May Empties

Firstly, my biggest apologies for not posting in so long. I cannot express just how busy and hectic life has been in the past month! It started with a Special Effects Makeup course, then Cannes Film Festival, half term with the kids and then Graduate Fashion Week.... and finally I am settling down (and allowed to sleep again - yay!)

I recorded this video on Saturday night, but have only just had the time to put it anywhere.... so it's a little late, but better late than never! For those that have contacted me asking when my next Roaccutane update video will be, I will record it over the next week some time, promise!

Here is the video showing my empties for the month of May. 

And if you prefer to read than watch... here's a brief description of what I used up last month.

Roaccutane 30mg (on prescription) - as I said above, there will be a video coming within the next week, so hold tight for that one!

Dr Lipp Nipple Balm for Lips (£11.50 from Space NK), Carmex (£2.69 from Boots.com) , Maybelline Baby Lips (not out in the UK yet, but you could try eBay) - My lips are so dry from the Roaccutane that I am getting through lip balm like there's no tomorrow! Dr Lipp is definitely my favourite. Really thick and moisturising - I've been saving it to put on at bed time to ensure my lips are soft and moisturised in the mornings. There's a full blog post here. Carmex is a great, cheap alternative, but I've heard that the ingredients in it can make your lips effectively addicted to it, so you will forever need to use it! I tried the Babylips from a blogsale - I had an Asian version which was menthol. I wasn't overly keen on the flavour, but it was a nice lip balm nonetheless. It didn't feel as moisturising as the other two though.

Elemis Skin Nourishing Milk Bath (£40 from Beauty Bay) - this is a pricey bath product, but oh so good. If you want soft, gorgeous feeling skin, then it's worth treating yourself. It's so soothing and lovely - it has a delicate clean fragrance, and is so gentle it can even be used as a body moisturiser. I was sad to see this one run out - I would either pop it in the bath, or use it after a shower as a lotion, and my skin was so soft, even though I'm on Roaccutane which really dries your skin out.

Trevor Sorbie Perfect Curl Shampoo & Conditioner (currently 2 for £7.50 at Boots.com) - These were the first products I'd tried of Trevor Sorbie's and I really liked them. They smelled amazing, and my hair was left looking, feeling and smelling clean for a long while afterwards. It helped to define the natural wave in my hair, and also held a style longer, whether that was straightened or tonged.

Colgate Sensitive Pro Relief Toothpaste (£3.55 from Superdrug) - If you have sensitive teeth, you MUST try this toothpaste. Since I started using it, I have never been as pain-free. You can notice the difference in sensitivity in just one minute, and it lasts a long time too. There's a more detailed post about it here.

Simple Eye Make Up Remover (£3.39 from Boots.com) - this is a reoccurring favourite of mine as it's a product I buy time and time again. You just can't go wrong with it! It's cheap, doesn't irritate my eyes and does the job it's meant to do.

Barry M Intense Eyeliner Pencil (£4 from Tesco) - I LOVE this eyeliner. Hands-down my favourite for application, longevity  blackness, ease.... oh it's amazing. But, I have a sneaky suspicion they are discontinuing it or reformulating or something. I haven't seen it on any stands for ages, and when searching online there were loads of shops out of stock of it. Eek!

MAC Stereo Rose MSF (limited edition from MAC but you could try eBay) - Since this came out in a collection years ago, it has been my go-to daily blush. I adore it. It came out again recently and I bought two - but the first of them is this one... I am now on my fourth since it came out and I really hope it comes out again so I can stock up without paying over the odds. It's delicate, highlighting and coral. What more could you want from a blush!?

Makebelieve Enhance Bronzer & Brush (£10 from lookfantastic.com) - I got this in a beauty box last year, and, having not heard much of the brand before, was a little sceptical. I started to use it when my NARS Laguna ran out, as a stop-gap, but actually continued to use it on a daily basis. It's a pretty matt bronzer which is great for contour or bronze. My only downside would be that it comes in a massive, chunky box, as it also houses a brush. I'd prefer it without the brush and in a smaller container, for ease of travelling with it, or doing your make up on the run.

