Summer Empties

After a summer away from blogging I'm back with my collected summer empties, an overview of all the products I've used up since I went on I took my hiatus. I've finished quite a lot over the last few months and I'm going to kick things off with the hair products.

My go-to shampoo and conditioner

L'Oreal's No Sulphate ranges have been my go-to hair products since I first discovered them and I finished off their EverPure Colour Care & Volume Shampoo as well as the EverRiche Nourishing & Flowing Conditioner. I found the shampoo a little drying and I definitely prefer the variety in the green bottles but I absolutely loved the conditioner. I'd definitely repurchase the conditioner again, and I'm actually giving the shampoo a try at the moment.

My travel conditioner

I got through a mini Dove Nourishing Oil Conditioner (I've used a full-size in the past) and my opinion hasn't changed - I would still highly recommend it as a great affordable deeply moisturising conditioner. 

Two spring/summer body washes

I absolutely loved Roger & Gallet's Fleur de Figuier* Body Wash - it was rich and sumptuous and smelt like spring. I enjoyed Rituals Yogi Flow Indian Rose and Sweet Almond Shower Gel* for its interesting texture. It is a light, airy mousse and it smelt gorgeous. My only complaint was that both products contained SLS which I'm not strictly avoiding but I do think they are responsible for drying out my skin.

My favourite hair serum

I swear my John Frieda's Frizz Ease - it's cheap, it lasts for ages and it does a wonderful job at keeping my hair looking sleek. It took me months to get through this and I've already purchased another (albeit a mini version). This full size was the heat protectant variety but I don't think it was that different from the normal variety.

Body lotions

Lanolips' Triple Butter Milk Body Balm* left the weirdest matte texture on my skin after I used it but it was a lovely moisturiser and it was great for anyone looking for a quick-drying product. I really enjoyed L'Occitane's Lavander Body Milk but it was very light and had a very strong scent. If you like lavender then you'll probably love this, but I like scents that are a little bit more subtle.

Hand cream

I got through another one of the Body Shop's Almond Hand and Nail Cream and I have to admit that I just can't get enough of this scent. I have a gazillion hand creams to get through before I buy any more but this one will always be repurchased (eventually) - it is a must have for almond lovers.

Out of date make-up 

I've had to say goodbye to quite a few products this month, among them was my Mac Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks. It was the stickiest lipgloss I've ever come across but it gave a gorgeous dazzling finish to lips. I also parted ways with the Body Shop's Lip and Cheek Stain which I've had for far too long… I really like it but the packaging has always been temperamental. This was my third repurchase (I used to wear it a lot when I was a teenager) and it always ended up leaking or spilling. I would recommend it over Benefit's lip stain though because my Benetint broke when I dropped it on a tiled floor, not impressed. Lastly, I said goodbye to Essence's SuperFine Eyeliner Pen. I was really disappointed with this. It dried out very very quickly and the nib was too flexible to give a precise and neat line. I wouldn't recommend it and I won't be repurchasing. I prefer liquid liners, especially from Seventeen and Bourjois.

A gel cleanser

After falling head over heels in love with Good Things' Cream Cleanser I thought I would give their gel cleanser a whirl. I think this would have suited very oily skin better than my dry/combo skin. I found it okay for use during the summer but I'll be moving on to a cream cleanser now that autumn is rearing its head.

An awesome exfoliater

Most people haven't heard of Urban Veda. I luckily won some of their products in a twitter giveaway and have had a chance to sample their whole line of sandalwood products. Their Soothing Exfoliating Polish* is my favourite skincare product, it offers a lovely cream base for tiny exfoliating particles that very effectively revamp your skin. I love this product and I would highly recommend it. Once I get through the exfoliater I have lined up next I would love to give this another go.

The Rosehip oil of Rosehip oil

I much preferred Trilogy's Rosehip Oil to Antipodes Divine Oil. I found it more effective and it sunk into my skin like a dream. I'm currently using another more cost effective rose hip oil from Fushi but I definitely prefer Trilogy's option. 

Another spot cream…

It is no secret that I love La Roche Posay's Effaclar A.I. and I've actually gotten through another tube. I'd recommend it to anyone who suffers from regular breakouts.

Matte SPF

This worked for my skin better last year than it did this year. I swapped this out of my regime for an SPF from Kalme* which better suited my skin. 

A Chemical Exfoliater

Strong but effective. I finally finished the dregs of this Biotherm Pure.Skin Chemical Exfoliater after hanging on to it for months! I've moved on to Pixi's Glow Tonic which is much more gentle than Biotherm's option. I would still recommend the Pure. Skin line, but it is more suited for those with very oily skin than those with dry or sensitive skin types.

Those are all my empties from the last few months! Sorry for having disappeared on you, my MA dissertation got in the way of pretty much everything this summer. Hopefully blogging is back for good, and I should have an exciting post for you up on Sunday….