Empties #1 | Skincare, Haircare and Body Care

 

Hey my lovelies, hope you are all well and welcome back to another blog post! Today marks the start of a new series on my blog called the 'Beauty Edit', where I will be sharing all my favourite products, routines and reviews about all things beauty. To kick off this new series I'm starting with a good old 'Empties' blog post. These were an absolute staple back in the day so I thought we'd take a trip down memory lane with a nostalgic blog post. There will be a second instalment of this post (I had way too many products to fit into one!) but I thought we would start with my skincare, haircare and body care empties which I have been collecting over the last few months. Also, if you click the item name, it will take you to a link where you can purchase that item from if you fancy trying anything yourself!

Skincare Empties 

2020 has been the year of skincare! What with lockdown and being able to spend a little more time on self care and looking after ourselves, like many others I have enjoyed exploring new skincare products and favourites which have now become staples in my skincare routine!

Garnier Cleansing Micellar Water - An absolute staple in my skincare routine and has been for years. This is the first product I use in my skincare routine, morning and night, to both remove makeup and cleanse my skin before applying other products. It's simple, good for sensitive skin and does the job, all whilst being at a reasonable drugstore price. A definite repurchase for me!

✨ La Roche-Posay Serozinc Face Toner Mist - One of the more expensive and bougie items in my skincare routine, but one I just can't live without. I have lost count of how many of these I have gone through now and think I will be using this product for years to come. It is simply a mist that you spray all over the face. I do this after cleansing, before moisturising, but would recommend simply applying it whenever you would do your toning step. The mist comes out nice and finely which makes for even application all over the face, it sinks in nice and quickly so you're not sat there forever waiting for your face to dry and my skin just drinks this up! As soon as I run out and stop using it I notice I am more prone to breakouts, so there must be something in this that my skin just loves. The only thing I would say is the packaging is a little annoying as you can never see when the product is beginning to run low. However, a bonus is you can purchase this product on Amazon Prime and it comes next day, which is something I definitely utilised during Lockdown 1.0.

Superdrug Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream and Superdrug Vitamin E Nourishing Eye Cream - I have wanted to try Vitamin E skincare for the longest time and had always been eyeing up the Body Shop collection but it's just so expensive! So when I saw that Superdrug did their own Vitamin E range I went to my local store and picked a couple of the products up. The intense moisture cream is an absolute dream to apply to the skin. It has a jelly-like consistency which leaves the face feeling really smooth and hydrated, very similar to the Origins ginzing facial cream. I went to repurchase this and have actually ended up buying the moisturising day cream instead by accident (not enjoying it as much, but still a nice face moisturiser) so the only thing I would say is be sure to read the name of the product as all the products are packaged very similarly. Likewise, the eye cream is really lovely, has a thin texture so is nice and smooth under the eyes. I know a lot of people associate eye cream with an older audience however I believe it's never too early to start looking after the skin around our eyes. 

Nivea Refreshing Day Cream Moisturiser - Not much to say on this one other than if you're after a cheap and cheerful face moisturiser then this is the one for you. It does exactly what it says on the bottle at a really affordable price, I usually purchase mine from Savers. They also do lots of different ones within this range so you can find one suitable to you specific skin-type. However, they are relatively small tubes therefore don't last very long, especially if you're using it day and night so I would be mindful of that.

The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG - I decided to try The Ordinary after seeing people rave about their products all over YouTube and Instagram, and it's safe to say I wasn't disappointed. My dark circles have also been my biggest insecurity as I have never been the best sleeper. I wish I had taken before and after pictures whilst using this product, as I truly believe it made a huge difference to the brightness of my under-eye area. I have now gone through the whole bottle and am about to put in an order for my second, as I do think this product really works. The Ordinary is super affordable and can be purchased on most beauty websites, and even on PLT and Asos. However, their product names can be a bit scientific and confusing so I would definitely recommend doing your research and reading some reviews before adding to your basket, just to be 110% sure that the product is right for you. 

Haircare Empties

Batiste Dry Shampoo Blush - A classic but a favourite. As someone with long hair, hair wash day is a chore and one I try to avoid as much as possible. Hence, dry shampoo is my best friend and a must-have in my haircare drawer. I have been using Batiste for years and always find their products do the job, however I would love to try a new dry shampoo so if you have any different recommendations please leave them in the comments below. 

