2016 Empties - Third Quarter

Slowly making my way through my beauty drawers and using things up properly before trying something new. This is the third instalment of my 2016 empties!

SHOWER

As always, we went through a few bottles of shower gel this quarter. I finally used up my Lancôme Tresor in Love travel size shower gel that I insanely hoarded (I admitted it in this post many years back, eek!) and I loved how the shower gel scented our whole bedroom when I used it. I also really enjoyed the affordable Nature's Organics Vanilla Berry shower gel that is exclusive to Woolworths, the smell was much nicer than the raspberry vanilla scent from Original Source.

HAIR

My scalp seemed to really like the Garnier Grow Strong Anti-Dandruff shampoo, but I made the mistake of buying the original Grow Strong one when this tube was empty and boy am I regretting that now - I'm going to have to pass it on to someone else, my scalp is far too sensitive for it. I also finally finished off my tub of the Kerastase Sensidote Dermo-Calm treatment* that soothed my sensitive scalp, I've loved every Kerastase product I've tried as they are such a high quality brand!

SKINCARE & SCENTS

Not a whole lot used up on the skincare and scent front, though I did get through a travel size Trilogy cleanser*, My Beauty Diary face masks and a Nivea cream cleanser* that I adored. It's always sad when I reach the end of my Guerlain Champs Elysees perfume, it's my all time favourite scent and one that I'll definitely be asking Santa for this year.

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As always, if you spotted anything interesting in this post fire away questions or comments down below! How are you all going with your current beauty stashes? Are they manageable, or still a wee bit crazy like mine is?

-Emma x

 

*Marked items provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

January Glossybox

I was lucky enough to win a 6 month subscription to Glossybox Australia at the Melbourne Beauty Bloggers event, after getting one of the top marks in the quiz (no idea how I swung that one!) After receiving some of my boxes, I decided it was time to review one. Introducing, the January Glossybox!

I've seen some negative reviews of this edition, but to be honest I was quite happy when I opened up my Glossybox. In this box I received 5 sample sized items, along with Australia Day temporary tattoo's and vouchers for online fashion store The Iconic.

I will be passing the temporary tattoos over to my niece as she loves them, and I'll have a gander at The Iconic, though each voucher states you must spend at least $49 to receive the $25 off. There was also a card for $5 off a Glossybox Men box, which I am contemplating getting for Chris. More info on that here.

I was elated to see the blue Mirenesse tight liner in my box, as I much prefer it over the option that some others got, which was a pale pink Sally Hansen polish. I quite like a coloured liner, and this 'saphire' blue shade, despite being spelt strangely, is lovely. I've used it twice so far, and it does tend to fade a tiny bit over extended periods of time, but other than that I'm a fan. A full review to come, for sure.

I've never tried Sheer Cover products, so it was nice to see something new. I dislike glosses in pots/palettes so won't be giving this a go though- this too will go to one of my nieces.

This 30ml Sheer Cover moisturiser is more up my alley, and I'm looking forward to giving it a go. I like that it has SPF15 and is oil and fragrance free, and I'm thinking of taking it with me to Thailand as the packaging is nice and lightweight,too.

Wasn't wowed at the sight of a small Nivea body moisturiser, but I haven't tried this formula before and I know it'll be great to pop in my carry on for my upcoming holiday, so I'm happy with it. Relieved that it isn't in sachet form!!

Was excited to see this Kosmea daily facial exfoliant in my Glossybox,as I am mad for a bit of exfoliation! I was a bit jealous when I saw others received an Estee Lauder serum, but in all honesty this product suits me better anyway. I have already tried it and am happy so far, but will be doing a full review when I've given it a few trials.

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All in all I was pleased with this months Glossybox, and can't help but adore the box that it comes in. I'm planning on setting up a study area/makeup desk soon and plan on using them to divide my things. I'm almost at the end of my free 6 months, and am contemplating jumping ship from Lust Have It to Glossybox. I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you think I should do in the comments below!

(Glossybox Australia retails for $14.95 per month here, but I won a 6 months subscription so am not paying for the service at this time. This is no way affects the review or experience. Honesty, always.)

Mister Christopher's Guest Post!

My man is not the best with words, so I will admit I've fleshed out his opinions on this product so that readers may actually understand them. The product reviewed is the Nivea For Men Deep Cleaning Face Wash! When I met Chris, he was not a face-washer (and didn't shampoo regularly enough for my liking, either!) but over the years I've shown him the light, and he now knows how great his skin can be if he takes a little more care of it. This product is a pretty recent admission to his routine, his first tube came in a giftset at Christmas time, and he's just about finished his second one now.

The lowdown: blue-tinged foaming gel formula, 100ml for $7.99

Blob of the face wash on my hand The gel blob blended over my hand

Claims: "Won't leave skin tight or dry" (confirmed) "thoroughly cleans and refreshes" (agree) This is also soap-free, which is a massive win from me.

