Week after week, I find myself increasingly satisfied with the sheer volume of products I am able to eliminate from my collection. While the countless emptied bottles, tubes and jars all speak for themselves, I can't give myself total credit. These featured products were already partially empty when I begun #MissionEmpties, ranging anywhere between 1 days use, to 4 weeks remaining, the majority of which, falling into the lower end of that scale. Because, let's be honest, nobody gets through 3 toners in a month.
Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash £11.00 / 50ML
I just could not love this cleanser more (full review here). While it creates a small lather, it is in no way stripping, instead, it's really quite moisturising. Its ability to unclog pores is unmatched. I have the clearest, cleanest skin imaginable after use. This product has become an absolute staple for me, degunking pores in the most comfortable fashion. Essential.
Skin & Tonic London Brit Beauty Oil £28.00 / 30ML
Through encouraging cellular function, this oil hugely improves skin condition, creating a healthier and plumper complexion (full review here). My skin looks fuller and nourished, given the optimum level of hydration. While a slightly heavier oil, it's perfect for use as a night-time moisturiser. Effective, repurchase.
Balm Balm Frankincense Light Facial Oil £7.99 / 10ML
This delicately light oil helps to improve skin's condition while regulating oil production (full review here). Skin is expertly hydrated, while revitalised through the rejuvenating properties of frankincense. My skin appears much healthier, offering a brighter complexion, the perfect substitue for a day-time moisturiser. Effective, repurchase.
PureChimp Super Body Cream £12.95 / 120ML
I'm a big advocate for PureChimp, their simple natural formulas are, in essence, super foods for the skin. Their PureChimp Super Body Cream is a buttery little number, with an almost bubbly, whipped texture, which, once applied, melts into a rather thick oil. While it is fairly greasy, it is in no way sticky. Follow that up with a wonderfully banana-y scent, and you've got yourself the perfect creamy mix to keep skin supple and moisturised. Effective, repurchase.
The Oxford Honey Company Beeswax Foot Cream £6.00 / 40G
As someone who is always on their feet and always participating in sports or exercise, my feet are often left neglected, when really, they need the utmost care. I suffer with dry feet, blisters, cracking, you name it, I continue to put my feet through it. Beeswax has been the perfect solution for helping to moisturise and heal my poor bruised tootsies. The beeswax helps to create a thick protective barrier that moisturises and cures any damage. My feet are now super supple and soft. It's wax after all, so it's a little tough to spread, but it's wonderfully moisturising, perfect for evening use. Effective, repurchase.
LUSH Curly Wurly Coconut Shampoo £10.25 / 220G
My hair has always been dry and frizzy, and I've found one of the best ways to counter that is to cleanse my hair with moisturising shampoos without any over-stripping sulphates. The LUSH Curly Wurly Coconut Shampoo is very nourishing and caring, helping to leave my hair and scalp wonderfully hydrated, without making it heavy, greasy or lank. It contains desiccated coconut, which becomes tangled in hair, even after rinsing, as it's tricky to remove. I find it in my bathtub, on my floors, in my bed, stuck in my hair. It's very, very messy. Effective, don't repurchase.
The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream £12.00 / 50ML
While oily, my skin often does become dehydrated or in need of some TLC. For those times, I'll pick up and intensive moisturiser to help sooth and rehydrate my skin. The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream is very cooling to touch, helping to instantly sooth and calm. It is a very loose, spreadable liquid that quickly absorbs, offering an instant boost of hydration. The smell is just divine, very natural and pretty. Effective, don't repurchase.
During my initial pledge, my other half said he would help me get through my products. This is the one and only product he used... and you guessed it, his comments on it are dry at best. "Yes it smells good and yes it does good.": in response to my questioning. But, well, that's not useful to anybody, so I used this body wash myself (even though I'm an self-proclaimed soap lover). Geranium is one of my all time favourite scents, and combined with grapefruit creates the ultimate complimentary blend. The wash is wonderfully moisturising and effectively cleans. If I were a body wash user, you can bet I'd repurchase this. But sadly, I'm not. Not Suitable.
Skin Food Black Sugar Mask Wash Off £11.70 / 100G
As a face mask with a consistency similar to a treacle syrup, it manages to be both moisturising and exfoliating, turning skin into a much smoother and balanced canvas. This mask continues to stay wet, not drying on skin, meaning skin continues to feel hydrated and cherished. My skin feels very supple and soft after use, as, upon removal, the sugar granules create a nice gritty method of exfoliation. My complexion is balanced, meaning any redness or inflammation is significantly reduced. However, the smell somehow manages to be both sickly sweet and powerfully chemical, not nearly as delicious as it initally sounds. Effective, don't repurchase.
This product is the face scrub equivalent to the Skin Food Black Sugar Mask Wash Off (as seen above). Once again, it uses sugar to exfoliate, leaving behind much smoother skin. As sugar very readily dissolves in water, the scrub begins fairly gritty and once the granules begin to dissolve, becomes quite soft and gentle. It's bound inside a thick, sugary syrup which has a very fake an synthetic scent. Effective, don't repurchase.