Sheer Cover Mineral Foundation (Kits start at £29.99 from SheerCover.co.uk) - this is the foundation I used to use when I had better skin. I ordered it via a shopping channel as I saw how fantastically it covered a woman's scar. It looks so light, yet really has amazing coverage. The only downside was, at the time, you had to sign up to a programme where it's automatically sent to you every 6 weeks, or something like that - I don't really like that pressure! I'm not sure if that's still the case, but that aside it's a lovely product, and now my skin is a little better, I gave it another go... it's still just as nice. 

April Empties

How the hell is it May already!?

I had thought my empties would be saved for every other month, to allow me enough time to have enough empties to warrant talking about - although, somehow, in April, I've managed to use a lot of things up - plus I've got very into the habit of saving empty packets. In fact, even when I use up every-day household things like cordial, it does go through my head that I've emptied it and I need to save it. Argh this is turning me crazy!

As usual, there's a video explaining and showing my empties:



but for those that prefer to read (or are at work!) here's a short summary of all the products.

Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara (£17 from Clinique) - hands down my favourite ever mascara. It fattens lashes like no other, doesn't flake, lasts all day, and doesn't give you panda eyes. This is the second tube I've got through and I need to buy another as soon as possible. Nothing else in my stash compares. There's a full review here.

Philip B Oud Royal Perfect Finish Shaping Fiber (£21 from Space NK) - I was given the first pot of this at an event - it's for styling short hair, so I gave it to my boyfriend - who adores it. It's much more pricey than the usual cheapy he'd pick up at Boots but it is absolutely amazing. I've ended up buying him one for every occasion since. You can style your hair and know that it will be in the same place at night. It doesn't look stiff - you could totally mess it up with your fingers, ruffling it, and it would go back to the place you styled it to be. It smells delicious too.

Roaccutane 20mg (available on prescription) - I completed my first month on Roaccutane! I've done a video about it which is available here.

L'Oreal Feriea Pastel Pink Panther Toner (£4.79 {currently £1 off} from Boots) - This is a pastel pink toner designed to give a baby pink tint to blonde hair. I think it's designed for much lighter hair, even though it showed a photo on the back of hair coloured like mine, it didn't do much for me. My Starlooks video shows my hair after two uses of the toner. There was a very slight hint of pink, and a few streaky bits, but nothing major. Emma from Milkteef  used the Lavender one and it looked fab on her.

Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes (£2.99 {currently £2} from Superdrug) - I like to use these to remove the bulk of my make up before using my cleanser. This helps me to know that my skin really is totally clean. The Simple wipes have never given me a reaction, and are nice and wet, so they're easy to work with and don't cause any discomfort.

Nivea Stress Protect Deodorant (£2.50 from Tesco) - I first used this as part of the Nivea Stress Protect Challenge - the idea being that you produce a different kind of sweat when you stress, that when you're hot and sweaty - and this helps to combat that. I had always been faithful to my Dove deodorant, but I'm now converted. This is amazing and leaves me feeling and smelling fresh, even in the most stressful of situations.

Korres Guava Shower Gel (I had a little travel sized bottle from a beauty box, but you can get a full size bottle for £8 from FeelUnique) - this was a really yummy shower gel - it reminds me of that holiday smell, a bit guava-ey, a bit coconut-ey... but I'm not a big shower gel obsessive - to me a shower gel is a shower gel - as long as it smells nice and cleans me I'm happy - and this did both!

Bioderma Crealine H20 (mine's from a french pharmacy, but you can get it for £15.95 from Guru Makeup) - this is actually from my make up kit, not my own stash, but I thought I'd include it anyway. It's a really gentle Micellar water which removes make up and eye make up. It's great for sensitive skin, and models love it - particularly if they're going from show to show, having their make up taken on and off. Sometimes I find it a little too gentle for stubborn eye make up, but it's lovely and refreshing and kind to the most sensitive of skins. I don't use it myself as I feel I need something a little more heavy duty and medicated for my crazy skin, although after facial treatments such as Dermarolling, it was bliss!

