Dusty Pink Blush Favourites | Cruelty-Free

Since becoming a beauty blogger all those years ago (6 years ago if you check...) one of the biggest changes to my makeup routine was the addition of blush - yes I was one of those people who loved makeup but didn't wear blush. I've seen the light since, especially since I became more serious about perfecting my base with higher coverage products and then having the need to bring the life and colour back to my artificially perfect but nonetheless pale skin!  

There are a few shades of blush that I gravitate towards more often, and as the weather moves through autumn and into winter, dusty pink tones feel more appropriate than the warmer corals I love in spring and summer. I don't think there are too many posts out there talking about dusty pink blush so hopefully this will be interesting for other paler skinned types like me!

There are four cruelty-free options I have on rotation and I reach for all of these blushes quite regularly because they are so fuss-free, natural looking and they consistently last all day without fading. They also pair well with the cooler nude, plums and berry red lip colours I like to wear as the cold weather closes in.

Clockwise from left these are:

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush (Mood Exposure)
It may look subdued in the pan but don't be fooled. This luxe blush is marbled with ambient lighting powder in Mood Light so the soft plum provides a luminous rose glow on my cheeks. The other plus: these Hourglass blushes are so finely milled that a little goes a long way. I barely need to touch my blush brush into the pan - my favourite brush to use is the Real Techniques blush brush because it is so soft - and it picks up enough colour to liven my cheeks.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush (Exposed)
This famous matte shade is described by Tarte as a nude pink and when you compare my swatches below you can see it's ever so slightly warmer and more nude than Mood Exposure.  It's that perfect neutral shade that works with everything so I get why it's such a go-to. It's the blush I wear when I don't know what blush to wear or when I don't want to think about what blush to wear. I've just convinced myself this is the only blush I need to pack for my next trip, whenever and wherever that is...

Illamasqua Powder Blusher (Naked Rose)
Illamasqua calls Naked Rose a neutral beige pink and yes it's pretty subdued when I consider it on its own but in this dusty lineup it practically pops as a cool pink and to be honest I wear this shade from autumn through to spring!  This blush is another matte and looks beautiful on paler skin giving a hint of pink flush. I love pairing it with cooler neutral eye shadow looks.

Natio Blusher (Rosewood)
This blush from Australian brand Natio is almost a dupe for Tarte Exposed, perhaps just leaning a hint more toward peach territory - this is probably more of a dusty peach if there is such a shade. In any case it wears as a neutral, very natural looking blush on me. Rosewood is another quite pigmented powder blush so a light tap of the brush into the pan picks up enough to dust onto my cheeks. The colour seems to meld with my skin somehow too so it looks like my own healthy cheeks rather than makeup sitting atop them.

And now for some heavy swatches on my arm...

 L -R:
 Mood Exposure, Exposed, Naked Rose, Rosewood

To think I never cared about blush! I've certainly made up for it now and I have a drawer full - well, maybe half full...

What blush shades do you wear in the cooler months?


(All products purchased by me)

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.)

Natio Bloom Eyeshadow Palette (swatches and review)

Well, hello yet again!

 I'm back from my unannounced blogging holiday and *hangs head* this post was sitting in rough draft form for 2 long months. I was toying with what to do but as I'd promised it on Instagram all that time ago I decided to honour that promise so I've finished it and here it is...

My eye shadow palettes have been multiplying like mushrooms in my collection lately - let's face it, isn't every brand bringing out new palettes? Anyway, I wasn't planning on buying any more leading up to my recent trip to Japan.  Yes, I went there again but that's not what this post is about.  This post is about my palette addiction apparently.  Regardless of my good intentions of restraint when I saw the new limited edition Bloom palette from Australian brand Natio's Naturally You collection I got a little irrationally excited, especially because I had enough loyalty points saved up at my local drugstore to score it for free...

Had I bought it, it would have cost me all of $19.95 which is still extremely affordable for a 12-pan palette of eye shadows...and the Bloom palette is full of dusty rose shades that remind me of a palette - which shall remain nameless - which is just a little more expensive, if you know what I'm talking about? Yes I'm winking at Urban Decay right now! So I was easily able to justify this little "gift" to myself without too much agonizing at all.

