WISHLIST WEDNESDAY | FT. TOM FORD, NARS & TOO FACED

NUDE Advanced Renewal Overnight Repair Mask, NARS All Day Luminous foundation, Tom Ford lipstick in John, Real Techniques Bold Metals Flat Contour brush, Fuse Gelnamel polish in Na-No Way!, Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat pencil in Pillow Talk, Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser, Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette, Orly Color Blast polish in Rose Chrome Foil.

As a beauty blogger there is always something new that I have my eye on - unfortunately for my bank balance!  Since Christmas I have picked up quite a few bits and pieces but obviously there is always something else to tempt me and usually this comes from reading other blogs. The products I've picked out for this wishlist have almost all been discovered through reading some of my favourite blogs, the Too Faced Chocolate Bar for example, and they've had some great reviews that make me want them even more!  I'm really interested to try the NARS All Day Luminous foundation, since I have a love/hate relationship with Sheer Glow and don't own many other NARS products.  The Real Techniques Bold Metal brushes had to make it onto my wishlist, they are quite literally everywhere at the moment - apart from my local Boots which is beyond frustrating!  They are pretty pricey for individual brushes but the designs are beautiful and the flat contour brush in particular looks like it will be well worth a go.  

Is there anything on this wishlist that you are looking to try?  Or do you already own any of them? xx

CURRENT BEAUTY FAVOURITES | #6

I have to say that just lately I have been really happy with my make up products - usually there is always something that I'm not quite satisfied with or I've seen something new that I think will be better than what I've got already.  This is turn has made it easier slightly on my bank balance, especially since Christmas!  

My go-to foundation lately has been Benefit Hello Flawless, which is oil free, has SPF 25 and comes in a shade light enough for my skin.  It has medium to buildable coverage and has a dewy finish, which for oil free is a good result.  SPF is a bonus, however I have to remember not to wear this if I am taking photos etc - otherwise it causes major ghost face! 

Under my eyes I've been using the Clinique Superdefence SPF 20 eye cream, which I've mentioned in a previous post.  It adds extra protection from sun damage etc to under the eyes, which is the most delicate and vulnerable area of your face in terms of  being sensitive and in danger of premature lines.  It soaks in easily and quickly, so I only wait less than a minute before applying the rest of my make up.  

A new addition to my routine is the Bourjois Java Rice Powder, which I've been using to set my base.  It is really light and finely milled, and adds a nice touch of natural looking glimmer to my face.  It has been said that this is a drugstore dupe for the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, but as I haven't used that before then I can't really say if I agree or not! 

MAC Phloof! is an eyeshadow that I love to use in the inner corners of my eyes to create the illusion that they are bigger and brighter.  It is the ideal shade to use for highlighting, I also use it on my brow bone and sometimes in my cupid's bow - it really is a multi tasking shade that I always find myself reaching for.  

My last post was dedicated to this, but the Tom Ford lipstick in Spanish Pink will probably remain a firm favourite until I've used it all up!  I love the peach toned nude shade, I've pretty much worn it every day since I got my hands on it and the quality of it justifies the hefty price tag - just about! 

I'm forever banging on about my love for my Zoeva Rose Gold brushes, but it's because they are just so damn good!  The brush quality is excellent, and the fact that they look amazing is a really nice bonus.  

My holy grail mascara will forever be MaxFactor False Lash Effect, if you want volume as well as length then this is definitely the mascara for you.  I have the waterproof version at the moment because I find that it holds a curl better, but it is obviously a little trickier to remove than the non waterproof version.  

Fudge Urban Iced Raspberry and Vanilla Hair Spray smells as good as it sounds; it is my new favourite hair product by far, it holds my hair in place for hours and it smells good enough to eat - and all for only £4.99!  

There are my current beauty favourites, it was quite hard this time to narrow it down to these few products but each of them have really earned their place.  What have you been loving lately?  Do you like any of these products? xx 

CURRENT FAVOURITES | BEAUTY #5

I don't think I've done a beauty favourites post in a little while, which is ridiculous because I have actually been loving a whole lot of make up recently.  As we are now well into winter, there is no better excuse to get the darker colours out and try some new bases etc, so the products I've picked today are ones that I have been doing just that with lately.  

