Review: Boots Time Delay Daily Brightening Toning Water

For a long time, I have been a non toner user. I never really understood the need and had never found one that I really liked. I have been using this Boots toner for the past few months and I thought I'd share my thoughts on it.

This toner has a pleasant floral smell, but isn't overpowering or too artificial. It feels quite refreshing and cooling on the skin, which is especially nice in the morning and I think will be lovely for the summer. It is a gentle exfoliating toner with AHAs and I have never found it to be harsh on my skin or strip it at all. It is important to wear sunscreen after using this due to the AHAs. I have not noticed much difference in the overall tone of my skin and I don't find this gives much of a chemical exfoliation. The bottle design isn't great, as the hole is pretty big and there have been far too many times where I have poured too much onto my cotton pad.

The best way to describe this toner is average. This is a nice and refreshing toner, but don't expect miraculous brightening results. As this is part of Boots' Time Delay range, the price of this toner is affordable, coming in at less than £5 and is often on offer.

What's your favourite toner?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Project Empties #21

Recently I have not been finishing as many products as I would like, especially on the makeup front. I really want to start working through my makeup, as I have more than enough. However, my makeup items never seem to finish! They always seem to last forever.

I have had this Murad Clarifying Cleanser for ages, as you only need a little bit of product each time. I bought this from a blog sale, but the RRP of this cleanser is £25 for 200ml, which is fairly expensive for a cleanser but you do get a generous amount of product. I found this cleanser dried my skin out a little, so I only used it a few times a week or more often if my skin had broken out. I really liked it with my Clarisonic as it foamed up nicely, although if you use too much, the bubbles go up your nose and into your mouth! It has a strange smell, which I can't quite pinpoint, but you get used to it after a few uses. I find it difficult to gauge how well it helps with my blemishes, as I use other spot treatments. However my skin has been relatively clear over the time that I have been using this cleanser, so I would say this works well in combination with my skincare routine.

I also finished the L'Oreal Everstrong Conditioner, which I love, as it leaves my hair feeling soft and silky. It has a strong herbal smell, which I really didn't like at first, but grew to like.

I love the Boots Expert Build Up Removal Shampoo. I have repurchased this a number of times and will continue to. It's great for removing build up from styling products and dry shampoo and it leaves my hair feeling clean, without leaving it feeling stripped. This is one of those great products that truly work and don't cost a bomb.

Lastly I finished this Johnson's Dreamy Skin Body Cream. I have had this for ages and am a little glad to finally have finished it! It's quite a light body moisturiser, which blends into the skin easily. I found it moisturised my skin enough, without leaving it feeling greasy or sticky. This moisturiser also has a pleasant smell, which lingers on the skin but isn't too overpowering.

What did you finish this month?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Project Empties #19

This month I have been focusing on working through the stash of sample size products that I have. I was saving them for occasions where I travel and need smaller size products, however I haven't got any travel plans for the near future, so it made sense to use them.

Of the products that I finished this month, I would repurchase the L'Occitane Essential Oils 3 Shower Gel, which I really liked the scent of, even though it isn't a scent I would usually go for. It has a mix of mint, pine and rosemary essential oils in and smells like a lovely mix of them and almost has a citrusy twist to it. I would also repurchase the Boots Vitamin E facial oil. I have a review of the Superdrug one here, but it also applies to the Boots one as they are basically the same thing. The Superdrug Aqua Hydrating Serum is another product that I would buy again, as it left my skin feeling soft and hydrated all day long. It has a light-weight consistency and sinks into the skin really quickly.

I'm undecided about whether or not I would repurchase the Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover, as it did a fairly good job at removing my eye makeup. However I don't usually like oily makeup removers, as they tend to leave an oil residue. The Avene Redness Relief Moisturiser is another product I'm unsure about. It has a rather plasticky smell, which I didn't really like and at first I didn't think it had much of an effect on my skin. However, after about 10 minutes, the redness in my skin did look decreased and my skin looked evened out, but on a day to day basis, I don't have the time to wait 10 minutes for my moisturiser to sink in and even out any redness. I can't really remember the scent of Thierry Mugler Alien, as I finished the sample at the beginning of the month. It's definitely a scent that I wouldn't have chosen straight away, as I tend to opt for sweeter perfumes. However, as far as I can remember, I grew to like it but unfortunately the sample ran out once I had changed my mind! I'll have to go and have a sniff at this next time I'm out shopping to see whether or not I actually like it.