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum (£45 from Selfridges) - this eye serum is lovely and light-weight; almost water-like to feel. It sinks in nice and quickly and leaves the under eye area soft and hydrated. I haven't fallen in love with it enough that I feel the need to rush out and buy it again, but it did help to reduce puffiness and fine lines slightly. Theres a full review from pictures here.

Bliss Firm Baby Firm (£46.75 from LookFantastic) - this serum is very moisturising, which meant that, when my skin was oily (pre-roaccutane), I had to stop using my moisturiser as both together was just too much for my skin! It left my skin soft, supple and plumped, but I think it's more suited to drier skin types.

February & March Empties

I realise March isn't over yet, but I am off to Russia this weekend and trying to be orgnaised! I have made a video with all of the products I have used up over the past two months. You can watch it by clicking below.



Seche Base (£8.80) - Fab base coat which fills in any ridges and preps your nails ready for polish. It is an oyster colour and leaves a shimmery finish to the nail which is covered completely with nail polish. Using a base coat will stop staining and gives an even finish to your polish.

Seche Vite (£9.00 - or a QVC sells a trio for £18.75) - the most amazing top coat I have ever tried. It's fast drying so no more waiting around waiting for nails to dry, and leaves a stunning glossy finish. Life changing material. Repurchased.

Barry M Intense Eyeliner Pen (£4.00) - my go-to eyeliner for every day. I find the design of the product great - twist pen to reveal a thin crayon-type nib, and it's the easiest eyeliner for me to apply on myself. It lasts all day, and is such good value. I'll continue to buy this and buy this! Repurchased.

She Uemura Eyelash Curlers (£20) - my eyelash curlers of choice for both my kit, and personal use. They just seem to give a better, more defined curl than any other I've tried. The rubber has worn away on mine, after several years, and I can't find the spare rubber that comes with them - time to invest in a new set!

Kiehls Creme De Corps (£44 per 500ml) - I used this up a while ago but just found the empty I had stashed away! Gorgeous body lotion that sinks into the skin so easily, isn't greasy and doesn't have any strong smell to it. My skin feels so smooth when I'm using it - probably my favourite body lotion I've ever tried. It can be purchased in smaller bottles too. Full blog post is here

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (£27.50) - I've been wearing this for a while - my skin is incredibly oily and this being long wearing, it lasts the longest on me of all the foundations I've tried, as well as giving good coverage for my redness and blemishes, without being mask-like. Repurchased.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Powder (£27.50) - Some people choose to wear this on it's on for a long-wearing powder. I use it to set my Double Wear Foundation - they work well with each other and it definitely matts my face down when I start to get shiny.

Hibi Scrub (on prescription but available to purchase on various websites) - This was prescribed to me by my doctor, and then my dermatologist. It's most commonly used for surgeons pre and post surgery to disinfect their hands - though I use it as a cleanser. It isn't drying which is uncommon for these kind of washes, and does the job.

Organic Surge Blissful Daily Moisturiser (£8.49) - This is so cheap for what it is - amazing, hydrating yet gentle moisturiser. Full blog post is here

Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Shampoo (£15.85) - I absolutely love this and it's conditioner counterpart - unfortunately a bottle lasts me under 3 weeks and I just can't afford to use it all the time. The smell is amazing and it makes my hair silky and soft. Full blog post here

Label M Brunette Dry Shampoo (£10.95) - This is a coloured dry shampoo that I like to use to refresh my hair when I don't have time to wash, dry and style it. The colour is quite intense so you do need to be a proper brunette to use it, though they do have other colours too. Full blog post here

There's something quite satisfying about finishing off a product... and then throwing away a big pile of empties.

