Products I've Used Up / Empties

 

Products Mentioned:

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish  

Mentioned in this Old Skincare Video

Blog Review

Johnsons Baby Light Oil Spray 

Re-Gen Cream

Mentioned in this Old Skincare Video

Blog Review

Ayuuri Rose Shower Gel 

Blog Post

Pantene Pro V Aqua Light Shampoo & Conditioner

(available from Boots & Superdrug)

Sally Hansen Nail Polish Remover for Artificial Nails (load of poop)

Palmolive Soft and Gentle Deodorant (LOL)

Rituals Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel

Blog Post

Taaj Micellaire Makeup Remover

Featured briefly on my blog HERE

Aromatherapy Associates Miniature Bath Oil Set 

No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara

Featured in THIS favourites video

Maybelline Mineral Cover Concealer

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

Also mentioned in THIS video

M&S Rhubarb & Custard Sparkling Drink (DELISH - going to go and stock up)

I have actually found it extremely satisfying to use something up completely, as I have so many half full products cluttering up my bedroom and bathroom.  I have also tried to only buy products I know I don't already have something very similar of that I need to use up (i.e. I haven't bought any moisturisers or shower gels as I already have so many I need to get through). So it's sort of like a shopping ban on items that although I may see on my shopping trip and want to try as it looks interesting, I won't buy as I know I already have too many similar items at home that I NEED to use up first. So far it's working! 

Have you been collecting empties for reviews? Or just tried to stop yourself buying too many of one thing?

♥

Topshop Makeup | Lipstick Crayons/Pencils

                  Top to bottom: Powder Room, Clueless, Hedonist

Topshop Lipstick Crayons £7*

Next up in the Topshop Makeup "series", is the Lipstick Crayons/Pencils or however else you'd like to name them. I don't see these talked about as much as the actual lipsticks, and I guess that could be because lipsticks are more likely to be favoured over them. Unlike the lipsticks in the Topshop makeup range, these offer a matte finish. I enjoy applying these, as the longer, slimmer packaging allows you to get more precision, almost like you are colouring in your lips with a chubby pencil. They are long lasting and have great pigmentation. If you prefer to wear matte colours on your lips as opposed to something a little more moisturising or frosty, these will be perfect for you. I don't often opt for a matte lip as I much prefer something a little more moisturising on my lips as they are quite dry but sometimes matte lips can look much more effective, and tend to last a lot longer. Although they are matte, they are still very creamy and go on like a dream. Let's also not forget the cute packaging! I absolutely love Topshop packaging, and these are so nifty just to throw in your handbag/clutch and be on your way. 

The only thing about these that I don't like, is that you have to sharpen them in order to get more product once it's worn down. Although i'm sure it's not a major fault for most of you, it's just one less thing you really want to do when you could just grab a lipstick and twist it up, no hassle. It certainly won't stop me using them, as I love to pop a little bit of lipgloss on top to give them a much shinier finish, and be on my way. I'm a particular fan of the orange one (Hedonist) but then does that really surprise you? ;)

Do you own any of these? What do you think of lip crayons in general?

♥

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Stila Convertible Colour | Lillium and Gladiola

Stila Convertible Colour "Lillium" (pink) and "Gladiola" (orange) £16

After using and loving the Topshop Blushes, I wanted to dip my finger a little further into the world of cream blush. When buying my beloved Stila Palette earlier this month, I also picked up these convertible colours from the Stila stand in Boots. I'd heard some great things about these on various other blogs but had never really had access to a Stila to see them up close before now. In a nutshell, they are GORGEOUS and now I want more.

