April Empties 2019 *

It's that time again -- a new month means an empties roundup is in order!

I used 28 products in April, ten of which were full size, five samples/travel size, and thirteen sachets/sample pots.  I also had three outliers from previous months - you can find my thoughts on those goodies at the very end of the post!

Beauty + Wellbeing Empties Review April 2019

April was a weird month - it started and then ended in the blink of an eye, and brought such mixed weather making my focus and energy just jump up and down.  It also brought a moment of panic when I realized my PhD submission deadline is fast approaching!  In just five months I need to have my research project complete, and I've got sooo much more to do.  But I work well under pressure, and I know what I need to do so I'm sure it will get done... I just need to *do* it!

In terms of blogging, I was so happy to post more content related to green living and wellbeing (including plastic free period products and a guest post on CBD!), and I loved being able to share my thoughts on some incredible brands like Ilapothecary, Mono Naturoils, Awareness Organics, and more.  I hope to bring even more reviews in May, with more focus on wellbeing, little selfcare moments, brands working to spread positivity, and aromatherapeutic products that can help ease your mind.  I would love to hear what you lovelies are interested in reading about too -- let me know, and I will get to work!

In terms of my empties, I liked or was intrigued by pretty much everything I used up, and I was pleased to find my plastic packaged items is going down steadily.  I am really trying to cut down on plastics, even recyclable ones, and am avoiding buying plastic bottles/pots - though lids and pumps are proving a bit trickier in many cases.  Any suggestions??

For now, let's jump into what products I used:

April 2019 Beauty + Wellbeing Empties

Transparency Key:
* This post contains affiliate links
This post includes 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.


PHB Ethical Beauty Natural Organic Pencil Eyeliner in Black (4g):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: wears well, perfect shade of black, lasts a long time, sharpens well, gives good definition
Negatives: can smudge in corners if you use too much (easily fixed though!), plastic cap
Buy Again?: already have!

Elemental Herbology Cell Plumping Facial Hydrator (15ml):
Enjoyed?: at first I really loved this, but it didn't work out for me in the end
Positives: SPF, fully absorbs, smooths + plumps, great for daytime, fairly lightweight, very moisturizing
Negatives: phenoxyethonal
Buy Again?: sadly no

Rosalena Goodness & Tonic Face Toning Mist (50ml):
Enjoyed?: yes!
Positives: smells incredible (zesty, uplifting), gives a great glow to skin, hydrating, refreshing, tin bottle (not plastic!), and just delightful in every way
Negatives: small bottle size, plastic cap
Buy again?: would love to!

Buff Nuit Sea Salt Body Scrub (60ml):
Enjoyed?: yes/no
Positives: gentle but scrubby, nourishing, smells great, lasts ages, doubles as bath salt when you rinse, calming, plastic free
Negatives: coconut oil hates me so Tim actually used most of this
Buy again?: for Tim, but not for me as coconut oil and I just don't get on sadly

Olverum Bath Oil (15ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: unique aroma (like a forest), grounding, not overly slick, a little goes a long way
Negatives: none
Buy again?: in the future hopefully

Nini Organics Natura Miracle Mask (60g):
Enjoyed?: yes!
Positives: gently exfoliates, blends incredibly well with variety of ingredients making it very customizable, leaves skin smooth and glowing, detoxifying
Negatives: no longer plastic free
Buy again?: yes, once my mask stash dwindles!

Walden See the Moonlight Perfume Oil (10ml):
Enjoyed?: yes!
Positives: scent is beautiful - a rich woody floral (brings to mind jasmine and warm evenings outside), easy application, pocket size, gentle on skin
Negatives: doesn't last all day, but easy to reapply
Buy again?: already have!

Max & Me The Intuitive Botanical Facial Mist (10ml):
Enjoyed?: yes!
Positives: pure peace in a bottle, unique aroma (dreamy palo santo), so light on skin, hydrating, refreshing, grounding and mesmerizing, calming on skin and spirit,
Negatives: price is out of my range but worth every penny
Buy again?: need to save up but yes 100% I will when I can!

Balm Balm Beauty Balm (60ml):
Enjoyed?: no
Positives: uplifting aroma, great as a makeup remover, multi-purpose
Negatives: too heavy for my skin, very slick
Buy again?: no

Inner Senses Active Body Oil (100ml):
Enjoyed?: yes!
Positives: soothes muscles and aches, smells lovely and warming, multi-purpose (pre/post exercise, bathtime, period pains, etc), moisturizing, leaves skin silky soft
Negatives: none
Buy again?: yes!


April 2019 Beauty + Wellbeing Empties

Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash (40ml):
Enjoyed?: yes/no
Positives: leaves skin feeling fresh and clean, good for second cleanse
Negatives: not the most pleasant scent, plastic bottle, a little drying
Buy again?: no

PHB Ethical Beauty Rejuvenating Hand Wash (250ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: scent is so lovely - relaxing and fragrant, leaves hands feeling clean, moisturizing, good price point for size
Negatives: plastic bottle
Buy again?: maybe

MOA Hello Sunshine Energising Body Oil (150ml):
Enjoyed?: yes/no
Positives: it smells so good (uplifting, energizing, so bright and cheery!), very nourishing, works well as bath oil as well as body oil, skin always feels so soft afterwards, little goes a long way, soothes minor aches as it is warming
Negatives: plastic bottle, a little slick on skin
Buy again?: not this one, but love all their other goodies!

