More Empties!

I've been collecting a number of empty beauty product containers for the past few months and I feel it's time to do an empties post!

What a pile!

This first lot is all the samples I've gone through. If you remember this post, I had quite a few built up that I wanted to use. I found some nice shampoos and conditioners through the samples but my favourite has to be the sample I tried of Dior's Forever foundation. I actually think it may be the best foundation ever. Blog post coming soon.

I used 2 shower gels and 1 shampoo. Rituals Yogi Flow I got free with a glossybox. It was nice but I don't think I will re-purchase. Nivea Happy Time is my absolute favourite shower gel. I've used it for the past few years. Honestly I think it's the only shower gel I ever re-purchase. I like to try new ones but I buy this every 2 or 3 bottles. It actually does smell happy and cheerful1 The shampoo I used up was the Aussie Mega Shampoo. As I've mentioned before I usually have 3 or so bottles of shampoo and conditioner on rotation so it takes me a while to use any of them up! I really like this shampoo, it leaves my hair feeling very light and soft. Will definitely re-purchase in the future.

An all-sorts category. Garnier Simply Essentials eye-make-up remover. I've had this knocking around the bathroom cabinet for a while. It was efficient and didn't irritate my eyes. I would re-purchase if I needed too but I use my Bioderma to remove all my make-up including eye make-up now. The Moringa Body Scrub from the Body Shop is my favourite scrub. The smell, the texture, the results, everything. I want to re-purchase but at nearly €20 it is an expensive scrub. I think I'll try some cheaper ones before I buy it again. Pearl Drops toothpaste was okay. I didn't notice a huge difference in whiteness and it wasn't my favourite formula. I won't be re-purchasing. Dove Invisible Dry deodorant. I really like this deodorant. It's one of those stick roll on ones. The scent is nice, not over-powering and it works well. I already have a new tube on the go!

A mini Johnsons body lotion. It was fine, nothing spectacular and I don't intend to get the full-size. Tea Tree oil. I like to use this on spots, will be re-purchasing. Two containers of La Roche Posay Toleraine Ultra. A fantastic moisturiser that I use both day and night. Great formula, thick enough to properly moisturise my dry skin but not so thick that it will never soak in. I'll be re-purchasing this for the foreseeable future.

Finally mascaras. Maybelline Falsies is a firm favourite of mine and one that I regularly re-purchase. I wasn't a fan of the Maybelline Colassal Cat Eyes, I just felt it did nothing for my lashes so I will not buy it again. Cover Girl Lash Blast. Really liked this one, very similar to the Falsies. Will probably pick it up again next time I'm Stateside.

My Top Products of 2011

Happy New Year's Eve everyone! Does anybody have any exciting plans for tonight? I have to admit, I really don't like New Year's Eve. I feel it's always so hyped up and then always turns out to be such a letdown of a night. Town is always wedged and ugh I just don't like it. This year one of my friends is having a couple of us over to her house for dinner and cocktails - much better than battling it out in town I think! I'm writing this part of the post just before I head out to her, and after working all day I don't have time to read other people's top products of 2011 posts, but I can't wait to read them tomorrow and get some ideas for what to try in 2012!

I know every blog is going to have one of these top products of 2011 posts, but sometimes it's inevitable that you end up on the bandwagon! Besides, I enjoyed thinking back on my standout products of the year. This is actually my second time writing this post....blogger ate my other one!

I suppose by right I should have individual 'top' posts for eyeshadow, lipstick etc. and maybe I will next year. For this year, however,  I decided to compile it into one post. I did a top 5 nail polish post though, which you can see here.

Unlike the nail polish post, this post doesn't necessarily include products that were released this year, more so it is a collection of products that I have discovered this year. As I have mentioned before, this year was the first year that I was truly intune with beauty and make-up collections and product launches and product types and tools and all sorts, so I had a lot of catching up to do!
This is why I didn't want to restrict my top products to new releases - there is just way too much good stuff out there!

MAC Pro Palettes

To kick us off I will start with Mac Pro Palettes. I bought my first 6 Mac eyeshadows in pot form in July 2010. (Vanilla,Wedge, Woodwinked, Yoghurt, Quarry and Club. All from the Mac counter in Harrods in London, just in case you were wondering!:p)

When I discovered YouTube, that November, I discovered the wonder of the palettes. They seemed such a convenient way to store and use the eyeshadows, especially the more your collection grew. January 2011,  I nervously attempted to depott my 6 precious eyeshadows. Club had a little accident, which thankfully was repaired and all the rest had a successful move!