Okay, so for a 20 dollar-ish palette this is a very pretty and sturdily packaged affair, in a clear but quite weighty plastic case that lets you see all the shades at a glance.  The double-ended applicator included in the palette is something that I'd only use in case of an emergency and there's no mirror - but it's just under $20 so I'd forgive those little things because it's ultimately all about the shadow itself for me.

Onto the swatches in a little bit where you'll see that the pigmentation varies according to the depth of the shades.  The lighter shades are the sheerest on the skin but the intensity of pigment builds up as the shades get to the deeper, plummier end of the palette.  I found there to be a good mix of mattes and shimmers throughout, with a single sparkly shade - a light pink which turned out to be my least favourite.  I tried using it as an eye shadow topper but it resulted in quite a bit of sparkly fallout on the tops of my cheeks.

Other than that one pesky shade, overall I've been enjoying this palette.  The shimmery shades have just enough shimmer to impart a bit of glow to the lids but aren't OTT crazy so they're all daytime appropriate.  The shadows all blend out well, compliment each other, and the range is broad enough to do everything from a pink pastel lid to a deep plum smokey eye.  Wear time is pretty good too as they last all day on my eyes without fading.

The shadows are swatched on the back of my hand:

Anyway I apologise for the extreme lateness of this review but if you're interested I have seen the Natio Bloom palette on sale for $14.96 at the Myer website here. Yes, you can still snap this up if you're quick!


Ingredients:
Talc, Mica, Magnesium Stearate, Dimethicone, 2-Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polyisobutene, Synthetic Wax, Phenoxyethanol / Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Tin Oxide. May contain: CI 77019, CI 77891, CI 77266, CI 77499, CI 77491, CI 77492.

Cruelty Free: Yes 
Vegan: Yes
Certified Organic: Yes



Until next time!


(This product was purchased by me)

November - December's farewelled products

So here I am doing my blog housekeeping, clearing the backlog starting with my beauty empties from late last year.  Even though I hadn't fully jumped onto the cruelty free commitment at that stage it's interesting to see just how many of these items are cruelty free especially when it came to skin care. For reference I've marked all cruelty free items as CF.

Skin care

130) bareMinerals Instant Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover (47ml/1.5 fl.oz) CF - This is the typical dual-phase remover that I favour although this formula seemed more oily than some I've tried.  I've got a backup because of the handy travel size but other than that I don't think I'd rush to repurchase.

131) Natio Cucumber & Aloe Micellar Cleansing Water (200ml/6.7 fl.oz) CF - I really enjoyed this cleansing water.  No weird smell, no astringent tightness, just clean comfortable skin after using it.  

132) Natio Restore Delicate Foam Cleanser For Normal to Dry Skin (100ml/3.4 fl.oz) CF - The consistency of this cleanser made it incredibly hard to squeeze out of the tube.  The product itself was nice (it lathered to a creamy foam that felt rich on the skin) but not enough to make me want to go through the daily struggle of trying to get it out in the first place!

133) Sukin Super Greens Detoxifying Facial Scrub (125ml/4.23 fl.oz)* CF - This creamy scrub was gentle enough to be used every day if I wanted and I really loved the natural cranberry scent.

134) La Clinica Anti Ageing Stem Cell Complex 3 Night Cream (50ml/1.76fl.oz)* CF - This is one heavy-duty night cream that gets to work and leaves me with soft skin the next morning.  It feels very rich on the skin at first yet it penetrates quickly and is not greasy in the slightest. Another plus is there's no distracting scent or perfume which can - surprisingly - be an issue with some night creams out there on the market.  

135) L'Oreal Youth Code Luminosity Extraordinary Serum (30ml) - I bought this some time ago because it claims to correct dark spots and illuminate the skin. No dark spot miracles here I'm afraid.  It did illuminate the skin but honestly a good illuminating primer will do the same.  This serum had a lovely texture and delicately luxe scent but I won't be repurchasing because I didn't really notice any lasting benefits and L'Oreal is not a CF brand.

Hand and body care

136) Shore Soap Company Mermaid Kisses Liquid Soap (235ml/8 fl.oz) CF - This can be used as a body wash but I used it as a luxury hand wash in our powder room - to impress the visitors you know!  It has the most delicate yet not overly feminine scent, is really gentle and non-drying on the skin with its aloe-rich formula, yet as my son perfectly puts it: "It really cuts through the grease!"