Pink&Green Skincare Marzipan Body Souffle (100ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: lovely sweet scent, so nourishing, gentle, not greasy at all, lasts ages, softens skin
Negatives: plastic pot
Buy again?: maybe, though I think I'll try out their other products first

Delune Jasmine & Green Tea Facial Mist (100ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: unique aroma, very calming, soothing on skin, refreshing, great on its own or mixed with face masks
Negatives: plastic bottle, pump is fairly stiff
Buy again?: if it wasn't in plastic I would as it's lovely


April 2019 Beauty + Wellbeing Empties

Rahua Classic Shampoo (10ml):
Enjoyed?: unsure
Positives: smells SO good (palo santo)
Negatives: didn't lather, felt like my hair needed a LOT to feel washed, I need to try another sample as this may have given me cystic acne on my scalp but I need to use on its own to check
Buy again?: unsure

Rahua Classic Conditioner (10ml):
Enjoyed?: unsure
Positives: smells good (not as fragrant with palo santo as shampoo though), nourishing
Negatives: a little clumpy, I need to try another sample as this may have given me cystic acne on my scalp, but I need to use on its own to check
Buy again?: unsure

Balm Balm Hibiscus Face Mask (30ml):
Enjoyed?: yes/no
Positives: smells lovely, non-drying, very affordable
Negatives: a little too scrubby for my face (great for body though!)
Buy again?: maybe

Girl Undiscovered Stumbled Across Paradise Face Mask (~3ml):
Enjoyed?: mostly
Positives: gently exfoliates, non-drying, nourishing and balancing
Negatives: not so keen on the scent, coconut oil hates me sadly
Buy again?: maybe for Tim

Pinks Boutique Hydrating Deep Cleanse Melt (5ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: smells lovely, a little goes a long way, you can skip moisturizer if you don't have dry/mature skin, super nourishing, gentle, non clogging
Negatives: for my skin I think this is most suited for cold/dry weather rather than year round
Buy again?: I would love to when my cleanser stash dwindles

Mossa Moisturizing Antioxidant Day Cream (~1.5ml):
Enjoyed?: no
Positives: very affordable and generous full sizes
Negatives: not keen on scent (strong almost astringent smell), not super keen on ingredient list either
Buy again?: no

PHB Anti-Blemish Treatment Gel (~1.5ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: gentle but effective, great for consistently problematic skin - pop on trouble areas to keep spots at bay, smells nice and relaxing
Negatives: don't know how much longer this will be around as PHB has replaced with their new Balance Gel
Buy again?: I'll try the Balance Gel!

Odylique Timeless Rose Moisturizer (1.5ml):
Enjoyed?: no
Positives: very moisturizing, gentle and calming, good for day or night
Negatives: coconut oil hates me, smells very odd (almost like it was off?)
Buy again?: no

Leahlani Skincare Meli Glow Illuminating Nectar Mask (~3ml):
Enjoyed?: yes/no
Positives: gently exfoliates, smells MARVELOUS (so sweet and moreish), gives a lovely glow to face afterwards, and offers a moisture boost too
Negatives: a little too much for my skin sadly (and a bit sticky for me) - wish it worked for me as it smells incredible!
Buy again?: not this one, but looking forward to trying others!

Josh Rosebrook Advanced Hydration Mask (~3ml):
Enjoyed?: yes/no
Positives:  smells lovely (calming, slight sweetness), so nourishing and calming, gentle, plumps skin
Negatives: very rich - my congestion prone skin struggled a bit in the warmer weather with this
Buy again?: for winter possibly

Ursa Major 3 Minute Flash Mask (~3ml):
Enjoyed?: yes/no
Positives: only takes 3 minutes, relatively gentle, skin looked refreshed
Negatives: small sample so need to try more!, not super keen on scent
Buy again?: maybe

Ursa Major Shave Cream (~5ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: lovely rich texture that helps get a close but gentle shave, smells good
Negatives: odd negative but it rinses a bit too easily (if I accidentally splash I have to apply more)
Buy again?: yes

Weleda Jardin de Vie Grenade Perfume (1.5ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: smells so fresh and juicy, lasts a fair while (longer than many other natural perfumes)
Negatives: it's no longer available to buy *cries*
Buy again?: I would if I could


And that's it for April's empties! Like I said, there are not many I didn't enjoy (or at least Tim did!), and overall it was a good month's worth of products.  Were there any that have been on your wishlist or that you have tried yourself before??

As for the 'bonus' bits I have, let's take a look:

Beauty + Wellbeing Empties

I finished these three back in December/January time, but as I was so busy at the time with the 2019 BSL Awards, I just misplaced the empties until now.  I enjoyed all three, and two are solid favourites of mine by now!

Awake Organics Sea Quartz Crystal + Algae Cleanser (40ml):
Enjoyed?: yes!
Positives: gentle on skin but effective exfoliation, smells incredible (like an orange creamsicle), turns into a lovely milky paste when wet, a little goes a long way, leaves skin smooth and radiant
Negatives: none
Buy again?: yes! keeping hold of this empty jar so I can take part in the newly launched returns scheme that aims to cut down on waste: Zero Waste 500 Club

Alexa Sky Botanicals Rooibos & Roses Bath Oil (100ml):
Enjoyed?: yes!
Positives: delightful on skin and senses, mixes with water so no oily residues, still moisturizing though, and smells lovely
Negatives: none
Buy again?: yes!

Organii Aloe Mouthwash Eucalyptus (500ml):
Enjoyed?: yes
Positives: large size, affordable, fresh taste
Negatives: plastic bottle, didn't feel as cleaning as others I have tried
Buy again?: no - I prefer other brands for mouthwash


And that sums it up!  All my empties (plus a few bonus ones!) from April -- which stand out to you the most??

4 comments

  1. That body oil from Inner Senses sounds amazing, definitely something for my wish list!

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  2. it's a favourite of mine! perfect for workouts, period pain, general aches, and chilly days :) x

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Aloe mouthwash.....sparkling

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great honest reviews. I do like the sound of Inner Senses Active Body Oil. It sounds like it would be ideal for my aching joints.

    ReplyDelete

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