Face of Australia: Once In A Blue Moon

I'm clearly under the influence of the Northern Spring at the moment because I'm flirting with pastels again!

Late last year I posted quite a few shades from Face of Australia's Pastels collection (here, here, here, and here just to remind you) and although I quietly bought a few more(!) I stashed them away and got distracted by other newer collections - as you do when nail and beauty brands flood you with wave after wave of them! Okay, getting to the point here's one of those pretty pastels I've been hiding away - Once In A Blue Moon.

Once In A Blue Moon (not to be confused with Lime Crime's eggshell blue Once In A Blue Mousse also swatched on this blog) is a soft powder blue or baby blue with a cream finish.  As with the other FOA pastels, application was a smooth easy two coats for an opaque coverage, topped with a single layer of top coat for extra shine.  Although I didn't think too much of this soft colour in the bottle I really liked how it translated on my nails...

Shade

Sun

What's your favourite pastel colour?

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?

Missha The Style Lucid Nail Polish - CR03

So...after another internet-related hiccup I'm back again!  I've got a load of backlogged posts to get onto so let's kick off with a quickie nail polish post which should suit both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Unfortunately Missha don't get descriptive with their shade names so this nail polish is simply known as CR03.  My guess is maybe CR stands for cream(?) because this is a Spring/Summer/Autumn appropriate cream polish - a flattering pink-toned peach with a hint of pearly sheen that glints subtly in the sunlight.  Missha polishes have huge flat brushes which make for quick coverage although I had to take a bit of extra care as the formula was a little on gluggy side.  With super careful application I'd say this could be a one-coater but I found I needed two for a perfectly smooth veneer. 

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Shade

I'm happy to be back from the internet wilderness and I hope you all had a great Easter!

BYS Glitter Dust for Nails: Pixie Powder

Today's glitter dust mani's a little more subtle than the breathtaking Moonlight Magic I featured last post but definitely pretty in its own right.

Pixie Powder's translucent white glitter dust reminds me of ice or white sugar crystals and to add interest there's also just a hint of blue/pink duochrome in the glitter (which is more visible in my 'Shade' picture).  I figured this colour was a little more wearable for mere mortals like me when venturing out of the house so I sported it for a few days to get some idea of the durability.  I was worried it might flake or crumble but it wore like render reinforcing my nails and stayed put until I decided to remove it - it was surprisingly easy to remove too which was a pleasant surprise for a glitter polish. 

Just getting in touch with my inner Snow Queen here...

Sun

Shade

Some of you asked about whether the glitter sheds everywhere - I'm happy to say it's pretty well anchored to the polish base once it's dried but I've also found out you can also apply a quick spritz of hairspray to hold the sparkles in place!

If you're enjoying these pretties click here to check out the entire BYS Glitter Dust collection!

Until next time

BYS Glitter Dust for Nails: Moonlight Magic

Okay - now for one of the most impractically fun things I've tried on my nails!  Let me tell you the emphasis is on the FUN here!

BYS have launched a new range of Glitter Dust nail kits.  These are not your traditional glitter nail polish, rather these are glitter dipped manicures.  To explain: You paint your nail, dip and roll your nail in a pot of glitter dust while it's still wet, wait a few minutes then brush away the excess.  Each kit contains a bottle of coloured polish, glitter dust in a matching shade and a soft brush for wiping away glitter fallout.  I was lucky enough to receive two of these kits to review and I found the process to be very easy - much less fiddly than the magnetic polishes - and not too messy if you place a sheet of paper where you work to catch any glitter fallout.  This one's for the less artistically inclined polish lovers like me - and for all lovers of glitter of course!

The first shade I'm posting is Moonlight Magic - a vibrant (almost cobalt) blue and it is breathtaking! I can't help it - I'm going to rave about this shade.  I swear, if Dorothy wore sapphire instead of ruby slippers on her feet when she journeyed to Oz this is just what they'd look like! I was in loooooveee.  Now to share some of the looooooveeee *swoon*....

Sun

Shade

Oops, in all my excitement I forgot to take a picture of the kit so here is an image from the Fashion Addict website:

[http://www.fashionaddict.com.au/bys-glitter-for-nails-nail-polish-kit-midnight-magic.html]

 

 

 There are 10 kits in the range and they are available for $7.95AUD each.

Click on the FashionAddict website here to check out the entire BYS Glitter Dust collection.

I'm very seriously considering buying a few more myself!

What's in my fragrance wardrobe?

This is one of those "come and take a peek" type of posts where I'm sharing another little bit of my beauty-related self with you!

