BEAUTY EMPTIES | JUNE 2024

I'm very aware that this supposed lifestyle blog has turned solely into book reviews, so to break it up a bit I'm taking it back to basics and throwing back to the blogging of yore. What screams 2014 Blogspot more than a monthly roundup of accumulated beauty empties?

With no further ado, here's June's...

Lush Sparkly Pumpkin Shower Slime

I'm finally onto the last jar of this slime, having stocked up in Autumn 2022 in a bid to get Jackson excited about bath time...it's been hit and miss since then, and I hate waste, so I've been using it myself as the boy decided he didn't like the texture after I'd bought the last seven jars from the Harrogate store. I love the moisturised feeling that the slime gives my skin, and the subtle shimmer left behind from this one is super cute. Unfortunately this formula, coupled with its screw lid container, is very incompatible with a shower puff; a flip cap for me will always be preferred for ease of use, so Sparkly Pumpkin was contained to bath times which is why it's taken so long to get through.

The scent is gorge, a little goes a long way, and it does leave such a nourished feeling to the skin. Would I rebuy? Perhaps. Let's get through the last one before I fully decide.

Lush Rehab Shampoo

For a full clarifying shampoo there is no better one for my hair than Rehab. I don't use it every time I wash my hair, but when it's feeling particularly necessary I love it for a 100% squeaky clean finish. Every time I hair wash I wash twice, condition once - the times I use Rehab I'll use the other shampoo first then do the second wash with it and come out of the shower with a fully deep cleaned hair reset.

Whether it's product, frizzy dryness, a bit of excess greasiness, or anything out of the ordinary, Rehab is my go-to for a proper good lather, and in response to the question of rebuying the answer is a resounding yes.

Emily Victoria Soap Sponge

Emily Victoria is a candle company primarily, with a range of scents that are out of this world. I've been using their wax melts for a long time, and ventured into trying a selection from their Bath & Body range a few months ago. I've always loved a filled soap sponge; they're so easy to just grab and use, and these ones have a side that's rougher textured to really exfoliate the skin, which I find particularly useful following waxing appointments for avoiding ingrown hairs.

Alien Landing is my go-to scent, as it's identical to Thierry Mugler's Alien perfume, and is the scent of the wax melts and room spray I use downstairs (upstairs is Newborn Baby, fyi). Some of the other items I've tried from the Emily Victoria brand haven't been good, frankly, so I'd avoid certain products in future. The soap sponge though? Rebuy any day of the week.

Estée Lauder DayWear Moisturiser

Of all the face creams I've tried over the years, Estée Lauder's DayWear is easily within my top five, so running out is always a sad occasion. It works for my temperamental skin, balances any greasy or dry patches (of which there's usually both happening on my face at once), works beautifully under makeup, or feels lovely on its own on the days I go barefaced. This particular pot that I've run down was a sample size that came when I spent over a certain amount on the Estée website, so I'm unsure of the price equivalent in comparison to the full size, but to me if something works then the cost isn't always an issue.

I have been recommended a number of skincare items from The Ordinary, and have already bought a few of them ready to try, so I'll be transitioning to those over the next couple of weeks. For now Estée isn't being repurchased while I give The Ordinary a go, but if they don't live up to expectation this will be back ASAP.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Mascara

My lashes are so sparse and crappy (thank you to stress-induced alopecia for that one) it's a miracle when I find a mascara that actually enhances them, which is what Lash Brag does for me. It is thick, it is chunky, it is dark dark black, in short it is great. The brush is a smidge too bulky for my liking, however the formula is fab and it makes my scraggly eyelashes look somewhat decent, so I'm happy to hack it by using an old MAC MACStack wand to apply. Honestly that wand in this mascara is *chef's kiss*! Some mascaras are weirdly wet when they're first opened, taking a couple of weeks to dry down and thicken up a bit; between Lash Brag and MACStack I'm unsure which one's my favourite, but in the spirit of empties we're talking about ABH's offering. If you're into a bold, thick lash this is a great option. LashBrag isn't particularly lengthening, but for me that's fine because I wear glasses daily and long lashes are not a friend of the face furniture.

I've already got another tube ready to go, it'll take a lot for me to not rebuy this one.

So there we are. I think five is a nice number to hit off a revisit to the empties world, so that’s worked quite nicely. 

I won’t make potentially false promises and say this will be back in July, because we all know what I’m like and consistency is not my strong suit…it may happen, it may not, I might have no empties, I might forget. Probably the latter, but that’s the charm in me!

K x