Empties: July

It's come round to that time where I share my trash with you. Now I know a lot of you probably don't want to see what I've used up or care if I'll repurchase. But I do know a lot of you are just as nosy as I am and love seeing what beauty products people have used up.

Let's kick things off with under eye patches. And as you can see I used a lot of them. I love a good under eye patch for depuffing, hydrating, smoothing and reducing the appearence of my dark circles. And yes that is multiples of each set that I have used. My most used are the Primark Sunflower Under Eye Patches and the Soap and Glory Puffy Eye Attack Under Eye Gels. They're inexpensive and work well for me so I don't mind going through several packs (see five) reguarly. Patches such as the Rodial Dragon's Blood Under Eye Patches and the Skyn Iceland Eye Firming Gels are a little more pricey so I limit myself to how many I use. That being said I still managed to get through several packs of each because they are my absolute favourites even if they do make me wince when I repurchase them.

Another thing I clearly use in large quantities is sheet masks, so let's get them out of the way next. I'll start with another ode of love to the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Masks. My favourite is the Lavender De-Tiring Masks but I am partial to the others in the range if I feel my skin needs it. And I also recently tried out the new Ultralift Tissue Mask. It was okay, I wasn't bowled away by it but it wasn't terrible by any means. I think I will be sticking to my Moisture Bomb Masks in the future though.

Three other sheet masks I used up were the Simple Water Boost Hydrating Tissue Mask, the PS Hydro Gel Mask and the Nip and Fab Glycolic Fix Extreme Bubble Mask. I used up a couple of the Simple masks on the days when my skin needed hydrating but not a deep burst of hydration like you get from the Moisture Bomb masks. The PS Hydrogel Mask was okay but it didn't work wonders or blow me away. For it's price point, it's good option but I'd personally pay the extra for the likes of the Garnier or the Simple. And finally the Nip and Fab is forever a favourite but because it's slightly pricier than the others I limit myself to one every now and again. This has to be one of the most fun masks I've ever used. It makes you sound like a bowl of rice kripsies whilst you look the abominable snowman. Now if that isn't reason to use this mask, I don't know what is.

And finally on the sheet mask front I used up a couple from Soap And Glory. The Pore Refining Mask and the Miracle Moisture Mask have to be my favourites from my range. They both adhere nicely to the skin, don't drip or slide about and leave behind visible results that last longer than the half an hour other masks results last. I particuarly like the Pore Refining Mask for when my skin is more hormonal and always make sure to keep a stock of them ready for Mother Nature's visit.

Whilst we're on the subject of masks, I used up two samples of wash off face masks and was highly impressed by both. The first was the Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Mask and the second was the Origins Clear Improvement Mask. Both worked wonders for deep cleansing and purifying my skin, making sure no shit was left lingering in my pores. Sure I got a couple of breakouts afterwards but I never mind because my skin always looks so clear once they've gone. They're not the cheapest deep cleansing charcoal based face mask on the market but I'd happily buy both in full size, seeing how well they worked for my skin.

It wouldn't be an empties post if I didn't have at least one bottle of my Clean And Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion in there. You all know the drill with this by now. It's my morning cleanser, has been for the last twelve years, never breaks me out or dries out my skin and really works to wake my skin up in the morning. Again countless bottles will feature in the future as until they release a product as good as this, I'll only exclusively reach for this in the mornings.

I finally finished a bottle of my Nip and Fab 6% Glycolic Fix Extreme Liquid Glow. This is my holy grail evening toner. It's 6% glycolic acid formula works to really deep clean and retexturise skin, revealing skin's glow as well as promoting heathly cell turnover. I thought I'd go through this bottle quickly but a little really goes a long way, something I'm happy about with it's near on twenty quid price tag. However I'd happily pay that and more for the way it's changed how my skin both looks and feels.

Talking of Nip and Fab, I finished two sets of their pre soaked pads. The first set I finished was the Dragon's Blood Fix Cleansing Pads and the second was the Glycolic Fix Pre Soaked Pads. To be honest I've gone off these pads since the 6% was released so I ended up using them daily just to finish them and get them out of my collection. There is nothing wrong with these pads but they just don't work with my skin anymore. I think it's become used to higher concentrations of AHA's so these were barely doing anything. However if you don't think your skin could handle a high percentage of AHA then I recommend checking them. I won't be buying them again though.

I finished not one but three different facial spritzes. The first was another bottle of my Botanics Refreshing Facial Spritz with Rosewater. I've gone through multiple bottles of this, it's one of my favourites and I'm sure you'll see more bottles in the future. The second is the B Hyaluronic Facial Spritz. Again you've seen this in empties posts before and will probably see more in the future. It's light, it's hydrating and can easily be used over make up, a brilliant factor during this heatwave the UK is enduring. And the last is the B Vitamin Facial Spritz. This is a great dupe for the Pixi Vitamin Mist, works wonders to refresh and rehydrate skin as well as working over make up to give skin that lit from within glow. I love it that much I've almost finished my second bottle already.

