MAY CRUELTY FREE PRODUCT EMPTIES

So today’s post is all about the products I've used up this month. I think it’s a pretty clear statement to see if a blogger truly loves something, if it’s in an empties post. And am I alone in feeling that, there’s something quite satisfying about scraping the last remnants out of a tub? I felt rather odd hoarding all these empty containers the past few weeks but these things have to be done, blogger priorities and all that.

SUPERDRUG ARGAN HAIR THERAPY OIL

I'm a pretty low maintenance gal, I wash my hair, let it air dry and occasionally do a hair mask (the last one being back before Christmas, eek!) but I'm always on the lookout for products that claim to make my life easier with minimal effort. Back in my blonde days I remember spending a bit too much on the Moroccan oil hype that was about a few years ago, anyone else remember jumping on that bandwagon? Well, even though my hair had been thoroughly damaged it did a good job of repairing and strengthening my hair the best it could. A few months ago I was having a mooch around my local Superdrug and happened to spot this little beauty on offer. It immediately reminded of the super soft, luscious feeling that the previous oil gave my hair, and at a fraction of the cost I immediately picked it up. Since using this oil I've found that it cuts my air drying time in half, whilst still making my hair feel super soft and shiny and bonus you only have to use a tiny amount! I can definitely notice the difference when i don't use this and it's not pleasant (knotty hair and forever damp ends). If I could pick one thing out of my haircare routine that I couldn't do without, this would probably come out top. I've already repurchased this and for £3.99 I recommend it to absolutely anybody.

LUSH AMERICAN CREAM CONDITIONER

Ahhh god dammit it love this product. There are other conditioners that I also adore but this one always comes out on top. On my quest to completely veganize my stash, at some point this will sadly have to go as it contains Lanolin (an oil derived from sheep wool) but for now I'm enjoying the silk feeling it gives my hair whilst on the lookout for a new conditioner. Having waist length hair means I usually race through conditioner every month. But to be fair this huge bottle has lasted me since the end of March so I can’t really complain, considering I do only wash my hair 2-3 times a week at most. This beautiful conditioner smells like banana milkshake and feels heavenly on the hair, the blend of oils ensures that your hair is super soft and healthy, whilst not relying on fake silicones to give you that artificial “silky” feeling. Definitely a product I would recommend for anyone looking for a heavy duty conditioner.

LUSH SHINE SO BRIGHT HAIR BALM

The last product in the hair care category is this little fella. Unfortunately it’s only sold online and in the bigger Lush stores so I usually stock up when i visit the Oxford Street branch. The split ends treatment is almost creamy like in texture but waxy to the touch when first opening the tin, this instantly put me off as i wasn't sure how to use it but all you have to do it dig a small amount out and then rub between your palms. I then concentrate this product solely on my ends as that’s where the majority of my split ends are. Now i don't use this every single time i wash my hair, maybe only once a week as i feel the oil I mentioned earlier takes care of hydration dn split ends enough on its own, and since going for a ‘proper’ trim i don't feel that i need to use this as much. Currently i have another 2 tins to use up but i doubt after those are used up that i would repurchase this. Mainly because it’s such a pain to get ahold of, and also in an effort to declutter my belongings i just feel like it’s not something i couldn't live without. 

S&G PEACHES AND CLEAN CLEANSING MILK

This is a product I have a love hate relationship with. Whilst it has a gorgeous scent, I can’t help but feel like there are probably better options out there. I have actually just repurchased this on a whim as I needed a cleanser that I know I could rely on, however I am on the lookout for better options. This cleansing milk does a fab job as a morning cleanser, however I wouldn't recommend it for heavy duty eye make-up removal as I've not had much success with that part of my routine. Reading more and more ethical and green beauty blogs means that i’m consciously making an effort to read ingredients and let's be honest. the artificial peach smell should set off alarm bells. But at the end of the day i’m a huge Soap & Glory fan so I doubt that I'll ever stop using their products completely, I just wish they were a little more natural.

S&G ARCHERY BROW TINT

Speaking of Soap & Glory, here we have one of their fantastic make-up products. When I started using this about 2 years ago I really, really hated it. I don’t know why, but I think looking back on it I probably wasn't using it properly which didn't help. 2 years later, I've ditched the bangs and the brows are back. On a whim (can you see a pattern here?) I repurchased this from my local boots on the day I had my brows shaped for the first time in almost 18 months. I had completely forgotten how much I disliked the product until I got home. Luckily I had a few days off so I had a bit of time to practice:18 months of neglecting your brows will result in forgetfulness of your ability to make them look half decent. I've since changed my tune and now adore this product. It has two ends, one being a waxy pencil and the other a fine bristle brush. I tend to use the bristle end more as I feel it gives a more natural fibre effect when filling in the inner and outer corners of my eyebrows, whereas the wax pencil gives a denser effect so I tend to use that when filling in the arch. Luckily S&G are normally on offer so if you were interested in this product I would recommend waiting till they have an offer on, otherwise it retails for £10.

S&G BODY SCRUBS

So as time goes on you’ll notice that S&G are one of my favourite all-rounder brands. Thankfully they’re cruelty free, otherwise i’m not sure how I'd cope! Scrubs are my favourite part of getting in the shower, there’s nothing quite like feeling squeaky clean and mermaid-soft with the help of a beautiful smelling scrub. These two are hands down my favourites from this brand. They’re two completely different scents: Sugar Crush Body Scrub smells of jelly babies and starburst, whereas The Breakfast Scrub smells of sticky toffee pudding and home comforts. (Also, how much do you love their puns? It’s something that as a kid instantly drew me to S&G and Lush) Sugar Body Crush is made up of almond oil, sweet lime and crushed brown sugar which instantly makes your skin feel slippery soft and smooth to the touch! And with the latter; a blend of oats, Shea butter and ground sugar leave you feeling supple and moisturised. Since it is supposed to be summer in the UK, I've only repurchased the Sugar Body Crush scrub as I associate this time of year with more of a citrus scent, although I guarantee when the colder months roll back around I will be repurchasing the other scrub too. They also both retail for £8 and, like the product above, are usually on offer in Boots.

PACIFICA STELLAR GAZE MINERAL MASCARA

I always find Mascara hard to finish as it it normally goes flaky or somewhat weird before I have a chance to use it up. However this mascara lasted for about 3 months before it started going clumpy (plus I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that you should replace mascara every 3 months?) so I managed to get a length use out of this so I feel I can give you an accurate representation. Pacifica is not a brand that is widely sold in the UK, however I managed to find this along with some other US brands on iHerb which offers products in GBP and deals with shipping and import fees. I see a lot of rave reviews about Pacifica and I still yearn to try everything that I can, but alas my bank balance doesn't agree. The Stellar Gaze Length & Strength Mineral Mascara was recommended to me on a Facebook beauty group I'm a part of, when I asked what make-up they would recommend from Pacifica. I'm happy to say that it lives up to its claims and without a doubt has established a firm place in my beauty bag. It lengthens and volumizes my lashes without flaking or being too clumpy, it’s easy to remove but doesn't budge during the day, and the synthetic bristles are lovely and full which is usually the type I will go for if given a choice. All in all a fab mascara, however due to the lack of availability, shipping costs, shipping time and overall effort for one product I won’t be repurchasing this just yet, but I absolutely will be in the future. So if you’re in the US and yet to try this, or even in the UK but about to pace an order through a site that stocks this products, I absolutely recommend it if you're looking for a mascara like this!

So that’s it for May’s product empties. I hope you've enjoyed the post, let me know if you've used any of these in the past and your thoughts on them too. See you soon!

XO

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