August's farewelled products

Here are the last bits and pieces I finished for the winter season - quite an even mix of skin care and makeup this time around...

Skin care

89) La Clinica Anti-Ageing Gentle Milk Facial Cleanser (200ml/7.4 fl.oz)* - This creamy and gentle cleanser was my morning in-shower choice although it's so gentle it can simply be wiped off with a damp cleansing cloth. I loved the natural Rosehip oil scent too.

90) L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water (200ml) - Just as effective and soothing as the other micellar waters I've used although for whatever reason I found it really messy to squeeze out of the bottle.  A bit of a packaging fail for me.

91) Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths (25 towelettes)* - These fragrance-free cloths live up to their claims as they left my skin feeling simply clean with no residue whatsoever.  My one criticism? The cloths are reasonably small so sometimes more than one cloth was needed for a full cleanse.

92) Palmer's Daily Facial Lotion SPF 15 (100ml/3.38oz.)* - This daily moisturizer had a disconcerting 'grainy' feel when rubbing it into my skin.  I usually love Palmer's products so I was disappointed this didn't live up to their usual standards - I don't know if I was unlucky and received a faulty product?

93) Timeless Truth Stem Cell Extract Mask - I used this to replenish my skin as the second step in a two mask pampering session, following a deep cleansing clay mask.  Problem? This tiny little sheet mask was designed for a smaller face so I felt quite claustrophobic while it was on my face!

Hand and body care

94) OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover (120ml/4 fl.oz) - Yet another bottle of my favourite remover done.

95) Italian Garden Honey & Almond Shower Gel (245ml/8.28 fl.oz) - This was given to me as part of a set for Christmas.  I really loved the strong, predominantly honey scent and it was a cozy choice for a winter morning shower!

96) Italian Garden Honey & Almond Body Scrub (145ml/4.9 fl.oz) - I didn't love this at all.  The scrub was less effective than the shower puff I squirted it into.

Cosmetics

97) Rimmel Idol Eyes Mascara by Kate Moss (004 Eye Rock Jet Black)* - This is such an intensely black mascara as evidenced by the black residue soaking all the way through my makeup remover pads! The heart-shaped brush did require a little twirl of the wrist for the best effect but I really enjoyed the thick black lashes and this product did not flake or run.  

98) Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder (001 Transparent) - Not a bad mattifying powder but not a HG either and the cheap plastic lid cracked and broke in my makeup purse.

99) The Body Shop Flavoured Lip Gloss (10 Coconut) - Deliciously flavoured and the shimmery, milky shade was a gorgeous topper for nude lippy. I'm considering a repurchase of this some time in future.

100) Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (Honey) - I loved this go-to mauve-pink lip colour so much that I have a backup!

101) Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Pencil (Ransom) - Such gorgeousness in a purple liner and I love the glide on formula. I'm considering a repurchase of this one too!

Fragrance

102) Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet (1ml/0.03 fl.oz sample) - Very soft and delicately pretty for spring, but no lasting power at all unfortunately.  From the Dior website this fragrance: "...glorifies the mandarin and the peony on downy notes of white musk. The peony is at the heart of this new signature. Its unique trail combines the rose Damascus essence with fruity notes to recreate the outstanding scent of this flower, elusive in its natural state."

And some more samples...

Over and out for now!

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

Autumn's beauty empties...

For various reasons (travel, family illness, life etc) my blogging schedule has been out of whack over recent months and it obviously saw me lagging in posting my monthly empties too - to the point where I was half-way through May and still hadn't done the March and April posts so figured I'd might as well carry on accumulating empties for the entire Autumn season and get them all out of the way in one rather LARGE post!  

For the sake of your sanity (and mine) I'll keep the reviews light and to the point - having said that, if you want to know more about any individual product just ask away in the comments and I'll let you know what you need to know.  Okay - here we go!  The fear is real...

Skin care

23) Kirkland Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes (30 towelettes) - The second last pack in a bulk box from Costco.  More greasy than refreshing. Will not repurchase.

24) NIVEA Daily Essentials Refreshing Facial Cleansing Wipes (7 Wipes) - An impulse buy at the Target checkout one day and I took the pack away on our Queensland holiday.  Nice average quality wipes, with a hint of the NIVEA scent that I enjoy.

25) Swisspers Naturals Cucumber wipes (5 wipes) - I bought this on holiday after I ran out of the NIVEA.  There was nothing remarkable about these so I won't repurchase.

