cleansing Gel from Clarins. I have repurchased this so many times because of its very gentle but effective cleansing abilities and it leaves no dry areas at all. I should mention that it is a foaming gel since there's a lot of discussion about whether you should use this on your skin or not, although it is soap free and the foaming comes from Soapwort which is a natural alternative to soap. I love how refreshed and pepped up my skin feels after I've used it. This is partly because of the lightness of the gel and partly because of the amazing, zesty fresh citrusy scent - what a way to start the day or to wash away the day that's been and I will definitely repurchase this again. 

It might seem strange to some people, but I actually light candles all year around since I'm scent-dependent, and I try to capture the time of year in the scents that I use and surround myself with. One of the candles I've used this summer has been Lily-Flame's Sweet Pea, mentioned in one of my very first blog posts. All of the Lily Flame candles are so pretty to look with their tiny marshmallows on the top, and every time I light a candle the first time I feel so guilty for ruining it - but it has to be done to get to the goodies! Sweet pea is a very tender, ladylike and classic, pure scent that's been perfect for the hot summer evenings we've had. I wouldn't say that it smells exactly like the flower because it has less of the floral and is a more crisp and pure scent - very elegant and delicate. If you haven't tried any of the candles from this range I really recommend them. There are so many amazing scents to choose from and they all smell very authentic. Another thing I love about them is that they burn really really well in the tin - from side to side without creating a big horrible crater in the middle, so you do get full value out of these. Since I have just stacked up on candles you can expect to see some of them mentioned in the next few months. 

Staying with the scent of summer, I'm sad to say that I've finished my Moschino Pink Bouquet EdT. It contains scents from exotic pineapple, warm juicy peach, cooling citrus fruits, seductive womanly jasmine and spicy woods - which together forms a light, sparkling, fresh and lively scent that isn't in the least syrupy or sugary. Pink Bouquet has suited me perfectly and I got so many compliments wearing it, so even though I have A LOT of beautiful perfumes left, I will definitely get another one at some point after I've finished a few others (I can hear Him Indoors sighing with relief).

In my Green edition I mentioned the Kérastase Bain Force Architecte Reconstructing Shampoo so I'm not going to go into a lot of detail, but this is a higher end shampoo specifically for damaged and dry hair. It reconstructs your hair to improve its resistance and leaves it shiny and feeling much stronger. It is a pricier product but if you need an intensive treatment, I would highly recommend it since it's worked beautifully on my hair.

A while back I got two products out of the Estée Lauder Resilience Lift range; the Eye cream that I'm still using (and I think I'll still be using in 5 months time since you need so little of it), and the Resilience Lift Face and Neck Creme which I've now finished. The cream is supposed to help tighten the facial contours, using a light-responsive enzyme, minerals and mimosa extract to help boost your skin's collagen production. The formula is lovely and thick, and it quickly melts into your skin as you gently massage it in, leaving your skin feeling very moisturized and nourished. I've only used this as a night cream, but every morning my skin has looked radiant, fresh and plump and it feels as if it's been nourished throughout the night, preparing the skin nicely for the morning routine. I really enjoyed this creme and I will definitely consider getting it again.

The last item in this month's empties is also a skin care product - the Gatineau Melatogenine AOX Probiotics Youth Activating Beauty Serum (now say that quickly 10 times in a row - I DARE you). This is another item which is packed with antioxidants and pro-biotics to help boost the skins immune system and the effect is that it should help reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. I love using serums and have tried many different brands and this is slightly different than many of the others I've tried. It's slightly thinner and more runny in its texture, although it absorbs easily and also gives that lovely feeling of deep and long lasting moisturizing and I would highly recommend it if you don't like the sensation of thicker, richer serums. I can't really comment on the wrinkle reducing effects but your skin does feel very smooth, supple and bright.

Which products did you finish this month and will you be repurchasing any of them?

FIGment of imagination

As we're approaching autumn I'm finding myself moving away from the very fruity scents that have dominated and filled my summer days, and I'm more drawn to a for me completely new sweetness - the amazing and distinct scent of Figs. Up until a few months ago I had never tried products with figs and now I'm completely addicted to the natural, warm, earthy and slightly syrupy fragrance.

