These are just my thoughts and opinions on the products I've finished up in the last month! ^_^
I'll insert links in the descriptions to where you can buy or read up on them incase you're interested :)
Lee Stafford:
I don't think I will ever get over this stuff. My hair was in such desperate condition that I genuinely thought that the only way to deal with it at that point was to chop it all off. This treatment has improved the condition of my hair like nothing else has ever come close to! And for the price, you really can't go wrong considering it actually does so much more than just make your hair smell nice, now can ya? I've repurchased this six or seven times already!
Same goes for this! I used to use Aussie's "Miracle Recharge Moisture Infuser" leave-in conditioner, and I thought it was grand at the time, but having discovered this gem, I actually can't be without it now. Again, this does things for my hair that nothing else has ever even come close to doing and all without weighing it down or leaving behind any gross residue. I do wish that it came in a bigger size though because, it's only a 100ml bottle and I just fly through them. I've already bought loads of these too!
Travel size of Lee Stafford Original Dry Shampoo
What will I say? It's grand, it gets the job done and it smells great but I mean, I've tried so many dry shampoos (I'm lazy) and I just haven't found any that can outdo Batiste, especially at that price point.
Soap & Glory
(If you live in Ireland or the UK remember that in Boots a lot of the travel size stuff is 3 for 2, including a load of S&G products. It's a great way to try things without paying a fortune for three or four bits that you may only end up liking one or two of!)
Love this stuff! It's a really fine scrub which is why I love it. It's one of those products that you buy but don't really have high hopes for, and then it turns out to be one of your best buys and turns into a staple product in your routine! I love the scent and the grittiness of it, I feel like it does a great job at exfoliating without being too abrasive, and it moisturises without leaving an oily residue on your skin like a lot of other scrubs/polished sometimes do. Highly recommend giving this a go! I have a couple of backups of this...
Wasn't overly impressed by this to be honest. It smells great but... I don't know. Maybe I'm missing the point of it? It didn't notice anything major happening, but then again, it's only a body "buff". I wasn't a fan of the way it made my skin feel, I think it was meant to feel "moisturised", but it just felt a bit tacky to me. I'm sure this product works for other people, if not they wouldn't keep making it, but I'm personally not a fan.
Love. Love. Love.
This just feels so luxurious and creamy and soothing and cooling and... I just really love it.
I swear, every time I see this is a shop I just want to buy it again, even though I already have like four backups at home. You have to try it, or at least smell it the next time you see it!
I've gone through seven or eight of these already, and that's saying something because 1) I don't like hand cream and 2) I'd never ever finished a tube of hand cream.
Last year my hands were feeling really dry and crappy and I picked up one of these just because I needed a something immediately and the name of this amused me.
It smells the same as the Righteous Butter, and it soaks in really fast, so no greasy phone screens.
Random but necessary!
This stuff is really great. Shake it up, soak a cotton disc, place it over your eye for about 20 seconds, apply a little pressure and wipe away (and it really does remove waterproof mascara and all with little to no effort!).
Also, I have sensitive eyes, a lot of eye makeup removers will actually sting my eyes like crazy, but this one doesn't, which is obviously always a plus.
Also, I have sensitive eyes, a lot of eye makeup removers will actually sting my eyes like crazy, but this one doesn't, which is obviously always a plus.
It says it's for face and eyes, but I've an oily t-zone I don't like to use it for removing my face makeup, but thats just me. This is another one of those things that I find myself buying over and over again!
This stuff sucked so bad, seriously. I got mine in Sephora in Prague for 180 Czech crown which is like 6.50 in Euro for a 50ml bottle. What was I even thinking? It was mediocre at best and the Garnier makeup remover mentioned above is bounds and leaps better than this. Won't be repurchasing this - ever.
I broke my pump...but don't mind that!
This claims that it "moisturises, matifies and rebalances"... I dunno guys.
I was just suckered in by the cute packaging and the fact that I'd never heard of the brand.
It's grand, it smells nice and that, but I don't like the texture.
Instead of spreading like a normal cream it kind of sets while you're smoothing it on and feels like you're tugging at your skin. I wound up just kind of using it as a mattifying primer on the T-zone, but even at that it doesn't really keep you matte all day long. As for its moisturising properties, I found them to be second to none. I had to put on my normal moisturiser with SPF (because this one doesn't even have that) and layer this over it.
I'd like to try something else by the brand and see how it goes, but I wouldn't repurchase or recommend this one.
