Recent Empties

Hey guys! Today's post is a very exciting one, my first "recent empties" post. I have been stock-piling all of this for the past few months, as I am not the sort of person who gets through about ten things each month (I don't know how you do it if you do!) Anyway, onto the post now.

Lush Space Girl Bath Bomb - £2.25

I must admit, I was a little disappointed by this one! It claims to "crackle and pop" in the bath, due to the popping candy, however it barely made any noise at all. It smells very similar to grapefruit which is refreshing although the smell doesn't last very long, which is a shame! Forgetting those two points it was a reasonably good bath bomb but it wasn't anything special. Maybe I got a defective one?

Would I repurchase? I may in the future, at the moment no.

Lush Melting Snowman Luxury Bath Melt x2 - £2.25

I absolutely love this bath melt, it is one of my favourite Lush products! I had these two left over from last year (my birthday to be exact), so I had been waiting to use them until they came back this Christmas. They are seriously moisturising and smell exactly like almond which is really nice! Also how cute are they?! If you haven't seen the Melting Snowman you should look soon.

Would I repurchase? If you haven't guessed, yes I would!

Lush Yuzu And Cocoa Bubble Bar - £3.25

This smelt so nice! It smelt very similar to shea and cocoa butter, with slight hints of citrus. Even though it did smell lovely, I was surprisingly quite disappointed by this bubble bar! It didn't seem to create many bubbles at all, made the bath water a very strange orangey-yellow shade and the water felt quite greasy, but not moisturising.

Would I repurchase? I don't think I would really due to it not creating many bubbles.

Lush I Love Juicy Shampoo Sample Pot - Free (£10.45 for 250g)

I was so excited to try this! I had heard that I Love Juicy is amazing on oily hair, so this was the first product I headed for when I went into the store. I kindly got given a little sample pot, and used it the day after I bought it! Before I had even tried my hair I knew something didn't agree with my hair, it made my hair feel very dry and straw-like - we weren't off to a great start. Within a day my hair had already to look very oily and flat, which I was so upset by! Not a great product sadly Lush.

Would I repurchase? No, it was quite frankly awful!

Lush Popcorn Lip Scrub - £5.25

Now for a favourite. I bought a pot of this last year after seeing lots of people say how great it is on dry/flaky lips! It was supposed to taste like popcorn, however it honestly doesn't taste much like that, being more salty, but I still loved it. I quickly became rather addicted to it mainly for the taste...needless to say I had finished half of a pot within about two weeks since I was applying it about 4 times a day, it tasted that good!

Anyway, forgetting the taste, it is a really good lip scrub and perfect for this time of year when your lips get dry.

Would I repurchase? Yes I would!

Loreal Skin Perfecting 3 In 1 Purifying Micellar Water x4 - £2

Ah now one of my holy grail products! Yes you did read that right, I've gone through four bottles of this stuff in the last few months. I swear this is the best makeup remover that I have ever tried! I never end up scrubbing at my eyes trying to remove any makeup and it is absolutely amazing at removing foundation as it cleanses deep into your skin. I actually did an in-detail review of it a little while ago here!

Would I repurchase? Of course.

Loreal Elvive Nutri-Gloss Light Shampoo - £3.99

I've used this shampoo for years and still love it! As I said before, I have oily hair and because this is a light shampoo it works really well and doesn't strip my hair of all of its oils. I admit, it isn't the most voluminous shampoo, however this honestly doesn't bother me much as my hair is so straight that it looks flat by itself. Still a great shampoo for oily hair!

Would I repurchase? Yes I would!

The Body Shop Spiced Vanilla Body Scrub - Can't remember the price

This was a limited edition body scrub a year or two ago at Christmas. Normally I absolutely HATE vanilla products since they just smell too sweet and sickly, whereas this smelt lovely due to the spice! It was more of a gentle scrub, but it kept my skin very moisturised and soft.