26) Garnier Clean Sensitive 2 in 1 Gentle Make-up Remover (200ml) - I bought this on sale at Priceline.  Not as effective as other waterproof makeup removers I've tried and for whatever reason I was always squeezing out far too much and flooding my cotton pads.  Will not repurchase.

27) Maybelline Makeup Remover Eye & Lip (70ml/2.4 fl. oz.) - Now this is one of my favourite drugstore makeup removers and it's a repeat purchase after the finishing the Garnier.

28) Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Cleansing Foam (30ml travel size) - Another miniature product in my holiday luggage.  I'd forgotten (and was happy to be reminded) how luxurious and velvety this foam cleanser feels. 

29) La Clinica Gly C Refine Facial Cleansing Wash Gel (200ml/7.4 fl.oz)* - Despite containing glycolic acid and Vitamin C this gel cleanser was gentle enough for everyday use and lasted for months. 

30) La Clinica Perfect Complexion Sunscreen Lotion SPF50 (75ml/2.63 fl.oz)* - Very high SPF without being greasy and can be used on the face and body. I have the backup ready!

31) La Clinica Gly C Refine Vitamin C Ultra Serum (30ml/1.05 fl.oz)* - This serum provides a very immediate "tightening" effect on the skin and demands an application of moisturiser afterwards.

32) Essano Rosehip Treat Your Skin Pack*  - I took this pack away on my holiday and really enjoyed using all the products.  I've since purchased full size versions of the body lotion and cleanser.  See here for my full review.

Hand and body care

33) Miller & Moore Moisturising Shea Butter Body Wash (150ml) - This was part of a gift pack I received from a friend. It smelt faintly like NIVEA and did a suitably gentle job of cleansing in the shower.

34) Mario Badescu A.H.A. Botanical Body Soap (236ml/8 oz.) - An exfoliating body wash gentle enough to use every day.  I will repurchase to keep my goosebumpy skin under control.

35) Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser (50ml/1.7 fl.oz) - One of my leftover souvenirs from the Tokyo Park Hyatt last year which came in handy for another trip! It's a very refreshingly green and mandarin scented gel body wash although I don't know if I'd actually fork out the big $$$ for a full sized bottle.

36) Palmer's Cocoa Butter Skin Therapy Oil Rosehip Fragrance (150ml/5.1 fl.oz)* - A quickly absorbed moisturizing oil with an almost dry oil feel. My only issue was the supposedly no mess bottle still ended up oily so I kept it in its box between uses.  See my full review here.

37) NAT.Body Hand Cream (100ml)* - My bedside hand cream.  A milky formula but surprisingly moisturising and kept the eczema under control on my hands. See my full review for this and the NAT.Body Cuticle Treatment Serum here.

38) NAT.Body Cuticle Treatment Serum (15ml)* - Very effective at moisturising my cuticles and the smallest pump dispensed enough oil to do the cuticles on both hands.

39) Love Soap Handwash With Organic Lavender & Meadowfoam (200ml) - This is formulated for children but I used it to wash my own sensitive skinned hands.  Very gentle and scented with lavender oil.  Will repurchase.

40) OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover (120ml/4 fl.oz) - A regular appearance in my beauty empties.

41) L'Occitane Arlesienne Velvet Hand Cream (30ml/1 oz) - This really did feel velvety textured on application and the rose, sweet violet and saffron scent is delightfully floral.

42) Crabtree & Evelyn Nantucket Briar Hand Therapy (25g/0.9 oz) - I'm yet to come across a scent I haven't enjoyed yet from Crabtree & Evelyn's hand therapy range.  

Hair care

43) Nak Blonde Plus Shampoo (1 litre/33.8 fl. oz) - I use purple toned shampoo to keep my hair from looking too warm or brassy.  This gigantic bottle lasted me many months and I quite frankly got bored with it!

44) RPR De-clorinate My Hair Shampoo (200ml/7.04 fl.oz) - I used this once a week to remove product buildup and refresh my hair.  It was effective but I'm loving the Moroccanoil version I'm using now a lot more so I won't repurchase.

45) John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Enhancing Conditioner (250ml/8.45 fl.oz) - A good drugstore conditioner although I honestly don't know if it enhanced the blonde in any way.

