September & October Empties

I finished a huge number of empties over September and October that my basket was simply overflowing with containers that I was hoarding for this post! I also worked through a number of sample sachets - it's nice to try new products and great to get rid of the sachets that I'd been accumulating in my stash. 

Coles Nail Polish Remover Strengething Formula, Nivea Intensive Nourishing Hand Cream, Principessa Cattiva Diva Silky Hand Cream, Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream, SugarBaby The Heel Deal Soothing Foot Cream

Vaseline Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioning Body Lotion, Vaseline Cocoa Butter Smoothing Body Butter, Dove Silky Nourishment Body Cream, Appelles Body Booster Skin Lotion, Pure Fiji Hydrating Orange Blossom Body Lotion, Kosmea Replenishing Moisture Cream (this is actually meant for your face, but I used it as a body lotion), Malin + Goetz Neroli Hand + Body Lotion, Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula, Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion, Subtle Energies Divine Passion Double Cream, L'Occitane Concentré De Lait

Dove Triple Moisturising Deeply Nourishing Body Wash, Gillette Satin Care Sensitive Skin Shave Gel, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Spray, Rexona Women Hypo-Allergenic Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, Rexona Women Clinical Protection Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, Rexona Women Cotton Fresh Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, Appelles Skin Detox Shower Gel

Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub, Avène Eau Thermale Spring Water, Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Daily Sunblock, Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner, My Beauty Diary Aloe Sheet Mask, My Beauty Diary Chocolate Truffle Sheet Mask, Skinvitals H-Revive Cloth Facial Treatment Mask, Skinvitals C-Brighten Cloth Facial Treatment Mask, Skinvitals Eye Lift Anti-Puffiness Anti-Wrinkle Firming Cloth Eye Treatment Mask, Bioré Ultra Nose Strips, Aesop Purifying Facial Cream Cleanser, Aesop Primrose Facial Cleansing Masque, Aesop Chamomile Concentrate Anti-Blemish Masque, Ahava Gentle Smoothing Facial Cleanser

Selsun Gold Dandruff Treatment Shampoo, Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Anti-Breakage Shampoo, MorocconOil Moisture Repair Shampoo, John Frieda Frizz-Ease Daily Nourishment Leave-in Conditioning Spray, Klorane Dry Shampoo, John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Liquid Shine Illuminating Shampoo & Conditioner, John Frieda Frizz-Ease Smooth Start Shampoo & Conditioner, Kiehl's Superbly Smoothing Argan Shampoo & Conditioner, Kérastase Nectar Thermique

There's too many products here to write individual reviews and I'm sure it would be an incredibly long and boring post. So I thought I'd list my favourite items from the empties above:

• Nivea Intensive Nourishing Hand Cream - This was a surprise favourite of the bunch. I have tried a lot of hand creams but this one left my hands feeling really soft and hydrated, without leaving a greasy residue. 
• Vaseline Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioning Body Lotion - I've talked about this before and I'm still loving it!
• Vaseline Cocoa Butter Smoothing Body Butter - My first container of this body butter. I enjoyed this as it's thicker and more hydrating then the body lotion. However, you get a much smaller amount for the price.
• Dove Silky Nourishment Body Cream - A nice body cream with a thick and creamy formula, and clean scent. Left my skin feeling smooth and hydrated.
• Dove Triple Moisturising Deeply Nourishing Body Wash - A great body wash that doesn't leave your skin feeling stripped of moisture. It has a pleasant scent which isn't too strong. Lathers well with a loofah.
• Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion - A great basic moisturiser. I wouldn't pay the ridiculous Australian price of $74 for the 125mL bottle, but in the US it's only $25 for 125mL which seems like an absolute bargain!
• Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner - This was a generous sample size so I was able to try this out properly. I loved that it had a spray nozzle, which made it easy to apply. This left my skin feeling clean and refreshed. I haven't been using a toner with my current skin routine but I am thinking of picking up a full-size of this product. 
• My Beauty Diary Sheet Masks - Love these! Unfortunately these two were the last of my stash. I need to buy some more but wish they weren't so hard to find - I order mine from Sasa
• MorocconOil Moisture Repair Shampoo - This shampoo was really nice. I only needed a relatively small amount, as it lathered really nicely once applied. It left my hair feeling clean and nourished at the same time. I would repurchase this, but it is very expensive at $32.95 for a 250mL bottle.
• Klorane Dry Shampoo - Love this, my all-time favourite dry shampoo.
• Kérastase Nectar Thermique - I do like this, but I'm still unsure wheather to puchase a full-size bottle. This is a product that you apply after washing your hair, before blow-drying. I let my hair dry naturally most of the time to avoid heat damage. So I know it would take me forever to use a full bottle up.

July & August Empties & New In

Today's post is my empty products for the months of July and August. I was travelling for part of the month, so I used up a few travel sized and sample products while on holiday. I'm always attracted to miniature sized products as they look cute, but unfortunately they aren't good value for money! But here's a rundown on the products I finished and my thoughts about them...

• Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Shampoo - This wasn't the best anti-dandruff shampoo but it did smell better than others I've used before. It did an average job of getting rid of dandruff but I wasn't overly impressed. 
• Batiste Dry Shampoo Original 50mL - This dry shampoo works well and is convenient to use between washes. The small travel size is great for travelling or for your handbag, but doesn't actually last very long. I would repurchase this even though I do prefer Klorane's as the price is lower. 
• Batiste Dry Shampoo Blush 50mL - Works the same as the original but has a different scent. It's just a matter of preference but I prefer the original. 
• Davroe Tame Lemon Grass Detangler 50mL - I didn't like this product I received a sample of as it just didn't do anything in the way of detangling my hair. I wasn't a fan of the scent either so I definitely wouldn't purchase this product. 
• Joico K-Pak Revitaluxe Bio-Advanced Restorative Treatment 50mL - This is a sample sized product which I was interested in trying as I am a fan of the Joico K-Pak line. After the first few uses I wasn't sure about this as I didn't notice much of a difference in my hair. However, after leaving it on longer than the recommended 5 minutes, I found much better results. I'm unsure yet if I'll purchase this as I have a few conditioning treatments in my bathroom cupboard to use first!
• Evo The Therapist Calming Shampoo 50mL x2 - I liked the scent of this shampoo but found I needed to use more than usual to create a nice lather. Evo really needs to change the packaging of their samples as it's too hard to remove product from these!
• Evo The Therapist Calming Conditioner 50mL x2 - I preferred the conditioner to the shampoo as I found it hydrated my hair well. The scent was nice but again the packaging didn't work well. 
• Matrix Biolage Smoothing Shampoo 50mL & Conditioner 30mL - I liked the fruity scent of these two products and the shampoo lathered up well. The downside was that even with the conditioner my hair felt a little dry. I would consider purchasing shampoo and conditioner from the Matrix Biolage range but I would choose something other than the smoothing range. 
• Pantene 3 Minute Miracle Treatment - I took this with me travelling due to its small size and I easily get two uses from this. It's a great quick-fix treatment that I like to use when my hair is feeling dry.  

• MAC Fix+ - I love this product and will continue to repurchase it. I like to use this before I apply my makeup and also after powder if I find my skin starts to look 'cakey'. It's also lovely as a refreshing mist throughout the day. I love this for travelling as well and have the mini size which I take on the plane with me. 
• Benefit You Rebel Lite - This took quite a while to finish up as I wasn't happy with this product at all. The finish of You Rebel Lite left my skin looking oily and overly shiny. It gave very light coverage and didn't absorb into my skin well. Also, the metal packaging is awful. I found this product a disappointment and wouldn't repurchase it again. 
• Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup - This was my first bottle of this foundation and I really liked it. This bottle was in the colour B20 which isn't as good a match as the BR22 but still worked well. I love the feel and finish of this foundation, it feels so light on the skin and leaves a lovely satin finish. 
• Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara - This product dried up before I could finish it. It worked pretty well and I picked it up in the US so it was inexpensive. I liked how long it made my lashes but found it tended to clump after a second coat. I would consider repurchasing this due to its cheap price but there are other mascaras I'd like to try first. 
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm: Lemon & Chamomile - This is my favourite lip balm and my preferred flavour of the two I've tried along with Natural Mint. This leaves my lips feeling smooth and hydrated and has great staying power for a lip balm.
• Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola! Eau de Parfum Spray x2 - I really like Marc Jacobs fragrances and Oh, Lola! is no exception. I love the fruity and floral scent. I'd definitely purchase this fragrance. 

• Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes: Night Calming - These are great makeup remover wipes and I like the night calming scent along with the original. 
• Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes - These face wipes are also nice. I like that they are unfragranced. I'd repurchase these again as they work well. 
• Cetaphil Moisturising Cream 100mL - I like to use the tube packaging of this moisturiser for my face as opposed to the larger tub. This works great for my dry/combination sensitive skin. I love that it's unscented and you only need a small amount as it's quite thick so great as a night moisturiser. I'll repurchase this again, I just wish they had a tube that was bigger as it runs out fairly quickly with regular use.
• Avene Eau Thermal Spring Water 50mL - This spray is great. It feels so refreshing on the skin and I like to apply it after I cleanse and before I moisturise in place of a toner. This small bottle isn't great value but it's perfect for travelling. 
• Swisspers 150 Cosmetic Squares - These are great and perfect for removing makeup with Bioderma and removing nail polish. They don't leave cotton fibres behind like cotton wool. I'll repurchase these again and again! 

• David Jones Milk & Honey Body Wash - This is an average body wash. I like the scent and it lathers well but it leaves my skin feeling dry. 
• Ahava Dermud Intensive Nourishing Hand Cream - This is a nice hand cream and really moisturises my hands. The scent is a bit odd, but you get used to it. If you apply a samll amount it doesn't leave your hands feeling greasy which is great. 
• Sasy n Savy Rose Lavender Hand N Nail Repair Creme - This was a very small sample so I'm not so sure what I think about it. The scent was a bit strong for my liking but it seemed nice. 
• Rexona Women Anti-Perspirant Deoderant: Hypo-Allergenic - This is a great spray deodorant and it works well, I like it a lot. 
• Rexona Women Clinical Protection Anti-Perspirant Deoderant - This works great, you apply it at night and it really helps you to stay fresh throughout the day. 
• Dove Clinical Protection Anti-Perspirant Deoderant (Cucumber & Green Tea Scent) - This works in the same way as the Rexona version. I do prefer it as the scent is nicer, but otherwise I find they are very similar. 

• My Beauty Diary Aloe Sheet Mask - I love these! They feel so lovely on the skin and leave my skin feeling fresh and hydrated. 
• My Beauty Diary Chocolate Truffle Sheet Mask x2 - I love these too! They feel so nice and are perfect to use when you feel like pampering yourself. 
• SkinVitals EyeLift Cloth Eye Treatment Mask - These feel really nice under the eyes. The cooling essence feels really relaxing. I didn't see a noticeable difference in terms of reducing under eye bags, but they are nice for a treat. 
• Apivita Express Beauty Nourishing Mask with Cereals x2 - These masks were nice, I got 2 uses from each sachet. These are aptly names "Express" as you only leave the mask on for 10 minutes. They left my skin feeling soft and smooth. This product reminded me of the Lush Oatifix mask. The small size makes these perfect for travelling.
• Biore Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strip & Original Deep Cleansing Pore Strip - I like to use these once in a while to remove the nasty stuff blocked in my pores. 
• Kerastase Nectar Thermique - This is a nice product. It is a heat protectant that you apply to wet hair before blow drying. It smells really nice and also helps to detangle hair. I would consider purchasing this product but I try not to blow dry my hair if I can help it. 

And here are a few new things I've picked up recently... 

• Avene Eau Thermal Spring Water - I had to pick up another one of these because I love it! It feels so refreshing on the skin and will be great for the warmer months ahead...
• MAC Fix+ - Love this product and had to repurchase it after finishing up my last bottle! 
• Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs - This is a perfect for a night out when you need some colour on your legs but can't be bothered going through the process of fake tanning in advance. It washes easily off with body wash and loofah so you don't need to go through the hassle of exfoliating. 
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm: Grapefruit & Ginger, Black Tea & Blackberry, Vanilla & Lavender, Lemon & Chamomile - I went a bit crazy on StrawberryNet when I saw these were back in stock and picked up every flavour besides Natural Mint which I already have. I love this lip balm and it's nice to have a few so I can put one in my handbag, one on my bedside table and one with my makeup. 

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know what you think of them! 

June Empties

This is my first monthly empties post. Throughout June, I made a conscious effort to use up products before opening new ones. A few of the products below only had a few uses left so were easy to finish up. I thought I would do mini reviews with each empty product, like Jessica from The Belle Lumiere does as I find it helpful. So here we go!

