February Empties

I know I've been very quiet on the blogging front lately, but I haven't seemed to have much time and a few other things have grabbed my attention. We are moving house in a few weeks so I've spent a lot of time looking at furniture and things like that, so my blog has taken a back seat but hopefully I'll be back in action properly from next week. I've been saving for DSLR the last few months, and finally bought one earlier this week and am so excited for it to arrive so I can start taking some better quality photos.

Now onto my February empties,  I'm semi-disappointed I have no make up items used up, but I am feeling good about reducing my large stash of skin care items!

1. St Tropez Bronzing Mousse 120ml £20.49 here or here (on special)

This has always been a product my moms owned, and I've tried it at some point or other when I was younger, but never owned it myself.  (I remember once my friend and I used my mom's and pretended we had been to France for the weekend, we even called another friend with the tap running pretending we were on a ferry hahaaa. The things 13 year olds do for fun, cringe! ) Anyway, I do really love the colour it gave me, and it faded nicely, but I do think it's very pricey and it didn't last me very long.  I think it's time to declare myself a Xen-Tan girl and repurchase the dark lotion.

Repurchase? Probably not, although it gives a lovely natural colour, Xen-Tan definitely works out cheaper and smells better.

2. Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic 200ml £12.50 here

This is my second bottle and it's a product that I like using, but I don't think it does anything amazing for my skin. I always like to use a toner/tonic to make sure I remove the final traces of make up and this does work well at that. It's very gentle and does leave my skin feeling fresh, I love the fact it's alcohol free too. 

Repurchase? Probably at some point, but I'm hoping to try out another Lush toner first. 

3.Liz Earle Skin Repair Light Moisturiser 50ml £18.50 here

This was perfect for me in the summer time, (this is my second tube) but during the winter it just hasn't been hydrating enough. I think I should perhaps have gone for the normal/dry version, maybe would have worked better for me. 

Repurchase? Not for the moment.

4.Garnier 2-1 Make-up Remover 200ml £2.99 here

Really love this oil/water remover, it works so well with waterproof mascaras. It leaves a bit of residue behind but it doesn't last for long at all. This is my second bottle and until I find something better I'll continue to repurchase!

Repurchase? Yes.

5. Carmex Lip Balm Original £2.69 here

Without a doubt, my HG lip balm. Nothing is as moisturising and nourishing as the original, and I've tried them all.  I bought a back up before this finished, I very rarely never have Carmex on me and it's something I will always see myself buying.

Repurchase? Without a doubt!

In other news, I'm heading to Professional Beauty on Sunday, as my mom exhibits there ever year and they've got a brand new stand and are releasing some new products so we're all very excited about that. So, if you're going give me a tweet, or come to the Calgel/Christian Eyebrow stand Q46 and say hi!  I'm also very excited as Yu is coming, we've been chatting since the summer via Twitter so will be lovely to meet her finally!

Thanks for reading and hi to all my lovely new followers! Feel free to comment and, as usual if you'd like a more in-depth review please ask.

Have a lovely weekend!

Nic xxx

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January Empties

My empties have been appalling the last two months, but I'm hoping my make-up resolutions this year will mean I'll have a lot more. I'm going to do a monthly empties post, so it can help me finishing stuff up and I hope it means I really figure out the stuff I LOVE and would definitely rebuy, so I stop making random, unnecessary purchases. 

1. Xen-Tan Dark Lotion Fake Tan £18.99

I, like so many others, love this lotion. I bought this bottle back in May and it's only just finished.  The tan last well on my skin, and I tend to apply every ten days or so. I have a medium olive skintone naturally,  Xen-Tan gives me a really nice subtle bit of colour which helps give a bit of confidence boost, and I adore the marzipan smell. My only negative is when I'm going out, or during the summer I have to apply two layers; one layer tends to give me a natural colour, but two makes it more obvious I'm tanned, and even then the colour is so natural. LOVE. I would love to try the Absolute Luxe but not sure I can justify the extra £10 or so! 

Rebuy? Definitely, once I use up the others in my collection. Best place to buy it is at Feel Unique here.

2.Liz Earle Cleanse&Polish 100ml £13.75 here

This is my third bottle, and although I love how it's smooth rich feel, and how clean my skin is afterwards I'm just not WOWED like so many others seem to me. I am going to try and see if I find anything else, and the lack of improvement on my skin is more than likely to my pill, so maybe I would see the benefits if I went back to it.

Rebuy? Possibly in the future, if I don't find anything else that gives me the same fresh feeling, while leaving my skin feeling supple. But I do think it's quite pricey for 100ml of product only.

3. MAC Fix+ Spray £12.50 here

Bought this in August and I've only just finished it. I owned Fix+ a couple years ago and really enjoyed it, not sure why I never repurchased it. But I'm very happy it's back in my life. Makes a great setting spray, and love a little spritz during long days to keep my make up looking fresh. It also comes in handy when you've got a little overboard with the powder, really stops you looking unnaturally matte. Works great for foiling eyeshadows as well.

Rebuy? Yep, although I was tempted with the Urban Decay spray, I decided to stick with what I knew best and rebought it on the weekend. It's great value for money, as it's lasted me since August, and I used about 5 sprays (at least!) a day.

4. Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Natural £17.00 here

I technically finished this in November, but I had the teeniest bit left that I managed to scrap out last week. I've had it for about 9 months, but constantely found myself reaching for other concealers, especially since getting my MAC Pro Longwear.  I think the main problem was I didn't find it long wearing enough. It also creased under my eyes,  so I ended up using it more as a corrector, layering my other concealers over it.

Rebuy? Unfortunately, no.

If you'd like a fuller review of anything mentioned, or have any other questions please let me know!

Nic xxx

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