February 2013 empties: TIGI Bed Head, Dove, Batiste, Sanctuary, Caudalie, The Body Shop, Soap and Glory

Hey ladies!

I hope you've had a great Sunday :-)

February was a beauty heavy month for me so I have quite a lot of empties!

Here's what I used up this month...

Hair:

Dove Express Conditioner Nourishing Oil Care

I've raved about these express conditioners before (here and here) and for good reason - they're bloody AMAZING! I always use an intensive conditioner in the shower without fail and this one is just so quick and easy. You only need to apply the tiniest bit to the lengths and ends of your hair and it leaves it feeling so soft and silky.

Batiste Dry Shampoo Dark & Deep Brown

I use a dry shampoo a couple of times a week and I prefer to use these tinted ones as they don't leave the little white bits in your roots. This really works to bring your locks back to life!

TIGI Bed Head Brunette Goddess Conditioner

You might remember my recent CheapSmells.com haul where I talked about this Brunette Goddess range. The scent of these products is delicious - like chocolate fudge! It's no surprise then that I used this up pretty quickly this month.

Boots Coconut & Almond Intensive Hair Mask

This was actually a real surprise, it was only a couple of quid in Boots but I'm in love with it! The scent reminds me of summer and for that reason I will definitely be re-purchasing! It's also really thick and creamy and leaves your hair so soft.

Skin:

Sanctuary Spa Pore Refining Toner

I'm a bit hit and miss with the Sanctuary Spa Skincare range as not all of it suits my oily/combination skintone. This product however was perfect - I spritz it onto my face after cleansing and it leaves my skin feeling really clean, soft and refreshed.

Avon Clearskin Professional Deep Pore Cleansing Scrub

I've been using Avon Clearskin products for years - they're brilliant for the price they are. This works well as a face mask or scrub as it's thick and creamy. I like to apply it in the shower, leave it on for a couple of minutes and wash it off. It leaves my skin feeling properly scrubbed!

Caudalie Beauty Elixir

This is a cult product in the beauty blogging community so I of course had to give it a whirl. I've found it doesn't really make much difference as a toner but it works best as a midway-through-the-day-spritz! I spray it onto my face after lunch to give my skin a quick refresh.

The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream

I bought this mini moisturiser in a four piece set from The Body Shop with a seaweed facial wash, toner and night cream. I found this day cream to be a little bit drying actually. It's more of a gelcreme consistency and it didn't feel like it properly 'sunk' into my skin. I think I'll be sticking with my Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturiser from now on.

Other:

Johnson's Baby Shampoo

I use this to wash my make-up brushes as it does the job perfectly for a bargain price. I've used MAC's make up brush cleanser in the past and this does the job just as well for a fraction of the cost.

Soap and Glory Hand Maid Hand Cleansing Gel

I am OBSESSED with this! Seriously, it's awesome. It smells amazing and it actually makes me want to use it ALL the time. I have like three or four of these on the go at the moment.

What did you use up in February? Let me know in the comments or over on Twitter now!

Love,

Sophia

xo

 

CheapSmells.com haul - TIGI Bed Head Brunette Goddess and Superstar, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

Hey ladies!

HAPPY FRIDAY! I hope you're having a brilliant day so far and looking forward to the weekend :-)

OK, so it's pretty obvious I'm a beauty product junkie BUT it runs deeper than that... I'm a bargain beauty product junkie! I love nothing more than rummaging the beauty shelves of TK Maxx or my favourite eBay sellers (legit, of course) for the biggest and best beauty bargains.

Hence where my CheapSmells.com haul came from...

In all honesty, I can't remember who introduced me to this site but as soon as I landed on the homepage, I knew it was love! High-end beauty at knock down prices? Too good to be true, right? Naaat!

Here's what I added to my basket... (as with all hauls, it unsurprisingly started with way more than this!)

TIGI Bed Head Brunette Goddess Shampoo (£10.95) and Conditioner (£6.35)

I was first introduced to the Brunette Goddess range in my local hair salon. The stylist used the shampoo and conditioner on my hair as she was washing it in the basin and I'm not lying, it smelt divine!

To be completely honest, the scent was one of the main selling points for me. It smells like chocolate fudge and it just makes washing my hair a dream! It also helps to prolong the dyed brown shade of my locks.

The only issue I have with this - and I'm the only one to blame here! - is that the shampoo is much larger, meaning I finished the conditioner months ago while I'm still working through the shampoo! Humph.

TIGI Bed Head Superstar Blowdry Lotion (£7.95) and Queen for a Day Thickening Spray (£8.45)

I have a slight - OK, major - penchant for big, voluminous locks! Think Cheryl Cole in her X Factor judging days, that's what I want my hair to look like!

I've found that you need a multitude of volumising products in order to achieve the Cheryl Cole big hair look.

First, start with a volumising shampoo and conditioner then add a volumising blow dry spray like the Superstar Blowdry Lotion (above).

It's a thin, runny liquid that's easy to apply and makes a real difference to the thickness of your hair!

I then spritz a little of the Queen for a Day thickening spray into my roots to give them a bit more volume and voila! Cheryl hair :-)

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant Fragrance Free (£13.19) and Intensive Moisturising Hand Treatment (£8.95)

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is well respected in the beauty industry and I'm not surprised!

I've had the Skin Protectant for many years now but I opted for the Fragrance Free version this time as I just fancied a change and I saw Cat Deeley tweet a pic of it. There's nothing unpleasant about the original smell or anything, as I say I just fancied trying something a bit different.

The Skin Protectant is kind of like a greasy oil - sounds disgusting but it is amazing! It's perfect for soothing really dry, cracked skin. My mum uses it on her hands because she works outside in the cold and her hands get really sore, but for me it's a little too thick for that unfortunately.

Saying that, it works really well as a glossy lip shine, highlighter, spot soother, burns healer - loads of stuff! It really is a top multi-use product.

It's also the second or third time I've bought the Eight Hour Hand Cream as well - I'm in LOVE with it! It's one of the best hand creams on the market in my opinion. It's enriched with the famous Eight Hour goodness and has the signature scent but it's much nicer and easier to apply. If you find the Skin Protectant too thick, the Hand Cream might be a better option for you.

Have you bought anything from CheapSmells.com before? What would you recommend? Let me know over on Twitter or in the comments below!

Love,

Sophia

xo