I picked up Lillium which is a pretty muted pink and Gladiola which is a vibrant orange. These can be used on both the cheeks and as lipsticks and I have used them both ways. As a blush, they are beautiful. They blend well, they are easy to apply, they don't leave you looking patchy after an hour and they are just really pretty colours. I also love that they give a lot more of a sheen than the Topshop blushes, as these don't dry to a matte powder, which gives a much more dewy, healthy look. Perfect for the summer! They don't come off too pigmented with a light application, but can easily be built up for more impact (if that's the look you are going for). They are marketed as a sheer, translucent colour, so don't let the bright colour in the compact put you off. I apply these as a blush with my fingers mostly, or I have found a stippling brush to be quite effective also. As a lipstick, I wasn't bowled over. They apply quite sheer over the pigment of my lips, and sat in any dry areas, leaving me looking slightly messy. Some areas seemed to be more opaque than others. Having said this, they are such lovely colours, I just think they work better on the cheeks than on the lips. If you have perfectly hydrated lips, these will probably look great on you, as they feel more of a balm than a lipstick when applying and leave a pretty glaze.

Another thing I love about these, is the packaging. I am quite the sucker for a pretty compact, and this IS a pretty compact. Easy to sling in your makeup bag and a mirror for on the go. I think i'm going to reach for these a lot during the sunnier months as they instantly make you appear glowy, healthy and more radiant than a powder would. They'd look so pretty on those of you who prefer a much more natural look too. I can imagine on days where you just throw on some tinted moisturiser, and apply a few coats of mascara, these would also be the perfect makeup item. Just pop a few dabs on your cheeks and on your lips and you're good to go.

Do you own any Stila Covertible Colours? Is there anything else from the Stila makeup range you think i'd love as much as these and the palette?

♥

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JolieBox Birthday Box | June 2012

JolieBox £10 + £2.95 P&P*

It's been a whole year since JolieBox (formerly known as Boudoir Prive) came onto the beauty box scene, so this month they are celebrating their one year birthday. The boxes are limited edition and were designed by Mlle Fraize and creative duo Och Studio. I received the Och Studio box, which as you can see, is orange, so it floats my boat massively. I have seen the other design, but I wasn't too enthused by it, and much prefer the sleek orange box instead, so i'm chuffed I received this one (yes, I am chuffed to have received an orange box...clearly I need to get out more).

The theme behind this months box was a handful of JolieBox's favourite french brands. With names like 'Nuxe" and "Caudalie" coming onto the beauty scene recently, It has definitely sparked my interest in French skincare and other potential french brands which may be producing some absolute gems, that we have yet to discover. This was one box, I was very excited to open. 

In the box:

Yon-Ka Pamplemousse Protective and Vitalizing Cream - This cream is the first customised product I have seen in a beauty box. I was informed that if you had filled in your online skincare specifications, you were to receive this product tailored to you. Yon Ka is a brand I've heard of before, but never tried skincare wise. This moisturiser claims to brighten dull skin, protect from environmental factors and refresh your complexion. Sounds good to me! I've not tried it yet, but looking forward to giving it a whirl.

Instutit Esthederm Bronz Repair Body Lotion - If you read a recent blog post of mine where I had a little online splurge, you will have seen that one of the things I bought was a face tanner by the brand Institut Esthederm, as I had heard many great things about the skincare they produce. I have also been using a moisturiser by them more recently which was a sample in an older beauty box, and I've been loving it, so I have high hopes for this product if it's anything like the other things I've tried from this brand. It's a body lotion designed to help fight the signs of aging and sun damage (I'm now imagining an eldery lady sat by the pool with skin like a leather handbag). It also helps to achieve a healthy glow on the skin (something we all aim for and something leather handbag lady should think about). It says to apply this before sun exposure and then every 2 hours, it doesn't say it has an SPF though, so I think it's just a little extra to pop on after your suncream.

Elysambre Care Oil - A hand and nail oil is something I am always using as I have terrible dry cuticles and it's one of those things I am lazy with (slaps wrist). This contains sweet almond oil, smells delicious and has a handy little brush for application. I know I will get a lot of use out of this so I'm thankful it was in the box!