46) Original Mineral Maintain The Mane Shampoo (50ml/1.7 fl.oz travel size) - This is the same stuff my hairdresser uses so I bought the smaller sized bottles to take away on holiday and try before committing to the full size.  Yes it's good salon shampoo.

47) Original Mineral Maintain The Mane Conditioner (50ml/1.7 fl.oz travel size) - As above.

48) Original Mineral O & M Original Detox Shampoo (50ml/1.7 fl. oz travel size) - I used this deep cleansing shampoo to wash my hair after swimming pool sessions during our holiday.

49) & 50) Aesop Classic Shampoo & Conditioner (50ml/1.7 fl.oz) - Yet more travel souvenirs that came in handy.  Very nice and luxurious but I'd still think hard before buying the full size products because of the price.

51) Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Crystal Shine Conditioner (50ml/1.7 fl.oz) - I bought this conditioner on holiday when I ran out of those I'd packed.  It was just okay and not particularly moisturising so I won't repurchase.

Cosmetics

52) Blinc Eye Shadow Primer (Light Tone)* - An excellent eye shadow primer which smooths and brightens the lids, and securely anchors eye shadow through anything.  See my original review here.

53) Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer (30ml) - I grew to really love this primer as the perfect everyday base which performed well under any foundation I applied.

54) Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (01) - My favourite drugstore concealer.

55) Silkygirl Magic BB Powder Foundation (01 Ivory) - I bought this from a drugstore in Singapore a couple of years ago and it gives fantastic, long lasting coverage for a powder product. 

56) INIKA Mineral Mascara (Black)* - This was okay but not great.  It took multiple coats to get any reasonable volume and didn't dry down 100% so was prone to smudging.

57) The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara (Black) - Another okay mascara.  I didn't bond with the brush so I probably won't repurchase this either.

58) Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Liner (Perversion) - I usually love these liners but this one was a huge disappointment.  The pencil core disintegrated, became crumbly and fell out so I sharpened it down to nothing.

59) Essence Matte Effect Eye Shadow (Blockbuster) - I generally love Essence eye shadows but their mattes are their weaker performers. I persisted with this as a browbone shade for quite a while but finally decided enough was enough with this chalky shadow. 

60) Revlon Lip Gloss (Nude Lustre) - Sadly this formula has been discontinued.

61) Chanel Glossimer (83) - I love the pigmentation of these glosses. I'm pretty sure this particular shade has been discontinued though.

62) Tom Ford Lip Color (True Coral) - This was my first TF lipstick so it will hold a special little place in this makeup addict's heart.

63) Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer (Rhubarb) - A great drugstore lip balm that provides a good hit of shiny colour.

Fragrance

62) Jimmy Choo Blossom EDP (2ml/0.06 fl. oz sample)* - Very fizzy, fruity and fun!  Top notes:  citrus and red fruits, including raspberry;  mid notes:  sweet peas and roses;   base notes:  sandalwood and white musk.

63) Prada L'Eau Ambree EDP (10ml miniature) - The last little bottle of one of my favourite scents and I fell in love with it all over again.  The top notes are Cedrat Lemon, Mandarin and Neroli;  middle notes are Benzoin, May Rose and Gardenia; base notes are Amber blended with Patchouli, Vanilla and Opoponax.

*********************************

If you made it all the way to the end I applaud you for your tenacity!  

Until my next, considerably shorter post...

(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.  

 

 

******************************

 

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

 

***************************

 

And OMG that was the FULL story for 2014! 





 

 

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

October's farewelled products

Yes I'm late again and I'm mildly freaking out because as I write my October empties post my bag's already filling up with NOVEMBER empties! No more time to waste then - let's get into it!

 

 

Skin care

 

107) Olay Fresh Effects Refreshing Make-up Removal Cloths (20 cloths) - I think these were my only skin care purchase overseas, because makeup wipes were the only thing I ran out of!  I liked the fresh scent and they did a reasonable job of removing light makeup at the end of a long day.  I've no need to either rant or rave about them and I'll stop right here because the Fresh Effects wipes aren't available in Australia.

 

108) Maybelline Makeup Remover Eye & Lip (70ml/2.4 fl. oz.) - I bought this again for travel because it's the smallest bottle out there.  It does a good enough job for a drugstore makeup remover (gentle but effective on waterproof makeup, blah, blah, blah...) so I'm sure I'll buy some more in future.



