Empties of the Month - May

I can't believe the amount of empties I amassed in May, I usually struggle to finish anything! I have a habit of starting using one item, then get distracted by another and never actually finishing any. Most of these are small samples rather than full sized products so that may be why I got through them so quickly. So first up, hair:

The only hair product I finished this month was the VO5 Ultimate Hold Hairspray. I have short hair and I have to have it perfectly in place and well held, much more than when my hair was longer. Because of this, and the weather being so bad recently I had got this hairspray in the hope that it would live up to it's claims and hold my hair all day. Sadly it didn't quite manage this. It provided a medium hold to the hair, nothing like what I have with my current hairspray (one from got2b, their products are all incredible!) but it was a nice texture in my hair and the scent was quite pleasant so wasn't bad. Probably won't be in a rush to repurchase though.

Body:

First up is Radox Nourish Shower Gel -I love Radox shower gels, they always foam up brilliantly and there is such a large choice of fragrances to choose from that you really can't go wrong. To be honest, I get through a lot of these. I've just had another one run out this morning!

Dermalogica Exfoliating Body Scrub - This was a pretty good scrub. If like me you prefer your body scrubs to be a bit tougher then this is the one for you. It's beads are relatively small but nice and scratchy and the lotion is really thick and creamy. I apply this (mainly to my legs and arms) with exfoliating mitts and find that it really keeps my legs soft and fresh. Will definitely be repurchasing as I'm slightly disappointed it has run out :(

Femfresh - I didn't know if this was a bit TMI but I think that's a bit of a silly taboo really. I only wash my 'sensitive area' with specially formulated soaps such as this one (although Boots and Superdrug have own brand ones that are quite nice as well) as normal body washes can be harsh on sensitive skin. Poor sensitive skin... This one wasn't the nicest one from their range so I probably won't buy it again, they have a cranberry one which smells a lot nicer and is a more creamy consistency rather than a gel.

Gilchrist and Soames Shower Gel - I had thought I would love this, being an expensive 'posh' shower gel but actually I wasn't blown away. I found the scent slightly masculine for me and found the bottle really annoying (the hole to pour it from was huge and so I kept accidentally pouring far more than is necessary, I'm not a fan of wastage!). I much prefer Radox or Nivea offerings.

And finally, face:

Palladio Rice Papers - These were brilliant, as in really brilliant. As you may know by now, I have a really oily complexion and have to touch up my make-up a lot during the day. These instantly took the shine off my face without the need for loads of powder or affecting my make-up. Such  an effortless solution. I have found some at Boots though that are significantly cheaper so I'm going to try them to see if they are as good quality before I consider repurchasing.

Urban Veda Radiance Exfoliating Facial Polish - This was a lovely face scrub. It was nice and gentle on my face (I don't like them too 'scrubby' then) and it smelt amazing. Would definitely repurchase a full sized version of this. I've found many other facial exfoliators are too harsh on my face but this one was just right for me.

Dr Brandt Pores No More - This may surprise some people as I know it received some really great reviews, but I really didn't think much of this product at all. I found it had a really weird fine, grainy texture when applying to the skin and it didn't make any difference to my pores at all. Fair enough, when first applied it looked like it had made a difference but after about an hour those differences had gone. I found a seaweed pore refiner from The Body Shop which is much better, and smells a lot better actually! Sorry Dr Brandt...

Yin Yang Skin Cleanser - I wasn't overly impressed by this either. I found I had to use a lot (or what I thought was a lot) to remove my make-up and that it also left a residue on my skin. OK I double cleanse so that does get washed off but I have plenty of other cleansers that don't leave a residue and are actually a lot better at removing all my make-up.

Unica Radiance Plus Moisturiser - This I loved. It had a gorgeous cinnamon infused scent and it actually lasted ages for the tiny pot that it is. It applied so smoothly to my skin and felt so soft and nourishing. Plus it is all natural products. I recommend everyone to try this, immediately! :)

And that concludes my May Empties. It was a mixed one this time, some I loved and recommended to everyone I knew, some I just wasn't a fan. Have you tried any of these products? What were your views on them, differ from mine at all? All comments are very welcome, as always.

Monthly subscription box - Glossybox

 I was so excited when the postman arrived at my work yesterday equipped with this month's Glossybox! My monthly subscription boxes really are the highlight of my month. Sadly, I found myself slightly disappointed by this month's box, although this may be because last month's box was so much better in comparison (it included tinted lip balm from Sleek and perfume samples from Juicy Couture, I'm sold!). The samples are actually pretty good now I look back, but my initial reaction was a bit 'oh...'. Anywho... I'll get on with a short review of the products!

