Product empties

I was under the impression that while hubby was away for two weeks, I would have plenty of time and would post something new every day. Well… that turned out well, now didn’t it? I’m sorry to have gone MIA for 20 days, but now I’m back and let’s get this party started!

I actually wanted to write some other posts before this one, but as it turns out, cleaning out your closets really makes the empties pile up – I found quite a few products that had only a tiny bit left and that’s now gone.

Pantene Aqua Light, Garnier Fructis Repair and shine 3, Moroccanoil, Goldwell Golden Spray
I used up the Garnier Fructis Repair & Shine shampoo and conditioner. Both contain three nutritive fruit oils: olive, avocado and shea oil. I liked them well enough, especially the fruity scent, but they did nothing really special for my hair. I would not repurchase them.

I also used up the Pantene Aqua Light shampoo (which went a bit faster since hubby was stealing it all the time). This served as a shampoo to get rid of build up in my hair – it really gave them a good wash and they got that squeaky feeling to them – do you know what I’m talking about? I would repurchase this, since it’s inexpensive and works really well. As you can see, I also had some samples of this conditioner lying around so those went as well.

Keeping up with the hair theme, I finished the Moroccanoil treatment. For some reason, this went really fast – I expected it to last much longer, but to be honest, I was using it twice per days just because it made my hair incredibly silky and healthy looking. I still think that this would last much longer if it was used with a pump, since I sometimes got much more out of the bottle than needed. So I will purchase the full size (after I use up my Keraste oil), but probably keep the pump bottle from Keraste and put it in there.

I got the Goldwell Golden Spray from my hair stylist as a new year present. I liked it well enough – it didn’t make my hair sticky and was easy to brush out at the end of the day. It used to be hard to find a good hairspray, but right now, there are so many good ones out there that I probably will not purchase this, but instead try something new. View Post

Decluttering like a pro: everyday cosmetics (a long post!)

Every single time I bring home a new product, I feel the need to use it right away. It doesn’t really matter if I already have 3 hair sprays opened, or 5 body lotions – surely, this new one will be so utterly superior to them that I will throw the old ones away and only use the new one for the rest of my life. Sounds familiar? If it does, then you probably have seen something like this before.


Every once in a while, I reach a point when everything starts falling out, I have no place for new things and I really, really need to clean stuff out. So I did something similar as with nail polishes – got everything out and went through it. Here are the results with small reviews on each of the products and whether I tossed or kept it. I suggest you get a snack, since it’s going to be a long post!

Let’s start with hair products.

L’Oreal Elnett de Luxe – strong hold which also offers extra heat protection. I don’t like the pump, would prefer a spray, but it’s a good hold, and I don’t really use hair spray all that much. Keeping.

Taft Cashmere Touch Power Spray. This was sitting in the back of the closet for about 2 years and I distinctly remember why I stopped using it – it made my hair so hard that I had problems combing through it after I used it. Trash.

Aiko Styling Heat Protecting Spray. I did not know it was a Müller brand until this very moment. Did not care for this product – I didn’t see any difference in how my hair behaved or how good it looked whether I used it or not. Trash.

Syoss Anti-Grease dry shampoo. This smells like lemon, which I like a lot since it makes my hair smell fresh. It does work to give second day hair a bit of volume, but I wouldn’t necessarily use it instead of washing my hair after that. Good value for money – lasts a long time. Keeping.

Nivea Volume Sensation Styling Mousse. Number 4 (out of 5) – extra strong. I normally put it into wet hair before washing to give it a little extra volume around the base. There’s not really that much left, so I am keepingit.

In my previous post about hair botox I talked about the frizz in my hair and their general dullness. I have quite a few products to combat that, not including the Morrocan oil and Keraste oils I just purchased.


Smooth ‘n Shine Polishing spray-on polisher. I bought this in USA on a whim when I didn’t have anything to tame my hair with me. Actually produced by Schwarzkopf. I apply it to wet hair when I want it to look great but with the consequence of having to wash it the next day. Perfect for vacation when your hair is exposed to sun and heat every day. Keeping.

Balea Blond Glanz Kur. I’m not blonde anymore, so I have no need for something that would make my blonde hair more shiny. I will not pass this on since it’s pretty old anyhow. Trash.


Syoss Shine-Sealing Finish Fluid for normal-dull hair. It’s very similar to the Pantene Serum. I like it a lot – pump gives out exactly as much as I need for the entire length of my hair. Mostly natural ingredients. Keeping. This will last me forever.

Pantene Split End Mender Serum for normal – thick hair. It’s a serum with oily consistency for dry ends. Nothing special, but it makes the hair look a little bit less frizzy. Keeping.

Klas Revital Silicone. I’ve been forbidden by my hairdresser to use silicone on my hair since it apparently makes a coat around the hair which prevents the color from getting to it properly – meaning that if you apply silicone product to a piece of your hair (as I applied this to the roots), then chances are the color on this part will eventually not match the rest of your hair. View Post

First Empties of 2015!

This post is way overdue, especially due to the fact that my spare closet was starting too look like some hoarder’s wet dream. A bunch of empties and no time to share my thoughts on them with you, my beauties. But this changes – right now!

Let’s start with some haircare.

I used up the Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair for dry and damaged hair – and for once, the shampoo and the conditioner both lasted the exact same amount of washes. I don’t know why, but usually I use up the conditioner way faster. Anyway, this came recommended by a friend and I loved the product. It really did make a difference in my hair, leaving it a bit shinier and I’ve also noticed less frizz and fewer flyaways. I also use the deep conditioning mask, but I’ve got a couple more uses in that one.


As for this Essence Road Trip dry shampoo, I just don’t know. It was a random purchase and I used it just as randomly. It didn’t really convince me in making my hair any less greasy, so I mainly used it if my hair was clean but had a smell (e.g. if I was baking/cooking something with a heavy smell). So I wouldn’t repurchase this.

