Empties! February 2016

I'm later than usual so here we go...

Skin care

La Clinica Anti Ageing Stem Cell Complex 3 Day Cream (50ml/1.76 fl.oz)* CF - This made my skin feel firmer immediately after applying and I liked the non-greasy matte finish which provided an excellent non-slip base for makeup.

The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-Up Remover (150ml/5.0 fl.oz) CF - This is now one of my favourite removers as it's as soothing and refreshing as water but it shifts the most stubborn waterproof eye makeup. 

Sukin Micellar Cleansing Water (250ml/8.46 fl.oz) CF/Vegan - I liked this but didn't love it as it felt a bit astringent rather than refreshing on my skin.

NIVEA Vanilla & Macadamia Lip Butter (19ml)* - This used to be one of my favourite thick, emollient (and yummy) lip balms for overnight use but sadly I won't be able to buy any more until it's CF.

Hand and body care

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat (13.3ml/0.45 fl.oz) - Another ex-favourite off my list.  This did a great job of quickly sealing in my manicures but I'm switching back to China Glaze for now.

L'Occitane Karite Rose Shea Butter Hand Cream (30ml/1 oz) - I feel a bit guilty because this was a magazine freebie from earlier this year.  I still have a few more backups lurking around as I used to stockpile this stuff because it's so good *cries*.

Avon Foot Works Cracked Heel Relief Cream (100ml) - I haven't bought this in over a year but I still have 2 tubes left.  I mainly use it in the warmer months to keep my heels silky soft and prevent cracking. No repurchases after that though.

Crabtree & Evelyn Lily Gift Set (Bath & Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Body Cream, Fragranced Soap) - This was a set I received as a Christmas gift over a year ago and it's taken me so long to get through my backlog and use it (along with the soap not shown for obvious reasons).  The quality was typically good as C & E products are but the scent was a standard floral so I didn't hate it or love it. 

Sukin BioNatural Skin Oil (60ml/2.03 fl. oz)* CF/Vegan - This is a really nice body oil and so easy and quick for an after-shower moisturiser to replenish and restore youthful silkiness to the skin.  I can see myself buying more because it lasts ages and is very affordable too.

Rexona Clinical Protection Summer Strength Antiperspirant Deodorant (45ml/48 g)* - It worked very well as an antiperspirant but not so well as a deodorant. The search continues...

Hair care

Schwarzkopf Extra Care BB 11 in 1 Hair Beautifier (100ml)* - I actually really liked this as a detangler and softener for my hair as it did the trick without weighing down my fine hair at all and protected it from any hairdryer-induced frizzies.  Not a bad drugstore hair care product but this was the last of my non-CF hair products.

Cosmetics

I'm back counting my progressive tally in my 2016 Makeup Use Up:

5) L'Oreal Miss Manga Mega Volume Mascara (Black)* - Some people don't like the flexible tapered brush but it was my friend once I got the hang of it and the volumising formula was great too for creating big lashes with minimal coats. Unfortunately not CF.

6) Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer (Light/Medium) - Don't be fooled by the sample sized tube because this primer took months to finish.  It was a great brightening base for eye makeup and anchored it in place but Benefit aren't CF so this won't be on my repurchase list. 

7) Face Of Australia Eye Pencil (Brown) - Face of Australia used to be CCF accredited but sadly are no longer and I can't be sure of their CF status.  The pencil?  It was reasonably creamy and smudgeproof but I have a lot of dark brown backups in my collection. 

Now I'm off to toss out all the trash!

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

Empties! January 2016

It feels like only a week ago that I posted my final empties for 2015! In reality it's been more like 3 weeks but this year seems to have got off to a flying start. Well, I'm at it again because I want to throw out this lot before I start accumulating the February stuff! 

As mentioned in my "I'm Cruelty Free!..." post I'm working at using up my non-CF products as well so these will be included in my empties. If you're only interested in my thoughts on the animal-friendly products look for those marked CF.  Oh yes, I'm not going to bother numbering every single empty this year but I will be keeping a running tally on my makeup empties to see how close I can get to 50 in my 2016 makeup use up challenge! Here we go with my first installment of 2016. I haven't finished any skin care yet so it's straight into...

Hand and body care

L'Occitane Arlessiene Shower Cream (70ml/2.3 fl.oz) - It's so sad that L'Occitane is not cruelty free because I love their products. This shower cream was no exception with its exquisite scent and velvety foam.

Mukti Botanique Wash Desert Lime & Lemon Verbena (100ml/3.5 fl.oz) CF/V - Yes this locally made wash is Vegan too! I originally bought it as a hand wash but swapped to using it as a body wash, then fell utterly in love with it. A tiny amount lathers up in the shower puff or sponge and makes for a refreshingly zingy shower experience! I will definitely repurchase this in a larger size if available.

