Empties - My Re-Purchases

Last year I showed you what products I'd bought again from my empties (September 2012-August 2013) see here.  I decided to do this again for the period September 2013-August 2014 - you'll see I favour some of the same brands again and again.. oh and I used up some 270 products.

Dr Bronner's 18-in-1 Peppermint Pure Castile Magic Soap 236ml - I've bought this time and time again. It's my favourite Dr Bronner scent. I use it to clean my make up brushes (and sometimes the bath!)  See my review here.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand & Nail Cream 75ml - a hand cream I keep coming back to and I always seem to have one in my stash. It featured in my post about my hand cream collection - see here.

Aurelia Probiotic Skincare Miracle Cleanser 120ml - one of the most effective and luxe cleansers I've ever used. See my review here.

bodhi (now bodhi & birch) Mint Thé Bath & Shower Therapy 250ml - recently re-branded I picked up this in the old style bottle at half price.  See my review here. One of my all time favourites from the brand.

Organic Surge Tropical Bergamot Shower Gel 250ml - I simply love the fruity and exotic scent of this shower gel. One of my favourite products - I'm now on my third tube. I've mentioned it quite a lot - see here, here and here.

bodhi (now bodhi & birch) Neroli Luce Revitalising Face Oil mini - I love to use this delicious scented face oil in the spring & summer months while I prefer to use Desert Rose Rejuvenating Face Oil 30ml in autumn & winter. See my review here.

Weleda Sea Buckthorn Replenishing Body Lotion 200ml - I love this light and fruity body lotion. See my review here.

Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts 100g - I always have these salts on the go as they just work. Great for de-stressing and if you use before bed you are guaranteed a restful night's sleep.  See my review here.

Dahliana Wildflower Youth Serum 1oz - this is my second one. I simply love this beautiful serum.  See my review here.

Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip & Cheek in Forever Pink - I keep picking this up as I love the light tint and moisturising properties.

Naturally Nourished Exotic Body Balm 90g - a rich and beautifully scented balm.  It contains nourishing butters and oils and is scented with monoi, ylang ylang and palmarosa.  See my review here.

Raw Gai Organic Coconut Body Butter 90g - a deeply moisturising body butter which smells of coconut. A super indulgent treat. See my review here.

Dr Organic Pomegranate Deodorant - this is one of my favourite deodorants and I've lost count of the number of times I've picked it up!

Are there products you buy again and again?

December Empties

I seem to have got through quite a few empties this month although quite a lot of them are sample sizes.

Hairy Jayne Deep Cleansing Shampoo 30ml and Hairy Jayne Cream Conditioner 30ml - I've loved all the Hairy Jayne products I've tried and I'll definitely buy full size soon.  See my review here.

Freyaluna Bergamot Lip, Face and Body Balm sample and Freyaluna Skin Support Facial Toner sample - I loved the toner and would buy again. I wasn't quite so keen on the balm.

Kris D'Amour Soothing/Skin Repair Treatment Butter samples - I wasn't keen on the scent of these ones although they deeply moisturised the skin.  I do love the Rejuvenating Treatment Butter though.

bodhi Mint Thé Bath & Shower Therapy 250ml - my favourite bodhi shower gel. It featured in my Top 10 products of 2013 - see here. I'll be buying another bottle over the Christmas holidays.

Elemental Herbology Cell Plumping Facial Hydrator SPF8 30ml - a lovely face cream and one I'd buy. I got this one free with a newspaper offer.

REN VitaMineral Active 7 Eye Gel 3ml - this was quite nice to use, cooling around the eye area but as it's a small sample hard to tell if it helped with fine lines and dark circles.

Jo Malone Wild Bluebell Body Creme 175ml - this was a present from hubby. Loved it, sheer luxury.

Korres Guava Little Shower Gel 50ml - my favourite Korres shower gel. Sure to buy again.

Mama Mio O-Mega Super Rich Body Cream 50ml - this was lovely to use and super moisturised the skin. Loved it.

Mama Mio O-Mega Body Buff 50ml - nice to use but I prefer a scrubbier body scrub.

Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm 5ml - loved this and have another mini still to use.

Naturally Nourished Exotic Body Balm 90g - simply love this exotic scented body balm. Sure to pick it up again.  See my review here. 

Noble Isle Willow Song Bath & Shower Gel 50ml - love Noble Isle products sure to pick this up again at some point - I noticed Latest in Beauty have this as a Luxury sample.

Neom Sensuous Organic Body Wash 50ml - this was lovely to use and would happily re-purchase.

ila Rose Bliss Face Oil 10ml* - simply one of the best face oils out there. Sure to buy at some point.  See my review here.

Pinks Boutique Rose Crystal Bath Soak sample, Rosehip Face & Body Scrub sample and Rose Face & Body Balm sample - these were lovely to use and very luxurious. Would buy full sizes in a heartbeat.

Naturally Nourished Lemongrass & Papaya Cleanser sample and Frankincense Hand Cream sample - these were lovely and I'd buy them again.

inner-soul organics Circulation Boost Skin Oil 30ml - this came in December's Souk Souk. Loved it.

FoM Body Contouring Body Serum sample - this was lightly scented with lemon and nice to use but a small sample.

Aromatherapy Associates Inner Strength Bath & Shower Oil 7.5ml - this came in my Advent calendar. Loved it. Would buy.

REN Frankincense Revitalising Night Cream 5ml - lovely to use. Would consider purchasing full size.

*PR sample

My Top Ten

It has been really difficult to chose my top 10 products of 2013. I featured 31 products in 2012 - see here. I was initially going to do my top 5 but I just couldn't choose.  Here goes..

bodhi Mint Thé Refreshing Bath & Shower Therapy 250ml - my favourite bodhi product (love the rest of them too though!).  Just love this refreshing and revitalising Shower Gel. It's a great wake up call in the morning and is also lovely to use to refresh after a hot day. It's a product which will always be in my stash. It featured in my 2012 favourites - see here. See my mini review here.  See the online store here.

A'kin Lavender & Anthyliss Leave in Conditioner 150ml - one of the best hair care products I've ever used. It featured in my top products of 2012 see here and it featured in my June favourites here. It leaves my hair soft and moisturised and looking great with split ends diminished! You can purchase from Naturisimo here.

Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts 400g - these bath salts are one of my favourite tries this year. I always have an restful and deep night's sleep after using them. You can see my mini review here.  Buy here.

Dr Organic Rose Otto Bath Oil 100ml - huge fan of Dr Organic products. The rose otto range is simply divine. This is a good dupe for REN's Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil and a third of the price. Dr Organic can be bought from Holland & Barratt instore or online. (Although REN's Moroccan Rose Otto will always be my favourite).

Shay & Blue Atropa Belladona perfume - this is a recent try for me and I've worn it every single day since I bought it! Need to stock up soon. See my review here. Check out the Shay & Blue website here.

001 Skincare Intensive Elixir 50ml* - this is quite simply the most ground breaking skincare product I've used this year. It makes my skin look simply fabulous. See my review here.  You can buy at a beautiful world.

Marble & Milkweed Nourishing Body Oil 118ml* - Love this body oil. It just smells so good and super moisturises the skin. Scented with Cardamon which gives it a spicy edge with Rose Otto and Sandalwood.  See my review here. Pick it up at a beautiful world.

Balmology Neroli & Sweet Basil Cleansing Balm 50g - this heavenly scented balm simply removes all make up and daily grime. See my review here. I bought this at Samsara Skin.

Mary Elizabeth Spearmint & Tea Tree Nurture Balm 15ml* - love that you can pretty much use this balm wherever you feel you need it - lips, dry patches, flyaway hair, hand and heels. See my review here.  See the online shop here.

Naturally Nourished Exotic Body Balm 90g - this is one of my favourite finds of the year. It smells quite simply heavenly. A rich balm which melts easily into the skin and is scented with Monoi de Tahiti Oil, Ylang Ylang and Palmarosa oils.  See my review here. See all of the products available here.

What's in your top ten?

