Hong Kong 2013 vacation haul...

Oh. My. God. I really did need to do that empties post before I did this!  I don't usually do so much beauty shopping but I didn't want to suffer travellers' regret and leave thinking of what I'd missed.  I'd been looking forward to this overseas trip so much - and planned for the spend - although I admit I should have done more research on comparing prices - it means I would have purchased most of my beauty products in Hong Kong! That vibrant city really is a fantastic place for beauty bargains.

I've tried my best to organize the pictures into logical categories although there's some overlap here and there and some standalones too!

Nails

Clockwise from bottom left: 

I.Color (VN24), Dear Rus Nobless (NM21), Revlon (Whimsical & Girly)
Arezia (unnamed purple glitter & unnamed pink crème)
Sasatinnie Minis (SPN148, SPN125, SPN117, SME301)

Let's start with my usual focus: the polishes! I purchased all but two of these from Sasa. The I.Color and Dear Rus Nobless polishes were bought from Sasa's budget beauty competitor (I guess?) Bonjour.  As I pointed out in my Instagram pictures these two stores are never far away from each other, and seem to be on every city street corner in Hong Kong.  The temptation is bound to wear down any bargain hunting, beauty-obsessed woman!

 

Jill Stuart

 

Japanese beauty brand Jill Stuart is a highly collectible brand for me and I was excited to find a Jill Stuart counter in the huge (13,000 square foot or 1208 square metres) Facesss beauty department store in Harbour City.  I instantly fell in love with Night Jewel Summer Bloom EDT, a rose floral scent with lingering notes of amber and musk and - while I walked away - it was that scent which drove me back to the counter a few days later.  My other purchase was the limited edition Cocktail Dress eye color palette, with four cool, lightly sparkly shades for evening eyes.  The other items were all incredibly generous gifts with purchase:  phone jewellery, Jelly Lip Gloss (Baby Petal) and a sample pack of blotting sheets!

 

 

Lancôme & Tom Ford 

 

These two items are together simply because I bought them both from Lane Crawford - a rather luxe department store, and the only place to buy TF cosmetics outside of the TF boutique.  There was a crazy frenzy of excitement over Alber Elbaz collaboration with Lancôme (I mean the place was literally buzzing!) and the palette I was after was already sold out! Never mind, I've been a long time fan of Lancôme mascaras so I easily consoled myself with the Hypnose Doll Eyes Waterproof mascara.   I knew I was going to buy something from the Tom Ford counter so I bought a tube of Lip Color Shine in the orange-red shade Willful.  This is my first experience with the sheerer, shinier formula of these lip gloss-lipstick hybrids.

 

Canmake & KATE

 Clockwise from left:

Canmake Candy Wrap Lip Gloss (01), KATE Shiny Eyes (BR-2),

Canmake Colorful Nails (41 & 63), Canmake Cheek Gradation (05)

Canmake Cream Cheek (CL03)

Not pictured: Canmake Eye Nuance (24)

 

All of these Japanese drugstore beauty brand purchases are me making up for my travellers' regret at not buying them when I was in Japan 4 years ago! Sasa had a fantastic selection and I bought these cute items in two separate trips.

 

 

Demeter

 

Funnily enough, when I was able to buy Demeter fragrance in Australian department David Jones I never bothered! Anyhow...I chose White Bouquet, a very clean and crisp, almost freshly laundered floral scent. Yes, I know, they do also have a scent called Laundromat...   

 

 

Balms & Removers

 

More Sasa purchases:  I bought 2 eos balms because I forgot to pack my lip balm (I'm a lip balm addict among other things), then went back for 2 more! Okay, my picks were Honeysuckle Honeydew, Tangerine, Summer Fruit (LE) and Strawberry Sorbet (LE) - now I finally, totally get why people collect these!  I didn't forget my makeup remover but bought a few bottles (2 for 1) of Cyber Colors remover because I was on the verge of running out and the 59ml bottles were a handy little size. 

 

 

Liner pens & Dotting tools

 

And more Sasa purchases: Sophia (aka The Make-up Blogette) swears by Heavy Rotation liner pens so I bought these on her advice.  There was a wall full of liners to choose from so I hope I chose the right ones!  During the same time I spotted a dotting tool so I threw it into the basket for some upcoming nail art experiments...

 

 

 Sheet Masks

 

I was on the lookout for sheet masks and Sasa (to the rescue again) had a huge range of individual masks to choose from.  I think I've got masks for every possible need here!

 

 

 Wipes

 

These Sasatinnie wipes have already popped up in my empties post! I stocked up because I love them - especially the rose scented variety.  I have a strong feeling I'll be ordering more from Sasa's website in future.

 

Are you still with me?? Phew!!!

