Beauty products used up in September 2014

You know a month is almost over when the little bag on the shower door handle is almost full. That is where I toss in my empties during the month. Once I take pictures of the containers and packets inside, the bag is trashed - as are its former contents - and replaced with a new, empty one. At some point, I want to work on cleaning the empties up at least before I take pictures. However, this is not a glossy magazine, but an ordinary blog run by a harum-scarum person who wishes there were 50 hours in a day, 100 days in a month and 25 months in a year, so all she does is points shoots and leaves. Both omission of punctuation and pun intended.
I have not had a very consistent skin care regimen in September and only managed to use up one face mask. I did try to soften up my dry frizzy hair, though. There is a fortune awaiting whoever invents a haircare product that hydrates without oiling up and de-flakes without drying up.

Scroll to read about the beauty products I used up in September 2014 and my quick thoughts on each.

Body care

Grace Cole Body Butter in Watermelon and Pink Grapefruit

God, how I love these body butters! These are reviewed here and are available in all large supermarkets or from Feelunique or Grace Cole themselves. I need to hit the local beauty store soon, to stock up. Think I have around two tubs left. 

Foot care

Boots Fashion Survival Softening Foot Butter

I got this in an emergency from Boots Dubai after I realised that I had not packed any foot cream. This was just beautiful. Not too sticky or wet, at the same time not cold at night on the feet. It was soothing after those high-heel nights out. Will I repurchase? Probably not. Contains parabens. Now before you go for my throat about parabens not causing cancer, parabens mimic oestrogen and people with a history of endometriosis in the family ought to avoid products which mimic oestrogen, savvy?

Holika Holika Baby Silky Foot Mask

For some reason, I keep thinking these are made by Tony Moly. These are the best dang foot masks out there, ever. Repurchase? Mate, I have a lifetime supply. Review soon, once I remember to keep my camera by the nightstand so I can take pictures after I put the masks on.

Montagne Jeunesse Banana foot care pack

This pack contained a foot scrub on the right (Cool Banana Buffer) and a foot butter (Hot Banana Butter) on the left. The scrub was really nice, but the cream was a bit too greasy at night for my liking. I cannot stand it when my foot cream gets on the sheets.

Hair

Green Tree Therapy Baobab Oil

This came in a Memebox and was great for the hair, defrizzing and softening nicely and making my problem hair a breeze to manage. But I won't ever buy. One of the most interesting and well-read beauty bloggers out there, Allison Cohen of Never Say Die Beauty told me that African elephants remove the bark of the baobab tree to get at the moisture held by the tree (up to a hundred thousand litres), thereby damaging it already. Both pachyderms and baobab tree are endangered species - in Madagascar, for instance, giant baobabs exist only in five locations. Allison isn't sure whether you can remove baobab oil safely without endangering the trees further, but as my boss once told me, when in doubt, leave out. I believe the seeds are removed for oil, thereby preventing reproduction. As it is, we end up chopping trees in the quest for land. I haven't done much reading up on this - come on, this is a beauty blog, not a scientific journal - but irrespective of whether we are killing off the trees or not, there are plenty of other options out there for oils and moisture which do not involve endangering trees or the tuskers that depend on them. Although this may sound farfetched, I am personally acquainted with and can tell apart at least a dozen elephants, so I would rather drown in my own vomit than do anything that harms any of my beloved pals and their ilk. Asian elephants do not depend upon the baobab tree, but that doesn't mean my concern is any less. Let 'em drink, like this chap in the photos is doing. I'll get the moisturising from elsewhere.

Kiss The Perfume Cherry Blossom Hair Treatment

From a Memebox. This made my hair smell gorgeous, but did not do one bleeding thing. It just sat there - what part of "treatment" is that?? Will never repurchase, thanks.

Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Infusion hair pack

I want at least a gallon of this stuff! Sorry the photo looks a bit like Jason but the chocolate got all over the pack and I told you I haven't bothered to clean up the empties since they are going to be trashed the moment I hit publish. The product was like like chocolate and smelt beyond brilliant and felt even better. I would have kept it on forever. Did it do any good? Erm. There was barely enough to cover one-fifths of my long hair, so I cannot tell. Why can't they release these in larger containers instead of tiny sachets? I need a gallon more, thanks. Check out the ingredients.

SD Hair Steam Hair Pack
From a Memebox. This was a sheet mask for the hair. It gave me the stiffest neck I have had in a while and I had to undergo heat treatment. Any good for the hair? Nah, not noticeably so. Too hyped, too inane. Will not repurchase.

Eye care

Lancome Blanc Expert Eye Serum

While I usually love Lancome skincare, this one did not work for me at all. For one, it was too runny and I could only apply it lying down. And when it did get in the eyes, it stung.

GlamGlow Brightmud Eye Treatment

J'adore! No, my favourite nighttime perfume is not relevant here, but I LOVE this eye "pack". Instant gratification. Will review in detail at some point in my life. Repurchase? Lifetime supply wanted.  

Lip care

Brilliant Lip Care System

From a Wish Box. I liked how this lip mask made my lips feel. I still have lip-milia from a Korean lip balm, so my lips need all the TLC they can get.

Choosy Fruit lip pack

Pretty much as above, but from a Memebox. Think I have a couple more of these lying around.

Face and hand care

Rice Collagen sheet mask

Not my favourite sheet mask, but not the worst. I love using sheet masks on the face; they lock in the moisture and prevent evaporation for longer. Plus, they are more convenient and less messy and you don't need moisturising after removing the mask, but you get a tonne of serum to apply all over for the next two days.

Kocostar Nail Therapy masks

These are really fun to use individual nail masks! I will be reviewing them soon.

Lancome Genefique

I love Advanced Genefique, reviewed here. The original Genefique version did not do much for me, but I used it up while travelling, when I found myself out of a face moisturiser. Will not repurchase, since I bat for Advanced Genefique. You can read a comparison of the original vs the new Advanced version here. 

Shop this post: