October Empties

Apologies about the slightly bleached out photo here. It was extremely sunny when I took these, and despite trying to edit this one in order for the products to be more clearly visible, this is the best I could get it.

Anyway, on to this month's empties.

Benefit Erase Paste in Shade 02 Medium

Finally, after ten months, my trusty little pot of Erase Paste is no more. This was my first time trying this concealer, and it fast became a staple in my daily makeup routine - in fact, I wouldn't leave the house without it. It's quite a thick, salmon-toned paste, and in my case it has been mostly used for concealing the dark under-eye circles which you have all heard me complaining about of late. It does do a pretty good job, better than anything else I'd tried before. But alas, it's still not concealer perfection. I'm seriously starting to doubt if there is actually one in existence that can completely mask dark circles. It does also tend to settle into the expression lines under the eyes.

Would I buy it again? Actually, yes, I would - I'm scared to be without it. But in spite of this, I am keen to try some other concealers, and have actually just bought one from a brand I'd never heard of before, so keep your eyes peeled for a review on that one in the coming weeks, and to find out if it was able to outdo Erase Paste.

Benefit The Porefessional

I got this little treat free with Glamour magazine a few months ago, as I know many of you did. While I have seen mixed reviews, personally, I really like this and have started to incorporate it into my daily makeup routine. I actually don't really use this to disguise my pores - instead, I use it as a primer. I pat some onto my t-zone before applying my foundation, which seems to prolong the wear-time and prevent my makeup from sliding off my face after a couple of hours (I don't generally have oily skin, but my t-zone does play up at times, and could do with a bit of extra help). The Porefessional gives me a nice smooth,  matte surface to work with on those areas, and I have already repurchased another little tube.

I'd just like to point out that if you use The Porefessional in the same way as I do then despite this tube being a tiny 7ml in size, it will actually last you several months! Just use it sparingly.

Percy and Reed Splendidly Silky Moisturising Shampoo

Although we got off to a bumpy start, I actually ended up really liking this shampoo. I did review it on here only a couple of days ago, so rather than repeating myself all over again and boring you silly, you can click here for more information on the product and to find out some more of my thoughts.

Herbalife Skin Activator Day Cream

This has been my daily moisturiser for the past four or five months, and again, I've enjoyed using it. It does make my skin feel nice and soft, but it's not really anything out of the ordinary. It's supposed to prevent the signs of ageing and when used regularly, improve skin firmness, clarity and luminosity, but I really couldn't tell you if that's been the case with me, because I have been trying out so many different skincare products of late! My skin actually has started looking nice and clear and glowing within the past couple of weeks, but given that I've been using this cream for a few months now, I'd say it's more likely to be down to a couple of new face masks I've been using.

I would repurchase, but at the same time I'm happy to try out other products. As a beauty blogger, this is so often the case,so a product has to REALLY impress me to stick around.

Liz Earle Energising Body Wash

Containing the active ingredients Damask rose flower water, sweet orange oil and vitamin E, surprisingly this shower gel has quite a strong, astringent scent. I usually prefer fruity scents in the shower, but this was actually quite invigorating when used as part of my morning shower routine. This is the second bottle I've got through, but not because I purchased either of them - they were both sent to me as free gifts when I was making bulk purchases of some of Liz's other products online.

I don't think I'd repurchase, just because at £11.50 a pop it's a bit pricey for a shower gel. Plus, as I mentioned, I do tend to prefer fruity fragrances. But if I happen to receive one as another free gift next time I'm making a purchase then I will happily use it up.

Clinique Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliator

Again, this was a free gift with some Clinique purchases, although I must admit, this was about two years ago! And yes...yes, I have lost the lid. Again.

This product left my skin feeling really polished and smooth, but I probably wouldn't repurchase because there are plenty of other good exfoliators for a fraction of the price.

Can you tell that I'm a bit of a cheapskate when it comes to body products? I don't know why, but while I'm happy to splurge on facial skincare if I see fit, I hate to do so on things like shower gels and scrubs. There are just so many fantastic products and brands available at affordable prices, and in my eyes, they really do do the job just as well, while with facial skincare I believe that you generally get what you pay for.

So, that's it for October Empties. Do let me know if you've tried any of these products and what your thoughts were.

What have you used up this month?

xx