First up, how could I not be loving the amazing  Anastasia Contour Kit?!  When it first arrived I was pretty scared at how dark those contour shades are, but the beauty of them is that they blend easily with any skin tone, so my ghostly complexion was fine with it and I don't look like I am wearing war paint (I think..).  The highlight shades are finely milled and work really well to counteract the contouring and accentuate the the shape of my face.  I have already posted a full review of this palette so this is all I will say here, other than that I 100% recommend it!  

Next up is my new holy grail brand for lips - Maybelline and their Color Drama lip pencils.  I have had a couple of Christmas parties and have been reaching for the classic red shade Light It Up.  It is a bold postbox red, and the pencil, matte form is great for creating a great shape that doesn't bleed out like some lipsticks do - woo!  

A new addition to my make up collection is the Bobbi Brown concealer duo, in the ivory shades.  I got matched up at the counter (I love sitting in those chairs having my make up done!) and it is working wonders at covering up my dark circles, which in winter seem to stand out even more than usual.  The darker shade is a creamy formula that you apply first; I just use my middle finger for this part as it is gentle and pats it on rather than drags it across.  Then I press a little of the powder on with a brush, and it holds in it place for the majority of the day.  I have only been using it for a couple of weeks, but I am really impressed with it so far.  

An old favourite I have just rediscovered my love for is YSL Touche Eclat, a cult beauty product that has it's celebrity status for good reason.  It is best used as a highlighting pen rather than a concealer, and it works really well to highlight all areas: I use it on my cupid's bow, on my brow bone and a tiny bit over my concealer under my eyes (only a tiny bit because otherwise it will just go cake).  

Finally, I have to thrown in a Barry M polish didn't I - and my colour of choice lately has been Blood Orange, which looks great with festive outfits despite the tropical sounding name!  

So there are the bits I am loving lately!  What are your beauty favourites this months?  Have you picked up anything new lately that you love? xx

WHAT I BOUGHT THIS WEEK #20

I'm back!  For now anyway - my broadband has broken and right now there's not much sign of it being fixed (thanks BT Openreach, grrr), so I'm borrowing wifi for now.  Anyway, I've been doing my Christmas shopping and naturally a couple of bits slipped into my basket for myself too, oops.  

Whils in John Lewis I had a look at the beauty counters and picked up these bits from Bobbi Brown - a Shimmer Brick in Beige and a Concealor Duo in Ivory.  Bobbi Brown is a Brand I've never tried before, so I can't wait to give these a go, I've heard great things about them!  

Then I picked up some new hairspray, I love the smell of my Urban Fudge Dry Shampoo so I'm trying they hairspray now, and it smells just as good.  Iced Raspberry and Vanilla, what's not to like?!  

Lastly I bought some more heat protection spray from VO5, I've used it before and it works well enough so I repurchased it, I use it when I'm straightening my hair mainly.  

Just a quick post today but I just thought I'd share what I'd recently been buying!  What have you been buying lately? xx

GLAMOUR BEAUTY POWER LIST 2014 BEAUTY BOX

So obviously, when I saw the latest offering from Glamour & Latest In Beauty I just had to have a closer look - and I'm very glad I did as this box is their best yet!  I couldn't believe the products included in it this time, with a combined value of £83.47 but only £15.99 to buy I snapped it up straight away.  

First up is a pack of 10 Eyeko Eye Make Up Remover wipes, something I generally don't use anymore as I try and stick to liquid based products - but these will be ideal to try out when I'm feeling lazy and want to get my mascara off as quickly as possible, like after a night out etc.  

Then there is a 30ml sample size Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish plus muslin cloth.  This product really excited me as it is something that has a huge cult following in the blogging world, but I've never got around to trying it myself, so I can't wait to see what all the fuss is about. 

Then there is a Maybelline Colorsensational lipstick from the Stripped Nudes collection; I have recently bought a couple of lipsticks from this particular collection and I was pleased to find that the shade in this box, Sultry Sand, is not one of them so I hope I love this as much as I do the others!  The packaging is also really sleek and expensive looking on these lipsticks, I think they are one of the best high street ranges out there. 

