EMPTIES | December '16

I was hoping to have this post up earlier, but holidays happened and everyone needs a break! So although we are now 9 days into January (can it just slow down a little!?), here are my empties and reviews from the month of December.

The Body Shop Drops of Youth Essence Lotion* | NZD $58.50

I reviewed this range from The Body Shop back in late October and have just finished up a couple of the products. I go more in-depth in this post about the range, but overall I really loved this Essence Lotion, which works like a toner. It has a thick gel-like texture to it, and once applied to the skin instantly sunk in. This range is designed for more mature skin, or to combat early signs of ageing and it is definitely a product I would purchase myself. After each use, my skin would be instantly hydrated and it looked smoother on the whole.

Trilogy Eye Contour Cream* | $51.99

For affordable and high-quality skincare Trilogy is a fantastic, natural, NZ brand and many products I have used from them are all great quality (the Rosehip Oil is a skincare must). This eye cream was like a traditional cream, on the thicker side but didn't take too long to pat under the eyes. I was hoping it would give me a bit more hydration, which is my only issues with it. I think for a standard eye cream it is a good one to have but the results weren't mind-blowing.

The Body Shop Drops of Light Pure Healthy Brightening Day Cream* | $63.95

The Drops of Light range goes along with the Drops of Youth above, but this one is aimed at brightening the skin, reducing dark spots, and overall promoting more of a glow to the skin. At first, I was enjoying it, but since using up the whole tub I really miss it and realised how nice it was for my skin. Paired up with Brightening Serum from the same line, this is a godsend for clearing up acne scarring and pigmentation. I desperately need to get another one soon!

Maybelline Eye + Lip Makeup Remover | NZD $5 - $6.00

As always this little bottle of goodness has to be included. This is one skincare product I will never live without and just swear by it. It is not irritating at all but removes all traces of mascara and even stubborn liquid lip colours as well with the bi-phase formula you shake up before each use.

Daiso Detergent for Puff + Sponge | NZD $3.50

Another cupboard staple is this 'detergent' from the Japanese store Daiso which is the absolute BEST for cleaning makeup sponges and your brushes too. It is also only $3.50, or you can get 3 for $10 across the whole store. If you are near a Daiso (there is one on Queen St in Auckland), stock up on a few bottles!

Johnny's Chop Shop Born Lucky Shampoo with a Shot of Conditioner* | $17.00

I hardly ever talk about male products on here, but I was sent a few of the super cool Johnny's Chop Shop range for my boyfriend to try out which he was very pleased about! This brand hails from a barber shop in the UK and it's great to see some cool products for guys on the market. You can find the brand at Farmers, department stores, pharmacies and selected barbers and all the products are $17, with a range of hair gels, moisturisers, beard grooming products etc. I got a few notes from the boyfriend who said that this was a good shampoo, with really well-designed packaging that lasted ages and he would purchase it over others. I think having to only deal with one bottle that does your shampoo and conditioner is definitely a plus!

Holistic Hair Hydrating Conditioner* | $29.99

I was sent both the Shampoo and Conditioner from Holistic Hair and I don't know how but I managed to whizz through the conditioner and still have a bit more shampoo to use (likely to be included in my January Empties). Holistic Hair is all about using natural oils and ingredients to create high-quality hair care and the conditioner delivered in that regard making my hair feel a lot more hydrated (particularly the ends). At $30 a bottle I'm not sure how often I would buy it, though, but if you are into natural hair care it might be a good brand to check out.

Billion Dollar Brows Brows on Point Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe* | NZD $34.00

I am all about the brows and love trying out different products and I know when something works for me or doesn't. This BDB Pencil definitely worked for me and reminded me in many ways of the Anastasia Brow Wiz (one of my all-time favourites), but with less pigment so you had to press a little harder. A major downside was that this lasted hardly any time at all; I think I got through it in about 3 weeks when generally I can get a couple months from a brow pencil. That aside I would purchase it myself as it is one of the better ones on the NZ market currently.

Colourpop Cosmetics Brow Pencil in Bangin' Brunette | USD $5.00

It seemed all my brow pencils finished at once, and this Colourpop one I absolutely love and have raved about in past haul posts. It is a lot softer than others I have used (such as the BDB one above) and has a very thin nib which I like. It allows me to get a really precise brow, but it also blends nicely through the brow hairs by using the spoolie on the other end. I am already into another one of these and will have to do a bulk order to stock up on it for the future - they are so cheap!

Australis Fresh + Flawless Pressed Powder | NZD $20.50

Unfortunately, this powder still had about a half of it left but broke in my bag *sad face*, but luckily I already had a back up as I love this powder. It gives a bit of extra coverage to the skin and also helps to mattify and set down your base products well. It is also affordable and easy to find at your local Farmers.

Fashionista Fashion Secret Mattifying Primer | NFS
This primer should have been thrown out a long time ago and was leaking out some weird liquid from the cap so it went straight to the bin. I am pretty sure you can't get this anymore, but once upon a time it was stocked on the UK MUA or Makeup Academy site as a side brand. It was a nice silicon primer that did work well in its day but sadly had to go in the bin!

What products have you finished recently? Have you used any of these?

*PR Samples.

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