Beauty Empties September 2017 - Lush, OGX, Freedom, Tony Moly, Yankee Candle

So I sat earlier on and tried to work out when the last time I did an empties post. It was March. That feels like such a long time ago. I half typed a July-August one but never posted it so its been awhile.

That being said, I don't have loads to talk about. I've been focusing on all the products in my Gone by 2018 project pan, and I feel like everything I started with in that is almost done. They'll probably run out one use after me posting this so Octobers empties will be huge but that's OK. I have time off at the end of October so future me can worry about dealing with them.

Skin Care

1. Superdrug Pore Cleansing Pads - If you've seen any of my empties posts before, you've probably seen these. I use them daily to help keep my skin under control and I do find they work. The don't stop the hormonal break outs I get, but all the small spots I usually get down my cheeks stop when I use these regularly. I'd probably repurchased one of these before I even opened this and I'm already using one of my two backups. Love it.
2. Superdrug Facial Cleansing Wipes for Dry Skin - I don't use these to take my makeup off at the end of the day, but I do use them if I make a mistake putting my face on or for wiping swatches of my arm and cleaning the area I do my makeup and these are fine. They're cheap and cruelty free (and I also earn points on them) so yeah, I probably will repurchase.
3. Biore Nose Pore Strips x2 - Up until this month I thought these were the best strips out there, and was really glad I purchased hundreds in a sale a while ago as Biore aren't cruelty free so I won't buy them again. I've now discovered the Superdrug do a two pack of Charcoal strips that seem to work just as well so if I need strips in the future I will buy those (not that I will as I have so many backups from different brands).
4. Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Pore Strip - These are not very good. I think that's why there's still so many floating around my collection. Wouldn't recommend or repurchase.
5. Primark Sunflower Dark Circle Patches - These did nothing and are just a bit uncomfortable to wear under your eyes as they are really thick. Would not repurchase.

Sheet Masks

1. Garnier Soothing Moisture Bomb Mask - I hate that I liked this. I was given four of these (two pink and two blue) when my skin was really bad and dry. This is the only one I've tried and I actually really liked it. I wouldn't repurchase as it's not cruelty free but I will gladly use the three I have left up. 
2. By Nature Moisturising Coconut Sheet Mask x2 - I bought a box of five of these, used one, hated it, and abandoned them. I had to add the remaining four of them to my Gone by 2018 project (linked above) to try and use them up. I really can't stand these. The mask is a really thick paper that you have to peal a backing off, it doesn't sit on my face well, the serum was really thick and chunky (they've not gone bad, they expire 2022) and they're just all round not a pleasant experience. After using them my skin did feel really nice but they're a struggle to get use. I wouldn't repurchase but I will use the other two I still have left.
3. Tony Moly I'm Real Avocado Mask - I really liked this mask but Tony Moly isn't cruelty free so I won't be repurchasing any of my Tony Moly masks. If you want a nice moisturising mask and don't care if things are cruelty free or not then I would recommend this.
4. 7th Heaven Manuka Honey Peel Off Mask - I hated this. Hated hated hated. I dedicated a whole post on my Instagram to how much I disliked this. It smells so strongly like a lemon and honey Lemsip (fake honey smell is my least favourite smell) and even though I left it on my face for about 20 minutes longer than it said to the mask didn't dry down to peel off and I had to scrub it off my cheeks. I'm trying to get through the last of my 7th Heaven masks as I don't like them so there will be a lot of these over the next couple of months. I would not repurchase this, and if I was given it I would have to re-gift as I could not do that myself.

Makeup

1. New Look Fix Makeup Setting Spray - I actually finished this maybe ten weeks ago, but as I needed to keep the bottle as I had to transfer the Freedom spray into this bottle I didn't include it last time. This did nothing for my makeup but the sprayer was really nice and I could use it to foil eyeshadow. Wouldn't repurchase it but it didn't cause a bad reaction or anything.
2. Freedom Pro Studio Fixing Spray - This did nothing and the spray head was like a jet. Would not recommend.
3. Bourjois Ultra Black Felt Liner - I found this in my stash when my Kiko eyeliner ran out and I legit maybe got four or five uses out this before it stopped working properly. I didn't like the tip and I couldn't get it to apply over foiled eyeshadow. I wouldn't buy Bourjois anyway (not sure how I ended up with this as unless it was really really old, but it was brand new) but this was definitely a fail from my point of view.

