Her Beauty Days

Unexpectedly, May has been a pretty exciting month.

The blossoming of new relationships has really allowed me to view life in a new perspective. April marked the death of a relationship and the consequent month has brought a glimmer of happiness in my life.
During this month I found myself using a lot more moisturiser than I anticipated; "Winter is coming". Being deeply engrossed in the Game of Thrones show and fearing that I would develop the expected dry patches, I took extra measures to ensure my skin isn't depleted of hydration.

Looking back, May was all about taking care of myself, after April's tragic events.
You can evidently view this through the empties I've acquired.


1. L'Oréal Elvive Extraordinary oil Treatment Oil (100 mL)
My friend got me this just last year. I really loved how luxurious the glass packaging is and the product was a pleasure to work with. There is an accompanying fragrance with the oil and I absolutely adore it. I would definitely repurchase this after I use up all of my other treatment oils.

2. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (15 mL samples)
This is targeted towards very dry to dry combination skin types. Overall, a great moisturiser to use - kept my skin hydrated but other than that, nothing outstanding.

3. Frank Body Coconut & Grapeseed Coffee Scrub (200 g)
Thoroughly enjoyed using this. It did provide some minor improvements to my skin. I would consider repurchasing it in future but currently I'm quite interested in whipping up my own batch of coffee scrub. See my review here.

4. Australis Ready Set Go Finishing Powder in True Translucent (7.5 g)
A great cheap finishing powder that sets and mattifies my makeup. It doesn't leave a white cast despite being white in colour. I would repurchase this after trying out other powders.

5. Sukin Facial Moisturiser (50 mL sample)
This is a nice moisturiser that is light enough to be worn during the day and hydrating enough to be used at night for my combination skin. The inclusion of natural ingredients and oils are a bonus but I'm not a fan of the fragrance. I already have a full size bottle of this waiting to be used.

6. Hiruscar Skincare Gel (20 g)
I used this up in my earlier empties post. I won't be repurchasing it because it was quite expensive even though it did prove itself to be effective.

7. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Correcter (40 mL)
I really don't see any amazing results from using this. However I do repurchase from time to time because I feel like I need it in my skincare regime. It works to reduce the appearance of imperfections and unclogs sebum-blocked pores.

8. Essence Lipstick in 52 In the Nude (4 g)
I purchased this back when I was in the nude lips phase. Unfortunately, this shade washed me out and I barely use it. Verdict: I'm throwing it out.

9. Smartskin Facial Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)
I usually pick these up for $1 at woolies. I don't always use them to remove my makeup; mostly for wiping my hands and dirty surfaces.

10. John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo and Conditioner (44 mL and 8.3mL samples)
I thought these worked well for my hair. No complaints coming from me! I would possibly repurchase these but I'm in no rush to grab these any sooner.

And there you have it! Last month's empties done and binned!

It's a bit ironic how I'm constructing today's feature on last month's haul after I posted up my announcement of a spending ban/Project Pan.

Pretty sure you've all heard about the amazing 40% off beauty sale Priceline hosted last week!

I was there alright, at midday and my, what a crowded scene it was. A bit cray-cray, I might emphasise.
My friend, being a guy, received this sale to be quite hilarious; there's a lot of females all in one place.

I entered the store, just to pick up a few items I'm interested in and left with a lot more than I expected!
Basically, I put in everything that I wanted to try in the cute basket given to me by the sales assistant.

I present to you the haulage:


Face products

1. Australis Fresh & Flawless Pressed Powder in Deep Natural
Why didn't I discover this earlier? I love it so far; love the inclusion of the mirror and sponge (underneath the pan of powder) and of course, the actual product itself!

2. Maybelline Dream Pure 8-in-1 BB Cream in Light
I've already tried the medium shade, loved it, so I'm picking up the lighter shade because the former is a bit dark for me.

3. & 4. Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation in 100 Ivory and 103 True Ivory
My first foundation! I tend to steer clear of Rimmel's face products but after seeing the princess-themed advertisement, I was lured in. 103 True Ivory was the closest shade to my complexion and 100 Ivory  would be perfect for those days when my face becomes more paler.


Lip products

5. Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in 910 Shocking Coral
One of my favourite yet unique shades I already have in my collection. Repurchasing this shade because I'm actually running out of the lipstick. Read my review here (it's actually one of my first posts!).

5. L'Oréal Color Riche Made For Me Intense in 370 Crazy Fuchsia
I'm a crazy lover of pink lippies; I'm so glad I picked this up - it's becoming a favourite of mine!

6. L'Oréal Colour Riche Caresse Wet Shine Stain in 102 Romy
I heard these were a probable dupe for YSL (Yves Saint Laurent) Glossy Stains, I love stains and a bit of gloss so I had to try these!

7. Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Gloss in 90 Electric Shock
This shade is just gorgeous. I think there's something youthful about sporting a pink lip gloss, what do YOU think?

8. Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon in 04 Peach on the Beach
I discovered this gem on Sleep and Water's blog. When I saw the shade in real life, I was quite surprised to see what a unique and beautiful shade it was; perfect for summer!


Other products

9. Face of Australia Gentle Make-Up Remover
This is a repurchase. Cheap, does a great job at what it's supposed to do and certainly of a gentle nature.
Comes pretty close to Lancôme's Bi-Facil - that's something quite notable.

10. L'Oréal Super Liner Liquid Eyeliner
I've seen this used by my mum a few times. Curiosity got the better of me; this had to come home with me.

11. L'Oréal Colour Riche Le Vernis in 601 French Riviera
A pretty baby blue polish with darker blue shimmers? How could I resist?!

And that concludes my haul!
I don't understand the relationship I have with sales. Please stop calling out to me!
Well done to those who are on or have completed spending bans!

I hope you've enjoyed this post.

"Slim felt tip eyeliner, precise & intense line"

I welcome August, with another empties post from the previous month, July.
Originally planned to be posted on the first, I've engaged in a tumultuous relationship with work and illy constructed uni schedules, which retarded the release of posts.
Aside from that, I must admit, I enjoy constructing these empties posts, as the process enables me to evaluate on the finished products. Consequently, I enter a phase of rumination; involving the circulating queries, should I repurchase this? Did it work for me? Can I find a more suitable alternative?

I also find this process to be on the hilarious side. Never, did I consider putting so much effort in critiquing products, questioning it's performance.

Well here it is.
Let me present to you, those who've finally made it to the finish line, the empties of July 2013!

Palmolive Naturals Revitalising - Peach Kernel Oil with Vitamin-E & Rose Water Shower Gel (500 mL)
This is a one of my favourite shower gels, being possibly the third bottle I've finished. Despite the large illustration of a peach on the bottle, it doesn't smell anything like peaches. Expect a heavenly scent, quite hard to describe. It lathers well and makes me feel refreshed and relaxed. In addition to the positive points, it's inexpensive and is of great value for money. And if you're wondering, the gel of a colour that matched the lid of the bottle (pale orange). When the time comes, which involves myself languishing for that lovely scent, I'll be repurchasing this product until then.


Biorè Skin Preservation - Clean Things Up Nourishing Gel Cleanser (200 mL)
I received this cleanser amongst other skin products from Biorè's Skin Preservation line, after winning a competition on Facebook. This cleanser "purifies and conditions without disturbing skin's natural moisture balance". This pretty much sums up the product's performance. A great everyday cleanser that will remove your makeup and environmental impurities. The pump dispenses just the right amount of product for each use, so you can use the product more efficiently, without any product going to waste. This bottle lasted me for quite a long time; I had this product since last year! The only thing I disliked was the scent; it's a fresh and clean scent (for some reason, it's just not up my alley). Unfortunately, I will not repurchase because of the scent.


L'Oréal Elvive Smooth-Intense Anti-Frizz Shampoo (250 mL)
This is one of my favourite shampoos.
It helps my hair stay smooth and soft, consequently, helping me achieve "straighter" looking hair (albeit, I have naturally straight hair). Another reason to love this shampoo, is of course, the scent! I'm quite inept when it comes to describing scents but you can expect the same scent in other products in the Elvive Smooth-Intense Anti-Frizz range.


Ophelia Cotton Tips (200 pack)
Purchased this from good old ALDI. These 100% cotton tips are great for fixing up your eye makeup and are inexpensive. A cheap beauty essential!


Swisspers Spa Facial Cleansing Wipes with Pomegranate Extract (25 wipes)
These pink facial wipes (yes, they are indeed pink!) does a decent job at removing makeup without drying the skin. I was first attracted to the pink packaging and how these are "coloured" wipes. The actual wipe is durable and quite soft. Additionally, the pomegranate fragrance is quite pleasant and overall I had an "okay" experience with these wipes.
I will not be repurchasing these because I do feel that these wipes "stung" my face, on the rare occasion of course.

Swisspers Green Tea Calming Facial Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)
I did a little review on this product in this post.
In summary, I think these wipes are the opposite of "calming" because they stung my face quite a bit. I did not experience any redness or rashes but I feel these wipes can be a bit harsh on sensitive skin. I've read a lot of positive reviews but do steer clear if you have the mentioned skin criteria (or "young" skin may I add).


Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30+
I received this generous sunscreen sample among four other different product samples from Neutrogena a few months back. I am quite in awe how this 14 mL sample lasted me for months, considering I apply this on under my makeup everyday. This sunscreen lotion breaks away from the stereotype that sunscreens are greasy, cakey, and are hard to blend. Application is smooth and a dewy finish is achieved. The consistency of the product is just right; it definitely gives a "lightweight, clean feel". What more could you possibly want from a sunscreen? Besides increasing the amount of SPF. But hey, Neutrogena has released a sunscreen from this range with an SPF 50+ so you can't complain here!


