December Empties

I want to say that I haven't used that much this month but actually it is only just "not much" compared to what I might usually go through!

Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic Shampoo & Conditioner - Loved the scent of this but click here for my full review

REN Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash - I really liked using this shower gel, it has such a delicate rose scent which made it a pleasure to use. I have so many shower gels backed up so I probably won't buy this one again for some time

NYR Ginger & Vanilla Body Lotion - This sweet, spicy lotion was perfect for Christmas. Full review here

NYR Palmarosa Facial Wash - This 100ml bottle must have lasted me 6 months. Just one tiny pump was enough to wash my face and leave it feeling clean. Again, I have so many face washes stashed that I won't need to buy again for a long while

bodhi Neroli Lucé Face Oil - A stand out product for me this past year. This small bottle made a huge improvement to my skin. Review here

Herbfarmacy Lip Conditioner - I have loved using this lip balm, it feels good and it smells good. Will buy again

VMV Hypoallergenics Know-It-Oil 100% Organic Virgin Coconut Oil - I have used the super oil for everything and althought I have used coconut oil before, I have never had the same results (not even close) than I have with this brand

Indie Lee 100% Squaline Oil - A small sample but one that lasted ages as I needed such a small amount. Easily absorbed and great at reducing wrinkles. Will buy again but not just yet

Caudalie Divine Oil - Boy oh boy, this body oil was just as described - divine! A beautiful scent and so easily absorbed. I want to use it again already

Gwdihw Nail Wizard - Perfect size pot to keep by the bed and give my nails a bed time treat. Really liked this product but wont buy again at the moment as I have loads of hand balms to use up

S.W. Basics Shea Butter Cream - Super rich cream that was actually too much for my skin. I used it at night on my legs but won't be buying again

Peppy Galore Diva Face Moisturiser - a light an airy moisturiser that seemed to last for weeks! I would buy this again

Freyaluna Shine Control and Soothe the Sensitive Facial Tonics - These are perfect travel sized toners and both of them worked well

Freyaluna Soothe the Senitive and Regain Your Balance Facial Moisturisers - These were both a bit too heavy for my skin, even with it being Winter so I don't think I will use them again

Celtic Herbal Company Soap sample - a lovely little soap that lathered well and left my hands feeling clean but without drying them out

 During this month I am taking part in #NoBuyJanuary so I imagine that my empties post for January will be full of sample sized products!

October Empties

My list of full and sample sized empties that have been used up during October.

bubb & DIMPLES Luxury Hand & Body Wash in Rose 100ml - Good lather and left my skin feeling squeaky clean. See my full review here

bubb & DIMPLES Luxury Hand & Body Wash in English Garden 200ml - See my review here

bubb & DIMPLES Rose Sugar & Salt Spa Body Scrub 100ml - I loved using this scrub, it had a really good amount of 'grit' to polish my skin and was really moisturising. One to buy again. See my full review here

bubb & DIMPLES Cocoa Butter Cream with Vitamin E 100ml - A very rich and luxurious body butter, sadly too thick for my skin. See my review here

Trilogy Clean + Balance Conditioner 250ml - Didn't have enough ooomph for my thick hair. See my review here

Freyaluna Marigold & Bergamot Soap - sample size - Part of the Freyaluna Try Me box, see here. Lovely scented soap and so beautifully packaged

Freyaluna Rose Lotion - sample size. Delicious lotion, just the right consistency for me.

Freyaluna Chamomile & Lavender Lotion - sample size. Again, a wonderfully scented lotion and a good consistency

Freyaluna Patchouli and Orange Hand Cream - sample size. Another lovely product. I used this at night time as it was a bit rich for me to use during the day.

Peppy Galore Herbs de Provence Body Mousse - sample. I bloody loved this sample and have to get the full size ASAP. Such a great fragrance and really worked with my skin.

Neal's Yard Remedies Melissa Hand Cream 30ml. I really love this hand cream, the refreshing lemon balm really gives my skin added zing

Neal's Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose Facial Polish - sample size. I have loads of these stashed but always forget to use them, I don't know why because they really make my skin glow!

Neal's Yard Remedies Bee Lovely Busy Bee Balm 15g - A lovely scented, multi-purpose balm. I really liked this but probably wont buy again for some time.

