Empties #6

It's that time again! The rare, but fairly regular occurrence of an empties post. I seem to have had an influx of empty cleansers and skincare in general (all the more reason to buy more hey? ;) ) and it was about time I rounded it all up and shared my thoughts on all the products I've finished!

Monthly Favourites | June 2013

Oh em gee. Where has the month, year, TIME gone?! I can't even fathom the fact that 2013 is almost over (pretty much)!! Enough rambling about my lack of understanding of how time works, here are the products and items I've been loving this month!

Not a whole lot of new products this month but starting out with the face:

My skincare fave for the month has definitely been the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo which I have a full review on here. I've been using and loving this product for almost two months and I feel that it has definitely helped clear up my skin, prevent breakouts and improve the texture of it. This is definitely nearing HG (holy grail) status for me!

For base, I've been enjoying mixing a couple of products. I used to really love the Garnier BB cream for Combination/oily skin (in shade Medium) which I've written about briefly here, but I've found that the colour is still a bit off for me, especially as it is Winter now. It's quite orangey and when applied to its fullest potential it definitely looks a bit oompa-loompa-y. I do however love the lightweight texture and coverage of it so I have started mixing it with my Estee Lauder Idealist which I've mentioned here. This is a brightening serum but one that contains a pearlescent shimmer. By mixing the two together, it sheers out the BB cream a bit and adds a bit of a dewiness. The Idealist doesn't at all affect the wear time of the BB cream either.

My favourite brush of the month has been the Real Techniques Stippling brush which I have been using for a couple of things. Firstly, to apply the aforementioned foundation mixture. This brush applies it lightly and sheerly with circular motions. Therefore there is less of an orangey tone from the BB cream. I can then stipple in areas where I need more coverage. The finish is very natural and light. I've also been using the brush to apply my cream blush concoction which I talked about in my last post. It applies it really nicely and evenly to the cheeks, blending effortlessly. The light peachy-pink shade provides a wonderful bright and glowy effect.

I've also really been enjoying the Korner Mystify Exotic Flower Dew which is a face mist made to calm and revive the skin. My mum actually got this on an aeroplane so I'm not sure where you can buy this brand, but probably online. I've been using this almost as a finishing spray but not to prolong the wear of my makeup but more so if I have over powdered or the skin is looking quite matte, I spray this over lightly and it gives a bit of dewiness and takes away the powdery look. It doesn't make the skin oilier though throughout the day. It also has quite a pleasant floral scent.

I've been really liking the Original & Mineral No Knott conditioning detangler (review here) particularly this month. My hair has been quite damaged lately - lots of split ends - causing quite a bit of tangles and knots. I'm going in for a trim this week though! This detangler has been really nice and you only need a few spritzes for it to work well. It contains a few oils that help nourish the hair as well.

I have a couple of lip things which are both suprisingly glossy liquidy products! First up is the Witchery Lip gloss wand in the shade Blossom which I've reviewed in full here. I've been really liking this for a light, easy but bright lip and it's definitely been one of my go-to's this month! Next is the Rimmel Apocalips in the shade Celestial which I've reviewed here. When I want a more neutral, MLBB shade I opt for this. I choose to apply this rather thinly to the lips. When slathered on thick, the product can smear and move around quite a bit on the lips. When applied thinly, you don't get as much gloss, but still great colour payoff and no moving around!

My mascara fave this month has been the Lancome Hypnose Precious cells mascara which I've talked a little bit more in depth about here. This has been a great daily mascara, giving me nice fluttery lashes with great separation and length. 

Lastly for a nail favourite, I've been loving the Revlon Colorstay topcoat. This is really great as it dries rather quickly and not just to the touch but like, actually fully dry. No sheet marks the next morning! It is very shiny and my nail polish lasts super well. I typically change my polish every 4 days and with this I have no chips and minor tip wear!

Blossom, Celestial, Cream blush, Idealist, BB cream

So those are all my favourites for the month of June. It'll be Christmas before you know it!

What have you guys been loving this month?

No Knotts!

Today I have a hair product from the brand Original & Mineral to share. I have their No Knott Conditioning Detangler. 

This detangler contains a "perfect blend of nourishing Australian natural ingredients. Cold-pressed Certified Organic Argan Oil and Macadamia Nut Oil combine to recondition the hair leaving it glossy and knot-free".

 I would say it is quite nourishing but not to the extent if you were to apply a hair oil or leave-in conditioner because it is such a fine mist. Which reminds me, I really love the nozzle on this bottle! It coats the hair really nicely in a mist rather than a spray that only wets one section, if that makes sense? However, I found that on my rather normal/tiny bit oily scalp and dry-ish ends, if I were too trigger-happy it would make my hair feel oilier by the next day. I would advise not to spray this near the roots! My happy medium is around three spritzes for each half of my medium-long length hair.

In terms of detangling, to be honest my hair isn't particularly tangly to begin with. When wet the comb usually glides straight through with only some resistance. When dry though, my hair is quite tangly. For reference, I have thick hair which tends to not get very knotty, but I do have quite damaged ends. The directions of this detangler do, however, state to spray this into wet hair.

While I'm probably not the best person to review this product, I do find it a dream to use! It has a nice scent that is almost citrus-y and hair product-y at the same time? I do think that it helps the comb glide through easier and it helps nourish too!