XXL Products I've Used Up // April

I should have written this post weeks ago - then it would not have been this long. I have been collecting these products for a while now and it is time to talk about them before there are just too many for one post.
 

Herbal Essences Shampoo Oriental Dream: This shampoo was in a haul of mine ages ago. I liked it but did not love it. That is generally how I seem to feel about Herbal Essences shampoos (while I do not really like any of their conditioners at all) but I still try them again and again because I always get sucked in by their packaging (which they seem to switch out every two weeks).

Dove Advanced Hair Series Youthful Vitality Shampoo: Both of the shampoos of the Dove Advanced Hair Series that I have tried worked really well with my hair. I generally cannot use one shampoo for too long before it loses its effect on my hair. That is why I always have two shampoos in my shower that I alternate between. When I use this shampoo I can almost go three days without washing my hair and that is really good for me. I am not sure whether this series is no longer available or whether Dove has just changed the packaging.

Garnier Fructies Conditioner Oil Repair 3 Wonder Butter: I used to love the Garnier Fructies Oil Repair 3 Hair Mask so I thought I might like the conditioner as well. I did like this conditioner but I did not love it and I will not repurchase it. It works fine with my hair but it is not as moisturizing as other hair products I have used and on top of that I used up this product very quickly. I had to use a lot of product to cover my hair - don't ask my why - and so in the end it is not even as cheap as it appears to be.

Guhl Conditioner with Tucuma & Oil: I am a big fan of Guhl conditioners. They all work really well with my hair and make it feel all soft and well taken care of. I used to also love Guhl shampoos and I still have one in my shower I am currently using up but those generally contain hormonal substances I do not want in my beauty products and that's why I only use their conditioners anymore.

alverde Shower Body Scrub Magnolia & Shea Nut: I don't think I ever used up a body scrub this quickly. It has a rather slippery, thin consistency and there are not a lot of exfoliating particles in the scrub so I tended to use a lot of it at once. The scrub was moisturizing to the skin and the scent was subtle and light. The big downside to the product  - at least to me - was that it did not exfoliate my  skin that well. If you want a light scrub and you have sensitive skin I think you would like this. I personally prefer a more intense scrub and therefore I did not repurchase this body scrub.

 

Balea Creme Oil Shower Scrub Berry & Magnoila: This product I did not actually use up - I decided to throw it out before I did. I liked the scent and the packaging and all of that but all these things do not matter when the product does not help your skin or - like it did in this case - makes your skin even worse. Even if this product was not the ultimate cause for my skin getting worse it still did not help. So in the best case scenario this is still a useless product and that in itself is enough of a reason not to recommend it.

alverde Shower Gel Vanilla Mandarine: This has to e my favorite scent alverde has ever done. They used to sell a body butter with this scent and I adored that one. I highly recommend you try alverde shower gels - they have an amazing scent selection, they foam up nicely and they do not dehydrate your skin.

alverde Winter Love Shower Creme: This was the most awful shower gel I ever used. The product worked well on my skin - the big problem I had with it was just the scent. It is strange that I loved the corresponding body butter but I just detested the shower gel. The scent was just disgusting to me and I used it up as quickly as I could.

alverde Winter Love Body Butter: This is the body butter I was just talking about. I liked it so much it even made it into my January Favorites Post. It definitely did not have the same scent as the shower gel and I did enjoy this one a lot more. I still prefer the vanilla-mandarin scent by alverde that I also talked about before but this one was still pretty good.

alverde Body Butter Cinderella: Can you tell I like alverde's body butters? This was my favorite body butter from the Limited Edition Fairy Tail Forest Set so far. I loved the scent and the texture and they way it moisturized my skin - please bring this back as a full size body butter, alverde!

Labello Lip Butter Raspberry Rosé: I used up a labello lip butter before but I don't feel like it took this long for me to do that back then. This one took forever. I only use lip butters at night because they leave a milky, shimmery color on my lips and I do not like that finish. This lip butter does help with my dry lips and it is definitely among the most effective lip balms I ever used.

 

Catrice Multi-Color Rouge: This is another one of those products I technically did not use up. This is by far my favorite / most worn blush - but not my favorite highlighter. That is why the packaging looks like that now. I also have the newer version of this blush - that I love just as much - and so it just no longer made sense to hold on to what is left of my former favorite blush.

