Empties: Items I've Used Up in June 2014

It doesn't seem 2 minutes since I was writing my May empties post and here we are again already with my June empties. I've been making a concerted effort to use up products that I've had on the go for far too long so there are quite a few products again this month.

I'll start with face skincare items:

Collin Resultime Micellar Radiance Cleansing Water 50ml (RRP £5)
Would I repurchase? No.
This was the first time I had used micellar water and it was a gift with purchase. I did like using it but it is expensive, the full size is £19.50. I cannot justify spending that sort of money on a water that I essentially wash off with cleansing balm. I have since bought the much cheaper Garnier brand and I can't see much difference between the two.

Alpha-H Absolute Eye Complex 15ml (RRP £34.50)
Would I repurchase? No.
For my 60 day trial, results and full review see my post here.

Alpha-H Rejuvenating Cream 
Would I repurchase? Discontinued.
I've had this moisturiser for a long time and I tended to use it when I had breakouts because this seemed to help clear them. It did make my skin tingle which I wasn't keen on but it did the job so it's a shame it has been discontinued.

Collin Resultime Regenerating Collagen Gel 50ml (RRP £47)
Would I repurchase? Yes, and I already have.
I love, love, love this! Yes, it is expensive but it is divine! It smells wonderful, a sort of light floral smell but not at all over powering. My skin feels wonderful when I use this. I use it every morning, like a serum, before my moisturiser. I also use it at night and sometimes apply it thickly and leave on my skin as an overnight mask. My skin feels plump and nourished by morning. I am trying to source a cheaper alternative but, now I'm 44, I feel my skin deserves this!

Merumaya Youth Preservation Moisturiser 15ml (RRP £17.50)
Would I repurchase? No.
See my review for this product here.

Steamcream 75ml (RRP £12.95)
Would I repurchase? Undecided - although i do have another in my stash.,
I love the texture of this cream, it is very light although I feel I have to wait a while before applying make up. My main problem with this product is the smell. It smells of lavender, which is a scent I usually like, but this lavender scent is so strong. To me it is far too strong for a product that can be used on the face and is more suited as a body or hand cream. It can be used on face, body and hands. I have a couple more tins in my stash from beauty boxes which I will use but I am not sure if I would go out of my way to repurchase. I do love the tin designs, though. What do you use your empty Steamcream tins for? I'm thinking of using this one for hair grips/bobby pins because they are just too cute to throw away!

Next are my body product empties:

Australian Bodycare Tea Tree Oil Skin Wash 1 litre (RRP £30)
Would I repurchase? No.
I hated the antiseptic fragrance of this wash. I suppose that's the tea tree oil. To me, it smelt more like an antibacterial cleaning product, not something I wanted to wash my body with! I have repurposed this by pouring into empty hand wash bottles. It is perfect for washing hands but not my body!

Radox Nourish Shower Cream - Shea Butter & Ginger 250ml (RRP £1.99)
Would I repurchase? Yes.
This smelt so lovely. Every time I used it, it reminded me of holidays. I should imagine it is the Shea butter that gives off that beachy, sun cream smell. Can often buy this half price so it is wonderful for an every day shower cream.

Anatomicals You Need a Blooming Shower! Your Nose Smells Rose Body Cleanser 250ml (RRP £3)
Would I repurchase? No.
I usually love rose scented products, but this just didn't hit the mark for me. It just smelt too artificial and I was glad to see the end of it. I didn't even cut open the tube to get the last dregs out, which tells you all you need to know!

Finally, my hair product empties:

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Boho 150ml (RRP £2.99)
Would I repurchase? No.
I don't tend to use dry shampoo but, like the one mentioned last month,  I won this in a giveaway ages ago so thought it was about time I used it! I am not keen on dry shampoo because they tend to leave a white caste/residue on my hair and I'm afraid this was no exception. If anyone could recommend a dry shampoo that doesn't do this (I have ginger hair) then please comment below. Thanks.

