February Empties 2020

*This post contains PR products and affiliate links. 

 

It's empties time again!

First up is Pixi Beauty Rose Ceramide Cream (bought myself but have since had another one PR, available HERE for £24) - This is a gorgeous moisturiser. It's thick but almost like a gel. It's very rich and nourishing without being heavy. I did find it occasionally pilled so I preferred to use it in my PM routine. I've enjoyed using this, it's a brilliant winter cream. I've not fully finished this, I've passed on to a friend as there's other creams I want to use instead.

Marks out of 10: 8/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? I've got another tube to use up but I probably won't repurchase after that as even occasional pilling puts me off.

Timeless HA Spray (bought myself from TK Maxx, available HERE for £17.99) - Another one I'm passing on to a friend. This is a lovely hydrating mist, you can tell it contains hyaluronic acid in it. I've just got other mists / toners I prefer instead.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Probably not, there's other mists I prefer.

By Terry Cellularose Brightening CC Serum in Rose Elixir and Apricot Glow (bought myself as part of a mini set, full size available for £60-61 from Space NK, Cult Beauty, Skin City, Feel Unique and Look Fantastic) - These are a gorgeous primer / serum hybrid. They have a beautiful rose scent and give still a healthy glow. These are well over a year old now so are past their best.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend them? Yes

Will I repurchase? No. As lovely as they are, they're too expensive. I got them in the sales. Plus I prefer Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. It gives a nice finish for much less money!    

Clinique Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator (bought myself, available from Boots, Look Fantastic and Feel Unique for £30, it's often on offer, so shop around) - You can read my original review of this HERE however my views on this have changed a bit. I love it when I first used it, wearing it most days. I then didn't wear it for a while as I was testing some other foundations. When I've come back to use it again, if just didn't sit right on my skin. I was still in date so hadn't expired. Such a shame as I loved it!

Marks out of 10: 5/10, my original score would have been higher.

Do I recommend it? Yes  it's definitely worth a try.

Will I repurchase? No.

 Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze (bought myself, available from Bobbi Brown and Look Fantastic for £36) - This was my first bronzer that I regularly used! I'd always stayed away from bronzers as I'm so pale, most left me looking like I'd been tango'd. I'd heard this was a great option so I bought it on a whim on the plane on my honeymoon. It was a great deal and came with a mini brush, which I still love and use loads! Anyway, it was love at first use with this. It gives a lovely natural flush to skin, it has a bit of shimmer that adds glow. It's not glittery at all though. I even used the shades separately as eyeshadow. It's had a lot of use but it's time to go in the bin as it's nearly 3 years old! It was starting to be difficult to pick the powder up on a brush so it was definitely passed it's best.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes, I'm going to wait until May when I go on holiday again so I can get it at duty free!

Oskia Super 16 serum (this was part of the Mintd x Oskia box that my hubby bought me last Christmas, available on it's own from Space NK and Cult Beauty for £90) - This is a lovely serum to use. It has a gorgeous rose scent and a lovely silky consistency that skin just drinks up. It leaves skin well hydrated. Unfortunately that's all this serum did for me. I didn't get any anti-aging or brightening effects from it.

Marks out of 10: 4/10

Do I recommend it? I'd say get a sample if you can. If you're after a luxurious hydrating serum, this is a great option but if you're after anti-aging, there's much better options out there.

Will I repurchase? No.

Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense (bought myself, available HERE for £54) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to re-cap - this is the best hydrating serum I've ever used! It's a beautiful silky consistency, it's not tacky or sticky. It deeply hydrates skin. It's that hydrating, it made my skin less oily! (Dehydrated skin produces more oil). Amazing stuff and a staple in my routine.

Marks out of 10: 10/10!

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Already have!

Elemis Pro-Collagen Overnight Matrix (bought myself, available HERE for £148 for full sized) - I can't believed I've not properly reviewed this moisturiser! It's a beautiful cream - it has a light, almost gel like texture that just melts into your skin. It's very hydrating. It has the same gorgeous scent as the cleansing balm from this range. It feels like such a treat to use! When used regularly it definitely gives skin a boost - lines are softened and you just look more awake and fresh. The only downside is the price - it's not cheap! This is the second time I've had this - the first I got it on offer at QVC UK and this one was in a beauty box. Would I pay full price for it? No. Not because it's not worth it, because it is! It's just out of my budget. That being said, I keep my eye out for it going on offer and will jump at the chance to own it again.

Marks out of 10: 9/10 only marked down because of the price.

