Time for some December empties...

There’s something satisfying about getting to the end of the month and tipping out my bin to see all the products I’ve used up – plus it keeps Mr GPG happy since I no longer have empty containers lying around! I’ve decided I’m on a bit of a mission this year to use up the tons of sample tubes and sachets I have been hoarding (yep, there really is no other word for it – whoops) from sample boxes. I have a funny little thing where I like to save them for “travelling” but let’s be honest – even if I travelled continuously for the next year I would probably still not use them all up! So for the next few empties posts prepare for a mountain of sachets – apologies in advance!


Here’s what I found I my bin at the end of December:

John Frida Full Repair Shampoo
I had used up the matching conditioner a while ago (doesn’t this always seem to happen?) and finally finished this trail size of the shampoo. I was quite impressed as it did a good job of removing oil and product from my hair but didn’t leave it feeling dried out and brittle like many shampoos seem to do.

Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Fortifying Shampoo
Yep, another sample size (I did warn you!)… Again I liked this in conjunction with the Sleek and Shine Conditioner but I always find it hard to really tell if a shampoo is great on it’s own – so long as it seems to clean my hair without drying it out I’m a happy camper!

Colgate Plax Mouthwash
I have such an obsession with minty fresh breath – I can’t seem to find mints strong enough for my liking and pop them like they’re going out of fashion. This mouthwash leaves my mouth feeling clean and refreshed and you all know it’s a regular feature in my monthly empties.

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil
This is my little wonder oil for scarring and marks – one bottle goes such a long way and lasts me something like six monthly of daily use so it’s fantastic value. Backne was my worst enemy during my teen years and has left me with some nice scarring to remember it by so I have found applying a small amount of this after getting out of the shower has made such a noticeable difference. Healing scarring is such a painfully slow process so I’ll take any help I can get to speed it along!

Clinique Take The Day Off Eye Makeup Remover
This month I used up both a travel size and full size bottle of this amazing eye makeup remover. I always try out different products but come back to this baby as nothing else seems to take off all my eye makeup with ease the way it does.

Dove Body Silk
Every winter I seem to fall off the body moisturiser bandwagon only to jump right back on when the first sign of sunshine hits. My poor skin gets so dehydrated and this gives it the perfect moisture boost. Added bonus is that it’s super quick to absorb so I can slide right into my skinny jeans after applying it and run out the door.

Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake
I actually thought this would last forever (of course I still bought a backup just in case) but I finally used up the last of this amazing lip product. They’re such a lovely nourishing formulation and give just the right amount of colour.

Avalon Organics Vitamin C Renewal Face Cream
If you’ve visited this blog before I’m sure you have heard me bang on about this amazing little pot of wonder. Super hydrating and makes a massive difference to evening out my skin tone and fading dark spots and pigmentation. Finally I have reached the bottom of my very last tub of the old formulation of this and have caved and ordered the new version. I had tried it a while ago and been bitterly disappointed so I’m giving it one final chance to impress me – fingers crossed!

Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate
I was sent this as a trial early last year and loved it when I was using it so I have no idea how it came to be tucked away in the back of a drawer. You can bet it got whipped back out quick smart when I found it again and it’s so luxurious and hydrating. It made my skin feel smooth and silky to touch and while I may not repurchase it just due to the price I really enjoyed using it.

Davroe Hair Wellness Replenish Jojoba Crème Treatment
A lovely and thick hydrating hair mask – bliss for my stressed out/coloured/bleached/straightened mop! This felt super nourishing as it was applied and left my hair feeling in much better condition.

Peace, Love and Juicy Couture EDP
Much to my osteo’s dismay I have a rather bad habit of carrying around a lot in my stupidly large handbag (stay tuned for a post on what’s in this soon). Including at least one full sized bottle of perfume on most occasions – whoops! This is such a nice and fresh fragrance and perfect for spritzing throughout the day for a quick pick me up.

Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil
If I were only allowed a single product to take to a desert island with me it would most likely be some form of this wonder oil. It’s unmatched with giving my skin a good dose of hydration and evening out skin tone. Love it – an absolute staple in my beauty routine!

Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray
I’m not quite sure why but I’ve had this for a few months without giving it a go and now I’ve used it I’m in love! I was a bit scarred from the disappointment of some other makeup setting sprays so I was thinking this wouldn’t be much different – boy was I wrong! I have already bought the full sized bottle, this made my makeup stay all day without budging and it looked as fresh when I got home from work as it did when I left the house – win!

Berts Bees Honey Lip Balm
Excuse the mangled looking tube (that’s almost unrecognisable) but this was a great lip balm and gave my lips good protection from sun and wind damage. I used it mostly when I was out in the sun or working out and I was impressed with how it seemed to coat my lips (the beeswax hard at work) and meant I didn’t need to reapply very often at all.

Biore Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser
I used this along with my Clarisonic and it left my skin feeling squeaky clean. I have a full sized bottle of this so will have a better idea of how it works for me once I’ve used that up but I definitely liked it so far.

Coles Makeup Remover Pads
Yep, more of these. ‘Nuff said. ;-)

Have you found any new holy grail products during December?


Hope you are having a beautiful day!