May's farewelled products (and beauty diet update)

 

I was less voracious about emptying products in May so this will be a reasonably speedy post.  I can practically hear you all heaving a collective sigh of relief...

 

Skin care

 

47) Montagne Jeunesse Passion Peel-Off Masque - I enjoy the ease of using a peel-off mask for deep cleaning my skin without needing to wash it all off afterwards and these single use sachets are highly portable and just fun you know?

 

48) Milk Beauty Wipes (25 wipes) - I discovered these HG beauty wipes last year and I was always going to repurchase. To recap:  these are extra large, alcohol and paraben free, and are heavily textured on one side for exfoliation.

 

 

49) Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel  (50 ml) - I always say this is a no-frills cleanser, but inevitably and without exception it's the only cleanser I buy for travel. It does the job gently and effectively and the 50ml tube lasts for a good few weeks!

 

50) Chanel Precision Ultra Correction Lift Eye Cream (2 x 3ml sample tubes) - On the one hand I can't believe these two little tubes got me through a month!  On the other hand...Chanel promises minimized puffiness and dark circles with this cream but seriously I don't know that I noticed any real difference apart from softer skin.  A sensory pleasure only.

 

Hand and body care

 

51) Yes to Carrots Hand & Elbow Cream (6.76oz/191g) - I'm sure this gargantuan hand cream has been discontinued because it's no longer on the Y to C website.  I really liked it too although it had an unusual scent which my husband strongly disliked - I had to move it from the bedside table to the office desk where it kept moisturizing my hands for months.

 

 

Cosmetics

 

Now for this month's beauty diet empties.  Anissa and Norlin  are still at it too and another beauty obsessed blogger is about to join our support group very soon.   Now I admit sometimes the beauty diet does get tough going for me with all of those limited edition releases out there (and all those expertly styled pictures on social media) but so far so good!

 

52) Estee Lauder Crystal Lipstick (Crystal Cherry) - This was a very flattering glossy cherry red lipstick but unfortunately prone to bleeding.  I ended up using it as more of a soft lip stain to make it work for me.

 

53) Nude by Nature Natural Mineral Cover (Light Skin Tones) - This mineral powder foundation provides a natural looking soft matte coverage but definitely needs a primer to get the best results and longevity of wear.  Once I figured that out I grew to really like it.  Click here for a detailed review.

 

54) She Pure Magic Primer (30ml) - You know I bought this to wear beneath the Nude by Nature and it's the first primer I've ever tried.  It's a strange mousse textured product but it blended in smoothly to mattify the skin and hold my makeup in place.  I know this sounds contradictory but if I could change one thing it would be to make this perhaps a little more moisturising (I'm guessing?) because I noticed it emphasised dry patches on the tops of my cheeks from time to time. Since I've moved on to another product that hasn't been an issue.

 

55) Benefit They're Real! Mascara - Mostly this is great stuff! I love the brush because it gets right down into the lashes and the thickening, lengthening and hardwearing formula.  My gripe is this is absolutely hell to take off! Stubborn is the word that comes to mind when I think of this mascara but I still love it anyway.

 

Culled...

 

 MAC Amplified Lipstick (Molassie) - This brown lipstick has been sitting in my cupboard for years and I've finally let it go. I don't know how I got talked into buying this but I bought brown - and such a caca brown at that - because it never worked for me.  A brown lip hasn't worked for me since the '90's!  I've even toyed with the idea of using this as a cream contouring product but then I decided I'm not prepared to work that hard and admit defeat.  This is much better put to use as a Back 2 MAC swap for a more flattering lipstick!

 

Until next month's empties!



VIDEO POST: Collective Haul (Bite Beauty, Dior, Hourglass, L'Oreal, MAC, Napoleon Perdis, YSL & more!)

It's been a while but Ling and I finally had the chance to record another video! 

 

This time we share all of the beauty booty we "accumulated" during October via gifts, free offers and obviously shopping.  Sit back and relax in front of your computer screen while we take you through and give some first impressions - mostly good but there was one notable disappointment...

 

Brands and products featured:
 

 Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick - Rose

Butter London Nail Lacquer - Scouse

Dior Vernis - 658

Face of Australia Carnivale Nail Enamel - Between the Flags

Face of Australia - Gentle Make-up Remover

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder - Dim Light

L'Oreal Color Riche nail polish - Atomic Purple, Neon Turquoise, Flashing Lilac

 MAC Ri Ri Hearts MAC Collection - Hibiscus Kiss Powder Blush, Ri Ri Woo matte lipstick

Milk - beauty wipes

Napoleon Perdis - Cream Blush, Lip Gloss, Lashes to Lashes Mascara 

Pati Dubroff Lip Balm Crayons - Bare Petal, Dark Orchid, Honeysuckle, Persimmon, Rosebloom

She lipstick - Afina

YSL Glossy Stain - 104

 

Until next time...