There is a 25ml trial size James Read Sleep Mask Tan.  This is not a product or brand that I'm very familiar with, however I have read a few excellent reviews on this tan so I hope that it looks ok on my ghostly white face!  Review to follow of course, and maybe a photo depending on the shade of orange my face decides to go!

I was really excited to find a very generously sized 30ml Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in there, it is another raved about product that is definitely on the high end of the scale.  I loved the Radiance Primer, so I have high hopes for this one too.  

Another very pleasant surprise was a full size Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde mascara - I have already tried this before and loved how it leaves my lashes so to get another one in here was a bonus!  It both lengthens and adds a great deal of volume to lashes, it is definitely in my top 3 all time favourite mascaras already. 

Lastly, there is a 60ml Phillip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence spray.  I'm really interested to try this product out, as I've mentioned a lot on here before I struggle a lot with damage to my hair so hopefully this can provide some much needed protection from heat.  The brand is highly rated so I expect good things! 

So there is a brief overview of the contents of the Latest In Beauty & Glamour Beauty Power List box.  If you like the look of the products included, then I definitely recommend buying this box, it is excellent value for money and gives you the chance to try out some new products without paying the full price for them.  

Have you tried any of these products?  What do you think of this beauty box? xx

MY MAKE UP STORAGE

So today I thought I would go through my make up storage, as it has dramatically changed since the last time I posted about it and my make up collection has changed a bit.  As you can see I treated myself to the now infamous Malm dressing table from ikea; apart from loving it after seeing it pop up on a few of my favourite bloggers' posts, I also thought it was a bargain from Ikea at under £100.  The drawer doesn't come completely out which is a little annoying, but on the whole it is a great storage space and perfect for make up.  The tv has been on the wall for longer than that dressing table has been there, and as it has turned out, it's in the perfect position for me now to get my make up done whilst watching my favourite programs!  The cute cactuses are from a friend but I know that she bought them from Ikea, and the flower pot on the left is empty, also from Ikea, and acquired in the most bizarre circumstances ever, when it was handed to me as a drunken gift on a night out..!  The nail polish stand was an Ebay bargain, if you search 'acrylic make up storage' on their website you will find loads of them; I'm thinking of investing in a lipstick holder next.

Here it is with the drawer open.  I have a fair bit of make up, but by blogger standards it's nothing I'm sure!  At each end of the drawer I have put two plastic cutlery style compartments in, from good old Ikea, and the middle has nothing and is where I keep my palettes and box blushers.  

A closer look at my nail polishes - I keep my favourites in here and they are predominantly Barry M ones.  I once kept my make up brushes in that flower pot, then one day I lit the candle in the jar and it burnt/melted one of my brushes!  So now the pot remains empty and the candle remains unlit..!  

In this side I have concealers and highlighters in one section, primers and skin care bits & bobs in another, and lipsticks in the other two.  I know that this isn't the most organised way of storing lip products, and I will at some point probably get around to buying a nice acrylic holder for them, but this is at least some kind of organised chaos in my mind!  The main brushes, palettes and blushers I use are kept in the middle section which is easiest because they are all different shapes and sizes so don't really fit in any compartments.  

On this side I have mascaras and eye shadow pots in the top back section, a few odd french mani nail polishes front left, powders in front and my most used foundations on the right.  The back left is home to a few spare bobby pins and hair bands, and behind my box blushers are a couple of packs of my favourite false nails from Boots.  

Other randoms bits including skincare, haircare and lesser used make up products are kept in storage baskets in my wardrobe.