Neal's Yard Remedies Beauty Sleep Body Butter 200g. Got this as I LOVE the Concentrate but the butter is too thick for me. I applied it at night and could still feel it on my skin in the morning. Not for me

Neal's Yard Remedies Eye Make-Up Remover 100ml - A staple for me for the last few years. I wont be re-buying just yet though as I will be giving REN's 3-in-1 Cleansing Water a try

Dr Alkaitis Night Cream - sample size. This came with my SoukSouk box in August. Not sure if my skin got any benefits from this sample.

Dr Organic - Aloe Vera Deodorant 50ml - Holland & Barrett has this as a buy one get one half price, no tea tree ones so I ended up with two Aloe Vera ones. Wont be buying again.

Bathing Beauty - POP Fabulous Effervescent Foot Reviving Tablet - single use. I used this after a long, long day on my feet in heels. I got home and popped my feet in for a soak with this and they felt so much better! Part of my swap with Sandra from Beauty Balm See what I got for her here, see what she got for me

Suti Fabulous Foot Balm - sample size. Another item from my swap with Sandra. This was such a lovely minty balm. I got a few uses out of it and it make my feet so soft.

Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence- sample. One more from Sandra! This smells really refreshing, I love facial mists and this one was just lovely.

REN Mayblossom T-Zone Control Cleansing Gel 5ml - This didn't really do anything for me, I felt no benefit from using it although I did get a good few uses out of it.

Neom Travel Candle in Harmonise 75g. (pine, ceaderwood and eucalyptus) I picked this up with the idea that I would trial it and see if I liked it enough to buy a full sized one for Christmas. I don't think I will be parting with £40 for a full size, it didn't fully impress me.

Review: Freyaluna Try Me Selection Box

The Freyaluna TRY ME Selection Box has been on my wish list for some time but for one reason or another, I never seemed to get around to ordering it.

That was until last week when I read on Twitter that they would be giving away a free soap with every order! How could I refuse?

The creator of Freyaluna, Sami Blackford, is a certified Herbalist and Aromatherapist based in North Wales. She created her skincare line after years of battling with acne with the approach that Mother Nature can help you to achieve beautiful skin. All of her products are natural and handmade, free of preservatives and harsh chemicals.

From reading her bio, you can tell straight away that she is truly passionate about skincare and takes a real holistic approach to clear skin - not only for herself but for those who buy her products. I love the philosophy behind the brand and I've got to say, the packaging is just wonderful!

So, onto my TRY ME Selection Box.

The idea behind this box is that you try before you buy - selecting up to 5 of Freyaluna's products to sample before buying full sized items. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I wish more companies would offer this kind of service! After picking your five samples, Sami then gets in contact with you to talk about your skincare issues and then picks a further 3 samples for you to try out.

You can buy the TRY ME Selection Box here for £13.

The 5 samples I picked were:

Marigold & Bergamot Soap - Bergamot is one of my favourite fragrances. Combined with the Marigold, this helps give the soap an antiseptic and healing quality to the skin

Shine Control Tonic - my skin can get oily in the afternoons so I picked this out as I hope it might help to balance out my oily skin. With cedarwood and lemongrass, I'm sure this will work

Patchouli & Orange Hand Cream - you can never have too many hand creams and I like the idea of this mix of essential oils

Rose Lotion - thick creams often sit too heavily on my skin so a lotion is much better for me. This Rose Lotion is light enough to absorb quickly and leaves my skin soft and smooth

Chamomile & Lavender Lotion - I always apply a cream or lotion to my skin before I go to bed. I think this one, with the blend of chamomile and lavender will help not only my skin but to help me drift off to a good nights sleep!

The 3 samples that Sami picked for me were:

Soothe the Sensitive Facial Tonic which contains rose water, aloe vera gel and gentle essential oils to sooth sensitive skin

Soothe the Sensitive Cleaning Cream which uses chamomile and rose to provide gentle care for the skin

Regain Your Balance Facial Moisturiser which contains grapeseed oil, rosewater and jojoba oil which helps the skin to balance its oil levels naturally

My free, full sized soap was Orange & Sandlewood which is helps to soothe anxiety and reduce stress.

So there we have it, a wonderful sample box full of natural goodies. I have already used up the Rose Lotion and I can't wait to get my hands into the rest of this beautifully presented box.

Sami can be found on Twitter @samiblackford

Have you tried anything from Freyaluna?