Smuggler's Soul Sunday

The new Lush Father's Day collection* is out on shelves and I've been trialling some of the products, despite obviously not being a papa myself. My own Dad isn't the pampering kind at all and wouldn't appreciate gifts like this for his special day (we've actually bought some awesome new décor for his bar!) but I know that when Mister Bovary and I have a child he will be gunning for a big bag of Lush each Father's Day - it's his favourite!

The focus seems to be on citrus and sandalwood for the Father's in our lives, which suits me as I'm fond of both of those scent families. 'Thanks Dad Soap' and 'The Modfather Bubble Bar' are from the citrus side of things while the 'Super Dad Bath Bomb' and Smuggler's Soul range is all based on sandalwood.

I immediately made grabby hands for the Smuggler's Soul Multipurpose Cream and Smuggler's Soul Facial Scrub, which Mister and I are trialling together. Lush says that you can use the Multipurpose Cream as a moisturiser, shaving cream, hair styling product etc but so far we've just used it as a straight up facial moisturiser. It's definitely better suited to a night time skincare routine as it does leave some residue on the skin (which I don't mind for overnight) and the scent is lovely! It's the consistency of runny yoghurt but packs a nice punch in the moisturising stakes!

I have a weakness for facial scrubs and the Smuggler's Soul Facial Scrub is one of the nicer ones I've tried in recent times - it's contains very fine bamboo granules and has a delicious sandalwood scent that is so warm and cozy! I love the texture and it scrubs my skin really well, but I do find with physical exfoliants like this I need to be careful not to be overzealous in case it aggravates my skin.

We've got a jam-packed afternoon planned for Father's Day, we're having a casual lunch out with my side during the day and moving straight onto an early dinner at an Italian restaurant chain with Mister's side - I think I'm going to have to be rolled home after all that food! Do you have anything exciting planned with your family?
-Emma x


*These products were provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

2016 Empties - First Quarter

Why did I leave the first instalment in this years empties so late? Purely because I am forgetful, but I want it up for my own personal record so this will be short and sweet with the next instalment up this Friday!
SHOWER

I'd purchase all of these shower products again - The Body Shop makes amazing shower gels, Original Source is my affordable go-to, Palmolive scents are divine and Lush is lush - need I say more?
PERFUME + HAIR

I was disappointed with my Hollister Silver Strand Beach Body Spray that I ended up using as a room spray - I adore the scent and ambience of their stores but think their true scents are the way to go as this smelt of alcohol to me. I'll miss the addition of a classy rose scent in my collection now that I've finished up Bvlgari Rose Essentielle, and it will be a while before I purchase the lovely smelling Schwarzkopf Ultimate Repair Anti-Damage Mask again as I'm trialling a stack of other hair products now.
SKINCARE

This is the section that makes me feel most accomplished. For the first quarter I used up Maybelline Make-Up Remover* (wasn't effective) My Beauty Diary Red Vine sheet mask (enjoyed this) Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips (automatic repurchase) and am tossing the Yes to Cucumber Wipes* as they dried up before I could finish them. I was sad to finish off my Dermalogica Precleanse as it's my favourite cleansing oil, and my love affair with La Roche-Posay Efflaclar Duo+* is well documented on this blog. I also used up an adorably teensy Bioderma Crealine H2O and Caudalie Cleansing Water, which was okay but I still prefer the classic Bioderma or Garnier cleansing waters.

 

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What products do you find most satisfying to use up? It's always frustrating if the product is limited edition or hard to get your hands on, but even finishing my favourite skincare can be annoying because it just means I have to fork out more cash to have it back in my routine!

-Emma x

 

 

*Marked products were provided for consideration.

Laid Back Sample Project - Update 4

I've got some pretty nice samples waiting in the wings to be trialled, and I'm enjoying this relaxed project even more than I thought I would! It feels so positive to be actually using the products and documenting my thoughts and first impressions - it satisfies the hoarder in me to have a record of things and new stuff keeps the beauty junkie in me alive, too!

Aveda Damage Remedy Conditioner
I managed to squeeze two uses from this sample size, and it really highlighted how ineffective my current hair mask is (that I use as conditioner!) I tend to stick with drugstore hair products but this smelt nice and did a good job of softening my strands, so who knows!

Lush Yummy Mummy Shower Gel
I actually finished this a little while ago (seen in my empties!) but forgot to include it in my sample project! I didn't mind the strong iris scent but there are others from Lush that I prefer so I will stick to buying those.

YSL Shocking Faux Cils Mascara
This mascara is a thing of beauty - I am pretty lucky in the lash department but never has it been more evident than when I'm wearing this bad boy! The downside to this is that I now despise most of my current lash options as they pale in comparison to this...

