Empties #11

A bit of hair, a bit of skin - quite Garnier heavy for June. Here's my most recent empties and what I thought of them...

* Batiste Dark and Deep Brown Dry Shampoo – Just as effective as the medium brown version, I like to keep this or the medium brown on hand for when my roots are showing when I’m due for a hair dye. Both colours work well and I will repurchase.

* Garnier Pure Shine Strengthening Shampoo – I have no idea how it performs as a strengthening shampoo but it’s a brilliant clarifying shampoo that strips all residue (and some of my colour too). I also use it with a moisturising body wash to wash my makeup brushes and I might repurchase it for this use but not to use on my hair – the Fudge clarifying shampoo I’m currently using is just as effective and is much kinder to my hair and my colour.

* L’oreal Elvive Fibrology Thickening Treatment Double Serum – I bought this in a previous 50% off sale at Priceline just to try it out and was pleasantly surprised. It leaves my hair very soft yet does give it some body when I apply it at my roots without weighing it down or making it greasy. I’ve already repurchased this (coincidentally in the most recent 50% off sale – bargain!)

* L’oreal Casting Creme Gloss Shine Enhancing Conditioner with Royal Jelly – This comes with my hair dye but I keep forgetting to use it since I don’t usually use conditioner preferring a spray in conditioning mist instead. I’m trying to use them as a treatment which doesn’t necessarily mean they’re getting used any quicker. I have at least 7 of these waiting in my cupboard plus 1 on the go in the shower and more in the boxes of hair dye I haven’t opened yet.

* Smartskin Scented Facial Wipes – I think this may be the last of the stash that I had and won’t be repurchasing these as they feel progressively rougher the more I use them.

* Kiehl’s Micro-Blur Skin Perfector, sample – I’m not sure if this is skincare or a primer of sorts but since it’s supposed to ‘...instantly refine skin texture and minimise the appearance of pores...’ I’ve been using it after my skincare and before my makeup as I would any other silicone primer. It might be an old sample but this crap separated in the foil packet and did absolutely nothing to give the appearance of smoothing or filling anything and after 3 attempts I’m not going to even bother to try to finish it. Will not be purchasing.

* Banana Boat Aloe Vera Lip Balm, SPF 30+ – another staple and quite the saviour this winter as my lips feel awful in this cold weather.

* NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Light 4, Deauville, sample – Fiji, while a perfect match for my summer skin tone, is too dark for my winter skin so I’ve been testing a couple of lighter shades of Sheer Glow to mix in with it. Deauville has a neutral undertone which unfortunately oxidises a little too pink on me when mixed with Fiji which also has a neutral undertone so I won’t be purchasing this one.

* Garnier Radiance Boosting Scrub – I use this in the shower as it is a gel cleanser that is little scrubby and has a citrus scent that I like. Nothing special so I may or may not repurchase it but in the meantime I have a backup to get through.

* Garnier Clean Sensitive 2 in 1 Gentle Make-Up Remover – Still love this, still praying they don’t discontinue it.

* Garnier Clean Detox Refreshing Cleansing Gel – If it were possible to have a relationship with a brand, Garnier is the boyfriend who is slowly dumping my loyal arse, stupid idiot that it is. We spend less and less time together and due to lack of availability and ‘attention’ from my ‘boyfriend’ I’m finding other brands to fill my needs and very soon I won’t want to hang with Garnier at all. Garnier have stupidly discontinued this like so many other products that I use to love. I have 2 backups but am actively trying other brands of gel cleansers and will not be hanging on to my last 2 with any sentimentality.

* Alpha-H Micro Cleanse with Glycolic Acid and Rice Bran – I didn’t mind this but I prefer to leave glycolic acid on my face rather than wash it away. In the end I had to make a point of using it in the shower because I just wasn’t interested in using it. Wouldn’t repurchase.

* Inglot Under Makeup Base, 30ml – My spack filler of choice though I’m not sure if my pores are simply getting bigger and harder to fill or if this is thinner than it used to be as it doesn’t seem as effective as it once was. Will probably repurchase but I am on the hunt for a pore minimising (filling) primer that works better.

I knew when I was pushing through to finish some of these that I wasn’t happy using them and so this empties sounds a little PMSy to me. Winter blues maybe? Nah, they were just crap.