Avon Advanced Techniques Leave In Conditioner 250ml
Would I repurchase? No, no, no!!!
I don't often use leave in conditioners but I think this came in a set that I bought ages ago. I can't find it in the Avon website so perhaps it is discontinued. I'm not surprised! It is so runny  that it was hard to get it on to my hair without making a big mess. I gave up less than half way through this bottle and binned it.

Percy & Reed Bodifying Cream 50ml (RRP £2.69)
Would I repurchase? No.
I didn't feel this actually did anything for my hair so seems pointless repurchasing. It also is highly fragranced. I don't mind a bit of fragrance but I don't want it to compete with my perfume. All Percy & Reed products are highly fragranced which I would overlook if it loved the product, but this one is not for me.

VO5 Weather Resistant Hairspray 100ml
Would I repurchase? Maybe
I bought this as a travel size when I had a weekend away. What can I say? It's a hairspray, it did what it said on the tin! I've never found a "Holy Grail" hairspray, I find them all much of a muchness. I tend to buy whichever is on offer. Prove me wrong - tell me which is the hairspray I HAVE to have.

Avon Moroccan Argan Oil Leave-in Treatment 30ml (RRP £5.50)
Would I repurchase? Yes.
This oil/hair serum can be used on wet and dry hair. I used it on the ends of my wet hair after washing. It helped ensure there was no frizz. It's frequently on offer, in fact at the time of writing it is priced at £3.30. A little goes a long way and it is a great little serum.

Well sorry for the long post. I didn't realise I had so many empties in May. Alas, most are items I would not repurchase - only 3 hits to 8 misses and 2 "maybes".
Thanks for reading.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
Take care,
CJ xx

Empties: Items I've Used Up in May 2014

Well this is my first ever "empties" post and I do apologise that it is a tad late for May but I didn't want to wait to include them with June empties at the end of this month because there are quite a few.

Let's start with face skincare items:

There are actually 3 cleansers this month. I always have at least 2 cleansers on the go and these 3 all decided to finish this month, but no worries because I've lots more in my stash...

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm 125ml (RRP £21)
Would I repurchase? Yes - and I already have!
This balm is quite thick and is great for my evening first cleanse because it removes all my make up with ease. It is unscented so great for those with sensitive skin. I previously used Emma Hardie Moringa Balm and I loved the EH fragrance lots so was disappointed that the Clinique balm was unscented, but then I had a VERY bad reaction to Emma Hardie which I think must be down to the essential oils so I have had to be very careful ever since. 

Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm 100ml (RRP £14.50)
Would I repurchase? Yes - once I've worked through my stash!
For my review of this product, click here.

Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser with Aloe Vera 200ml (RRP £23)
Would I repurchase? Yes - and I already have.
I tend to use this cleanser when I have breakouts because this seems to do a great job at calming them and clearing them. For me it is a "no nonsense" cleanser and isn't as luxurious to use as some of my other cleansers but it does a great job when my skin needs that extra help at certain times of the month.

Boots Essentials Fragrance Free Cleasing Wipes 25 wipes (RRP £1.50)
Would I repurchase? No.
I don't tend to buy or use wipes but I inherited my late step-mothers beauty stash. She died 20 months ago and I am still working my way through her stash of beauty products. It is taking time because I have a fair stash of my own too! Nothing wrong with these wipes, I just don't tend to use them but I have been using these to remove my make up and then doing a double cleanse.

Merumaya Iconic Youth Serum 15ml (RRP £20)
Would I repurchase? No.
See my review for this product here.


Next up are my body product empties:

Nivea Happy Time Shower Cream 250ml (RRP £1.99)
Would I repurchase? Yes - once I've used up my stash.
Love, love, love this! It is an orange blossom fragrance and I love using this for my morning shower. It lathers well, is very creamy and is often on offer at half price so for 99p what's to dislike?! I want to buy this again but I am being good and working my way through the rest of my shower gels first but I do miss this.

Ted Baker Butterfly Wings set (RRP £10)
Would I repurchase? Maybe.
I received this little set for a birthday present last year. It contains a body spray, body wash, body scrub and body lotion. I do like the scent. It is quite a sweet scent which I am a fan of. Individually the products aren't fantastic, i.e the scrub doesn't do a lot, body wash doesn't lather as much as I'd like but, as I said, I DO like the fragrance. I wouldn't go out of my way to repurchase but, if it was in the Boots sale, then I would perhaps be tempted for the scent alone.

