July's farewelled products

Oops, I'm just a little late with last month's empties so I'll get straight into it...

Skin care

78) Garnier 2in1 Express Eye-Makeup Remover (125ml) - This works just as well as any biphase makeup remover and I'm partial to purple so the purple tinted solution did win me over! Did it strengthen my lashes? I don't really know.

Hand and body care

79) Lemongrass & Ginger Aromabotanical Hand Soap (300ml/10fl.oz) - I really enjoyed the zesty freshness of this hand soap and the generous sized bottle lasted quite a while too.

80) Salus Eucalyptus & Rosemary Purifying Body Scrub (250ml/8.46oz) - This gel scrub smells strongly of eucalyptus but I personally find that scent very invigorating so it was a pleasure to use. Bamboo and pumice granules did an excellent job of exfoliating my skin without too much vigorous rubbing, and aloe soothed and moisturised my skin. In short - excellent spa quality stuff that I can see myself repurchasing in future!

81) The Body Shop Body Butter Duo (Sweet Pea) - This has been discontinued so I won't get into it too much. The sweet pea scent was subtle and not too distracting. On the minus side the supposedly lighter formula 'normal skin areas' formula took much longer to absorb than the 'dry skin areas'.

82) L'Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream (30ml) - If you're a regular visitor here you may have seen this before.  This is simply one of my favourite extra-emollient hand creams that I particularly favour in the cooler months when my hands need extra TLC.

Hair care

83) Original Mineral Conquer Blonde Silver Shampoo (250ml/8.4fl.oz) - I've already bought another bottle of this purple shampoo because:  it keeps brassiness under control in my (back to) blonde hair;  it's the same brand my hairdresser uses;  it's free from parabens and other nasties;  and it's not tested on animals.

84) Original Mineral Fine Intellect Conditioner (350ml/11.8fl.oz) - I've repurchased this too because it boosts my fine hair and for all the other reasons I've listed above.

85) Marc Anthony Coconut Oil & Shea Butter Deep Nourishing Conditioning Treatment (50ml/1.69fl.oz)* - I got 5 or 6 uses out of this sachet on my short-medium hair for weekly in-shower hair treatments.  I loved the coconut scent and my hair was deeply conditioned without being weighed down.

Cosmetics

86) Savvy By DB Concealer (Light)* - This concealer did a great job of covering up blemishes although the light shade was not really light enough to brighten the under eye area which is the area I mostly use concealer for.

Fragrance

87) Tom Ford Velvet Orchid EDP (.05fl.oz/1.5ml) - A typically heavy, noirish, complex TF fragrance although perhaps just a little smoother than Black Orchid?  Top notes: bergamot, mandarin, Succan absolute (purified rum extract) and honey. Middle notes: an imaginary accord of black orchid blended with notes of velvet orchid, which gives the perfume its name; Turkish rose oil, jasmine and a new accord of purple orchid that grows in the wilds of southern Brazilian coast, orange blossom, rose absolute, narcissus, hyacinth and heliotrope. Base notes:  Peru balsam, myrrh, labdanum, sandalwood, suede and vanilla.

88) Penhaligon's of London Peoneve EDP (.05fl.oz/1.5ml) - I adored this fresh, natural spring floral scent and took to liberally dousing myself with the small vial.  It's not complicated, just pretty, as demonstrated by the simplicity of the notes.  Top note is violet leaf; middle notes are jasmine, rose and peony; base notes are vetiver, musk and cashmeran.

And behold the month's samples...

So there you have it until another month flies by!

(Products marked * were provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)