January Empties

A few months have passed since I did my last empties blog post and I have accumulated another little collection of goodies to share with you.

First up, is the L’Oréal Expert Volume Expand shampoo.  I have been loyal to my Kérastase Nutritive Bain Satin 1 for years as it is one of the few shampoos that don’t weigh down my fine hair.  The only down side was the price – it is rather on the high end of things at £14.45 for 250ml.  So my hairdresser suggested this shampoo as a cheaper alternative.  It is just as good as the Kérastase and leaves my hair feeling extremely clean and totally weightless.  It is slightly harder to get hold of than the Kérastase but much cheaper at about £8.

Next up, the Wonder Perfect Mascara from Clarins.  At £21 this is definitely a high-end product but by-golly you get what you pay for.  If you want to treat yourself to a luxurious new mascara, I highly recommend this one; it looks so natural and does not clump at all.  It separates and lengthens your lashes and, even though it is not waterproof, it doesn’t drop down and give you the dreaded panda-eyes!  I wouldn’t buy this on a regular basis as it is expensive, but it is definitely one I will go back to in the future when I want to treat myself.

My next empty product is a current obsession of mine – I am already well into my next bottle.  If you have combination or oily skin and don’t want to slather on a heavy night cream, then you should definitely have a look at the Seaweed Clarifying Night Treatment from the Body Shop.  It works overnight to balance the oils in your skin and leave it feeling plumped, refreshed and hydrated.  It smells absolutely lovely – really fresh and calming (not what I was expecting from a seaweed product).  It has a gel consistency and feels lovely and cool when you apply it to your face and neck.  I couldn’t live without this product and it has really helped my skin.

Sticking with skincare, my next empty is a little miracle if you are prone to blemishes.  Tea tree oil is an essential oil native to Australia.  It has a number of health benefits when applied topically but is especially effective as a spot treatment.  If I feel a blemish emerging, I dab a few drops of oil onto the area with a cotton bud and wait for it to work its magic.  Not only does it make a spot heal and pass more quickly but it can also prevent spots from fully forming in the first place.  Very cheap and easy to find, I will always have a little bottle of tea tree oil on the go.  Just make sure it’s 100% pure essential oil.

My final empty is from a brand that I absolutely love –Amie.  You can read my blog post about this brand here.  I recently finished this bottle of their Bright Eyes Make Up Remover and I am definitely a fan.  Made from 98.9% natural ingredients, it is incredibly gentle and caring to the sensitive eye area.  But it removes eye makeup like a dream – no need to scrub and rub, just pour a bit out onto a cotton pad and it lifts makeup right off.  It doesn’t sting or irritate my eyes.  I can’t say enough good things about this brand.

I hope you’re having a good week!

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas…Deep Sleep from the Body Shop

My sister recently gave me these two products from the Body Shop’s Deep Sleep range and I absolutely love them; it was such a nice gift to receive and I think they would be perfect for Christmas.

If you know anyone who is particularly stressed (perhaps your mum is preparing to cook Christmas dinner for the whole family!), has trouble sleeping or just likes to pamper them self, then these could be the ideal gift.

The first product is this Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow and Body Mist.  You can spray it onto your pillow or pyjamas before you get into bed and the relaxing scent will help you drift into a deep sleep.

The second product is this Deep Sleep Essential Oil.  You can add a few drops to your bath, use it in an oil burner or alternatively dab a few drops onto your pillow or a hankie.

Both products have a lovely scent which is perfect for this time of year; it is warm and festive like spiced oranges.  They contain Jujube date extract and fair trade camomile which helps to calm and relax you so that you can get a good night’s sleep.

The Cream of the Crop: My Top 3 Hand Creams

Now that the weather is getting colder the days of dry chapped hands are imminent and so I have been keeping my favourite hand creams on standby for around the clock moisturising!

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector, £10 for 100ml

If you read my review of the Body Shop’s Hemp Hand Protector from back in August you will know how much I love it.  This product is the mother of all hand creams and it is my go to solution for extremely dry, irritated skin.  This is the heaviest and greasiest of my three favourites so I tend not to use this during the day.  I consider this Hemp Hand Protector more of a super-moisturising hand treatment.   I apply it to my hands and elbows before I go to bed and let it work its magic overnight so that I can wake up in the morning to soft, moisturised skin.

