Trimming My Stash - June 2020 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

So here we are, we're now more than half way through 2020, and I can safely say that for the majority of us, it's been a weird one.

Although changes are still afoot with face masks becoming compulsory in shops in England this week (why wait so long? surely we should have been wearing masks from the beginning, very odd!), at last things are starting to look and feel a bit more normal. 

I had my hair done on Thursday (you cans see some before and after pics below) and I also managed to have a long overdue eye test on Saturday, and whilst I still don't feel like going to a city or busy shopping centre, the whole concept of going outside again is starting to feel normal again and I am starting to get out and about a bit more.

Before

After 

Even when everything else goes belly up though you can still rely on me for my regular empties posts, even if they haven't exactly been posted on time so far this year.

Marks and Spencer M&S Beauty Floral Collection Rose Moisture Rich Hand Wash - 50ml
Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner - 100ml**
Oh K! SOS Skin Calming Dalmatian Print Sheet Mask With Charcoal And White Tea - 1 x 23ml Sheet Mask
The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Softening Body Butter - 200ml
AVON Nail Experts Nail Moisture Mask - 30ml
Cussons Carex Fun Edition Antibacterial Hand Wash - Mr Bump - Tutti Frutti - 250ml
Hask Orchid & White Truffle Moisture Rich Deep Conditioner - 50g
L'Occitane Honey And Lemon Hand Cream - 75ml
Primark PS...Nail & Cuticle Oil Nourishing Treatment - 11ml

Total - 9 Items 

After a slight blip in May, I managed to pull it around in June, to have my most successful month of 2020 so far. I managed to finish 9 beauty products, unfortunately it was another make up free month, but I did manage to finish a nice mix of products including a couple of skincare items, lots of hand and nail bits, a body product and a haircare product, so all in all a pretty decent month.

1. M&S Beauty Floral Collection Rose Moisture Rich Hand Wash - 50ml

First up a hand wash, and this is the first of two hand washes, and numerous hand and nail products that I managed to finish in June. This hand wash is from Marks and Spencer Floral Collection, and it something that I received in a gift set a couple of years ago now. There isn't a lot of information on the packaging but according to the Marks and Spencer website, this product is both cruelty free and suitable for vegans, and it contains both shea butter and rosa centifolia extract.

It had a thin, gel like formulation that turned into a non drying, gentle foam when it was mixed with water. Due to the inclusion of real rose extract, it had a subtle green based, true to life rose scent. The scent was a touch old fashioned but it was still a very nice product to use. The packaging on this one does appear to have changed slightly but the product inside appears to be the same. Marks and Spencer still sell the same set that I got which contains a 50ml hand wash and a 50ml hand lotion for £5, and they also sell a larger 250ml size of the hand wash which retails at £3.50.

2. Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner - 100ml**

This next item was a skin product that I was sent for review from natural beauty site My Pure. You can read my original review from August 2014 here. I recently rediscovered this product in a forgotten toiletry bag and since it still smelled okay, and since there was so little left in the bottle I decided to finish it off. 

Trilogy are a New Zealand based ethical, natural, and organic skin care company. Containing aloe vera, geranium, lavender, and other rare flower waters, this product is deiced to hydrate, tone and revitalise the skin. There are so many reasons why I love this product from the gentle floral scent, to the brown frosted glass bottle to the fresh cooling and soothing effect it has on the skin. It's perfect for all year round skin toning and refreshening but thanks to the aloe vera content it's perfect after a day in the sun and it's even okay to use after hair removal. I have a lot of toners to use up but it is something that I would definitely consider repurchasing. As well as My Pure, it's also available for around £18.50 from various other retailers including direct from Trilogy, Feel Unique, and Look Fantastic.

3. Oh K! SOS Skin Calming Dalmatian Print Sheet Mask With Charcoal And White Tea - 1 x 23ml Sheet Mask

The next item is a skincare product and it's something that you might have seen in my previous post. This sheet mask from Oh K! came in the May 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, it's in a Dalmatian print design and it contained white tea, tea tree, gingko biloba and charcoal powder.

It looked a little bit scary on and not as cute as I'd hoped but it was nice and cooling and refreshing on the skin and it's something that I would definitely consider repurchasing. Price varies on this one between £2.50 and around £5, and it's available for a quite a number of retailers including direct from Oh K! and also from Feel Unique, Beauty Bay, and Look Fantastic.