Would I repurchase? Most likely if they started selling it again.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Shampoo - £5.99*

When I was sent some products from the John Frieda Luxurious Volume range I was a little optimistic that they would work very well on my hair, due to its oiliness. I then read that the products were great on fine, straight hair so my hopes were raised a little! The first time I used this I knew it completely agreed with my hair because it wasn't getting oily for days (a rare occurrence), and my hair looked really voluminous for about two days. I'll be reviewing it in more detail soon!

Would I repurchase? Already have!

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Conditioner - £5.99*

I tend to stay clear of conditioner as they just seem to make my hair worse, so when I took a chance with this one I was seriously surprised! It make my hair feel really soft and gave it much more volume, without making it frizzy. You'll have to wait for my review though to find out more!

Would I repurchase? Yep, I did at the same time I repurchased the shampoo.

Balance Me Mini Moisture-Rich Face Cream - £6 for 10ml*

I was sent this a little while ago and was really looking forward to testing it out because it was supposed to be "moisture-rich!" It worked very well as a day moisturiser as it stayed perfectly under my base makeup! When I finished this up I went online to see how much it would be to repurchase it, as I honestly loved it, but when I saw the price of £24 for only 50ml I just couldn't justify it.

Would I repurchase? I definitely would if it was a little cheaper, but I just can't afford it sadly.

Nivea In Shower Body Moisturiser Sample Sachet - Free (£3.56 for 200ml)

A little while ago Nivea were giving away little sample sachets of their new In Shower Body Moisturiser. I jumped at the chance to try it because I loved the idea and I never really bother to use body moisturisers! It definitely wasn't as great as I hoped it would be since it didn't leave my skin extremely soft, no more than some of my normal body washes do. Maybe I got my hopes up too much?

Would I repurchase? Possibly, if it was on offer, however I wouldn't set out to buy it.

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Body Scrub - £8

Now for my favourite body scrub! I got this tube about two years ago and I only finished it in around August, so I would say that it has done pretty well. It is more of a "rough" scrub which I prefer over a gentler scrub, such as The Body Shop one!

Would I repurchase? Yes!

Soap & Glory Face Soap And Clarity Facial Wash - £8

I bought this at the same time as the Pulp Friction body scrub, and it lasted for a little less time than that because you only need the teeniest bit to wash your whole face! I must admit that this wasn't anything amazingly special, it could also be a little drying at times, however it was a really nice face wash. It had a very fresh smell too which I loved too!

Would I repurchase? Probably.

Soap & Glory Supercat Pen Eyeliner - £6

Yes, I am mentioning this eyeliner on my blog again! It is by far my favourite pen eyeliner that I have tried. The eyeliner pen itself doesn't last for a very long time, but it is a very dark black colour and doesn't fade at all during the day!

Would I repurchase? Without a doubt - yes!

That is it for my first ever empties post! I really hope that I can do more in the future and I will begin filling my window ledge up again with empty bottles with that aim.

What products have you recently used up?

Elemis Skin Nourishing Body Scrub // REVIEW

Hey guys! A little while ago I was sent the Elemis Skin Nourishing Body Scrub* to try. This was just after I had finally finished my favourite body scrub, the Soap & Glory Pulp Friction, so I thought that it was great timing!

I tend to prefer scrubs where the scrubbing grit is quite big, otherwise, in my eyes anyway, it defeats the object a little. The ingredients are all very natural in this particular scrub and, as per its name, nourishing, because it includes bamboo, rice, macadamia and sweet almond! I adore the smell of this, it smells very much of frangipane and almond without being very sweet, so it would definitely appeal to lots of people.

It works very well on any flaky/dry skin that I have, without being too abrasive and taking off the skin you need (that sounds odd!) Even though it doesn't leave an oily layer on your skin, which I know a lot of people don't like, it doesn't dry my skin out at all and leaves my skin completely hydrated, I don't even have to use a moisturiser.

This is definitely my favourite body scrub at the moment, and dare I say it may be better than the Soap & Glory Pulp Friction! It is on the slightly pricey side, at £28.50 for 200ml, however if you did want to splash out it would be a great thing to put on your Christmas list or as a little treat for yourself.

Have you tried the Elemis Skin Nourishing Body Scrub?