 

 

REVIEW: July's farewelled products

There are so many empties posts around this month!  I love reading them so I think it's really fantastic.  Just to add to the growing list, here's mine.  And...Ta-dah!!!  After seven long months I've finished my lipstick ban so I'm showing off the evidence. If you like seeing worn down lipstick stubs then read on...

Skin care

67) Garnier Clean Sensitive Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)
These were lightly sudsy, waffle weave wipes with just the right amount of makeup remover. Suited for dry and sensitive skin as they don't contain perfume or alcohol, these wipes were just what my winter irritated skin needed. They're not as large or as wet as Olay wipes but I liked the way they left my skin feeling clean and comfortable with no tightness at all so I didn't need a night cream if I felt lazy. No fancy flip top packaging but I like these enough to repurchase in future.

68) Shiseido Benefiance Revitalizing Emulsion (15ml/.5 fl.oz travel size)
I found this little glass bottle lurking in my travel toiletries bag so I decided to use it up in a token effort to declutter the bathroom (even if the bottle was labelled 'Best before June 2014'!) . This product is super rich so I didn't need to use much at all to moisturise my entire face and neck and I think it would actually be a bit too heavy and greasy if we weren't in the heart of winter. On the plus side I personally loved the luxe fragrance. On the minus I found it a bit of a PITA trying to coax the product out of the tiny opening - you can't squeeze a glass bottle! If the full sized product is packaged the same way then I personally wouldn't purchase it simply on that frustrating basis.

69) Olay Gentle Foaming Face Wash With Aloe - normal/sensitive (100g)
I bought it because it's cheap and gentle and I usually like to suds up my face a bit in the shower. Tick, tick, tick! Oh yes, it doesn't take a lot of rinsing off either so all in all I'd repurchase this especially as it's a good size for travelling without being too mini.

Hand and body care

70) Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (500ml)

I've been using this as my body cleanser for a few months now and rather than being bored of it I've fallen totally in love with it because my skin's never felt better. I no longer suffer dry or itchy skin and my keratosis is now virtually gone.  This is my HG body product for dry, sensitive, goosebumpy skin.  I love it and have already repurchased a third, and fourth bottle so expect to see a few more of these empties through the year!

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

It's been relabeled and repackaged in a sleeker bottle but this is the same stuff I rely on to remove all that nail polish I constantly apply. This is my sixth - and definitely not the last - empty bottle for the year.

72) SHE Sheer Brightness hand cream (75ml/2.5 fl.oz)

I'm just going to restate what I wrote about this hand cream in my previous hand and nail care post around a month or so ago:  To be honest this tube was my last handbag staple just because it was at the top of the hand cream stash! I bought it for the youth preserving properties and the list of magic ingredients include Vitamin C, Antioxidants, Pomegranate and Vitamin F. It absorbs quite well and leaves my skin soft, but the essential oil scent is a little heavy for my personal taste.  Repurchase?  No.

73)  L'Occitane Ultra Rich Shower Cream with 5% Shea Butter (75ml/2.5 fl.oz)

I had this sitting in the shower for an age and I finally decided to use it.  It is lovely, creamy and frankly indulgent as a showering product, and is faintly scented of coconut.  Oh bloody hell (sorry), I love this too and would repurchase just to spoil myself!  Maybe I can alternate with the Cetaphil hmmm??

Cosmetics

So here they are - my last two lipstick empties, plus a bonus empty lip gloss tube - sound the trumpets!

74) Kit Lip Gloss (Fully Loving It)
I wasn't expecting to finish another lip gloss quite so quickly after completing the lip gloss ban but this is my sixth gloss done for the year. I couldn't get enough of this gloss because of the MLBB colour and uber shine. And of course this particular shade's been discontinued. Ain't that always the way...

75) MAC (Crosswires)
I decided I really, really, roolly loved this lipstick when I was millimetres away from finishing it, although I know I have raved about this coral lipstick before. I'm a little sad it's gone and I would seriously consider buying another tube for spring/summer because I'll say it again, it's the perfect summer coral!

76) Rimmel (Asia)
My MLBB mauve cream lipstick and so long lasting - it's no wonder they're called Lasting Finish! Toward the end of my lipstick ban I was wearing this shade every day and it still took an age to finish. I would consider buying it again at some point in future because it's a flattering everyday shade but honestly after wearing it day in day out I'm not in a hurry to wear it again for a while!

So these were my empties this month - thanks for reading.
Now I'll get back to reading yours!

Vita :)

My hand & nail care routine...

I should have done this post a long time ago.  I've been asked a few times to share my hand and nail care routine so here it finally is!  One important disclaimer:  I just need to remind you I'm not a beauty professional or manicurist, I'm just a beauty fanatic and these are the hand products I currently have on rotation. (I am known to change my products on a whim, particularly when it comes to hand cream because I'm a total product whore!)  Anyway, here we go...