4. The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Softening Body Butter - 200ml

It isn't exactly the season for all things pumpkin at the moment, but can you tell the weather that? You talk about changeable - one day it's warm and the next day it's freezing, I'm a typical Brit but you really can't win with the weather at the moment. Something that is always a winner though is a body butter from The Body Shop. I've been a huge fan of them since they were launched, and this one just so happens to be one of newest favourites.

Alas it's only usually in store from around September to October / November time but if it comes back this year I'm definitely going to be picking up a few for my stash.

Containing shea butter, sesame seed oil, cocoa butter, madagascan vanilla extract and pumpkin, this body butter has a lovely creamy texture, that does take a little while to sink in but it leaves the skin feeling silky soft, and smelling delicious. If you aren't a fan of traditional pumpkin spice fragrances that can often be too cinnamon, ginger and clove heavy, then this is a nice alternative with a sweet, and creamy vanilla scent, with just a hint of fruit and spice (Have a read of this post to find out more about it x). I love, love, love this fragrance, I have a little bit of shower gel left and then I am officially out of my vanilla pumpkin fix - fingers crossed it makes another appearance this year x

5. AVON Nail Experts Nail Moisture Mask - 30ml

Next up another hand product, and this time it's something from AVON. Designed to smooth, and hydrate the hands, and to help prevent a build up of rough and dry skin, this cream contained cocoa, shea and mango butters.

This was basically a lilac coloured, hand cream, with a fresh almost aquatic, cucumber like scent. The instructions said just to massage into the hands and nails and to apply cotton gloves and leave them on overnight for the best results. I found that it took around 20 minutes to soak in, at first it felt slightly tacky but that feeling gradually went away leaving the skin soft, and smooth.

I've got to say that I expected a little bit more from this product. The texture wasn't as thick as I was expecting, and it was definitely had more of a hand cream like feel rather than something hard working, intensive and mask like. It was okay but I probably wouldn't repurchase. I'm not sure whether or not this this product has actually been discontinued - I can't find it online, and it isn't in the latest AVON brochure that I have either (Campaign 11 July 2020). If you fancy giving it a go though, there are a few floating around on eBay UK and who knows it may appear in a future catalogue.

6. Cussons Carex Fun Edition Antibacterial Hand Wash - Mr Bump - Tutti Frutti - 250ml

I've tried quite a few of the hand washes from the Cussons Carex Fun range now, including Love Hearts, and Mr Tickle Sherbet Lemon and whilst I've liked them all, this Mr Bump Tutti Frutti one is by far my favourite, and that isn't just because I used to be so clumsy that my mam used to call me Miss Bump!

It has all of the antibacterial properties that you'd expect from Carex, all bundled up in a lovely fruity scented, pale pearlised blue gel. As well as its mouthwatering aroma, it also produced a lovely gentle foam that left the hands feeling squeaky clean but not dry or stripped.

I originally bought this particular hand wash quite a while ago now in Poundland. Finding specific hand washes still seems to be nigh on impossible at the moment but last time I checked this particular one was available on Superdrug online.

7. Hask Orchid & White Truffle Moisture Rich Deep Conditioner - 50g

The next product was another Glossybox item, and I received this on in the April 2020 box. You can read a full review of this Hask mask here, but in short I liked it, the smell was quite strong, but it left my hair feeling detangled, soft and sleek. Unfortunately it isn't the easiest of products to get hold of but in my opinion it's one worth tracking down if you can x

8. L'Occitane Honey And Lemon Hand Cream - 75ml

I try not to use the word hate too often, but I really, really don't like honey! I suffered from a lot of sore throats as a child, and since one of my uncles used to keep bees, my mam always had a ready supply of honey to add to hot orange squash to soothe my throat.

It is really good for you but I just can't stand the sickly sweet scent and taste. I can just about manage it in salad dressings, and in Toblerone's but I'm never going to be one of those people that can eat it by the spoonful. You'll probably find it a bit strange then that 2 of my favourite hand creams of all time contain honey!