The first product with fig I'll talk about is a lovely candle from Lily Flame - Mellow Figs & Garden Mint. It's a very unusual blend with soft and mellow sophisticated fig, together with fresh and crisp mint. Together they form a scent that's warm, inviting and clean at the same time. Lily Flame candles don't get enough of a mention in blogs or vlogs I think - I love them because they are well scented without being too heavy, they burn well in the tins (without creating a big crater in the middle), they don't soot and you get a lot of burning time for your money. Even if it weren't for all these great qualities I would probably still like them because they are sooo pretty with the different colored marshmallows on top - they look yummy enough to eat!

A brand that I had heard a lot about, but up until a few months ago never really tried - is Korres, which is a Greek brand with the most amazing products based on natural ingredients found in Greek flora, and they are all beautifully scented. When I first tried the Korres shower gel in Fig it was definitely love at first smell. It's a nice and creamy shower gel that doesn't feel as if it's drying out your skin, and it contains aloe, C, E, zinc and antioxidant enzymes to look after the skin's immune system and reduce the signs of ageing. But what really makes it a stand out product, is the amazing genuine scent of sun-kissed sweet and sour figs.

To go with the shower gel there's the wonderful Korres body butter in Fig. It is incredibly moisturising and the consistency is nice and creamy so you really have to massage it in, really toning your skin and increasing circulation at the same time. You can feel how much good the body butter does your skin and you'll still feel moisturised many hrs afterwards. It has exactly the same rich but soft, green, sweet and juicy smell as the shower gel and luckily it stays on your skin for a long time and I really wish they had a perfume with this exact same scent. I know you can get Korres in department stores or online, or why not just pop down to your local Waitrose, and you can find it there as well - all of a sudden I'm actually looking forward to going food shopping... 

Since Korres don't do a body spray or perfume in Fig, I've looked around for other scents with this modest little fruit, and the closest match that I've found is the delicious Figue De Vigne Eau Fraiche from Caudalie. As you may know Caudalie bases all their products on grapes and vines, which is also the case with this fragrance. It's a gorgeous soft and subtle scent of earthy, juicy fig but that has a sparkling, zesty side from bergamot and a woody, green grassiness that grounds it and makes it mellow and rustic. It's a wonderful authentic, pure and slightly melancholic scent that is perfect for autumn, unlike anything I've ever tried. I absolutely love to wear it and have received so many compliments for it. 

As it turns out, not only are figs nice tasting in a salad - they are also rich in calcium, fibres, antioxidants and a long list of minerals that are good for your overall well-being and ultimately, fig scented products smell incredible! Who knew that figs could be so good?

Lily-Flame Candles - Fairy Dust & Sweet Pea

Makeup by Candlelight... the clue is in the name... I love candles and tend to have one in almost every room to surround myself with scent. It doesn't matter which time of year it is, there will always be a candle burning somewhere. In the summer I tend to go for more floral and fruity scents, and when the weather changes for the worse I move on to spicy, warm and richer scents.

There are so many wonderful candles out there in many price ranges and some of my favourites, but you don't see them mentioned very often, are the ones from Lily-Flame Candles. They have a great range of scents for any occasion in either scented tins, or room sprays and reed diffusers.

This time around I went for an "old friend" - Fairy Dust and also took a chance on a scent I haven't tried before - Sweet Pea. I've lost count of how many tins of Fairy Dust I've bought, but I just can't resist the sweet, slightly powdery and sparkly fragrance - it puts me in such a good mood! It reminds me of Lush's Snow Fairy, and with 35 hrs of burn time, it's a steal at £8.50 (same for all the scented tins). 

I haven't lit the newbie Sweet Pea yet, but in the tin it doesn't have the genuine sweet pea smell that you would find in e.g. Bath & Body Works Sweet pea fragrance and that I was hoping for. But fingers crossed it'll be a soft, floral - perfect for summer time. 

Another thing that I love about the candles is how pretty they look, like little candy marshmallow creations - almost too pretty to burn.

I'm sure you can buy Lily-Flame Candles in many places all over the country, but I get mine directly from the Lily-Flame website, or from my local Waitrose!