Empties #13

Last month was Empties #12 which means it is time for Empties #13!


At the beginning of June I went travelling for 2 weeks so of course I needed a can of Batiste dry shampoo to see me through it! This is a 100ml travel size too which means I could bring it on board the plane and it not take up too much room.


The Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturiser is something I have enjoyed using for years, whether this one or the grapefruit one, as it is good for acne prone skin. It is light, fresh and good for day moisturiser that will soak in quickly so you can start applying your make up!


Just over a year ago I was sent the Amphora Aromatics Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel to review. My favourite way to use this was to help remove my make up. You can click on the name of the product to learn more about it and my opinion!


Another seaweed product (an unintentional theme there!) is The Body Shop Pore-Cleansing Facial Exfoliator. I used this in the shower only to exfoliate my face. I liked this product as it was a great exfoliant however it would sting my eyes a bit even if the product wasn't near them! The packaging of this has now changed.


Lastly is an Impulse body spray in the scent 'Be Surprised' Violets & Red Fruit. This is just one of your standard cheap body sprays that run out in a month or less. I don't like to use this on its own but rather in companion with perfume. 


Thanks for reading!

Favourites | The Best Skincare of 2015

Hello!


This week I will be uploading 3 favourites posts for my overall favourites of 2015. These will include skincare, hair/perfume and make up. I did one of these in 2014 (here) and I really liked doing it so I thought I would do it again! Today I am going to start with the best skincare of 2015. Some favourites have carried on from 2014 but there are plenty of new favourites as well. Additionally, a lot of the favourites I have included I have written reviews on. So if I have, I'll link the post next to them!

WASH

• The Body Shop Tea Tree Foaming Cleanser   (review)

MOISTURISING

• Nivea Oil Free Moisturising Day Cream for Oily & Combination Skin
• Être Belle Golden Skin Roll On Caviar Eye Gel   (review)
• The White Collection Cotton Camomile Body Cream 

REMOVING MAKE UP

• Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water   (review)
• Amphora Aromatics Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel   (review)

LIPS

• Nivea Original Lip Balm  (review)
• Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub 

SCRUBS

• The Body Shop Mango Body Scrub    (review)
• Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Exfoliating Face Scrub

TREATMENT

• InstaNatural Dead Sea Mud Mask   (review)
• The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil  (review)

What were your skincare favourites of 2015?

Amphora Aromatics | Grapefruit & Cedarwood Deodorant

Hello!


Once again I bring you a review of an Amphora Aromatics product. This time, it is the Grapefruit & Cedarwood Deodorant. 


What's different about this deodorant is that it is a natural deodorant made up with naturally deodorising pure essential oils. This means that it is aluminium and parfum free and doesn't have any harsh ingredients in it; ensuring that it is suitable for all skin types. This was attractive to me because I have sensitive skin so I thought a natural deodorant would be great for my skin.


This particular deodorant has aloe vera in which is calming for the skin. Because of this I have found that it is nice to use after I have shaved my armpits. There is also grapefruit essential oil in it which gives it a refreshing, fruity tang to the smell and finally cedarwood essential oil. The bottle actually says 'for men' on it, however I can definitely see this as a deodorant for females as well due to the smell.


This product came at a good time for me as I had actually just finished my usual deodorant and was wanting a new one. The first thing I noticed about it was the lovely grapefruit smell to it. I love grapefruit and I always use a grapefruit moisturiser on my face. The deodorant is a roll-on one and I found that the first few times I used it the ball was hard to move but once it had been well covered in the product it made it a lot slicker to use. After applying, it is slightly wet and quite sticky on your underarms but soon dries; leaving zero marks. 

Overall I like this deodorant. I have found that it works best as a daily deodorant when you might just be staying at home or running errands. It is one of those deodorants that doesn't completely coat your armpits in a seal of product but rather feels easy and natural on your armpits like its not there, which makes it good for everyday normal use. I like to use it in the morning when I am getting ready and then again in the evening. 


There are 2 other deodorants in the range: Lemongrass & Lavender and Bergamot & Aloe. They're currently on sale at £3.96 and you can buy the Grapefruit & Cedarwood Deodorant here.


Are you fan of natural deodorants? I have heard much debate about the chemicals in normal deodorants so it would be interesting to see any opinions!

*This product was sent to me kindly by Amphora Aromatics. All opinions are 100% my own and I would never lie about my opinion on a product.

Amphora Aromatics| Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel

Hey!

This is my first post since my break...it feels good to be back here again!

This is a review on the Amphora Aromatics Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel. It is an eye gel designed for all skin types, claiming to remove make up, soothe and cool tired eyes. It is paraben free and uses pure essential oils and herbal extracts. Aloe vera is a great anti-inflammatory whilst the seaweed is rich in minerals. Knowing that the product is natural was a great incentive for me to try it out. I had been wanting an eye gel or cream for ages so I was really pleased when I received this.

To use this product, I would pump a little bit of the clear, slightly tinted green gel on to my fingertip and massage it into my eyes. I like how the gel is in the form of a pump as it makes it really easy to use and doesn't make a mess. Furthermore, you don't need too much of the gel on your eyes so a little goes a long way (which is always great).

When I first started using this I was a little apprehensive because the skin around my eyes is VERY sensitive and I've been known to have plenty of allergic reactions on my eyelids. However, this product did NOT give me an allergic reaction- so I can certainly vouch for this being great for sensitive skin!

What struck me at first about this gel is that it quickly absorbs into the skin and doesn't linger, which is fantastic if you're putting it on before you do your make up. At first it stays kind of sticky, but after about 30 seconds it fully absorbs in to your skin. What is interesting about this is that you can feel it make your eye area more and more moisturised. At first it will feel soft, but over time it feels more and more soft- the softest and smoothest the skin around my eyes has ever felt actually!

Additionally, it is absolutely amazing for removing eye make up: particularly mascara. I tried using it on a cotton pad but I didn't really get along with it and instead found I much preferred putting it on to my fingertip then massaging it in to my eyelashes and eyelid. It quickly takes all your mascara off of your eyelashes on to your under eye area so it is then easy to swipe away with a cotton pad. I usually struggle with removing mascara and always end up pulling out eye lashes. However, with this I could remove all of it at once, have no mascara left over and not have any eyelashes pulled out. They feel soft too. What a bonus!

Finally, I have also discovered that I really like to use it when my eyes are super tired. I've been trying this out during exams where I've been going to bed at 1 AM and waking up at 5:30 AM. This gel has been a life saviour for me by making my eyes feel more awake and refreshing them when all my eyes want to do is be closed and not studying! I also had a day when my eyes were swollen and puffy from having a bit of a cry from stress of exams. This gel was also lovely for cooling down the puffy-ness.

In conclusion, I am really fond of this eye gel. I've decided I like to use it in the morning before I apply make up, on my eyes when I am removing make up and at night time before I go to bed. I like how soft it makes my eyes and the cooling sensation it has so I will definitely continue to use it. Furthermore I also think it will be even greater when the weather starts to get a bit warmer because of how calming it is on your skin. The pump can be turned to lock and stop the gel coming out so I will probably take this on holiday with me when I go as well. 

You can buy the Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel for £6.95 at www.amphora-aromatics.com.

What's your favourite eye gel or eye cream? Let me know!

This product was kindly sent to me by Amphora Aromatics. However, all opinions are 100% my own and I would NEVER lie about liking a product.