Hand & cuticle moisturisers

I've always got at least a few hand creams on rotation, and my highly original mantra is "moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!" because my skin on my hands is really dry, sensitive and prone to cracking if I neglect it. I always try to apply after I wash my hands (which is frequently), and last thing before I go to bed. At the moment I have two tubes on my bedside table and one in my handbag/purse:

Aveeno Intense Relief hand cream - The first of the bedside table brigade this hand cream is the sensible "cotton underwear" option in moisturisers, and a soothing, reliable option I turn to when my skin's particularly dry or I have an eczema flare up. I've been wearing this one a LOT lately because the wickedly cold weather and the drying effect of indoor heating have been playing havoc with my skin

MOR Orange Blossom hand cream - I bought this earlier this year for the unusual orange blossom scent and the very pretty tube. Luxe packaging is suitable for the boudoir so that's why it's the second hand cream taking up residence on my bedside table. It is rich and lovely and as long as my hands aren't cracked I'll slather it on just to smell the scent!

SHE Sheer Brightness hand cream - To be honest this tube's my current handbag staple just because it was at the top of the hand cream stash! I bought it for the youth preserving properties and the list of magic ingredients include Vitamin C, Antioxidants, Pomegranate and Vitamin F. It absorbs quite well and leaves my skin soft, but the essential oil scent is a little heavy for my personal taste.


OK, when it comes to my cuticles I'm not as vigilant about specifically moisturising them as I should be and I'm also guilty of not using a cuticle remover. I'll use cuticle treatments when I remember and when I apply the treatment and the cuticle has softened I'll very gently push them back. My favourite cuticle moisturiser is Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream but currently I'm using:

Sally Hansen Quick Care Massaging Cuticle Care Treatment - This is quite a nifty little product but it gets buried in my makeup purse and I forget about it! The sweet almond oil and mango seed butter are housed in a pen applicator. One twist and it oozes through the rubber bristle tip to quickly massage into the cuticles and there is a curved edge on one side of the tip perfect for easing the cuticles back

Lucas' Papaw Ointment - This soothing all-rounder sits on my bedside table and I'll use it as an overnight treatment for dry, ragged cuticles and anything else that's dry and ragged! Click here for a full review.

 

Shaping tools

I very rarely use nail clippers to shape my nails and it's only when I want to drastically shorten them, so instead I use my nail file at least weekly to keep them even and under control.

Glass nail file -   I use a glass file to shape my nails rather than an emery board as it doesn't wear down and need to be replaced and it is gentle on my nails.  I have noticed my nails split and chip much less than they used to since I switched from emery to glass so now I have one of these at home and and a pretty crystal bejewelled version in my makeup purse.

Buffer - I'll use a buffer once a month to smooth out any ridges on my nails.  I'm careful not to overdo it and never buff more frequently than monthly as the buffing thins and weakens the nails if done too enthusiastically.

Remover, base & top coats

Because I do my nails quite frequently (i.e. more than once a week) I stick to moisturising polish removers and nourishing, strengthening base coats to minimise the chemical damage.  And because I'm always in a hurry I use quick drying, long lasting top coats! Currently these are:

OPI original polish remover - Recently repackaged in a sleeker, slightly larger bottle for the same price (Yay!) this remover does a decent job of removing my polish and moisturises my nails with aloe vera.  From time to time I do try other products but keep coming back to this and I really don't want to think about how many litres I've gone through...

OPI Nail Envy nail strengthener -  I have used this treatment for years and it seems to have saved me from the damage caused by years of nail biting.  I'll wear two coats over naked nails as a strengthening treatment, although I haven't had naked nails since I started blogging!  Mostly I'll wear a single coat of Nail Envy as my base coat and it works really well as a smooth, protective base for coloured polish. 

China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat - Not my usual quick drying top coat of choice (Hello OPI RapiDry!) but I saw this at a beauty discounters so decided to try it.  It's a bit stinkier and smells more toxic than OPI and has a skinny brush but - bottom line - it does dry quickly and my manicure can last up to 6 days with a single application.

Sally Hansen Megashine Extended Wear Top Coat - This is my other top coat of choice and it really gives that ah-may-zing lacquered shine to any mani.  It dries almost as quickly as RapiDry so it's touch dry within a few minutes and is a really durable top coat where week long mani's are required.  I alternate happily between this and RapiDry.

Quick dry drops

A friend (and follower) introduced me to quick dry polish drops and I've been hooked ever since.  Because I need my polish to dry so quickly with all those colour changes and I want my cuticles to look you know, nice, in those unforgiving closeup pics, quick dry drops take care of both of those needs.  My manicure is good to go in minutes and my cuticles are moisturised by the oils.  Usually I'll use OPI's Drip Dry Drops but at the moment I'm trying Sally Hansen's Speed Dry Drops.  These are considerably more affordable than the OPI drops but are a little oilier so they're not my personal fave.

So - now you know it takes an army to take care of my hands!

  What are your must have hand or nail care products?

Until next time.

Vita :)