Essence Stay With Me Long Lasting Lip Gloss in 07 Kiss Kiss Kiss
This product was from one of my random purchases. Hello to the (pleasingly pigmented) bright red lip gloss that can be found at Target and Priceline for merely $3.50. Forget the stickiness commonly associated with lip glosses and expect a smooth and moisturising application. If you have a sweet tooth, you might have to restrain yourself...This lip gloss is indeed "candylicious".



Maybelline Define-A-Lash Volume Mascara
Unfortunately, this product did not fare well with me. An average mascara that yielded no volume for my straight Asian lashes, but hey, you can expect a clump free finish to your lashes. Ladies of other ethnicities may encounter a much more positive experience. I must give credit to Maybelline for their unique mascara wands that differentiate them from your typical wand; this wand resembled a caterpillar! A word of caution though, if in a rush, you could easily damage this fragile, wiggly yet flexible wand. One must insert it back into the tube, oh-so-meticulously to avoid breaking off the tip.




Softlips Lip Protectant Fruit Fusion in Orange Sunrise (2g)
After finishing up the vanilla flavoured lip balm from this brand, I picked this orange flavoured one, thinking I'd have the same enjoyment in using it as the former. It must've been on the spur of the moment, when I carelessly purchased this without considering if I actually like citrus based scents/flavours. Well, forshadowed earlier, you can deduce that I did not enjoy this product at all. Nevertheless, I still used it until I've reached the finish line (much to my relief) so I can finally dispose of it without those pangs of guilt. Expect your average lip balm but with much less product, infused with the scents of citrus fruits.


Gaia Skincare Pink Grapefruit & Jasmine Foaming Cleanser
(With certified organic green tea, gotu kola, chamomile)
This is a sample sachet of a cleanser that claims to be suitable for normal/combination skin, formulated with sensitive skin in consideration. After just a single use, I found that this is a great cleanser and is perfect for my skin type (combination/sensitive). I highly endorse "natural" skincare products because of the claims they are associated with e.g. pure, natural, organic, free from soap, sulfates, petrochemicals, artificial fragrance, paraben preservatives and the list goes on!
The only downside is you can forget expecting those lush artificial scents. This cleanser emits a herbal scent that is quite received with other natural skincare products.


Pantene Pro-V Clinicare Single Dose Intensive Treatment Programme Rinse Off Treatment
I like the scent and that's pretty much it. I did not notice any difference to my hair; my hair is already semi-smooth and conditioned prior to using this product. Maybe, those lacking a bit of a conditioning boost will benefit from this. This product serves to be a mediocre conditioner for me.


Colgate Plax Fresh Tea Mouthwash
Finished a bunch of these samples.
I've posted up a detailed review here. To sum it up, this is a great tasting mouthwash minus the sting factor associated with alcohol mouthwashes (because it's alcohol free!). I've already repurchased a 500 mL bottle of this.

And that's it!
I'm impressed with the number of products I've used up this month.
Quite frankly, it was fun and I can't wait to finish up more products so I can construct this month's empties post!

After thoughtful consideration, I'm eager to construct a monthly favourites post as well - so I can reflect on the products I've been loving this month!
But I'll see what I can do!

I hope you enjoyed this post.
Have a beautiful day everyone!

So the other day, I headed over to my drugstore makeup stockists to pick up some discounted products after perusing catalogues online. It's time I infused my collection with some new assortment!
In this post, I'll be sharing with you the contents of my haul and a little review on the products, where applicable.

I bought from two sources, the Chemist Warehouse and my local Coles.
I concluded this haul with a purchase from Ebay.

The haulage:



From the Chemist Warehouse, I picked up the new fragrance from Miss Spears, Britney Spears Island Fantasy (EDT) in 100 mL for a very reasonable $24.99. I had no intention of purchasing this beforehand but after a few quick whiffs and getting the friend's approval, I added this to my basket.



This beautiful summer scent is a "fruity floral" and marks the first EDT from the brand. "A potion of succulent fruits and colourful blossoms, evoking warm sunshine, ocean breezes and glittering beaches" in a gorgeous gradient green - blue bottle encrusted with diamond - like gems.

Definitely a "mouthwatering mix of citrus cocktail, mandarin, clementine, watery melon and red fruits intertwines with refreshing floral notes of jasmine, freesia and violet. A surprising finish of soft musky undertones and sugar cane makes the tantalising aroma carefree, flirty and feminine, just like Britney". If the aforementioned description didn't perk your interest then this fragrance might not be the one for you. Similarly, if you're not a enthusiast of fruity floral fragrances (especially the fragrances associated with the Fantasy line), then the same may be applicable to you.
I do find this fragrance a bit citrus-y sweet; it doesn't suit the Winter months (obviously). However, I do love spritzing this fragrance in my room just to elevate my spirits and of course, alleviate the winter blues. The name of the fragrance is most fitting; this will be great, applied in the summer months, especially when you're prancing at the beach.