HOLIKA HOLIKA 3 Second Starter 150ml
HOLIKA HOLIKA is a Korean brand and I have loved many a Korean beauty product and actually found them to be among the most effective products I've used without breaking the bank.
This is a sort of toner/serum with a watery gel consistency.
I didn't notice anything to write home about while using it, but it was super cooling and refreshing and for someone who maybe isn't that into skincare or feels they don't have the time for layering products in the mornings I would totally recommend this one because, even on the days I was in a rush and would just slap on some of this and an SPF over it, my skin didn't feel dehydrated or tight.
They have three different types to choose from: Collagen, Vita Complex and Hyaluronic Acid.
I'm going to try out the hyaluronic acid one next :)
If you'd like to give one of these a go, click here to buy from ebay.ie for 8 euros with free p+p!
PS... Makeup Fixing Spray
This stuff isn't listed on the Irish Primark site anymore, but it's still available in store.
This was Penneys attempt at a setting spray and...bleh.
It has a pretty high alcohol content, it feels like hairspray, I feel like it made me shinier than I would normally be after couple of hours, and you have to be careful not to open your eyes where you've just sprayed it if you have sensitive eyes because I found it stung a bit.
I wouldn't repurchase it to use every day, but if I was broke and absolutely couldn't do without one, I would probably pick it up, but other than that I'd pass on this.
Maybelline Baby Lips - Repair
I've tried many many lip balms and many from the Baby Lips line, and this is only one that I've repurchased so far. Apart from the fact that it contains SPF20, it doesn't taste like anything or have any colouring. I find a lot of lip balms just kind of feel like they sit on the surface of the lips without doing much, but this one genuinely helped soothe my lips during the winter and got rid of that tight feeling.
Loreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Mask Balm
OMG, I hated this so much!!
I have never hated a hair mask so much. Everything from the smell, to the colour, to the texture, to the fact that it did literally nothing for my hair... Ugh! No.
Maybe the texture was so off because it's a mask "balm", but it felt like it had been sitting on a shelf for three years or something.
If this worked for you, let me know, because I was totally grossed out by it, and I used to the whole thing to give it a fair go but it did nothing for me.
Pantene Pro V Instant Nourishing Spray
Another disappointing product. I don't know if this is still available or if it's been repackaged/reformulated, but the one I had was pretty underwhelming to say the least.
This claims that it's for fine hair... I don't know how that would work out because, I don't have fine hair and this still weighed my hair down even when used sparingly.
The smell was overpowering to me and I noticed I had to wash my hair more frequently when I used it. Wouldn't recommend this product even if it is still available.
TRESemme Heat Defence Styling Spray 300ml
I bought the travel size of this, finished it up pretty quickly and then bought the full size.
I wouldn't say it's a game changer or anything, but for the price point it's really quite good. It smells good, sprays evenly, and after using my flat iron, I did feel like my hair was protected and felt soft and smoothed but not weighed down.
Salt of the Earth Natural Deodorant (Travel)
I bought this when I went through my "omg we're all gonna die poisoned by everything" phase.
It's a stick deodorant but, not. It's like a big lump of rock basically.
I have a few things to note about this one.
1. I'm not an excessive "sweater" naturally, so if you are, maybe you won't be quite as impressed with the product, or maybe you'll feel more paranoid at first.
2. It has no colour, scent or texture so, it's kind of difficult to judge if you're good to go or if it's working or not. For this reason I found myself sniffing my pits all day for the first few days and reapplying simply due to the fact that I couldn't smell anything, neither good nor bad. Good thing is, it doesn't stain or leave marks behind either.
3. It needs to be wet to used it. I would apply when I was just out of the shower, but for reapplication you'd have to rinse it under the tap and then apply, and that can get messy with water running down your side and that, not the handiest if you're out and about.
Overall, I think it does work, but it's just strange when you're used to smelling deodorant and then you're using a product that smells like nothing.
The good thing is they do a spray version too, which is probably way faster and handy to use... In retrospect I don't know why I didn't just pick that one up to begin with! To see that one, click here.
So those are all my empties for this month! If you tried any of these and had a similar or totally opposite experience, or even any recommendations, let me know! I'm always in the market for new products too ^_^
It's grand, it smells nice and that, but I don't like the texture.
Instead of spreading like a normal cream it kind of sets while you're smoothing it on and feels like you're tugging at your skin. I wound up just kind of using it as a mattifying primer on the T-zone, but even at that it doesn't really keep you matte all day long. As for its moisturising properties, I found them to be second to none. I had to put on my normal moisturiser with SPF (because this one doesn't even have that) and layer this over it.
