Empties/ Mini Reviews

I seem to have amassed quite a few empties this time around, perhaps because I've started a kinda almost sorta low buy. I have two Ikea boxes full of perfectly good products I just don't use - mainly hair and body things and found myself contemplating getting a third box recently, madness! Instead of buying and hoarding more, I'm using up what's in those boxes before buying anything else.

Bit of a mix this time...

Superdrug 'Coconut and Shea Butter Body Lotion' - This smells SICKLY sweet! I actually loved the smell when I first bought it, but eventually it became a little over powering. The moisurising properties are nothing special, but okay for daily use on normal skin. Repurchase? Maybe in a different scent.

Creightons 'Raspberry and Pomegranate Bath and Shower Gel' - A cheapy bubble bath that doubles as shower gel, it has that sweet, slightly naff fruity smell we've all probably come across before but at less that £2 for 500ml I aint gonna complain! Repurchase? If strapped for cash and in need of shower gel, I can't see why not.

The Body Shop 'Strawberry Beautifying Lotion' - I adooore this stuff! Oils are a God send and this ticks all the right boxes. Great for skin and hair, plus it smells amazing and you can usually snap up a bottle pretty cheap in The Body Shop sales. Repurchase? I'm 3/4 the way through my second bottle!

Boots 'Simply Sensitive SPF 15 Moisturiser' - Truth be told, I haven't finished this, but it has sat unused in a box for about the last year. It's light, softening and sinks into the skin quickly - it's actually great, I just prefer something that feels a bit more luxe for face cream. Repurchase? Nope, I'm becoming a face cream snob *hides*

Marshmallow Blends 'Apple Jack Body Butter' - Great for SUPER dry skin, definitely one to apply at night because it sits on the skin quite heavily. However, it smells amazing and does a good job of banishing dry patches. Repurchase? No, I'm not a huge fan of the feeling of products sitting on my skin.

Lush 'Happy Happy Joy Joy Conditioning Hair Perfume' - I barely made a dent in this as the smell of it made my Mum, sister, boyfriend and (probably) housemates want to run for miles in the opposite direction. I actually liked the herbal scent but I guess it isn't a very popular one! Repurchase? No!

Tresemmé 'Platinum Strength Conditioner' - A fantastic day to day conditioner for those of us with very dry or damaged hair. It makes my bleached, frizzly locks feel much smoother and stronger. Repurchase? Already have.

Pure Coconut Oil - I'm so lucky I live somewhere with a huge Asian community, as my local Morrisons stocks this stuff for just 99p in the Asian cooking section - winning! I find it's a lot more effective than the Superdrug stuff, plus the glass bottle makes it easy to melt the oil inside. Repurchase? I think I'm on my third bottle now... 

Phillip Smith 'Dry Clean' Dry Shampoo - A dry shampoo is a dry shampoo is a dry shampoo...Repurchase? Nah, the bottle top stopped working so I only used about half of it!

Superdrug 'Deep Action Facial Cleansing Wipes' - While I don't believe facial wipes do any more than baby wipes, I do enjoy Superdrug's own versions. They're strong and moist enough to remove most make-up in a doddle. Repurchase? I've been buying these for years!
Yes to Tomatoes 'Skin Clearing Facial Mask' - Probably the worst mask I've ever bought, it wasn't even enjoyable to apply or relax in (which, let's face it, is the reason we really buy face masks!) and dried out really quickly. Plus I believe it was about £13 - eek. Repurchase? Never.
MUA 'Lash Boom' Mascara - I wish I'd noticed that it has one of those silly torture device type wands before I bought it, because I dislike them greatly! However, at £3 it wasn't bad...it just wasn't good either. Repurchase? Nope.
Maybelline 'Stay Matte' powder and Collection 'Lasting Perfection' concealer - Do I need to say anything?! Repurchase? Aaaall the time!
And now I can go and fling this lot in the recycling and start another 'empties' box - a little strange when you realise just how much you actually get through! 
See anything here you use? Link me to your last 'empties' post!
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REVIEW - Marshmallow Blends Body Butter and Sugar Scrub Cubes

Marshmallow Blends is an indie bath and body company run by fellow beauty blogger, Nicoletta. Each product is hand made, packed full of skin loving ingredients and scented with delicious foody fragrances - sounds fab, right?! Marshmallow Blends has quite a girly, cute, fresh look which suits the products perfectly.

Sugar scrub cubes come presented in a large tin with transparent lid and cute candy striped bow. I opted for the 'Lemon Sherbet' fragrance which I absolutely ADORE - zingy, lively and not in the least bit synthetic. 'Lemon Sherbet' pairs perfectly with my favourite lime scented shower gel - delicious :)

I expected that these sugar cubes would turn to mush almost immediately, but to my delight they stay solid long enough to scrub the entire body. Squishing a cube into a paste requires a fair bit of force and a lot of water, so don't worry, they don't vanish down the plug hole as soon as you step in to the shower!

The texture of this body butter is awesome! It's like a mousse, which seems to dissolve into an oil once rubbed into the skin. This doesn't sink in well, instead leaving behind a greasy texture - for this reason I only ever apply it before bed. I do, however, wake up the following morning with beautifully soft skin! 'Applejack Frost' smells like cinnamon, sugar and apple pie filling - it's quite spicy and VERY festive.

Overall, both products smelt fresh and 'real', both fulfilled their intended tasks, both were reasonably priced, postage was a fixed £2.99 and my order arrived quickly. If you're after something more interesting that what you can grab off the shelves of your supermarket, Marshmallow Blends have you covered.

Sugar scrub cubes - £5.99 for one 45g tub. Body butter - £5.99 for 100ml of product. Available from Marshmallow Blends online store.