Empties and lots of them!

 

 

Right I just want to get one thing straight, these have accumulated since my last empties post which was my September empties. So please bare in mind these empties aren't all from one month, I may be quick but I'm not that quick! Right little intro over let's get down to business. 

• Boots Extracts Cocoa Butter Body Butter a really good all round thick heavy duty body butter. Nicely scented and very moisturising, this is closest thing to The Body Shop body butters which I love. The cocoa butter used in this body butter is organic and sustainably sourced and fair trade. Repurchase? Yes but not for now because still have a mountain of body potions to use lol. 
• Witch 25 Cleasning & Toning Wipes are great for on the go or for days when you feel a little bit lazy. I'm not a lover of cleansing wipes but think they're a staple and always handy to have a pack in your stash. Repurchase? Possibly?
• Kleenex Facial Cloths are so different from anything I've ever seen or tried before, a cotton soft dry facial wipe. Super gentle on skin. I'm not really sure about these, I feel it's a waste using up a whole wipe ( they're big ) just for my eyes. I like to remove eye makeup separately and then cleanse my skin with a different product. I do use a lot of products which remove eye makeup and face makeup at the same time. Repurchase? No
• Tesco Cotton Wool Pads 100 Round Double Faced. I actually really liked these and liked the different patterned surfaces. Repurchase? Yes 
• Caudalie Fleur De Vigne Shower Gel. Now this was a disappointment, I like Caudalie as a brand and have tried a few products from them but have to say this is one of my least favourite. The scent wasn't anything special and to be honest there wasn't really any type of scent. I ended up giving the hubby permission to finish it off, lol! Repurchase? No.
• Batiste Dry Shampoo / Lace. My favourite Batiste dry shampoo by a mile. I've tried almost the whole range and whilst they do the job a few of them do make my scalp itch but thankful this one doesn't and it just seems to work better on my hair than the others. I do have a couple newer ones to test out but so far this gets the thumbs up! I normally pass on half empty cans to my friends but this time I've used this all up which is a good sign. Repurchase? Yes
• Rituals Foaming Shower gel / Sunrise. I've literally just written up a review about this so wont go into detail here but a winner and a definite repurchase but want to try a different scent.  
• Label.m Organic Orange Blossom Shampoo is meant to be a lightweight shampoo for fine to medium hair types. It was OK but again nothing special and I'm really happy with my John Frieda Full Repair. Repurchase? No 
• DIRTY Springwash Shower Gel is a firm favourite of the hubbys. This is his second bottle, he even swears by the Dirty Styling Cream for hair! Repurchase? Yes
• Davines SU Renewing Shampoo smells great and feels great in the hair. It's actually designed to be used after sun exposure or chlorine. I was eager to try these sachets so ripped them open and I'm so glad I did! Avocado Oil and Almond extracts work well to renew hair and restore it back to it's natural state. Repurchase? No would like to try their everyday S&C
• Davines SU Nourishing Mask is right up there with my top 3 favourite hair care masks! The smell alone makes it special. Repurchase? Possibly but would like to try a conditioner from the normal everyday range. 
• Apivita express beauty with green clay is a great deep cleansing facial mask. Apivita is a Greek skincare brand which is now available from M&S which is great news for us UK folk! Repurchase? Yes- really keen to try other masks.
• Caudalie The Eye Cream. This was only a little 1ml sample but my heck did it last me! The skin around my eye area was hydrated and felt firm after using this. Repurchase? No- have a few eye creams to use up!
• Weleda Citrus Creamy Body Wash is a morning product for the shower without a doubt. Perfect for this time of year, the creamy formulation works well on the skin and the Citrus fragrance really comes through. Repurchase? No- have lots of body washes to use up still.
• YSL Shocking Mascara really impressed me, it's one of those products which you don't necessarily need but you want. This would be a treat for me to purchase.I liked the smell- is that weird in a mascara? The scent? I can't say I've ever paid much attention but when I first tried this one I noticed the scent and liked it. The brush is very special- repurchase? Yes please santa!
• NATOrigin Mascara was a happy surprise, this is actually a very good mascara for lengthening lashes. 98.5% made from natural organic ingredients and perfect for lens wearers. Repurchase? Possibly but not sure? 
• GLAMGLOW Mud Mask is amazinggggg! Seriously I noticed a difference the day after. It does tingle and once it begins the drying process your skin does look rather peculiar but very benefical none the less. Repurchase? Not sure because of the price tag?
•  DHC Extra Nighttime Moisture. A small little sachet, I think I managed 2/3 applications from this. It felt nice and creamy and left my skin feeling hydrated. Is it anything special? No- I don't think so. Repurchase? NO
• Accessorize waterproof Mascara. I don't normally wear waterproof because I hate the hard work needed to remove it. But surprisingly I found this one to be ok. Repurchase? No 
• Rodial GLAMOXY Snake Serum felt fabulous and made such a difference to my forehead lines. I just wish it was long term! Repurchase? No- BIG price tag. 

