My empties for September! This month went by so quickly, right? I managed to finish quite a few things so I am really happy about that. check out my thoughts and reviews below
Haircare
I really love the EcoStyler Olive hair gel for slick buns. This is the 2nd tub I have finished this year and I have already repurchased. Nunaat Hydration plus Conditioner– I mainly used this conditioner for my wigs and it works well for the texture. I have also used it on my natural hair a few times, it was ok. Got2b blasting freeze spray– we all know the deal with this. I used it for my wigs but mostly as a holding spray when I curl them too. ORS Monoi Oil Conditioner– full review here. Tsaka Black Magic Hair Mask (gifted)– this mask was not impressive. It has a loose runny consistency and it provides enough slip for detangling. I feel like it doesn’t do much, it does condition my hair but my hair has felt better before
Skincare/makeup
Shea Moisture African Black Soap Mud Mask– this was great but it’s not impressive. It’s a nice mask but I have definitely used better. BodyShop Strawberry Smoothing face mist– these BodyShop face mists were released sometime last year and promises to leave the skin smoother and velvet to touch. It is makeup friendly. I have been using this as a mist over my makeup or to dampen my makeup sponges. I really like the Strawberry mist. It smells lovely and leaves my skin looking healthier and glowing. The mist is suitable for powder and liquid foundations: I have used it for both and it didn’t disturb makeup. It sprays in a fine mist so it’s very easy to use and even layer on the skin. It does leave the skin glowing so I won’t recommend for oily skin types. As for reducing texture, I haven’t used it as a skincare mist but over makeup, it helps to leave the skin looking smoother. DHC Astaxanthin Collagen gel (gifted) – this is a lovely textured gel cream. It does hydrate the skin although it not long-lasting. I didn’t think it did much to my skin over time so I used it very intermittently. Towards the end I think I used it more as a body moisturiser. Another bottle of The Ordinary Salicylic acid which I love so much for treating spots and texture. Beauty Pie purifying clay cleanser– I have a full review here. Missha Sun gel SPF 50– full review here. Seahorse Plankton Everlasting Radiance Moisturiser (gifted) – this is actually a great moisturiser with a luxurious texture. It moisturises the skin without leaving it oily. What I don’t like about it is the scent. I am not a big fan of frankincense and this moisturiser smells quite strongly of it. If you don’t mind that then this is a good moisturiser. Another bottle of my fav top coat Barry M Plumpy topcoat. Burt’s Bee lip balm (gifted)– full review here.
Sunday Riley CEO moisturiser– this was part of the SR box from Glossybox. I have fallen in love with this moisturiser. It’s creamy and feels lux plus it leaves the skin looking brighter and feeling moisturised. I definitely like it better than the SR CO Vitamin C Serum. Full review of the serum here. Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Cleansing gel– full review here. Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray– I will have a full review of this up soon. Simply Pure Refreshing toner– this is a very simple basic toner to use. It doesn’t do much but does hydrate after cleansing – not that its enough though. I like it because it’s easy to add to any routine and can be used with so many other products. Nivea Moisture lock SPF 30– this is a great SPF for dark skin. It has both UVA/UVB protection and its 100% invisible on dark skin. 2x DIY sheet mask. B makeup primer (gifted) – full review here. 2x Primark wipes and 1x Cucumber cooling mask. Nivea Q10 SPF 50– this is a lovely lightweight lotion that feels moisturising on the skin. it is 100% invisible on dark skin. my only con with this is that it tends to pill if you use too much of it and for someone like me who likes to slaughter on SPF you will experience a lot of this. Use a smaller amount and you won’t have this issue. this is the only reason why i would recommend the SPF mousse over this one. In terms of the Anti pigments benefits, I do not think I noticed any improvements or benefits. its an excellent SPF from the drugstore and one that works well for dark skin. Superfacialist Vitamin C Glow Boost serum– this is my 2nd vitamin c product from Superfacialist and again I am very disappointed in it. It has a slight shimmer and did not add any benefits to my skin. I used it everyday morning for at least 4 weeks but benefits. IT Cosmetics Transforming Moisturising Super Cream– oh this is a very luxurious non-greasy cream that moisturises the skin! The texture is thick and so creamy and just skins into the skin with ease! Benefit Porefessional primer– this is an ok primer. I don’t think it’s worth the hype though. I don’t have large pores but even with that, this doesn’t completely minimise them. It is good for keeping the skin semi-matte during the day and works well with powder foundation. Becca Glow Elixir– whilst I didn’t have enough to get a good impression of this, the glow elixir didn’t do anything special. It’s a shimmer serum which I hate and I didn’t add any hydration to my skin. I’m so glad it was super small. Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief– this is a lovely gel crème texture that hydrates the skin and leaves it glowing. This is my 2nd and product from the Moisture Surge range and honestly, I am loving it so far.
Murad Hydra-Glow Aqua Peelx2– this came in a Murad gift set I got from Debenhams. I was really excited to try this because I have known about this product for a while and it’s been on my list. It’s a 2 part mask- 1st you use the acid swab all over the face then the moisture sheet mask to lock in moisture. As much as I love acids, the swab in this mask was unimpressive. It doesn’t say the conc of acids in it but it’s formulated with lactic and glycolic acids. It’s a large cotton swap I used all over my face- I didn’t experience any irritation. The Moisture Infusion Mask was much better. It hydrated my skin and left it glowing. It fits well and stays on. If you’re interested, I got the ‘Drenched in Moisture Set’ which also comes with a cleanser ( I have a full review on this), serum and gel moisturiser.
Bodycare
Derma Organics Facial Scrub (gifted) – this is a face scrub but I used I as a body scrub because it felt so abrasive on the skin. This has a similar texture to brown sugar and I definitely was not going to use it on my face. This as a body scrub was amazing! It left my skin so soft and smooth and the oil in it left my skin glowing. It is also great to use on my feet, around my heel area to remove dry dead skin. I really don’t think this is suitable for the face because of the texture. It smells amazing too. Missguided Babe power– this perfume is amazing as an everyday scent and I go so many compliments. Its has vanilla notes which I super love and best of all its very affordable. Sure deodorant. Divine and Handmade hazelnut oil (gifted) I used this in my oil mixes. It’s a very lightweight oil and doesn’t have a nutty smell. Holika Holika Aloe 99– great aloe vera gel to use in my oil and butter mixes.
Total this month- 39 total so far- 295/400
This month I am also retiring two products. I haven’t included them in my empties because they are not empty but I am just not getting on well with them/ bored lol. (I think I will make this a series)
Sunday Riley Blue Moon- I will have a full review on this but I managed to use it for a week before I gave up on it. I do not like the texture – it has grit which doesn’t dissolve easily and it doesn’t work well with a makeup removal cloth. The cleansing power is mediocre at best.
Dr Organic Snail Eye Serum- this one I like but slightly bored with it. I have retired it for now as I am trying out the new eye cream from The Inkey list.
That’s it for September! I’ve been really busy lately so I haven’t been working on posts for the blog but I should get up and running soon! Watch out for more reviews and recommendations!
Catch you later
sarah fynn 