Hair & Beauty Magazine

Product's I've Used Up/Empties (Sept & Oct 2014)

By Balmainbeauty @BalmainBeauty
As a blogger, I go through a range of different product's eg cosmetics, haircare, skincare and candle's. I like sharing what I've been using. This is a long post, please make yourself a drink, sit down, relax and read. 
I usually make a video once I've finished a bunch of product's but today my neighbour's are mowing and there's lot's of noise from a house building site around the corner. 
I wanted to show you what I've used up today so I thought I'd change thing's up and write a post. If you'd like to see my previous Product's I've Used Up/Empties videos, click here to watch them on my YouTube channel PlayList and if you haven't Subscribed please do - if you like a video, I'd appreciate a thumbs-up and comment because I like corresponding with my viewer's and subscriber's.
Firstly, there's two product's I won't be repurchasing so let's get those out of the way.
Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo (350ml)Product's I've Used Up/Empties (Sept & Oct 2014)
I bought this shampoo not really knowing (back when I purchased it earlier this year) and I wasn't on the path to only buying cruelty free product's and decided to buy it because it had a sticker saying Beautiful Lengths Supporting Women with Cancer on the front. 
It's taken me a very long time to use-up this product. I have a sensitive scalp so after a couple of time's use it irritated my scalp. Not to be a wasteful person and because this shampoo wasn't exactly cheap (I think it was over $10) I put it on rotation with other shampoo's I was trying to use up and it kept getting put at the back of my shelf. I slowly started using up other product's so I was on a mission to use this one up first and it finally happened last month.
I didn't think it cleaned my hair particularly well, it irritated my scalp and because it's made by Proctor & Gamble who are known to PETA to test on animal's. I'm not repurchasing any product's under the P & G company until they cease animal testing. I can't believe in 2014 that some companies are still using animal's for testing!
I urge you to stop supporting animal test brand's like Covergirl, Garnier, L'Oreal, Maybelline and do your own research into who own's your favorite makeup brand like Urban Decay, they were cruelty free when they were an independent company but they've been gobbled up by L'Oreal so I no longer consider UD to be cruelty free (unless you have product's that were made before the L'Oreal takeover) and it's the same with The Body Shop, they claim to be cruelty free and were when owned by Anita Roddick but they were also bought by L'Oreal as was Essie nail polish so you can't tell me that money from sales of the body shop product's doesn't end up in a L'Oreal bank account. 
Neutrogena Deep Clean Foaming Cleanser (175g)Product's I've Used Up/Empties (Sept & Oct 2014)
Another product I bought some time ago when I wasn't on the cruelty free path. This product is made by Johnson & Johnson who are known by PETA to continue testing on animal's. I purposefully don't buy any product's under the Johnson & Johnson umbrella of companies and it includes a previous product I loved under the Aveeno brand. J & J should get with the program and stop their cruelty on animal's in lab testing etc. I feel very strongly about not spending my money on anything they produce, support (even if it's a breast cancer charity etc). It's time these companies change and as a consumer we have the right to buy and support whomever we want but if we all made the conscious decision not to spend our money on these companies product's they'd be forced to change! You may agree with me or disagree. It's your choice but I believe we can make a change, we just need to stop supporting them and petition companies to stop being cruel and cease animal testing.
It give's just the right amount of foaming and it left my skin feeling soft and clean. I've actually been through 2 tube's of this product since 2012.
For the reason Neutrogena isn't cruelty free I won't be repurchasing this until Johnson & Johnson cease Animal Testing - it's a shame because I liked the product but I'm not supporting companies subjecting animal's to unnecessary testing. Read more on animal testing here.
Michael Todd True Organics Skin Loving Aloe & Cucumber Natural Towelettes* (30 pack)Product's I've Used Up/Empties (Sept & Oct 2014)
I purchased a cleanser and toner from Michael Todd's site as well as a Citrus Face Mist/Pillow Spray and they included a pack of towelettes/makeup wipes as a Free Gift With Purchase. I was pretty stoked to get a full size freebie with my order because it really gave me time to use the product and see how much makeup it removed and my skin felt clean after using it. 