Happily I then went and bought my pro palette (and some brand spanking new pro pan eyeshadows) and I was also able to complete my first Back to Mac with the empty eyeshadow pots:)

This was a really long, and probably unnecessary story about my first mac pro palette. In short, it is brilliant, so much easier to keep all your eyeshadows together. I am also very glad that I had the wisdom to decide to depott my pots when I had only 6 as opposed to when the collection grew considerably!

I now have 2 full Mac palettes and need to start a third. An overview of the palettes will appear soon!

Urban Decay Naked Palette

This product was a highly anticipated new release of 2011.  For me it was definitely worth the hype. A palette full of neutrals that could still create many different looks. The palette was as compact as could be, without forgoing eyeshadow size. This was the only palette and eyeshadow that I brought with me when I moved away for the summer, and I never got sick of it!

Catrice Nail Polish

A cheap brand with incredible quality.The nail varnish has great formulation and an extensive colour range. A brand that's readily available in Ireland? That we're not overcharged for? Sold! At averaging around €2.79 a bottle, it would be rude not to!

Revlon ColourBurst Lipgloss

I discovered these in about April. A smooth gloss with no sticky tendencies, it fast became my favourite lipgloss. It is now the brand that I have the most lipgloss from and I have nearly all the shades available to me in Ireland. I hope we get some more of the extensive shade range that is available over the other side of the pond! (Ignore the Carmex in the picture - although I love that as well!)

Dior Poison Perfume

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This certainly isn't a new release, it appeared in 1998 I believe. The one I'm loving is Hypnotic Posion. I got a bottle recently for Christmas but it's a perfume that I've been sniffing for a few months.  Intriguing, hypnotic and seductively sexy. Love it.

Mac 187 Face Brush

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Before purchasing this I used a  traditional foundation 'paintbrush' style brush. The 187 is a duo-fibred stippling brush and gives a flawless finish. 

Dove Supreme Body Silk

I've prattled on about this a lot. It is amazing. 

There has been lots of other items that I could have put here, but I needed to limit it somehow!

What have been your top products of 2011?

Dove Supreme Body Silk

The.Best.Ever.Body.Mosituriser.

That says it all. I felt that for me this was such an amazing product that it warranted it’s own post. I’m as fickle with body moisturisers as I am with shampoos. I’m a sucker for buying any that:

a)     smells nice

b)    are cheap

c)     promises me miracles

However, I’ve remained faithful to Body Silk since last summer when I first tried it.

I think one of the reasons that I’ve previously been so fickle when it comes to body moisturisers is because I’ve such dry skin. My skin literally flakes off if I haven’t moisturised it in two days. Because of this I need quite a heavy moisturiser so that it sinks in and gets rid of any tightness that my dry skin leaves me prone to. 

Unfortunately, I hate the feeling of heavy creams on my skin. Yes, they would work but I hate how greasy they make me feel and I just want to wash it off as soon as I apply it. Not good. I’ve tried the usual ones for dry skin; E45, Eureacin, Aqueous, Cocoa Butter, Shea butter etc., as well as all the other ones in the pharmcy. Some I can tolerate more than others and have skipped between a few periodally, but I never found any that I really loved.

Last summer at work, we were discussing fake tans (as you do – we had just discovered St. Mortitz, which is fabulous) one of the girls mentioned that she used this Dove Body Silk one. Of course it had to be the next one on my bucket list of body mositurisers to try. When I set out on my search for it, I discovered it on offer for around €2.95 in Tesco and at that price I was as well to give it a shot.

I fell in love with it straight away. The smell, the consistency and of course the moisturising effect. It comes in a tub, which I prefer to a bottle simply because it’s a lot less messy. It’s a very generous sized tub as well. I’ve disvovered that prices vary considerably depending where you shop. I’ve seen it as dear as €7+ but usually it tends to retail around the €5 mark. I have seen it on offer quite frequently, though never for as cheap as it was when I bought it the first time.

If you're sick to death of trying  all the moisturisers under the sun, give this one try. Even at its most expensive of €7+, it’s still cheaper than many other body mositurisers out there.

Here’s to soft, supple, scale-free skin!:)