Until next time!

January Empties

I've been saving all my empties for what feels like an eternity, but finally, the end of the month, and an empties video! I think some from December may have crept in too... check out the video if you're more a visuals kind of person!



So the products I talk about, and have used up are...

Frizz Ease - Smooth Start Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner - £5.89 each for 250ml from Boots (and currently part of their 3 for 2 offer) - I think this is a great high-street range for smoothing hair. Although it didn't convert me for all eternity, it really did make my hair smoother and tamed the frizz. The only thing that I didn't like about it was I found the lids really hard to open in the shower, and ended up using my teeth, which can't be good! That aside, I'd definitely use them again - they work!

Elegant Touch - Get 'em off artifical nail remover £2.65 for 200ml from Boots - I've already bought another of these - it's great, inexpensive, does the job, works for regular nail polish, or, due to the acetone, can remove Shellac etc in the comfort of your own home.

Black Orchid & Vanilla filled tin candle £3.95 for up to 18hrs burn time from Pintailcandles - I was given this in a goody bag - so absolutely amazing - now I know how affordable it is I'm definitely restocking. The smell is uplifting, gentle and gorgeous.

Arbonne Make up primer £25 for 30ml from Arbonne - I have written a full review of this primer here - it creates a smooth base for my foundation to go over, but doesn't make my foundation last any longer.

Benefit The POREfessional primer £23.50 for 22ml from Boots - This is my favourite primer to use at the moment - it seems to work in perfect harmony with Double Wear foundation - creating an even base and making my face look better for longer. I've already repurchased!

hydraluron £24.99 for 30ml from Boots - I have oily, dehydrated skin, so I'm constantly on the lookout for products that will give me the moisture I need, without affecting my oily skin. Hydraluron is perfect for this - you apply it as a serum, before moisturiser, to help boost your skins hydration. It contains the purest form of hyaluronic acid which can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. It hasn't solved my skins woes, but it's definitely boosted the moisture levels. I'm on my third tube of it now!

Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara (black) £17 for 10ml from Clinique - There is a full review of this here - my absolute favourite mascara ever! I adore it - lashes are coated in just one sweep of the wand, it's buildable, doesn't flake or transfer, and lashes seem to fan and separate. Amazing.

AesthetiCare Chiroxy cream £19.50 for 50ml from Effortless Skin - I have been using this in conjunction with my Dermarolling sessions (an explanation of what that is is here) - it's an oxygenating moisturiser ideal to use pre and post cosmetic procedures - it delivers oxygen to the skin which helps it to repair. It's really moisturising without being too rich, and didn't mess with my crazy skin that's prone to break outs.

Lush Snow Fairy shower gel (limited edition) £3.50 for 100g from Lush - This shower gel only comes out and Christmas time - I will definitely be buying as much as I can next Christmas to keep me in stock for a while - it's deliciously amazing. Baby pink with iridescent glitter pieces in it - and smells of candy floss and pear drops - yum!

MAC Turquatic Perfume £37 for 50ml from MAC - this is my smell, I've worn it for years and absolutely love it. I aways describe it as a grown up version of the smell of a Hollister store, and a bit less grown up as White Company Seychelles. Get it!? It's a gorgeous, oceany, girly smell. Luckily I was given another bottle for Christmas, phew!

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum £65 for 50ml from Selfridges - this is my other favourite perfume. It is rather expensive, but if you like the smell and not the price you can go for the eau de toilette. It's such a powerful smell, without being sickly, and very feminine. Luckily, I was bought some more for Christmas too!

La Prarie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift £304 for 50ml (gulp!) at House of Fraser - (I was using the 10ml version but can't find it online) - An amazingly luxurious serum which smells delicious and leaves the skin feeling plum and moisturised with just one drop. Unfortunately it's out of my budget, otherwise I would definitely continue to use this.