Originally released in 2007, this shea butter based hand cream contains honey from Provence, and real fresh lemon extract. It had a lovely thick and creamy texture, and with it's slight yellow colour it was almost custard like. It took a little while to absorb but it left my hands feeling silky smooth and protected. From what I gather when it comes to the scent this product had one of those love it or loathe it type fragrances, but despite my hatred for honey it was a scent that I fell in love with.

It was quite a strong scent but in my opinion it wasn't an out and out honey scent, instead for me it had a warm and comforting, slightly sweet scent with just a touch of zesty lemon. My grandma always used to have a packet of honey and lemon Lockets on her bedside table, and this scent in someways reminded me of her.

Alas the entire honey and lemon range was discontinued a few years ago now, I stocked up on this hand cream before it disappeared, and I think I might have another one somewhere - fingers crossed anyways! If you like the idea of the honey and citrus mix though, then just a quick heads up to keep an eye out for next months trimming my stash post because I'm on the verge of finishing something you just might like ;)

9. Primark PS...Nail & Cuticle Oil Nourishing Treatment - 11ml

Finally another hand and nail based product, and it's a cuticle oil from Primark. I posted a full review of this product way back in December 2019 which you can read here. Basically for the price it's a pretty decent product, it moisturising, it soaks in and it has a pleasant vanilla / coconut based scent.

I haven't been to Primark since December and as much as I'd love to go, as I said before the idea of going to a big city or an enclosed shopping centre doesn't really appeal at the moment. Despite that, and the fact that I have a few different cuticle products to use up, I would definitely consider repurchasing this particular product on my next Primark trip, whenever that may be!

So they were my June empties, it was my best month of the year so far, and I finished a few nice products so overall I'm pretty happy. Fingers crossed though that I can equal or even better June's total in July. If you have any questions on any of the products that I mentioned in this post then please leave me a comment and let me know, and I'll see you soon with my thoughts on the June edition of Glossybox UK.

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links
**Press Sample

Unboxing Glossybox UK - November 2019 Edition - Winter Warmers*

Despite many promises to get this post up nice and early, it's ended up going live on the  same day that December box has been dispatched. Basically life has got in the way again, I haven't been well, my mam's been poorly, things have gone wrong in the house, and unfortunately on Saturday we suffered a family bereavement. So what am I going to do? Well I'm not going to make any promises about when I'm going to post anything in the run up to Christmas, I've got some posts I'd like to get up but it's going to be a case of if not when x I always find blogging a distraction from real life though, so fingers crossed I should be able to get a few posts up and you won't notice too much of a difference x

If there is one thing that's guaranteed to put me on a downer it's the weather, after what seems like months and months of rain, the weather has at last taken a more wintry turn, with overnights frosts, and with snow potentially making an appearance in my little part of County Durham this week. The arrival of the November edition of Glossybox almost seemed to coincide with the change in the weather, and with its Winter Warmers theme it was perfect timing.

After the the specially designed Angel box, that I received in October (read my post here), November's box saw a return to the traditional black and pink colourway, and it contained a variety of enriching, nourishing and warming treats.

Mudmasky Leave-Me-On Winter Mask - 40ml - Full Size - RRP £41.75

I've received quite a few skin and haircare products from Dutch company, Mudmasky in various subscription boxes but this is a completely new product and it's quite unlike any other skin care product that I've ever tried.

Like all Mudmasky products this mask is both cruelty free and PETA certified. It contains a whole host of moisturising ingredients including soybean, safflower, macadamia seed oil, squalene, Moroccan cold pressed argan. as well as jojoba, and Moroccan lava clay.

Basically what it is, is a leave on, no rinse face mask, that is designed to protect the skin from the harsh winter weather, whilst at the same time, moisturising, nourishing, and repairing dry and flaky skin, all without clogging the pores, and causing oiliness or breakouts.

Texture wise, this thick cream, has more of a rich moisturiser feel, than some of the cream masks that I've used in the past, and I couldn't detect any real scent.

To use you it you just apply a thin layer to cleansed skin. Having more of an oily / combination skin I was a little bit worried that it would too thick, and too heavy, and that it wouldn't absorb, but it actually started to absorb pretty much on application. The first picture was taken just after application, and the second picture was taken about 3 minutes later.

