Empties! The Stand-outs and the Rest

 I'm not a fan of empties posts, so I thought I'd try and find a different approach and have more fun with it..

The Stand-Outs

While the Aubrey Organics White Camelia Condition is not the prettiest bottle in the world, this is my favourite natural conditioner for my thick, coarse, bleached hair 'cause it works! Hair is left soft and nourished as it should be. Lush Lovely Jubblies was a fun cream to use because well, it is a breast cream :) (I'm not a good grown-up am I?!) The Essential Care Ultra Rich for Eczema & Psoriasis rescued me last year when I was having eczema flare ups and I will repurchase if I need to.  I usually don't like balms, but this has a soft, slightly grainy texture that is easily spreadable so it was actually lovely to use.  It's definitely a must for me, as while it doesn't relieve immediate itching, it prevents it in the longer term.  The downside? It only lasts a few months so this is not an emptie, but an overdue'y. The Essence Pumpkin Hand Cream is a nice little budget buy, thick but soft and easily spreadable. Some may find it a little greasy but my hands can get quite dry so I liked it. And my love, the Green People 24 Hour Fix. My HG day cream. 'Nuff said.

The Okay

The Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum was something I really looked forward to but it didn't wow me on its own. Though it did help in my spider veins and I wrote about it here. The Paradise Organically Clean was a nice hand sanitiser and the Planet Earth Lavender Chamomile Body Lotion was actually better and I expected but it's inclusion of dimethicone puts me off buying it again.  The Acure Cleansing Creme was, well okay - nothing special, but I find it hard to knock a brand that is organic and fair trade (sigh, everything should be fair trade..).  Weleda's Pomegranate Firming Cream was very moisturising but felt rather greasy, a longer review was written here and Innisfree's Eco Curling Mascara was initially loved, but my repurchase didn't seem to have the same magic, less curling prowess and flaky eyes by the nighttime, so I don't think I will be buying again.

The Thank God it's Over

It too aaages to finish the Sukin Body Wash, it didn't induce my eczema so yay but it left my skin feel too squeaky clean. And the pump! It needed to be lifted up after each press and I had to use so much product to clean my whole body. And the Caudalie Solei Divine SPF 30 Sunscreen, was very greasy even on my parched skin. I've had so little luck with Caudalie products that I won't buy from them again, especially since they're also not a cruelty-free brand, something I'm starting to look into.

Phew! Those are all my empties! Now I finally get rid of this trash..!

What do you think of empties posts?

x mai-anne

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A Little Tour of Balance Me | 'Beautiful Skin Collection'

Is this too many photos? I went a bit wild with the snapping since I was so happy with the lighting for once! 

This was a gorgeous little Christmas set I bought in the Boxing Day sales off Lookfantastic and I wish I bought the other set as well. These are really generous samples (especially when compared to the full size products) so I feel like I've been able to give a real go of these products and have an educated opinion on what I would actually go out and buy the full size.

Super Moisturising Body Wash

The first thing I noticed about a lot of these products were the scents. They all smelled a bit too tree-ish/herbally and this one is the most obvious. Some people may really take to the scent but I can't say I'm a fan. This body wash was nice but nothing special. It lathered okay, it left my skin feeling nourished and didn't attract any eczema flare ups. It was a bit too squeaky clean though so I'll finish it up and leave it at that.

Super Moisturising Hand Cream

This is definitely the star of the pack and one of the main reasons I wanted to pick this set up. At first I was slightly put off by the herbalish smell (seriously, I am dog-awful at scents. I would barely be able to tell you what I'm eating while I'm eating it) but honestly, after the second try I never thought about it again. I LOVE this hand cream. Like totally (heh heh). I didn't think a hand cream could wow me but alas I will eat my words and I think when the sad day comes that I finish this little 30ml tube, I'll be off to spend a scary £14.50 on a hand cream. Definitely a winter saviour.

Wonder Eye Cream

I really did wonder about this eye cream (sorry, couldn't help that) as I saw it pop up here and there on bloggers/vloggers I followed so I was curious. However it is not really what I'm looking for, the texture is just a bit too light for me and I feel the need to top it up with another eye cream. Might be good for those with non-desert skin like mine though. Kudos for such a big sample size, at 7mL that is almost half of its full size.

Radiance Face Oil

I quite liked this oil, it's definitely very hydrating, has a similar smell to the others but less strong and  is what I expect from a good oil. But that is actually where it falls short, at £30 for a full size, it should be exceeding my expectations as I don't see that it does much more than my beloved $12 argan oil. But it's also the sort of product that one should test out for a long time so I'll keep the door open for it..

So there you a go, a quick squizz through these products. The brand hasn't floored me but it's kept me hopeful and interested in its other products. Oh yeah, this brand is one of those good natural brands, with lovely ingredients, cruelty free and the material is made from 100% sustainable forests. Whoopee!

Do you have any recommendations for any of their other products? :)

x mai-anne

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Almost There / Mineral Fusion Concealer Duo Review | Blogmas Day 4 (Post #8)

I was super excited to try this concealer when theflaxenowl raved about it as I had been looking for a truly clean, green take on a concealer duo. I love the idea of a duo, palette, so that you can mix the colours to your skintone, problem areas and what not.  

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