Molton Brown Oatmeal & Milk Exfoliating Bar
Would I repurchase? No.
This was another birthday present and it came in a box of 4 bars. I cannot find this on the MB website so perhaps it has been discontinued? I was totally underwhelmed by this. It didn't exfoliate at all and was more like a normal bar of soap with a few bits of oatmeal in. Unimpressed!

FoM Body Contouring Serum sample size
Would I repurchase? No.
I bought this sample from Latest In Beauty so that I could give it a try. To be honest I don't think any creams/serums etc can get rid of cellulite but I thought I would give it a go. It is called a serum but I felt it was more of a runny oil. I didn't like it because you had to apply to wet skin and I had to remember to do this as soon as I got out of the shower which more often than not I had towelled off before I thought about it. Too much faff!

Philosophy Pure Grace Body Lotion 8 fl.oz (RRP £15)
Would I repurchase? Yes - I already have a spare in my stash!
I love the smell of Pure Grace. To me it smells so clean, like freshly laundered washing. Mmmmm. The lotion absorbs well and my only gripe is that the container it comes in is not very flexible which made getting out the last of the lotion very hard. I think perhaps once I have used the one in my stash I would think twice to a repurchase due to the price. I do think it is expensive for a body lotion and if I could source a cheaper alternative with the same scent then I would. Does anyone know of a Pure Grace dupe please? Doesn't have to be body lotion, any dupe be it perfume, shower gel would be most welcome! Thanks.

Sure Women Crystal Clear Aqua Anti Perspirant 250ml (RRP £3.19)
Would I repurchase? Yes - already have, lots my stash!
This is my deodorant of choice. To be honest I do prefer a solid stick deodorant because I feel they are more effective, but they tend to mess up the underarms of any tops I wear so I have switched to spray deodorants now. Has anyone found a stick deodorant that doesn't leave any residue?

Ysatis Eau de Toilette 100ml (RRP £47.50)
Would I repurchase? Perhaps.
I have had this perfume for many years and I believe the packaging has changed now. This was my perfume of choice back in the late 1980's, early 1990's. It has lots of memories attached to it, so in a way I was sad to see it go. It was the perfume I wore when I met my husband and I wore it on our wedding day too. That said, there are many other perfumes I prefer these days. This is a heavier perfume than I tend to wear now. Perhaps one day I will revisit it for nostalgic reasons but for now I prefer a lighter, sweeter fragrance.

Leighton Denny Best Defence Hand Cream 30ml (RRP £5.50)
Would I repurchase? No.
My review for this product is here.


Finally, my hair product empties:

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Diva 150ml (RRP £2.99)
Would I repurchase? No.
I have had this so long I don't think they even do this fragrance anymore! I don't tend to use dry shampoo but I won this in a giveaway ages ago so thought it was about time I used it! I know a lot of people swear by Batiste, but I am not a lover of dry shampoo because I find they all leave a white caste/residue on my hair and I'm afraid this was no exception. If anyone could recommend a dry shampoo that doesn't do this (I have ginger hair) then please comment below. Thanks.

Head & Shoulders Shampoo in Cool Menthol 500ml (RRP £4.99)
Would I repurchase? Yes - I already have.
I suffer from psoriasis on my scalp and I have tried lots of shampoos, both prescription and over the counter but this seems to be the best at easing my itchy scalp. I've not found anything that clears it up completely but this helps the irritation. I actually find the Cool Menthol variety better for this than their Itchy Scalp one. I haven't been able to find the Cool Menthol in the shops but I have purchased one called Menthol Fresh which has the same packaging so fingers crossed it has just been renamed. I might have to drop them an email to check...

Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair 200ml (RRP £2.69)
Would I repurchase? Maybe.
This conditioner didn't wow me but I didn't hate it either. It did what it needed to do - conditioned my hair without weighing it down. I would perhaps repurchase this if it was on offer but I am still on the hunt for my Holy Grail conditioner.