Just After Application

Around 3 Minutes After Application

It took about 5 minutes to completely absorb, and surprisingly it dried down to an almost matte finish. My skin felt very smooth, and it's hard to explain but protected, like there was something on my skin, but it was invisible, and I certainly couldn't feel anything heavy or sticky. As the day went on my t-zone did start to look a little bit shiny, but that is quite normal for me no matter what moisturiser I use.

I have to say this product really surprised me, I loved the concept, but I really thought that I was going to hate, but I actually really liked it. My biggest worry was that it would make my skin feel greasy, and sticky but it didn't, my skin just felt smooth, hydrated, and protected. This mask is simply perfect for this time of year, I sometimes experience cold weather related redness and sensitivity but I haven't experienced anything yet whilst using this product. If you have a face, and you need to go outdoors in the winter months, then I can't recommend this product enough. The one thing that would probably prevent a repurchase would be the price, all though this tube is a full size, it is quite small, and it has a recommended retail price of around £41.25,  direct from Mudmasky, although it is currently on special for £29.47.

Rituals The Ritual Of Ayurveda Indian Rose & Sweet Almond Oil Soothing Hand Balm - 70ml - Full Size - RRP £9.90

Thanks to several subscription boxes and several press, and blogger events I've been lucky enough to try quite a few products from Rituals. If you aren't familiar with them, they are a UK based brand that are inspired by the ancient traditions of Asian cultures, producing a range of affordable spa like body products using only the finest fragrances and ingredients.

From their Ritual Of Ayurveda range, this hand cream contains sweet almond oil, Indian rose, and shea butter. This softening, relaxing, and non greasy formulation is also mineral oil, paraben and cruelty free.

It has a lovely rich, thick and creamy texture, but just like the Mudmasky product it actually seemed to absorb quite quickly, leaving the skin feel silky, smooth and protected but not greasy or sticky.

I would describe the scent as a warm, sensual floral, it might be a bit too strong for some people, as I does tend to linger on the skin but personally I really liked it, and the spa like memories that it evoked.

This is a really nice everyday hand cream, that again is perfect for these colder months. This is a full size tube that retails at around £9.90 from various retailers including direct from Rituals, Look Fantastic, Debenhams and John Lewis.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - 29ml - Deluxe Mini

Now, many moons ago along with Noxema, and Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask, Cetaphil was one of the must have drugstore beauty products if you were lucky enough to be heading stateside. Once hard to find in the UK, there is a reason why this product still developed such a cult following.

Although it now comes in several different variants, this is the original which is formulated especially for dry, sensitive or compromised skin including conditions such eczema, psoriasis, and acne.

Designed for use both on the face and the body, it's gentle, soap free, fragrance free, and non comedogenic. It cleanses, and moisturises whilst maintaining the skins natural pH.

Although you can use it to remove make up, and as a body wash, I've been using this as my morning cleanser. To use it, all you do is mix a little bit of this pearlised white, gel like, cleanser with some warm water then you massage it onto the skin. You can just remove it with dry cotton wool or tissues, but since I love the feeling of water on my face I've been removing it with warm water and a muslin cloth. 

If you don't like the idea of heavy cream cleanser, but at the same time you find face washes, and foams to drying and stripping then this is a perfect compromise. My skin didn't feel dry or tight, and there was no increase in oiliness or breakouts, my skin just felt smooth and clean, and it's really quick and easy to use, when you are time poor. Glossybox value this deluxe mini size at £1.10, but you can buy the full 236ml for between £8.99 and £9.50 from chemists and from Boots and Superdrug.

Kandi Cosmetics Pre Glow Up Mist - 120ml - Full Size - RRP £20

Next up the product that Glossybox teased in the October box. I can't find out too much about Kandi Cosmetics other than that they are a UK based cosmetics company who have a large range of products including, brushes, eye palettes, pigments, beauty tools, and make up bags.

Containing cucumber, Camellia, and Vitamin E, this is basically a cruelty free, 2 in one, primer and setting spray, that's designed to hydrate your skin, and to give it it's glow back.

Boxed, and packaged in a pump action dispenser, you need to give it a good shake, as the lovely golden particles that it contains have a tendency to settle. Then you just spray the fine mist directly onto your skin, or on top of make up.

