Empties: Items I've Used Up in July 2014

First up is make up. I rarely have any make up empties because a) it lasts for ages and b) I have so much make up, I am always chopping and changing so never finish anything!

Laura Geller Balance N Brighten Foundation in shade Porcelain (RRP £28)
Would I repurchase? Yes, I have lots in my stash already!
This is my go to foundation and has been for several years. It is so easy to use because it is a baked powder formula and seems to last for ages. I keep thinking about changing to a liquid foundation because I feel it may be better for my fine lines but I really don't like the feel of liquid foundation on my skin. Perhaps I just haven't found the right one for me so, for now, this is my Holy Grail.

Elf Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara (RRP £1.95)
Would I repurchase? Perhaps.
I wasn't that bothered about the mascara side but perhaps that would be ideal for younger girls who aren't able to wear mascara to school. The brow side was fine and I did use it to set my brows. It didn't "wow" me but it did an okay job and at under £2 I can't complain. My only reason for perhaps not repurchasing is because I can only order online and unless I place a large order I would have to pay postage which bumps up the price.

Next up are my skin care empties.

Omorovicza Refining Facial Polisher (RRP £65 for 100ml)
Would I repurchase? No.
Since I've been using an exfoliant toner, I no longer use facial scrubs but I received this little sample so I gave it a try. It smelled lovely. It reminded me of Radox bath salts or Badedas bubble bath, a nice clean, fresh smell. It's green in colour which is a tad worrying when it is applied but it left my skin feeling clean and refreshed. The reason for not repurchasing is not down to the product, but down to the price!!! If I am going to spend £65 on a skin care item, it would be a moisturiser, serum or eye cream but not a scrub.

Pixi Skintreats Glow Tonic (RRP £16)
Would I repurchase? Yes and already have.
I have been using this for over a year now and it really seems to help keep my skin bright and I rarely exfoliate with scrubs since using this. My "Holy Grail" that I don't want to be without. The packaging has now changed and the new bottle doesn't have a pump. Luckily I still have one with a pump which I shall probably decant into because I do find it better.

Balance Me Balancing Face Moisturiser (RRP £24 for 50ml)
Would I repurchase? No.
Nothing wrong with the product, just not rich enough for my skin. I think it's probably better suited to an oily skin rather than my normal to combination skin. Did stop the shine on my forehead though. I just need more moisture on my cheeks.

Archeia Rose Rejuvenating Cream (RRP £47.99)
Would I repurchase? No.
I decided to choose a little 5ml sample of this in my You Beauty Discovery box last month. The main reason being was, because it is so expensive, I wanted to know why! Well this pot lasted just 1 week - 10 days and it didn't wow me at all. On the plus side, the rose scent wasn't string and overpowering, it was quite subtle. However at almost £50 for a 15ml pot. (I think that's the size - their site doesn't say!?), it would have to work miracles for me to repurchase.

Onto hair products:

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Strengthening Shampoo & Conditioner (RRP £3.99 for 400ml)
Would I repurchase? Yes, already have bought the conditioner and will buy the shampoo once my stash is depleted!
I believe I got these samples sachets inside a magazine. I was very impressed with them. They smell lovely and the conditioner left my hair soft and shiny. A winner from me!

Avon Advanced Techniques Celloshine Treatment 
Would I repurchase? Discontinued
I wouldn't repurchase even if I could! It said it was a hair treatment but did no more than a normal conditioner and not even a good one at that!

Finally, my bodycare empties:

Original Source Vanilla Milk & Raspberry Shower Cream (RRP £2.30)
Would I repurchase? No.
I usually love Original Source shower gels but not this one. It's fine if you like smelling of a raspberry milkshake, but I favour a slightly more sophisticated smell! I guess the clue was in the name of it. I love the smell of vanilla and I like the smell of raspberry, but together in a shower gel was not for me.

Champneys Spa Indulgence Distant Shores Body Scrub (RRP £10 for 200g)
Would I repurchase? No.
I did quite the scent of this but I felt I needed to use a lot in order to get a decent scrub. Therefore it is not very economical so for that reason I wouldn't repurchase.