Baker Days Christmas Cake

Hey guys! A few weeks ago I was asked if I would like to review one of Baker Days' Christmas cakes*, of course I had to say yes as who doesn't love free cake? I had heard quite a lot about Baker Days on other blogs, and it always intrigued me as the thought of a cake coming through your letterbox sounded a little odd!

If you hadn't heard of Baker Days before now, they are a company that do a huge selection of cakes (even One Direction and photo cakes) in a few different sizes and mixtures such as chocolate or fruit cake. You can then personalize them (for free) to say whatever you would like, and they deliver it straight to your door, through the letterbox!

When I was asked which cake I would like to try from the range I had a little look on the website, and after much thought, I decided to get the reindeer sleigh one! I also got it personalised to say "Merry Christmas to Millie and to all a goodnight!" I admit, this isn't the most imaginative thing I could have come up but oh well.

I was so excited when I received this as along with the cake I also got: A little tin that could be easily reused, a Christmas cracker and a mini Christmas card, which you could get personalized inside! I absolutely loved the design, plus the writing and how the fondant icing was cut looked really neat. I must admit that I expected it to be a little dry considering it had come through the post, but it wasn't at all, it honestly tasted as if it had been make that day! The fondant didn't taste too sweet which was good because that's one of the problems I sometimes have with iced cakes, and the sponge had lots of flavour.

I do have a couple of slight negatives though, it would have been a little nicer if the sponge itself had been a bit thicker, as the icing seemed to overpower it and it was a shame as the sponge was really nice. You also need to be a little careful as the ink does transfer easily onto your fingers etc, so just be a little cautious of that! Even with those slight negatives I do think that it was still a really nice cake.

I can see this making a lovely little Christmas present for somebody who deserves a treat, or you could even order a larger size and share it at Christmas!

Have you ever tried a Baker Days cake?

Winter Warmers

Hey guys! As we are quickly approaching winter weather I decided that it would be an appropriate time to do a "winter warmers" post. The snow and sub-zero temperatures are supposed to start late next week (which I must admit I am dreading a little as I don't cope well with cold weather), so these a few things that I would love to be all warm and snug in! Anyway, on with the post.

New Look Cream Sequin Robins Jumper - £24.99

How adorable is this jumper?! The robins are made of little sequins to add a bit of sparkle and I think it would look lovely when it's cold and snowy! It is a really simple design yet it is pretty and I can imagine it looking great with one of the coats below.

New Look Cream & Navy Aztec Print Scarf - £12.99

I love this scarf! The blue aztec print would look nice with a cream cable knit jumper and would help keep you nice and warm.

New Look Beige Cable Knit Bobble Hat - £5.99

I think bobble hats are pretty essential at this time of year! This one looks so thick and is cheap for only £5.99. The thing I like about this hat is that New Look do the same one in six different colours, meaning that there is one for everyone!

H&M Burgundy Double-Breasted Jacket - £29.99

My favourite colour is burgundy, and near Christmas it fits in well! When I saw this on H&M's website I was actually quite impressed by how it is only £29.99, because I know lots of people are huge fans of H&M's jackets and coats. I am actually tempted to possibly buy this myself or put it on my Christmas/Birthday list, but I think I will have to try and resist it because I've got enough Winter coats and jackets already!

George (Asda) Navy Military Coat - £36

I have a coat just like this, also from George, that I bought last year in black and it is lovely! This specific one has shiny buttons going all down the front, also the collar is really cute. The material is great quality and thick so it should last for a long time!

River Island Cream Chunky Knit Bobble Hat - £13

Another bobble hat! This one is a cream version which does cost quite a bit more than the New Look hat, however I know the River Island and Topshop bobble hats were really popular last year so I thought I would include the River Island one. Bobble hats are my favourite as they are always thick, keeping you head and ears nice and warm!

Boohoo Reindeer Knit Jumper - £20

Fairisle is my one of my favourite prints, especially near Christmas! The reindeer give the jumper a festive look, but you could quite easily wear it for months after Christmas without looking odd, as the reindeer aren't particularly obvious (anyway you could always call them normal deer, who would notice.)