L'Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream - L'Occitane is another brand I've heard lot's about but not ever tried anything from their range. They provided a small 15ml pot of their hydration cream moisturiser. The moisturiser has organic angelica water and essential oil in it to plump, smooth and add radiance to the skin. Angelica water isn't something i'd ever heard of before, so that intregued me. It's an "astonishing plant with a unique ability for self-hydration", sounds interesting! It smells lovely and applies really nicely to the skin leaving quite a refreshed and healthy appearance to my skin. I'll report back if it works wonder for me.

JolieBox Nail File - A cute little extra, great for my handbag and on the go nail fixes!

They also threw in some more extras! A voucher courtesy of French skincare brand Codage, a special French addition JolieMag (LOVE the JolieMags) and a JolieTicket where many different prizes can be won (how exciting). I really loved this months JolieBox, I think it's one of my favourites so far. I love trying out new skincare and I felt that it offered a good selection. I was also familiar with most of the brand names so it excited me to try something from them which I hadn't before.

What did you think of this months JolieBox?

♥

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Origins Super Spot Remover | Review

Origins Super Spot Remover £12*

I don't often review individual products on my blog, although it's definitely something I am now going to start doing because I always find myself searching for specific products reviewed on blogs before I consider buying them (I value bloggers honesty when it comes to reviews). So, without further a do, I shall get cracking with this one!

I was sent this product a long time ago, and had completely forgotten it existed beneath the mountains of skincare products I seem to be hoarding. It's a tiny little blue bottle, only containing 10ml. You may think this is a measly amount, but I have been using this constantly for around 2 months and it just doesn't seem to disappear. This spot gel is essentially for those pesky breakouts you may experience. I personally get a few around my chin and my nose just before that time of the month (oh mother nature, how I love thee). Origins claim that this spot remover heals, fights and fades spots and I have to agree 100%. I have used many spot gels and creams in the past, but nothing that really worked in the same way as this. It contains salicylic acid which instantly helps heal, while "anti spot technology" (who knows what that is) helps to correct post blemish marks. It also contains caffeine and red algae to help relieve redness. To help keep skin looking spotless it also has super exfoliants to keep dead skin cells at bay and to ensure the skin is clear of clogged pores. 

I usually pop a tiny amount of this on any little spots that start to creep up on me and I notice that the spot either disappears completely after around 2 days or is somewhat dulled. I recently had an awful breakout on my chin, so used this at every opportunity I got throughout the day, and it helped dramatically. It is a gel, so feels very cooling on the skin and dries almost instantly. It doesn't feel too tight once dry, but does feel a little tighter than if you were to use a cream. I like the slight tightness, as I feel it's drying out/killing off my spot. I also found that applying makeup over the gel once dried was absolutely no problem. I also use it after the spot has vanished, just to speed up the post blemish healing process (as my spots always leave nasty red marks for weeks on end) and I've noticed that it helps with that too. 

If you are looking for a product just to target spots once they've invaded, I would definitely suggest this! Of course we all spend money on skincare to try and prevent them from attacking but sometimes you have to come up with a plan b once they've pushed their way through!

Have you used any specific spot treatments? Have you found any to be effective?

♥

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GlossyBox | June 2012

    GlossyBox £10 per month + P&P*

This month, GlossyBox wanted you to channel your sexy summer style. They included products which could cover your every summer need, to ensure that you are beach beautiful. I'm not overly sure I can really tell that this is where GlossyBox was going with the theme this month, as it is quite a broad spectrum of products which could fall into any category. It could just be that the sun is not out but I'm not really feeling the summery vibe! If the sun could just hop on over to the UK for a few weeks, I'd like that a lot. ;)

Included in the box:

GlossyBox Serie Exclusive Pro Beauty Brush - Although I love that this is a customised brush, this was probably the most disappointing item in the whole box. I love the sleek black design, but the quality is not so great. It feels very coarse and shed all over my face. I think it will ideal for popping in your makeup bag for on the go touch ups but as far as everyday makeup application, I don't think I'll be reaching for this too much. I also don't really feel it's worth the £15 rrp price tag. Sorry GB! 

