It's that time of month again! Rounding up my natural beauty and wellbeing empties is always a long process, but so rewarding and a great way to keep myself accountable for what I'm using.  Plus, it's so helpful to have a visual diary of what I have tried and what worked/didn't work.



This month Tim and I got through a fair amount as we had a lot of things that had been on the go for a while.  There are also  a few green goodies that slipped past me and are actually from previous months (and some from absolute ages ago!).  I may have a few more tucked away somewhere, but hopefully this is the last of that stash -- I like keeping things organized, so fingers crossed next month's items are *all* from April.

Altogether, there were 29 finished products, with eight not being from March.  So twenty -one empties from last month!  I did have a few things that turned out not to be recyclable (JMO sachet, Shea Moisture packet) which was disappointing.  Blows my mind that there are still single use non-recyclable packagings being used!  I also decided to keep a lot of the little pots for travel and for sharing samples with friends and family, so happy I can give new life to at least some of jars.

But let's jump into the empties, shall we??


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This post contains some gifted products

No matter how I have received a product, whether it has been purchased with my own money, gifted by a brand, been subsidized by a brand, won, gifted by friends/family, or purchased with a gift voucher, my approach is always the same -- honesty, integrity, and highlighting both the good and the bad.  You can find more information on Disclosures and Privacy here.

Conscious Skincare Grapefruit and Cedarwood Body Wash ():
Enjoyed?: yes and no
Positives: smell was unique and zesty, lathers well in hands, very affordable
Negatives: doesn't bubble up in bath, left my skin feeling a bit dry, plastic bottle
Buy again?: I'm trying to get away from plastic, so probably not

Trilogy Balancing Face Lotion (20ml):
Enjoyed?: mostly
Positives: lightweight but nourishing, fully absorbs (no white sheen)
Negatives: the scent wasn't my favourite, I did get a few spots towards the end of use (but that may have been for other reasons to be fair)
Buy again?: possibly, as the Balancing cleanser works great for my skin so would be interested to test together

Apple & Bears Bergamot & Green Tea Hair & Body Wash (30ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: smells amazing, lathers well, bubbles up in bath, non-drying
Negatives: don't recommend for hair, plastic bottle
Buy again?: sadly I might skip it because of the plastic bottle, but if they ever switch to glass I'll be all over it!

John Masters Organics Scalp Shampoo (60ml):
Enjoyed?: yes!
Positives: gentle on my dry hair, smells great (minty), fully cleanses, leaves looking clean for days
Negatives: plastic bottle
Buy again?: really trying to get away from plastic bottles, so sadly I probably won't despite this being a favourite. if they switch to glass I'll buy it up though!

AA Skincare Frankincense & Rose Face Toner (150ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: smells lovely, feels hydrating and refreshing, no stickiness on skin, lasted ages
Negatives: plastic bottle, sometimes caused a bit of redness
Buy again?: if it was in glass I would

Green People Gentle Cleanse & Make-Up Remover (30ml):
Enjoyed?: it was okay
Positives: very gentle, lightweight and non-clogging
Negatives: struggles to get eye makeup off, plastic bottle
Buy again?: no, as I prefer a balm/oil for makeup removing

Neal's Yard Remedies Geranium & Orange Hand Cream (50ml):
Enjoyed?: mostly
Positives: smells fab (uplifting), very nourishing, lasted ages
Negatives: a little thick (great for winter though), plastic bottle
Buy again?: no, but not because it isn't nice (it is) - just not keen on plastic bottle plus it was a little heavy for daily use



Celtic Herbal Rose Geranium & Grapefruit Natural Soy Candle (30g):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: fab aroma that fills room slowly, complex scent, great price point
Negatives: none
Buy again?: yes! I got this one as a gift from Natural Wellness Box, but I adore this brand and pick up their candles whenever I can

Nathalie Bond Bath Salts Rose + Patchouli (60ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: relaxing scent, good price point, soothes skin
Negatives: aroma is not as strong as some others I have tried, sample has a plastic lid (full size is plastic free though!)
Buy again?: yes! when I need a restock on bath salts I will be thinking of getting a full size of these

Skin Elixir Organic Frankincense & May Chang Moisturizer ()
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: so moisturizing, grounding aroma, rich without being clogging, waterless
Negatives: a little too heavy for day for me personally (perfect for night and for dryer skin)
Buy again?: maybe

Ezape Naturals Chamomile Balm (10ml)
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: such a calming aroma, plastic free, nourishing but fairly lightweight
Negatives: none
Buy again?: yes!