Catrcie Glam & Doll Mascara Waterproof: This is a well known, much loved favorite waterproof mascrara of a lot of people - and that is precisely the problem I have with it. It is sold out everywhere!

Rexona Pure Fresh & NIvea Fresh Natural Deodoran: There is not really much to say about these. I like my deodorant to smell fresh and that is it. I do not want vanilla or tropical coconut in there - the simpler the better. That is what these represent to me. They worked fine for me and I probably will repurchase them. When it comes to deodorant I just tend to buy whatever scent I like that contains no aluminum and that is about as far as my research goes before purchasing one.

What products did you use up this month? What are the reasons for you to throw out products before they run out? What are your deal breakers?

Favorites // January

When I put together the collage at the top I actually thought about excluding a product or two from this post just so the collage would look better. Pretty pictures are undeniably a big part of a blog but to include or exclude products because of the way they look seems hypocritical because I do want to talk about the products I actually like. That whole concept just seems a little messed up...

DoveNutritive Solutions Oil Care Spray: This is a wonderful new discovery of mine. I have written a review about this product already so I do not want to talk about it for too long but if you struggle with brushing your hair after washing it maybe you should give this product a try.

Astor Perfect Stay Gel Shine Nail Polish 502/503 Crème Brulée & Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer Effect Coat 41 Two Million Dollar Baby: I have been posting a lot about this Astor nail polish over the past few months but I just keep coming back to it. I have worn this combination of nude and golden glitter twice in January - which is a lot for me. I hardly wear the same nail polish on my nails two times in a row.

batiste Dry Shampoo For Brunettes: About two months ago I got a hair cut - which is nothing that special but this time I finally did it: I got bangs! Now they are pretty much grown out and I am going to have to get them re-cut but when I still had full on bangs I had to change my hair care routine. With that my biggest rediscovery was dry shampoo. I generally like using dry shampoo whenever I want to avoid washing my hair for another day. With bangs it was the most practical product ever. I wash my hair about every other day and there was nothing better for my second-day-bangs than this product. I love the look and texture it gives to my hair and especially my bangs.

alverde Limited Edition Winter Love Body Butter: It is no secret that I am a big fan of alverde body butters. This is one that has a thicker texture and I do prefer a 'softer' texture when it comes to body butters but I still like this one. It still sinks in quicker than any other body butter or lotion and it moisturizes my skin wonderfully. This is a rare limited edition version of the alverde body butter but I hope that in the future they keep coming out with special editions because to be quite frank I do not like the 'original' scent that much.

H&M  Little Black Handbag:  This is the bag I bought on Black Friday last year and is one of the best 'fashion investments' I have made in a long time. I use this bag almost everyday. It s small but still fits a lot of stuff and it looks good with any outfit I wear. This is basically the little back bag of my dreams.

Shape of You by Ed Sheeran: When there is a new song that I really like I just listen to it on repeat and any other musics tends to get neglected. This is one of those songs. It has been so long since Ed Sheeran's last release and I am so happy he is back.

What were you favorites in January?

Dove Nutritive Solutions Oil Care Spray // Review

At the end of last year my mum told me about the Tox Fox App and I downloaded that app. With the app you can scan products and it tell you whether there are hormonal substances contained in said product. After I scanned all my products I was relieved that there were not many among them that contained those hormonal substances but one of the ones that did was the Schwarzkopf Got2be Schmusekatze Anti-Frizz Lotion. As a replacement I got the Dove Nutritive Solutions Oil Care Spray as my new leave in conditioner. It is not an exact replacement of the old product but it keeps my hair moisturized like the Got2be product did.

I never would have thought I would but I actually prefer the Dove Nutritive Solutions Oil Care Spray to the Schwarzkopf Got2be Schmusekatze Anti-Frizz Lotion. I have really knotty hair that is hard to brush through and honestly nothing helps like this spray does. I usually always use conditioner because I need it to be able to brush my hair after I washed it but when I use this product I do not even have to do that. Of course I still use conditioner to take care of my hair but when I only take a quick shower I no longer have to. The spray makes brushing my hair so much easier I would not want to miss this product anymore.

It also moisturizes my hair and keeps it soft and shiny. I also like the way the product is applied. You just shake the bottle up so the two separate liquids mix and then you spray it on your wet hair. It is a fine, even mist  that is easy to distribute.

Overall I would recommend this product for anyone that has problems brushing their hair. The spray also moisturizes my dry hair well and I can tell a difference if I do not use this on my hair.

