March Empties: Botanics, Tropic, Sanctuary Spa, Superdrug Vitamin E, Pür Minerals

This is the first empties post I've done. It is mostly skincare with a mascara thrown in.

Botanics Micellar Water Hydration Burst

I started using Boots' Botanics range a few months ago after I started throwing away all my old skin care stuff and seeing what else was out there. I was browsing in Boots and my eye was caught by a sale on Botanics, so I bought a few of their products. Botanics' selling point is that they have developed their range in conjunction with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, they are free from parabens and are people tested.

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Butylene glycol, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-4 caprate, Phenoxyethanol, Hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract, Sodium benzoate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric acid, Sodium citrate, Ascorbyl glucoside, Benzoic acid, Dehydroacetic acid, Ethylhexylglycerin

The micellar water for dry skin contains clary sage and while it is not the most natural of products, it is better than the micellar waters I had previously been using. It removes make-up well and leaves the face feeling fresh and soft. Would I use again? I'm now using the All Bright Micellar Water from the range and have already purchased the Hydration Burst one again.

You can buy it here for £4.

Tropic Face Smooth

 Tropic are a gorgeous brand, leaping bunny approved, vegan and with 100% naturally derived ingredients. All their products are free from the usual nasties plus unsustainable palm oil. This facial exfoliator is made with acai berries and bamboo silica beads. It is very thick and gritty so it's best to be gentle when smoothing onto the face. Mine came with a lovely bamboo cloth, which I don't think it does now, but it would be worth buying this separately as it goes very well with the exfoliator.

It has a really nice citrusy smell and leaves the skin (including your hands) velvety soft. It is probably the best exfoliator I have ever used.

Ingredients (English):
Olus Oil, Silica Particles, Sea Salt, Rice Flour, Ground Rice, Golden Jojoba Oil, Mango Seed Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Bamboo Silica, Elderberry Oil, Acai Berry Oil, Vitamin E, Essential Oils of Sweet Orange, Lemon and Lime

You can buy it here for £15.


Sanctuary Spa Intensive Heel Balm

I've recently been reviewing my use of Sanctuary Spa products, which I've used for years. They are cruelty-free, but owned by PZ Cussons. When I became more interested in green products, I checked out some of the ingredients on the body scrub I had been using and was pretty disappointed to find both SLS and methylisothiazolinone.
The Intensive Heel Balm ingredient list is a little bit better and boasts shea butter, vitamin E, lavender, tea tree and wheatgerm oil. It is also vegan. I do like this balm. It's really thick and feels very good on the dry, rough patches I get on my heels and the balls of my feet. It also smells okay but for some reason I don't like the feel of it on my hands and have to wash them immediately afterwards.
Would I buy again? I have quite a few Sanctuary products to use up, including one more of these balms. When I am done, I will probably be saying bye to the brand.

Ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Cetearyl alcohol, Stearic acid, Triticum vulgare (Wheat) germ oil, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea butter), Glyceryl stearate SE, Rosa moschata seed oil, Tocopheryl acetate, Polysorbate 60, Phenoxyethanol, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) oil, Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea tree) leaf oil, Benzoic acid, Dehydroacetic acid, Sodium hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyaminopropyl biguanide, Ascorbyl palmitate, Citric acid, Linalool, Limonene.

You can buy it here for £7.50


Superdrug Vitamin E Refreshing Toning Mist

I've used Superdrug products for a long time. They were the first high street store in the UK I can think of that became BUAV (Leaping Bunny) approved, along with Marks and Sparks and I really admire their ethics. Their own brands are very reasonably priced and suitable for vegetarians or vegans and they also stock a good range of cruelty-free make-up brands such as Makeup Revolution and Sleek.

I hadn't used a toner in years before this caught my eye in the shop (I know, really!). But when I saw you didn't need to faff around with cotton wool (I would like to decrease my cotton wool consumption), I picked it up on a whim. I've used Superdrug's Vitamin E range years ago and I still like it. The toning mist contains aloe vera, horse chestnut and vitamins A, B, F and H (yes really, they exist), as well as E. It is also vegan.
I like the refreshing blast this gives before applying moisturiser and my skin feels soft after use. Superdrug doesn't give a list of ingredients on its website, but obviously, for the price this is not a 100% natural product.
Would I buy it again? I'm currently using a different toner but yes, I would buy it again.

Buy it here for £2.99

Balm Balm Baby Balm

Review of this coming soon

Pür Minerals Fully Charged Mascara

I'm a recent convert to Pur Minerals after I started using their Mineral Veil foundation and was blown away by how good it was. After Christmas, one of their stockists, Marks and Spencer, was selling a pack with three mini mascaras in and I knew I had to try them.
This is a fantastic mascara. It both lengthens and thickens (not every mascara does both) and has a very good brush. Obviously it didn't last long being a small size, but what I got out of it was enough to convince me of its merits. I'll be buying the full size.

Ingredients:
Aqua, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Cyclopentasiloxane, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Alcohol Denat., Palmitic Acid, Nylon-12, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Acacia Senegal Gum, Glycerin, Polybutene, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Panthenol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Polyquaternium-10, Polyvinyl Alcohol, VP/VA Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides (CI 77499)

You can buy it here for £17.50