• Cetaphil Moisturising Cream 500mL - This is a great thick and hydrating moisturiser that I use on my body. It's been great during the colder weather when my skin can get quite dry an dehydrated. I like to apply it generously before bed to help my skin stay smooth. I'll definitely repurchase this again.
• Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion - This is a lighter, more liquid moisturiser from Cetaphil. It's quick and easy to apply due to the fluid consistency but not as moisturising as the Moisturising Cream. I would repurchase this, probably in the warmer months as it is a bit lighter and not as thick. 
• MOR Honey Body Butter - This product must be a little old as it's no longer on the MOR website. It worked okay but it was hard to rub into the skin. I wouldn't repurchase this if it was still available. 
• The Body Shop Mango Body Butter - This was a sound product in my opinion. It absorbed into my skin quite well and was a nice consistency and easy to apply. I didn't like the scent, which smelt like plastic and fake mango (if that makes any sense). It also left my skin feeling a bit greasy after use. 

• Philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash - This is a pretty good exfoliator. It is an exfoliating cleansing wash with small beads. It worked well at exfoliating my skin and left it feeling soft and clean. I used this after a cleanser, as on its own it wouldn't remove makeup and isn't good for the eye area. The downsides to this product were the smell wasn't the greatest, the dispenser clogged up easily and the beads in the product began to separate towards the end of the bottle. I may repurchase this in the future, but for now I am moving onto Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant. 
• Aveeno Ultra-Calming Moisturising Cream Cleanser - I was quite disappointed with this cleanser. I thought it would work well for me as it is formulated for sensitive skin. I felt it did a below average job of cleaning my skin as it left behind a film residue and didn't leave my face feeling clean or remove all my makeup. I really didn't like the smell of this cleanser, although it's unscented it smelt really weird and unpleasant. 
• Joico K-Pak Reconstruct Conditioner - This is a great conditioner that I have repurchased over and over. It smells great, leaves my hair feeling extremely smooth and soft and helps repair damage to my hair. The only downside is the higher price. 
• Bioderma Crealine H2O sample - I guess this doesn't really count as the sample is tiny! But this product is fantastic, and I've already purchased a big 500mL bottle off eBay. This is a cleansing water that you apply to a cotton pad and use on your face to remove makeup. It is so gentle on the skin and so easy to use as it doesn't require rinsing. This works well at removing eye makeup and I like to use it before my cleanser. 
• The Body Shop Tea Tree Blotting Tissues - These work well as blotting tissues. The only complaints I have are the tissues are quite small so I usually use two and the packaging can be fiddly to close. 

• My Beauty Diary Chocolate Truffle Sheet Mask - These are fantastic sheet masks and I love them! They are well soaked with essence which means they last longer on your face before drying up. These are easy to apply as there is a plastic covering behind the sheet mask which makes unfolding them easy. This has a slight chocolatey smell but it's not overpowering. Because these are well soaked, you can leave them on for longer than 15-20 minutes and they still feel great and don't dry up until 35-40 minutes. I love these and will definitely repurchase more from this brand in the future. 
• LonVitalite 24K Active Golden Yulan Oil Facial Mask - This was terrible! I was so disappointed as I was excited to see a sheet mask in the Lust Have It box for June, but this was an awful product. First off, the consistency of the essence was wrong - it felt slimy and the consistency was too thick. It was hard to unfold and apply, unlike the My Beauty Diary sheet masks (which are great), it didn't have plastic behind it to help you unfold it. It smelt awful and after I applied it to my face there was a strange and uncomfortable tingling/stinging sensation which I didn't enjoy. I left this on for about 5 minutes and then I just couldn't handle it so I removed it. I rinsed my face with warm water but my face felt sticky afterwards, and I ended up cleansing my face again. A truly awful product and now I don't even want to try the eye mask from the same brand. 
• Skinvitals Hydraflex Face Mask - I received this in my Priceline Skincare Bag and I used it after having a bad experience with the LonVitalite mask (see above). I was quite happy with this mask, the cloth was a nice thickness that made it easier to unwrap as it didn't feel flimsy. The mask was nicely soaked and the essence wasn't too thick or sticky. I left this on for about 20 minutes and it was still quite soaked when I removed it. I would buy this brand of sheet masks again as I can easily pick them up from Priceline. 
• Skinvitals EyeLift Cloth Eye Treatment Mask - This was my first time trying an eye sheet mask and I was happy with this product. They felt nice and relaxing under my eyes and provided a nice cooling effect. The effects weren't noticeable but they do feel nice and I will happily use the others in the pack.