The spray is very fine but it's quite substantial so you only need a couple of squirts for your whole face. It doesn't have any real scent, and it dries down pretty quickly. Personally I couldn't see too much difference on my face, but you can see an ever so slight sheen on my hand.

I do like setting sprays and whilst the increase in radiance was pretty subtle, I think that makes this spray a little bit more versatile - Because it isn't full of glitter and shimmer it means that you could use it as an everyday product, especially in the winter months when your skin has a tendency to look a little bit dull. This is the full 120ml size which retails at £20 and is available directly from Kandi Cosmetics.

Hask Monoi Coconut Oil Nourishing Shine Hair Oil - 18ml - Full Size - RRP £2.49

In November's box, every Glossybox subscriber received one of 3 oils from subscription box favourite, US hair brand, Hask. I've tried quite a few Hask problems and a few of their hair oil, so I was really pleased to get one in my box that I hadn't tried before, Monoi Coconut.

Containing monoi flower extract. coconut oil, linseed, soybean and vitamin E, this particular oil is designed to be moisturising and revitalising. It comes in slightly awkward vial like dispenser, and the first thing you notice when you take off the top is the warm coconut scent, I can take or leave coconut as a scent but this was actually quite nice and not too strong.

Despite the thickness of the oil, again it absorbed quite quickly into the hair without making it look oily, or feel greasy or weighed down. You can use it on damp hair as a leave in treatment and as a styling product or on dry hair as a finisher, an anti frizz treatment, and as a shine treatment.

Out of all of the Hask hair oils that I've tried I think this one has to be my favourite so far.

I've been using this for a couple of weeks now and I've barely put a dent into the bottle, you really don't need a lot, so this tiny but full sized bottle should last quite a while. You can buy Hask products from various retailers including Superdrug, Boots, Tesco, Waitrose, and Cloud 10 Beauty.

Finally November's Glossybox featured another extra, 2 tea bags from trendy tea company Offblak. I've already talked about a few of Offblak's teas (read my posts here and here) but these were two new ones, that were perfect for a cold and frosty day.

Offblak Generation T You're Golden - Spicy Orange & Ginger Black Tea - 1 x 2.5g Whole Leaf Pyramid Bag

From Offblak's Face The Day range, this tea has a high caffeine content and combines warm and spicy orange, and ginger. It contains black tea, ginger, cinnamon, clove buds, orange peel, orange flowers and lemon grass.

Mummy Lou is very partial to ginger in her tea, so I let her try this amber coloured brew. After brewing with boiling water for around three minutes, even I could smell the contents of her mug, it really was Christmas in a mug, according to Mummy Lou the cloves, ginger and cinnamon dominated with a tiny hint of citrus, but you still taste the black tea base. She sad it would be perfect for a cold winters morning, or even after a day out Christmas shopping.

Offblak Generation T Brighten Up - Forest Fruits & Ginger Fruit Tea - 1 x 2.5g Whole Leaf Pyramid Bag

Now I'm not the biggest fan of black tea, so I went I decided to try this fruit tea which contains zero caffeine and is designed to detox and refresh. Containing hibiscus, apple, ginger pieces, rose hip, blackberry leaves, blackcurrant leaves, and raspberry pieces, my infusion was a fabulous berry purple in colour, and has a gorgeous fruity scent. The taste definitely reminded me of forest fruits, or even blackberry pie, it was very fruity, and unusually in my experience for a fruit tea, it was sweet enough to not need any added sugar or sweetener. I really enjoyed this and I'm seriously debating whether or not buy myself a box in the new year.

Various subscription options, and regular delivery options are available at Offblak but you can get a box of 12 tea bags for around £4.99.

Okay, I've got to be honest and say that at first glance this wasn't the most exciting of boxes, but it did contain some really good work horse like, products, and things that I will definitely use. There was no real stand out product it was just a generally good and useful box. As I say my December box has now been dispatched, and with it being the Christmas box it's usually a good one, and it will certainly be a sparkly one if this sneak peek is anything to go by. It looks as though we are getting another product from beauty box favourite brand Steve Laurant and it is a multi purpose, radiance boost loose pigment. Hopefully I'll manage to get my post before Decembers out but in the meantime I do have a Glossybox Advent Calendar post coming up that should be live either at the end of this week or at the beginning of next week so make sure you don't miss it x If you fancy trying Glossybox for yourself, you still have time to get your hands on December's Merry Metallics box, so have a click through using my link to find out more xx

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Trimming My Stash - May 2015 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Well here we are we've survived the first 6 months of the year, this year is flying by and I'm in total denial that in 6 months time we'll be opening the doors on our advent calendars I refuse to even think about it when we haven't had any summer yet - I had the heating on yesterday! seriously what is wrong with this weather?