Sally Hansen Cuticle Remover Gel £6.45 for 24ml at Boots - this cuticle remover works as well as any high-end brands I've used. Squeeze it on, leave for a couple of minutes, and cuticules are soft and ready to work with! I will definitely repurchase.

Carex Strawberry Laces Liquid Soap £1.80 from Tesco (but currently on offer for 90p) - this soap smells just like strawberry laces, and definitely encouraged my kids to wash their hands! They also have a Chocolate Orange version which smells just like chocolate orange!

Seems like rather a lot of empties! Let me know if you like or dislike any of these products I've mentioned.

April Empties

I am going to try to make a conscious effort to do my empties on a monthly, rather than bi-monthly basis! So although there's not much - these are the products I used up in April...

one - Delicate Clarisonic Head (£21 available here) - this was the standard head on my Clarisonic Mia when I bought it. I have used it for a couple of months but feel I needed something with a bit more power and exfoliation so have now switched to the Deep Pore head.

two - Erythromycin (available on prescription) - these were prescribed to me from my GP to help try to clear my skin. I have now been taking four a day for the past six weeks and my skin is definitely improving - there's still a way to go, but it's massively better! Repurchased!

three - LDN:SKINS Gradual Tan Lotion (£22 for 200ml available here) - this is a really lovely, gradual, natural looking tan. It left me with a healthy glow of colour without looking orange - smells good and easy to add into a daily routine. Full review here. Looking forward to trying out their tanning mousse next!

four - Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes (£3.20 for 25 wipes available here - currently on 3 for 2) - I use these to remove the bulk of my make up before cleansing. They are really good at shifting the grime while being kind to my skin - they don't break me out or leave my skin feeling uncomfortable. Repurchased!

five - Benefit Porefessional (£23.50 for 22ml available here) - This is a primer which is supposed to reduce the appearance of pores. I wasn't sure it made any difference, but once I stopped using it, I wanted it again - hence using it up! Pores appear smaller, make up glides on nicely on top of it - I've repurchased!

six - Simple Eye Make-up Remover (£3.39 for 125ml available here - currently on 3 for 2) - Great, inexpensive eye make up remover that removes even the most stubborn of mascara. Gentle yet powerful, non oil - repurchased!

seven - Urban Decay All Nighter (£19 for 118ml available here) - make up setting spray which really helps to keep my make up looking fresh on a night out - repurchased!

Please watch my video if you'd like some more in depth info about any of the products...

February & March Empties

I kept hold of my empties in February as I didn't have very many... although when combined with March's, there are quite a few!

I have uploaded a video, showing which products I've used up over the past two months.

If you're more of a reader, than a watcher - this bit's for you!

one - Barefoot SOS Daily Rich Body Lotion (£21.95 for 200mls available here) - this is a gorgeous body moisutriser that has converted me to daily body moisturising! It is rich, sinks in well, and the smell reminds me of Neunco (the Spanish baby bath!). My skin is left gorgeously smooth when using this.

two & three - Murad Cleanser & Moistusriser from the Embrace Balance Kit (full kit £37 available here) - these are great little products, the perfect size for travelling with, and totally do their job. The cleanser is dispensed as a foam and leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh with no tightness. The moisturiser is oil free and gives just the right amount of moisture to my skin without leaving it greasy or shiny (full blog post here).

four - Dove Original Deodorant Cream Bar (£2.49 for 40mls here) - I know it's a bit of a weird one to add, but I've used this for eternity and just love it. It keeps me protected, has that classic Dove smell, and doesn't give me crusty pits!

five - Dior Diorshow mascara (£23 available here) - This is now my favourite mascara. It's fat, bristly brush delivers fab fat lashes - you can build it up to the max and it still looks great. I now want to check out some more of the Dior mascara range. Totally sold!

six - Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation (£26.50 available here) - I know this has featured in every single empties post I've done, but that's because it's the one I love! It's not perfect, but it's the best I've tried, and believe me, I've tried a lottttttt of foundations. It's full coverage without being cakey, and longwearing.