PHEW!! If you got through that- PAT ON THE BACK! 

Sherrie x

RITUALS...Sunrise Foaming Shower Gel Sensation

 

Rituals... Sunrise Sweet orange & Cedar £7.00 /200ml

I'm not sure about you but the dark morning starts really aren't agreeing with me! I struggle to get out of bed every morning recently. Thankfully once I slide out of bed I jump in the shower I have a great shower foam to wake me up. It's no surprise the shower foam is called Sunrise, ironic hey? This is the Sweet Orange & Cedar Foaming Shower Gel Sensation by RITUALS. The formulation is very creamy and soothing on the skin, great for this time of year when skin is a little drier and sensitive. The scent is stunning and just what you need first thing in the morning, I'm a huge fan of orange scented products and the blend of Cedar works great.

One word of advice when using a shower foam would be go easy, you can seriously use up too much of this. A small amount soon quadruples in your palm once massaged over the skin, so a word to the wise squirt a little in your hand first and then  you can always use more if need be.

The price is great, retailing £7.00 for a 200ml. I'm really keen to try other scents from the shower foaming collection. I love rose scented products so think the Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel would be a hit and also the T'ai Chi Foaming Shower foam. I've just received the RITUALS Magic Touch Whipped body cream in the latest Glossybox festive Box and love it already. Feel Unique currently have Sunrise on offer £6.90 & free P&P.

Have you tried any of the RITUALS Foaming Shower gels? I would love to know your thoughts.

Sherrie x

Festive Nails / Model's Own

 

 I've been enjoying festive colours especially glitter on my nails recently, if you're looking for a festive glitter polish I think Models Own would be the right place to look. They have a great selection of glitters, lots of different colours and finishes. I've been wearing the limited edition Clothes Show polish Show Stopper over the top of a darker polish for an intense look. The glitter really shows up and glistens under the light. 

The Mirrorball collection looks stunning and striking, where as the new Wonderland collection looks frosty and fun. I love the look of both collections and one glitter which is still a firm favourite of mine is the gorgeous Pink Fizz, a rose gold pink which is so pretty.

I wanted to give you heads up in case you don't already know, when you purchase any 2 Models Own products you get the mini Nail Art Kit (RRP £10) FREE! The kit contains a Models own polish to use as a base and the classic Models Own Nail Art Pen in Black. So get yours until the 25th December!

Make sure you take a photo and take part in the #swatched section of the Models own website. They've created a page especially dedicated to fans showing off the gorgeous selection of polishes. Another great way of looking at the polishes already on. 

www.boots.com

www.modelsownit.com

Have you been enjoying festive nails this season?

Sherrie x

Elegant Touch / Limited Edition Glitter Nails

 

This is the perfect time of year to glitz up your talons, and there's no better way than adding glitter and lots of it! Sparkly nails look fabulous this time of year especially for all the parties. I love having nails but sadly because I'm constantly doing the dishes or tending to my 2 young children my nails don't often look as glam as I would like. That's where the Elegant Touch nails come in handy and work perfectly for me. They have adhesive tabs which are super easy to use. You simply select which size is suitable for your nail and peel them off the sheet and apply to your natural nail and then peel off the backing and apply the correct size nail. I normally go through the nails first and match up my nails and what sizes work best for my nails. I line them up in front of me and then it makes the whole process a lot quicker and stress free!

Elegant touch say-

 The super Adhesive Tabs secure false nails for up to 7 days. A great alternative to nail glue and will not damage your natural nails. Quick and easy to use, the clever pressure activated tabs hold nails in place securely and are water resistant. You'll be dazzling!

Elegant Touch have launched a trio of limited edition glitter nails- Pink , Red & Gun-metal Grey. I have the pink set which is gorgeous! The glitter is a gorgeous rose gold, one of my favourite shades. There's something special about having glitter nails. They totally transform your nails, so if you don't have the time to pop to salon for a manicure these would be perfect for you. They are very reasonably priced retailing £7.10 

Available from Superdrug and Boots.

What do you think of the Glitter Nails?

Sherrie x

Glossybox / Festive Celebrations December Box!

www.glossybox.co.uk

I'm not going to beat around the bush here, this is a great box and well worth the money! So if you're still unsure whether to sign up then hopefully once you see this box you'll soon know. I've not featured the last couple boxes because they didn't excite me that much, except for last months which did have a couple gems in which I will be blogging about soon. However once the December box landed on my doorstep yesterday I couldn't wait to open it up and I was NOT disappointed. Greeted with a nice silver shiny box, once I lifted the lid I soon saw the silver theme continuing. Black tissue paper with silver stars printed on and silver ribbon.Very chic and stylish. I always remove the leaflet which tells you about the contents, I like to delve into the box not knowing what to expect and then I read the leaflet afterwards. 