 

Let me know if you are interested in any reviews or swatches and I'll be happy to oblige!

 

 

 

REVIEW: August's farewelled products

There were too many large emptied containers to arrange prettily on the windowsill for photos like I did last month so I've strewn them 'artfully' on the bench!  I've been charging through loads of hand and body products and I've noticed quite a few of the usual suspects in this lot...

Skin care

77) Nivea Creme (75ml)

This tin gave me a sense of nostalgia as soon as I opened it and inhaled the familiar scent.  Nivea's famous fragrance is something you never forget so this took me back to my childhood, and those lazy summer days before we all became 'sunsmart' when my Mum used to slather me with this uber thick cream.  I just loooove the scent, but the thick formula was a bit of an issue.  Over winter I used this to moisturise my dry limbs and I found it took time and patience to rub in and was impossible to use over damp skin - it just slid right off!  I probably used it for the wrong purpose and I'd recommend it for problem spots like knees and elbows rather than all over the body.   It DID do a pretty good job of providing deep moisture and it acted like a barrier cream! I'd repurchase as a specific treatment for extra dry areas.

78) Nivea Visage Daily Essentials Gentle Face Cleansing Wipes - Dry & Sensitive Skin (25 wipes)

These wipes also have that famous Nivea scent which you'll either love (like me) or hate if you dislike fragranced products.   While I like the fragrance the wipes were a bit average for me.  More often I found I need more than one wipe to get all makeup residue off my face and my skin did feel a little tight afterwards - surprising because these wipes are meant for dry skin and and are "...enriched with natural Almond Oil & Calendula Extract."  I won't be repurchasing.

79) Maybelline Express Care Eye & Lip Makeup Remover (90ml)
My HG remover because it's effective and inexpensive. Of course I'm onto my next bottle.  See my original review here.

Hand and body care

80) Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (500ml)

Yep, my third 500ml bottle done for the year - and now that Hubs has discovered it in the shower I've already almost emptied my fourth.  Solution?  I've bought a 1 litre bottle!  I can't rave enough about this as an extremely gentle, moisturising body (and face) cleanser.  It comes in all sizes from mini travel sized bottles upwards so I'm covered for all situations.  I'll repurchase again, and again, and again...

81) RPR Hold Me Gently hair mist (300ml/10.56fl.oz)

This gave my fine, flat hair a bit of soft oomph without any of the crunch.  I bought a travel sized bottle last year and liked it enough to buy the full sized bottle.  I only need 3 to 4 sprays of product on my hair before blow drying so it lasted me quite a few months, however I did notice I would have drier, flyaway ends.   I've since discovered L'Oreal's Volume Expand mist which leaves my hair looking less flyaway and shinier so I won't be repurchasing RPR.

82) OPI Original Polish Remover (120ml/4 fl.oz)

My seventh bottle this year.  That is all.

83)  Palmer's Skin Smoothing Lotion with Alpha/Beta Hydroxy & Shea butter (250ml - 8.5fl. oz)

My third bottle this year and not surprising at all.  This partnered with the Cetaphil has brought my ugly keratosis completely under control.  My upper arms have never been smoother!  Repurchase, repurchase, repurchase!

84) Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream (100g) 

I turn to this in winter to relieve my dry, eczema wracked hands.  It's reliable, no-nonsense stuff, not sexy but effective and soothing.  Another one of my repeat purchases.  Click here for my original review.

85) Sally Hansen Massaging Cuticle Treatment (2.6ml/0.09fl.oz)

Not a bad little product for moisturising my cuticles but the packaging annoyed me because I couldn't see how much product I had left!  In any case I prefer Burt's Bees cuticle cream for softening my cuticles because it's a balm rather than an oil so I probably won't repurchase.

86)  L'Occitane LE Cocoa Flower Hand Cream (30ml/1.oz travel size)

Mmmm...the soft cocoa scent was amazing and the buttery texture of the L'Occitane Shea Butter hand creams is second to none.   The 20% Shea Butter content makes this cream rich and buttery smooth to apply and my dry hands would soak it in and say "Aaah".  Such a shame this was limited edition - I'd definitely buy more of it because it's so addictive and luxe.

87) Natio Wellness Hand Wash (240ml/8.1f.oz)
This gentle, non-drying hand wash contains chamomile, pomegranate, and wheatgerm.  I love just about all of the Natio products I've tried and this is no exception.  It's not too thick or sudsy so it doesn't need a lot of rinsing and it leaves my hands feeling soft and smelling rather like baby shampoo(!).  I've already repurchased from the Natio outlet just last week.

Cosmetics

EDIT:  This is for you Liz - observe the empty pans in all their glory!