seven - MAC Fix+ (£7 for £30mls available here) - Fix+ is such a versatile product, I love it! You can use it to prep your skin for a bit of moisture without greasiness, as a mixing medium (although I think this is very expensive to use in this way if you have water available), or to refresh your skin after you've put on your make up. This is my favourite way of using it. When you look too powdery or matt, give yourself a spritz of this and you will be restored to looking like a human, without runing any of your make up.

eight & nine - Four Reasons Repair Shampoo & Conditioner (£8.95 each available here) - I think the design of these products is great - they would totally make me stop and look among the shelves in the shops. They smell of gorgeous green apple, and seemed to lessen the amount of split ends I had (full blog post here).

ten - The White Company Seychelles Hand & Nail Cream (£12 for 250mls available here) - this technically isn't an empty - the pump broke so I'll have to decant it into something else and chuck the bottle, thought I may as well include it. I adore the Seychelles range from The White Company - I have the candles, room diffusers and room spray... wishing that my house would smell like that constantly. I just l.o.v.e - love it! I'd group the smell in the same family as MAC Turquatic Hue (incidentally, my fave perfume!) and the smell of Hollister, but a bit more 'grown up'. Smell it!

eleven - OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover (£7.60 for 120mls available here) - I normally tend to use any old nail polish remover, but this happened to come as part of a free gift with a subscription to Grazia magazine. I really liked that the main smell of it was citrusey, rather than the usual stench you get with high street removers.

twelve - Rituals Yogi Flow Shower Foam (£6.50 for 200mls available here) - this is probably one of the first items from a beauty box I have actually used up! It comes out as a gel but turns into a densely packed lather, and smells gorgeous too.

thirteen - Trilogy Ultra Hydrating Face Cream (£24.50 for 75mls available here) - Wonderful moistusier which soothed my dry winter skin back to normality. Calming, comforting - it sorted my dry patches out without making my oily bits oily - I'll definitely re-buy next winter (full blog post here).

January Empties

I've been saving up my empty containers to show you what I've used up, and my thoughts on the products. It's more like November, December and January empties - but this is it....

one - Origins Modern Friction  - This is a facial exfoliater which I have had for a while and only used about half of. It is very lemony smelling, which I love - but that combined with the rough bits which exfoliate your skin, going in your eyes as you rinse it off = nightmare. It didn't do anything amazing for my skin, didn't slough off enough dead cells for my liking, and where I've left it for a while, it's gone all sticky and gloopy. I won't be repurchasing!

two - Moroccanoil Treatment - I have since repurchased this as this is a product I never want to be with out. It does an amazing job at taming hair, smoothing it down and making it feel a lot more healthy. The smell is fabulous - I just love it. Whether you have straight or curly hair, this is just a wonder product - there's also a 'light' version for those with thinner hair.

three - Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Make-up Remover - I only bought this as a cheap stop-gap but I've already bought another, I was impressed. It's very gentle yet effective, even getting stubborn eye make up off. So cheap, so gentle - it doesn't irritate my eyes at all. Win!

four - Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation -Yes, this was also on my last 'empties' post that I did - well that's because I just keep rebuying and rebuying! Defintely the best foundation for my skin that I have found. It's still not 100% perfect, but it's my favourite for now.

five - Shiseido Sun Protection Compact Foundation - As a product, I adore this compact foundation. I use it as a blotting powder to get rid of any shine on a night out, but it also has some covering properties - some of my friends use this alone as a foundation. The only issue I have is that it smashes in my bag. I don't really know a way round it, seeing as I want to carry it around with me for those shiny moments?!

six - Laura Mercier Translucent Powder - A great powder which has no colour and doesn't look cakey when it's applied. Does a good job at setting foundation - I'd use it again but not in a hurry to go and rebuy it.