Anyone enough of the blogger being a typical Brit and complaining about the weather - it's time to reveal May's empties.

Elemis Jasmine And Rose Milk Bath - 125ml
May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml
Beauty Formulas Body And Face Cooling Mist - 150ml
Barely There White Lily & Sweet Rose Blossom Bath Salts -100g
Total - 4 Items

1. Elemis Jasmine And Rose Milk Bath - 125ml

I've talked about this product before and I have to say it's love. I'm a huge, huge Jasmine fan, and who doesn't like the smell of roses. Add those expensive and pure extracts to Elemis' famous Skin Nourishing Milk Bath and you have the most indulgent bathing experience you can imagine. You can use this in the shower but in my opinion for the most luxurious and pampering experience you need to use it in the bath. The water is delicately scented, and feels super soft and silky on the skin. I love it but I'm not sure I can justify the spendy amount to just use it in the shower - the bath is where it's at and it's the way to see this product at it's best.

2. May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml

This is something that I was sent for review purposes and I'm in the processes of testing it out at the moment. It's a face mask ideal for people with breakouts and problem skin and a full review including scary pictures will be on the blog in a few weeks x

3. Beauty Formulas Body And Face Cooling Mist - 150ml

It's not often that a product appears in an empties post before or without appearing in a haul post but this product was bought and used up in less than a month. Basically it's a cooling water spray that you can pick up quite easily in Poundland. Due to my illness and the amount of medication that I take I tend to get quite warm at night, and my skin especially on my feet often feels itchy and as though it's on fire. I've kept this on my bedside table and if I've had a hot or itchy spell I've had a quick spritz, and I have to say it's helped a lot . The pressurised container keeps it's cool so it's great for freshening up especially when the weather is warmer, and I'll definitely be picking another one up this week.

4. Barely There White Lily & Sweet Rose Blossom Bath Salts -100g

This bottle of bath salts came in a gorgeous, hat box gift set, that originally came for Wilko. Bath salts can be seen as a tiny bit old fashioned but these salts had a gorgeous smell. If you've ever smelled either the L'Occitane Shea Butter Body Lotion, or the Elemis Skin Nourishing Milk Bath than you'll know what this smelled like. It had a soft, delicate almost creamy baby powder type scent which I loved. Unfortunately I can't find any trace of this product or anything else in the range on the Wilko website but I still have quite a few of the products still to use up and I'm going to enjoy using all of them.

4 items in one month to be honest is disappointing but I have also finished a lot of Lush and Bomb Cosmetics products including some bubble bars, melts, and a few ballistics that I haven't included so it isn't all bad.

Bath products again dominate my list and it's just as well - After several cancellations we have yet another date for the bathroom refit so I'm really running out time to use up all of my bath products. I've made a serious dent in my bubble bath collection but I still have a few large bottles left, I'm thinking that I could use some of them as shower gels so hopefully nothing will go to waste. Instead I'm going to try and use up my remaining Lush items, I was actually doing okay and I only had a few bits left but I got a few bits for my birthday - I'm not complaining though nothing beats a Lush bath and I'm going to take full advantage while I still have my bath. If you have any questions or comments on anything I've finished or my Trimming My Stash posts then leave me your musings below xx

Cosmetic Innovation With The Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water*

It's scary to think but I've been wearing make up regularly now for nearly 20 years now. My make up routine has changed a lot in that time, I'm better at applying make up now, thank goodness and something that I always use now is a make up primer.

Up until say the last 10 years or so, it was nearly impossible to find a make up primer either in a salon or on a counter, but behind the scenes, professional make up artists either used specialist products or made their own concoctions to perfect the skin and to make their make up looks last longer.

I know a lot of people are still cynical about primers but when you think about it, they make perfect sense. It's a widely used analogy but you wouldn't paint a wall or a piece of furniture with making sure that the surface was smooth, and without using an undercoat or a primer, and our skin is exactly the same, a good primer will not only help to smooth and perfect the surface of the skin, but it will also help your make up last longer.