 

 

109) La Clinica White Brilliant Intensive Correction Hydrating Night Cream (10ml/0.35 fl.oz)* - I found a sample tube in my drawer to finish up.  See last month's post for my thoughts on this.

 

110) La Clinica Gly C Refine Microdermabrasion Facial Scrub (100ml/3.52 fl.oz)* -  I'm a fan of this facial exfoliant and I'm onto a second tube because it smoothes my skin without any irritation.  See my full review here.

 

111) Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil - A luxury indulgence I spent my birthday $$$ on last year and I made it stretch for months because I used it as an occasional overnight lip treatment.  It was superbly effective as a lip moisturiser although I don't know whether it is quite as effective an anti-aging product as it claims (perhaps because I didn't use it night after night).  Still, I'd probably buy this again as a luxury treat because I'm not over my love affair with all things Hourglass!

 

 

Hand and body care

 

112) Palmer's Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Body Wash (400ml/13.5 fl.oz)* - For those of you who are chocolate freaks like me you might appreciate the fact this smells like you're washing yourself in hot chocolate - if you're not then, well, you get what I'm saying.  This was fabulously creamy and foamy and I loved using it particularly in the depths of winter.

 

113) ECO. Body Women's Personal Body Wash (100ml)* -  I used this fresh herbal scented, antibacterial body wash as a post workout pick me up.  See here for my full review.


 

 

114) Dirty Works Supreme Cream Body Butter (300ml)* -  If I didn't have the massive stash of body butters that currently lurk in my bathroom cupboard I'd buy another tub of this tomorrow because I was hooked on the salty sea air scent and the tub lasted for ages - of course it did a decent job of moisturising too.  This is a summer holiday in a tub of body butter I tell you!  Read my full review here.

 

115) Natio AUM Purifying Body Scrub (150ml/5.1 fl.oz) - Usually I love everything from Natio but this product was equal parts enjoyable and frustrating.  The creamy formula was one of the most moisturising body exfoliants I've tried but the irregular shaped granules were impossible to squeeze out of the tube.  I had to twist off the base just about every time - that 'convenient' flip top lid was just for show! It was too annoying for me and I'll probably stay away for that reason alone.

116) Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Lotion (75ml travel size) -  I'm pretty sure this is the last of my travel empties! I enjoy that age old Nivea scent but this lotion took a lot of rubbing in before the milky film disappeared into the skin.  Maybe I'm just getting too impatient but I want that happy balance of a rich moisturiser that absorbs quickly and this one wasn't quite quick enough for me.


 

 

117) Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy (25g/0.9.oz) - This is yet another wonderfully rich hand cream from my C & E stash.  Silky and easily absorbed.

 

118) OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover (30ml/1 fl.oz) - I bought this mini bottle when I couldn't find the full sized version at the store.  At the risk of repeating myself like a sound loop, this formula is my favourite from the OPI range.

 

119) L'Occitane Pivoine Flora Hand Cream (30ml/1oz) - This hand cream was heavier on fragrance but lighter on moisture, with a more watery texture than I've come to expect from L'Occitane.  I found it okay - and it would be perfectly fine for normal skin - but my dry hands need a richer formula for more lasting hydration.

Okay...Now I'm ready to take on that Sephora haul post!

 

 

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

 





July's farewelled products (and beauty diet update)

Okay, I'm getting straight into it this time.  Ready, set, go!

 

Skin care

 

69) La Clinica White Brilliant Intensive Correction Serum Stage 1 (10ml/0.35 fl.oz. sample size)* - I'm currently using the entire White Brilliant range so when I ran out of the full sized bottle last month I found this sample tube to keep up the routine.  Read my thoughts from last month's empties here.

 

70) Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)* - I received these in an Autumn/Winter care pack from Palmer's Australia and being the wipes fiend that I am, I got into them pretty much straight away.  They're alcohol free, enriched with cocoa butter and chamomile so they don't leave the skin feeling tight after cleansing but gently moisturised and are softly scented with white lily.

 

Hand and body care

 

71) Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate Argan & Grapeseed Hand Therapy (100g/3.5 oz.) - C & E hand creams are strongly scented yet they don't irritate my sensitive skin and they're super rich and moisturising so I enjoy using them.  The pomegranate scent actually smells like candy so my son loved it every time I put it on! I have several of the smaller tubes of C & E hand creams to get through so expect to see quite a few more over the coming months.