Do I recommend it? Yes definitely.

Will I repurchase? Hopefully!

Beautybio The Quench (PR, available HERE for £125) - I wanted to love this so much but unfortunately this didn't work for me. It's a beautiful cream packed with loads of hydrating and nourishing ingredients. It has a rich consistency that then loosens and melts into skin when applied. It's very hydrating and leaves skin plump, which I loved! Sadly for me, I broke out every time I used this. I tried a number of times and made sure I wasn't using anything else new at the time. Please bear in mind that I have acne prone skin that often breaks out when a product is too rich for me. It's certainly no baring on the moisturiser, as it's gorgeous! As I always like to say - what works for one, won't work for another. I know plenty of others that adore this cream.

Marks out of 10: 5/10 purely marked down as it broke me out.

Do I recommend it? If you have acne prone skin, approach with caution. If you're dry skinned - this would be fantastic.

Will I repurchase? No.

Filorga Time-Filler Mask (PR, available HERE for £10) - This is one of the best sheet masks I've ever used! My skin was so plump and hydrated after using it, you could barely see my pores. It was a good fit too. It would be perfect to use before a night out or a special occasion to give skin an extra boost.

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes

Nuface Gel Primer (Bought myself, available from numerous retailers including Space NK, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique & Look Fantastic for £13.50 for this size - £45 for a bigger tube) - This is designed to be used as a conducting gel for my Nuface Trinity device and came as part of a set. It works brilliantly. This tube lasted over a month. The instructions say that this can be left on but I prefer to wipe it off with a damp cloth.

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Probably not as you can use other conducting gels that are cheaper. I'm currently using an aloe gel that works just as well.

Nuface Fix Line Smoothing serum (bought myself, available from Space NK and Cult Beauty for £50) - This was also part of the set when I bought my Nuface Trinity. It's a thick serum that contains peptides that also doubles as a conducting gel to be used with the device. I can however be used on it's own. I used it purely as a conducting gel so went through this tube fairly quickly, so I can't comment on it's anti-aging properties. It's a very thick serum so I didn't think it worked as well as the conducting gel.

Marks out of 10: 5/10

Do I recommend it? No, I'd recommend the conducting gel instead.

Will I repurchase? No.

Dove Invisible Dry anti-perspirant (bought myself, available HERE for £2.70) - This is a great deodorant. It has a light fresh scent, that isn't overpowering. It doesn't leave white marks and does a great job at keeping me dry. I usually use Mitchum but this was on offer.

Marks out of 10: 8/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Probably at some point.

Ouai Wave Spray (bought myself, available from Space NK, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique & Look Fantastic for £22) - I'm only getting rid of this as I've cut my hair short. It's a fantastic product. I used to apply it to damp hair, scrunch, then leave it to air dry. It would hold the waves brilliantly without being crispy. Plus is would brush out easily. Smells amazing too!
Marks out of 10? 10/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? If I grow my hair again, yes.

Ouai Finishing Crème (bought myself, available from Space NK, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic for £20) - Another brilliant product that I no longer have the use for! This light crème helps smooth hair without weighing it down. I used it when I had straightened my hair. This also smells amazing too!
Marks out of 10: 9/10
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I repurchase? If I grow my hair again, yes.

NIOD Photography Fluid Opacity 12% (bought myself, available from Cult Beauty, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic for £20) - On paper I should have loved this! It's a highlighting / primer designed to even and brighten skin tone. It's basically a silvery version of Charlotte Tilbury's Flawless Filter. Unfortunately I couldn't get it to work for me! When I initially applied it and my makeup on top, it looked great! Exactly what I love - brightened, dewy skin. However it didn't last. Every time I used it, regardless of which foundation I used, it broke up and looked patchy within a couple of hours. Not the effect I hoped for! So I'm passing this on to a friend who I know loves it. Just goes to show, what works for one, doesn't work for another.
Marks out of 10: 1/10
Do I recommend it? I say try it as it works for plenty of other people.
Will I repurchase? No.

We Are Paradoxx Fierce Sea Salt Spray (PR, available from Feel Unique and Look Fantastic for £20) - Again one I'm getting rid of as no need for it now. I wasn't a huge fan of this, purely because it left my hair feeling a little crispy. But I guess that's to be expected with a salt spray! It's purely personal preference. It did leave hair nicely tousled though.
Marks out of 10: 5/10
Do I recommend it? It you like a salt spray, yes.
Will I repurchase? No.

That's it for this month! Thanks for reading.