Think of make up primers and one brand automatically springs to mind, Smashbox. In those days when it was impossible to buy primers in your local chemists, Smashbox were one of the first companies to bring primers to the mass, retail market. The original Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer was the first primer that I ever tried and it's still one of the brands best sellers. There are now more than 10 primers in the Smashbox line catering for all skin types and skin concerns but their newest primer release is by far their most unusual and most innovative.

Texture wise when think of primer you automatically think of something with either a cream or a gel texture, but the new Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water is probably the first primer water on the market and as the name would suggest isn't a gel or a cream, it's a runny liquid resembling clear water. This clear water like liquid is silicone, oil and alcohol free. It contains caffeine extract, real diamond powder, and electrolytes, and claims to leave the skin shine free and radiant as well as proving intense moisture to leave the skin smooth, and hydrated.

It comes packaged in a clear pump action spray bottle which dispenses a very fine mist with a light, almost herbal like scent. The texture is almost exactly like water, and had a cool light feel on the skin, in fact you barely feel anything, it isn't oily, or greasy, and there is only, a tiny, tiny bit of tackiness

It's definitely easier and less messy to use than a conventional primer, you just do your normal skincare routine, then when your moisturiser has sunk in, you just squirt a couple of sprays all over your skin, then you leave it dry and apply your make up over the top as normal

As well as a primer you also use this product instead of you normal setting spray. I've just been spraying it over my finished make up to set but you can also use it to refresh your make up throughout the day, and if you pop it in the fridge you can also use it as a general skin refresher spray. Oh and if your a real make up junkie you can also use it for foiling eyeshadows, and for transforming powder products into creams and liquids 

If you think about this product purely as a primer, I have to admit I'm torn. I've been testing it since the end of January and over the last few months I've used it with all different types of foundations from creams, to liquids, powders and minerals, and I have to say it worked well with pretty much every single one of them. In most cases my make up applied more more evenly and it tended to last longer, and in one case it even stopped a foundation that I'd given up wearing, oxidising on my skin.

It definitely creates some sort of a barrier on the skin,  but, in my opinion a primer should perfect the skin and for me this doesn't really do that. If you skin is perfect this would be all you need but if you're like me and you have open pores, an uneven skin tone, or texture or even discolouration, then you would probably need to use either a cream of a gel primer, alongside this one to thoroughly smooth and improve the surface of your skin.

Although it's marketed as a primer, this product for me is something more than that. For me this product comes into it's own when I use as a make up setter and skin refresher. In my experience it works way better than some of the more specialised setting products on the market. Refresher sprays and setting sprays are a real must have for me, as well as having oily skin, due to illness and medication I tend to perspire a lot. I usually have a bag or a pocket full of tissues, blotting powders and when I can, some form of face spray. It's a pain, my make up slips, and I look all flushed  but I've actually found that this helps quite a bit. As well as helping my make up last longer a bit longer, this has also helped to cool and refresh my skin especially during those warmer days that we had a couple of weeks ago, and it's even better if you keep it in the fridge x

This product also makes a pretty fantastic mixing medium. Yes, you can use water to transform powder products into creams, and liquids but I don't think it works quite as well as this does. As well as getting the obvious skin care benefits, it also gives a nice smooth result and it doesn't damage your powder products. I've got a few reviews coming soon where I've used this product to take both eyeshadows and a foundation from dry to wet, so keep checking back to read them x 

Yes this product looks exactly like plain water, but don't be fooled it's much more than that - in fact I think even the word primer is misleading, it's a real multi use product! If you have no real skin issues then yes, this might be all you need from a primer, but if your like me and you have a few issues with discolouration, or open pores, then you may need to use it alongside a more conventional primer for the best results. Despite that though I will definitely consider repurchasing this product rather than my usual setting spray, when I finish this bottle, for both setting my make up, refreshing my skin, and as a mixing medium. It isn't the cheapest product out there but the spray is so fine, a little goes a long way, so this bottle will last you quite a while. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water retails at around £20 for 116ml and is available from Smashbox, Boots, and Smashbox counters nationwide.

(*Sample)