 

72) OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover (120ml/4 fl.oz) - And this appears for the sixth time in my empties posts this year.

 

73) Natio Natural Antibacterial Hand Wash (300ml/10.1 fl.oz) - This clear gel hand wash was freshly scented and gently effective without drying out my hands.  I bought it at a Natio warehouse sale last year and unfortunately haven't seen any since otherwise I would definitely repurchase it.

 

Cosmetics

 

 Now for this month's beauty diet update. I've had a very restrained month as I haven't bought anything to reward myself for the latest 4 empties although I am teetering very close to the edge of treating myself to an Hourglass lipstick! Sophie, Anissa, Norlin  are still in on it too.

 

74) Maybelline Dream Matte Powder (Medium) - Maybe I expected too much of this widely loved drugstore powder?  It wasn't the dreamy matte finish I'd imagined and it seemed like I was constantly re-powdering my shiny t-zone.

 

75) Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara (black) - I'm pretty sure this has been discontinued.  I didn't particularly love or hate this one. 

 

76) Za Perfect Fit Concealer (01) - One of the best concealers I've tried. The coverage is amazing and a little bit goes a very long way! This rich and creamy concealer is brightening and very opaque without creasing.  I will definitely be hunting this baby down when I go back to Japan next month.

 

77) Essence Glossy Lip Balm (Strawberry) - This gloss was strongly scented like strawberry candy and made my lips look super shiny with a slight pearly tint.  Honestly I only wore it around the house when my lips felt dry so I wouldn't repurchase it.

 

Fragrance

 

78) Victoria's Secret Amber Romance EDT (30ml) - A very cozy and warming creamy amber.  Had I known that I'd enjoy this scent so much I would have bought the range of body products too.  I will definitely repurchase from this range!  The fragrance notes are:  black cherry, crème anglaise, vanilla and sandalwood.

 

79) Tom Ford Champaca Absolute EDP (4ml sample) - Me and my Tom Ford samples, eh?  It's because the perfumes are so expensive that I indulge vicariously via the samples! This one's another heady unisex fragrance although it leans more toward the feminine end of the spectrum for me with its floral undertones - it reminds me a little of the one full sized bottle of Tom Ford I do own:  Black Orchid. Top notes are cognac, bergamot and dyer’s greenweed; middle notes are champaca, orchid, violet and jasmine; base notes are vanilla, amber, sandalwood and marron glace.

 

80) Plum Japonais EDP (.05 fl.oz/1.5ml) - I wish I owned a bottle of this slightly fruity, spicy stuff! It's certainly more uplifting than a lot of TF samples I've tried and the spicy plum scent evokes memories of childhood when my mother used to boil down autumn ripe plums into a rich spicy syrup. The notes are:  japanese plum, saffron, cinnamon, immortelle, plum blossom, camellia, agarwood (oud), amber, benzoin, fir and vanilla.

 

That's it for another month...

 

 

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

 



A winter skin saver: Palmer's Rosehip Skin Therapy Oil

My skin gets dry and itchy in winter - and I mean maddeningly itchy.  The kind of itch that can drive me to cortisone to stop me from scratching myself red raw.  I suddenly become overly sensitive to soaps and scratchy clothes and damn that winter skin cycle begins again.  So, when I received a very generous Autumn/Winter skin care pack from Palmer's Australia a few months ago I was immediately drawn to the Rosehip Skin Therapy Oil as the first thing to try out - anything to soften and soothe my reptilian winter skin. 

This rosehip scented face and body oil not only promises to soften and smooth the skin but this "advanced, multi-purpose skin perfection product" with active ingredients Vitamin E, Cocoa Butter and Cetesomate-E Complex (which "acts as a delivery system for the other ingredients, improving spreadability and skin absorption") also claims to help improve the appearance of:

Scars
Stretch marks
Dry, damaged skin
Uneven skin tone
Aging skin

My impressions:
The light oil glides onto the skin and sinks in almost instantly with a satiny, dry oil feel and luminosity. I like how my skin instantly feels smooth and actually looks a little more youthful and naturally glowing - those doubters out there just need to apply the oil to one limb only and you'll feel and see the difference. The rosehip scent is an alternative to Palmer's traditional cocoa butter scent and fades away a few minutes after the product absorbs.

