Showing posts with label Soap and Glory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soap and Glory. Show all posts

Empties #11


My favourite scrub so far. I was so frugal with it just so it would last me longer because I can't get this brand anywhere else than on eBay. It's a very harsh sugar scrub, just the way I like it and it has a very moisturising, oily formula meaning there is no need for moisturisers afterwards. It smells like a gentler version of Miss Dior Cherie.
Repurchase: Yes.

Such a wonderful shower product. It's has quite a unique gel-oil texture that transforms into luxurious creamy foam. The scrubby particles aren't too harsh, so I used it as a regular shower gel. It also smells lovely, kind of sweet nutty-floral.  
Repurchase: Yes.

A fantastic dry oil in a spray that is so easy to apply. It literally takes seconds and you're done. It has the same scent as the scrub.
Repurchase: Yes.

This is my favourite gradual self tanner. Even from one application I get a decent amount of colour, but it's after three that people start asking where have I been sunbathing. I loved using this for my face because it is more moisturising than the Clarins lotion which I used before. I've actually stopped self tanning or at least I don't do it particularly often, since everyone has made it their mission to inform me of how pale I am, so I like to annoy them by being the human counterpart of Snow White, as it appears they can't wrap their heads around the fact that people with fair skin do exist and they like being pale (in their minds it's almost criminal). Therefore this tan is very old and as it's expected by now it does develop that classic self-tan scent by the morning, but when it was new, the scent was barely detectable and it had a melon-citrus scent upon application.
Repurchase: Yes.

Though it's a creamy cleanser that I had trouble adjusting to, since it doesn't feel quite as luxurious as a balm or cleansing oil, my skin adored this. In those three months that I've been using it, my skin looked so healthy and there wasn't a blemish in sight, even though I skipped AHA products during the summer (I didn't want to risk sun damage, which is ironic considering there were about three sunny days in total this summer). Only Balance Me kept my skin in such good condition. I know I said I find it unremarkable, but now I think it's bloody brilliant. I did use it up quite fast, however, it's inexpensive, so I don't mind.
Repurchase: Yes.

One of my HG items, I pretty much can't be without it for a day, so I always buy a spare well before the previous one runs out. I've been using it as a face moisturiser for three years now and my skin is in such good condition, it looks healthy and is super soft. I adore this stuff and one bottle lasts me ages.
Repurchase: Already did.

A nice shampoo that does its job, but that's it. It leaves the hair "too clean" for my liking, by that I mean too stripped, which is something that an an individual with dry hair don't particularly like. It's ok, but not exceptional enough to justify the price and I much prefer the Oleo-Relax. It smells lovely just like the oil, maybe a bit more masculine.
Repurchase: Not likely.

I've tried quite a few of these salon brands silicone-oils and this one along with Orofluido are my absolute favourites. I find it's the best one for dry hair and has great frizz reducing capabilities. The scent is a love-it-or-hate-it one, to me it smells like my grandfathers cologne, so masculine, but I've heard some say it reminds them of vanilla and sandalwood. I sometimes loved the scent and then sometimes not so much, but it definitely slowly grew on me. 
Repurchase: Yes.


REFAN fragrances 
I used a bunch of Refan fragrances, all 15 ml that I've had for a really long time. I love these, but I just want to warn you that these do go a bit off after three years, which is a period most people use up their fragrances already, but I'm obviously not such a person. By off I mean that the scent changes a bit, mostly it gets more alcohol smelling and more bland from the start, but it develops the same, so clearly the top notes are the first to go. 
A tropical hibiscus scent: floral, clean and a bit juicy. When you smell it, it's like - yeah that's what coral colour would smell like if it had a scent. Actually, it smells similar to Kérastase Chroma Sensitive Cleansing Balm, but it was never my favourite. 
Repurchase: No.

A creamy, woody fragrance with some vanilla. I hear others notice a strong plum note, but it doesn't develop on me. To me it lacked something that would make it special.
Repurchase: I'm not sure they sell it anymore. 

A sweet, fruity, yet a warm scent that has quite a lot of silage. I get strawberries and other berries with some musk and violets. I liked it, but I got bored with it after a while.
Repurchase: I'm not sure.

The wood, floral notes and musk combined create a simple, fresh, clean and classic scent that is slightly bitter and unisex. This is very highly rated on Make up Alley, but I just never really got it. It's not bad, just a bit odd for my liking and no one liked it on me.
Repurchase: No.