I picked up three of the Maybelline Color Show® nail lacquers for $2.99 each.
Initially there was a plethora of colours and shades present but I came in a week after the sale and I managed to pick up the colours seen in the above image: Iced Queen (deep lavender), Born With It (profoundly pale pink), and  Impeccable Greys (creamy dark grey) for the cooler months. I can't comment on the formula or the performance of the polishes, but I must pronounce that I experienced a tad of difficulty in opening the bottles due to its design. The lids are of similar measurements and design as the bottle! I am most accommodated to lids that differ to the design of the bottle - providing a "grip" enabling easy opening of the product.


The last beauty product I picked up from the Chemist Warehouse is the L'Oréal Elvive Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Serum. I couldn't resist this product, considering it was discounted at more than half priced ($5, RRP $10.99). I've finished this oil-based serum months ago and replaced with it L'Oréal's Elvive Extraordinary Oil. I prefer the fragrance in Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Serum to the Extraordinary Oil. Both work great on damp or dry hair - they both smooth the frizz (especially the ends) and inject a boost of nourishment to achieve healthy looking hair! I must comment I'm very partial to the packaging of the Extraordinary Oil, a luxurious orange-brown glass bottle with a pump! I highly recommend both of these oils if you're seeking a cheaper alternative to those relatively expensive hair oils or a conditioning treatment for that frizz!

NB: L'Oréal Elvive Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Serum contains argan oil whilst L'Oréal Elvive Extraordinary Oil contains six precious flower oils.

After the passing of a few days, I made my way over to Coles - my destination for the weekly groceries. Whilst shopping there I discovered (with immense jubilance) the CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant nail glosses (two for $7 deal)! Initially, the double entendre-incorporated claim caught my attention, "Dare to go topless with our new nail polish formula that combines a base coat, high gloss colour, and a chip-resistant top coat in one simple step". Succumbing to my inner audacity, I picked up two polishes, a bit overwhelmed by the "challenge" of not using a top coat (or a base coat!).
The polishes I picked up are:

320 Midnight Magic - playful micro-glitters (blue, green, gold, purple) immersed in a beautiful charcoal base with a blue undertone. Upon application, this polish may produce a glittery or metallic effect depending on the lighting. This is definitely a favourite of mine! So far I'm loving it; you only need two generous coats for an opaque finish (I used three) to achieve the desired look. Love the pigmentation, formula and the finished look! Surprise, surprise, I did avoid getting those stained nails albeit I did not use a base coat! I highly recommend these "nail glosses"and I will be purchasing some more shades from this range in future.



295 Out of the Blue - a creamy bright blue shade! I haven't tried these on myself yet but this looks stunning on the sister's nails!

As well as shopping instore, I do shop via other methods. Some may classify me as an avid online shopper; such classification does possess verisimilitude.
One of my favourite places to shop online is the notorious Ebay!



I purchased the L'Oréal Nude Magique BB Blush (Universal Rosy Blush) for around $12 AUD from a UK seller, after trying it out in Priceline (RRP $22.95). My initial thoughts when I first encountered this product was "why is this entitled as a BB blush?" I recognise BB as an abbreviation for "blemish balm" or "beauty balm" and is mostly associated with facial day creams. I hold the presumption that most will accept the purpose of applying BB creams are for its skincare benefits and coverage of blemishes. So naturally, I was intrigued by the title of this blush!



The blush comes in a really small tube (15 mL) but a small product goes a long way! Less is more!
Be surprised as this product dispenses out as a transparent silicone-based gel (with a hint of pink) that reacts with your skin to produce a perfectly suited rosy colour! Consequently, a nice healthy flush is achieved! For those who aren't interested in being recruited to join the circus, you don't have to fret if you apply too much stuff on! I've discovered that the product applied does reaches it's pigmentation threshold and further application can diminish and tone down the colour upon your skin! Perfect!
This product lasts quite a bit on my cheeks and I will definitely repurchase once finished using it (which won't be until a very long time!). Oh, and by the way, this product is definitely guilty by association; I don't think there are any skincare benefits with product usage (it's time to give the "BB" the boot!).

And that concludes my haul!

I hope you enjoyed this post! I would love to read your comments - on your thoughts on the products I featured; have you tried any of these products before? What was your experience like?
Don't be shy!

Oh, and apologies for the inconsistency in the photos produced. I hope you didn't mind them!

Until next time, have a great day everyone!