Empties - Liz Earle - Carita - Kenzo

Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo - This is straight back on my shopping list for next week if I can find my way into John Lewis whilst I'm in town. Or maybe a trip to Westfield Stratford City will be in order. Back in November when I first succumbed to buying this I wasn't at all sure. So many rave reviews and my hair was a bit merr but I persevered and realised that where I'd read you only needed a little and lots of people had used too much, I'd gone the opposite way and used too little for the length of my hair. This was my second tube, and given that my hair is long and I rarely use products in it so I tend to wash it twice a week, I think it still last well. I definitely use less of the conditioner as I'm only about half way into the second tube of that. An interesting turn around as I'd go through conventional conditioner way faster. Both Products cost £8 for 200ml

Carita DIAMANT DE BEAUTÉ - Regenerating midnight concentrate - I received this 5ml sample at the NBBE in January - Sometimes you try something that's way out of your budget and this meh why would I bother - not this - it felt gorgeous and thick to the touch but disappeared quickly into my skin and made it feel lovely - and a restful scent to boot. I used it earlier this year at a time when life was busy and really appreciated that touch of utter luxury. With the instructions to: Place a small amount all over the face and leave for 10 to 15 minutes, like a mask. The frequency of use depends on your needs at any given time: 2 to 3 times a week for three weeks as an intensive treatment, or once a week as a preventive measure.Even a 5ml sample lasts well. The cream was a gorgeous lavender colour and was held in a similarly coloured plastic within the sample tub so that I didn't realise as quickly as I might how close to the end of it I was. When I did, I was on holiday and left a last little bit to savour whilst writing up a review. And here is my cautionary tale with this product. If it's in your price bracket it's well worth a try, but do take care of it. When I opened it up yesterday, maximum 6 months after opening it had turned to grey jelly. The marvellous scent is there, but I think maybe my bedroom just proved to warm for it over the summer months. £295 for 50ml

Jungle L'Elephant - Kenzo - My beloved Elephant is no more - well, a spray away from it. I bought this about 14 years ago on a trip to France buying alcohol for our wedding. Until recently it was my one and only trip into higher end scent. Before that I'd only dabbled with the Bodyshop. Since then I have treasured it and kept it in a dark place, using it as a treat and then whilst getting and being pregnant - pretty much not at all. There were so many scares about what was in makeup and perfume around when I was feeling pretty vulnerable that I quit most things. It's only recently, with the arrival of Agent Provocateur's EDP in my life  that I've started to feel undressed without a splash of scent about my person. Thankfully Mr Sparklz has been promising to buy me a new bottle for a while and having spotted just how little was left I now have one winging it's way towards me. I always knew I liked heady, off beat scents and this was borne home to me by this brilliant review from The Non-Blonde that I found when investigating my long term love the other night. Needless to say with tastes like these I'm somewhat desperate to become acquainted with Illamasqua's debut offering to the Perfume market - Freak wouldn't mind checking that elusive Tiger out too!
My Beloved is coming to me from Cheap Smell where it costs £39.75 for 50ml

Carita=PR sample