July & August Empties

Hi everyone! Well can you believe it is the 1st September already, the year is flying by!

I forgot to do my empties at the end of July and only remembered when I went to put another empty bottle in the bag I keep my empties in so I thought I would do a combined post.  I still have £40 saved up from my empties to the end of June.

Ojon Damage Reverse Shampoo and Conditioner - You can read my initial review here. After using this shampoo and conditioner for a few months I do still really like it but I wouldn't pay full price of £41.50 now.  I have found some other products recently that I really like.

L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 60 Second Saviour - This makes my hair lovely and soft and is very moisturising. This retails for £4.99 in Boots. I would repurchase.

Percy & Reed Moisturising Shampoo - This is nice but at £14.00 for 250ml I wouldn't repurchase as there are cheaper products that I prefer.

All full size items so £4 in the pot.

Essential Care Organic Rose Moisturiser - I got this in my May Joliebox, it is a lovely moisturiser doesn't break me out and I can actually feel it tightening my skin when I use it. 50ml retails at £19 here.  I wouldn't repurchase though as I am loving the next product!

Layla D Honey Moisturiser - You can read my review here.  I really struggle to find moisturisers that agree with my skin but this is fabulous. Would definitely repurchase.

Elemis Pro Collagen Body Cream - this retails at £9.99 here for 50ml, the full size is a whopping £49 for 200ml on the Elemis UK website! This smells lovely but I don't notice any firming or lifting effects when I use it. I have a couple of these body creams through beauty boxes/swaps as it smells lovely but I wouldn't repurchase it.

Apivita Express Beauty with Honey Face Mask - You can buy a two pack for £5.72 here. This left my skin lovely and soft and plumped up! Would repurchase.

4 Sample Sizes thats £2 in the pot.

FAB Cleanser - Think I have had this in every single empties post! Nice product and I'm on my last tube of it now.  Full size retails at £13 in Boots. I would repurchase.

Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser - Full size of 200ml retails for £34 on the Murad website.  I loved using this! It made my skin squeaky clean! But I didn't realise how much it cost :( I would definitely repurchase if I could find it cheaper! 

Clarins Water Purify One Step Cleanser with Mint Essential Water- Full size retails for £13.88 here.  I like this, it removed my make up including my eye make up without stinging or causing breakouts and it smells lovely! I would repurchase.

Lancome Bi-Facil Sensitive Eyes Instant Cleanser - Full size of 125ml retails for £17.85 here.   I find it does take a bit of rubbing to remove my mascara with this, I have a full size that I am using but I wouldn't repurchase this.  Happy if it comes in a GWP set though!

4 Sample sizes another £2 in the pot.

Rituals Foaming Shower Gel in Sunrise - Retails for £6.90 here.  This is my last Rituals shower gel and I will definitely be picking more up! They smell gorgeous and are very moisturising.

Molton Brown Vitalising Vitamin A, B + C Bath and Shower - 300ml retails for £15.60 here.  This smells nice but personally I wouldn't spend that amount on bath and shower gel so I wouldn't repurchase.

Gorgeous by Gok Body Wash - This reminds me of Christmas as Ialways pick up a set when it's on offer! It smells so good and doesn't dry out my skin.  I think you can only buy this at Christmas as I can't find it on Boots website.  Will be repurchasing.

Champneys Watermint Body Scrub - This retails for £6 here.  Wow this is fab! The smell is a real pick me up and the scrub is great, not drying and just the right amount and size of beads. Definitely repurchasing.

3 full size and a sample is £3.50 in the pot.

Total of £11.50 added this month making £51.50!!

Layla D Honey Moisturiser Review

I received my first pot of Layla D Honey Moisturiser in the July She Said Beauty Box, you can read about the rest of the contents of the box here. 

The cream smells very strongly of honey, so much so that when I first got this I didn't want to use it on my face.  I used my first sample size pot up on my feet! A little bit of this cream goes a long way and the sample size lasted for two weeks, at the end of the two weeks my feet were softer than they had been in years. After talking about it so much I was given a second pot from Karen at Memories Made in Silver.  

The moisturiser is made from 100% organic ingredients and is paraben and sulphate free - as are all the products from Layla D. The full size retails for £12.99 here.

The strong smell of honey may be off-putting to some but personally I like it! The smell does tend to stay around for a while too.

The cream has a light whipped texture and is easily absorbed.

I have combination skin and I get breakouts on my chin. The moisturiser is described as a gentle and soothing daytime moisturiser to protect, restore moisture and calm skin. After reading that the Honey and Macadamia oil help to heal the skin and help treat adult acne I braved it and put it on my face.

I have been using this on my face for the past two weeks, I have had no new breakouts (including no hormonal breakouts!)  and it seems to have reduced the redness around my chin. My skin looks plumper and feels more hydrated. 

This is the first product I have tried from Layla D and I will definitely be trying more from this range.

Have you tried this product? Or, anything else from Layla D?

She Said Beauty July Box

I had cancelled my subscription to She Said Beauty but when I set up my blogging twitter account @beautyandbook in June they sent me a code for 25% off a box, so I signed up again. I didn't get my box at the same time as everyone else this month and I had to email customer services to see where it was, I think they had forgotten about me as they took payment and said it would be sent on Monday.  I got a dispatch email on the Wednesday and it was delivered yesterday.

I had seen a lot of spoilers by this point so had a good idea of what would be in the box!

My box was missing the insert telling you about the products, so I don't know which product was the extra this month.

Honey Moisturiser by Layla D.

This is very heavily scented, so much that I won't use this on my face.

The cream sinks in easily and I am going to use this as a handcream.

I don't know what size this sample is as it doesn't say on the jar, but the full size 50ml retails for £12.99 on Layla D's website

Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser.

I am just reaching the end of a Murad cleanser that I got in my Latest in Beauty skincare box and I liked it so will use this.

Its a 30ml sample and 200ml retails for £29.00 on their website, making the sample worth £4.35

Miners Chubby Eye Pencil in Black.

I love the design on the pencil!

It is priced at £1.99 on their website

This is the product I was most excited to see in my box, an S shaped nail file from the winner of last years Apprentice - Tom.

I'm looking forward to trying this out and if its good I am going to pick up the emergency file which fits onto your keyring - ingenious!

This is a full size product and retails at £4.49.

Trilogy Instant Bronzing Gel.

This is a small 5ml sample. To be honest I'm not sure what the point of this sample is?! I could maybe do half a leg??

Full size is 150ml and retails at £15.75 on Feel Uniques website making the sample worth 52p

Ice Crystals by Freeze 24-7.

A tiny 1.2ml sample.

70ml retails for £16.99 on Amazon making the sample worth 29p 

I take it this is the extra this month - a Debenhams beauty card. Plus 500 extra points if you spend £30 instore before the end of July.

I don't know what to think about this! Erm...most people I know would have a card if they shopped in Debenhams but I suppose its something a bit different.

So overall, this month I am not impressed. I really like the nail file but thats it. I am very disappointed in the two tiny sample sachets, I really don't see the point of a 5ml fake tan sample - how would you be able to judge if you liked the product?

I've cancelled my subscription again, I used to get so excited to see the beauty boxes in the hands of the postman but now they just seem to be very disappointing.  The attention to detail seems to be lacking - such as missing out the card, I know its not a big issue but to me its something that should be checked before the boxes go out.  

Joliebox is the only one subscription box still standing and I'm hoping they don't have another delivery issue this month!

Did you get She Said Beauty this month? What did you think?