So the first product to catch my eye was the stunning Seche Nail Lacquer! I literally grinned like the Cheshire Cat. I love the Seche Vite top coat and can not wait to test this one out. I have the shade Elegant which is a metallic mix of copper and gold. Plus there's an amazing offer to be had when visiting nailsbymail.co.uk. This is a full sized nail lacquer 14ml retailing £9.95.

Keeping on the makeup front the next product which I spotted laying there quitely was a Sleek Makeup eye shadow palette. I literally did a double take and thought- NO way! a Full Sized Sleek palette? I have the Oh So Special palette which is truly gorgeous! I know this is a palette I will use through the winter and spring time. Again this is a full sized retailing £7.99

The next item is a bonus item, a Glossybox blusher, I know Glossybox have had a little stick in the past for adding their 'own' products but I must be speak up and say their Lipstick which was featured a few boxes ago is one of my favourite pink lipsticks and wish I could buy a back up!  I love pink blushers at the end of Winter time so will be excited to give this one a whirl.

Moving on I then found a generous travel sized body cream by RITUALS. Magic Touch Whipped Body Cream is a bestseller and I can see why. It smells amazing, Rice Milk is great for nourishing the skin and Cherry Blossom leaves a lovely indulgent scent which lingers on your skin, awakening your senses! This is a 70ml retailing £5.

Lip care is a must for me this time of year so when I spotted the Anatomicals Lip Gloss I knew it would be used often. Plus it smells of Strawberry Milkshakes! What's not to love?? Anatomicals have great fun packaging and certainly stand out. This is a full size 10ml  retailing £3.49.

Then finally a haircare product which ALWAYS appeals to me, Milk_Shake Conditioning Whipped Cream. I am eager to test this one out because I don't use any mousse typed products in my hair because I find them thick and heavy and too much for my thick hair. However after reading about it's mouth-watering fragrance and claims to add shine and strengthen your hair I'm sold already. This is a 100ml retailing £7.40.

So there you have it peeps, a VERY good box indeed don't you think? Well worth £10 + P&P!

I have a special online discount for you 15% off the first box of any GLOSSYBOX order, simply add this special code into the promotion code box- AFFDEC15. Valid until 31st December.

GlossyBox have lots of giveaways going on through the festive season, so be sure to go and check them all out. Over on their Facebook page they have their very own Advent Calendar.

What did you think of the Festive Celebrations box?

Sherrie x

Neom Christmas Wish / Organic Reed Diffuser

 

 Neom Christmas Wish Organic Reed Diffuser* £37.00

Neom have done it again and released their limited edition Christmas wish fragrance, a powerful mix of Mandarin, Cinnamon and Tonka Bean make the Christmas Wish fragrance come alive. This isn't my first time trying a Neom Organic Reed Diffuser, a little while I ago I reviewed the Happiness fragrance in the Reed Diffuser form and loved it! It's nearly all gone now so this landed on my doorstep at the right time. 

Neom Organics promise is to ensure products aren't made using any nasties such as Petrochemicals, SLS, Parabens, PEGs, Silicone or Animal products. Suitable for Vegetarians and their products aren't tested on animals which gets the big thumbs up from me! The Diffuser comes with a price tage but for quality this is worth every penny and I can say the same about their candles which I adore! So if you want to treat someone or treat yourself make sure you try the Christmas Wish fragrance.

The scent just oozes Christmas, a heady spicy festive scent which captures the true meaning of Christmas. The Christmas Wish Diffuser looks exactly the same except for the metallic gold cap which has looks the part on glistening on your mantle piece, just team it up with the Christmas Wish Home Candle and your home will soon be intoxicated in the Christmas Wish fragrance.

Neom Say-

 Our signature, distinctly Christmassy scent is packed with warming spices & soothing fruit notes, for when it's snowy outside & you need a little Christmas cheer inside.

Neom Organics are donating £1 from the sale of every limited edition Christmas Wish Reed Diffuser to Make-A-Wish FoundationUK, granting magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening conditions. For more information, log on to www.worldwish.org.

What are you're favourite scents to enjoy around the home at Christmas time?

Sherrie xo

Origins / Make a Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Moisturiser

 

 Origins Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Moisturiser* £33.00

Today I have a new skincare product which I want to share with you all, the Origins Make A difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Moisturiser certainly lives up to it's name! A great treatment moisturiser which helps rejuvenate the skin. A must for this time of year, we want our skin to still look healthy and glowing which can be difficult through the winter months.

