Exams finally finished and somehow I've been even more exhausted since. I think all the stress and nerves and not sleeping very well finally caught up to me after it all finished. Fortunately we've had a lovely christmas here. It finally snowed and everywhere is white and beautiful. I've been to dinners and lunches, spending time with family and friends. I've not had too much time to sit down and work on the blog, but I really wanted to stick to getting my november empties up so I've put in ten minutes here and there whenever I've had the chance. Now the post is finally finished so up it goes on christmas eve! So if anyone finds themselves in a moment of boredom perhaps this can be a fun "little" post to read. I hope you are all having a wonderful christmas or holiday season and want to wish you all an amazing new year!
I really enjoyed this. The scent was really nice, and it had a lovely soothing effect on the skin. The only downside was that the mere 50ml you get finished way too fast.
Clarins HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase 15ml ( here )
This is a nice light serum with a semi-oily consistency, hence the 'bi-phase'. It moisturises skin well, but it's not the most intense moisturising serum I've used. Nice for anyone with combination skin leaning more towards oily and not overly dry.
Cellcosmet Switzerland CellLift Serum 3ml ( here )
This was really nice. I noticed skin being more plump and radiant, overall more healthy looking. It was incredibly nourishing, and made my skin feel incredible comfortable. I would definitely consider this at some point.
I love this cleansing balm. I've gone through quite a few tubes, more than I can remember, and I've got two backups ready. Highly recommended!
I love this conditioner. Just a few seconds with this in and I get hair as smooth, soft and manageable as if I'd used a hair mask for an hour. Will definitely re-purchase.
Yves Saint Laurent Top Secrets Eye Makeup Remover Bi-Phase 30ml ( here )
This is a very good eye-makeup remover. One of the better ones I've tried. It removes mascara really easily and quickly, will buy the full size.
Bliss Lid+Lash Wash Makeup Remover 110ml ( here )
This on the other hand was very disappointing. I was very excited to try this after all the raves I've seen on youtube, and read on blogs. Unfortunately, this removes eye makeup really badly, in my experience, and there was always some still coming off when I washed my face the next morning. Not something I'll buy again.
Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm 75ml ( here )
This is an incredible hand cream. The scent is the best part, a wonderfully soothing and complicated scent, not at all cheap-smelling. It's also light, absorbs quickly and doesn't leave any greasy residue on the hands. Would not mind picking up another tube of this in the future, or big 500ml pump bottle.
Jason Purifying Tea Tree Pure Natural Hand Soap 473ml ( here )
I love the Jason hand washes. I've been through countless bottles and have got quite a few backups ready. They are gentle, with good ingredients and are relatively affordable as well.
Jason Powersmile Antiplaque & Whitening Toothpaste 170g ( here )
Another really nice product by Jason. This is a lot gentler on the teeth as it doesn't have harsh ingredients such as SLS's. Already onto my next tube.
Marvis Whitening Mint Toothpaste 75ml ( here )
This really does make teeth whiter and has a really strong delicious mint flavour. I love the Marvis' toothpastes, and have a backup, but it's noticeably harsher on the gums than the Jason so I prefer the Jason and would recommend that one out of the two.
Nuxe Sun Refreshing After-Sun Lotion For Face and Body 200ml ( here )
This smells incredible. I used this up just as a regular body lotion and it was amazing at that. It's light, absorbs fairly quickly, but has a very nice soothing effect on the skin plus moisturises really well. I will definitely buy this again next summer.
Nuxe Body Fondant Shower Gel 200ml ( here )
This smells ok and while it's a SLS and soap-free formula, which made me think it would be more gentle on the skin, it's actually quite harsh and left my skin feeling really dry and 'stripped' of any moisture after my shower. Not something I'd buy again.
Marc Jacobs Daisy Luminous Body Lotion 75ml ( here )
This smells quite delicious, just like the Daisy perfume. It's an ok body lotion, but nothing great. It has huge glitter chunks in it though, that looks very obvious and like you are wearing a really cheap body lotion meant for teens.