Clean Start By Dermalogica Day/Night 3-step Kit - On a slightly more positive note, this I was highly impressed by. Clean Start is a brand I have been sent samples of before, but at the time, didn't need, as I was happy with my skincare regime, so I gave it to my brother of which he thoroughly enjoyed using and noticed dramatic results in terms of clearer skin. Although I won't be using this myself (as i'm happy with what i'm currently using) I think my brother will grab this from me and be super happy with it. It's fool proof for a guy or even if you are after a simple new skincare regime and have quite troublesome skin, I'd definitely advise you look into this! 

Yves Rocher France Mini Mascara Ultra-Volume Sexy Pulp - Phewph! What a mouthful. I was excited to see a little mascara sample in the GlossyBox, as I had previously fallen in love with the mascara provided in the December box and i'm always up for trying and finding new magic eye wands (that's mascara in beauty blogger terms). This mascara retails for £16 so I'd put that in the higher end category. When I first unscrewed the lid, and what was revealed to me was possibly the biggest mascara brush head I ever laid eyes on, a wave of disappointment crept over me. I have quite small eyes, and so anything that is wider than my eye, is always going to be one messy, panda-eyed fail. (I stupidly didn't take a photo of this, but if you search for it online i'm sure you'll find it). Regardless of the size, the mascara is BRILLIANT. My lashes look separated (no 3-lashes-in-a-clumpy-mess business), volumised and longer. It is definitely going to take me a while to master the massive brush and attempt to get no black splodges on my eyelids, but once I do, I think I could really love this mascara. 

BM Beauty Summer Warmth Bronzer - If you have been reading my blog for a while, or if you are a (creepily) massive Zoella fan (haha), then you will know that my love for my Bare Minerals Faux Tan Loose Bronzer runs very deep. You may think that using a loose powder for bronzer spells disaster, but it doesn't, it's actually very easy and leaves a very nice effect on the skin. I've yet to use this bronzer, but if it's anything like Faux Tan by BE then I'm sure to love it. It's also the perfect size for travelling. 

Vichy Dermablend Ultra Corrective Foundation Cream Stick - I am definitely no fan of foundation cream sticks, personally, I think they spell "SUPERDOOPER Coverage with a slight cakey feeling" (yanno, those kind?). However, for concealing little areas of my face, I'm all up for something with more coverage. I once ventured into Boots to buy the Vichy liquid foundation, and they had NO samples for testing out which shade you may be, so really, it was just trial and error. I trial-ed, and I error-ed. Having the wrong shade meant I couldn't wear it, and also, couldn't return it (bless the UK and their non-returns on beauty items policy...). I love this idea of little samples so that people can decide which colour they may be before contemplating spending £19 on the product. This foundation stick offers SPF 30, High coverage, water/sweat resistant, fragrance free and hypoallergenic. I think it would work amazingly on people with irregular pigmentation, dark circles, spot scarring or redness. 

Overall thoughts on this months box? I liked the box, I wouldn't say it's my favourite. I think a lot of the products are just not as suited to me as previous boxes may have been, but that's not to say it's not your perfect box. There are a few gems in here, which I was happy about, and also a few disappointing products too, but that is all part of the element of surprise!

What did you think of this months GlossyBox?

♥

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Instagram Diary | Issue #2

Instagram @ZozeeBo

♥ In Starbucks with Louise ♥ Lovely Milly sent me the Bourjois nail remover pot ♥ American Apparel Neon nail polish ♥ Making notes

♥ My 4 current favourite cd's (Ellie Goulding, Eliza Doolittle, Two Door Cinema Club and Darwin Deez) ♥ Zara Order ♥ What I ordered ♥ Pamper evening with my brother (@Joe_Sugg)

♥ Dinner at Frankie and Bennys with my boyfriend ♥ Marshmallow and Chocolate Pop Tart ♥ Strawberries ♥ McDonalds Breakfast

♥ Louise and I changed our laptop wallpapers (dishy) ♥ Outfit ♥ Photo sesh featuring Louise and her sister Tiyana - who has just started on YouTube, check out her channel HERE ♥ Baby G gets involved

♥