Operation Use It Up

Here's the most recent batch of products that I used up over the past 1.5 months. Hopefully, this year will finally see my stash of bodycare products return to some semblance of sanity. At least until the next Lush holiday collection!

1. RMK Super Basic Liquid Concealer EX01: For a product that contains a paltry 0.06oz/1.8g, this has been in my stash since March 2009 - yikes! This helps to cover up the worst of my dark circles and is easy to blend without feeling cakey, although it does crease slightly later in the day. It's pretty pricey though so I probably will not re-purchase it as it did not quite hit holy grail status for me.

2. Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly: Reviewed earlier here, this wonderfully zesty jelly is great for refreshing the senses. Always use a shower lily with these, otherwise the slippery jelly will just end up in bits on the floor.

3. Lush Rehab shampoo is designed for damaged hair. Most of Lush's hair products have been disappointments for me, and sadly, this was another miss. It has a clean, bracing scent but leaves my hair slightly tangled and dry. Ingredients list below.

4. Lush Twilight Shower Gel is a deeply unusual blend of soothing lavender mixed with malt, that makes it a headier scent than L'Occitane's lavender range. This has a sprinkling of silver shimmer, which does not linger on the body. The scent takes some getting used to, but I grew to like it eventually. Ingredients list below.

5. Aromatherapy Associates Renew Rose Body Cream does a good job of moisturising my skin and leaves a nice soft rose scent. This was a deluxe sample that came in a UK Glossybox. At £32.50 for 200ml, it's too expensive for me to purchase.

6. Korres Basil Lemon Shower Gel smells a bit sharp. It lathers easily and does not strip the skin. Doubt I will re-purchase this. Ingredients list below.

7. Bliss Lemon + Sage Conditioning Rise does a decent job of detangling my hair and leaving it soft. The lemon scent is not particularly memorable, unlike their Blood Orange range. Ingredients list below.

8. Berber Oil is yet another argan oil-based serum that also contains silicones like cyclomethicone and cyclopentasiloxane. This was another sample box product. It worked fine for temporarily relieving the dryness of my hair ends and keeping them frizz-free but it wasn't special enough to warrant tracking down to purchase.

9. RMK Skintuner Smoother Moist leaves my skin feeling slightly sticky and makes it get shiny pretty fast, even in the depths of winter.

10. Lancome Tonique Eclat Clarifying Exfoliating Toner did the opposite and dried out my skin without having much of an effect on combating acne. Need to avoid purchasing toners that contain alcohol so high up on the list of ingredients (below).

11. Avene Cleanance Mask is also designed for oily, blemish-prone skin. However, this stings my skin and leaves it red so I would caution ladies with sensitive skin to avoid it.

12. L'Oreal Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is a staple that I keep re-purchasing as it doesn't sting my eyes.

13. Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream does a nice job of hydrating the eye area without leaving a sticky, obvious film. It also does not irritate my eyes. The only drawback is the pot packaging which is less hygienic than pump packaging.

14. Phyto Phytophanere is a dietary supplement for combating hair loss. The hard water in Switzerland results in quite a lot of hair fall for me, so I started taking this a couple of months ago. It does seem to have helped slow down the rate of hair fall. The recommended dosage is two small capsules per day.