Vanilla Beauty x

I've been storing up my empties for a while and keep meaning to do an empties post! I'm going to let you know what products I've used up and whether I'd repurchase them or not.

The Body Shop Skin Clearing Tea Tree Lotion - repurchase

I absolutely adore the tea tree line from The Body Shop. It's great for anyone who has problems with blemished skin as the tea tree helps to soothe spots, reducing size and redness. I use this during the day over the top of my Simple moisturiser as my skin gets really dry in the winter. I've actually already repurchased this!

Korres Citrus Shower Gel - won't repurchase

This is a sample that I got in either a Birchbox or a Glossybox a few months ago and I have only just got around to using it up. Although it claims to be a citrus scent, I think it's quite a manly scent sort of like a typical aftershave smell. As I don't particularly want to smell like a man, I won't be repurchasing this. It's also £8 which is insane, I definitely don't have £8 to be spending on shower gel!

Neutrogena T Gel - repurchase

If you read my haircare routine you'll know I have problems with eczema on my scalp and this is the only thing that controls it. It's pretty expensive for a shampoo and it absolutely stinks (it's made of coal) but it's a lifesaver for me. Anyone with dandruff or scalp eczema/psoriasis I would definitely recommend trying this and seeing if it helps! I've already repurchased this one too.

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro - unsure

I've had this primer for quite a while now and use it in circulation with a few others. It's one that I can't really make my mind up about. It claims to smooth, resurface, brighten, mattify and protect which is quite a lot of claims. Maybe once I've used up all my primers I'll repurchase this but there's definitely better performing ones out there. However, for a drugstore primer this one does perform pretty well and it's only £6.99.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer Shade 10 (Light) - repurchase in a different shade

For a drugstore concealer, this is amazing. I've heard that it's a dupe for the Nars Creamy Concealer which I really want to purchase but my student budget doesn't stretch that far. The coverage is excellent and it blends amazingly well. When I first bought this the shade range was miniscule. I have shade 10 and it's slightly too dark for me so when I repurchase I'll buy shade 15 (fair). At £5.99, I'll definitely repurchase.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation Shade 51 (Light Vanilla) - unsure

This is another product I'm unsure about. Somedays I absolutely love this foundation and others I hate hit. The coverage is quite sheer so it probably performs better at those times where I'm fairly blemish free. It gives a dewy finish which doesn't work so well with my oily skin as after a few hours I end up shining like the sun. If you like sheer coverage with a dewy finish, this is one to try out. Blemished oily skin doesn't work that well with it.

Mac Studio Fix Fluid NW20 - won't repurchase

So first things first, this is the completely wrong shade for me. My skin is basically translucent and the woman in Mac matched me completely wrong. If you're buying a foundation from Mac (or anywhere high end), I'd recommend getting matched and trying the foundation on for the day to see what it looks like in different lights before you purchase this. I have to mix this with a really pale foundation to get the right colour and even then I'm not sure if I'd repurchase. It does have really full coverage which is what I look for in a foundation but... I'm just not convinced. It's £21.50 which isn't too expensive for high end. Maybe I'd repurchase if it was the right colour.

Hope you enjoyed this post!

How is it 1st December tomorrow?! I could not be happier that it's December. December means going home to my family for Christmas and 2 months off university, although I still have exams and coursework cry cry. November has been such a busy month for me so I'm glad to see the back of it! Onto the favourites...

St Ives Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub

I featured this in my Autumn/Winter skincare update a couple of weeks ago, it's a definite favourite of mine this month. My skin has been breaking out like crazy and my pores look horrible and clogged, but this is definitely helping. Although it says it's a daily scrub, I would no way use it daily as I think it's too abrasive. This smells amazing and the big grains in it to really clear out your pores and leave your skin looking fresher. There's actually 4 different types of this scrub - blemish fighting, invigorating, gentle and renew & firm - so if you want a good quality scrub but don't have problems with blemishes I would try one of the others!

L'Oreal True Match

I think this is possibly my favourite foundation, although I do change my mind weekly. The coverage is amazing, it lasts quite a long time and gives your skin a gorgeous finish without looking cakey. The shade range is out of this world which is rare for a drugstore foundation so you'll definitely be able to find a shade to suit your skin tone. If you're a lover of medium coverage foundation and you haven't tried this foundation yet, go and do it!

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - Waterproof

When I first got this I wasn't sure about it, I wanted a cheap, everyday waterproof mascara to keep the curl in place and that's exactly what it does. I wouldn't say that it does anything amazing in terms of length or volume but for the price I think it's really good. I use it on my top lashes, after I have curled them, as a thin base coat and also on my bottom lashes as the wind and cold makes my eyes water.

Mac Prep + Prime Skin

I'd love to tell you how I got my hands on this tester but I can't remember which is heartbreaking. Full size is quite pricey (£21), although not as expensive as Porefessional, but this primer is definitely worth the money. It's a creamy, silicone formula that applies to the skin really easily and sinks in straight away. My skin is so smooth after using it, foundation blends out so easily and doesn't cake anywhere. I don't think this does anything to control my shine but some powder sorts that out. There's a number of different Prep + Prime, all targeting different things (I need to get my hands on the Skin Refined Zone) and if they're all like this, I definitely recommend checking the line out. Some of the others are more expensive than this but if you have the money to spend..!

Urban Decay Naked 3

I could not have been more excited when I got this. My boyfriend came to visit and bought it for me as a little treat and I have used it nearly every day since. I got the Naked 3 rather than 1 or 2 as I have pale skin and blue eyes which the rosey shades compliment amazingly. It comes with 4 primers, each with about a weeks supply in and they make the eyeshadows last even longer than usual. The pigmentation is amazing, they're so easy to blend and the colours.. Oh my god I can't even describe them. You need to put one of these on your Christmas list!!

Let me know in the comments what you've been loving this month.

These are probably one of my favourite posts to read so I thought I would share with you some of my disappointments!

I think the main reason I don't like this mascara is the size of the brush, it is MASSIVE. It's impossible to put the mascara on without getting it everywhere and you're clumping the mascara on rather than running it through the lashes. You end up with lashes clumped together with mascara - if that's what you're looking for this is for you but I prefer length and volume!

Now don't get me wrong, half of this mascara is really good. There's a lower lashes 'mini brush' and an upper lashes 'push-up brush'. The mini brush is so good. It's perfect for getting your lower lashes and also really defining and separating your upper lashes. The push-up brush is absolutely awful. It definitely doesn't push your lashes up and clumps like the Rimmel mascaras. Why is it so difficult to find a mascara that doesn't clump?!

The Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipstick was my first nude lipstick about two years ago and it's so gross I've barely used it. It's a nice enough colour but the texture is awful. It's chalky, drying and just makes my lips look like they're devoid of all moisture. All in all, not a good look. However, the rest of the Kate Moss line is amazing.

 Baby Skin by Maybelline was raved about as the cheaper Porefessional and as I adore Porefessional but not the price tag, I thought I'd try this out. It's not a bad product but it's definitely not up there with Porefessional. The formula is weird - very silicone and feels like you're smoothing a thick gel across your skin. It stays quite... gelly and shiny and definitely doesn't make your foundation look better, if anything worse. Don't always believe the hypes!