What is your favorite leave in conditioner?

Haul // December

Usually I like to do a little collage at the beginning of  post but since my laptop crashed last week I do not have access to my usual software. I still wanted to post even though the pictures are not quite like I would like them to be.

H&M Home Scented Cinnamon Candle: H&M home is a great place to shop for decor.  They have a lot of different styles and a big variety of products. Strange enough I never tried any of their candles. I am a little obsessed with Christmas candles and I am really excited to try this one out. The candle itself has a strong cinnamon scent and I hope it will make my whole room smell like that.

IKEA Sinnlig Candle Apple & Cinnamon: I look forward to burning this candle every year. It is Christmas edition scented candle by Ikea that makes the whole room smell wonderfully of apples and cinnamon. If you have not tried scented candles by Ikea you definitely should. This is by far my favorite scent and I have been buying it for years.

H&M Little Black Handbag: This was my only Black Friday purchase this year. It was on sale at H&M and I fell in love as soon as a I saw it. It is a really pretty black little handbag that actually fits a lot of stuff. I love the texture on the bag and the gold hardwear adds just the right amount of detail. I have already been using this lots and right now it is on sale again on the H&M website.

Dove Nutritive Solutions Oil Care Spray: I just used up my Schwarzkopf got2be Schmusekatze Anti-Frizz-Lotion and I had to get something new. Usually I would have repurchased that but since I have been using the app ToxFox I am trying to avoid products that contain hormonal substances. This is simply a product the app found to be fine and I decided to give it a try.

alverde Eye Creme for normal skin: I have been using this exact eye creme for years but since I started using it they changed the packaging about five times. At least it feels like it. I have dry, sensitive skin and this is by far the best drugstore I creme I have ever tried.

Carmex Classic Moisturizing Lip Balm: Carmex is the best lip balm I have ever used. My lips get easily chapped in the winter time and during the day time Carmex is my favorite lip balm. It works amazingly and it just looks like you are wearing a clear lip gloss.

Catrice Long Lasting Lip Pencil Waterproof 140 Sweet Auberginia: This is a wonderfully deep, dark lip color. The colder it gets the more I tend to wear darker lip products and lately I have been loving lip liners more and more because they often last longer than lipsticks and usually they are beautifully opaque.

alverde Miniature Hand Creme Calendula for normal skin: Again I was looking for a product with no hormonal substances to replace one ToxFox has warned me about. I like alverde skin care products and I have been using the corresponding eye creme for years and I really love that one.

ISANA Limited Edition Heart Warmth Bathing Pearls: Winter is the time of the year that I take the most baths. I have never tried ISANA bath pearls and I am looking forward to using these since they already smell amazing in the packaging.

What have you been shopping for this month?

Products I've Used Up // July

I am sorry some of these products don't look that nice anymore - but that is what happens when you use them for a long time. I could have cleaned them up but since I was going to throw them away anyways right after shooting these pictures I didn't feel like it was worth it. Well, in reality products just don't stay looking all polished and perfect when you use them up.

Rival de Loop Eye-Make-Up Remover: Non-waterproof eye-make-up remover has not been a part of this blog in a long time. That is simply because I hardly ever wear non-waterproof mascara anymore. This month I made an effort to use up the non-waterproof mascara I still had in my collection because it would have dried out soon anyways and that would just have been a waste. Whenever I do wear non-waterproof mascara though this is my favorite eye-make-up remover.

Balea Body Mousse: It says on the packaging that this is supposed to have a light, soft texture and I was afraid that it would not be moisturizing enough for my skin. I was wrong - this is actually a great light-weight moisturizer for hot summer days. It sinks into your skin quickly and moisturizes it well. The scent is barely noticeable which I like.

The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Cream Body Scrub: I used to be a huge fan of the The Body Shop Body Scrubs. Now I am not so sure about that anymore. I still like them but I am not really loving them anymore. Maybe I am just spoiled because I have not actually used a body scrub by any other brand in at least a year and I still have a backup to go through before I can get a new one to try.

Balea Shaving Gel Blueberry Love: Please, Balea, bring this scent back! This my all time favorite scent from the Balea shaving gels range and they have discontinued it. Hopefully they will bring it back soon.

Balea Shower Gel with Oil Pearls: I really enjoyed this product, the scent is nice and it does not dry out my skin like other shower gels do. The packaging is also just really pretty and summery.