I'm a huge fan of the Origins Night-A-Mins, and think they both have similarities. The texture and scent of them both are very familiar in my opinion. Because I have combination skin I sometimes suffer from that dull sluggish look, my skin doesn't have that natural glow or radiance which I long for. I would love to have great skin which allowed me to just get away with a BB Cream but at the moment my skin has been a little dry and dull. Since using the Make A Difference Plus+ Moisturiser I've noticed how my skin look hydrated and feels more plump. My foundation isn't sitting in certain areas on my face either. I've been using this every other day and have been really impressed with the results. There's actually three versions of the cream depending on your skin type and needs. The Rejuvenating Moisturiser version which I have is perfect for combination/dry skin whilst the Rejuvenating Treatment is best for combination/oily skin types. However if you have majorly dry skin fear not because the Ultra-Rich Rejuvenating Cream is perfect for dry/ very dry skin types.

If you're on the look out for a new treatment/moisturiser I would thoroughly recommend you try this, pop to your local counter and speak to a consultant. My local Debenhams has just opened up it's very own Origins counter which is fantastic news!

Will you be checking out the new Make A Difference Plus+ range?

Sherrie x

Liz Earle / Current Loves...

 

 Healthy Glow Blush* / Nectar

Signature Foundation* / Ivory

Signature Lip Colour* / Peach

When it comes to makeup I have been trying out different shades and different looks, even though it's winter and I've dug out my plum/red shades for the cheeks I can't help but find myself reaching for pretty pinks and corals still. I think some days I just want pretty pinks cheeks, is anyone else with me? I'm still enjoying plum and reddy brown shades on the cheeks. My latest pink/coral crush is the Healthy Glow Powder Blush by Liz Earle. I have been so impressed with he quality and longevity of the Liz Earle Cream blush that I had high hopes for the powder version and I can happily report this to is highly pigmented and has great staying power. This is the shade Nectar and Liz Earle describes the shade 'A fresh rose-pink'. I would agree and say it's a very pretty pink which totally transform the face from looking tiered to bright and bushy tailed! Just what we need when we're crawling out of bed this time of year! There's seven shades to pick from, I'm really keen to try more of the shades so if you have have any shades you like please let me know!

 

For days when I want a natural look and not a full face of makeup I rely on Liz Earle's Signature Foundation. The coverage wasn't what I expected, it's light-medium depending on personal preference. I find it covers well but wouldn't reach for it on days when my skin needed that extra help or cover up. It feels very light and blends evenly and easily, I use my Sigmax brush or my Real Techniques buffing brush. I first tried a small sample from the Insider Beauty booklet which was shade 03, it was very orangey on me and certainly not suitable for my skin tone, however shade 02 Ivory is perfect for me. I have pale skin but yellow tones rather than pink. if you don't like a heavy foundation or a full coverage foundation then this would be ideal for you. It's very natural looking and has the ability to build. You can build up the coverage in certain areas of your face if need be. However if you want a thicker, heavier coverage foundation this isn't for you.

The 3rd product which I'm enjoying is their Signature Lip Colour in the shade peach, I won't go into detail about it here because I recently blogged about it here.

www.uk.lizearle.com

What are your favourite Liz Earle shades? I would love some suggestions please!

Sherrie xo

Christmas with L'Occitane / Delightful Almond Collection

 

 

Delightful Almond Collection Gift Set* £48.00

L'Occitane always produce the most striking alluring Christmas packaging. Their box sets would stand out under any tree for sure. L'Occitane have a great selection of Christmas gift sets ranging from £12 - £182. The Delightful Almond Collection Gift Set contains their award wining Almond Shower Oil which has been blogged and raved about many times from lots of beauty bloggers. 

The Almond range is perfect for nourishing skin and firming, this gift set would make a really lovely treat for someone. The contents of the box is worth £71 but when you buy them all together in the gift set it only costs £48 which is great value! Especially seeings you are getting a whooping 500ml Almond Shower Oil, that's double the normal standard size. The Almond scent is a really lovely scent which is loved by everyone I know, not an over powering scent but a scent which makes an impact and leaving you wanting more. I can't wait to pamper my skin with all these amazing goodies, so if you adore Almond scented products I would make sure you hint, hint and hint again! 

The box contains all your winter must-haves. 

100ml Almond Milk Concentrate

500ml Almond Shower Oil

50ml Almond Delicious Paste

2 x 50g Almond Delicious Soaps

30ml Almond Smooth Hands

L'Occitane are offering FREE Delivery on orders made £40 or more today only!

What do you think of the gorgeous L'Occitane gift sets?

Sherrie xo