I have rambled about the Axe Anarchy deodorant so much in my empties, I’m not going to repeat myself. I was however slightly surprised by the Nivea Angel Star Invisible deodorant. I think they changed the formula on that one – when I used it in the past it really did the job, but for some reason this one just did not perform. It’s not really empty, but I am throwing it away since it’s useless.

Alas, I also used up an entire bottle of Chloe by Chloe perfume in about 6 months. I purchased a double size of this a couple of months back so I hope it lasts me at least until 2016. I love this smell, but I would not recommend a certain perfume to anyone, since it’s completely a personal preference. I will say, however, that it lasts beautifully on my skin – I get compliments on it even after 12 hours. View Post

Product empties

I can’t believe how time flies. It’s less than 2 weeks until December and less than a week until my first ever Christmas giveaway 🙂 Are you excited? I know I am.

Anyhow, I’ve again gathered a whole bunch of empty products which I have more or less firm opinions on already. I think that these particular empties are much more random than the first ones, so I tried to put them into categories to make things easier on all of us. As usual, I will also answer the »would I repurchase« question with each of them, since it’s what really counts in my opinion.

First up, four random products that I really don’t know where to put. First are the Dvorec Trebnik bath salt and Biodent mouthwash.


I picked up this Dvorec Trebnik salt on a whim in Mercator one day. I don’t really have the time to take long baths on a regular basis, but I must admit I’ve taken a lot more since I’ve bought this product. It gives the water a smell of a luxury spa. The granules are a bit slow to disintegrate so I usually put them in the bath before I start running the water. I’ve used up the bottle in about 2 months, but then again, I probably use way too much of the product, to be honest. I repurchased itin the Vanilla scent but I actually prefer the orange one.

The Biodent mouthwash perhaps doesn’t exactly fall in the beauty category, but I think that beauty is also hidden in a pretty smile. I think we have tried every mouthwash out there in our household and while I didn’t mind most of them, my hubby hated all except for this Biodent brand (which, incidentally, is the cheapest one out there). So it’s become a staple in our home and I will continue to repurchase it.

Next up, we have my even favourite deodorant – Axe Anarchy for her. This is a budget alternative to buying a really luxury product that you match to your perfume – Axe Anarchy costs about 4 € (I’ve only seen in in Mercator and Müller). It’s not an antiperspirant which is great and it really lasts for 12+ hours of furious pace, which is even better (or a must, to be honest). This was my fourth bottle and I will continue to purchase these in bulk because I’m scared they will stop producing it. It was already included in my first empties and I expect it to make another appearance soon 🙂 View Post

Nail Polish Graveyard – a very looong post!



Today, I went into DM and bought some new nail polishes. But while doing that, I honestly could not remember if I owned some particular colors already which was quite worrying. So when I came home I immediately went and opened the drawer with nail stuff. This is what I was looking at.


No wonder I didn’t know what colors I owned and I was using three of the nail polishes around the clock, not really paying attention to any others. Anyhow, I dragged everything out in the open.

I then organized them by color and split them into three basic groups – keep, give (to friends or my mum) or throw away. Let’s start with the first group – the white or pearl polishes. Descriptions are always from left to right. If you are not a fan of nail polishes, this is the time to click out of this post because I can tell it’s going to be a really, really long one. Like, super long. Think War and Peace long.

First up is the Catrice – The peach boys. This I got quite recently and love it – it’s a pearl color with a bit of a shimmer but still basic enough to make for a neutral nail. Keep. Next, the Maybelline Colorama – number 51. It’s a very milky white which looks almost translucent. I use this polish as a base for stronger colors – it tends to really bring out the color of the polish I put over it. Keep. Then we have Nivea Sea Extracts Manicure in Vanilla. This I have had for ages, it separated and looked gross. Throw away. Last up, the Maybelline Mini Colorama (51 French white). I use this for French manicure. It’s a bit old but until I find another good white polish for the tips, it will have to do. Keep.

I was under the impression that I had a ton of pink polishes, but obviously that is not true. First, we have the Alessandro shimmer (I guess Alessandro polishes don’t have names?). It’s very soft pink with a lot of shimmer so it’s a bit too bright to look very natural. At the same time, it’s not too out there that I would not be able to wear it to work. A great polish and definitely a keeper. That is not true for the Maybelline Colorama in soft pink. This is such a bland color that I have no use for it. Donate. Last up, there’s the most recent addition to this color group – the Essie Muchi Muchi. It’s the perfect baby pink with minimal shimmer, but unfortunately it’s so translucent it requires three layers for me to be happy with the color. Still, it will remain with me until something better comes along. Keep.

On the other hand, I have more purple polishes than I thought I had. First one is the Essie Sittin’ pretty – it’s a beautiful autumn color and I will be wearing this a lot. Since it’s a pastel, you could rock this the entire year. Most Essie polishes also have great brushes that make your manicure super easy and fast. Keep. I am donating the Essence Color&Go in Purple Sugar – it’s much too bright and I never, ever reach for it. I have a particular friend in mind who will love it. Although I am not crazy about the color or the brush (very big and difficult to control), I am also keeping the Essence Colour&Go in Prom Berry. It’s a color I would not wear in everyday life because it’s too dark for me, but I would reach for it for some special occasion or nail art. It’s probably in the same category with the Maybelline white one – the “until a better one comes along” category, that is. Last up, there is my newest addition – the Essence Rock Out in Best Female which I picked up today. I thought it was a dark purple with shimmer but after trying it out I realized it’s more of a shimmer topcoat. Still loving it – I will get a lot of use out of it. Obviously, keepingthat one. View Post