Matalan Cream & Navy Penguin Sleep Socks - £6

I wear fluffy/thick socks basically everyday during the cold weather, and whilst I normally tend to stick my Primark ones, these looks so cute! They also have little anti-slip bits on the bottom to stop you slipping on any floors which I think is pretty handy.

Topshop Cream Cable Knit Mittens - £10

Mittens look so pretty at this time of year, especially with a coat and bobble hat! Although these are on the slightly pricey side at £10, they do look really pretty and are hopefully great quality. They also don't contain any wool which is a material I tend to avoid, since I react to it when it gets in direct contact with my skin.

Zara Black Leggings - £19.99

I've seen lots of people saying that Zara leggings are the best leggings you can get, especially during Winter! They are supposed to be really thick, and I recall someone saying that they are microfibre lined. The only negative about these leggings is their price, at £20 it is definitely a lot for a pair of leggings, however they should hopefully last for ages and not get huge holes in them after a couple of uses like most leggings!

Boohoo Cream & Grey Hand Knitted Scarf - £15 (currently on offer for £10)

I haven't tried many things from Boohoo before, but when I saw this scarf I couldn't help but imagine how warm this must be! It looks super thick and it would match with pretty much anything, so I can see this being a great little investment, especially as it is currently on offer.

Matalan Beige Web Snood - £6

This looks so snugly! I have a snood quite similar to this and it's so warm. I wore it practically all throughout Winter last year and I loved it! The only problem with web clothing is that is does get caught on things really easily, so you have to be careful not to wear anything that could get caught on the snood.

I hope this post is of some use to some of you! Let me know if any of you have your eye on any knitwear for Winter because I would love to see.

What are your essential winter warmers?

Nivea Creme // REVIEW

Hey guys! Today's post is my review on the infamous Nivea Creme moisturiser. This cream was introduced all the way back in 1911, since then it has been used by celebrities and has been compared to, the very expensive, Creme De La Mer which costs £105 for 30ml, whereas Nivea Creme only costs £3.50 for 200ml - I think you can see which is the better deal here!

Nivea Creme is an all-purpose heavy moisturiser, so you can use it on your face, nails, arms, anywhere really! The formulation is extremely thick and moisturising, which means you do only need the tiniest bit otherwise you end up looking rather ghost-like. You should only use this at night though, or if you aren't going out during the day, as it is really shiny when applied and takes a long time to absorb, definitely not a good look when going out in public! The first time I used this I honestly though "oh dear, what have I done?!" as it was so hard to distribute over my face, although I later realised this was because I hadn't let my toner dry properly, and it seemed to take forever to absorb.

Forgetting these two points, which don't really phase me as I now make sure to use it at night, it has quite a subtle floral scent which smells lovely, and I could imagine would appeal to most people! It really is the best night facial moisturiser that I have tried for dry skin. I'm honestly not too sure how well it would work on combination or oily skin, but I have heard that it acts well and it hasn't broken me out at all, which I think is a pretty good sign! In the morning you wake up with perfectly soft skin and any dry skin that you had is gone. I also noticed that I haven't had any dry patches at all since using this, which I always have by now due to the weather, so I am really impressed by it.

I would highly recommend Nivea Creme as it is a great low-cost moisturiser that will help get rid of any dry skin you have. It has become one of my favourite Autumn/Winter products this season and I will have to repurchase it once I run out (which I can't see happening anytime soon!)

Have you ever tried Nivea Creme?

Top 10 Boots Gift Sets For Under £20 - Christmas

Hey guys! Sorry for not putting a post up on Sunday, I had been at the food festival, that was going on in my town, over the weekend and didn't find the time to write up this post. Anyway, today's post is my top 10 Boots gift sets for under £20! I had a few people suggest that I do this sort of post, and as Boots is the first place that I think of for gift sets, especially as they have 3 for 2 on, which helps save money (meaning you have more to spend in the sales), I couldn't resist. Plus with Christmas looming over us, which I can't believe is next month, I thought now would be the perfect time to do this post!