Estee Lauder Modern Muse
I absolutely adore this scent, and have used up another sample vial of it in the past, too. It's a scent I spray on anytime I pass an Estee Lauder counter, which says to me that I need to pick up a full size in the future!

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Previous updates!
Original Project Post
Update 1ft. Versace, Lush, Dior and LaGaia
Update 2 ft. Balenciaga, Biore, Mario Badescu and Missha
Update 3 ft. Benefit, L'Oreal, L'Occitane and Smashbox

Hope you're having a wonderful week so far, sending positive vibes out to all of you for the week ahead!
-Emma x

The Lush Limited

I've been trialling a few new bits and bobs from Lush since before Mother's Day, which is the theme of this new collection of limited edition products. I'm not a huge Lush addict though I do like quite a few of their products, so I was intrigued to see some new scents I'd not tried before. I sadly haven't gotten around to a bath in recent months (seems like a lot of effort, though my achy back sure could use a good soak!) so I am yet to try the Mother Superior Bubble Bar ($9.95/180g) which is scented with cherry blossoms. I aven't had a go at the Rose Bombshell Bath Bomb ($6.25/165g) either, so will have to schedule in some relaxation time stat and use these up!

Let's get an honest opinion out of the way - bar soaps just don't float my boat! I feel like they all leave my skin 'squeaky clean' which I can't stand, even though I know they aren't drying my skin out or anything like that. I definitely prefer a shower gel but was happy to give this floral chunk of Love You Mum Soap ($6.95/100g) a go (FYI, this flower is just part of the larger design, check it out!) and adored the sweet scent of jasmine, mimosa and co...I still didn't love the bar soap feeling though, and so have relegated this to a shaving lubricant and it does a marvellous job at that!

Now I'll move onto the two products I enjoyed most from this limited collection - the Yummy Mummy stuff! I do cringe a little bit with the name of this stuff as I feel a fraud to use it without being a Mumma (does being a furMama to Charlie count?) but the scents are pretty rad! I did think about giving this stuff to Mumma Bovary but I know that the strength of the lilac scented Yummy Mummy Shower Gel ($9.95/100g) would give her an instant migraine, and that would NOT win me any daughter points!

 

My pick of the bunch, though? The Yummy Mummy Body Conditioner, mmm mmm. Of course I've chosen the priciest of the lot at $32.50/250g but man this stuff smells delicious. It's a mix of fresh strawberry and cocoa butter and so it smells like a sweet and moreish butter with a fruity twist. I spread a bit on my arms and décolletage when I apply my hair conditioner and then rinse them off for silky skin and hair - time saver! It unfortunately doesn't stop Charlie boy from wanting to lick the scent from my arms, so it very similar to a traditional body lotion in that respect ><  

 

Do you have any tricks for keeping up with body moisturising in winter?

Isn't is great that they've made an alternative scent to Ro's Argan Body Conditioner!?

-Emma x

 

*All of these Lush products were provided for consideration. Honesty, always!

 

The Relaxation Station

Relaxing - that thing I used to do properly before I became a blogger and had a million tabs opened permanently on my laptop. I was craving a boiling hot bath the other night and so I shuffled into the bathroom with a big stash of PR gifted luxuries to indulge in.

I've had this Jeanne en Provence Feu de Bois (By the Fireplace) candle* for quite a while, often having a sniff of the jar without actually making the commitment of burning it. I take it as a major sign of hoarding that I actually feel my tummy clench at the thought of a nice candle being used up...I have to admit that Dusk had a latte candle once that I loved so much that I quit burning it half way through and was content with using it as decoration so I could sniff it all the time. Am I weird, or has anyone else done this before? Anyway - this candle was lovely, very luxe and made me feel classy in the tub which is always a good thing.

The A'Kin Orange Blossom Body Wash* isn't the sweet orange that some products can be, and I think many people would prefer this bitter orange scent (if bitter is what you could call it - you know me with scents...) I thought this body wash would go well with the heavily scented Lush Golden Wonder Bath Ballistic*, which is something I have always wanted to try out for myself! Little soap stars shoot out of this once you drop it into your bath and it leaves everything a beautiful shimmery blue (but don't worry, it didn't stain the tub!)

I devoured the last of my Malteaster bunnies while reading Margaret Atwood's The Edible Woman, which I've now finished and quite enjoyed! I found the message a little hard to decipher and went looking for some in depth reviews to gauge the public opinion, but the fact that I looked forward to reading it on my lunch breaks meant it was a good 'un. You can suss out my reading style on my Goodreads profile if you like!

 

What are you reading right now?