*PR samples

Shopping my Stash #39

Here's what I've been reaching for this week:

Dr Organic Manuka Honey Cuticle & Nail Solution 15ml (£6.19 - offer at Holland & Barratt buy one get one half price at the moment) - I simply love this super moisturising cuticle serum.  It leaves the cuticles and nails in great condition and it smells rather nice too.

The Argan Company Argan Oil 30ml* (£11.99) - I won this in the company's first Twitter competition.  This oil is cold pressed from the nut, is ethically produced and rich in nutrients and essential fatty acids. My skin, hair and nails have been loving this super moisturising oil. A fuller review will follow.

Mendill Organic Wet Towelettes** - I reviewed the Lavender ones here. I love how they each have some of the same uses (use on hands and body) but some different uses too. Organic Tangerine** an opened towelette can be used to refresh the air in the bathroom and you can use it to remove oil, grime, grease and to wipe counter tops.

Organic Lemon** can be used as a face astringent or aftershave.  You can also massage the towelette onto your forehead to help with concentration issues. Organic Orange** can be put in the fridge to refresh after exercise or on a hot day. It also brightens the skin and Organic Eucalyptus** freshens, deodorises, relieves sore muscles and can soothe sunburn.

eos Summer Fruits Lip Balm - love this natural and fruity lip balm. Lasts for ages too!

Naturally Nourished Frankincense Hand Cream sample - a rich hand cream stuffed full of nourishing shea butter, kukui nut oil and scented with ylang ylang, rose and frankincense essential oils. Gorgeous!

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Roomiest Rose - this is a really lovely deep rose shade.

What have you been reaching for this week?

*Twitter Competition Win

** PR samples

October Empties

This has been a really quick month. I've hardly used up much. Here are my empties -

GLOW Skincare Rose & Macadamia Face Cream - sample pot - this came from my Souk Souk box. Seemed a nice cream but quite a small pot so hard to tell if it really suited my skin or not.

Naturally Nourished Exotic Body Balm 20g - simply love this exotic scented balm. Have since purchased full size.  See my review here.

Marie Veronique Organics Mist* - simply loved this! See my review here. Will definitely think about placing a MVO order in the New Year.

Dr Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Hand & Nail Cream 100ml - simply love this super moisturising coconut scented hand cream. I've already bought another. I love all the Dr Organic hand creams.

REN Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil 10ml - my favourite bath oil. Sure to buy it again. Already been dropping hints to hubby for Christmas.  I reviewed it here.

Naturally Nourished Rose Body Mousse 20g - I bought this at the same time as the Exotic Body Balm but I just didn't like it as much. I would have liked if it had been stronger scented.  Wouldn't buy again.

Botanicals Rose & Camellia Body Lotion 5g - simply gorgeous. One I'm adding it to my ever expanding wishlist.

Botanicals Lavender Balm 5g - this was nice to use too. If I bought it I'd maybe try a different scent. Nicely nourishing and easy to apply.

Marlenha Hyaluronic Acid & Collagen Beads Moisturising Face Cream 50ml* - this was really nice to use.  See my review here. I'd consider purchasing when I've depleted my stash.

REDKEN Color Extend Shampoo 50ml - this was nice enough to use (I've got a couple of other minis to use) but I doubt I'd buy it again as I found it quite drying.

Raw Gaia Organic Coconut Body Butter 15ml - simply gorgeous! Full size is on my to buy list..and soon.

Marble & Milkweed Nourishing Body Oil 3.7ml - this came in the a beautiful world A/W '13 Sampler box. Simply loved it. Full size is on my wishlist.

Sephora Cotton Flowers single use Shower Gel - this was just the right amount for one shower. A friend picked a few up for me on holiday recently. Quite nice but I found the scent a little bit artificial.

this works really rich firming lotion 50ml - this had a glorious jasmine and fig scent. Was a rich lotion but didn't notice any firming action. Probably wouldn't buy - this was a magazine freebie.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand & Nail Cream 15ml - simply love this nourishing honey scented hand cream. Have since picked up a full size.