I'm a huge fan of peach scents and The Body Shop's version is my favourite, but this YR version doesn't even remotely resemble anything peach. It is quite a strange scent, like it's not even fruity, but completely artificial. I used it as a room scent to get rid of it. If you want to try any of these Les Plaisirs Nature scents, go for coconut or vanilla, because they are awesome and the scents are true to their name.
Repurchase: No.


Have a great day!

Empties #7

 L'Occitane repairing shampoo
dry and damaged hair
 I bought this after a very positive experience with a sample and I never posted an actual review for this, so here we go. I had a 500 ml bottle, which comes with a very handy pump, but surprisingly it didn't last me nearly as long as I would have wanted. It's a sulphate, silicone and paraben free shampoo and a lovely one at that, but the lack of soap shows in terms that I needed to use at least five pumps of product to get it to lather. It also didn't help that the pump doesn't dispense much product in the first place, so I ended up using over 10 pumps per wash for my hair that is lower-back-length. The product itself is very liquid and light, it cleans the hair well, leaves it very light and fresh. However, I felt at times it wasn't moisturising enough, I don't want to say it's stripping, but it doesn't have that creaminess like most shampoos for dry hair do. Actually, I would say it's appropriate for all types of hair, even oily. It was very gentle on my scalp and I particularly loved using it in combination with baking soda as a sort of a cleansing shampoo to get that dandruff and flakes that are stuck on my scalp off at least temporarily.The scent is something I never got used to. It's the second L'Occitane product I've had with this particular strong herbal, slightly sharp scent and I honestly don't like it at all.  It's a lovely gentle shampoo and one of the best out of SLS free ones, but my two gripes are that you need to use a lot of product and the scent. 
Repurchase: No.

A lighter sister of my beloved Oil Care treatment. I have really dry hair and due to coarseness and thickness of it, the only way most (drugstore) products work for me is if I use a lot and I leave it on for about 20-30 minutes to get the maximum effect (for someone with thin hair 5-10 minutes is enough). Used in this way it leaves my hair sufficiently moisturised and feeling nice, however, I once left it on for only 15 minutes and the effect was minimal, moreover my ends were still dry. I'll stick with Oil Care version, but it's a nice treatment for moderately dry, thin hair. 
Repurchase: Probably not.

Balea Power Volume Hairspray
This is just bad. It has no hold whatsoever, especially for a hairspray that claims to be extra strong. The mousse from this line is good, though.The scent is nice, a bit fruity, but that's the only positive thing about it.
Purchase: No.

My favourite hairspray so far. It has a nice hold without feeling crunchy, in fact I can't even feel it on the hair. It's similar to Elnett, but with a more tolerable scent, even thought this one has a pretty strong oriental scent itself. By the way, I noticed that on thin hair, this has a tendency to make it feel stiff, but again this is not the case on my thick hair.
Purchase: Already bought the full size version.

L'Oreal Elnett Extra Strong
A very decent hairspray that doesn't feel crunchy at all and has a nice hold, but it's not extra strong, actually I'd say it's closer to medium. I know a lot of people hate the strong granny scent of it, I find it a bit like a more annoying version of Chanel n°5, but I don't find it horrible, just too strong and sometimes suffocating. 
Purchase: Not sure, but probably not.

A nice, thick shower gel with lots of glitter which washes off. I believe it's the same thing as their regular vanilla shower gel and this was only a glittery limited edition version for Christmas. The scent is like vanilla extract for baking, great for those who like gourmand scents.
Repurchase: Maybe.

One of the more whipped and creamy body butters, yet still deeply moisturising. The heavier texture means it takes a bit more time to sink in, so I preferred to use it right before going to bed. It smells like Miss Dior Cherie, so the same super sugary, but sophisticated young lady-like scent. Great product for colder months.
Repurchase: Yes, if we had Soap and Glory around. Currently, I have no desire to track it down on eBay again.

Aveo nail polish removing pads
(Nagellack-Entferner-Pads)
Hated these. They removed nothing as the remover is disappointingly weak. They feel moisturising due to some oil inside and they smell lovely, like a classic tropical fruit scent they put in cheap products. Honestly, don't bother with these.
Repurchase: No.