Are you a fan of baths, or do you think they are too much hassle?

Are there any permanent Lush bath products I need to suss out?

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

 

*Provided for consideration. Honesty,always.

Is Lush's Sugar Scrub Really All That Sweet?

While I wouldn't say I am the biggest fan of Lush, it isn't often that I travel to the city without popping in to play around in the sensory wonderland. I have a few favourites from the brand, particularly the shower gels and jellies which always smell amazing and do a great job of cleansing, but trying the full range is something I am yet to accomplish.

Back when I was still subscribed to a host of beauty sample boxes, I received the hard Lush Sugar Scrub more than a few times, so I feel like I've given the product enough time to really impress me. Unfortunately for this scrub lover, this one sort of let me down.

The Lush Sugar Scrub has a lovely herbal lavender scent which I like, and is a pretty green shade. It is said to stimulate your skin and the fennel and ginger inside it supposed to tackle your cellulite (high five to that, Lush!) In the official description it asks you not to let the bar come under running water as it will disintegrate, and I found this to be true the very first time I used it. The next few times I made sure to keep the packed sugary substance away from the running water (bit of a mean feat in the shower...) but I still found that this broke down easily and I couldn't manage to get more than two uses from each lump. I agree that the scrub works well at leaving soft and smooth skin behind, but for $6.50 a pop (100g) this is just too pricy for me. If it came in a large tub and was scoopable perhaps I would get along better with this, but for now I say sayonara to this one.

What sort of body scrub floats your boat?
I think the Lush Rub Rub Rub shower scrub sounds like a better option, don't you?

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

*Product came in a sample box, as stated above. Honesty, always.

#dayinthelife ft. Melbourne City trip and mini haul

I've never done a post like this before, but I find them fun to read so when Mister Bovary and I went out last weekend I decided to snap some pictures to take you along with me. Hope you enjoy!

Had a wee sleep in before getting up to clean the house - vacuuming is my most-loved chore, what is yours?

Advent calendar time! I think the little elf on the calendar looks just like Mister Bovary but he disagrees, teehee!

Took a train into the city to see the Myer windows (gingerbread theme this year, and the line was absolutely humungous!) and stumbled across Santa Land!

Cheeky snap of Mister B in his very favourite 'beauty' store, Lush on Swanston Street! His favourite products are the wobbling shower jellies, they smell amazing.

Stopped to watch some pretty cool beat boxers busking in the street.

Had a quick look in Sportgirl and saw that they have new cream blushes out, and some eye crayons that I was mighty tempted by! I wanted to test the pink blush shade but they didn't have a tester out so I didn't end up buying anything.

Swoon, there is nothing like a nice wander through the makeup sections of Myer and David Jones. Nothing really jumped out at me apart from the new Laura Mercier White Magic collection, especially that metallic lilac shadow in the front there.

Food time! Finally dragged him into Ajisen Ramen in Melbourne Central after saying I would take him there for months! (As an aside, I totally coerced him into wearing his Melbourne shirt today - ha!)

Our entrees weren't that impressive, I ordered fried tofu with miso sauce and he ordered gyoza but really didn't like the strong flavour. I ordered my usual Sake Don (salmon teriyaki with rice) but ordered some extra sauce this time. He ordered the ribs and said they were really yummy, so overall the meal was a success in my book!

A little bit of $2.80 haulin' never killed nobody... (Daiso baby!)

Loving the festivities in the air, gave me such a Christmas kick!

A city trip isn't complete without a jaunt in Starbucks, and having coffee with Mister is one of my favourite things to do any day. I should've ordered a caramel frappucino like Mister Bovary did, but instead I went 'cute and festive' and got a gingerbread latte. Ergh, totally had to force it down and definitely won't be ordering again! Would much rather the maple latte from Gloria Jeans at this time of year.

Peek my head in the corner there, ha! Took some cheesy tourist-y shots with the drummer boys outside the hall. You know you are a beauty blogger when you instinctively spell it 'haul' over 'hall', right?

Home time and chilling in the lounge looking at our beautiful Christmas tree! That little bear ornament is holding a sign that says 'Charlie' <3

Weekends mean time for a brush, and Charlie just won't let go of his beloved Santa toy that my sister bought for him.

My Daiso mini haul: basketball jersey for Charlie boy, tape dispenser, dog nail scissors, star cookie cutter and melamine tray.

The rest of my haul! Cute costume necklace to wear to a party, some festive hair clips to fit in with the crazy head pieces at work, and a Rimmel Space Dust and Savvy blush from the Mister (Swatches of the polish are in yesterdays post!)