I wouldn't repurchase the Clinique All About Eyes eye cream. I got this free with Glamour magazine a while back and when I first started using it, I really enjoyed it and bought a few back ups. Now, I'm not sure about it as I don't feel like it really did much.

What have you finished this month?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

January Favourites

Today's post is for my January favourites. I apologise in advance for repeating myself a million times!


By the way, I'm wearing my new glasses I mentioned here, so you can now see what they look like on :)
Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Project Empties #8

Hey everyone! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and I hope Santa got you everything you wanted! :D

Today I have a few finished products to share with you. I've realised that I hardly ever have any finished make-up to show! So I really need to make more of an active effort to start working through my collection as I am trying to downsize. Let's hope there are some more make-up items in my next Project Empties post!


Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser Review: To be honest, this cleanser isn't really anything special. However I really liked it! It's super gentle, which was great for times when my skin was feeling delicate or when I broke out and it is pretty effective at removing make-up. I like that it's scentless and you get a generous amount of product for £8 or so. Would I repurchase? Yes
Clarisonic Gentle Hydro Cleanser Review: This had a strong cucumbery scent, which I didn't like and I didn't like the texture of it either. I liked that it was nice and gentle, so it's perfect for sensitive skin. It worked well with my Clarisonic, however I used it a few times on its own and didn't find that it was a particularly great cleanser. It didn't dry out my skin and left it feeling clean and soft.   Would I repurchase? No

No7 Radiance Revealed Exfoliator Review: Here Would I repurchase? Yes
Clean&Clear Shine Control Daily Facial Moisturiser  Review: This moisturiser was a bit pants to be honest. It claims to help control shine, but I found that it made no difference. It is a light moisturiser, which I sometimes felt wasn't moisturising enough. It has a lovely citrus and zingy scent, which is nice for the mornings.  Would I repurchase? No
Boots Witch Hazel Review: I've been using this witch hazel as a toner or as part of my DIY toner. It's a great size bottle for only £2-ish and it has lasted me ages. Would I repurchase? Yes
Clearasil Overnight Serum  Review: I bought this on a whim, as I was looking at in Boots (for £7-something) and then saw it for sale in none other than Poundland! It made no difference whatsoever on my breakouts and I'm glad I only paid £1 for this.  Would I repurchase? No
Next Diamonds Review: This is supposedly a dupe of Dior's 'Miss Dior Cherie'. I'm not sure if it is, but it is a lovely sweet and girlie perfume. I thought it was a perfect scent for summer, so wore it loads through the summer and autumn months, before recently transitioning to a heavier scent (Chanel 'Coco Mademoiselle', in case you're wondering). I had this for approximately a year and a half and noticed that the scent changed a little as I neared the end of the bottle, so I would advise to get through this quickly if you do purchase it. It's a great price at only £6 for 30ml! Would I repurchase? Yes
L'Oreal Voluminous Review: Here Would I repurchase? Yes    Finished Products: 8 Accumulative Finished Items from December 2010 to December 2011: 40! What have you finished up recently? Thanks for reading. xoxo, Joy

Project Empties #7

I haven't finished much these past few months. Although I'm not sticking to a strict 'Project 10 Pan', I am actively trying to use up products that I have before buying more.

TIGI Bedhead Foxy Curls Shampoo

Review: Here

Would I repurchase? Yes

The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter

Review: This smells so amazing and leaves my skin feeling so lovely and soft! It isn't overly greasy, yet it is extremely moisturising. The scent lingers on the skin, which I really like.