Pantene Repair & Protect Hair Oil with Vitamin E - Now hair oils are one of those things I know absolutely nothing about and I just pick up randomly when I pop into Boots or Superdrug. This Pantene one I have purchased a few times as it's cheap and cheerful and I think it does the job, although what that actually is I'm not sure? I have bleach blonde balayage so a hair oil is a necessity for keeping my hair healthy and fresh, but my knowledge is very limited. I have added the Olaplex No. 3 treatment to my Christmas list this year but it is vvvveerrrryyy pricey so if you have any cheaper alternatives then please let me know!

Garnier Ultimate Blends Coconut Oil Shampoo and Conditioner - Again, not entirely sure what difference shampoo and conditioner can make but the Garnier Ultimate Blends collection does have a special place in my heart and has been repurchased multiple times. I sometimes struggle with a dry scalp but I find this combination in particular keeps that at bay quite well. It smells lovely, leaves my hair feeling silky and smooth and is well priced so all around I would recommend this if you're in the market for trying a new shampoo and conditioner. I know this particular collection has so many different scents/versions for different hair types so you can find one which is best suited to you. 

Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Shampoo and Conditioner - As I said before, I am a bleach blonde girl so a purple shampoo and conditioner is a must-have in my routine to keep those brassy tones at bay. I love the Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes range and find they really work well on my hair. I use this once a week (normally a Sunday ready for the week ahead) and find it does really lighten up my hair, especially the ends. I have quite naturally knotty hair and it can be quite painful to brush through when wet, but this combination helps limit those knots. I would say however it is a little pricey (£6.99 each!) so I normally try and buy it when it's on offer in Boots. Any tried and tested good purple shampoo/conditioner recommendations are greatly appreciated!

Body Care Empties

Sure Invisible Pure Spray Deodorant and Nivea Pearl & Beauty Roll-On Deodorant - This may seem a little silly to include, but as women (and men), deodorant is something we put on our bodies everyday and, most of the time, don't pay enough attention to. This combination was OKAY, but sometimes did leave stains on clothing if it hadn't completely dried down. Also, I am aware most deodorant sticks can have some ingredients in which aren't the best, so I would love to try a more organic deodorant. The problem I'm having is they all seem really expensive, and as something I use everyday, I would be repurchasing quite often. However, having said that I do think this is the way forward so if any of you have any recommendation or have heard of any brands which make organic deodorants then please let me know. 

Dove Visible Glow Self-Tan Lotion - As a very pale girl myself, I do love it when a product can give me a bit of an extra glow. I am a little scared of full-blown fake tan and am not a lover of the idea of stained sheets each time I apply it, so a gradual self-tan lotion is the way forward for me. I was using the Palmers one for a long time but found the smell wasn't the nicest and I would get through a bottle so quickly and would have to repurchase, but it's not the cheapest stuff. So I decided to give the Dove one a try and have been loving it! The smell is gorgeous, not like the normal cookie smell a lot of tans have, and it dries down really quickly, leaving minimal stains on bedding if you apply just before bed. I use the one aimed towards medium-dark skin (which I definitely do not have) but found the one aimed at lighter skin didn't really have much colour pay off. I would love to get on board with the whole fake tan train so if you have any recommendations which aren't going to make a mess of my bedding I would love it if you could share them below. 

Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt Perfume -  Quite possibly one of the most expensive items I own... ever! I remember the first time I went into a Jo Malone store and smelt this scent, I sprayed it on one of those little cards and carried it in my purse for years until I was lucky enough to receive my own bottle. Still to this day I use this scent sparingly and for special occasions as it is like spraying £20 notes out of the bottle each time you wear it, but nothing beats this scent for me and it has become my staple perfume. With notes of ambrette seeds, sea salt and sage, it's a warm, woody scent which is perfect for this time of year. They also make the most amazing gifts for someone special in your life so I'd definitely give the Jo Malone website a browse if your looking for an extra-special gift for a loved one this Christmas. 

So there we go my loves, the first instalment of the 'Beauty Edit'! I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts and feelings on these products. Overall, I'm really happy with all of these and would definitely recommend if you're in the market for some new skincare, haircare or body care bits. Just a reminder that there will be a second instalment of this post where we will be talking all things makeup, so stay tuned for that! Also, I would love it if you could let me know down below or over on my Instagram (@faithtrustandlotsofbooks) any products you have been loving recently and if you have any recommendations. See you next week for another blog post! Lots of love xoxo



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