EMPTIES | April '16

I can't quite believe it, but it is actually May, which means we are almost halfway through the year. Ok, I might be getting ahead of myself here, but the time is going so quickly! With the end of the month always comes my monthly Empties, here you'll find all the products I finished up over the past four weeks and what I thought about them.

HAIR

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo + Dove Daily Moisture Conditioner

I've lumped these two together because they go hand in. It's unusual that I finish a shampoo and conditioner around the same time, but this month I did. I bought these as I've used Dove shampoos before and found them to be pretty good for an affordable price, so these big bottles are great value for money and last ages too. I would definitely purchase these again as they cleaned the hair well and made it feel soft and well nourished.

Hask Essentials Express Blow Dry Hair Drying Spray*

It is well documented that I am a huge fan of this spray, it even featured in my Most Loved for February. Basically, this spray makes your hair dry a lot quicker than without it by evaporating the water molecules in the hair. After showering, I spray this liberally all over my hair, not only does it mean I can dry it quicker with a hair dryer, it also helps to treat and protect it from the heat. I'm already well into my second bottle of this.

SKINCARE

Maybelline Eye + Lip Remover [x2]

There's always at least one of these in my Empties and this month I got through two! This is the best for removing eye makeup and stubborn lip products with ease and without irritating. If you haven't tried this, you need to!

Antipodes Hallelujah Lime & Patchouli Cleanser*

Antipodes skincare is absolutely gorgeous and I've been fortunate enough to try out a fair bit from them. This cleanser was very nice to use and great for all skin types, particularly if you have sensitive skin. It was very gentle but cleansed the face well without stripping it too much of its natural oils. The large bottle lasted a few months and the pump makes it easy and convenient to use.

Goodness Products Every Day Cream Cleanser* [Mini]

I used this up near the start of the month as I took it away with me over Easter. Like the Antipodes cleanser, this was very gentle on the skin and non-drying, and a great one for all skin types. Goodness has extremely affordable products, so are great if you are on a bit of a budget but want natural and NZ made skincare. See more from them here.

BODY + MISC.

The Body Shop Frosted Plum Scrub*

The Body Shop Christmas collections are always so covetable and smell divine. The 2015 offering included the new addition of the Frosted Plum scent which I absolutely adored. I got through some of the other products pretty quickly but have been taking my time with this scrub using a little bit once a week to give my skin a good polish and exfoliation. The texture of this was quite thick and gel-like with small particles of sugar used for scrubbing. Once it was mixed with a bit of water I found it worked a bit better and I was able to scrub a larger surface area. I would definitely use other Body Shop scrubs in the future and I hope they bring this scent back!

Ecoya Sweet Pea + Jasmine Soy Candle [Mini]

I've had this mini/travel sized candle for a while now and finally decided to burn it. Ecoya candles are beautiful and really great quality - the smaller ones are a good option too as they give off a good amount of scent and you get many hours of burn time. It burned evenly with all the wax melting well, and I really liked the floral scent.

Original Source Mango Shower Gel*

If you are after an amazing scented shower gel, Orignal Source is the one to go for. I've used their shower gels for years and really enjoy them, not just for the smell but they're cleaning abilities too. The Mango one is delicious, but the rest is so good as well plus they are easily found at your local supermarket and are affordable.

Daiso Detergent for Puff + Sponge

Makeup sponges can be a real bitch to clean, I swear by Baby Shampoo for my brushes but it just didn't quite do it when it came to my sponges. This $3.50 product from Daiso is literally the only thing I've found that will clean my sponges good as new. This detergent just draws out all foundation deep within the sponge making it look practically brand new again. It's also good for disinfecting them, which will, in turn, help them last longer! I always stock up on this when I am near a Daiso!

anatomicals Help the Paw Vitamin Rich Hand Cream

I am a big fan of the anatomicals line of products; I love their packaging and the slogans are really fun and eye-catching. This hand cream was all I could want from a hand cream; it sunk in quickly, smelt good but wasn't overpowering and it gave me instant moisture. I would definitely purchase this again.

MAKEUP

Maybelline Fit Me! Matte + Poreless Foundation in 110 + 120*

If I had to wear one drugstore foundation for the rest of my life, I think I'd have to pick this one! I have had two bottles on the go for a while now as sometimes I need the slightly darker shade. especially over Summer and it just so happens they both got emptied this month! If you have combination/oily skin, this is a great foundation - it's matte but not too matte, has good light to medium coverage that is buildable and it lasts well on the skin throughout the day. I've already bought another bottle as I love this foundation a lot!

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

To go along with the foundation above, I always, without fail, use the Real Techniques sponge to apply my base products, including foundation and concealer. It gives an even coverage without leaving behind brush strokes, helps the foundation from not settling anywhere it shouldn't and makes foundation blend more seamlessly with the skin. This sponge lasted me a good few months but it was definitely time I retired it for a new one.

Billion Dollar Brows Brow Gel*

Brows are one of my favourite things about applying makeup, they instantly lift and transform the face and because I am not blessed with full brows I gotta fill them in! I use a pencil usually to fill them in and will either go in with a clear brow gel like this one (for a more natural look) or a tinted brow gel if I want to add a bit more colour. Brow gels are great to set the hairs down and give them a more combed through, natural look. This one from BDB held the hairs and pencil/powder in place without looking or feeling crispy.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Dark Brown/Brunette

My beloved Brow Wiz came to an end this month and sadly I didn't have any backups as I usually do. Because the NZ dollar has been so bad lately against the US, I haven't been buying much online - I usually order mine from Urban Outfitters as they have free shipping for orders over $50 USD. I really need to replace it because the other brow products I am using just are nowhere as good! I might just have to bite the bullet and buy it from Beauty Bliss for $39.00 - it is worth it though as the nib is so fine and you can get very sharp and precise brows, that are totes on fleek (did I do that right?!)

Did you finish any products this month? Have you used any that I mentioned?

*PR Samples.

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