April Empties

It's Empties time!  You may recognise quite a lot of these from what I took with me to Japan.  Here are my thoughts and whether I would choose to repurchase them or not:-

Neom Organic Body Lotion in Real Luxury - One of my favourite body lotions, smells incredible and soaks into the skin straight away.  Repurchase? Yes! Already on my wishlist.  Balance Me Super Moisturising Hand Cream - 'Super moisturising' really doesn't explain this product very well.  Although it's won awards, I didn't like it much personally, and found that I needed to reapply it a lot more frequently than other hand creams.  Repurchase? No.  Burts Bees Coconut Foot Creme - Another misleading product IMO.  Instead of being a typical cream, it's actually like a thick gel which is weird!  Doesn't soak into feet and leaves a greasy, slightly sticky residue instead.  Repurchase? No.  Eucerin Dry Skin Shampoo - Great shampoo for sensitive scalps, reviewed here.  Repurchase? Yes at some point, but I'm trying something else at the moment.  Boots Botanics Purifying Face Scrub for Normal/Oily Skin - This was OK, but left my skin feeling a little stripped if I used it too often.  Repurchase? No.  The Body Shop Moisture Foundation SPF 15 in 04 - Another OK product, does the job but there other foundations that I prefer over this.  Repurchase? No.  Bodhi Mint Thé Refreshing Bath & Shower Therapy* - I absolutely love this, so revitalising and just lovely to use.  Repurchase? Maybe, I don't really use mint scented shower products that much, so I'm not sure if I'd be able to get through a full size before it expired.

Elf Conditioning Lip Balm SPF 15 in Nice and Natural - It has been taken me AGES to get through this and although I like the sheer nude colour a lot, I wasn't that taken with the overly vanilla scent.  Repurchase?  Probably not.  Bamford Botanical Bath Oil in Geranium - Love this, so relaxing and luxurious to use.  Got about 5 or 6 uses out of this 30ml sample.  Repurchase?  Yes, but it's on my birthday wishlist because the full size is very expensive, eeek!  Bodhi Jasmine Falls Relaxing Body Moisturiser - I adore this scent so much, but prefer the formula of other body lotions more.  That said, I would perhaps buy another travel size of this.  Repurchase? Maybe.  Morroccan Oil - Had this sample bottle in my travel bag for ages.  Do still like this, but if I use it too often it makes my hair feel like there's a lot of product build up on it and I have to use a clarifying shampoo to get it back to normal again.  Repurchase?  Already have another sample size bottle in my stash from xmas.  Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil - One of my holy grail items, smells so good and works so well on face, body and hair, as well as in the bath.  Sadly this is the last of the sample bottles I've managed to acquire so I need to buy a full size ASAP!  Repurchase? Yes!  The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara - I like this for everyday looks, but it's certainly not as volumising as other mascaras I have tried.  Repurchase?  Maybe if I saw it on offer, but wouldn't pay full price.  Macadamia Deep Repair Mask - Loved this sample and managed to get about 4 uses out of this sachet.  It's lovely and thick, and makes my hair soft and manageable afterwards.  Repurchase? Definitely.

What beauty products have you used this month?  Leave your links below if you've also done an empties post.

*PR sample

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April Book List

Books I have read this month:-

(1), (2), & (3) The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins - Not sure why it's taken me to so long to read this trilogy, but I loved it. Any books that are aimed at teens/YA and has themes of questioning government and authority, a strong female lead, uprisings and rebellions etc, are always going to be a winner with me.  Eagerly anticipating the next two films as well. [5/5]

(4) Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey - After finishing The Hunger Games, I wanted something similarish in terms of a science-fiction/fantasy/dystopia kinda thing, for an easy read to take my mind off things between intense revising sessions.  Santa Olivia filled this void perfectly.  It's definitely a lot more fantasy based, and gives its own take on the mythology of werewolves. [3/5]

(5) Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger - I don't know anyone else who enjoyed Her Fearful Symmetry as much as I did. Yes, the characters are hideously cliched and have that usually irritating 'trying way too hard to be weird/quirky' element to them. Add to this the fact that this book is totally predictable (I saw what the 'big' secret was straight away and what direction the story was going in right from the start). Plus, the ending is so half-hearted and abrupt, that you have to question whether Niffenegger herself got bored with it or just ran out of steam. So why the good rating? Because despite all of the above, I found myself completely absorbed by it. I loved the writing, I quickly grew to like the OTT weird characters, and I enjoyed reading a novel that explored grief in a strange, yet wonderful way.  [4/5] 

(6) The Passion by Jeanette Winterson - This is a novel that really sucks you in but in a very strange 'magical realism' type of way. It wasn't until I'd reached about halfway through the book that I realised how much I was actually enjoying the story. If you like your books to be a bit of a mish-mash of genres (The Passion has fantasy, romance, and historical fiction all intertwined) but have beautiful writing nonetheless, then give this a go. [4/5]

What are you currently reading?  To see what I'm reading next, feel free to add me on Goodreads :)

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Burts Bees Grab Bag

I've spoken of my love of Burts Bees before, and have always wanted to try out more products from their range.  When I saw them advertising this special 'Grab Bag' promotion, I immediately ordered one and it arrived today.  For £20, you get £55 worth of products which is a fab deal and I'm very happy with what was included!  In my grab bag were the following:-

Full sizes: Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion, Thoroughly Therapeutic Honey & Orange Wax Body Lotion, Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb, Lip Shimmer in Watermelon.