I love to have a nosey at other bloggers' storage so link me to yours in the comments!  xx

BLOG SALE | ft. NARS, BENEFIT, MAC, ST TROPEZ & MORE

Hey!  Soo, this is my first blog sale!  I was trying to decide whether to try and sell some make up/hair bits on here or on Depop, but I chose to do it this way as personally I check blog sales out more than  I go browse on Depop.  I'm selling a mixture of beauty and hair care bits, so I hope you find something you like!  If you do se something(s) you would like to buy, then please check out how to do this at the bottom of the post :) 

Benefit Moon Beam Highlighter, usage shown (3/4 left) - £8

MaxFactor Xperience Weightless Foundation spf 10 in Raw Silk, used once - £3

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in Classic Beige, used once - £4

Rimmel Match Perfection Fountation in Ivory, used 3 or 4 times - £4

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville (light beige), 90% left - £18

Benefit LemonAid, usage shown, 1/2 left - £4

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranite, used 2 or 3 times - £3

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe, used twice - £3

Maybelline Dream Terra Sun Bronzing Powder, used once - £3

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie, used twice - £7

Bourjois Mega Liner, black, used 2/3 times - £4

Rimmel Kate Lipstick in 107, never used - £3

Nip & Fab Mattifying Gel, used 2/3 times - £4

Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer, used twice - £3

Balance Me Tinted Lip Balm, never used - £4

MAC Marilyn Monroe Collection Lipstick in Angel, with box, used twice - £8

Vintage Cosmetics Company Gracie Lashes, never used - £4

Nails Inc Polish in Basil Street, 4/5ths left - £5

Rimmel 60 Second Polish in Sky High, used twice - £2

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Guava, used 3/4 times - £3

Super Facialist Intense Moisture Mask, used twice - £5

Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan in Medium Matte, used once - £3

Garnier Ambre Solaire Dry Body Mist Bronzer, fair skin, 3/4 left - £4

St Tropez Gradual Tan in Light/medium, used once - £6

Soap & Glory Heel Genius 50ml, never used - £2

L'Oreal Gentle Eye Make Up Remover, usage shown - £3

Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo 50ml, 1/2 left - £2

Charles Worthington Salt Spray, used once - £5

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray, 1/2 left - £3

L'Oreal Extraordinary Oil, usage shown - £4

Tresemme Frizz Control Finishing Cream, used twice - £3

Tresemme Waterless Foam Shampoo, 3/4 left - £3

Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Protection Cream, used once - £3

Rules Schmools:

• If you would like to buy an item(s) then please leave me a comment below or email me at sarahlf89@yahoo.co.uk
• Items will be sold on a first come first serve basis, I will hold items until the end of the day and then put them for sale again if no contact/payment is made
• payment to be made within 1 day, unless otherwise agreed 
• postage is Royal Mail Second Class £2.60, I can combine postage for multiple items
• payment is accepted via Paypal, with payments to be made through the family and friends option, so as to avoid charges, I will give you my Paypal email beforehand
• I work fairly close to a Post Office so I will post items no later than 3 days after payment.

If you have any questions about the items or if I have missed out something above then please email me at the address I gave earlier.  Thank you for looking and I hope you see something you like :) xx

  

BEAUTY WISHLIST | 1

Bobby Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner:Image, Kevyn Aucoin Eyeshadow Duo:Image, NARS Laguna Bronzer:Image, Benefit Lollitint:Image, Nails Inc Polish in The Thames:Image, Topshop Gloss Ink in Relentless:Image, Fuse Gelnamel in Gone Fission:Image

Hey!  Here are just a few of the many beauty products I am currently lusting over.  Top of the list is probably NARS Laguna Bronzer, I am getting a little fed up/bored of being so pale all of the time, and I have to admit that contouring and bronzing is something I only include in my routine if I have a lot of time to get ready.  Which is hardly ever since most mornings I am up and out by 7..sob!  The Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner looks like it would be a dream to use, it reminds me of Maybelline Lasting Drama which I love.  Fuse Gelnamel is a new line I have come across whilst browsing Boots.com, the shades look bright and girly and I’m interested to see what their gel style polish is like and weather it lives up to to the amazing Barry M Gelly polishes! 

Do you like the look of anything on my wishlist?  What are you loving right now? xx

Sarah x

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation | First Impressions

 

Hey!  So today’s post is just my thoughts on my latest foundation, Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation.  I have only had it since Friday, but as I have used so so many foundations before, I can usually tell after the first couple of uses whether I really like one or not so I thought I would give my humble opinion on it so far.