88) Nyx Twin Cake pressed powder (CP10 Sand Beige)

I loved the versatility of this powder:  it can be used with a brush, or a dry or wet sponge depending on the coverage needed and all for $22AUD!  This is the second pan I've used and I would definitely repurchase.

89) Heavy Rotation Enamel Gloss (Berry)

So sad to this tube go - the 'Lip Gloss Terminator' strikes again as this is the 7th gloss I've emptied this year!

This was the perfect buttery caramel nude and if I didn't have to go all the way to Japan to buy it I'd definitely buy more.   When/if I go back I'll definitely stock up on more!  See here for a swatch.

90) MAC Eye Shadow (Satin Taupe - Frost)

I dropped the pan and smashed it, wahh!  Such a dramatic purple toned taupe and I'd hardly used it, see here for a swatch and brief review.  Oh well, it does count towards Back 2 MAC...

91) MAC Eye Shadow (Shroom - Satin)

The perfect mushroom pink-beige multitasking shadow and I'm not sure if this is the second or third pan I've finished up over the years.  I've a backlog of similar colours I'm going to use up but then I'm sure I'll go back to Shroom again.  Click here for my recent comparison review.

That's it for this month - I've been enjoying all of your empties posts as always.

Vita :)

Delicious beauty: What's your flavour?

A little while ago I was musing to anyone in the world (well the Twitterverse at least) about how I tend to reapply delicious, edible scented lip glosses more often than others, just because of the sheer sensory enjoyment.  It occurred to me that I do have a bit of a 'thing' for anything that smells edible particularly if it smells of vanilla, coconut or berries!

Just for fun I'm posting an inventory of my gourmand beauty products, sorted by 'flavour'.  If you're a yummy beauty fan like me then just enjoy, if not then indulge me this once.  I am a Taurean after all...

Vanilla

• The Body Shop Vanilla Perfume Oil - This has a very edible, warm vanilla fragrance.  Pure love in a bottle for me and I don't need to say any more than that...
• MAC lipstick - I don't just love MAC lippies for the wonderful array of colours and finishes but also their soft, subtle vanilla scent. 
• Bloom Lip Gloss - Beautifully shiny, lovely colours and they moisturise my lips.  Of course the best part as far as I'm concerned is the Vanilla and Mandarin essential oil scent!
• Softlips Vanilla - This vanilla bean scented balm moisturises lips and protects them from sun damage as it contains SPF 20.

Cocoa

• The Body Shop Chocomania Range - These products all smell sooo ridiculously chocolatey they come with a 'Do Not Eat' warning on the bottom of the packaging!  I have the Body Scrub and Body Lotion from this range.
• Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Body Gloss - I have a lot of Palmer's products and the cocoa scent is definitely there but not too overpowering.  I use the Body Gloss for an after dark shimmery sheen on bare summer legs and arms.

Coconut

• Heavy Rotation Enamel Gloss (Berry) - I've blogged about this Japanese lip gloss many times. Whenever I decide to use it I end up reapplying many times, mainly because of the scrummy and summery coconut scent as well as its buttery smooth texture on the lips.
• Reniu Virgin Coconut Body Oil - This is the last item I have left of a set gifted to me from a friend returning from Fiji. The natural coconut scent is summer in a bottle.
  

Berries & Cherries

• Maybelline Baby Lips Anti-Oxidant Balm (Berry) - I have a few different flavours in my stash but Berry is my favourite.
• Yes to Carrots C Me Smile Lip Butter (Berry) - This 95% organic balm lives on my bedside table for overnight lip moisturising.
• Essence Glossy Lip Balm (Sparkling Cherry) - I wish these weren't discontinued.  I bought the whole range when they were released and Cherry is my current flavour of choice for a subtle tinted shine on my lips.

Candy

• MOR Marshmallow Perfume Oil and Hand Cream - Sweet without being too cloying, I'd describe the scent as more like musk flavoured candy.  Deliciously addictive to me!
• Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipsticks - I have a whole load of these because they are so highly pigmented and long wearing for a drugstore product.  They also have a subtle bubblegum scent, although it fades fairly quickly after application.

Do you have a favourite beauty flavour?

I'd love to see your delicious beauty inventory!

Until next time

Vita :)

Lipstick/lipgloss ban update (and a little wishlist)

For my Friday night post I thought I'd give you an update on how I'm going with my lip product ban - and to help motivate me to get there!

At the start of the year I pledged to finish 5 lipsticks and 5 lip glosses to make at least a small dent in my collection before I bought more of each.  Well, I've been at it for 6 months now and I can finally see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel getting bigger and brighter.  7 down, 3 to go...