MOR Body Butter (Italian Blood Orange) CF - This body butter had a fantastic orange sherbet scent but - of course - it's been discontinued so that's the end of that!

Miller & Moore Moisturising Shea Butter Body Lotion (150ml) - This was part of a gift set I received some time ago and actually did an okay job as it absorbed quickly to moisturize my arms and legs.

L'Occitane Zesty Lime Hand Cream (30ml/1 fl.oz) - I actually didn't care for this particular zesty fragrance as it reminded me too much of grated rind.

Crabtree & Evelyn India Hicks Island Living Spider Lily Hand Therapy (25g/0.9 fl.oz) - I only recently found out that C & E are no longer cruelty free so once I run through my current stash of hand creams these will be off the shopping list too. It's a shame because I really loved them and this was a very lovely, delicate white floral scented cream.

Hair care

Thann Aromatic Wood Aromatherapy Conditioner (30ml/1 fl.oz) CF - Just a little something I took away from the Raffles Hotel in Singapore I believe.  I grabbed it out of my travel bag to use while waiting for my next online hair care delivery and it served its purpose, preventing my hair from becoming tangled and snarled after washing. It has a nicely unobtrusive unisex orange, tangerine and nutmeg oil scent.

Original Mineral Hydrate & Conquer Conditioner (350ml/11.8 fl.oz) CF - I was worried this thick - and I mean really thick like a treatment - conditioner would weigh down my hair but it worked more like a volumising product. The combination of natural oils in the formula makes it smell rather deliciously like vanilla too!

L'Oreal Elnett Satin Very Volume Hairspray (55g/75ml) - It was good but not exceptionally great so reapplications were necessary. That's the last of my non-CF hairspray done!

Cosmetics

1) bareMinerals Marvellous Moxie Lipstick (Speak Your Mind) CF - I loved, loved, loved this lippy for its shade and formula!  There's nothing like a great everyday pink so a repurchase is planned in the near future.

2) NYX Mosaic Powder (Plummy) CF - I always wore the colours swirled together for naturally flushed looking cheeks all year round.  I'd probably repurchase if I wasn't drowning in blush!

3) Maybelline Define-A-Lash Mascara (Black) - To quote my instagram post, this mascara isn't meant for thickening but it did a great job of defining my lashes for a natural look.

4) Benefit Her Glossiness (Didn't Hear It From Me) - A milky gloss that's been discontinued.  I think I got it as a magazine freebie a couple of years ago.

Fragrance

L'Occitane Arlessiene EDT (7.5ml/.25 fl.oz) - Oh I'm feeling too lazy to try and describe this so here's the info from Fragrantica:  "[The top notes are]...the freshness of mandarin and the peppery character of saffron flower in bloom. The heart captures rose from Grasse complemented by lily of the valley. Violet at the base is accompanied by milky sandalwood, blonde woods and tonka bean."

Penhaligon's Elisabethan Rose EDT (50ml/1.7 fl.oz) - Penhaligon's isn't PETA or Leaping Bunny accredited but they state the following on their website:  "We have removed all animal by-products from our cosmetic formulations, including all fragrances, bath & shower gels, bath oils, hand & body creams, soaps, balms, talcum powders, shaving products and deodorants. These products are suitable for vegetarians and vegans."  I've also read they have recently been approached by vegan beauty and lifestyle website Logical Harmony to clarify their CF status so fingers crossed! Now onto the fragrance itself which is the purest old fashioned rose scent I've ever owned, and my husband forever complimented me on it.  The top notes are aldehydes and geranium; middle notes are chamomile, violet and rose; base notes are amber, musk and sandalwood. It is indeed old fashioned but delightful!

That's it until next month!


(All products in this post were purchased by me.)

September's farewelled products

Here are my first spring empties for the season...

Skin care

103) Simple Kind To Skin Micellar Cleansing Water (6.7 fl.oz/200ml) - Finally I've proven to myself that not all micellar waters are the same.  I could feel and smell the alcohol in this version every time I used it and yep it contains Hexylene Glycol and Panthenol.  Will not repurchase.

104) Maybelline Makeup Remover Eye & Lip (70ml/2.4 fl. oz.) - I just finished another bottle of this reliable little remover but the wanderer in me has moved onto to trying other things so stay tuned for some changes in this usually boringly same area.

105) Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Jelly (1.0 fl.oz/30ml)* - I became quite hooked on this non-greasy moisture jelly, ended up using it day and night so got through it quickly. It's on my repurchase list for a refreshing summer moisturiser. Read my full review here.

Hand and body care

106) L'Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream (30ml) - Another tube of my absolute favourite heavy duty hand cream is done and dusted.

107) Natio Wellness Hand Cream SPF15 (100ml/3.3 fl.oz) - Now this hand cream is another favourite.  It's not quite as heavy duty but I love the pomegranate scent and the SPF offers added protection for daytime wear.

108) Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Hand Therapy (25g./0.9 oz) - I can't say this hand cream isn't a favourite either as I'm a longtime fan of C & E hand creams.  Let's face it I'd repurchase - and have repurchased - all of these hand creams!

109) Manicare Noir Collection Black Vanilla Nail Polish Remover Pads (32 pads) - I packed this for my Singapore vacation and finished it off after I returned. I wouldn't bother trying it on glitter polish but it worked really well to remove cream polishes as it removed and moisturized in one go.  I actually liked the black vanilla scent too.

Hair care

110) L'Oreal Professional Volumetry Anti-Gravity Effect Volume Spray (125ml/4.2 fl.oz) - A few spritzes on pre-blowdried hair gave me soft and touchable volume without stripping the shine from my hair.

111) L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray Normal Strength (75ml purse size) - I only buy small sized cans of hairspray because I don't use it that often.  This hairspray did the trick for adding a little more staying power to my hairstyle when I needed it without it looking stiff.

Cosmetics

112) Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara (Black) - Unfortunately this tubing mascara was a huge disappointment for me.  It added no volume (The Volume?) and the tube dried out in record time - just over a month!

113) Revlon Colorburst Lipstick (001 Lilac) - Such a pretty and wearable lilac for everyday but unfortunately the entire line of these lipsticks were discontinued some time ago.

114) Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment SPF 15 - I have to thank the wonderful Larie for gifting this to me - I loved it! So richly moisturising with just the right amount of shine and a very flattering tint.

There weren't any samples finished this month as I fell into a bit of a happy routine with my skincare and makeup so that's all until the end of October rolls around!

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

January's farewelled products

 

What do they say about the best laid schemes of mice and men? Yes, well… despite my plans to post at least twice a week what happens? My 13 year old son drains our monthly internet allowance and I’m stuck with dial-up speed which means I can’t do anything blogwise for over a week – and I’ve had to resort to drafting blog posts as Word documents in the meantime, waiting (im)patiently for the chance to be uploaded to the internet. Grrr! GRRRR!!! With that roaring whinge out of the way let me get on with my first empties for the New Year…

 

Skin care

1) Face of Australia Gentle Make-Up Remover (125ml/4.23 fl.oz) – I think this is the same formula as I’ve previously used, just repackaged in a pretty new blue bottle. This remover’s good stuff and I’ve recently discovered that besides taking care of waterproof eye makeup this formula makes removing long wear lip products a cinch too!

2) Garnier Dark Spot Corrector Daily Illuminating Moisturiser (50ml) – Oh you know I’ve got to keep on fighting the good fight against pigmentation and this works well as a daily moisturiser too. Admittedly nothing performs miracles but this is one product I’ve returned to. The only thing that annoyed me this time around was the metal tube split at the side and started oozing…

 

Hand and body care

3) Crabtree & Evelyn Iris Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy (25g/0.9 oz) – I loved the fragrance of this hand cream sooooo much and of course this fragrance has been discontinued! I used only the tiniest amount at a time to make the tube last and I begrudgingly let anyone else get near it. Yes, of course like all C & E hand creams the formula is ultra-moisturising too – I’m obsessed with getting some more of this one if only I could...

4) Natio Meditate Body Butter (Yoga Scent Blue Lotus Attar) – This was the last of a trio of body butter tubs I bought over a year ago and unfortunately this range has been discontinued too.

5) Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat – This is my latest favourite quick dry top coat because it doesn’t dissolve the colour underneath and it doesn’t shrink. I got more mileage out of the bottle with the use of lacquer thinner drops so this ended up lasting almost a whole year!

 

Cosmetics

 

6) SCOUT Cosmetics Mineral Lip Gloss (Heart)* - These are the lightest weight lip glosses I’ve tried and Heart was the perfect MLBB shade so I wore it almost daily over my summer break until I emptied the tube!

7) L’Oreal Miss Manga Voluminous Waterproof mascara (Black) – I bought my mascara in Hawaii late last year and these are just launching in Australia now. I’m a fan of the tapered flexi brush and actually started wearing mascara on my lower lashes for the first time in years!

8) Shiseido Maquillage Concealer Liquid (Natural) – Another overseas purchase from last year. I found this concealer lightweight and sheer but very brightening for the under eye area. I’ve noticed how much darker Western concealers are since moving on from this Japanese product and I miss that brightening effect.

9) Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara (01 Extreme Black) – This was my favourite high end mascara for 2014 and I used it way longer than I should have but the formula didn’t show any signs of quitting and I loved everything about it: smooth and creamy thickening formula, intensely black, smelt of chocolate (?) when I applied it, never even a hint of a clump and the brush was the perfect tapered length to grab almost all of my lashes in one sweep. I could go on and on about this mascara because I haven’t been obsessed like this with a mascara in so long…

 

 

 

10) Revlon Custom Eyes trio palette – I’m not sure if that’s what it was called but it’s old. Yes this trio was well loved in its day but when I found it buried in my drawer and remembered that I last wore it when 'Ally McBeal' was on TV I realised that it’s well and truly time to go! Remember that dancing baby? What a quirky old show…


Well that’s it folks for my first instalment. Fingers crossed all goes well for a timely February post because that bag of empties is bulging already!