137) Love Soap Handwash With Organic Lavender & Meadowfoam (200ml) CF -  This is gentle on my eczema-prone hands was a repurchase and I'm likely to buy it again.

138) Miller & Moore Moisturising Shea Butter Hand Cream (65g) - This was gifted to me as part of an older Christmas set.  I was surprised by how well this shea hand cream performed so I used it as my bedside hand pamperer. The Miller & Moore brand is one of those discount supermarket releases and seems to be discontinued so I can't find out much about it and I've got no idea of its CF status -although my guess is it's probably not.

139) Nivea Refreshingly Soft Moisturising Cream (75ml) - I'm sad that Nivea isn't cruelty free because this was a great multi-tasking moisturiser and very handy for throwing into my bag.  I still have several Nivea products so I will continue to use them but won't repurchase unless their CF status changes.

140) Vaseline Intensive Care Spray Moisturiser Dry Skin Repair (190g)* - See my full review here. I really enjoyed the convenience of this moisturiser but unfortunately I won't be repurchasing as Vaseline is not cruelty free.

141) Natio Mineral Body Wash & Polish (210ml/7.1 fl.oz) CF - This is really great soap-free exfoliating body cleanser, scented with orange, peppermint and rosemary so it was a great early morning pick me up.  Unfortunately it's been discontinued!!!

142) Miller & Moore Moisturising Shea Butter Body Scrub (100ml) - This was utterly useless with no scrubbiness at all so I promptly poured it down the drain.  

143) SODA & Co Sugar Scrub (Mint Burst 225g)* CF - I loved this concept of a body scrub and moisturiser in one.  If I have one criticism it's that I could easily get through a tub in a single week if I used it every day! Read my original review here.

144) Nivea Stress Protect Clinical Strength Deodorant (40ml)* -  I didn't like the way the dry solid stick dragged across my skin on application and I didn't think this controlled perspiration exceptionally better than my regular choice.

Hair care

145) Original Mineral Conquer Blonde Silver Shampoo (250ml/8.4 fl.oz) CF - I use this salon quality shampoo every other day to tone done brassiness in my hair and I've since repurchased (again). 

146) Original Mineral Fine Intellect Conditioner (350ml/11.8fl.oz) CF - Another repurchased hair product because I like a conditioner to "condition" without weighing down my hair. 

147) Organix Moisture + Vitamin B5 Shampoo (385ml/13 fl.oz)* - Damn I wish this brand was still cruelty free because this shampoo cleansed my hair without stripping it and it smelt pretty good too.

.

148) John Frieda 7 Day Volume In-Shower Treatment (118ml/4 fl.oz)* -  This treatment is applied after conditioning the hair, left on for a few minutes then rinsed out.  It's supposed to give added volume for up to 7 days but with my daily hair washing it only lasted 2 to 3 washes at best for me and then I had to go back to using my usual thickening sprays.

Cosmetics

149 & 150) Benefit The Porefessional - Yep this really does minimize the appearance of pores and worked well as a smoothing primer but I won't be buying it again because you know...

151) Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (6ml/.20 fl.oz) CF - This worked really well to control shadows from sliding off my oily eyelids although I'm wondering if I'd prefer a more smoothing formula? 

152) Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (02 Nude) -  This is a long-time favourite that I've repurchased several times - and I still have one more backup - but, alas, it will be the last as Maybelline is not cruelty free.

153) Essence Shimmer Effect Eyeshadow (Cappuccino, Please!) CF - This was a repurchase as this satiny beige was a great dupe for MAC Shroom but unfortunately it's been discontinued.

154) Nude By Nature Pressed Mineral Cover (Medium)* CF - I have mixed feelings about this pressed mineral foundation - I love it for natural looking coverage but I was having issues with hard pan. I have a review in the works so I'll tell you all about it soon.

155) Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter (Berry Smoothie) - This was probably my favourite shade from Revlon's now discontinued Lip Butter line.

156) Chanel Glossimer (119) - This was quite an opaque, lightly shimmery gloss in a MLBB mauve and traveled everywhere with me as a result.

157) MAC Lip Glass (C-Thru) - Milky beige and great worn over a nude lipstick.

158) bareMinerals Marvellous Moxie Lip Gloss (Show Off) CF - I'm having a bit of a love affair with bareMinerals lipsticks at the moment and I didn't mind this lip gloss either! It has a subtle mint scent and has a long-lasting, bleed-proof formula. This particular shade worked perfectly as a topper for my bareMinerals lipstick in the warm pink shade Speak Your Mind so I might consider a repurchase.

Fragrance

159) YSL Black Opium EDP (30ml/1 fl.oz) - I received this bottle as a gift from my husband for Christmas 2014 and as I'd finished this warm gourmand fragrance in record time - and my husband loved me wearing it - I received a backup bottle this Christmas.   The fragrance notes are coffee, pink pepper, orange blossom, jasmine, vanilla, patchouli and cedar. I will be savouring the bottle much longer this time around.

160) Terry de Gunzburg Fruit Defendu EDP (1.5ml/0.05 fl.oz sample) CF - This sweet fruity cocktail smelt like summer to me and is now on my wishlist for a future fragrance splurge. Top notes are bergamot, mango and pineapple; middle notes are turkish rose and pink pepper; base note is white musk.

161) L'Occitane The Vert & Bigarade EDT (7.5ml/0.25 fl.oz) - This was another summer choice as it's a refreshingly green scent.  The opening notes are sparkling citrus in an accord of sweet and bitter orange, while the base includes notes of green tea.

That's 2015 all stitched up! I'm a bit exhausted after going through that lineup so I'm off to have an afternoon lounge out in the yard...

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

October's farewelled products

Yes I know it's nearly December but here are October's empties. I must post them before my empties bag overflows with November's additions!

Skin care

After repeatedly using the same products for removing my eye makeup I branched out a little. However...

115) Natio Eye Makeup Remover (75ml/2.5 fl.oz) - As a rule I love Natio products but this wasn't a great performer at all.  This remover isn't for waterproof makeup so I wasn't expecting miracles but it wasn't particularly effective in any case. I used up the bottle in record time because on several occasions I had to take care of panda eyes in the morning after I'd already supposedly removed my eye makeup the night before! 

116) Natio Eye Makeup Remover Wipes (30 wipes) - These pre-moistened wipes are supposed to remove "most" waterproof mascaras but they actually performed worse than the liquid.  The wipes only pushed the makeup around my eyes, leaving me with lovely dark smudges.  There'll be no repurchasing happening here!

117) NIVEA Daily Essentials Refreshing Facial Cleansing Wipes (7 Wipes) - I had this pack lying around so finished it off on those lazy, too tired to bother nights. Not holy grail but not bad either and they're impregnated with the classic NIVEA scent.

118) La Clinica Anti Ageing Stem Cell Complex Facial Serum (30ml/1.05 fl.oz)* - I found this serum produced an immediate, quite intense firming effect on my skin.

119) La Clinica Gly C Refine Micro Dermabrasion Facial Scrub (100ml/3.52 fl.oz) - This facial exfoliant is a favourite because it combines acids with exfoliating granules to effectively smooth the skin and not surprisingly this is my second tube.  Read more about my thoughts here.

120) Philosophy Kiss Me Tonight Intense Lip Therapy (9g/0.30 fl.oz) - This stuff is really thick and heavy-duty for moisturizing my lips overnight.  I liked it. A lot.

Hand and body care

121) Italian Garden Honey & Almond Body Cream (145ml/4.9 fl.oz) - This was part of an old Christmas gift set. The scent was more honey than almond which was fine with me and the cream was really a lotion in texture so it did a nice job of rubbing in with too much effort, feeling moisturizing without being greasy.  

122) Paiza Body Lotion (75ml/2.53 fl.oz) - Some hotel toiletries from the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore and I think this is an in-house "brand". This body lotion had quite a perfume-y yet still fresh scent and absorbed like a dream. 

123) Paiza Foam & Bath Wash (75ml/2.53 fl.oz) - The body wash had the same unisex type of scent and I enjoyed the indulgent creaminess of it on my skin while showering.