After dinner we popped on one of my favourite masks, the Michika Anti-Fatigue*, while Charlie hung out with his toys. A paper face mask has this relaxing appeal to me so we have a weekly sesh with them whenever we can.

Perhaps I will blame this dessert on the need to get the taste of Starbucks gingerbread latte from my mouth and the memory from my mind? Nevertheless, my chopped apples topped with Itha's Gourmet Foods Brandy Butterscotch dessert sauce* (150ml for $8) was delicious, and I'm a big fan of the Vanilla Bean Custard Flavour too. Even though I've done all my Christmas shopping, I'm thinking that one or two of these would make a great hostess gift for parties in the new year?

What do you do when you head into your capital city?
What 'hostess gifts' do you think take the cake?
Did you find my lazy 'day in the life' interesting to read? Would love your feedback as it is the first I've ever done!

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

Last Haul of 2012

 

Happy New Year to all of my beautiful readers, I sincerely hope that 2013 holds great things for all of you! I thought I would make my first post for the year a haul post, showing you the things I picked up during the few days after Christmas, my final purchases for 2012.

 

Chris and I spent NYE AM at Chadstone looking at handbag options for my birthday, and he treated me to a Burberry shadow I’d been interested in for a while. Rosewood is such a stunning colour, I’ll be sure to have a full post on this along with swatches of Pale Barley as well. The Burberry SA was also nice enough to apply Rosewood in store for me, and popped a sample of the concealer in with the eyeshadow. The Covergirl palette was a sneaky supermarket basket treat, and Maybelline’s Sparkling Wine was a cosmetic warehouse bargain.

I hardly ever buy from Lush, but when their 50% off sale rolls around I make it my mission to try some of their products. I needed a new lip scrub so Sweet Lips is now mine, and I also grabbed two bath melts as I’ve never tried a bath melt before! You’ve Been Mangoed and Melting Snowman were my picks.

Even though the last thing I need is more polish, these were $2 each and I couldn’t resist. Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in 480 The Real Teal and 460 Wet Cement, K.K polish in 30 and 21.

I’ve always wanted to try the Maybelline palette in Designer Chocolates, and the lipstick in Juicy Bubblegum. Okay, I’ll admit the awesome lipstick packaging drew me right in! 50% off at Chemist Warehouse, sounds good to me! Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel Foundation in Ivory is something I’ve used up once before, and was elated to see it on the discount shelf at my local factory outlet.

The last things I purchased in 2012 were some new cheap baubles to dress up my plain clothes. I want to start wearing more costume jewellery this year, I tend to just stick to my regular old diamonds but I’d like to start changing it up a bit! These were heavily discounted from Equip.

What was the last thing you purchased in 2012?

 

 

Beauty Tag // This or That

It has been quite a long time since I posted a tag on emmabovarybeauty. Since I am in the mood to ramble about makeup, today is the day! Feel free to copy this tag (which I saw on Thirteen here, and edited to my liking)

Blush or Bronzer? Original post here.

 

MAKEUP:

Blush or bronzer?

Blush is definitely my weakness, even though I'm having a bit of a love affair with my Clinique Superbalanced Bronzer. The biggest chunk of my makeup collection is blushes, and nothing gets my heart racing faster than a pretty blush colour.

Lip gloss or lip stick?

I would have to go for lipstick, glossy types like Burberry Lip Mist's can be just as shiny as some glosses so they have the ability to cover all bases. I definitely wear lipstick more than I wear glosses, so it is a no brainer for me.

Eye liner or mascara?

  I wear mascara every single day, but often neglect eyeliner so again, a no brainer for me. I like the look of my gel liner, especially when I use my essence Midnight in Paris gel pot, or my Australis 10 hr pencil liner in the brown and deep purple shades. To be honest, I'm too lazy to sharpen my pencil liners so I tend to wear my essence gel liner much more often.

Foundation, or Concealer? Original post here.

 

Foundation or concealer?

When I began university my skin went downhill, and even though it is much better now that I've changed contraceptive I am left with a lot of pigmentation and scarring. I need foundation (or at least tinted moisturiser) everyday to feel good about my skin, and because I like to wear fun makeup, an even base is crucial.

Neutral or color eye shadow?

I do wear colour quite a bit...neutral shadows are for lazy days for me, so I think I might go for colours to have more fun! I love trying out new colour combinations, today I tried one that failed miserably but I had lots of fun playing around with it all, and that is the main thing. Even if I just wear it around the house, it pushes me to be creative and makes me smile.

 

Pressed or loose eye shadows?

Pressed shadows are so much easier to work with, I love palettes too much to choose loose shadows. Even though some loose shadows are stunning and the colours are magnificent, a brand like Inglot have pressed shadows that blow my mind on a similar scale.