Well, I have to say that so far I am not at all disappointed!  I was persuaded to try this particular base because of the range of shades they do, and I have hardly ever found a colour to really match my pale, pink toned skin.  I find that many bases, especially drugstore ones, have more yellow undertones that just do not look right on me and even the lightest shades are too dark, so I was interested to try out Illamasqua, whose shades start from white!  I decided to get the next shade up which is 02, an ivory shade with pink undertones.  I have to admit, when I first starting applying it, it shocked me a little to see how pale it was since I’m so used to having darker ones!  But it turns out that it was actually a perfect match for me, which took a bit of getting used to but I’m really impressed at how it blends so seamlessly with my own skin.  The consistency is creamy without being thick, and I only need a small pea-sized amount to cover my face.  The foundation it medium buildable to full in my opinion, which is perfect for me as I do love my coverage!  The staying power seems to be pretty impressive too, I wore it for around 7/8 hours one day before having to touch it up.  I would vaguely compare it to my special favourite, Estee Lauder Double Wear, because the matte finish is similar and the coverage is too.  I will definitely carry on using it and so far I am loving it, the only downside is that you get a pretty small bottle which is a bit of a let down when you spend £27 on it! 

 

I am really loving this product so far, have you tried it? xx

What I bought this week #10

 

Hey :).  So…payday happened.  Therefore, Boots happened.  And 3 for 2 on hair care PLUS buy one get half price on make up happened.  So to conclude, I spent some money! 

I love Lee Stafford products, so two of those found their way into my collection; My Big Fat Texturised Hair Super Spray and Detangling Spray.  The third product is Umberto Gianni Extreme Taming Spray.  Full reviews will come, but I have high hopes for these three beauts!

Next up is the Real Techniques Blush Brush.  I already have a few of these brushes and absolutely love them, so I thought I would add this plush looking brush to my collection next.  I also picked up MaxFactor Masterpiece Max mascara, Maxfactor are my favourite brand to buy mascaras from and this particular one is a firm favourite so I don’t really feel like I need to try anything new just yet!

Lastly I bought the oh-so-hyped L’Oreal Micellar Solution, although I found this on offer in Sainsburys, not Boots.  I have heard very good things about this, so I am really excited to try it out for myself and at only around £3 I am hoping it will be a regular purchase! 

So there are my latest beauty buys!  I will be reviewing them properly once I have given them a good try, so that’s about all I can say on them for now! 

 

What have you been buying lately?  Have you tried any of these products? xx

Autumn Beauty Wishlist #1

Image Sources:Laura Mercier Primer, Benefit Rockateur Blush, Topshop Lipstick in Trigger, Essie Nail Polish in ‘A List, Estee Lauder ‘Raisins’ Palette, Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in 02

Hey!  I never do these kind of posts, but I do love reading them so I thought I would give it a go today.  Thinking of things to go onto this wish list was no problem at all, and I could easily have included loads more products that I have my eye on! 

I have run out of my current primer, and pretty much every blogger and their great uncle Bernie raves about this Laura Mercier one!  It is no cheapie at £28, so this probably will remain on the wish list for a long time!  The latest blusher offering from Benefit is Rockateur and it has soft rose gold tones, which sounds amazing so I may well end up caving in and getting my hands on this little beaut. The Essie polish in ‘A List’ is a lovely deep red and screams autumn to me.  I really cannot wait to start wearing all my favourite dark colours again, deep reds and blacks are my favourites and luckily for me they always seem to be key for Autumn/winter trends.  Although to be honest I would wear them even if they weren’t, who wants to be a slave to fashion if you can’t wear what you really want to?!  Moving on, my favourite type of make up to shop for is foundation.  I really love finding new ones, and I generally go for medium to full coverage ones because I just prefer that finish on me. This summer I did start using some lighter ones and even a tinted moisturiser, but it just doesn’t do it for me – I need my coverage!  So as my true love Estee Lauder Double Wear comes to its end (sob), I am on the hunt for something different.  One thing that I always struggle with is finding a good foundation that has a light enough shade for my skin, nearly all the ones I come across are either too dark or have yellow undertones rather than neutral/pink.  So after much searching, it would appear that Illamasqua is the one for me.  It has a great range of shades, starting from white!  So I have chosen the one up from white which is shade 02, and after payday(this friday, FINALLY!) I think that this will be my first purchase.  The Estee Lauder eye shadow duo ‘Raisins’ has been rather hyped on the bloggersphere too lately, and this is definitely a wish item rather than something I will actually buy anytime soon because I just cannot justify paying £23 for it!  However it does look really lovely, and I’ve been trying to emulate similar looks with colours from my Naked2 palette.  Lastly is the Topshop lipstick in ‘Trigger’, another gorgeous red colour! 

