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?

A Closer Look: Body Butters

Here is my collection of body butters:

Bare Innocence Jasmine & Orange Cocoa & Shea Butter 100ml* - a rich and supermoisturising butter which smells gorgeous. Great for dry skin.  See my review here.

raw gaia Coconut Body Butter 90g - simply love this rich coconut scented body butter.  See my review here.

Melvita APICOSMA Body Ultra Nourishing Body Balm 150ml - a rich balm which is scented with honey and packed full of nourishing butters and oils. First tried it in the British Beauty Blogger Edit Box and loved it!

Just Be Nourished Body Butter 200ml - a delicious rich butter scented with Rose and Frankincense.  See my review here.

Blipster Magic Peppermint Bark Whipped Body Butter* - a minty butter handmade by Amy. See my review here.

Kris D'Amour Rejuvenating Body Treatment Butter 100ml* - a lovely butter which melts into the skin leaving it soft and lightly scented.  See my review here.

Laidbare Butter Me Up 250ml - a rich cream rather than a butter heavenly scented with Jasmine.  See my review here.

Wellgreen Lewes Rose Body Butter 70g - one of the most decadent body butters I've ever used.  See my review here.

Lyonsleaf Natural Body Butter 120ml* - a rich and 100% natural body butter which super moisturises the skin.  See my review here.

Carishea Shea Scot Whipped Body Balm 100ml* - a gorgeous rich butter scented with Lavender and Honey. See my review here.

Have you used any of these?  What's your favourite body butter?

*PR samples

Shopping My Stash #40

These are the products I've been reaching for this week - 

Cowshed Gorgeous Cow Blissful Perfume Oil with Ylang Ylang, Frangipani & Bergamot 10ml - this scent is simply gorgeous!  See initial post here.

Therapie Restore Aura Spray 100ml - this amazing product helps to de-stress, re-focus, uplift and bring calm to your life. It uses reiki to cleanse and rebalance your energy field (aura).

raw gaia Cold pressed coconut body butter 90g - simply adore this rich butter which is scented with coconut.  See my review here.

Simply Bee Heel Balm 125ml* - a rich balm which is free from chemicals - it contains sweet almond oil, shea butter, beeswax, propolis and tea tree essential oil. Leave my feet soft and smooth.  Full review to follow.

Time Bomb Complexion Cocktail with a shot of B12 100ml* - gives tired skin a boost and helps to smooth and tone the complexion.  Full review to follow (amazing product!)

Trilogy Rosapene Night Cream 25ml - a night cream which smells gorgeous and has a light texture. I've not been using this long but it makes my skin look radiant and renewed.

What have you been reaching for this week?

*PR samples

November Empties

The months are whizzing by - can't believe it's empties time again!

Sranrom Calm Down Hand Cream 30g - this came in a Souk Souk box. Loved the Lemongrass scent and moisturising properties. Would buy.

Korres Guava Shower Gel 250ml - my favourite Korres scent - sure to re-purchase.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream 30ml - again another favourite hand cream. Sure to buy it again or pick up in an offer.

Kai Body Wash 59ml - love the scent of Kai perfume oil. The body wash smells exactly like it. Full size definitely on my wishlist.

Elemis Pro-Radiance Hand & Nail Cream 30ml - love this super moisturising hand cream. Will pick this up again sometime.

Peppy Galore Rebel Face Moisturiser sample* - three samples came free if you signed up to the Peppy Galore newsletter. This cream had a nice texture but I hated the scent (Tea Tree) in fact I couldn't finish the pot.

Peppy Galore Vanilla Ice Cream Body Mousse sample* - I found this had a strange texture but it smoothed onto the body fine and the scent was nice. 

SW Basics Cream mini pot - love how moisturising this is. Sure to buy a pot when I use up some of my stash.

balance Me Skinbright Hydrating Face Mist 60ml - I simply adore this! One of my top products of the year. Sure to pick it up again...and soon.

ila Hydrolat Toner Damascena Rose Water 30ml* - simply loved this. It came in a mini set which I reviewed here*.  Definitely one I'd consider purchasing.

raw gaia organic shea body butter 15ml - this was lovely to use but I think I slightly prefer the coconut body butter.

raw gaia organic floral face toner 10ml - simply loved this light floral toner. Will definitely purchase full size at some point.

Hairy Jayne Nourishing Shampoo 30ml - a gorgeous rich and nourishing shampoo which smells divine.  See my review here.

bare innocence Essence of Vali Uplift Massage & Bath Oil* - see my review here. A really lovely oil and one I'd consider purchasing.

Melvita Apicosma Body Balm 15ml - a gorgeous rich balm which I've already bought full size.

Freyaluna Skin Support Cleansing Cream sample pot - this came in November's Souk Souk beauty box. Was nice enough to use but I felt it a bit heavy on my skin. 

balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash 100ml* - a firm favourite. Sure to buy at some point.

ila Day Cream for Glowing Radiance sample pot* - love this rich moisturising cream. It's on my wishlist!

Have you used any of these?

*PR samples

raw gaia trial size

I've followed raw gaia on Twitter for ages but hadn't tried any of their products. I recently read Annie's fab review and quickly placed an order.

They were offering a very generous £10 off your first order if you signed up to the newsletter - it's now a free trial size - still a great offer.

The products are organic, raw, vegan, cruelty free and fair-trade. Every ingredient is clearly stated and 100% natural. The highest quality of organic ingredients are used in all products are hand crafted in Brighton and there is a product for every type of skin issue.

I simply love trial sizes and these would make great stocking fillers too.

My parcel came beautifully wrapped and it was a joy to open. Here's what I picked -

Floral Face Toner 10ml - this is simply lovely to use. Refreshing and it smells gorgeous. It is made with high grade floral waters and essential oils. It balances, tones and revitalises the skin. It contains Rose Otto Floral Water, Neroli Floral Water, Palmarosa Essential Oil, Rose Geranium Essential Oil, Chamomile Essential Oil and Lavender Essential Oil. Full size is on my wishlist! 10ml retails at £4.49.

Organic Cold-Pressed Coconut Butter 15ml - oh WOW this product is amazing - I've already finished my pot of this luscious coconut scented super moisturising butter. I'm buying full size very soon. It melts on contact with warm skin leaving it moisturised and smelling of coconut. So love a multi-purpose product - can be used on body, face and hair. 15ml retails at £3.29.

Shea Butter 15ml - the butter is 100% raw and sourced through a women's project in Ghana. Blended with organic cold pressed apricot oil which keeps it as pure and as simple as possible. Can be applied all over the body - hands, feet, knees, lips and any dry areas. 15ml retails at £3.49.

The final product I picked up is Raw Chocolate Face Pack 15ml - oh this smells exactly like chocolate! You mix the powder with water to form a paste before applying to face and neck. Contains raw chocolate powder, red clay, organic turmeric and organic alma fruit powder. It leaves the skin feeling clean, soft and smooth.

Have you tried raw gaia? If so, what are your favourites?

See the website here

Follow on Twitter @RawGaia 

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?