 

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

In neutral...

In my 9 to 5, or more accurately, 8 to 4 working life I'm expected to present in a reasonably conservative (boring but not too boring) way. This means nothing obviously over the top in makeup.  Of course I like wearing makeup - as you know -  and I feel like a little emphasis around the eyes is a good way to make me look more awake and sharp (even when I'm not feeling it!).  Depending on what clothes or lip colour I'm wearing I'll go for either a warm or cool neutral look and I have the eye colour combinations down pat to avoid wasting any precious minutes in the morning fixing up disastrous experiments. Guilty confession:  I do my eye makeup on autopilot when I'm getting ready for work! Anyway, just in case you're curious here are the neutral shades I reach for regularly through the week. 

Warm neutrals

Clockwise from left:

Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio (Walking on Eggshells) - Three neutral colours but so versatile! I can wear any one of these slightly shimmery shades alone all over the lid but I particularly like wearing either the beige browbone shade (left) or the warm peachy pink (right) on the lid with the coppery brown (centre) as an outer crease accent.  These are very softly textured so I pat the colour gently in the pan with my brush to avoid any fallout.  They blend ridiculously easily when applying to my lids so this little palette really is an easy choice for a warm neutral eye.

Revlon Wet/Dry Eyeshadow (Not Quite White) - This matte ivory-beige eyeshadow is literally a dinosaur in my collection and long discontinued so don't go looking for it (Let's face it, it's old and crumbling anyway)! The point is the colour and finish itself. I use this matte shade to soften the crease edge and naturally highlight the brow bone.  Shimmer shades are too aging for me so a soft matte ivory brightens the brow area in a subtle and fresh way.

L'Oreal Color Infaillible (002 Hourglass Beige) - This is quite shimmery so I have to be in the mood for it. However if I want to look really awake then nothing brightens the inner corners of my eyes better than this! Alternatively I'll wear it across the entire lid paired with a deeper matte shade in the crease to really brighten the eyes. I also use this to snappily transition my makeup look from day to evening simply by patting it into the inner corners over my existing eye makeup before I head out after dark.

MAC Matte Eyeshadow (Wedge) - This is a fairly recent addition to my MAC collection and I originally bought it as a lazy option for shading the entire lid however I've discovered the pleasures of wearing this as an easy and natural crease shade.  Wedge is a warm taupe which pairs very easily to accent any of my warm beiges and pinks.

Now for the swatches and yes, my cat-scratched arms!

Swatched on bare skin left to right:
 MAC - Wedge,
Wet n Wild - Brow Bone, Crease, Lid,
L'Oreal - Hourglass Beige,
 Revlon - Not Quite White

Cool neutrals

Left to Right:

Maybelline Stylish Smokes Quad (Charcoal Smokes) - This quad was sitting unloved in my stash for a while but I've rediscovered it for a cool neutral daytime eye or a cool smokey evening eye.  I favour using the lid shade (top left) for a subtle daytime crease worn with Revlon's Not Quite White on the lid and using the darker crease shade (top right) the emphasize the outer corner.  This palette comes into its own in the evening for me and I'll make use of all four shades, although I use the shimmery silver brow bone shade (bottom left) on my inner lids instead of the brow bone area, and I'll use the charcoal black outer corner shade (bottom right) over black liner to help soften and smoke out the line.  Three out of the four shades are quite well pigmented with the surprising exception being the black which takes a few swipes to build up the intensity.  Still, I'm a bit fearful of blackest-black eyeshadow so this palette is good enough for my needs.

MAC Satin Eyeshadow (Shale) - This grey-toned purple has popped up in many of my posts and it's not at all surprising because it's a wonderful neutral purple crease shade.  The purple makes my green eyes pop but it doesn't at all scream purple. I won't get into it in detail again - just know that I love it and consider it the perfect cool neutral eye accent.

Swatched on bare skin left to right:
MAC - Shale,
 Maybelline - Brow bone, Lid, Crease, Outer Corner

What are your no-fail neutral favourites?

April's farewelled products (2013 edition)

My empties posts are getting later and later each month.  Here's hoping I post my May empties before the end of June!  I'll try not to ramble too much this month because I have quite a few products that bit the dust as you'll see...

Skin care

30) Australis 3 in 1 wipes make-up remover (25 wipes) - So these are soap, alcohol and fragrance free and infused with aloe vera and chamomile but...they were dry! Someone tell me I bought a dud package (please!) because otherwise I'll tell you these are uselessly dry - except for the last 2 or 3 wipes at the bottom of the pack.  I resorted to wetting them to get some use out of them.  Repurchase? A resounding NO.