What make up products are on your wish list right now? xx

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Products I’ve Used Up #1

Hey!  My Blogging has been a bit hit and miss lately, but I have a few posts planned now so hopefully I’m back on track!  This is my first post that features products that I have recently used up, I love reading these kind of posts myself so I saved up my recent empty bottles and took some photos of them ready to write about for you! 

 

Clean and Clear Cleansing Lotion

I repurchase this all the time, it is my favourite cleanser by far and I cannot see myself trying anything different for a long time.  I have tried hot cloth cleansers, creamy cleansers, make up wipes (I know, I know – don’t shoot me) and nothing has got rid of my make up or generally cleaned my skin like this has.  It is water-like in consistency and is pale blue in colour, which reminds me of something you might find in a hospital for some reason, and it has a smell similar to sanitizing hand gel etc.  As soon as I put it on my face I can feel it working, and it leaves it feeling so so clean and fresh and I just know that my skin is thoroughly clean after.  I used it once after having already used a hot cloth cleanser to remove my make up because my skin was left feeling greasy, and I was really quite shocked to see how much make up that was still on my face that came off on the cotton wool pad with this on it.  I cannot recommend this enough, it is ideal for sensitive skin and it is under £5 too! 

 

Moroccan Treatment Oil

This was my little sample bottle that I picked up for £9 in my hairdressers.  I have loved using it and dreaded it running out because I know how much it will cost to replace it :(.  I have noticed a difference in my hair since I’ve been using it; the ends are much softer and easy to manage, and looks generally thicker and healthier.  My hair is very damaged at the ends and I stupidly thought that this would automatically solve the problem, obviously it doesn’t but I like to think that it is helping to improve the overall condition of my hair, and to look at it definitely appears in good condition even if it isn’t!  I would love to repurchase this and one day I will, but right now I cannot afford to spend £30 on the full size bottle so I will be going back to some Lee Stafford Argan Oil that I have that got neglected when I bought Moroccan Oil. 

 

L’Oreal Gentle Eye Make Up Remover

I enjoyed using this product and this was the second repurchase I made of it.  It gets my eye make up off quickly and the main thing for me was that it was ideal for sensitive skin and didn’t hurt my eyes at all.  For now I am going to continue to use my Boots Botanics eye make up remover, but I don’t have anything bad to say about the L’Oreal one at all.

 

Benefit They’re Real Mascara

Ahhh a nice example of me buying something because every other blogger seemed to have it!  This was a very good mascara that really did make my lashes look great, and the colour was a lovely deep, bold black.  It seemed to dry up fairly quickly and it was a bit of a bitch to remove, but overall it was up there with my favourites.  The only problem I have with it is the price!  I love Benefit make up, and I will (fairly) happily pay to replace my beloved Sugarbomb blusher, but £19.50 for a mascara that is good but no better than my favourite MaxFactor ones is a bit much, so for now it will have to remain on a wishlist!

 

Frizz Ease Daily Miracle Treatment by John Freida

I have had this for such a long time, because I often got fed up with it and switched to something else!  The idea of the product is to spray it on before styling and it minimizes frizz (something which I suffer with ALL. THE. DAMN. TIME), and I found that some days it worked, and sometimes I wouldn’t notice anything at all.  Weird I know, but that’s just how it was for me!  I will probably shop around for something else next time, although the oil I have been using lately has helped me a lot (full review of that another time)

 

Boots No.7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream

This is a lovely cream, it made my skin feel silky soft and wasn’t even slightly oily or clogging, which is something I’ve experienced in some other night creams I’ve tried.  This will definitely be a repurchase, although I might try another product in the range and has some anti aging properties or something. 

So there are the products from my first Empties post!  Have you tried any of these products?  What will you be repurchasing this month? xx