Let's have a look at the 'lovely' (actually a bit icky, sorry!)  lipstick stubs - Rimmel Asia and MAC Crosswires.  I'm wearing Asia almost every day lately because it's such a versatile shade but as it's a long lasting lipstick formula I don't need to reapply all that often and it's taking ages to get there - obviously the Rimmel Lasting Finish lipsticks are ridiculously good value for money!  The coral Crosswires is a MAC Cremesheen so it's a softer, glossier formula and you can probably tell it's broken at the base of the stub and has become a bit mashed in the tube.  This seems to be a common problem I have with this formula, they invariably break at the base.  At least it's about two-thirds of the way there now so I'm getting pretty close! 

L-R:

Rimmel - Asia

MAC - Crosswires

Now I've only got one of my nominated lip glosses to finish but it looks like it's got competition!  It's either going to be the pink Dragonfruit Glossy Lipbalm from Essence or my nude creme Berry Heavy Rotation Enamel Gloss...

L-R:

Essence - Dragonfruit

Heavy Rotation - Berry

Do I have a wishlist for when I finally finish? Yes I do!  I want...

Chanel Glossimer - Wild Rose

And...

YSL Rouge Volupte - Forbidden Burgundy - Thanks Larie!

What's on your lipstick/lip gloss wishlist?

Until next time

Vita :)

Lipstick/Lipgloss ban - What I need to finish before I can buy!

If you remember my beauty resolutions I "swore" to at the start of the year I pledged to reduce my lipstick and lipgloss collections by using 5 lipsticks or lipglosses before I bought any more (Click  here  if you want to read my beauty resolutions post).  So far I've finished one lipgloss towards my goal.  Here are all the other lip colours I have a chance of finishing.

The lipglosses

Left to Right and swatched in same order: 

Estee Lauder (11 Passion Fruit) - This tube is around three-quarters finished.  It's been hanging around for over a year and been neglected but now I've been wearing it regularly again.  This is the brightest of the four I'm trying to finish and is a watermelon-y shimmer I like wearing over my bare lips for a hit of shine and colour.  It's a fairly wet slick formula so needs regular reapplication.  Normally I'd say this is a bit of a pain but in these circumstances I say Yay! - the more I have to reapply the faster this will go into my empties.

Bloom (Sweet Pea) - This was so difficult to swatch because the tube is virtually empty!  I've been literally wearing this opaque mauve lipgloss to death because it is THE perfect match for my lips. I've been trying to scrape the last bits out of the tube but because this stuff is so thick it won't run down the tube for the applicator to reach.  I've tried soaking the tube in hot water to make the gloss more runny so I can finish 100 per cent of the contents but to no avail.  Unless there are some other brilliant ideas out there I think I'm going to call this one finished!

Heavy Rotation Enamel Gloss (03 Berry) - Another favourite MLBB shade that I've been wearing like a fiend.  Because it's opaque it looks great on bare lips but I've also been loving this creamy caramel nude over Rimmel's Undressed lipstick.  I think I've still got about a third left in the tube but it won't be a problem finishing this one either.

L'Oreal Glam Shine (Lasting Coral) - Around three-quarters finished.  This sparkly peach (not coral!) gloss tube is my emergency lip colour which lives in my handbag.  I have a real love/hate relationship with this L'Oreal gloss because I love the peachy colour but absolutely hate the sticky formula.  It does last well but is horribly difficult to remove from my lips.  Don't ask me why but I've actually got a few of these in my stash.

The lipsticks

Left to Right and swatched in same order: 

L'Oreal (Plum Brulee) - This baby's almost finished!  This is a beautiful richly pigmented lipstick and one of my favourite reds.  Trouble is I think it will be hanging around for a while because I prefer to wear dark reds like this in cooler weather. 

MAC (Party Line) - Another autumnal shade almost down to the stub.  Party Line is is berry-toned mauve.  I do love this shade but again prefer wearing it in Autumn/Winter so it'll probably take a while to finish.

MAC (Crosswires) - Okay, this is a lipstick I've actually been wearing lately because it's a perfect summery shade.  Crosswires is the perfect coral shade which is hot without being OTT so it's work and play appropriate.  I think I'm a bit more than half-way down the tube on this one.

L'Oreal Nutrishine (Pretty Peach) - I've categorised this as a lipstick rather than a gloss simply because it's in a lipstick style tube.   It's a lovely sheer pinky-peach shade I've been wearing on weekends.  I've been loving it so I'm sure I won't have a problem finishing it.

Rimmel (Asia) - It doesn't look it in the tube but I've been wearing this shade LOTS lately and is a favourite everyday go-to so I hold high hopes for finishing it.  This mauve-toned nude is another MLBB shade and featured in my basic face post (here).

I can see I'm not going to have any problems finishing off the rest of my lipgloss quota but I'm not so sure about the lipstick!  

Until next time.

Vita :)