Soap and Glory Hand Food,  £2.50 for 50ml

This hand cream is the cheapest of my top three.  I have the 50ml tube because it is the perfect size for carrying around in my handbag but the full 125ml tube is only £5.  That is incredible value for a fantastic product.  This cream is very light and non-greasy – it absorbs straight away which makes it the perfect cream to use throughout the day because you can do other things without getting greasy fingerprints all over everything.  Unlike the Body Shop hand protector this product smells lovely.  If you like the typical Soap and Glory scent, then you will love this!

L’Occitane Shea Butter Loving Rose Hand Cream, £8 for 30ml

The newest hand cream to join the ranks is this pretty little offering from L’Occitane.  It is part of the Limited Edition Shea Butter Collection and is 20% Shea Butter.  This makes it incredibly effective for moisturising dry hands.

I am usually not a big fan of rose scented products because it reminds me of rose flavoured Turkish delight and is usually quite sickly and overpowering.  However I absolutely love the scent of this hand cream.  The rose fragrance is very subtle and sophisticated.  I also love this product’s packaging, especially the pink flower lid.

At £8 for 30ml this is the most expensive product of the three.  However I got mine free in this month’s edition of Marie Claire.  If you act fast, you may still be able to get your hands on one of their four different scents.  As well as my ‘Rose Tenderness’, there’s ‘Subtle Violet’, ‘Jasmine Passion’ and their original hand cream for dry skin.

Have a good week!

Product Review: Hemp Hand Protector

Today I want to share with you a beauty miracle that has been a favourite of mine for many many years: The Body Shop’s Hemp Hand Protector.  I found this product one freezing cold day when my hands were so painfully dry that I dived into The Body Shop and asked the assistant for a recommendation.  She immediately pointed me in the direction of their Hemp range, which is specifically for very dry skin, and I haven’t looked back since.  When it comes to hand cream, this one’s unbeatable.

I recently recommended the Hemp Hand Protector to a friend who developed a dry rash on two of their fingers.  They had been prescribed a cream by the doctor but it had done nothing to improve the rash.  The only thing that made it better was this.  And if you don’t believe me, have a look at the ratings it’s been given on the Body Shop website.  It is one of their absolute best sellers, and rightly so!

The slightly unexpected key ingredient is indeed hemp.  But don’t worry about being arrested for smuggling Cannabis because THC, the part of the Cannabis plant that is illegal, is not contained in this product.  In fact, The Body Shop use Fair Trade hemp seed oil that it actually grown here in the UK, providing employment and diversifying the British crops!

The pale green cream is extremely thick with a slightly unusual smell.  I don’t love the smell but it is very subtle and barely noticeable once it has absorbed into the skin.  And to be frank, this product is so effective that the smell really isn’t a deal-breaker.  The texture is quite greasy when first applied and it takes a little while to sink into the skin so I tend to put it on just before bed and let it works it’s magic overnight.  This is not a problem though because the cream is so effective at hydrating and softening your skin that one application last thing at night is more than enough to keep you going.

When it comes to price, this hand cream is, at first look, on the more costly end of the scale at £10 for 100ml.  However, don’t let this put you off because it really is an investment.  The Hemp Hand Protector is SO good at protecting my hands that I really only need to use it a couple of times a week, especially during the summer months.  Furthermore, a little of this product goes a long way.  As a result, a tube of this will last you a very long time (I’m talking months to years!) and makes the price much more reasonable.

It comes in two sizes – 30ml and 100ml.  I have the 100ml tube and keep it on my bedside table.  But the 30ml would be perfect for putting in your handbag or make up case.  It’s also a good size to start off with if you want to try the product out for the first time.

The packaging has been the same for as long as I have been buying this product.  The metal tube makes it really easy to squeeze every last bit of cream out and the neutral colours make it appropriate for both men and women.  In fact, this product is a firm favourite of everyone in my family.

And now is the time to buy!  I’ve had a look on The Body Shop’s website and all the products in their Hemp range are currently half price – here.  And why not try the Hemp Foot Protector as well, which is perfect for softening the dry, dead skin on your feet.

These product are easy to get hold of in the UK, Europe and the US in Body Shop stores or online.