The Empties Challenge! January Edition

New year, a new month of empties! Though to be honest, I haven't got through quite as many products as I expected to...

1: Tresemme Karatin Smooth: 7 Day Smooth System Conditioner

I bought the whole set of the 7 day smooth set - the shampoo, conditioner, and the heat activated serum. I've made my way through the conditioner the quickest - no surprises there. I dont know many poeple who use shampoo faster than condtioner! I can't comment on the efectiveness of this product without mentioning the other products it was made to be used with. Using the conditioner alongside the other related products is meant to keep your hair smooth for 7 days - even if you get your hair wet in that time frame. You may be aware that I rarely straighten my hair, but when I do, I used these products. I got pretty amazing results with them, my hair looked like I had used GHD's on it - and I don't own GHDs. It was sleek, smooth, neat, and stayed that way while in humid conditions. It lasted a few days with me sleeping on it, only needing a brush and quick top-up straighten until I washed it again. I was really pleased with the results - way back when I used to straighten my hair all the time, everyday it would be a challenge to restraighten it after it curled up again or got any moisture near it! Big change from back then - I was able to do my hair in 10 minutes or less. However, there is a downside of these products - it leaves residue in your hair - like a coating of karatin. This made brushing my hair very difficult as I would have to very carfully brush through the product buildup.
I have used the shampoo and conditioner without straighteneing my hair afterwards - I was left with smooth non-frizzy hair that I left to curl naturally. I still ended up with product build up though, so my curls got a bit snaggley and tangled, especially overnight after sleeping on them. I reverted to only using one or the other, alongside a different shampoo, and this moreor less solved the issue. no product build up, and slightly smoother hair for a couple of days. Honestly, I think 7 days is pushing it, but perhaps this would work better on someone who doesn't have curly hair?

2: Sure Maximum Protection Deodorant

I bought this after it was recommended on another blog that I read (Hello TooFatToRun!). It was also on offer, and deodorant on offer is basically how I decide which one I'll be using... I haven't ever used a deodorant that you twist at the bottom to get the product out before, so this was a new experience for me. At first I found it a bit odd to smear product over my underarms, but actually I think I prefer it to roll on deodorant now. In terms of the functionality of the product, it did stop me from feeling so sweaty and smelly, even after a workout (obviously I was sweating everywhere else, but I didn't have to worry about having smelly pits!). It has a pleasant smell, and does the job it says it should do - you'll hear no complaints from me on the product itself. However, I haven't re-bought this product because the price of it is a little more than what I would usually spend on deodorant. whenever it's on offer htough, you can be sure I'll be stocking up on it! PS - let me know if you see this on offer anywhere? K, thnx.

That's it from me this month, but did you know that I'm on facebook? you can like my page for some more updates and anecdotes here

Happy February!

The Empties Challenge - October Edition

I realised while moving, that I have an obscene amount of toiletries that I've managed to collect. Toiletries that I am not in the habit of using, so they just pile up in boxes and drawers...which is an issue when moving from a 3 bedroom house into a 2 bedroom flat with limited storage space...

I thought it could be fun to challenge myself to try and use some of them each month to firstly, empty them and create space; and secondly to get back into the habit of looking after myself.

Through October I've been collecting my empties, and this is what I've managed to clear out:


1: Nivea Invisible roll on deodorant



I bought this roll on to use when travelling via airplane. I've actually had this for a while because I prefer sprays, so I'm glad I've finally used it all up!! I like Nivea - it's good to my skin and causes no irritation. This product is advertised as 48h deodorant which is invisible on black and white clothing. I didn't notice any marks on my clothing at all, however I wouldn't say this lasted for 48 hours...so I'd give it a solid 3.5/5.





2: I Love...Strawberries and Cream shower gel

I received this shower gel as a gift, and it was one of the deceptively biggest bottles of shower gel I have ever seen. It has taken months to finish it! However, I am finally to the end of it. I love the scent of this product - it smells sweet, but not too overpowering. It foams up nicely on my sponge, and creates a silky bubbly wash for my skin. There was nothing I disliked about this product, and it's excellent value for money! (PS - It's available from Superdrug...)




3: Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pore & Shine face scrub

I love face scrubs. I'll always go for a face scrub over a face wash - I really enjoy the clean feeling after scrubbing all of the dirt and dead skin off my face. I've never used this scrub before, and at the time there was a 3 for 2 offer so I bought a couple of them plus the pore & shine face wash. I have combination skin, so my face gets quite oily through the day and causes breakouts. This scrub actually did help. It's a mattifying scrub, so thankfully it did the job it was designed to do! I noticed my skin was much clearer when I used it regularly, however overuse made my skin dry out - as you would expect. I liked this product a lot, so I'm glad I have another one to get through!







That's it for October - barring hand wash and toothpaste. I haven't made much of a dent in my mounds of products, but I'll keep you updated for the end of November!