I didn't use the wipes alone I used them first to remove the bulk of the makeup and then I went in with some cotton pad's soaked in Bioderma to make sure my skin was completely clean and then I used a cleanser to deeply clean my face, neck and décolletage. 
I like that this brand is cruelty free and slowly the product's are appearing in New Zealand. They remove quite a lot of product, they don't smell unpleasant and the solution doesn't strip your face of natural oil's, nor is the wipe textured. I don't like textured makeup wipes, they feel uncomfortable on my skin. I was also impressed that down to wipe no. 30 the wipe had enough of the pre-soaked solution to be effective and if you've ever bought a pack of 30+ wipes you'll know that as soon as you get halfway into the pack you notice a slight decrease in the wetness of a wipe but these were moist right down to wipe 30 so for this reason and because they're cruelty free I'll repeat buy them.
Pams 100% Pure Round Makeup Pads (80 pack)Product's I've Used Up/Empties (Sept & Oct 2014)
I've been using the Pams brand cotton round makeup pads for year's. They've appeared in previous empties videos. I like that these are a good size, you get 80 of them and they're affordable. I can buy them when I do my food shopping. I think they cost under $5 which is pretty good for 80 pad's. I use these with my Bioderma for removing makeup after using a makeup wipe and also for removing nail polish and toning my face. They're soft, they don't leave cotton fluff on your face.
ECOYA and ModelCo (Limited Edition) Sweet Pea & Jasmine Metro Jar Candle
(in Support of Breast Cancer Research Month - October 2013Product's I've Used Up/Empties (Sept & Oct 2014)
I purchased this from ECOYA's site in September 2013. I first burned this candle in October 2013 which is Breast Cancer Research month and I've burnt it on and off since then. It's still got some wax at the bottom but the problem is I can't light the wick as it's too far down and I also don't want to leave it burning long as it's near empty, the heat of the flame will heat the glass and could shatter. 
Never leave a burning candle unattended
What I like about this is it was a collaborative between two Aussie brand's which I've used many of their product's and I wanted to support Breast Cancer Awareness. I like the size of the candle, it had a nice throw (scent) and it burnt cleanly. You can buy the Sweet Pea and Jasmine scent under the ECOYA label because it's a permanent fragrance but this was a limited edition collaboration with ModelCo. I'm sure I'll buy this scent again because it's sweet but not sickly sweet, it's just right. I'm so sad I can't burn it anymore and I don't have any other ECOYA candles at the moment.
Le Tan Fast Tan (Instant Le Tan in Le Can) Deep Bronze (45g)Product's I've Used Up/Empties (Sept & Oct 2014)
I received this sample/travel size instant spray tan in one of my past beauty box subscription's. I've also used it in the past in the lighter Bronze shade, this one being deep bronze was a little too tan for me. I used it sparingly on my arm's and leg's once I'd run out of the bronze shade, which I preferred. 
I'll definitely buy fast tan again. I actually grew up using Le Tan product's in Australia so this brand is familiar to me and it work's, it's affordable and this new Instant Le Tan In A Can formula is easy to blend and is streak free. I'm not a lover of a super deep tan but this gives my skin a nice wash of color but you can build it up to a super tan. I decided to mix the deep bronze by spraying some into a moisturiser and stirring it and applying the moisturiser to my body. I'm definitely going to repurchase Le Tan Fast Tan but I'd do so in the lighter bronze shade and I think a large can is under $20 which should last (me) a long time. My favorite tanning brand.
Hopefully, my next empties will be posted later this month. I seem to be running out of product's at the same time. I've got quite a few almost empty product's that'll be used up within the next fortnight and I've also hit pan on a couple of makeup item's, which is exciting!
Have you used any of these brand's or product's before?
My opinion's are 100% honest. If you have any question's about the product's mentioned, please comment below. My Disclosure section (at the end of each post) provides information on how I received the product(s). A product with a * next to it mean's they were a gift/gift with purchase and a product with ** mean's it was sent to me by a brand/company/PR for consideration. I never promise a favourable review, nor do I accept product's I personally wouldn't use, buy with my own money. 
DisclosureThis post isn't Sponsored. I bought these product's with my own money except for * which was a free gift with purchase. All opinion's are 100% honest and are in my own word's and photograph's.

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