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

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