The First Empties

I've been storing up my empty products for a while and thought this was a perfect time to do my first empties post! 

Bioderma - Crealine TS H20 Solution Micellaire (£7.33)

Bioderma has been highly raved about and on first use, I didn't see the fuss - it'd been too hyped up. But as I carried on using it - I saw why everyone was a fan. This is great for a number of reasons - the main one being it's great on sensitive skin. I find a lot of products irritate my skin (I've been put off Clique's 3 step for this reason) but this does nothing but keep my skin happy.

I'm currently using L'oreal micellar water and thought it was a cheaper alternative until I compared prices for this post (Bioderma £7.33 for 500ml and L'Oreal £4.99 for 200ml). They are very similar but Bioderma has a better pourer (wastes less product), is slightly less drying and, as it turns out, is cheaper! I'm interested in trying out some different micellar waters first (check out Vogue's 10 best micellar water) but so far Bioderma is my favourite for removing makeup! 

Schwarzkopf - got2be 2 Sexy Big Volume Mousse (£2.66)

A volumising product is part of my hair routine as my roots tend to be quite flat. I didn't notice a huge different with this mousse and I couldn't use too much of it in my hair as it was very sticky. I've noticed this product has new packaging now, with a diffuser nozzle so maybe it's improved! Although, I will give this mousse some credit... this is the most delicious product I have ever smelt. 

DKNY - Red Delicious (£33.50)

This perfume was lovely - a really nice summer perfume. It's described as having "crisp apple as a base note, surrounded with tantalising red fruits, a hint of vanilla plus velvety rose and lush violet for a more sultry summer scent." I'm tend to lean towards fruity scents rather than fresh ones for daytime but this perfume is fruity whilst still being light - not too 'young' or overpowering at all. 

Lush - Love Lettuce Fresh Face Mask (£6.50) 

I'm a really big fan of Lush, one of the reasons being less harsh chemicals for my sensitive skin. And that is exactly why I enjoy this face mask - it feels very smoothing and bonus - you get to use it as a face scrub when you're done! This is lovely straight from the fridge - it's very cooling which I feel rids the skin of any swelling/redness from blemishes. This is my second or third pot that I've used up which is a good sign! 

Rimmel - BB Cream in Light (£6.99)

The BB cream has a massive 9 claims, in fact, it's described as a 'skin perfecting super makeup'. The aims are that it "primes, moisturises, minimises pores, conceals, covers, smooths, mattifies, brightens and helps protect". Now, I'm not sure it meets all these aims - it gives a dewier finish than 'mattifying' and I'm not sure what's being referred to when it says 'helps protect'. However, this BB cream does make my skin look great. I originally bought this to use on summer days rather than a foundation - but soon found myself using it as my daily base. It does sit on the skin and feel a little heavy but personally I don't mind that - however, if you have oiler skin that may be a problem. And as I burn easily... bonus points to Rimmel for adding SPF 25! 

Argania - Leave-in Conditioning Spray (£9.99)

This is one of those products that became a strict part of my haircare routine, mainly because my hair needs a little extra care to counteract the damage is receives (think dyed blonde hair and heat styling). I sprayed this onto damp clean hair before any other product, focusing it mainly on the ends where the damage is the worst. This spray contains argan oil and aims to nourish and hydrate your hair to leave it looking healthier and I found it leaved my hair looking smoother and more cared for. However, I don't think I'd repurchase this at I think I can find another leave-in conditioner that works better - in fact, next on my list is Redken Extreme Anti-Snap. 

Aromatherapy Associates - Renewing Rose Cleanser (£25) and Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser (£56) (prices relate to full size products)

These products are what made me realise I don't like the smell of rose. The actual flower smell is lovely but the almost 'fake' rose smell in products I find it to be overpoweringly floral. Maybe the smell put me off straight away, but I wasn't blow away by these products. There's not a lot to write home about here - I got these samples with a magazine so I haven't lost out on anything but I'd be disappointed if I'd spent £81 on a cleanser and moisturiser that aren't out of this world.

 Rimmel - Scandaleyes Mascara Extreme Black (£6.99)

When it comes to mascara I like big brushes for giving full evening lashes and plastic brushes for giving fluttery, light daytime lashes. This mascara was great for giving my lashes a bit of oomph, and filling them out. I have naturally long lashes but the ends are blonde so I need a mascara to darken them up - which is exactly what the products claims and does. It coats little lashes and boosts them up. It's also a dryer formula which I like for creating bigger lashes - it's easier to work with and a lot less time consuming than some wetter mascaras.

Thanks for reading - more posts will be coming soon!

Hollie Mae