Empties | August 2015

Ah, the end of August is upon us, and with it the end of all hope of summer... It's been a particularly poor effort this year, England, I must say. August hasn't been all bad, however - I have finally got my hands on my very own car, a lovely little blue Volkswagen Polo named Percy, which I'm super pleased about! It means an end to fights over who gets to use my mum's car, for one thing... In other news, I went for an interview in Leeds for a job I'd love but am still waiting to hear back as to whether I was successful - so fingers crossed on that one! I've also managed to finish off a few beauty products, so let's get onto those.
Good Things Argan Oil Nourishing Cleansing Oil | This is a lovely affordable option when it comes to cleansing oils; I found it worked really well to melt away make-up and grime, leaving my skin feeling soft, clean and hydrated. It had the added bonus of smelling absolutely gorgeous which made it a real pleasure to use! Good Things are pretty widely available in Boots stores and this is definitely a product I'd recommend anyone to try if you like a cleansing oil or are just looking for one to try without breaking the bank.
Repurchase? Possibly.
Sure Maximum Protection Stress Control Anti-Perspirant | I picked this up on a complete whim because the temperature at work frequently exceeds 30°C and when you're running around after a motley collection of people with dementia, it can get pretty sweaty pretty quickly! I really liked the scent this gave and found that it worked really well to keep my underarms feeling dry and fresh. A new favourite, I think!
Repurchase? Already have.
Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets | I tend to use these before applying make-up, as I wash my face in the morning but don't generally put my make-up on til around 1pm, to give it more chance of lasting through work. I can get pretty oily in the interim, so these are handy for just giving me a nice base to work from. I think they may have been discontinued which is a shame, but I have a couple more packs that I picked up a while back in Home Bargains for about 29p per pack!
Repurchase? Yes, if I see them!
George Silk Finish Pressed Powder | This was very much an impulse purchase for me, thrown in the trolley in Asda on the off-chance it would be halfway-decent. It actually turned out to be one of the better budget pressed powders I've tried; it mattified nicely, didn't cake on re-application, didn't oxidise and didn't leave me looking like a ghost!
Repurchase? Maybe.
Naked Volume Body Building Shampoo | Man, was I glad to have this back in my routine!! I was massively disappointed to find that Naked appear to have ceased trading, but I did order four bottles of this shampoo from an online discount store, so I'm stocked up for a while!! This is the best SLS-free shampoo I've tried in terms of managing my prone-to-greasiness hair. It's also free of silicons which is great, as I don't like the things they do to my skin.
Repurchase? If I could, I would!
Naked Shine Buttermilk & Green Tea Hydrating Conditioner | I have another couple of tubes of this in stock as well, thankfully - it works really well to hydrate and smooth my dry, often unruly lengths without weighing my hair down or making it look greasy. It smells really nice and I find the texture is perfect - thick enough to stay on my hair nicely and feel like it's doing something, but not so thick it's hard to squeeze from the tube or spread through the lengths of my hair.
Repurchase? I wish I could!!
COLAB Sheer & Invisible Dry Shampoo | COLAB has definitely replaced Batiste as my dry shampoo of choice; I prefer it in so many ways! I think the scents are nicer, and the product seems so much more effective in refreshing my second-day hair. I also love that I don't get that tell-tale white residue in the roots with COLAB, which I have with every other dry shampoo I've tried. Add in its affordable price point and you're onto a winner in my book! I just wish it was more readily available, as I don't go into town very often to go to Superdrug.
Repurchase? Definitely!
Organic Surge Super Fresh Awakening Body Wash | I really enjoyed using this body wash in the shower; it had a lovely refreshing scent, lathered nicely, and left my skin feeling soft and clean. Being SLS-free, it's been gentle enough not to trigger my eczema, and the 250ml tube has lasted me really well, which makes this great value for money as far as I'm concerned. I had another tube all ready and waiting to go but I do see myself buying this again in the future.
Repurchase? Probably.
L'Oreal Everstrong Reinforcing System Fortifying & Vitality Conditioner | This seemed to go on forever! I finished the shampoo around a month before the conditioner and it just seemed to keep going... and going... and going. I'm glad to see the back of it to be honest, I didn't feel it worked that well with my hair and I wasn't overly keen on the Rosemary scent, either.
Repurchase? No.
And that's your lot for August! I think nine products is a pretty good effort in terms of clearing out my beauty stash, although it probably doesn't help quite as much when almost as many new products have entered my collection... Ah well. There's always next month! Have you tried any of these products? What did you think? I hope you've all had a lovely month and that September is even better!

xo