Would I repurchase? Yes

Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2in1 Face Wash and Mask

Review: This is a nice creamy face wash, which is gentle enough for every day use (unlike many cleanser aimed at acne-prone skin), however I don't feel it made any difference to any spots or blemishes I had during my breakouts. I preferred using it as a face mask and leaving it on for about 10 minutes when I was feeling a bit spotty. My skin was left feeling soft and clean, without feeling tight.

Would I repurchase? Possibly

Boots Cold Cream

Review: Here

Would I repurchase? Yes

Neutrogena Multi-Defence Night Moisturiser

Review: Here

Would I repurchase? No

Finished Items: 5

Accumulative Finished Items from December 2010 to October 2011: 32

What have you finished recently?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Review: Boots Cold Cream

What they say: (From Boots.com) Boots Traditional Skin Care Cold Cream is ideal for cleansing and softening your face and hands. It is Lanolin-Free and dermatologically tested, and has been formulated and produced by Boots Skin Care specialists from traditional ingredients.

Price: £2.42

Swatch:

What I think: I initially bought this on a whim. I needed a new cleanser and was a bit low on funds (damn student loan), so I picked this one for only £2.76! I was so surprised at how well it worked. I've been using this for a while now and this has become a vital part of my skincare routine. I use this with a muslin cloth to remove my face makeup (I use a separate eye makeup remover) and repeat this step twice. This takes off my makeup so effectively, including heavy duty foundations like Estee Lauder Doublewear. The second time I use this, the muslin cloth has barely any makeup on it, showing that it removed my makeup well in one use.

The feel of the product is weird. It's really greasy and after a bit of massaging into the face, it almost start getting tough to blend (a little bit like MAC Face and Body - If anyone has used that, hopefully you'll know what I mean). In my head, I think of it as the cleanser drawing up the makeup, binding with it and making it easier to cleanse off...

This cleanser is super rich and while I am acne prone, I never found that it broke me out. It leaves a greasy residue on the skin, which I hate. I find that if you don't use a muslin cloth to remove this, your face is left feeling extremely greasy, but using a cotton wool ball and toner normally gets rid of it too. I think this would be great for dry skin, since it's so moisturising and I feel that it would also work for people with oily skin, but you would have to be a little bit more careful.

The product smells so weird. I'm not very good at describing smells, but it's kind of floral-herby... My mum used it earlier this week and she also thought the scent was rather gross. I will admit, after a while you do get used to it. Just don't put the pot to your nose and whiff it!

The tub is so unbelievably unhygienic. The tub is pretty deep and gets narrower towards the bottom, so you literally have to shove your whole hand in. If I wasn't as lazy, I would use a spatula or something to spoon it out. I also manage to get the outside of the tub pretty dirty too.

I would repurchase this, because although it has it's bad points, it removed my makeup really well without breaking me out. I'm tempted to try the Ponds Cold Cream, because it's not that badly priced and if it's good enough for Kylie Minogue, it's definitely good enough for me! Also, hopefully it will smell nicer!

I know a lot of people avoid own brand skincare, but I would recommend giving it a go. In the end, there's no harm in trying it and if you don't agree with it, you haven't spent/wasted that much money. If you do, then you'll have found a great priced skincare product.

Have you ever tried this/any Cold Creams?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Project Empties #6

Over these past two months, I have managed to finish quite a few things. I know I've said this before, but I am making an active effort to minimise my spending with regards to make-up, skin care and hair care. Hopefully I can keep it up and save up for something lovely!

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment

I washed it out by accident before taking a picture of it, oops!

Review: When I started using this, I used it with every wash instead of conditioner (even though it states to use it between shampoo and conditioner) and then after about 3 weeks, I used it every other wash. The packaging says to use an egg sized amount, which is a ridiculous amount to use! I used a grape size and found that sufficient. This made made my hair feel so soft, even after the first use. Even though I applied it all over my hair, it didn't make my hair feel greasy or weighed down. I can't comment on whether or not it helped my hair grow longer, as I trim my hair quite regularly, but I did think it made it feel stronger and less prone to breakage. As with all Lee Stafford products, this is highly scented with the signature smell. I really like the scent and loved that I could smell it on my hair even once it was dry, but some people might not like it as it's one of those love it or hate it scents.