Packaging: Royal blue and silver, with green accent. Nice squeezy tube that Chris likes, simple and no-fuss, and manly enough for him to use.

Scent: He said that he liked it, but couldn't work out what it smelt like. It reminds me of the Lynx body sprays, which I think smell great. A very masculine scent, not too overbearing.

Application: Nivea says to use this facial wash twice daily, but my man uses it on average 4-5 nights a week, in shower. Laziness causes the other days, and mornings are out of the question as we are both so fond of sleep-ins. Chris uses a pea-sized amount on his forehead,cheeks,chin and nose before he scrubs away.

Effect: Mister Christopher says that it feels "fresh" on his skin, and also a little bit "minty" (I think tingly is what he was going for here) He likes that it lathers a little but not too much, and that it doesn't leave his skin feeling tight or dry. As a mechanic, he gets pretty filthy at work, and this gets rid of both dirt and oil making him feel comfortable before he settles down to watch Top gear/The Footy Show/Man vs.Food.

Emma says: I can see a visible difference in Chris' skin, his pores are unblocked and his complexion isn't as dull. His face feels soft after use, and looks soothed. It's also helped eliminate the occasional blemish he sometimes gets.As the primary cosmetic buyer for our household (!) I am super-pleased with the cheap price point, as it means I have more moolah to spend at the Myer counter.

Overall this product is a major win, kudos to Nivea for convincing Chris to wash his mug!

xx emmabovary

Lip Balm Love-Nivea Fruity Shine Cherry

Bought this as I had heard so much about it being a 'cult' balm, and that the cherry version was the bomb. With raves like that, how could I not!

Packaging: 4.8 gram tube, white base with red cap. Case has subtle sparkles running throughout, the only thing that puts me off the packaging of this is that I find the lip falls off in my handbag=(

Smell: Faint cherry smell that isn't overpowering in the tube or on the lips. Lovely!

Taste: Nothing offensive here either, doesn't taste like anything which I like.

Texture:Silky and super slippery. Slipperiest balm I own, actually. Quite moisturising, but not my HG if my smackers are chapped and painful.

Aesthetics: Gorgeous sheer red sheen that is great to wear on it's own (would be great for Valentine's day!) Subtle shimmer runs through this.

Reapplication: Quite long lasting, and because it stays slippery my need for the 'wet' feel on my lips is satiated.

Repurchase: I think it will take me quite a while to get thru this tube, and

emmabovary xx

Lip Balm Love-Nivea Light Kiss

I purchased Nivea Light Kiss on a whim at Priceline, with the idea of a 'light kiss' sounding quite appealing. The product itself,however, is not so appealing. Below I share my thoughts:

Packaging: Shimmery white tub, blue accents,10ML,screw top lid. Cute packaging, but not hygienic when you spend all day sticking your fingers in the tub to reapply.

Smell: A creamy, vanilla-esque scent, quite subtle and not overpowering.

Taste: Horrible. And when I lick my lips my tongue feels strangely numb, in a bad way.

Texture: When swiping this onto my finger it felt super-smooth, but once it hits the lips it balls up. I have to smoosh my lips together over and over to get the product evenly applied. It starts out gritty but once you work it in it smooths and feels silky. I get a cooling sensation from Light Kiss, and it is not sticky at all.

Aesthetics: A milky sheen, unless you've really worked hard to smooth it in with your lips. Once you do, it''s a subtle sheen to your lips that's quite nice.

Reapplication: I have tested and tested and tested this balm, trying my hardest to make it work.It lasts no longer than 3 minutes on me before I am in desperate need of more balm. While my lips are softened due to it's fast absorption, I like more moisturization on the outer layers of my lips and this doesn't provide that. Another things to point out in this category is that the milkyness of Light Kiss makes it hard to apply on the run- I don't want to be stuck with random milky lips, and don't always have access to a mirror when reapplying.

Repurchase: No thanks.

Lip Balm Love Week

Welcome to Lip Balm Love week here at emmabovarybeauty HQ. In order to gets your smackers kissable for your Valentine, some maintenance is necessary. As well as giving your kisser a once over while brushing your teeth, lip products such as balms, glosses and lipsticks are great ways to keep them looking beautiful. Some of the products I will be reviewing in the lead up to the big V day include:

Nivea Light Kiss

Burts's Bees balms and lip shimmers

Softlips

Maybelline's Baby Lips

(among many others)
To fit them all in I may have to post more than once a day, so I hope that doesn't drive you guys nuts, and that you enjoy reading my thoughts on these products.

First up will be Nivea, and will hit the site when I head home from the baptism I am attending tomorrow=)

Hope your weekend is going well!

Love emmabovary xx