Beautylishious September Bag

My September Beautylishious bag arrived this morning, I had totally forgotten about it until someone said they received theirs yesterday! This is the second Beautylishious bag I have had, you can read what was in the first one here.

I love hot pink and leopard print together and the little charm is a lovely touch

The main item in the bag is a full size Wella Professional Balance Scalp Serum

Wella SP Balance Scalp Energy Serum is an intensive strengthening serum with a patented formula which makes thinning hair stronger, it can reduce hair loss by up to 50%. Balance Scalp Energy Serum delicately balances and soothes sensitive scalps as well as strengthening thin hair to reduce hair loss.

This smells so strongly of alcohol! The directions say to rub into your scalp and to not rinse out so I don't know if it will make my roots greasy, I don't have thinning hair or excessive hair loss so I don't know how well this will work for me - maybe I should give it to my Dad! Good job he doesn't read my blog!!

Murad Exfoliating Blemish Treatment Gel 30ml Sample Size

This hard working gel features a patented formula designed with anti-inflammatory botanicals and deeply cleansing agents for a clear, fresh finish. Retinol and hydrogen peroxide are blended with salicylic and glycolic acids to exfoliate dead, pore-clogging skin cells while penetrating pores to remove bacteria and other causes of blemishes. Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel's non-drying texture uses licorice, aloe and chamomile to reduce redness and inflammation, as well as orange, grape and witch hazel extracts to nourish and promote clarity and health. Blemishes are diminished, breakouts are prevent and the skin is healthfully radiant.

I forgot that I had seen a spoiler for this item in the bag and bought this gel this week! It will come in handy to have another one though.

St Ives Apricot Scrub 30ml Sample Size

St Ives Invigorating Apricot Facial Scrub. Uk's No. 1 Scrub Brand captures the secrets of naturally beautiful and healthy looking skin. This cleansing formula gently exfoliates, removing dull, dead skin to reveal smooth, radiant, healthy looking skin.

This is a product that I always pick up in the Supermarket and I have just finished a tube so this will get used up.

Valentino Valentina EDP 1.5ml Sample

The composition is designed as a fresh floral - fruity - oriental, full of contradictions, simultaneously delicate and strong, elegant, sensual, rebellious and fun. 

It starts off with bergamot from Calabria and white truffles from Alba. Amalfi orange blossoms, sweet jasmine, tuberose and wild strawberries compose the perfume's heart, settling on the base of cedar, vanilla and amber.

I have had this in one of my Glossyboxes and the scent is nice so this will get used up.

Overall the bag is not bad, nothing really exciting though I'm afraid.  I absolutely loved the first bag that I got - it was like a present you would give to a friend and I couldn't wait to use everything up.  I will use everything in the bag apart from maybe the scalp serum and one of my friends always complains that she has thin hair so I will probably pass it over to her - although I will decant some to try as the bottle will last for ages! 

The Beautylishious bag costs £12 including postage and you can find the website here.

Did you get this bag? What did you think?

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!!

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?