I started out using Rosehip Skin Therapy Oil on my problem areas only which weirdly enough are my torso and hips this winter but I've now extended that to my arms, paying special attention to my elbows.  With regular use my winter itches have been soothed and my skin feels softer and more elastic. Best thing is I don't have to worry about getting dressed immediately afterwards so I can use this oil even on busy mornings and the pump bottle means no risk of spills.

I can't comment on stretch marks or scars but I do have some uneven pigmentation on my shoulders from sun damage so I'll keep using this oil daily and see how it performs.

Ingredients:
Canola Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Fragrance (Parfum), Rosa Canina Seed Extract, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Coumarin, Methyl Ionone, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde (Lyral), Lilial.


 Palmer's products are available from Priceline, Chemist Warehouse, Woolworths, Coles, Big W, Target, My Chemist, selected pharmacies & selected IGA stores nationally.

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If you've tried Rosehip Skin Therapy Oil or Palmer's original Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil for scarring or stretch marks I'd be very interested to read your comments so please leave some below!


 (This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

My current skin smoothers (La Clinica, Natio, Palmer's)

Skincare can seem a bit mundane and routine depending on your age, individual needs and so on - I know when I was younger it was all about the bare minimum and skincare was as exciting as cleaning my teeth, necessary but not terribly interesting.  These days I pay a lot more attention, thanks, because as I age I can't be complacent and rely solely on good genes any more!

I'm going to talk about exfoliation as it's the step in my face and body care routine I get most excited about. It's because I can see and feel the results of a good exfoliant straight away and I know that getting rid of those dead skin cells will help all the other skin care products I use to do their job.  As I'm well into "middle" age my skin's getting lazy with cell turnover so I need things to help it along! Also - lucky me - I suffer with keratosis pilaris on my upper arms and regular body moisturiser isn't really going to do much to smooth that congested skin. 


Facial Scrub

It's only been in the past 5 years or so that I've been into exfoliating my face. Tsk! Tsk! If only I knew way back when, right? 

I've tried different kinds of either chemical exfoliants (I didn't love the intense heating sensation on my face), or granular exfoliants.  Currently I'm using La Clinica Gly C Refine Micro Dermabrasion Facial Scrub* for my twice weekly skin smoothing treatment and this superfine granular scrub is enhanced with Glycolic Acid and Vitamin C so it combines both physical and chemical exfoliants in a surprisingly gentle (not scary at all!) but effective way. 

You can see the tiny granules in the macro below - the same as are used in microdermabrasion machines:

I stumbled across my favourite way to use the Gly C Refine scrub one day absolutely by accident:  I'd been massaging the scrub onto my wet skin for about a minute, when I got distracted for a minute so the scrub just sat on my face for that extra little while and when I rinsed it off I had that truly amazing baby skin feeling *choirboys singing*.  I've been following my 'accidental' method ever since of doing a quick, gentle scrub with a small amount of product then pottering around for another minute to allow the Glycolic Acid to finish the job.  I'm slightly hooked on this stuff because it does such a good job of liberating my fresh new skin.


Body Scrub

I like to exfoliate my body at least twice a week to help keep my keratosis under control and scrub away those pesky and stubborn little goose bumpy bits from the backs of my arms.  Natio Wellness Body Scrub is one I keep returning to because it combines sugar which doesn't sting the skin and ground apricot seeds so I can use it on wet skin without all the exfoliant granules dissolving. 

The granules thoroughly exfoliate my skin without scratching or irritating and are suspended in a thick, almost stiff moisturising gel so I don't have to worry about the product sliding off my paws before I can scrub my skin - I hate losing product down the drain - and on a superficial, hedonistic, okay me level, I have to say I'm a fan of the almost candied fruity scent.   

Body Lotion

At one point I mistakenly thought Palmer's Anti-Aging Smoothing Lotion* had been discontinued and I was just a little bit (truthfully more than a little bit) devastated because daily use of this body lotion actually means I don't have to rely on a scrub to keep my skin smooth. The Alpha/Beta Hydroxy Acids act to exfoliate the upper layer of dead skin cells and also penetrate to exfoliate inside and unblock pores which can cause keratosis. 



The thick lotion has a fresh unisex scent, is quickly absorbed and still very moisturising as it contains cocoa butter (of course), and that hero of moisurising ingredients, shea butter.  Oh yeah, what was the reason I thought this was discontinued? Well...It was repackaged and I couldn't find it for looking! I told you I wasn't getting any younger...


 What skincare step are you most passionate about?


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