Dove Advanced Hair Series Pure Care Weightless Oil Shampoo: I talked about this shampoo in one of my last favorites post because this works wonderfully with my hair. After using up all the backup shampoos I still have sitting in my cabinet I will definitely repurchase this!

Catrice Glam & Doll Waterproof Volume Mascara: This is my all time favorite waterproof mascara that I repurchase all the time. It holds the curl flawlessly and it stays on all day.

Maybelline the Colossal Volume Express Mascara 100% Black: I have used this up before and said that it wasn't my favorite. So why did I use one up again? I got this as a gift and after using it the second time my opinion is still the same. It does give volume to my lashes and they look great but they don't stay put throughout the day and the mascara crumbles a little.

What products did you use up this month?

Favorites // June

This display looks kind of christmassy, doesn't it?

Red can be a very summery fresh color and who does not think that 'golden beaches' sound like hot weather? Summery night skies are also easy to picture - but somehow together red, stars and gold make me think of winter. Well, the weather isn't really that sunny lately anyway so maybe that also influences my associations.

Maybelline Super Stay Nail Polish Rouge Laqué 501 Cherry Sin: For some reason I forgot how much I love red nails in the summer time. I just put the color on one day because I could not decide on anything so I went for a classic shade. I am almost surprised by how much I love it.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: This had to be included in my monthly favorites. I flew through this book as soon as I got it. It is not my new favorite book ever but it was still great. I usually do not read contemporary books so maybe this one was my entry to a whole new genre for me to discover. I am generally trying to read out of my usual comfort zone of fantasy or dystopian. While I do know now that thrillers are not my cup of tea (even though I have only ever read two) maybe contemporary is.

Dove Advanced Hair Series Pure Care Weightless Oil Shampoo: I am sorry this bottle does not look that clean anymore but that is just what happens when you use your products - and I have been using this for a while now. I actually shy away from using it because I do not want to use it up. I have dry hair that I want to wash every other day - so that is what I need my shampoo to be able to handle. This shampoo does that beautifully. It is meant to help with dry hair and make it shiny again and that is precisely what it does for my hair. It feels moisturized, looks shiny and keeps looking good for two days until I wash it again.

What are your favorite products or books of the moment?

Products I've Used Up // June

I swear I do not color coordinate the products I use up. I feel like this happens quite often even though I definitely do not plan for it. That is getting me to wonder though if I shop in color schemes without noticing.

Catrice Liquid Liner Waterproof 010 Don't Leave Me: I did not actually use this product up. There is still product left in this but it does not hold up as well as it used to. I already repurchased this and the new liner works just fine.

Nivea Double Effect Eye-Make-Up Remover: This is a really good eye-make-up remover for waterproof mascara or eye liner and I will probably repurchase this soon.

 alverde Eye Creme for Every Skin Type: This is a long time staple in my skin care routine. I have sensitive dry skin and this is by far my favorite eye creme I have ever tried.

Weleda Skin Food: I repurchase this moisturizer multiple times a year. I use it everyday at night all throughout the year. 

Balea Shaving Gel Travel Size Caribbean Dreams: I hated this. This thing has been sitting on my shelves for forever. I wanted to use it up this month to finally get rid of it because I never liked this product. After I use this my skin burns and I finally decided to throw it out without using it up because it is just not worth it. I want to ad though that I really like the other Balea shaving gels I have used - I do not know what is wrong with this particular one.

ISANA young Limited Edition Shower Gel Dream Catcher: I really enjoyed this shower gel. Even though I prefer this one over the normal Balea shower gels I have not repurchased this. The only reason for that is that when it comes to shower gel I simply prefer to try out new products and new scents. I will definitely check out more of the ISANA shower gels in the future.

Dove Advanced Hair Series Oxygen Hair Mask: This was a good hair mask. I still like the Garnier Fructies Oil Repair 3 Hair Mask better which is the only reason I will not repurchase the Dove Oxygen Hair Mask. I have long hair and I have a lot of it but if you have problems with your hair being weight down by products this might be a good option.

Got2be Schwarzkopf Guardian Angel Heat Protectant Lotion: I do not know why this is called a lotion because it is definitely a spray. The scent is nice and not too strong and this bottle lasted me forever. I think it generally hard to tell how well heat protectant sprays work. How do you verify that? All I can say is that I am happy with the results but I also wanted to try another brand to be able to compare the to products.

What is your go-to heat protectant?