Empties – August 2019

Hi there! It’s the first weekday of a new month, and this means that today’s post is about all the toiletries and beauty products I finished last month. I’ve done very well again (yes, my husband helped), and for the first time in what feels like a million years I managed to use up a mono eyeshadow! YESSS! 🤣💪 Now, onto the empties!

1 Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel – of all the eye creams / gels I’ve tried so far, this is my favourite! Yes, I have a backup.

2 Manhattan Multi Effect Eyeshadow 92W Caramel Fudge – I enjoyed this eyeshadow a lot! Great quality and colour. Repurchase? Nope! I’d never repurchase the same eyeshadow because of how long it takes to finish such a product.

3 Radox Scent Touch Feel Free – this is a good shower gel with a pleasant and long-lasting fragrance, and I might buy it again. This is a shared empty because my husband used this shower gel too.

4 Herbal Essences Bio Renew Rosemary & Herbs Moisture Conditioner – this is a great conditioner, and I will buy it (and the matching shampoo) again, no doubt!

5 Original Source Lemon And Tea Tree Shower – this is a summer favourite and another shared empty. Repurchase? Yes!

6 – 7 Hello Kitty Lipstick & Lipgloss – these products aren’t empty, but they’ve been living in my drawer for far too long. I’m not going to use them at this point, so bye-bye!

8 Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer – another product I’m throwing out because I won’t use it. This is a lip lacquer in an insanely bright neon-raspberry kind of shade. I don’t know why I bought it because I can’t wear such shades.

9 Essence Eyeliner 02 Blue – I tried to get some use out of this light blue eyeliner, but it’s just not me, so I’m binning this one too. I have green eyes, and this shade of eyeliner just doesn’t work for me.

10 Baylis & Harding Beauticology Pink Grapefruit & Raspberry Fragrance Mist – I enjoyed this body mist while it lasted, but I don’t think I’d repurchase it because I’ve grown tired of the fragrance.

11 Good Things Spa Acai Berry Daily Essential Body Wash – I enjoyed this body wash, but it’s been discontinued, so I can’t repurchase it.

12 Carex Moisture Plus Shower Cream – this is another shared empty and another nice shower product that I might buy again!

13 Original Source Hydrating Water Infusions Apple & Melon Shower – this is one of 2 hydrating (!) shower products that helped me stay on top of my dry skin and my eczema when it was almost 40C in July (I just couldn’t bring myself to use body lotion for 3 days). But I don’t think I’ll buy this particular fragrance again; the grapefruit & mint shower gel was nicer!

14 Sleek Au Naturel Eyeshadow Palette – this palette isn’t empty, but it’s as near-empty as it can possibly be. I’ve now decided to throw it away because I haven’t used it in ages, and I’m not going to use it anymore. But I DID empty 9 of the 12 pans! Anyhoo, before I took the photo, I gave the palette a quick wipe – but then I dropped it and the lid broke off.

15 Superdrug B. Vitalised Vitamin Facial Spritz – this is another amazing face mist from Superdrug. I enjoyed it very much, and I will buy it again!

16 Boots Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream – one of the best cleansers I’ve ever tried. Repurchase? Yes!

17 Superdrug B. Hydrated Hyaluronic Acid Facial Spritz – I love this face mist! This was the first Superdrug face mist I’ve ever tried, and I loved it from day 1! Superdrug repackaged this one but the ingredients are 100% the same! If you’re wondering why I emptied 2 face mists, this was the one I had in my handbag.

August was a good month for Empties – I said goodbye to small items and big bottles, and I even threw out unloved stuff that I won’t be using and can’t repurpose. I do hope I can say goodbye to just as many products in September. Fingers crossed!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Sleek i-Divine Au Naturel Palette

Hi there! I finally got myself this pretty eyeshadow palette: Sleek i-Divine Au Naturel (scroll down for swatches). Every time there’s a 3 for 2 offer, this palette is usually sold out on day one, but this time I was lucky!

I wanted this palette for quite some time because the shades – most of which are mattes – are simply stunning, but considering that I’ve got other eye palettes, this one wasn’t a priority. However, with the 3 for 2 offer, I thought I’d treat myself to it (and two more palettes, by the way, but those will be looked at separately)
Sleek Au Naturel 1
This i-Divine palette comes with a mirror and it contains the following shades:
Top: Nougat, Nubuck, Cappuccino, Honeycomb, Toast, Taupe
Bottom: Conker, Moss, Bark, Mineral Earth, Regal, Noir

Taupe, Conker, Moss and Mineral Earth are shimmery shades, everything else is matte. My favourites are Cappuccino, Conker, Bark and Regal – shades 3, 7, 9 and 11 in the swatch below.

Just in case you think I swatched 11 of the 12 eyeshadows only… no, all 12 are shown in the swatch. Nougat, the first shade, simply doesn’t show much on my pale arms.
Sleek Au Naturel
I like this palette very much. The neutral shades are perfect for beautiful everyday looks. But the shimmers are a nice addition to this mainly matte palette because they can add a touch of subtle glamour in an instant.

The shimmery shades are incredibly buttery – they’re a dream to work with. The mattes are not as buttery, but I wouldn’t call them chalky either. They’re actually quite blendable. To sum it up: Yes, I do recommend this eyeshadow palette!

Sleek i-Divine Au Naturel is available for £7.99, but keep your eyes peeled for offers!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde