Cruelty-Free Empties | Quarter 1 2017

Long time no blog...THE BLOG IS BACK!!!

Because I knew I'd be back here eventually I've been diligently collecting all of my empty Cruelty-Free products since January to share my thoughts with you.  The plan is to do these empties posts quarterly rather than monthly - partly because they can get a bit repetitive, and partly because I'm not planning to post more than once per week at this stage.  I didn't like the idea of 1 in every 4 posts being devoted to my trash.

The overwhelming majority of these products were my own purchases so - as always - you can be assured of my honest opinion.  Of course I'll indicate where products have been sent by PR and, yes, my honest opinion still holds there too.  In this post you'll notice a lot of products are from The Body Shop, mostly courtesy of an advent calendar I've been working my way through.  Also, if it seems some categories are underrepresented (like moisturiser!) it's because I have some old non-CF products I'm using while they're still good and they obviously won't be mentioned here.

SKIN CARE

Natio Cucumber & Aloe Micellar Cleansing Water (200ml/6.7 fl.oz)
I bought a bottle of this last year and liked it enough to snap up two more bottles at the Natio warehouse sale. It's very gentle, has minimal scent, and is very effective at cleansing with no residual stickiness.

Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Facial Wipes (10 wipes)
I don't generally use wipes any more but I bought these for travel.  They did the job of removing makeup well enough although they were quite small - also the cucumber scent was quite strong and I couldn't make up my mind whether I liked that or not.

The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-up Remover (150ml/5.0 fl.oz)
This is my favourite eye makeup remover and a repurchase.  It feels as gentle and refreshing as water but it really gets to work on breaking down waterproof makeup.

Face of Australia Gentle Make-up Remover (125ml/4.23 fl.oz)
This was another repurchase I'd picked up on sale.  This is also effective on dealing with waterproof mascara although it did leave some greasy residue behind.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Night Cream (15ml/0.5 oz)
This cream was rich enough to feel as though it was doing something for my skin, without feeling greasy at all.  It is quite heavily perfumed though and my husband - tactful guy that he is, usually - mentioned that my face smelt like hand cream!

Trilogy Rosehip Vital Moisturising Cream (20ml/.67 fl.oz)
I used this little sample tube as my night cream and it lasted weeks! Again, a nicely rich but non-greasy formula that sinks in to the skin and wouldn't be too heavy for daytime use.  This cream had a pleasant orange flower scent, which thankfully was not overpowering at all.

HAND & BODY CARE

Natio Spa One Minute Miracle Body Polish (400g/14.1 fl.oz) 
This was an uplifting lemony scented, super scrubby salt scrub that made body exfoliation a breeze.  This scrub also contains soybean and sesame oil so it's a multitasking scrub and body moisturizer in one. I loved it and can see a repurchase in future.

Uni Organics Lift Me Up Invigorating Body Wash (500ml/16.98 fl.oz)*
This pump bottle lasted me months and months because I only needed 3 or 4 pumps to get a good lather going in my shower puff.  The blackberry extract made for a soft fruity scent and the moisturizing formula cleansed my skin without drying it out.

Natio Wellness Hand Wash (240ml/8.1 fl.oz)
I received this in a wellbeing subscription box and I have purchased it before so I know it quite well.  This hand wash is gentle on my chronically dry skin so I don't have to rush for the hand cream afterwards.  The only issue is the runny formula can get a little messy, dribbling down the front of the bottle and onto the bathroom vanity.

The Body Shop British Rose Petal-Soft Hand Cream (30ml/1.0 fl.oz)
Okay so I really didn't like this. I did enjoy the fresh, rather crisp rose scent - the scent is a great youthful, modern interpretation of rose - but the hand cream seemed to evaporate from my skin rather than absorb and offered minimal moisture. It was no surprise for me to see alcohol in the ingredient listing then!

The Body Shop Frosted Plum Shimmer Lotion (60ml/2.0 fl.oz)
This was one of the surprises in my advent calendar. It was insanely sparkly and I'm well past the clubbing phase so I only wore it, you know, around the house...

The Body Shop Frosted Plum Body Butter (50ml/1.6 oz)
Thankfully this was shimmer-free so I didn't mind slathering the sweet scented butter on my body for some more heavy duty moisture.

The Body Shop Fijian Water Lotus Shower Gel (60ml/2.0 fl.oz)
This shower gel had a rather clean and subtle marine scent and I really enjoy simple, clean crisp scents especially in the shower. I just looked up the website and the full Fijian Water Lotus range is still available - I might be considering a full-size purchase in the future.

The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Body Scrub (50ml/1.75 oz)
Sorry but this was another disappointment. Totally ineffective as a body scrub. There were nowhere near enough scrubby particles, suspended in a thick slippery gel.  I didn't get the point of this product because it didn't seem to do anything.

Norsca Clear Passion Flower 24hr Anti-Perspirant Deodorant (150g/245ml)
This was okay but not as long wearing as it claims to be.  Norsca did have a roll-on version which I'd prefer but I can't find it anymore so I've switched to...

Mitchum Women Advanced Control 48hr Shower Fresh Roll on (50ml)
Now this keeps sweat and odour effectively at bay through anything - and I am a sweaty Betty! I'm using my backup right now.

HAIR CARE

Alchemy Ylang Ylang Shampoo and Macadamia & Wheat Protein Conditioner 
(500ml/16.9 fl.oz each)
I bought these in a pack at Costco and used them together so I'll review them as one unit. As these products are rich in botanical ingredients with no artificial fragrance they have a pleasantly unisex natural herbal scent.  Although having said that, I had them all to myself so these big bottles took months to finish - and they take a lot of room in my compact shower! These were gentle enough to use every day and I noticed how the shampoo cleansed my hair without leaving it feeling stripped and the conditioner did its thing without leaving my fine hair weighed down.

Essano Argan Oil of Morocco Nourishing Shampoo and Nourishing Conditioner 
(300ml/10.14 fl.oz each)
Essano products all seem to smell like heaven and that's a large part of the reason I rushed out to buy these after trying out some samples. The sulphate-free formula shampoo felt creamy and rich when lathering my hair and left it feeling clean without being stripped or overly tangled.  The conditioner made my hair feel silky, and left it smelling amazing!

Aesop Classic Conditioner (50ml travel size)
This was a very thick conditioner which was a challenge to squeeze out of the little bottle although somehow it felt quite light on my hair.  It has a very strong herbal oil scent which I liked but might not be to everyone's taste. I'm happy to use complimentary bottles from hotel bathrooms but I don't love this enough to make a purchase.

FRAGRANCE

The Body Shop Italian Summer Fig EDT (10ml/0.33 fl.oz)
I have the full size bottle of this Mediterranean (as my mind imagines it because I've never been there) scent.  It starts off quite sharply green but mellows out and warms up nicely after a while.  Notes are: "...sparkling, refreshing shades of green notes and vine leaves, combined with honey fruit figs. The heart adds floral flavors of rose spiced with saffron while the base calms down the floral-fruity union with warm, woody notes of oak and amber".


COSMETICS

Stila Lip Glaze (Guava)
I liked this but didn't get hyped up over it.  The nude-pink shade is flattering and lovely over a nude lipstick but I wore through the tube in record time.

NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Setting Powder - Pressed
Again this was like rather than love, because of the packaging.  The powder does a great job of setting makeup without adding any colour or any powderiness (you know what I mean?) but it was hell to get out of the waffle-backed pan towards the end. I may try the loose version sometime in the future when I get through my powder backlog.

ModelCo Fat Lash Volumising Mascara (Black)
This mascara was certainly inky black and effectively volumising too. The brush has a scary ball-tip but once I got used to it, it worked well for separating and getting into the inner corner lashes.

Face of Australia Colour Max Blush (Outback Nutmeg)
For an inexpensive blush this warm peach was a favourite and low-fuss enough for everyday wear.  Medium pigmentation meant I could gradually build it up without fear of too obvious blush.

Bite Beauty Luminous Créme Lipstick (Rosé)
This creamy formula has been superseded by Amuse Bouche so just know that I did enjoy wearing this lipstick and have previously reviewed it glowingly on the blog.

Bareminerals bareSkin Perfecting Veil (Light to Medium)
This mineral powder did a nice natural looking job of setting my makeup, adding a hint of extra coverage.  It did need a little touch up in the middle of the day but I forgave that because I loved the look on the skin.


So that is 3 months' of empties for you!  I look forward to posting here again soon.
Please leave me a comment so we can have a little chat.


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

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.)

My travel makeup bag: What I packed and what I actually used...

I've been back from Singapore three weeks already(!) but my travel makeup choices are still fresh in my mind so for once I'm sharing my travel makeup bag contents with you.  I was aiming for the barest minimum I could get away with packing this time, because you know how it goes, you - well, me - might pack for every possibility then only end up using a small core number of items anyway...

I thought I did a pretty good job of pared down packing this time around yet I still didn't use everything and I also had some disappointments in my smallish selection.  So as you've figured, this post is about what I packed, what I did/didn't like and what I didn't even use!

Face

I was never going to go overboard with my base products and I know the Singapore climate can get pretty steamy at times so I stuck to the basics so as not to have to worry about my face melting off.

I didn't want to bother with glass bottles so opted for a stick foundation this time and had a winning combination in Revlon Photoready Insta-Fix Makeup (140 Nude)* set with a little Rimmel Lasting Finish Powder Foundation (002 Soft Beige)*. After initial struggles with it, I've finally found the best way to use the Rimmel powder is as a topper, and the foundation stick and powder combination stood up to the humidity while still looking natural.

Benefit's The Porefessional was my primer because of the small tube - well yes I was all about cramming in as little as possible this time - and because it works to blur the dreaded pores on and around my nose.  I used the teeny Benefit Stay Don't Stray for the first time (ever!) as my eye shadow base and found it pretty darn good as an eyelid brightener as much as a effective base for holding my eye makeup in place so that was a daily staple.  On the other hand - and I'm not sure why - Benefit's Ooh La Lift didn't really get much use and I only used it once to brighten the under eye area after I realized my rather expensive Tom Ford concealer wasn't cutting it. See below for my thoughts on that product - I forgot to include it with the base products so it's with eye makeup stuff.

For colour I used Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Medium/Deep Matte Bronzer for the occasional bit of after-dark contouring and a little sweep of the very soft Bourjois Rose Pompon blush for the daily dose of cheek colour.  I've had that blush in my drawer forever so it had its inaugural outing on this trip.  It's very soft and needs to be built up so it was good choice for avoiding the obviously made up look - I don't want to look like I've tried too hard on holiday!

Eyes

Again it was all about low-fuss low key items so I chose the very compact neutral Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics for my every day eye makeup - I personally prefer this slightly cooler, more muted palette over the original Naked Basics - and packed my favourite L'Oreal Infallible Hourglass Beige shadow which came in handy to add a touch of shimmer for evening eyes.  I like a little bit of pencil liner for daily definition and Face of Australia's Brown Eye Definer was a no-brainer choice because I use it just about every day anyway.

Now for the disappointments. Tom Ford Concealing Pen (Light/Medium) was something I'd stashed away for a worthy special occasion and it just completely underwhelmed me.  I didn't like the sponge applicator and the shade was too dark to do anything to brighten my under eye area - I don't know how the hell I got sold into making that mistake! The other disappointment was Kevyn Aucoin's The Volume mascara. I packed this because it's a tubing mascara, perfect for humidity, swimming and so on...but the brush...I think it's the brush...maybe it's the rather dry formula too?...did nothing to deposit enough mascara to volumize my lashes. They were tinted more than voluminous. Ugh.

Lips

I tried to cover all the possibilities, within reason, for a week's worth of lip choices (I only chose 6 items and most of them were minis, hah!) and you know what? This is where I actually over packed!

I was so sure I would need a red lip option that I packed two - Tom Ford Cherry Lush Lip Colour and the very vampy Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick (Icon) - and yet I wore neither! Nude or mauve pinks were the winners - rather than reaching for the obvious red I ended up wearing bareMinerals Marvellous Moxie Lipstick (Speak Your Mind) topped with another bareMinerals Marvellous Moxie Lip Gloss (Show Off) for my evening lips, while Chanel Glossimer (119) or The Body Shop Flavoured Gloss (Coconut) were easy daily choices.

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So that was my vacay makeup bag:  mostly good choices, some bad, a few unnecessary things, but I'm satisfied to have used most of what I'd packed!

Do you travel light when it comes to makeup or do you like to plan for all the possibilities?


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

Tag: Addicted to blush

I was tagged by my sweet Melbourne blogger friend Emma (aka emmabovarybeauty), and a self-proclaimed #blushfiend, to do the Addicted to Blush tag and the timing was ripe!  From a regular person with a meagre/normal collection of around 4 or so blushes when I started blogging in 2011, I now have in excess of 30 so I'd say that qualifies me as a blush addict, or to put it much more nicely, a #blushfiend! 

Now onto the questions and there are some toughies in there...

 

 

What colour blush suits you the most?

 (clockwise from top left:  theBalm - Hot Mama!, Tom Ford - Love Lust, Physicians Formula Happy Booster - Natural, Canmake - CL03, Face of Australia - Outback Nutmeg, Bloom Sheer Colour Cream - Coy, Smashbox Blush Rush - Chiffon , Revlon Photoready - Coral Reef)
 

I'd have to say any variation along the coral to peach spectrum because those shades add colour and warmth to my face and I don't look too dolly cheeked - and as you can see above I have no end of choices available in that colour family! I'll always gravitate to those colours first when I'm shopping for a new blush.  In spite of that...in my heart I would have loved to say bright pink because those blushes always look so pretty but in real life it just ain't happening baby!
 

 

Pressed/cream/loose blush?

Can I choose two out of the three options here?  I love pressed blush for the ease of application especially on bleary eyed mornings, when I'm getting ready for work before the sun comes up but then on the other hand I love cream blushes for how they give luminous life back to my sometimes flat and dull cheeks - cream blush gives me a very youthful dewy look.  If cream blush wasn't quite so fiddly I'd probably lean more towards the cream and I am collecting cream blushes more and more so once I have completely mastered the art of cream blush then you'll have to ask me again!

 

 

Favourite shimmery blush?

 (Left to right:  Physicians Formula Happy Booster - Natural, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush - Mood Exposure)

 

In terms of shimmery blush choices, after sitting around being admired more than used for the longest time Physician's Formula Happy Booster in Natural has recently become an almost daily favourite for adding that naturally peachy glow.  Also I have to mention the plummy Hourglass Mood Exposure for the cooler months as I'm picking it up again. 

 

Favourite matte blush?

 (Left to right:  Illamasqua Powder Blusher - Naked Rose, Laura Mercier - Fresh Peach)
 

Now this matte blush seems to be just about everyone's favourite but, honestly, the one I reach for most consistently is Illamasqua Naked Rose for just the lightest wash of dusty pink on my cheeks - and it literally does take the lightest pat of the brush into the pan to pick up enough colour. Just to add something different from everyone, Fresh Peach blush in my trusty old Laura Mercier Lingerie palette is also a favourite pat and go shade.

 

Favourite cream blush?

 (Left to right:  Bloom Sheer Colour Creams - Shy, Coy, Tint)
 

I'm going with my little trio of Bloom Sheer Colour Creams because they were my first cream blushes and they feel so emollient on the skin without being too slippery, providing just the right amount of colour for a natural glow - even that scary old pot of Tint on the right translates to a soft berry on the cheeks. Of course I have to single out one favourite from the trio of favourites and that has to be the peach toned (of course!) Coy seen below...

 

 

Favourite drugstore blush?

(Left to right:  NYX Mosaic Powder Blushers - Rosey, Plummy)

My NYX Mosaic blushes in Rosey and Plummy are my favourites because of their versatility and also for the ease of getting a multi-dimensional look just by swirling the brush around the pan.  After consistently using Plummy over the past few years I always knew I would have to buy more from the Mosaic range and Rosey hasn't disappointed either. 

 

Favourite high end blush?

(Tom Ford Cheek Color - 01 Love Lust)

 

Tom Ford's Love Lust is a favourite not just because it's from Tom 'freaking' Ford but because the colour is a beautifully wearable peach shot with a subtle golden glow.  I hoarded this for ages (because of the Tom 'freaking' Ford factor and being too pretty to use blah, blah...) but once I started wearing it I realised this really is a quality blush from the velvety texture to the flattering warm glow it gives me.  It's too pretty NOT to use!
 

 
 

Favourite bright blush?

 (Revlon Photoready - Coral Reef)
 

Hmmm...I like blushes which may look deceptively bright in the pan but translate more softly on the skin and Revlon's Photoready cream blush in Coral Reef does just that.  I like applying this one with my fingers to melt the colour into my skin.

 

Biggest blush disappointment/regret?

(MAC Powder Blush - Immortal Flower)
 

I feel terrible knocking a MAC blush (of all things!) but MAC Immortal Flower was a disappointment because it just does NOT show up on me! It's extremely pretty in the pan but even for the once blush-shy me this is not enough.  I don't know...maybe I should try it again in the depths of winter?

 

Best blush packaging?

 (YSL Flower Crush Palette - Rosy Blush)
 

I'll interpret that as meaning the most attractive packaging and for me it was definitely YSL's Flower Crush Palette Rosy Blush from the 2014 Spring collection - I mean, just look at it *sigh*.  Those of you who've known me long enough will know just how obsessed I was with getting my hands on it and I don't regret it for one second.  And, yes, I have used it!
 

 

What's on your blush wish list?

I have two picks on my wish list:  Stila's  Field of Florals Convertible Color palette (hopefully on its way to me) and any of Milani's Rose Powder blushes.

 

Number 1 Holy Grail blush?

Ooh that's a toughie and I'm not going to stick my neck out that far - I'm still looking for that one perfect blush!! Until then I guess I'll have to keep collecting ;-)

 

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Does anyone care to answer that last question?  What's your number 1 HG blush?

  

 

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.)

December's farewelled products and the final 2014 empties tallies by category!

Are you ready for my final 2014 empties post? Seeing as I was in the mood for summing up the year I've included yearly tallies at the end of the post too - I wanted to know what things I got through the most and see if there were any surprises...

 

Skin care

 

132) Renew You Q10 & Hyaluronic Acid Intense Hydration Hydrogel Masque (1 treatment) - This is the most unusual sheet mask I've tried because it's a 2-piece mask, and rather than tissue or cloth it's a slippery, rubbery gel-like mask which I actually found a little claustrophobic on my face.  I could feel the slight tingle of acids working their magic on my skin and my skin definitely felt smoother after one treatment. Truth be told though - because I found the experience more claustrophobic than relaxing I won't be buying this particular sheet mask again.

 

133) Kirkland Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes (30 towelettes) - Forgive me but I still have two more packs of these to finish.  Not bad but nowhere near the HG of cleansing clothes. I'm actually starting to wean myself off the habit so it's probably going to be a while before I finish them.

 

 

134) Chu Lip Balm (Tokyo Mode Night) - You probably think I ate this because I got through it so quickly! This Japanese lip balm wins on cute packaging alone but the honey, lemon tea and bergamot scent was very appealing to me also.  This balm was not at all waxy and melted onto the lips so it wasn't a surprise I finished it in under two months.  Still, I wish I'd bought more of the six scents/flavours to try and I wouldn't need my arm twisted too hard to order some online from the Japan Trend Shop! (Sorry Liz I forgot to draw on the eyes and nose for this shot :p)

 

135)  Face of Australia Gentle Make-up Remover (125ml/4.23 fl.oz) - I'm onto another backup of this gentle remover which takes off waterproof eye makeup and more recently it's passed the test on long-lasting lip colours too.

 



Hand and body care

 

136) Bath & BodyWorks Warm Vanilla Sugar Shea & Vitamin E Shower Gel (3 fl.oz/88 ml) -  I am literally KICKING myself for not loading up my luggage (or at least buying the full size) of this cosy scented shower gel when I was in Hawaii. This shower gel foams up so well it's like taking a standing up bubble bath and leaves my skin delicately scented and moisturised - Gimme more! Thanks again Liz for introducing me to this delicious scent!

 

137) Natio Wellness Body Scrub (450g/15.8oz) - I enjoy this scrub in a tub. See a more detailed review here.

 

 

138) Natio Meditate Body Butter (Yoga Scent Narcissus Attar 100g/3.5oz) - Scented with Narcissus Jonquilla Flower oil, this body butter smelt heavenly but is unfortunately discontinued.

 

139) Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Concentrated Cream (30g/1.1oz) - I'd actually packed this for my overseas trip a few months ago but a little goes a long way so it made its way back home again.  A little squeeze of the tube is all that's needed to get enough of this rich cream to deeply moisturise my elbows or feet and it absorbs in seconds.

 

140) Palmer's Anti-Aging Smoothing Lotion 250ml/8.5 fl.oz)* - This is one of my favourite body lotions because it exfoliates and smooths the keratosis on my skin in addition to moisturising.  I have quite a stash of body moisturisers to get through at the moment but this will be at the top of my repurchase list.

 

 

140) OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover (120ml/4 fl.oz) - Surprise! Surprise! NOT! Another empty bottle of OPI remover to add to the tally.

 

Cosmetics

 

141) Models Prefer BB Pressed Powder (Light/Medium) - One of the disappointments for the year.  Despite its claims this BB powder offered very minimal coverage when worn alone and I resorted to using it as a finishing powder although it wasn't great at mattifying either.  Will. Not. Repurchase.

 



Fragrance

 

142) Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire EDT (1 ml/.03 oz. sample) - This sweet fragrance does smell PRETTY and youthful, perfect for the wearer of a cute little black dress like that illustrated on the vial. I did enjoy it though and remain hopeful that it's not too young for me just yet! Top notes are black cherry, bergamot, red berries and almond. Mid notes are Bulgarian and Turkish roses, licorice and smoked black tea. Aniseed, tonka bean, vanilla, iris and patchouli form the base.

 

143) Witchery Fresh Blossom rollerball (12ml/0.4 fl.oz) - Australian fashion brand Witchery describe this as "sensuous and uncomplicated" and l liked the slightly syrupy citrusy scent for everyday wear - don't laugh but it reminds me of orange syrup cake!  Still it's very subtle and soft, and unlikely to offend anyone. I bought this fragrance from a warehouse store and can't find anything online about it so I'm sure it's been discontinued.  

 

 

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So THAT comes to a grand total of 143 products emptied for the year comprising of the following sorted by category.  Keep reading if you're into the numbers...

 

 

 

Skin care:

• 10 packs of cleansing wipes (this will not continue on the same scale!)
• 7 full sized (and 1 travel size) makeup removers
• 4 sheet masks
• 3 full sized (and 1 travel size) day creams
• 3 lip treatments/balms
• 2 full sized (and 4 travel sized) facial cleansers
• 2 full sized (and 1 travel size) serums
• 2 peel off mask sachets
• 1 full size (and 2 travel sized) night cream
• 1 facial scrub
• 1 cleansing (micellar) water
• 1 face mask tube
• 1 papaw ointment tube
• 2 sample tubes eye cream  

 

 

Hand and body care:

• 11 nail polish removers
• 9 hand creams
• 6 body butters
• 5 body scrubs
• 4 full sized (and 1 travel sized) body washes
• 3 full sized (and 2 travel sized) body lotions
• 3 hand washes
• 1 foot cream
• 1 nail polish top coat
• 1 body exfoliating towelette

 

 

Cosmetics:

• 6 lipsticks
• 6 tubes of mascara
• 5 lip glosses
• 3 concealers
• 2 BB powders
• 1 full sized (and 2 travel sized) eye primers
• 1 eye shadow palette
• 1 eye shadow single
• 1 eyeliner pencil
• 1 mineral foundation
• 1 powder blush
• 1 pressed powder
• 1 primer

(I also culled 6 additional lipsticks, an eye shadow palette, mascara and tinted sunscreen although these did not count towards the empties tally. I hope for much more culling this year!)

 

 

Haircare: 

• 1 full sized (and 1 travel sized) shampoo
• 1 full sized (and 1 travel sized) conditioner
• 1 volumizing spray

(Haircare was the least accurate category of all as I only counted shampoos and conditioners I reviewed last year. I don't know if you guys are interested in my usual shampooing routine in 2015??)

 

 

Fragrance:

• 5 full sized bottles
• 9 sample vials

 

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And OMG that was the FULL story for 2014! 





 

 

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