Two serums I finished won't come as a surprise to any of you. The first is the Loreal Hydra Genius Aloe Water. I've gone through countless bottles of this and still haven't grown bored of it. It's like a splash of water on the skin that lasts all day long and doesn't let skin loose it's plump, hydrated look. And the second is the Simply Pure Hydrating Night Serum. Again I've gone through a few of these now but it just does exactly what I want it to and I would be silly to use a different product that doesn't give the same results.

I finished another pot of my Garnier Moisture Bomb Glow Enhancer Cream. This again has been featured before, I'm halfway through another pot and I'll continue to feature it in empties in the future. It's my go to, everyday day cream, it's really light and hydrating and works perfectly under SPF or make up.

Again another product you've seen repeatedly is the Garnier Miracle Sleeping Cream. I adore this stuff. It's bouncy/bounce back gel like formula really works over night to reduce any appearence of fatigue and leaves skin looking hydrated and refreshed, whilst soft and smooth to the touch.

I finished another pot of my Olay Total Effect Eye Cream. I don't usually stick to an eye cream for long and I'm starting to think that maybe it's time to try a new one. It doesn't seem to do as much for my under eye area as it used to. If any of you have recommendations for a good eye cream, leave them in the comments, I really don't know what other ones I can try.

SPF is a big part of my skincare routine but whilst it's been extra hot over here in the UK, I've been extra diligent about it. So I've gone through another Hawaiian Tropic Air Soft Face SPF30 and am already halfway through another. This is lightweight enough to be layered under make up but doesn't clog pores or weigh skin down. It's oil free and fragrance free making it suitable for all skin types.

I am a strong believer of not using wipes on your face but I do manage to go through quite a lot of wipes and my favourite are the Garnier Micellar Oil Infushed Wipes. These are my go to's for when I need to remove any lipstick of any kind, especially the long lasting liquid lipsticks that other wipes don't touch. These don't break me out, don't leave a horrible oily residue around my mouth and are the only wipes I trust for removing lipstick or lip swatches.

I have a few make up empties this time around including empties of my two go to everyday primers. I'm not going to go into too much detail as you've seen them featured before. The Barry M Hydro Fix Primer Water and the Maybelline SuperStay Primer are the best primer duo I've ever used and I've gone through countless bottles of both. Usually there are more of each but due to the heatwave I've been wearing make up less often, so I haven't gone through as many.

I finished two base products since my last empties, the first being the Rosie For Autograph Sheer Finish Complexion Enhancer and the second the Make Up Revolution Conceal and Define Concealer. The Rosie For Autograph is my go to light coverage, barely there base product on those days when I want a little something but not a full medium coverage foundation. It's a stunning base that really lets skin look like skin whilst giving it a healthy lit from within glow. The Conceal And Define however is a lot more coverage and feels heavier on the skin. It's perfect for covering blemishes and brightening the under eye area, however I would only advise wearing it when your wearing a heavier coverage foundation as it takes away from the no make up, make up look that lighter bases give.

I've actually finished a mascara. That is unheard of from me. The Maybelline Total Temptation Mascara has been one of my go to mascaras since it's release earlier this year. It's natural bristle brush and coconut oil enriched formula have really worked to give my lashes volume, length and definition whilst leaving them conditioned and stronger. I've already got another tube of this open and I can gurantee you'll be seeing more of these in empties in the future.

I was lucky to recieve a sample pack of the Body Shop's newly release Body Yoghurts. I've used two of the three and I absolutely love them. They're lightweight yet ultra hydrating, they sink into skin immediately and smell absolutely divine. Out of the two I'd probably buy the British Rose in full size but I'd also love to try the Coconut Body Yoghurt if they ever have it in stock.

And last but not least I finished two bottles of perfume. Again this is unheard of for me as I have tons of bottles of perfume and never stay loyal to one but somehow I've managed to finish two. The first is the Christina Aguilera By Night scent. I used to wear this years ago and found a little bit left in a bottle tucked in dark corner of my wardrobe. It still smelt okay so I just kept wearing it whenever I went to work. It's musky but feminine and has a slightly sexy edge to it that boosts my self confidence whenever I wear it. The second is an all time favourite of mine and I've gone through many a bottle. The Rosie For Autograph Nuit is again that musky, deeper scent that is suited more for the evening wear but boosts my self confidence whenever I wear it. I love it that much I'm already halfway through my next bottle.