Biotherm Cleansing Shower Milk 75ml ( here )
This is nice, but nothing special. The milky texture is gentle on the skin and it also doesn't strip the skin of all it's moisture. It has a very faint citrus smell.
Aromatherapy Associates Relax Deep Bath & Shower Oil 3ml ( here )
This was enough for one times use. It had a nice consistency, and it made skin feel really nice, but I found the scent a bit too strong.
Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter 50ml ( here )
Soap and Glory do some really nice body butters. Especially when taking the price in consideration. This is not my first body butter by Soap and Glory and I doubt it will be my last.
Bliss FatGirlSlim 60ml ( here )
This was a sample I received as part of a very generous gift with purchase a while back. It was fun to try, but I can't say it worked. I think it had a bit of a toning effect, but it's not a product I would buy.
Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline Body Lotion 30ml ( here )
This smells very nice and moisturises well. It's not a fantastic body lotion, but if you love the perfume this would be nice to use in combination with it.
Dior Dior Addict Eau de Toilette ( here )
I was really excited when this launched, but can't say the scent is too special to me at least. It's fresh, and very summer appropriate. Anyone that loves Marc Jacobs scents, particularly Daisy, I think would enjoy this one as well.
DKNY myNY 1.5ml ( here )
This is a really sweet perfume, but I surprisingly enjoyed it still. If you love super sweet scents, I'd highly recommend this. This isn't something I'll be buying, but I'll say it was nice for when you want a more uncomplicated sweet scent.
Gucci Premiere Eau de Parfum ( here )
This is a really sexy scent, perfect if you are looking for a new scent particularly for using when going out.
Prada Candy Eau de Parfum ( here )
I love Prada Candy. I've gone through quite a few samples of this and love it every time. I've still not gotten around to purchasing it, I'm not sure why, but I always end up buying something else. At the moment I have an amazing 18 full sized perfumes, not including minis and rollerballs so I've decided to not buy any more for a while. At some point I will buy Prada Candy though, it's a very lovely gourmand scent!
Dior Vernis in 906 Purple Revolution 10ml ( here )
I've spent the year going through my much-too-large nail polish stash, having put myself on a no-buy (for nail polish) since April. This is a stunning nail polish, a really really dark purple that borders on being and looking black unless when the light hits it. It's unfortunately gone a bit gloopy and reeks of chemicals. I used it one last time, but decided it was time to get rid of it.
Rimmel 60 Seconds 810 Blue My Mind 8ml ( here )
This is a really pretty blue/purple bright shade, perfect for the summer months. I've had this for quite a few years, meaning it's expired so I've decided to get rid of it as well.
Dior Top Coat Abricot 10ml ( here )
This one I've actually just finished. I'm good with my top coats, only having two - one for my toes and one for the finger nails. This one was nice, it dried in a decent amount of time, made the polish look super glossy and kept it nice and un-chipped for a bit longer than otherwise. It's not the best top coat I've ever used, but it was decent, by all means.
This was one of my favourite glosses and served this month as a reminder I need to keep myself on a low-buy, and try to keep finishing more of my products this year. I only got through half of this, and while I wanted to finish the tube I've had this for quite a few years now, and for a lip gloss that's a few years too many.
Revlon Matte Lipstick in 011 Stormy Pink ( here )
This has also expired. It was a gorgeous bright matte pink with excellent staying power. Unfortunately it now applies patchy and not nicely at all. I'm really going to focus on condensing my lip stash in the coming year. It's just pointless letting them go to waste.
Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Perle 4g ( discontinued )
This one I actually finished! It's part of my use-it-up project and one I really wanted to finish by the end of the year, so I'm very happy I managed to reach my goal.