Travel & sample sizes: Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo and Conditioner, Radiance Day and Night Creams, Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream, Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar, Radiance Exfoliating Body Wash.

Random bits: Burts Bees storage tin & nail file.

A great bargain in my books! Especially when you consider that the lip shimmers are £5.99 each and the body lotions are just under a tenner each!  They do state on the website that some of the products may have slight marks on the packaging, but all of mine were perfect and looked brand new.  Looking forward to trying all of these out and will post some separate reviews soon.  At the time of writing, these are still available from Burts Bees here.

Have you picked up a Burts Bees grab bag?  Do you like any of the products that I received in mine?

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Budget Beauty: Bourjois 'Chocolate' Bronzer in 52

I remember when the famed Bourjois 'Chocolate' bronzer first came out because virtually every woman I knew rushed out to buy it.  I missed the hype big time on this though, because at the same time of its release, I had purchased Benefit's Hoola Bronzer and that was me sorted on the bronzer front!  I haven't tried out many other bronzers, since I love Hoola so much, but I saw this chocolate bronzer on offer at Boots at the weekend (£4.99 instead of £6.99) and thought I'd give it a go.  Firstly, other than it looking like a bar of chocolate, I didn't pick up on the scent of chocolate that a lot of people seem to love this product for.  To my nose, it smells a little like some kind of sweet perfume?  It's not strong enough to bother me, but it doesn't smell like chocolate to me!  

Anyway, this bronzer is finely milled, not chalky at all, and application is a breeze.  Looks great with a light hand to add a bit of a glow/definition to the face, and also looks equally good if you want to build it up and use it as a contour.   It has little flecks of gold in it which look quite glittery in the pan, but once it's applied to the face, it looks pretty much matte. 

I swatched both of the two shades that it's available in and decided to get 52 so that I could use it as a contour.  The paler shade 51 seemed much too orangey on the back of my hand for some reason, so I'd certainly recommend swatching it in store first if you're pale and think that 52 might be too dark.  Wear time is another plus that this bronzer has.  On my oily/combination skin, it lasted all day and I didn't need to reapply once. 

Bourjois 'Chocolate' Bronzer in 52, applied with a light hand as a subtle contour.

Do you have the Bourjois chocolate bronzer in your make-up bag? 

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NOTD: China Glaze - Below Deck

I haven't been in the typical Spring/pastels mood at the moment nails-wise.  Might be due to the torrential rain we've been having in the UK recently?  Anyway for now, I'm sticking to some of my old favourites.  China Glaze's Below Deck is a darkish mauve that is work-friendly and just really easy to wear.  It's also a shade that compliments the current trend of those off-grey/white bags that everyone seems to be carrying around too!

What are you wearing on your nails today?

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Tried & Tested: Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator

Since switching the majority of my skincare routine to mostly Liz Earle products, my skin has been noticeably better in general, but this week my face decided to have a mini breakout.  Argh!  So I've been reaching for Liz Earle's Gentle Face Exfoliator* to see if it would help to clear things up a bit.  I often find that minor blemishes soon disappear after I use a good exfoliator a few times, I don't know if that works for anyone else's skin, but it certainly does for mine.

The Gentle Face Exfoliator contains naturally active ingredients and aims to draw out impurities whilst getting rid of dead skin cells.  It does state that it's not suitable for sensitive skin, but my skin borders on sensitive most of the time and I didn't have any problems using this.  If you have very sensitive skin, I'd recommend getting a trial size/sample first to see if it's OK for you.  

It's packaged in the same kind of tube that Cleanse & Polish comes in and has the same handy pump that dispenses just the right amount of product to do your whole face with.  Formula wise, this reminds me EXACTLY of Cleanse & Polish (has the same lovely menthol scent, similar thickness etc), but with tiny jojoba beads added (see photo closeup below).  To use, you can either use it after your cleanser, mix a bit with your cleanser, or use it alone.  I tried it with Cleanse & Polish and thought it was largely unnecessary that way, so I use it alone now and it works really well for me.  My face is left feeling deeply cleansed and exfoliated, and I don't get any tight or dry feeling afterwards.  My face just feels smooth and looks brighter.  I've used it about four times so far in two weeks and it has helped to minimise some of the little blemishes I sometimes get on my chin.
     