seven - MAC Stereo Rose MSF - This was sold as part of the 'In The Groove' collection and was limited edition. I was absolutely gutted as it's one of my favourite products EVER. Luckily someone on Twitter sold me theirs - thank you thank you thank you! It is the most gorgeous coral shade with a hint of frosty highlight on it - mmmm gorgeous!

eight - MAC All That Glitters eyeshadow - I love this pale gold shadow from MAC - it's frosty without the shimmer which I find hard to find in gold shadows. I tend to wear this most days as a base for my eyeshadow. I will definitely be repurchasing as soon as I can.

nine - MAC Sable eyeshadow - This is another of my favourite MAC shadows that I wear most days. This works really well as a colour to define your eyes - in the outer third (I love teaming this with All That Glitters, and then Mulch in the crease), but also works just as nicely over the whole lid. It's a velvet browny coppery colour. I rebought immediately. Can't do without it!

ten - Rimmel Flash Eyeliner - This is the first pen eyeliner I'd used and I loved it - it has a thin, pointed tip which makes getting to the inner corner of your eye easy, and wider for the wider part of your lid. It glides on without being 'wet' and doesn't drag your eye as you draw.

So there you have it - although I just realised I've missed one off! I think I'll have to start doing this monthly?!

I'd had a request to do more videos, so I've also done this as a video - if you'd like to watch, click below...




Hope you enjoyed! x

October Empties

I love seeing what other people have used up - so this month I made a conscious effort to save my empty bottles to write a post of my own, and was rather surprised by how many things I finished in October!

one & two - Aussie Colour Mate Shampoo & Conditioner - Aussie seems to be a brand I use and love, try something else, and forget about, until the next time I use it, and I fall in love all over again. I tried the range for coloured hair this time - they left my hair feeling smooth, manageable and easy to straighten. They smell lovely too - bonus!

three - Dove Indulgent Nourishment Body Lotion with Shea Butter - this has seen me through the whole of the summer and is absolutely wonderful. If I could only ever have one body lotion again for the rest of my life I would be perfectly happy using this one. Locks in moisture, smells divine, and cheap!

four - Original Source Lime Shower gel - The smell of this shower gel reminds me of lime sweets, it's the one I will automatically chuck in the trolley as I go round the supermarket as I love it so much. It smells of lime green sweeties without being sickly, gives the skin a good clean without leaving it dry, and doesn't leave too much of the fragrance on your skin.

five - Estee Lauder Double Wear Light foundation - I have re-bought another of these since using it up, I have to have one on the go at all times! It's a great long lasting foundation that stays put for longer than an hour without being cakey. I'm yet to find another foundation that suits my skin as much... and I've tried a lot.

six - MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer - Another one that's been repurchased! This little squeezy tube of concealer seems to last ages, and is a nice creamy way to cover up any imperfections on your face.

seven - Lancome Ink Artliner Gel Eyeliner - This hasn't run out, but completely dried out! I have since discovered that you should always store gel liner upside down to help it last longer. The shade I had was 01, which is black - it's easy to work with and is a true black colour, but there wasn't anything amazing about it. I've since bought MAC's Blacktrack Fluidline to replace it.

eight - Guerlain Precious Light Rejuvenating Illuminator - this is Guerlain's version of Touché Eclat and a great little highlighter which has seemed to last me for ever!

nine - MAC Technakohl Liner (Eye-Liner Kajal) in Earthline - this is a gorgeous khaki brown eyeliner which glides on smoothly and is blendable.

ten - Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer - A small blob of this before applying your foundation helps to reduce pores and provide a more even skin tone, and makes your foundation last longer. I try to use it only when I know I'll need a bit of extra staying power, but it definitely works!

eleven - MAC Lushlight Bronze Studio Careblend Bronzer - I bought this with the Surf, Baby! collection in the summer of this year so was surprised that it's empty already. The truth is, I had hit pan, there was a ring of about a centimeter of product left, but I dropped the compact, and it smashed all over the place! I'm sad that it was limited edition because I think it's my favourite bronzer of all time!