I'd like to try something else by the brand and see how it goes, but I wouldn't repurchase or recommend this one.
HOLIKA HOLIKA 3 Second Starter 150ml
HOLIKA HOLIKA is a Korean brand and I have loved many a Korean beauty product and actually found them to be among the most effective products I've used without breaking the bank.
This is a sort of toner/serum with a watery gel consistency.
I didn't notice anything to write home about while using it, but it was super cooling and refreshing and for someone who maybe isn't that into skincare or feels they don't have the time for layering products in the mornings I would totally recommend this one because, even on the days I was in a rush and would just slap on some of this and an SPF over it, my skin didn't feel dehydrated or tight.
They have three different types to choose from: Collagen, Vita Complex and Hyaluronic Acid.
I'm going to try out the hyaluronic acid one next :)
If you'd like to give one of these a go, click here to buy from ebay.ie for 8 euros with free p+p!
PS... Makeup Fixing Spray
This stuff isn't listed on the Irish Primark site anymore, but it's still available in store.
This was Penneys attempt at a setting spray and...bleh.
It has a pretty high alcohol content, it feels like hairspray, I feel like it made me shinier than I would normally be after couple of hours, and you have to be careful not to open your eyes where you've just sprayed it if you have sensitive eyes because I found it stung a bit.
I wouldn't repurchase it to use every day, but if I was broke and absolutely couldn't do without one, I would probably pick it up, but other than that I'd pass on this.
Maybelline Baby Lips - Repair
I've tried many many lip balms and many from the Baby Lips line, and this is only one that I've repurchased so far. Apart from the fact that it contains SPF20, it doesn't taste like anything or have any colouring. I find a lot of lip balms just kind of feel like they sit on the surface of the lips without doing much, but this one genuinely helped soothe my lips during the winter and got rid of that tight feeling.
Loreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Mask Balm
OMG, I hated this so much!!
I have never hated a hair mask so much. Everything from the smell, to the colour, to the texture, to the fact that it did literally nothing for my hair... Ugh! No.
Maybe the texture was so off because it's a mask "balm", but it felt like it had been sitting on a shelf for three years or something.
If this worked for you, let me know, because I was totally grossed out by it, and I used to the whole thing to give it a fair go but it did nothing for me.
Pantene Pro V Instant Nourishing Spray
Another disappointing product. I don't know if this is still available or if it's been repackaged/reformulated, but the one I had was pretty underwhelming to say the least.
This claims that it's for fine hair... I don't know how that would work out because, I don't have fine hair and this still weighed my hair down even when used sparingly.
The smell was overpowering to me and I noticed I had to wash my hair more frequently when I used it. Wouldn't recommend this product even if it is still available.
TRESemme Heat Defence Styling Spray 300ml
I bought the travel size of this, finished it up pretty quickly and then bought the full size.
I wouldn't say it's a game changer or anything, but for the price point it's really quite good. It smells good, sprays evenly, and after using my flat iron, I did feel like my hair was protected and felt soft and smoothed but not weighed down.
Salt of the Earth Natural Deodorant (Travel)
I bought this when I went through my "omg we're all gonna die poisoned by everything" phase.
It's a stick deodorant but, not. It's like a big lump of rock basically.
I have a few things to note about this one.
1. I'm not an excessive "sweater" naturally, so if you are, maybe you won't be quite as impressed with the product, or maybe you'll feel more paranoid at first.
2. It has no colour, scent or texture so, it's kind of difficult to judge if you're good to go or if it's working or not. For this reason I found myself sniffing my pits all day for the first few days and reapplying simply due to the fact that I couldn't smell anything, neither good nor bad. Good thing is, it doesn't stain or leave marks behind either.
3. It needs to be wet to used it. I would apply when I was just out of the shower, but for reapplication you'd have to rinse it under the tap and then apply, and that can get messy with water running down your side and that, not the handiest if you're out and about.
Overall, I think it does work, but it's just strange when you're used to smelling deodorant and then you're using a product that smells like nothing.
The good thing is they do a spray version too, which is probably way faster and handy to use... In retrospect I don't know why I didn't just pick that one up to begin with! To see that one, click here.
So those are all my empties for this month! If you tried any of these and had a similar or totally opposite experience, or even any recommendations, let me know! I'm always in the market for new products too ^_^