How does this compare to my current holy grail exfoliator from Purity?  Well I view the Purity one as being great for maintenance and being an excellent budget buy.  When my skin is behaving itself, I don't need to use anything else.  But when it starts to throw tantrums, I think I'll definitely be reaching for this Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator because it really gets deep down into the skin and helps to clear everything up, whilst making it feel lovely and smooth on the surface.

Have you tried this? What are your favourite face exfoliators?  

*PR sample, opinions are 100% honest and my own as always.

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Canmake Gokunobi Mascara

One of the make-up items that I bought for myself in Japan, was this Canmake Gokunobi Mascara in Glossy Black.  I asked the SA for a waterproof lengthening mascara that was under 1000 yen, and she immediately took this one off the shelf for me.  It has quite a thick bristled 'D' shaped brush which helps to seperate the lashes, as well as enabling you to keep the curl and lift of them whilst you apply it.  The SA recommend that I use the straight side first to apply one coat and then use the curved side to apply a second coat if wanted and this would eliminate clumping, which it did! 

It's very easy and quick to apply this mascara and it lives up to its colour by delivering a lovely glossy black finish to the lashes.  I thought that it lengthened mine very well and didn't flake or budge throughout the day so I'm happy with the results.  It also lives up to its waterproof claim (getting caught in torrential rain this week was a good way to put it to the test!), and is easy to remove unlike some of the other waterproof mascaras I've tried in the past which were a lot more stubborn.  A great mascara for a great price!

Have you tried anything from Canmake? What's your favourite waterproof mascara?

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April Magazine Freebie

Not sure if this has sold out or not, but I managed to pick up the last two copies (one for me, the other for my sister) of this month's Red magazine which has a free 30ml Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, plus a muslin cloth.  I love Cleanse and Polish so much that I thought it would be handy to get another travel size.  After all, you can never have enough Liz Earle in your life :)

Anyone else picked this up? Highly recommend getting a copy if you can find it!

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Joliebox - April

The little black beauty box known as Joliebox arrived on my doorstep today and I couldn't wait to open it up. Inside were the following products:-

[1] 15ml tube of Balance Me Daily Essentials Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm: this is 100% natural and sounds like a balm version of Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish.

[2] 10ml jar of Tropic Skincare Skin Revive: a firming and nourishing moisturiser which has a subtle citrusy scent that I'm not sure I'm keen at just yet, as I generally prefer unscented skincare. I'm sure I'll give it a go at some point.

[3] Sample bottle of Pure Fiji Exotic Bath and Body Oil: love, love, LOVE coconut oil as an intensive moisturising treat, so naturally was very pleased to see this included! This one is blended with 'exotic nut extracts' and is a wonderful multi-purpose product that can be used in the bath, on the body and on the hair. Going to be trying this out tonight I think.

[4] Full size Bellapierre Lash Building Mascara in Black: I'm something of a mascara fiend, so always like receiving these in beauty boxes. Have seen Bellapierre products on the Naturismo site and always wanted to try something by them as they're a mostly natural/chemical free brand, but their make-up is a little on the pricey side! I'll certainly look forward to trying out this mascara.

[5] 30ml KMS California Freeshape Hot Flex Spray: Have spoken before of how much I loved the KMS California Quick Blow Spray sample that was in another beauty box, so I'm excited to try out this one. It's a protective heat spray that provides a flexible hold, which they claim will last until your next wash. Will be putting this to the test soon.

Summary: Another great box from Joliebox, again all products that I'm interested to try out and that appeal to me personally. A happy camper!

Did you receive a Joliebox? What did you think?

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Amarya Organic/Natural Beauty Box - April

I was very happy to get my Amarya box redelivered to me from the post depot today, along with some other wonderful goodies that I had missed whilst being away. This month's Amarya box contains a full size bottle of Pure Organic Argan Oil by Simply Argan which I am very excited to try out. Ever since this miracle oil exploded onto the blogosphere, I have been wanting to try it, but had been seriously put off by the amount of fakes on the market, so I was a bit wary. Plus it annoyed me greatly that some companies were using the term 'Pure Argan Oil' on their products when they actually only contained a small percentage. So you can imagine how pleased I am to finally have a proper bottle of the pure stuff, this one even comes with a certificate of authenticity!

The other two products in the box are tiny sample sachets, but again ones that I'm happy to try out nonetheless. I received a 7ml Evolve Protein Build Conditioner for dry/damaged hair and a 2ml Jurlique Purely White Skin Brightening Cleanser. Will include mini reviews of these two in my monthly empties posts once I've given them a go.

Special offer code: enter EASTERBOX for 15% off the Evolve and Jurlique ranges when you purchase them from Amarya.

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Tokyo Photo Diary: Part 1

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