Would I repurchase? Yes

Boots Expert Build Up Removal Shampoo

Review: Every so often my hair goes through a stage where it gets greasy after 1 day and looks weighed down and limp. Upon using this shampoo, it clears any build up and my hair feels squeaky clean. I tried using this once every week to regularly get rid of build up, but found it a little too clarifying. I eventually settled on once every 2-3 weeks and found it worked a treat. It's a great shampoo for a great price! Plus I love that it's easily accessible and isn't a special salon brand.

Would I repurchase? Yes

Boots Baby Shampoo

Review: I mainly used this to deep clean my make-up brushes. It did a good job of cleaning them and left them feeling soft. I found that it didn't lather up very much and took quite a lot of product to make it lather well. I didn't really like the scent of this shampoo, so it was a little annoying that my brushes smelt like it after they had tried, but it was bearable.

Would I repurchase? No

Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturiser

Review: This is a great moisturiser! I have combination skin and found it was light enough for my oily areas and moisturising enough for the dryer and normal areas. I also found it left my skin nice and soft. It claims to help prevent spots and blemishes and although I wouldn't put it solely down to this product, I did find I broke out less when using this. This is a great moisturiser for a fantastic price.

Would I repurchase? Yes

Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Oil

Review: Here

Would I repurchase? Yes!

Clinique All About Eyes Eye Cream

Review: This is a lovely, light eye cream which has done wonders for my eye area. I used to get dry patches around my eye, but this has sorted them right out! I found that helped my dark circles a little, as they started becoming less obvious. I don't tend to get puffy eyes and I have very few fine lines around my eyes, so I can't comment on how well this works for them.

Would I repurchase? Yes. I got this free with Glamour magazine and bought a few copies as it was so cheap!

Neutrogena Multi-Defence Gently Purifying Wipes

Review: Here

Would I repurchase? Yes

Soap and Glory Flakeaway

Review: Here

Would I repurchase? No

Korres Quince Body Butter

Review: Here

Would I repurchase? Yes

Finished Items: 9

Accumulative Finished Items from December 2010 to August 2011: 28

What have you finished recently?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Project Empties #4

Sorry for the slightly sporadic posting and 'filler' type posts these past few weeks! I have been home for Easter and I've been super busy. Posting should resume as normal from next Monday when I go back to uni.

This month I've finished quite a few products. They were all pretty much on their last legs by the end of March and all finished around the same time in April. So typical! Throughout April, I only bought two make-up items - Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and Garnier Eye Roll on, because they both had good offers on them. I only paid £1.99 for the Healthy Mix, because it was only £6.99 in Boots and I had a £5 voucher!

Boots Expert Sensitive Gentle Eye Make-up Removal Lotion
Review: I didn't read the back of the bottle before buying this, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I first used it. Upon using it, I found out that it was essentially expensive and slightly thinned out baby oil. It did remove my eye make-up well, even waterproof make-up, but left my eye area feeling oily and made my eyes go cloudy when I got it into my eyes.
Would I repurchase? No

Dove Pro-Age Beauty Body Lotion
Review: Here
Would I repurchase? No, I'm quite fickle with body moisturisers and chop and change all the time.

L'Oreal Elvive Renutrition Renourishing Shampoo
Review: This shampoo is designed for dry hair/dried out hair, but I don't really feel like it made much difference and didn't really live up to it's claims. It lathered up really well and had a nice smell to it, which I liked but that didn't last in the hair.
Would I repurchase No

L'Oreal Superline Carbon Gloss
Review: I loooove this eyeliner! It's nice and pigmented, dries quickly once applied and lasts well throughout the day (Although, after reading some reviews online, it seems that some people find that this flakes on them... So I think it's different for everyone). I really like the felt tip applicator. It makes application super easy and due to it being a point, it enables you to do really precise lines but can also build it up to thicken up your lines. As with most eyeliner bottles, it has got opaque packaging. I find this really annoying, because you can't see how much you have left.
Would I repurchase? Yes

CK In2U Perfume
Review: I love the smell of this perfume - It's fresh, fruity and sweet, without being over powering. It's perfect for all seasons, especially spring/summer. I like the unique bottle design, but it is difficult to see how much perfume you have left.
Would I repurchase? Yes

Finished Items: 5
Accumulative Finished Items from December 2010 to April 2011: 13

Have you finished many products this month?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Save A Tree, Hug A Bear

I discovered earlier this week that my old can of hairspray had started dribbling the hairspray down the side of the bottle, instead of spraying it onto my hair. I can't live without hairspray, soyes off I plodded to Boots yesterday before I went to the gym and somehow managed to not only buy more than I needed, but I also ended up in Primarni as it was on my walk home. Oops.


BootsWitch Hazel - £2.39
Got 2b 2 SEXY Collagen Lift Effect Hairspray - £3.99 [2 for £4! What a bargain, I got the second item for 1p!]
Got 2b Guardian Angel - £3.99 [2 for £4]
Rimmel Pro Matte Finish - £4.59
Collection 2000 Sheer Loose Powder - £2.99



Primark
Camel wedges - £4 [Reduced from £15]

Approximately 2 weeks ago, I won a David and Goliath Twitter giveaway by Glamour Magazine's Twitter. I won an invite to a launch party (which I was unable to attend, since it was in London and I'm currently studying in Birmingham) and 2 David and Goliath/Hauser Bears t-shirts. I'd never heard of Hauser Bears before, so I had a quick look into the organisation and found that it is a charity for the welfare of bears worldwide. They work to target the issues of bear bile farming in Asia, poaching and bears trapped in the entertainment trade. (More information can be found here) I chose these two cute tees from the range that they have on the David and Goliath site and I was excited to see that they'd arrived today :) I love David and Goliath t-shirts, because the material is so soft and comfortable to wear.


What have you all bought recently? Do you have anything from David and Goliath? Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Thanks for reading. xoxo, Joy

Recent Purchases

Since I've been back from Canada, I've tried to resist going shopping. But I had to return a dress to Topshop, which only resulted in me buying more...

BootsExpert Dry Scalp Treatment Shampoo - £2.99
Vitamin Water Lip Balm - Free [After buying 2 Vitamin Waters at £1.75 each]
No. 7 Eyeshadow Blend & Contour Brush - £1.50 [With the £5 off voucher]

MAC
Face and Body Foundation - £23.00
Accessorize
'Hand of Fatima' bracelet - £7.00

Orelia at Topshop
Bow necklace - £5
Leaf bracelets - £7

What have you bought recently?

Thanks for reading. xoxo, Joy

Recent Purchases

I had a half day at uni earlier this week, so I decided to do some exercise by walking around the Bullring. Obviously, you can't walk around a shopping centre without going into the shops and buying things!

Miss Selfridge
Studded clutch - £15.00 (Well, £13.50 with student discount) - I bought a clutch like this from Topshop for £45 a while back, but returned it because I didn't think it was really worth the price. When I saw this in the Miss Selfridge sale for only £15, I immediately snapped it up. I love how huge it is and I think it's cool that there is an assortment of different studs on it.

MujiNotebook - 60p - I like having a little notebook to carry around in my bag and I thought this was ideal. It was so cheap (I don't know if you agree, but nowadays it's hard to find things for less than £1!) and I love that it will fit easily into any size of bag.

Boots
Barry M Nail Polish 3 In 1 Basecoat, Topcoat and Nail Hardener - £2.95 [2 for £5]
Barry M Nail Polish in 308 (Berry Ice Cream) - £2.95 [2 for £5]
Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Nude Delight - £5.99
Natural Collection Moisture Shine Lipstick in Apple Blossom - £1.99 [I managed to break this within a few hours of buying this... What a doofus! After attempting to 'stick' it back together and failing, I decided to just melt it completely using Sabrina's method. You can see my end result in the photo above]
Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2-in-1 Wash & Mask - £3.59 [2 for £5]
Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash - £4.49 [2 for £5]
Expert Build Up Removal Shampoo - £2.99

What have you bought recently?

xoxo, Joy