124) Mario Badescu A.H.A. Botanical Body Soap (236ml/8 oz.) - I love this exfoliating body wash because it takes no effort to control my keratosis.  This is a repurchase and I'm seriously considering lifting the bottle out of my son's shower if he doesn't get onto it!

125) L'Occitane Vanilla Bouquet Hand Cream (30ml/1 oz.) - My favourite hand cream formula combined with a richly potent vanilla scent.  I loved it, my husband didn't, but I wouldn't let that dissuade me from more!

126) OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover (120ml/4 fl.oz) - Since finishing my umpteenth bottle I've finally bitten the bullet and have bought a huuuuuge bottle from the OPI hand salon so you won't be seeing another OPI remover in my empties for a while!

Hair care

127) OGX Moisture + Vitamin B5 Conditioner (385ml/13 fl.oz)* - This conditioner did the expected job of conditioning without weighing down my fine hair.  To be honest I'm forever rushing and never wait the recommended 3 to 5 minutes for the conditioner to really do its thing but it still did a pretty good job regardless! 

Cosmetics

128) Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 HR Powder Foundation (002 Soft Beige)* - I didn't love this as a standalone base because it just didn't last on my skin so I used it as a setting powder.  Read my full review here. 

129) Rimmel BB Cream Matte (Light)* - I reviewed this some time ago and I think I might have been a little harsh initially (see here) because I ended up quite liking this as it provided excellent full coverage for a BB cream and the colour match with my skin was bang on.  

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Right, that's it until December pops up all too soon.  Currently I have 11 new empties ready for the next post and counting...

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

September's farewelled products

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

Skin care

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

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

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

Hand and body care

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

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

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

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

Hair care

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

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

Cosmetics

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

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

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

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

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

The hunt for the perfect brown-red lipstick (shopping my stash)

Here's a fun post for Hump Day!

So, I alluded to my change of hair colour in my last post and how it's influenced my taste in other things - namely makeup! It's amazing (pretty logical really) how a new hair colour can get you out of a makeup rut.  Taking advantage of that brief window before the red tint fades from my lightened hair - as it inevitably does and is already - I'm suddenly all about wearing complimentary warmer shades of lipstick and that had me zeroing in on brown-red.

My knee-jerk reaction was to go out and buy a new tube of lippy (Great excuse right?) but I've done the sensible thing first - this time - and gone on a treasure hunt in my lipstick collection to see what I have in brown-red.  Brown-red...is that Pantone's Marsala?? Hmmm...  Before I let myself muse any more on that point, here are the three lipsticks I came up with...
  
L - R: 
MAC - Dubonnet, Natio - Flame, Revlon - Wine With Everything

• MAC Dubonnet was the first lipstick I specifically dove into my collection for, as this Amplified formula lipstick is almost the colour of dried blood.  It definitely leans more to red but has the hint of brown to give it the warmth I'm looking for. This lipstick is by far the deepest shade in this trio and with its rich pigment and slight sheen it makes for a strong statement lip.  My only issue with this lipstick is because it's so dramatic and not a matte it requires more care to ensure it doesn't end up everywhere but on my lips when drinking and eating!

• Natio Flame is a shade lighter and brighter than Dubonnet and sits more in the middle of red and brown so is the true brown-red.  This shade looks like terracotta on my lips and has more of a low maintenance semi-matte finish.  This is the newest of the three lipsticks, which I bought on an unsuspecting whim a few months ago and is my favourite of the bunch because it is exactly what I was looking for in terms of colour and finish for a daytime lipstick. Success!

• Revlon Wine With Everything is an old tube (as you can see by the outdated packaging above) but this colour is a Revlon classic and still available in their core range of Super Lustrous lipsticks. This leans more towards the cooler end of the red spectrum as a plummier red, so kind of misses the brown-red mark although it still flatters strawberry-blonde hair, and is an appropriately classic rediscovery for a winter lip.

The swatches (top to bottom in the same order as above):

Besides having obvious fun playing in my own little makeup pit, the end result of this exercise were the realisations that:

I actually do have the perfect brown-red lipstick in my collection;
I don't need to go lipstick shopping after all;
I've embraced Pantone's colour of the year....maybe???
My own stash is the first place to shop!

When did you last shop your own makeup collection?