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?

Let's mist it up a little with facial sprays

Even I as a beauty junkie admit that there are several beauty products on the market, that you can't help but wonder if they actually do something beneficial, or if they're just the latest craze - facial mist sprays are one example of that. These are in essence water mixed with different ingredients like minerals or antioxidants to help protect your skin and they have several uses. E.g. you can use them to set your foundation, to freshen up during the day or to calm your skin after you've been in the sun. Facial mist sprays come in all price brackets and I've done a comparison of a few of them to see what they actually did for me; in order of price - Avene, Anatomicals, Clinique and Caudalie.

The first spray I've tested is Avene Eau Thermal Water Spray which you can find in Boots, both in a travel size and in a larger version, which is great if you're planning to take it with you, like I usually do. I had read a lot about this product and know that it's supposed to be great for angry or sensitive skin and you can use it for many different things according to the description - here are few examples: sunburn, after hair removal, after anti-acne treatment, to complete cleansing and to set make-up. That's pretty impressive, so if you're going on holiday this will be one of your Must bring products. Since I've only tried this as a facial spray, I'll limit my review to that particular use. This is an aerosol bottle so it dispenses a cloud of very fine mist that is absorbed straight away into the skin. It doesn't have any scent at all which might be a plus point for some, but it feels incredibly refreshing and cooling, and I can imagine that it would feel soothing on skin that's irritated or sensitive. This is perfect as a moisture boost during the day and it really freshens up your skin and your makeup if you're wearing any, leaving it a bit more dewy and radiant. This spray is absolutely amazing and considering it costs less than a grande macchiato in Starbucks, I would highly recommend that you try it, and I would even go as far as to say that if you're new to facial sprays - I bet this will make you a fan!

 

The second one I tried is the Anatomicals Spray Misty For Me which I actually got in a Glossybox a while back. Since I have been using facial mist sprays for quite a while now I was very happy to have received it and was also excited to try it, but I wasn't happy with a few things. First of all the pump squirts the spray out like a mini shower, getting your face wet in small patches, rather than dispensing it evenly over your face (and I have tried lots of different ways of using it) - not a great first impression. The spray does absorb quickly, but it feels very patchy afterwards. Secondly, while I like an aromatic invigorating scent, this one - which is lavender and peppermint to hydrate and sooth your skin, is too prominent. It does evaporate very quickly, but for me it's important that you feel refreshed after using a facial spray and this scent puts me on edge, it just doesn't work for me. And lastly, it makes my skin feel sticky and dry. It probably has to do with the first point that it's sprayed unevenly on the face, so some areas may be hydrated and others not. Since I haven't found this product on another web site, I link to Glossybox where you can read more about it, and if you're interested in getting this product, I know you can find it on good old eBay.

Moving on to the considerably more expensive products, I'll start with the Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray All Skin Types which is actually the very first facial spray I tried a few years ago. This also comes with a pump for spraying, but it's much better than the Anatomicals one. After much testing I think the trick to get the right amount of mist from this spray is to hold it as far away from your face as you can, spray a cloud, and then you step into it rather than applying it straight onto your face. It doesn't really have a distinct scent to it, but to me it smells a bit clinical, so it's a good thing that it doesn't last very long. This product is marketed as a moisturizing facial treatment in a liquid form and it does feel lovely and refreshing on the skin and it's melts in well, however I personally don't find that it does much for my skin and I also find that it tends to make my skin a bit too shiny if I've applied it a few times during the day, so I have to correct with powder or blotting paper.

The last mist in this mix is the cult classic Caudalie Beauty Elixir which comes in two different sizes - one for the bathroom, one for the handbag. This also has a great spray function that dispenses just the right amount of fine mist that settles on your skin, leaving it feel wonderful and it's great for adding radiance and hydration to your skin throughout the day. Since it contains oils that separate when the bottle's been standing for a while, don't forget to shake it properly before you apply it - to mix up the oils. This mist is a lovely green scent that reminds me of a herbal garden and I particularly notice the fresh mint, earthy warm rosemary and faint roses. This is not just a boost for the skin, the amazing aromas boost your mood too, and I love using it any time of the day.

I know that the effect of facial mist sprays is a temporary one and it doesn't magically fix your skin, but to me it's also about how it makes you feel, which is why my favourite out of the ones I've tried definitely is Caudalie and I wouldn't want to be without it. The aromatic scent calms and focuses me, it makes my skin feel hydrated and dewy and last but not least it feels so luxurious to use - but Avene comes in as a very close second, showing that there's a product for all budgets.  .

What do you think of facial sprays - Fad or Fab?