Everything Else

1. Lush Fizzbanger Bath Bomb - Autumn is here and I'm now getting back into baths (I don't know if anyone remembers this but in my old flat I only had a bath, so I've been enjoying the luxury of a shower in the morning) and pulled out all my Lush stuff. Some of its gotten a bit old and some other products have done that thing where they kind of leak into the bag and then get on other stuff. This was fine though, maybe a little old but not bad. I've had Fizzbangers before, I really like them and I will no doubt buy it again once I get my Lush stash a little more under control.
2. OGX Coconut Oil Weightless Hydrating Mist - I used to love this, and I bought it (and the other OGX products I have) when I thought they were still cruelty free. I recently learned they are now sold in mainland China and, like Nars, they are no longer cruelty free. I'm going to use up what I have and not purchase again, its a shame as the Tea Tree and Mint shampoo is one of my favourites. Really liked it, but wouldn't repurchase it.
3. Ralph Lauren Polo Sport 3 - Back when I bought this perfume I really liked it, but that was nearly three years ago and my tastes have changed since then. It was nice enough to use it up but I'm glad its gone and I wouldn't repurchase.
4. Yankee Candle in Midsummer Night - I really really liked this candle, it smelled so good and burned for a surprisingly long time, however I find Yankee Candles really overpriced so I wouldn't repurchase unless it was on offer.

Items I'm Throwing Out

1. Molton Brown Amber Cocoon Hand Lotion - This has gone bad. I maybe got a third used up in my Gone by 2018 project but when I went to use it after a couple of nights off the smell had changed. So its a shame but that's being decluttered.
2. L'Occitane Ultra Rich Lotion - I was given this when a friend de-cluttered an old gift set they'd never used. Its been well over a yeah now, I haven't used it either and as I'm not sure how it should smell but I think its a bit iffy so I'm not about to use it.
3. L'Occitane Ultra Rich Shower Cream - Same story as above. 
4. NYX Eyebrow Pencil in Shade 3 Medium Brown  -  This isn't so much medium brown, its more straight up orange. I was hoping it would be a good match for me as I have light to medium browny hair with a lot of bronze and golden tones in it. At some parts its straight up blonde on the underside. However my eyebrows are pretty dark and I usually use a dark brown pencil/powder to fill them in. I sometimes feel that even through what I'm using matches my browns it makes them look too dark for me. This however makes me look like a clown and as I don't know anyone it would match or what to do with it, I'm just getting rid of it.
5. Too Faced Melted Lipstick in Chihuahua (Delux Mini) -  I'm not having a good run with Too Faced lip products as even though this is well within the 12 months its supposed to last, it smells really bad. This is the fourth one of these I've had go bad so I will not buy any more Too Faced liquid lipsticks. I do have two backups that are currently unused so I will open and use as and when I want to.

And that's everything for this month. Next month I will most likely have a lot more, as I'll have all my Gone by 2018 items and I tend to go through face wash once every two months and two bottles of shower gel every two months so I would expect them to all fall into that update as well.

Tried anything here and had a different experience than I have, let me know

xoxo Scruffy

BOMB Cosmetics Flutter By, Butterfly Bath Blaster Review with Photos - Cruelty Free & Handmade

Some Bomb Cosmetics are a brand that have been on my radar for a while now. I've been given a few of their gift sets in the past and I've always found them nice. When I found I had another set squirreled away in the cupboard I thought I would let you all know what I thought of the blasters and bath melts, like I have been with Lush.

So this is the Flutter By, Butterfly Bath Blaster, and according to the website this contains cocoa butter to soothe the skin and mandarin and neroli essential oils. It also is supposed to smell like a combination of fresh apples and sweet cherries.

I don't know about all that, it is super dooper cute though....

From a mix of past experience and a lot of time spent going through they're website I can say they make some of the cutest bath bombs ever. They even make one with a tiny little rubber duckie in it, which is so so cute.

Smell wise, its a very nice, sweet kind of fruity, floral smell. I don't think its particularly like apples and cherries though. It is nice and pleasant. 

I feel like over recent months I might have been spoiled by all the lovely Lush goodies I've used because as fizzing displays go, this was a bit of a let down. 

It smelled really good but apart from that it was a bit boring and flat. I would have liked it if it did something more fun. Maybe some glitter or some more colour. It was just very mehh.

Another thing I noticed is that the cocoa butter leaves a really thick film on everything that came in contact with it, my body, my hair and the bath. It felt really gross. This was also really difficult to clean off the inside of the bath. I think in previous posts when I've been talking about the bath being difficult to clean I might have been thinking of these. 

So final thoughts, this bath blaster looks cute and smells good but its not worth the hassle and the clean-up. They cost £2.99 off the Bomb Cosmetics website so for that price you could get something from Lush that doesn't gunk up the same.

XOXO Scruffy

Enquiry? Message me ascruffyduck@gmail.com

Lush Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb Review with Photos - Cruelty Free Bath Product

When I wrote the original Lush Halloween Haul post (here) I feel like I might have been a bit harsh on this bomb. I stand by what I said, nothing about it screams Halloween and the smell reminds me of other Lush products. However, I have since learned is more of a general winter/Christmas product and now it makes sense to me. So I take back the criticism regarding its spookiness.