Well sorry for the long post. I didn't realise I had so many empties in May.
If you are still here, thanks for reading.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
Take care,
CJ xx

Review: Merumaya Skincare - Melting Cleansing Balm, Iconic Youth Serum & Youth Preservation Moisturiser

Several months ago I saw a skincare range on QVC that I had not heard of before and before I knew it the Merumaya 3 Piece Discovery Collection was in my basket.

I wanted to give the products a good try before posting my review and now I have used them up I thought it was about time I posted my thoughts.

Merumaya is the brainchild of Maleka Dattu and her products are paraben free and are not tested in animals. I love the fact that she used the first 2 letters of her parents names, her sister and daughter and herself to name her range. If you want to read more about the ethos behind her brand, then details are on her website here. 

The set I purchased contained; Melting Cleansing Balm 100ml, Iconic Youth Serum 15ml and Youth Preservation Moisturiser SPF15 15ml.

First up is the Melting Cleansing Balm (£14.50). I found this balm quite strongly scented. I am useless as describing scents (sorry!) but I felt it was quite floral. I didn't love the fragrance but then again I didn't hate it either. It comes in a tube which is much more hygienic than a tub. Here it is applied to my hand:

I applied this neat to my face and worked it in to give a thorough cleansing. Then once I had done that I applied a little water to my hands and used this to wet the balm.

This turned the balm to more of a cleansing milk, see below.

I then used a warm damp flannel to remove the balm. I really did enjoy using this balm. It left my skin feeling clean and not at all tight. I love the fact than it is both a balm AND a milk. I used this for my second cleanse and for my morning cleanse. I did not try it for my first cleanse so I do not know how good it is for removing full make up but I am sure it would cope well, although perhaps you may need a bit more help removing waterproof mascara. 

For me, this is the hero product of the 3 items I have tried. I think it would be ideal for travel because it would avoid the need for packing 2 cleansers because this can be both a "light" and more "heavy duty" cleanser. I really do like this balm and, once I have worked my way through my cleanser stash, then this will definitely be going on my shortlist for repurchase. If you do purchase this, please ensure you cut open the tube once it's finished because I found a good 2 weeks worth clinging to the sides. Waste not, want not!

Next up I tried Merumaya Iconic Youth Serum (£20).  Unfortunately I don't have a photo swatch of the product to show you. Apologies. From their website it says this serum is "an exclusive complex of 10 active ingredients at full concentration makes this uniquely formulated serum an essential part of every skincare routine. Skin appears youthfully vibrant and radiant."

It has a pump dispenser and I used this morning and evening and it did feel nice on the skin. Unfortunately, for me, I didn't see any difference to my skin so I won't be repurchasing.

Finally, I tried the Youth Preservation Moisturiser (£17.50). This also came in a pump dispenser. I found the cream quite thick but that is probably due to the SPF15 that it contains. I always find SPFs a tad too heavy on my skin. See swatch below:

I found it took a bit of working into my skin but it did keep it moisturised all day. I am not really a fan of SPF in moisturiser so for that that alone I will not be repurchasing. I have yet to find any moisturiser that contains SPF that I love. I did have a teeny "niggle" with the packaging of both the moisturiser and the serum. The labels on both cover the bottle right the way round at the bottom of the bottle so that you have no idea that the product is about to run out until it has! I'd much prefer to see how much product is left BEFORE it is too late. As I said, it is just a small niggle and it wasn't a major problem for me because I always have other serums and moisturisers in stock but if you don't stock pile then you could have an "oh no!" moment when you realise you've run out!

Overall, I do like this brand. As I said, for me the stand out product is definitely the Melting Cleansing Balm. I would also happily use the serum and moisturiser again if it came as part of a set (hint, hint QVC, TSV please!) but I probably wouldn't seek those out individually. 

I am also interested in trying the Pure Radiance face mask once I have depleted my stash a tad...

If you are interested in trying Merumaya for yourself, it is available from QVC or directly from the Merumaya website. 

Have you tried this range? Which were your stand out products? Are there any you would recommend? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for reading.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

Take care,

CJ xx

**purchased with my own money