A Few Empty Things #2

What has it been, four, five months?

Yeahhh, call me useless, but it's rare that I use up enough things all at once to constitute an empties post.

This would be my second one ever.

In fact the rate at which I used things up was so slow, I was starting to forget all about the very prospect of empties...

That was until all my stuff ran out at once, and royally screwed my bank account over for the month.

Good timesss :D

To be honest, it's really not good at all when things totalling no more than around £20 are the difference between skintness and food.

You know on TV when they go on about choosing between 'heating and eating'?

Well, I choose between 'treating and eating', the treats being even simple things like shampoo haha.

One day I'll either be a hobo or a rake.

Or both if British Gas have their way...

Do excuse the ramblings of a girl whose gas, electricity, water and TV license are all due...

I'll shut up now, promise.

Anyhoooooo so in the last couple of weeks, all this fabulous stuff has been standing upside down in my bathroom, or been scraped to within an inch of it's life, on a major preservation mission.

First up, my hair products.

The VO5 Shampoo and Conditioner: Nourish My Truly, and the James Brown Detangle Leave-in Conditioner...which I can't find a link for on Boots' website, or James Brown's own website, so I presume it has been discontinued?

Now you already know my hairspray has gone, and now my shampoo, conditioner, and leave in spray have gone too.

Unlike my hairspray, I've re-purchased all three, because I really do not want to be defeated by British Gas and become 'Holly the Hobo'.

I pretty much adore the VO5 products - these shampoo/conditioners are only £1 each WOOP WOOP, (£3.99 at Boots - don't do it peeps) and they smell sooooooooo good!! After using expensive shampoo's following my damaging days as a blonde, I've pretty much found that these work just as well, if not better.

Or maybe I was just using very, very naff expensive shampoo's...

My James Brown Leave-in Conditioner is left over from my ermm...more carefree spending days. Let's just say that this bottle has lasted me a full year! For this reason, and because I'm pretty sure it works well to keep my long, loong hair looking healthy, sleek, and easy to get a comb through, without weighing it down or making it greasy, I deemed it worthy of spending £7 on again. It's now back in my bathroom all full and new, (despite not existing online!) yeyy!!

Next up are my skin products:

My fabulous M&S Essential Extracts Hand and Body Lotion: Coconut which you can read my rave about here, the Simple Moisturising Facial Wash, and Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser, and finally the Botanics All Bright Toner, which you can read all about here.

Look at me trying to plug my old posts haha ;) it's all innocent, I swear! 

Ermm...so about this little lot.

Aside from the M&S cream, which I believe has been sent straight from heaven. They're all pretty average.

I mean I just don't have a lot to say about them, they're just 'mehhhhhh'.

They work yes, they're fine for my skin, I do recommend them, but then I'm fairly lucky in the skin department - it's not perfect, but it just doesn't really change, and most things work exactly the same as these do. 

In fact I've reverted to my original cheap and cheerful Boots own range following the demise of these, because quite frankly, the MAC Mineralise Skin Finish I want isn't going to buy itself...

A word of advice on the M&S heaven cream...if your M&S is anything like mine, you might have to don some sort of Lara Croft gear and x-ray glasses to hunt these down. They're doing a pretty good job at hiding these at the back of the bottom shelves these days, behind the more expensive products, which I just do not want.

I mean come on M&S, I'm not a regular customer, and the only reason I come in is to stock up on these beauties. 

You discontinue - so do I.

Either that or I will hunt you down, Liam Neeson style, complete with a badman Matrix-esque long, black, (very impractical) coat and kick your ass.

Disclaimer: I'm a softy really, M&S, please don't ban me from your store... I need your amazing body lotion, and to buy grand-parent friendly gifts from time-to-time.

I don't really have a long, black, badass Matrix-esque coat.

And I look nothing like Liam Neeson.

Finally, a few make-up pieces have vacated my make-up bag, and my life recently too...

My Maybelline: The Falsies Black Drama mascara, which you can read about here, my Bourjois Delice de Poudre bronzer, the L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Smoky eyeliner, (seriously, where do they get these names from?) and finally...my baby, the ...*searches for link, can't find link...WHY CAN'T I FIND THE LINK?!* ummm, Topshop lipstick in 'Rumour Has It'.

Okay first of all, I've been delaying buying a replacement lipstick from Topshop now for weeks, and now I come to the point of desperation, where I literally have millimetres left, they discontinue it?!

BUT IT'S MY DAILY LIPPY?! What am I going to doooo?

I mean I know the colour is Autumnal, but what's a girl to do on an every-day basis when a bright colour isn't appropriate and the nude's are all too pale?!

This is the perfect 'your lips but better' colour, and just seems to suit my skin tone and the kind of smoky brown make-up I do, without looking overly obvious or dark.

Genuinely really upset by this :(

Need to go to Topshop asap, maybe there is one left hmm...

OH MY GOD MAYBE IT'S ON SALE AND I CAN GET TWO!!

I'd totally go now.

But I'm snowed in.

Damn you snow...

*must.breathe.and.move.on*

Phew.

Okay, so onto my bronzer. I've used this one basically as long as I've been wearing bronzer, 

(which is since I relocated to the dark side and discovered that I was pale) so in all honesty, I can't compare it to very much. 

I do suspect that it's a little orange, the only other potential bronzing product I own is the Sleek Contour Kit, and it's a lot more brown. It's matte though, which I like, and build-able, not to mention long lasting and of course, it smells of chocolate! To be honest I was sold purely on its smell.

I'd probably eat it if I could.

I re-purchased this one as soon as I could, considering the old one had cracked and those little orange pieces were beginning to pose a very real threat to my make-up bag, carpets, sofas, and in fact everything - especially given that this bronzer doesn't really have a proper mechanism to keep it shut.

I've been keeping it in a plastic bag, just for the purpose of this blog post, and am quite relieved to be able to chuck it after today.

God am I really still talking?!

Yes. 

But it's okay, last one, and I'll be quick :)

My L'Oreal eyeliner, which I will be buying again this week, because my replacement, (ranty-post coming soon) is just soooo bad in comparison.

Soooooo...that's all folks.

Hope you're all still alive and have not all gone grey from what must have been a long read...

I'm off to make a hot chocolate and try and cure the repetitive strain injury I'm surely developing.

I'm also going to check on the snow situation...

^^ 

This was at 2pm and it's still falling...

Also.

A final word.

Topshop, what I said to M&S up there...yeah ;)