Its actually kind of pretty, I don't think I even properly looked at last time. Its covered in white and purple speckles and I've decided I like the green star imprint on it. Its more subtle and grown up than a lot of Lush's holiday stuff and it would also be good if you wanted to get something for a guy and not have it look overly pink and girly or childish. 

I really shouldn't hold things like this. I always get the urge to throw them.

This bath bomb wins awards for the most amazingly unexpected bath show of all time. There are a lot of photos, I found it that awesome.

The water went red, it started bubbling and there was popping candy in it!!!

I was not expecting this at all. Sometimes doing no research on what a bath bomb does it a good thing. I don't think I need to say much more about about this, you've seen the photos, its great fun.

I liked the smell as well, it was more of a generic Lush scent than any of the others I've tried so far but I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Its really pleasant and the scent filled the whole room for a good few hours after the bath had drained away. Love it when this happens. There was no issues with my skin, hair or the bath feeling weird afterwards as well. I think I might stop even mentioning how easy the bath is to clean as well, as all the new things I've tried have been totally fine. 

Score time

Look 3/5

Smell 5/5

Bath show 5/5

Skin Feel 5/5

Minimal Cleanup 5/5

I'm going to buy this again, for sure.  I'm probably going to get my Mum one as well and put it in with her Christmas present as I think its a lot of fun and she would enjoy it.

XOXO Scruffy 

Enquiry? Message me ascruffyduck@gmail.com

Lush Halloween Haul - First Impressions and Thoughts

(Firstly let me apologise for the quality of the photos. My laptop is broken so I'm going between phone and small tablet, it's not fun but you gotta do what you gotta do.)

Lush's Halloween collection is one of my favourite things Lush does. Last year I fell in love with the Nightwing shower jelly, and this year I couldn't wait to see what they came out with. Yesterday I made the trip up to the Buchanan Street store to pick some treats, and hopefully no tricks (Sorry, couldn't resist). 

So I picked up eight of the ten Halloween items, the two I didn't get were the Fireside Soap and Lords of Misrule Shower Gel. It wasn't my soap or shower gel supply that was low, so I decided to skip them. The collection is made up of, in total, two soap, four bath bombs, one showed gel, one bubble bar, one bath melt and a shimmer bar.

Lords of Misrule Bath Bomb

So this is one I know they pull out the vault year after year and I know it's a big favourite, I'm just not sure why. It might be lovely in the bath, haven't tried it yet, so I could stand corrected but it seems kind of everyday. The smell kind of reminds me of some more of their other ones and midtone green just doesn't scream Halloween to me. If I change my mind once I've used it I'll make sure to let you all know.

Autumn Leaf Bath Bomb

Oh, this smells so good, I think. Citrusy but also outdoorsy. I don't love the first sniff, but they get better and better. By sniff seven or eight it's all I want to smell. Sniff. Sniff. Sniff. I can't wait to use this in the bath. I think it's going to turn the water amazing colours and, if this works the way I hope it will, it'll be bathing in sniff eight for at least half an hour.

Pumpkin Bath Bomb

In terms of most amazing first sniff, this wins hands down. If they bottled this scent and sold it as perfume I would coat myself in the daily. Fruity, citrusy and biscuity. It's gorgeous. If I love it in the bath, I'm going back for more. 

Monsters Ball Bath Bomb

I really like the smell of this one too and it's super cute. Look at the little guy. With his one big eye, all round and stuff. Sadly one of his little horns had gotten a bit scuffed off. Like the pumpkin, if this is nice in the bath I'm stocking up. 

Sparkling Pumpkin Bubble Bar

This is another one from the vault. I know I had it last year and it was nice. I usually don't love the glittery bars but as it was the only Halloween bubble bar I picked it up.

Magic Wand Soap

I made a choice between this and the other one it the collection. This has a really nice subtle tangerine smell. I really like lushes blocks of soap for in the bath (the only one I'll use on my face is Honey I Washed the Kids). This'll be replacing the Mangonificent that's almost done on the sink.

Boo Bath Melt

Look at this little guy. Who's a cute little spookle? You're a cute little spookle. Yes you are. I go through phases of loving and hating these melts. If my skin needs a boost they're great, if my hair gets in the bath though it takes a couple of washes to get in back to normal. 

Goth Fairy Shimmer Bar

Here's another cute little spookle. This shimmer bar is a bit like the massage bars you get but it's packed full of shinies. I think this'll be good for wintery nights out. Mixing shinies with moisturiser, yes please. 

All in all the collection is pretty cute. I would have liked to see another bubble bar, maybe something that made the water purple as I feel that the bath bomb to bubble bath ratio is a bit off. I also would have liked to see another shower jelly like last year. They could have done a pumpkin shaped one or maybe something dark green and pine scented. That would have been awesome. 

Tried anything from the collection, let me know what you thought. 

XOXO Scruffy 

Enquiry? Message me ascruffyduck@gmail.com