31) Maybelline Express Care Eye & Lip Makeup Remover (90ml) - Inexpensive, gentle and reliable at removing my makeup but this was the last bottle I'll use in this particular formula.  Maybelline have recently released a new reformulated and repackaged version which I'm using now.

32) Avene Cleanance Gel Soapless Cleanser (200ml/6.76 fl.oz) - This cleansing gel is targeted at cleansing oily, blemish-prone skin but I found it very gentle at cleansing my combination/occasionally dry skin during my morning shower.  As far as cleansing gels go this rinsed off very quickly and easily too.  Loved it. 

 

Hand and body care

33) Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Hand Therapy (25g/0.9 oz) - This hand cream smells literally of rose petals and feels richly moisturising without being greasy.  A gorgeously soothing product for winter-parched hands with my favourite magic ingredient included:  Shea butter! 

34) China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat (14ml/.5 fl.oz) - Dries my nails in a few minutes without dissolving the colour beneath.  One gripe? You can tell when it's getting too thick and old because it can wrinkle your manicure.

35) OPI Original Polish Remover (120ml - 4 fl.oz) - I've been mixing it up a bit of late but this is my nail polish remover of choice.

36) Vaseline Total Moisture Aloe Fresh Daily Light Lotion SPF 15 (200ml) - Great concept with the built-in SPF but terrible formula! The thick white lotion took an eternity to rub in to my skin and I don't have the time or patience for spending minutes on body moisturising in the morning.  I have SPF 30 products which absorb in less than half the time so I won't be buying this any time soon.

37) The Body Shop Chocomania Body Scrub (200ml/7.75 oz) - This indulged my chocolate-loving senses in the shower! I love how it exfoliates and moisturises the skin at the same time and I have bought another tub already.  Be warned - you might have to clean the shower afterwards - but it will smell delicious!

 

Hair care

38) L'Oreal Volume Expand Volumising Root Lift Spray (125ml/4.2 fl. oz) - The only product I use for my fine hair is a root lift spray for volume without any crunch.  I use 4 quick sprays on my damp hair before I dry it, then blow-dry and - Voila!  I look like I have more hair!  I used this bottle daily and it lasted months and months.  Yes, I have bought another bottle.  

 

Cosmetics

39) theBalm Sexy Mama anti-shine, translucent powder (7.08g/0.25 oz) - I did a full review of this powder when I bought it last year (here). I was a little on the fence about it at that time but I love how natural and lightweight this powder was on my skin and considering I used it daily it lasted a very long time.  A good value mattifying powder and after finishing it I can now say I would buy it again.

40) MAC Powerpoint Eyeliner Pencil (Duck) - This was the perfect brown-grey hybrid pencil.  If I didn't have such a glut of eyeliner pencils I would definitely repurchase.

That's it for the latest empties!  

 

March's farewelled products (2013 edition)

Here's another month's worth of empties served up fresh with my opinions for your enjoyment!

Hand and body care

18) Jericho Hand Cream (2ml sample) - Whoa! What's a sample doing in here?!? I'm a renowned hoarder of samples for that 'rainy day' which never seems to come...Well...one day last month I actually was caught out without a tube of hand cream in my bag so cue the rainy day sample! It's impossible to form a definitive opinion on a 2ml sample of hand cream but my first impressions were positive enough although nothing really remarkable.  The cream absorbed quickly, and left no greasy feel and I also note it is paraben-free and "...enriched with Dead Sea minerals".  Would I consider buying it? If I didn't have such a glut of hand creams in my drawers, on my bedside table, and in my handbag and I was looking for a specifically paraben-free formula then I'd delve a bit further into researching it first - or at least grabbing another sample or two to get more of a lasting impression!

19) L'Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream (30ml/1.oz) - Now this one is my favourite hand cream for instant relief from desert-dry skin.  This rich, luxuriously perfumed cream is one of L'Occitane's Shea Butter based products enriched with 20% Shea Butter and I'm unapologetically addicted to it.  I use it any time of the day as needed but if your skin isn't as dry as parchment paper you may find it a little on the rich side and it's recommended as an overnight hand treatment for best results.  It's one of the more expensive hand creams on the market but I don't mind paying for this luxe paint tube.

20) Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (1 litre) - One of my in-shower daily essentials that also serves as a facial cleanser in a pinch!  It's not sexy at all but it cleanses my sensitive skin without drying it out and the 1 litre bottle lasts an age.  Expect a few more of these to pop up throughout the year.

21) BYS Nail Polish Remover (100ml approx) - I bought this bottle for a very reasonable $4AUD on holiday and it did the job of removing my polish with a pleasantly fragranced, acetone-free formula.  Bonus points for the spill-proof top too!