Origins United State Balancing Tonic £18.50 / 150ML
I'll admit, I was a little dubious about this product, as I assumed it was going to be astringent. Instead, I found it to be really quite gentle. But this is where my praise ends. This tonic is utterly useless. It does nothing in the way of balancing, calming, toning or refreshing skin. While my skin does feel comfortable after use, the lack of any other redeeming properties make it really quite pointless. Ineffective.
Innisfree Jeji Volcanic Blackhead Out Balm £3.97 / 30ML
This has to be one of the most pointless and ineffective products I have used of late. Supposedly, this product melts away blackheads after you message the soft-scoop balm into skin for around 3-5 minutes. It does nothing of the sort. The soft balm, melts into a very thin milk-like texture and disappears. There is no sensation while massaging and no visible after effects. It clogs pores horrendously; I can see the product trapped in my skin, so have to cleanse and exfoliate immediately after. Ineffective.
LUSH Tea Tree Water £4.25 / 100G
Since becoming enamoured with toning mists and sprays over the past few months, I figured this was a blanket truth for me, but after using LUSH Tea Tree Water, I quickly learned how wrong I was. This is not something you want to spray directly onto your face, ever. As it's a toning water, it's far thicker and heavier than your typical mist. It fires out of the bottle with such vigour, and leaves a very, very wet mess behind. It doesn't absorb, so bring out the welcome mat for the cotton pads. Spray directly onto your face, or apply via the cotton pad. Either way, keep this thing away from your eyes as it stings without mercy. As a tea tree toner, the fragrance is subtle and its antibacterial properties seem absent. Its only real redeeming quality is that it is very refreshing. Skin feels extremely fresh and clean after use, and nothing more. Ineffective.
Yes to Grapefruit Dark Circle Correcting Eye Cream £11.99 / 15ML
I'll be honest, I found this utterly useless. Sadly, we just didn't click. This eye cream is of an extremely light consistency that manages to spread too far, too much. You have to be extremely sparing with your portion size, as the cream seems to slip and slide around skin, getting everywhere without ever actually absorbing. You are going to have to dedicate some real time to get this product to blend in. Besides the hassle, that's also the part where this cream doesn't work. My eye area is not brighter, or revived, nor am I hydrated. In fact, my eyes are often left feeling tight and exposed. Whatever you do, do not get this product in your eyes. It stings horribly and will leave irritation for at least 30 minutes afterwards. I don't need to tell you, Avoid.
As my cleansing routine is dominated by oils, I struggle just justify ever needing a dedicated make-up remover. When I consider that this is just specific for eyes and lips and requires a cotton pad to apply, it just seems too wasteful. When we also consider that this product is to be used specifically on the eyes, the very least we can expect is that it doesn't actually sting the eyes on contact, right? Well, enter The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-Up Remover the most irritating product I have ever used. My eyes sting, weep and itch after use. To top that off, it just isn't effective, or nearly as efficient as an oil. While it does remove make-up, it takes such a huge amount of product to do a proper job. Avoid.
Andrea Garland Rose and Ginseng Revitalising Toner £12.50 / 100ML
This. Oh, my goodness. With only three organic ingredients, I would imagine you'd be very hard pressed to go wrong. Sadly, this is the most pointless, useless and ineffectual product I have ever used. Taking a small amount onto a cotton pad, and wiping it along skin, the initial scent is unpleasant, but not unbearable. After several moments the scent seems to sour and, quite honestly, smells like urine. It's powerful and unmasked. The grotesque scent sits with me all day. There are no toning, balancing or purifying effect here, only horrific smells. Avoid.
This. Oh, my goodness. With only three organic ingredients, I would imagine you'd be very hard pressed to go wrong. Sadly, this is the most pointless, useless and ineffectual product I have ever used. Taking a small amount onto a cotton pad, and wiping it along skin, the initial scent is unpleasant, but not unbearable. After several moments the scent seems to sour and, quite honestly, smells like urine. It's powerful and unmasked. The grotesque scent sits with me all day. There are no toning, balancing or purifying effect here, only horrific smells. Avoid.
On that note, yes, I'm looking forward to returning to my usually routine. It has been tough, biting my tongue and getting through some of these products. I hate the thought of being wasteful, which I why I need to become far more savvy and responsible with my buying.
Of the 16 products listed here, 11 are from my original pledge, making the current standings at 17 left to empty.
To catch up on my initial pledge and rules about the self-directed #MissionEmpties Challenge, read the #MissionEmpties MASTER POST.
Of the 16 products listed here, 11 are from my original pledge, making the current standings at 17 left to empty.
To catch up on my initial pledge and rules about the self-directed #MissionEmpties Challenge, read the #MissionEmpties MASTER POST.
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