This time I've opened up my fragrance wardrobe to share the full sized fragrances I have on current rotation.  "On current rotation" is the thing here:  I do have a few more still in their boxes but I always worry about fragrance spoiling once it's been opened and exposed to light, heat etc. so I try and limit the number of what I have open at any given time.  Yes, I'm a department store queen when it comes to fragrance so there aren't any indie brands here - although I need to get me some education on that.  Help and recommendations please!

Clockwise from bottom left:

 L'Occitane - Voyage En Mediterranee - Labdanum (EDP 75ml)

Notes: Citrus fruits and spices, Labdanum (a woody shrub with a warm amber scent), benzoin, vanilla

I bought this scent on a whim going through the airport a few years ago because I loved its warm amber notes - amber fragrances always get my attention!  I originally wore it as a cold weather scent but now I've found it works rather well for me on warmer evenings too because it has a sensual oriental undertone to it. With its vanilla base this also works well layered over my chocolate scented Chocomania body lotion from The Body Shop to create a warm gourmand scent which isn't too sweet or cloying.  I'm just sad this is no longer readily available.  Sadly, as with L'Occitane's previous L'eau Ambree, these amber based scents have been discontinued.

Bulgari - Mon Jasmine Noir (EDP 50ml)

Notes:  lily of the valley, sambac jasmine, musky nougatine, vibrant wood

This was a gift from my husband and while the soft floral scent wouldn't have caught my nose's attention I do find it quite pleasant and easy to wear.  Jasmine seems to be the predominant note and although the fragrance is soft - I hate saying this - and inoffensively safe enough for day wear I save it for the evening - in particular date nights with my other half!

YSL - Elle Summer Edition (EDT 90ml)

Notes:  Grapefruit, sambac jasmine, pink pepper, benzoin, amber

I'm a fan of the original fruitier, woodier Elle fragrance and bought this version as my summer scent on a whim (and because it was on sale).  I like the lightness and freshness of this version but ultimately I'm a true fan of the original pink bottle with its woodier base notes.  I save this fragrance for weekend wear only - and then only for warm, sunny days!  Somehow I don't want to break the connection with this scent, summery weather and fun - go figure!

MOR - Marshmallow Perfume Oil (9ml)

Notes:  Vanilla musk, jasmine flower, sugar dipped rose petals, white carnation, cotton candy

Get the idea this is sweet scent? Yes, oh yes, and I don't particularly understand the reference to marshmallow as this fragrance definitely smells like musk candy to me.  I bought this because I actually liked the marshmallow scented hand cream but I find this is just a little too much for me.  Worn sparingly on rare occasions only!

Versace - Bright Crystal (EDT 30ml)

Notes:  Iced accord, yuzu, pomegranate, peony, magnolia, lotus flower, acajou, vegetal amber, musk

I bought my first bottle in the same size for a travel-sized scent, then liked it so much I bought another - mostly because it reminded me of that wonderful vacation.  It smells quite crisp and slightly green to me for a floral scent. Very summery and a favourite choice for the weather we've been having because I smell so fresh when I wear it.

L'Occitane - Pivoine Flora (EDT 75ml)

 Notes:  bergamot, grapefruit, green notes, peony, magnolia, violet, vanilla, cedar, musk

I bought this last spring when I was looking for a lighter, fresh scent for the season.  I love how this scent rides the balance of floral and green so while it is very feminine it still has that clean freshness that I love in the warmer months.  This is one of my everyday daytime scents because it's so versatile.  Good for the office or  worn as a casual weekend scent.  

So there you have it - you've had a little peek into my fragrance wardrobe.  I can see I'll be including some richer, warmer fragrances when the weather cools down but these are my current go to's.

What are your current favourites?

Accent mani: Revlon Dreamer and Nail It! Fantasy

Argh!!!  I'm trying to type while my giant cat walks all over me  - and my keyboard!!!  I'll just persist...

I've been embracing blue nails in a big way of late (there's blue and there's blue don't you know?) and here's another pretty blue NOTD I wore a few weeks ago.  Dreamer is a soft sky blue cream polish from Revlon's updated range and it's right up my alley because it leans ever so slightly towards periwinkle.  I could have easily worn it unadorned but true to form I went and found a complimentary glitter polish to accent it!  Fantasy was one of a range of glitter polishes Australian fashion brand Sportsgirl released in their fabulous - and ever changing - Nail It! lineup for the 2012 Christmas season.  Fantasy is another one of those party in a polish combos with a host of different sized and coloured glitters.  I could try and describe all the colours but I'll let you have the fun of picking them out this time!

All pictures were taken in indirect natural daylight:

Thanks for looking!

 I'm accumulating a backlog of pictures at the moment so expect a flood of posts from me soon!