Aromatherapy Associates Relax Deep Bath & Shower Oil 3ml - one of my favourite Aromatherapy Associates scents.  Sure to use again.

*PR samples

Shopping my Stash #37

Here's what I've been reaching for this week - 

Willow Organic Beauty Gentle Cleansing Balm 120ml - a really gorgeous cleansing balm.  See my review here.

Yarok Feed your Ends Leave in Conditioner 2oz - I received this in my A/W '13 a beautiful world box. This product is fantastic. It smells amazing and leaves the hair lightly conditioned and smooth. Love, love, love.

raw gaia Organic Coconut Body Butter 15ml - I simply love companies who offer trial sizes.  Raw gaia have a huge selection - see here. A gorgeous body butter which smells of coconut and melts on contact with the skin. A full size is definitely being bought and soon!

raw gaia Organic Floral Face Toner 10ml - again another trial size. This is simply lovely. Refreshing and slightly floral scented.  My skin is loving it. Another one I'm buying full size.

Naturally Nourished Exotic Body Butter 90g - this is another company which offers trial sizes. I bought this not long after finishing the sample.  See my review here.

Shay & Blue Atropa Belladona natural spray fragrance 30ml - I bought this perfume blind. I'd read about it on The Sunday Girl blog and fell in love!  It's one of the nicest perfumes in my collection.  The fragrances are hand crafted in England and I'm definitely visiting their store next time I'm in London. With top notes of dark cassis berries, heart notes of white narcissus and jasmine with base notes of patchouli and bourbon vanilla. A fuller review will follow.

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Plum Jam - I first saw this on Fleur's blog. It gives the lips a glossy wash of colour and tastes of vanilla. Gorgeous!

What have you been loving this week? 

Naturally Nourished

I came across this wonderful new skin care company, Naturally Nourished on Twitter recently. Just loved the fact that they offer very generous samples sizes - I love trying before buying.  I ordered 3 samples (£1.50 each - 20g - Exotic Body Balm, Papaya & Lemongrass Cleanser and Rose Body Mousse) and a Choccie Lip Balm (£4.50) Postage & Packaging costs £3.50.

Jane is passionate about healthy living and using natural products so she decided to create her own. She took a course taken by Star Khechara and has created a luxury range which smell good enough to eat!  Free from parabens, SLS, PEGs, silicones, phenoxyethanol, artificial fragrances and colours. Products are tested on Jane's family - not animals.

The finest ingredients are used - ethically sourced, Fairtrade and organic where possible.

Here's what I chose:

Exotic Body Balm (£22.50 for 90g) - this is simply gorgeous! Scented with Monoi de Tahiti oil and packed full of other good things for the skin - Mango Butter, Coconut Oil, Camellia Oil and Vitamin E with Ylang Ylang and Palmarosa Oils. This is a rich balm which melts on contact with the skin leaving it sweetly and exotically scented. Love this. Know I'll be buying full size soon.

Papaya & Lemongrass Cleanser (£7.50 for 45g) - a fluffy cleanser with the refreshing and aromatic scent of Lemongrass.  It also contains Papaya Oil to remove make up and impurities, Jojoba Oil to protect and condition with the Lemongrass cleansing, unplugging pores and revitalising the skin. Suitable for all skin types. Apply to face, massaging it in and remove with a warmed damp cloth. This is one I'm picking up full size..and soon!

Rose Body Mousse (£10.50 for 90g) - a lightly scented moisturising cream which contains Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Rice Bran Oil along with essential oils of Rose and Vanilla. Leaves this skin moisturised and gently scented with rose.

Choccie Lip Balm (£4.50 for 15g) - this is fab. A really rich and moisturising balm for the lips which smells just like chocolate. Contains Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Meadowfoam Seed Oil and Sweet Almond oil which keeps lips soft and smooth. Beeswax seals in moisture. Cocoa powder and Vanilla make it good enough to eat!  Apply as often as needed.

Next on the list to try are - Carrot Seed Face Serum, Rose Face Cream and Frankincense Hand Cream.

See the website here

Follow on Twitter @NatNourished