Dove Visible Effects Body Lotion
Would I repurchase? Discontinued??
I did like this lotion. It was a free sample I received a whole ago and I felt it moisturised well and smelt nice too. Unfortunately I cannot find it for sale anywhere so perhaps it has been discontinued.

Ellie Saab Le Parfum L'Eau Couture (RRP £31 for 30ml)
Would I repurchase? Perhaps.
This was a nice enough perfume, not my usual scent. I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase it, but if I had it bought for me, then I would happily wear it.

So out of my 12 product empties this month, I had 3 Hits, 5 Misses, 2 Maybes and 2 discontinued. Hmmm, not a very good hit rate there, but then aren't we always on the search for our "Holy Grail" perfect product?

Thanks for reading.
Enjoy your day.
Take care,
CJ xx

First Impressions & Swatches: Laura Geller Tuscan Sun Collection

The recent Laura Geller Tuscan Sun Collection TSV from QVC UK arrived in super quick time. In fact it arrived the next day. Well done QVC! 

Upon opening the parcel, my first impression was how nice the straw tote bag was! To be honest, I didn't even factor this into my purchase because it was the make up I wanted so to like the bag is an added bonus.

It's not as big as I thought it would be but that is good for me because now my boys are teenagers I no longer have to take the kitchen sink out with me! It has a couple of sewn in pockets inside which I suppose are meant for a mobile 'phone. I wouldn't use it as a handbag though, because I am too security conscious and prefer a zip closed bag.

Now onto the make up. First up is Balance N Brighten. I chose the shade Porcelain which is the palest shade it comes in. This is a pink toned baked foundation and is ideal for my pale skin. I often think, now that I am above 40, that I should switch to a liquid foundation because it would probably be more forgiving on my fine lines. However, I really don't like the feel of liquid foundations on my skin so for now, this baked foundation is my Holy Grail and I have many (too many!) in my stash. I like this foundation for its colour correcting properties. In the summer months I use it in conjunction with the shade Fair which is darker with more yellow tones. I have tried to swatch it below, but as it is so pale the camera hasn't picked it up very well.

Now I need another blusher like I need a hole in the head! I have so many! This is a Baked Elements Blush infused with Italian Spring Water no less!! I wasn't sure at first when I saw the shade Siena in the pan because it looked too orange for my complexion but it is actually a lovely apricot colour when applied. I love that this blusher comes with a little brush underneath the compact too. Not the best brush but ideal for when you're out and about for quick touch ups.

The Baked Brûlée Highlighter in Honey Lavender is a lovely, subtle shade, not too shimmery. Laura says it can also be used as an eyeshadow so I shall have to give that a try too.

A new product in the range is the Lasting Love Lip Stain. This set came with the shade Tuscan Peach. When I saw this stick in the set, the packaging colour looked quite orange and I didn't think it would suit me at all, however upon application it is more of a mid pink than orange - see swatch below. I will do a full review of this regarding longevity, etc once I have had time to try it properly.

Finally, the kit also came with a Spackle Primer with SPF 30 and a double ended brush. I have tried a different formula of Laura's Spackle and I wasn't too keen so perhaps I will give this one a try but not too sure yet. The brush I probably won't use, it has a brush one end and a large sponge applicator the other end. I'm happy enough with my Real Techniques brushes, so shall probably pass this on to my mum.

Overall my first impressions on this set are very positive and I have signed up for the Auto Delivery option whereby I get the same set (but with a different blusher and lip stain colour) in October and January but at the special TSV price.

I purchased this set from QVC for the special price of £38.96 plus £4.95 postage. This price was just for 24 hours and the price has now increased to £49 plus £4.95 postage but if you are still interested in purchasing it is still available here.

Have you tried any products from the Laura Geller range? What are your favourites?
Thanks for reading.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
Take care,
CJ xx

**purchased with my own money.