Hair care

I don't usually include shampoo or conditioner in my empties but I don't usually use Toni&Guy either so I figured I'd share my impressions on these trial size bottles I had gifted to me from Priceline a little while ago.

22) Toni&Guy Cleanse Shampoo for Damaged Hair (50ml/1.7 fl.oz travel size) - It promises to "...repair and revitalize dull damaged hair".  I'm always skeptical about anything that claims to repair damaged hair but I did notice this thick creamy shampoo left my over-processed, straw-like blonde hair feeling conditioned rather than its usual tangled snarl after rinsing.  I was even tempted to skip the conditioner because this was so rich in itself, although nooo I didn't! Because it is so rich I found only a small dollop was sufficient to wash my hair and while I did worry it may have weighed down my fine hair I didn't notice my strands looking lank or spaghetti-like at all.  Oh yes, did I mention the divinely fresh fragrance too? Oops, I think I may have just sold myself on this to alternate with my blonde shampoo...  

23) Toni&Guy Nourish Conditioner for Damaged Hair (50ml/1.7 fl.oz travel size) - The blurb on the bottle is much the same as the shampoo with the words "repair and revitalize" headlining the claims.  The conditioner was extremely thick, to the point of being difficult to squeeze out of the bottle and very rich, like a pomade on the hair although it rinsed out easily and thoroughly.  I tend to find very little difference across drugstore brand conditioners and this actually reminded me of some considerably less expensive drugstore varieties I've tried.  While I was in hair heaven with the shampoo I found this unremarkable. Did it condition and detangle my hair? Yes. Did it weigh down my hair? No. Did my hair feel like it was in superior condition when using this product? No.  Did it have that lovely fresh fragrance?  Well, yes. Would I buy it based on that alone???

Cosmetics

24) Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (02 Nude) - I've raved about this little highlighter/concealer pen in my full review here and Maybelline have recently upgraded the packaging so the brush in my newly opened tube is even softer and more tapered.  It's now perfection in a pen!

25) MAC Frost Eye Shadow (Phloof!) - or was it?  I was so disappointed with this pan I bought from a discount online site because it wasn't the real deal.  I hit the bottom of the pan after a few months of use, after which the shadow crumbled away very quickly and was all done and dusted in another few months.  I've never encountered this with a MAC eyeshadow before - all other shades I've used on a daily basis have lasted several months to a year and have never crumbled away.  The definitive test was when I swatched Phloof! in-store at the MAC counter and saw and felt the difference between the silky, smooth in-store version compared to the sad crumbly, chalky imposter I had.  The lesson has been learned and I'm glad to see this go!

26) Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss (Racy Raspberry - Limited Edition) - It may look like there's still a little bit of gloss left in the tube but I swiped every available bit of it because I loved the cool-toned pink sheen.  I've loved many tubes of Revlon's Super Lustrous glosses over the years because of the buttery feel on the lips. These really do feel like a more luxe product. Repurchase? Yes!

27) L'Oreal Shadow Minerals Mineral Eye Shadow (10 Gold) - This was not an empty but a toss-out.  I found this shadow was poorly pigmented, messy to apply resulting in glittery fallout glistening on my cheeks, creased like crazy, then all but disappeared from my eyelids by mid-afternoon. Oh yes - that's a great big crack running down the front of the pot too.  The good news? These little pots have been discontinued.

28) L'Oreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation (Light Ivory 458) - Contrary to my opinion of the eyeshadow I actually liked this mineral foundation because it provided easily buildable, opaque coverage and rather than looking flat and matte it actually gave my skin a more natural luminous look.  I also need to confess I'm lazy when it comes to wearing primer beneath makeup (beauty crime!) and I wore this all day without primer and didn't need any touch ups.  Finally, in terms of how it agreed with my combination/sensitive skin, I didn't have any problems with dryness, clogged pores or breakouts and I like the convenience of products with built in SPF - SPF 19 in this case.  If there's one thing to fault it would be the stiff, slightly scratchy brush although that wouldn't detract me from buying this powdered mineral foundation again.

Fragrance

29) Tom Ford Black Orchid Eau de Parfum (1.5ml sample) - Ahhh, I just inhaled a little of the lingering scent from the vial.  I was sad to see this little vial go but rapturously happy to receive a full size bottle from my husband!  Mr Ford's Black Orchid fragrance contains notes of:  bergamot, citrus, mandarin, black gardenia, jasmine, ylang-ylang, lotus wood, black orchid, patchouli, sandalwood, incense and vanilla.  Truly intoxicating as those deeper notes develop on the skin but I learned it must be applied with restraint!

What product were you sad (or happy) to finish this month?

January's farewelled products (2013 edition)

It's already the beginning of my third year recording and sharing my thoughts on those emptied beauty products!  Last year I was on a mission to use up 100 products - this year I'm just going ease back, relax and not let myself get stressed about the numbers. On a silly, slightly random note, man, I do have an ugly bunch of products this month. It looks like the proverbial pile of rubbish. Not that it's how I feel about the actual products though...