1. Baylis & Harding Beauticology Mini Trio - £4 

Baylis & Harding is a lovely, cheap brand that make gorgeous bath and body products. This set includes a 100ml gingerbread body wash, 100ml chocolate shower creme and a 100ml vanilla soap! Personally these aren't my favourite type of scents, however it would make a great little stocking filler or low cost present at only £4 for someone who does.

2. Soap & Glory Good, Butter, Best - £8

I love Soap & Glory's body butters, and I think many people would agree that they are some of the best you can get! This little set would be perfect for someone who possibly hasn't tried many Soap & Glory products, as it includes the Righteous Butter, Sugar Crush Body Buttercream and Butter Yourself. Although both Boots and Soap & Glory's website don't specify what weight each of these body butters are, I would presume they are each 50ml, which for £8 I think if pretty good!

3. Seventeen Eye Palette - £8

I have never actually tried any products from Seventeen before, however when I saw this I absolutely loved the look of it! For £8 it seems really good for 6 lovely shades, which include a shimmery navy blue, shimmery brown-aubergine and a brown with little flecks of gold glitter! 

4. Extracts Four Pack Body Butter Collection - £8

I haven't tried anything from Extracts in a long time, but they are a great Boots line of natural products, similar to The Body Shop, who make all sorts of body products from soaps to body butters! I saw this little set of four 50ml body butters, in cranberry, coconut, mango and cocoa butter, for only £8 and thought it would be a great presents for somebody who loves their body moisturisers and butters. Who doesn't need a little more moisture during Winter?!

5. No7 Nail Collection - £10

I love this nifty little set! It contains four full size No7 nail polishes in the shades Vivid Violet, Damson Dream, Totally Teal and Salsa, all of which are perfect for Winter, plus a 10ml tube of Intensive Day Hand Cream (with SPF 15.) I think this is amazing value as for £10 you get the four polishes which are worth £6 each!

6. No7 Eye Appeal Eyeshadow Palette - £10

This looks like such a gorgeous palette! It contains eight neutral shades that include an ever-so-slight pinky white, which would be perfect for highlighting, and a shimmery brown. I love shimmery eyeshadows in Winter, so I would absolutely love to receive this palette and at £10 it's pretty good value for money!

7. No7 Nail Glitter Collection - £10

I swear that this post isn't sponsored by No7, their sets are just really great this year. This is the Nail Glitter Collection, which contains five full sized nail polishes, three of which are glitter, in the shades Temptress, Beanie, Gold Glitter, Pink Glitter and Silver Glitter! Glitter polishes are pretty essential at Christmas time so this seems like such a pretty little set.

8. Soap & Glory I'm Your Manicure - £14

I admit to having quite a large collection of Soap & Glory products, meaning it is no surprise that I had to include a couple of sets in this post! This cute set includes Hand Food hand cream (the weight isn't specified), 50ml Scrub Happiness hand scrub, Pink Soda nail polish, a three sided nail buffer, gloves, cuticle stick and a little bag to keep it all in. This would make an amazing set for somebody who likes to keep their nails perfect, all for £14!

9. Salonniere By Jenny Packham Eye Colour Compact - £14

I had never heard of Salonniere by Jenny Packham before, until I saw it in the Boots Gift Guide book. I believe that is it another one of Boots' own product lines but I'm not certain! The packaging is definitely one of a much more expensive brand, which I am pretty happy about as it makes the palette look a little more luxurious. This palette has nine shades including a shimmery gold, sky blue and a silver, which personally aren't to my tastes because I tend to stick to more neutral shades, but I'm sure it would be lovely for someone who likes bolder shades!

10. Benefit Lets Make Lovely - £19.50

And finally, a Benefit set! This lovely set (notice the reference to the name there), has a mini Hoola bronzer, a mini 7.5ml Porefessional primer, mini They're Real mascara and a mini It's Potent eye cream in it. I could imagine this being a good starter set for somebody who hasn't had much experience with Benefit, and would like to try a few of their most popular products!

That is my top 10 Boots gift sets for under £20! I hope you liked this post, it certainly took a long time to plan and write. Are you planning on getting any of these gift sets for family or friends? If you are I hope they like them!

Would you like me to do more gift idea posts like this in the future, if so are there any specific ones?