Mallow + White Black Clay + Sicilian Lemon Soap ()
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: non-drying, no residue on skin, great multi-tasker (hands or body), plastic free
Negatives: lemon scent was very faint in this bar
Buy again?: yes

Mallow + White Coffee Scrub + Mint Soap ()
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: perfect multi-tasker (for hands or body), perfectly exfoliating (not harsh, but definitely effective), smells incredible, non-drying, plastic free
Negatives: none
Buy again?: yes, always!!

Alexa Sky Botanicals Face Oil (10ml)
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: moisture punch, fully absorbs, grounding aroma (between fruity + earthy), crystal charged
Negatives: a little too rich for day use for me personally (great for overnight!)
Buy again?: yes

Bodhi & Birch Avo Bao Cleansing Balm (15g)
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: rich aroma, gentle, nourishing, balm to milk formula is lovely, super nourishing, takes makeup off
Negatives: a little too heavy for regular use for my skin
Buy again?: maybe for wintertime when my skin needs more TLC

The Cruelty Free Beauty Box Strawberry Juice Sugar Scrub (90g):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: super fruity smell, plastic free, easy to use, great exfoliation
Negatives: gets a little more rough as the bar gets near finished
Buy again?: yes

Kiss the Moon Calm After Dark Balm (3g)
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: fab notes of jasmine, very soothing, perfect for pre-bed ritual, not greasy/heavy
Negatives: none
Buy again?: yes

Balm Balm Refresh Bath & Shower Oil (5ml)
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: smells great, not greasy on skin, powerful aroma (only need a small amount)
Negatives: none
Buy again?: no longer available, otherwise I probably would

Aromatherapy Associates Support Breathe Bath & Shower Oil (55ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: perfect for colds/when you're poorly, powerful aroma, a little goes a long way
Negatives: CF status is uncertain, not very moisturizing
Buy again?: as I have said several times before, I won't be buying from AA until their CF status is clarified (+ I don't love some of the added ingredients)

Earth Harbor Siren Silk (10ml)
Enjoyed?: yes and no
Positives: smoothing, very nourishing, good smell (zesty)
Negatives: was a little too much for my skin (worked great for Tim though!)
Buy again?: not this one, but their other products of course!

Earth Harbor Citrine Sea (60g):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: very exfoliating, purifying, smells amazing (so mouthwatering!), lasts ages, moisturized skin
Negatives: difficult to use as mask
Buy again?: yes

Josh Rosebrook Active Enzyme Exfoliator (not pictured / ~3ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: surprisingly gentle, buffs skin, face looked so radiant after (noticeable glow for days afterwards)
Negatives: price point is a bit more than I usually spend
Buy again?: yes - I definitely want to pick up a full size soon!

The Best Kind Hair Butter (30ml):
Enjoyed?: yes and no
Positives: great scent (sweet rosemary), great price point, not greasy, versatile
Negatives: short shelf life, coconut oil doesn't work that well for my hair (was fab for Tim)
Buy again?: maybe not the hair butter, but keen to try the body butter



Shea Moisture Nourish & Silken Treatment Masque (59ml)
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: leaves hair feeling smooth as silk, not heavy, little goes a long way, lasts ages
Negatives: plastic sachet, scent is overpowering
Buy again?: yes if I can find in different packaging

Madara Time Miracle Ultimate Facelift Day Cream (1.5ml)
Enjoyed?: Tim did
Positives: great for dry/mature skin, very nourishing, healing, plumping
Negatives: scent isn't particularly nice
Buy again?: maybe

Madara Time Miracle Cellular Repair Serum (1.5ml)
Enjoyed?: Tim did
Positives: sinks in quickly, seemed hydrating - hard to judge on one use
Negatives: scent isn't particularly nice
Buy again?: maybe

Madara Time Miracle Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream (1.5ml)
Enjoyed?: Tim did
Positives: smooths and plumps skin, helps diminish appearance of fine lines, fairly lightweight despite being very rich
Negatives: scent isn't particularly nice
Buy again?: maybe, though I think he prefers the Anti-Fatigue version

Madara Time Miracle Age Defence Day Cream (1.5ml)
Enjoyed?: Tim did
Positives: similar to the other cream - great for mature/dry skin, great moisture boost, smooths + plumps skin
Negatives: scent isn't particularly nice
Buy again?: maybe

John Masters Organics Lime & Spruce Hand Cream ()
Enjoyed?: mostly
Positives: unique smell, nourishing,
Negatives: scent isn't my go to for everyday, a little heavy
Buy again?: maybe




And that's it for all the March empties!  There were quite a few I would buy again, and many I would consider if the packaging became more sustainable.  Overall it was a good month I'd say.

Were there products you would like to hear more about??  Let me know as I'm happy to give more details or answer questions.  And of course I would love to hear what you've been using! xx