MeMeMe Cosmetics Beat the Blues - Pearl Pink

I've been reading quite a lot of different bloggers talking about this brand recently so I was quite pleased to receive one of their products in my box, and it is a pretty good sized sample. This product reminded me a lot of Benefit High Beam as it is a very similar colour, I'd say it has a thinner consistency to it though, which isn't a bad thing if you are wanting to apply it very lightly and is that little bit easier to blend in. It has a brush applicator, like that of a nail varnish and it instructs to apply this sparingly to your cheekbones and brow arches to highlight, much like you do with High Beam. What makes it that little bit better is that you can also use it under your blusher for a natural, dewy glow or mix it in with your foundation for a subtle shimmer (like I used to do with my nSpa Beauty Serum that sadly ran out recently - read more about this here). I love a product that works hard! I'm sure I shall write a more in depth review on my opinions on this product at a later date.

Unica Cosmetics Radiance Plus

I had yet to hear about this brand before receiving it in my box, I hadn't seen any talk about it on any blogs or anything like that and I wasn't overly excited about coming to own it. If I'm perfectly honest the reason I wasn't overly excited about this product is the fact that it is such a small sample. As soon as I saw it I wondered if my face would even manage one use out of this sample and it's not like I have an abnormally large face! That aside, it does seem a pretty good product, I have face/eye creams that contain rosehip oil that I swear helps fine lines around my eyes and so was quite pleased to have another one in my arsenal. It smells lovely and the fact that it is 100% natural is an added bonus!

It is to be used on a freshly cleansed face and I think I'll use it in place of my usual night cream and see if I notice much difference. It's just a shame there wasn't a larger sample to be able to give it a proper trial, lets hope a little goes a long way!

MONU Spa Warming Ginger Massage & Body Oil

I was a bit worried about this product when I discovered it in my box... My skin is quite sensitive to oils, even to the point where I developed a rash all over my arms from using Johnson's Baby Oil for Sensitive Skin! So I was a bit worried that my skin would not agree with this. Also I am just really not a massive fan of the smell of ginger. On opening it though it actually smelt quite pleasant, the smell of ginger was admittedly quite strong but I didn't find it nasty or overpowering. It instantly absorbed in to my skin, so much so that when I went to take the picture it had pretty much all absorbed in to my hand, hence the slightly odd picture! It advises to add a small amount to a warm bath or massage in to the skin before washing to leave your skin silky smooth, I will definitely be trying the warm bath option!! Sounds lush! Look out for further posts on this product as I have a feeling I am going to love it.

TRESemme Instant Refresh Cleansing Dry Shampoo

I use dry shampoo a lot, I'm a strong believer that you should only wash your hair roughly 3 times a week (at most!) and so on the other days I do use dry shampoo to stop any greasy hair mishaps. I am a devotee of Batiste Dry Shampoo's but I do like TRESemme as a brand and so I was keen to try their product. I tried this this morning and the only downside to it I would say is that, although my hair looked clean and grease-free, it didn't feel clean like it does with Batiste. It did give my hair masses of volume though, which is always appreciated with my fine hair. Also I find with Batiste that my head begins to get itchy during the day from what I guess is the dry shampoo on my scalp, but I didn't seem to have this trouble with the TRESemme product. Overall I am really happy with this product and will definitely be buying a full sized sample in the near future, move over Batiste!

Emite Make-up Lip Brush - L312

This brush could not have arrived at a better time as I recently had to throw away my MAC Lip Brush due to me somehow managing to break it. I thought it was a bit chunky for a lip brush at first but it is actually great. It holds a good quantity of lipstick and the smooth flat edge that tapers almost to a point is perfect for precision to apply product right to the edges of your lip and around your cupid's bow.

I was surprised by how much I actually liked this brush as I received an eyeshadow from Emite before and was disappointed to see that the packaging was rather weak and it exploded black eyeshadow all over my make-up bag, disaster! So I thought this may be a bit of a disappointment too, but I am actually quite loving it.

So all in all, I may have been disappointed by this month's Glossybox on very first impressions but after actually trying them out a little bit I am very pleased with what I received and will happily repurchase a lot of them, look out for further reviews on them!!

Do any of you subscribe to Glossybox? What did you think of this months box, do you also feel like it doesn't hold a light to last months? Comments are always welcome!