I really liked this. It's nice even for dry skin due to a lovely creamy texture, the ingredients are nice (SLS free, has glycerine and loads of extracts) and it smells lovely, like apples. I don't know if you can get this without joining their programme, which I not wiling to do anyway.
Purchase: I can't, beside even though it's good, it's not worth tracking it down.

Yes, I know it's pointless to put a shower gel that is not available any more here.
This smelled amazing like Nesquick cocoa and I really wish it were they'd make it permanent.
Repurchase: it was a LE, but I would if I could.

A super nice shower gel that is very cheap. It's creamy and similar to Dove versions that are three times the price. The scent is generic, but nice for something that cheap. It's sold in Lidl.
Repurchase: Yes.

A nice peach scented shower gel. Though marketed as hydrating shower gel for dry skin, I find the runny gel texture too light for dry skin.
Repurchase: I don't know, but most likely not.

Have a great day!

Quick Reviews


Can Can by Paris Hilton 
Top notes: clementine blossom, black currant, nectarine
Heart notes: wild orchid, orange blossom
Base notes: soft musk, amber, precious woods

This is one of those super sweet celebrity fragrances that fans of Fantasy (by Britney Spears) will surely love. It's not in any way a Fantasy dupe, but it is in the same fruity floral gourmand family. It is not the same cupcake type of scent, it's a lot less gourmand - note the absence of vanilla or chocolate notes. Top notes of nectarine and black currant create a very sweet syrupy scent. This sweetness is toned down by the base notes of amber, musk and woods that make the fragrance more sensual, warm and cozy. Despite the same kind of sugary sweetness that Fantasy has, I find Can Can a more grown up scent, but still very girly. It is definitely a stronger scent (it's an eau de parfum) and lasts ages. Definitely one of my favourites fragrances this Autumn and so far in general. I've been wearing it on most days since I got it. And it's so cheap, I got in on eBay from this seller for 12€ (30ml). 


Victoria Secret Coconut Passion

Since I love VS's Love Spell, I wanted to get a more Autumn/Winter scent of body mist. Coconut Passion is predominately a vanilla fragrance with a hint of coconut. It smells very much like a vanilla desert of sorts, a very gourmand scent indeed. Honestly, I like Love Spell much more, but it's a nice fragrance. Don't expect much coconut though. It's a very strong scent and lasts a lot longer than Love Spell.  I got both Love Spell and Coconut Passion from this seller.

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter

I already raved about the Flake Away scrub and because I loved the scent, I got the body butter as well. It has the same strong Miss Dior Cherie/Coco Mademoseille scent that lingers for ages. The texture is great, very moisturising and buttery. I got it on eBay, but that seller doesn't have this item anymore.


Essence Smokey Eyes and Gel Eyeliner Brushes

These brushes were such a pleasant surprise. I actually went back to get another smokey eyes brush. Both retail for around 1.5 € and are synthetic. I have hooded eyes so Mac's 217 is too big for applying eyeshadow in the outer corner and in my ''wannabe'' crease, though it is indispensable when it comes to blending. Previously I used Italian Round brush that I got from Coastal Scents, but I only have one and it's really old. The Smokey Eyes brush is a synthetic version of that one, it more accessible and performs just as good. I like it also for applying eyeshadow on the lid (I have small lid space). I love it.  
Gel Eyeliner brush is a nice brush for gel liner and applying shadow very close to the lash line. It's similar to Ecotools eyeliner brush, but I prefer the Ecotools one for applying eyeshadow as a liner, while the Essence one is better with gel/liquid products.


Thanks for reading!

Rave: Soap & Glory Flake Away Scrub


I've only had this scrub for a few weeks, but I'm gonna go ahead and call it a HG. It's the best smelling scrub I've ever tried. If Miss Dior Cherie and Chanel's Coco Mademoseille had a baby, this would be it. And the scent lasts so long. I can actually smell it in the morning. It's a very thick scrub with big grains so it really does the job properly. I dislike scrubs that are too gentle with hardly any scrub particles in it. This one doesn't just exfoliate well, but it also moisturises. It leaves a slight oily filter, so you don't need to use moisturiser afterwards. It's that oily filter that keeps you smelling nice for so long.


I got my 300ml jar from eBay for 12€. I highly recommend you trying it, if you like more moisturising scrubs. I'll definitely try more Soap & Glory products. Righteous Butter is next on my list.
Thanks for reading!