 

Brushes or sponges?

I don't think I own any sponges, they don't seem clean or useful enough for me. If my brushes are dirty, I'd prefer to use my fingers to warm up product and apply it. 

BODY:
Perfume or body splash?

I only own a few body splashes, and I use them most when I'm working from home and have the opportunity to keep reapplying throughout the day. I like the strength of perfumes, and if a scent fades before I get home from work it makes it harder for me to justify the repurchase. My favourite perfumes are definitely Guerlain's Champs Elysees and the men's cologne from Juicy Couture, Dirty English.

Lotion, or butter?

 

Lotion or body butter?

Lotions are more my thing, though I've just bought a stack of pumpkin butters from Haus of Gloi. I'm lucky enough to not suffer from dry skin on my body, so if I apply lotions fairly regularly my skin stays nice and soft. I'm using the Amber Romance scented body lotion from Victoria's Secret at the moment, it is divine.
 

Body wash or soap?

Body wash all the way, though I do adore the tins and scents from The Scottish Fine Soap Company (get them at David Jones) Body wash is much easier to use and I find them more hydrating, so we buy body wash over soap all the time. I think some soaps make for nicer gifts, whereas it is only pricier body washes or gels that are fancy enough to give as gifts (L'Occitane make for divine gifts!)

 

Lush or other bath company?

Even though I'm only on my first order from Haus of Gloi, I definitely prefer their products to Lush. Lush is often quite expensive (Ro's is $30, and more than I can spend on a body conditioner without guilt right now) and Haus of Gloi comes in stunning packaging. The scents there are so out there (I think) and I love the luxury I feel when I apply them.
 

I'd love for you to leave your responses to this tag below, or do a blog post with it and leave me the link in my comments so I can check it out!

I really like blathering about beauty and skincare, maybe that is why I look forward to blogger meet ups so much!

 

June Empties

In June I really made an effort to try out some of the sample products I had lying around, and use up the half empty shower products that were wasting space. I am pleased with what I've used up, and will aim for even more in July!

Botanics of Australia Revitalising Body Cleanser with Lemon Aspen*

This was very different to the scents I normally have in in shower, it was a little too 'Australiana' smelling for me but I loved that it came out in pearlescent little squiggles!

Garnier Fructis Sensitve Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

The only shampoo that fixes my flaky scalp = my one true love.

John Frieda Conditioner*

This came with the new foam hair dye, and though it was moisturising it can only really be used one a week unless you like build up in your ends.

Lush Glogg Shower Gel

This is one of their Christmas time releases, it is uber spicy and richly scented, not for the faint of heart. I wish the cloves and cinnamon were played down a little by more of the mulled wine, as when I had a cold during the month my dulled senses enjoyed this shower gel.

L'Occitane Cherry Princess Pearlescent Shower Cream*

This was such a lovely scent and the formula was lovely, but I wanted new scents for the shower so am not too sad to have finished this one up.

Rexona Clinical Protection Deodorant*

This deodorant is a cream formula and really does stop BO and perspiration in general. Mad love.

Burt's Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Sugar Scrub

As you can see in my review (here) I'm not a major fan of this. Good at moisturising and isn't a horrible smell, but too daquiri-like for me and the seed-rage is too strong.

Hugo Boss orange sample

This little fabric swab was doused in the Hugo Boss fragrance and to be honest I don't distinctly remember the scent, but think it was citrusy and nice, but nothing extraordinary.

BareMinerals Prime Time foundation primer

This was a silicone based formula and I had my doubts, but this worked really well and didn't seem to break me out. Not sure if I would repurchase a full size of it, but I'm considering it.

Covergirl gloss

So old that it had to go, I don't even remember buying this.

Levou Aquaproof Mascara

Something about this mascara put me off trying it, it was in a free sample bag from somewhere random and I wasn't interested in trying it out.

Alpha-H Age Delay Cleansing Oil*

This little pot of oil (full size comes in a tube) was something I wasn't sure about, but ended up really enjoying. I used it as a sort of pre-cleanse and found it really easy to use, and I think I am going to buy a full size down the track.

Charmed Soap Bar

I am not the biggest fan of soap bars anyway and I don't know why this made a home in my shower. Gross and gone.

Showface Powder

I don't know if this is meant to be a blush or an eyeshadow, but it came smashed with my June Lust Have It bag. I emailed back and forth with Lust Have It, and when the replacement arrived, their were two pots inside and yet another was smashed. This is the second smashed pot, the other one went straight into the bin and made the biggest mess of my bathroom.

Phew, glad that is over!

How much did you finish in June?

*Marked items were sent to me.