Skin care

1. Neutrogena Night Calming Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes (25 towelettes) - I finished this pack almost a month ago, way back at the start of January.  These towelettes don't just cleanse off the makeup but apparently also have a "unique calming fragrance" to help "unwind" and prepare you for a "good night's sleep". Hmmm...I can't say I noticed anything remarkable in that department! Yes, they did have a pleasant scent but I don't think I felt any more zen than usual.  Besides that the wipes did perform well in the makeup removal department and because they're alchohol-free and felt quite moisturising I didn't need any night cream afterward. Not bad.

2. L'Oreal Youth Code Luminosity Hydrating Day Cream (50ml) - Although called a day cream, this can be used for day and evening to improve and even out skin tone.  I didn't realise how effective this was at correcting my complexion until I went away on holiday and left the jar at home - my cheek pigmentation became noticeably worse when I stopped using it!  I'm currently working my way through my backlog of facial moisturisers (and targeting spot removers) but I can definitely see myself coming back to this cream in future.

3. Face of Australia Purifying Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes) - I bought this pack for the bargain price of $4.  These alchohol-free wipes were as effective as any and non-drying.  A great budget option (other than baby wipes I guess?) and - while they are a little smaller than some of the other wipes on the market - for the price I don't think it matters if I occasionally had to use two to remove heavy makeup.

Hand and body care

4. OPI Original Polish Remover (120ml - 4 fl.oz) - My only criticism of this remover will be the price at $9.90 per bottle, or per month for me. 

5. Crabtree & Evelyn Lavender Age Defying Hand Remedy (100ml - 3.4fl.oz) - Whoa, with a name like that this hand cream promised a lot! I find lavender a very soothing scent so I used this hand cream as my overnight hand treatment.  The texture and appearance actually weirdly reminded me of antiseptic cream but the Vitamin C & E and shea butter formula absorbed quickly and did a great job of moisturising.  And the scent - I've always loved old-fashioned lavender so it was a perfect fragrance for drifting off...

6. Dove Visible Beauty Nourishing Body Lotion (50ml travel size) - I used this little lotion on holiday.  I found it very light and easily, instantly absorbed.  The pleasant fruit scent evaporated away and my sun-dehydrated skin felt silky and not at all greasy.  Because the lotion spread so easily and provided great coverage the small bottle lasted surprisingly well. 

Fragrance

7. Estee Lauder Pleasures Exotic EDT (7ml) -  I'm a bit of a fan of the original Pleasures and the sweet Pleasures Delight spin-off but I wasn't as enamored by the sharp edge to this variation.  Top notes:  Pink Grapefruit & Mango.  Middle notes:  Green leaves, Peony, Hibiscus, Lychee & Cassis.  Base notes:  Sandalwood, Amber & Violet Woods.

That's January 2013 summed up!

Vita :)

A typical week's worth of makeup?

What does a typical week's worth of makeup look like for me?  How many individual makeup items do I actually use in seven days?  That's what I was wondering one day when I had a little too much time on my hands... 

Of course that makes for a good makeup blog post so I set about finding out, dutifully writing down everything I wore over a seven day period - Monday to Sunday.  I figured it was going to be a pretty small and boring post because I was in a little bit of a makeup rut but it turned out not to be so boring after all - being this time of year it's been all about office lunches, parties and special dinners - all in all it was a more colourful week than I expected!

Now, this is a bit of a makeup porn post - lots of product shots coming up - but it's not a favourites post per se.  There are lots of items I use for varying reasons, not necessarily because I love them best.  You'll see what I mean as I go through the list.

I'm going to start with eye makeup because that's what I actually apply first, rather than my base.  I managed to use 16 different eye makeup items which probably isn't a lot for some of you but it's quite a variety for me!  That 16 comprised 8 eyeshadows, 5 eyeliners and 3 mascaras:

Here's the rundown on what I wore on my eyes:

•  L'Oreal Shadow Minerals (10 Gold) - I dug this out to use as a warm lid shade to counter a cool blue accented eye I wore for an office pre-Xmas lunch.  I don't love this eyeshadow at all because of all the fallout and it literally disappears from my lids halfway through the day.  The good news is it's been discontinued.
• Revlon quad (Tickled Pink) - You can see this eyeshadow quad is on its way to finished.  I've been wearing the last remaining shade everyday as an inner highlight because I'm on a mission to try and kill it before the end of 2012!
• MAC (Phloof!) - I wore this as an inner corner highlight (instead of Tickled Pink - yikes!) for my Saturday night eye.
• MAC (Shale) - I love this neutral grey-purple shadow and wore it as a crease colour a few times during the week.
• Essence (Cappucino, Please!) - A staple browbone shade, a real workhorse neutral, and I wore it nearly every day.
• MAC (Deep Truth) - I wore this deep blue as a crease shade twice, stretching my colour boundaries for a colourful smoky eye.
• MAC (Tempting) - This golden brown shadow was a crease shade for me a few times during the working week.
• MAC (Satellite Dreams) - I wore this purple shadow all over the lids on Saturday night.
• MAC Powerpoint (Bordeauxline) - this plummy liner's a staple and a favourite of mine.  I used it a few days during the week.
• MAC Powerpoint (Handforged) - I used this gold liner one day as a lower lash liner to contrast blue liner on the upper lid.  I've had it for an absolute age, love it and ration how I use it cos it's no longer available :(
• MAC Powerpoint (Duck) - Another staple I used a few times during the week because this grey-brown is the perfect everyday liner.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner (Perversion) - I don't normally wear inky black liner but I wore this for a Saturday night rock chick look.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner (Ransom) - A lovely violet-blue liner that I wore for a pop of colour when I went out for lunch with the girls.
• Christian Dior Diorshow Mascara (Black) - One of my all time faves of the luxe mascara variety, I wore this a few times for a feathery, defined lash look.
• Maybelline Lash Stiletto Waterproof Mascara (Black) - This coated my lashes on the days I exercised after work.  I hate the prickly brush but refuse to waste it because the formula itself is a pretty dependable everyday waterproof mascara.
• Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultimate Curl Mascara (Black) - I wore this a few times too just to mix it up a bit.  I've been enjoying this creamy drugstore mascara because it thickens my lashes with no clumps and makes them reach for the sky!

Eyeshadows shown clockwise from left:

Tickled Pink, Phloof!, Shale, Cappucino, Please!,

Deep Truth, Tempting, Satellite Dreams

Eyeliner shades from left:

Bordeauxline, Handforged, Duck, Perversion, Ransom

My base routine is a little more, erm, routine I guess and I varied it very little over the week.  I generally keep it very simple during the working week and will try to get away with as little as concealer, powder and a little cream blush if I can:

• L'Oreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation (Light Ivory) - My mind changes about this product constantly but now I just want to finish it.  I wore it on the days I felt I needed more coverage and a bit of extra SPF.
• Nyx Mosaic Powder (Plummy) - I swirled my blush brush in this a few times during the week for a natural flush.  It has a weird chalky scent but I do love the natural shade I get on my cheeks.
• L'Oreal True Match Blush (125 Nude Pink) - This literally sits on the border of nude and pink and I wore it to work because it's so easy to wear and again looks natural on me.
• Bloom Sheer Colour Cream (Shy) - I can see I don't like wearing bright cheeks much (at least on that particular week!).  This soft pink cream came out to play on my cheeks on those days I didn't bother with any foundation.
• Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch highlighting concealer (02 Nude) - I wore this every day to cover up my under-eye circles.  I love this product and I'll tell you that again and again...
• No. 7 Vital Enlightening Highlighter Powder - I managed to wear highlighter once during the week on Saturday night.
• theBalm Sexy Mama Anti-shine Translucent Powder - I wore this colourless, one-size-fits-all powder every day to keep my skin looking cool rather than slick.

Blush shades clockwise from left:

Plummy, Shy, Nude Pink

I very nearly managed a different lip colour for every day of the week but not quite because I wore an old Revlon lipstick on a few consecutive days, trying to finish it for my November empties!

• Wet 'n' Wild Lip Liner Pencil (666 Brandy Wine) - This is my lipliner of choice so it was the only lipliner I wore during the week.
• Chanel Extrait de Gloss (51 Insouciance) - I wore this creamy nude lip gloss over Rimmel's Undressed once for a work-appropriate lip. 
• Revlon Colorburst (Raspberry) - This sheer red was another work-appropriate pick for the start of the working week.  
• Revlon (Pinkerbelle) - I wore this lipstick on three days because it was down to the stub and I just wanted to FINISH IT! I didn't quite make it for November - because I got bored and needed a change from blue-toned pink lips - but it's in the bag for the December empties!
• Rimmel (Undressed) - I wore this to work one day partnered with the Chanel gloss.  It's one of my favourite daytime lip combinations (see here).
• MAC (Gem of Roses) - I wore this subtle blush pink for a weekend daytime lip.
• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (Smitten) - I wore this bright raspberry pink to a pre-Xmas office lunch when I was in the mood for OTT eyes and lips.

The lipsticks from left:

Raspberry, Pinkerbelle, Undressed, Gem of Roses

(see here for a closer look at Smitten)

So, to get to the point of this long-winded exercise I used 30 different colour products over seven days.  Is that a lot?  Or simply average? I don't really know - this wasn't scientific in any way - but in any case it kept me occupied for a week!

How do you think you compare?

I'd love to know! 

Until next time

Vita :)