Nars Orgasm Illuminator 30ml ( here )
This I received as a gift a while back and while it gives a gorgeous highlighting effect it's a bit too dark for my pale skin. I decided that rather than work on this for the next 6 months and trying to make it work, I'd rather just let it go and stick to my now only cream highlighting product; the living luminizer by RMS. It's my favourite and it will expire by the end of next year anyway so I want to just focus on using that one, and maybe even managing to use it up before it goes bad.
Make Up For Ever HD Defining Blush 10ml ( discontinued )
This is ok, but nothing special. You need the tiniest amount, I don't know how anyone can go through a tube of this before it expires unless they are professional makeup artists with a lot of clients daily. Not something I enjoyed, and not something I'd ever buy again if it was still available.
Lancome Hypnose Star in Noir Midnight 2ml ( here )
I've had the full size tube of this and didn't like it very much. Somehow though, I liked it more this time around. It gives nicely defined longer lashes, with a bit of volume, but not much. It's buildable, and lasts well. It's not my favourite mascara, and I won't buy the full size tube again, but it's a decent mascara, I'll give it that.
Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme in 01 Extreme Black 2.8ml ( here )
This is a very nice mascara. It gives length, good volume and is really black. It has a big brush with natural bristles. I'd consider buying the full size at some point.
This is my favourite foundation. I love the shade, the finish and staying power. I've been through three bottles of this now, I think, and I'm again onto my backup.
Guerlain Blush & Sun 03 Sun Tan 5.5g ( discontinued)
This was a beautiful very red-toned bronzer that gave an incredible sun-kissed look. Unfortunately it's been way too dark for me since I started using my daily SPF and I've decided it was now time to let it go as it will probably always be too dark. It's also started to get a bit harder in texture, so it's probably expired.
Chanel Long Lasting Eyeliner in 102 Béryl ( limited edition)
This I actually finished! It was a limited edition lilac coloured eyeliner released with Chanel's 2013 Spring Collection. It gave a very subtle, but effective brightening effect when used in the waterline. This is something I would probably buy again if they were to re-release it.
Mac Hot 'N' Saucy Tendertone Lip Balm SPF 12 6ml ( limited edition )
This was something I really wanted to finish by the end of the year and I'm so pleased I managed to get through it! This was an absolutely gorgeous glossy red that moisturised the lips and also had SPF 12. I really loved this, but I've had my eye on the Lip Shine in Sacred by RMS which I think will be similar so I'm excited to try that next.
Make Up For Ever Cake Eyeliner 2,5g ( here )
This was ok, but nothing special. It was easy to get an uneven color distribution, and to get it to apply really black. To get it really black I had to use it in combination with the next product...
Make Up For Ever Aquarelle 10ml ( here )
... when dipping my brush in this and then using that to wet the cake liner I did get a really black line. Besides that it's all just messy, time-consuming and not something I'd recommend. If you haven't noticed I can't stand almost any of the Make Up For Ever products I've tried and unfortunately have tried quite a few. Unsurprisingly, this is something I'd also not want to buy again.
NOVEMBER TOTAL:
Normal: 10
Deluxe Sample: 7
Sample: 6
Makeup Item: 10
Deluxe Sample/Mini Size Makeup Item: 1
Sample Makeup Item: 2
Nail polish: 3
Mini nail polish: 0
Jumbo Size: 0
2014 TOTAL:
Normal: 150
Deluxe Sample: 93
Sample: 101
Makeup Item: 121
Deluxe Sample/Mini Size Makeup Item: 23
Sample Makeup Item: 5
Nail polish: 12
Mini nail polish: 18
Jumbo Size: 7
So there you have it! I managed to hit my goal of finishing 150 items by the end of the year, that is very exciting! I've also downsized a whopping 121 makeup items so far this year. I'll save a more overall look on the total for when I do my December empties, which won't be in too long! Some of the products featured here are probably from December, but I tried to separate the products I was sure I finished recently to save for my next, and last, empties post for the year. For now, keep enjoying the holiday season and merry christmas everyone!
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