March Empties

Another month, another lot of empties!

The Hair

Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Shampoo ‘Classic’

A staple in my shower, this is pretty much the only shampoo that my scalp will tolerate. Trialling a new fancy brand right now, fingers crossed all goes well but I will always return to this lovely blue bottle.

L’Oreal Elvive Total Repair Restoring Crème Conditioner

Don’t remember too much about this sample sachet, but I don’t remember disliking it so that is a plus.

The Body

Haus of Gloi Twice is Nice Pumpkin Butter

Haul post here! HoG scents are to die for, and this is one of my favourites from the permanent line. I like the sample sized tubs as I get to dabble in a few scents, and this is one I will repurchase later on.

Weleda Citrus Hydrating Body Lotion*

Reviewed here, this was a great moisturising lotion and I adored the tangy scent!

The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Cream Body Scrub*

Reviewed here. A gentle and moisturising scrub, this smelt nice and actually persuaded me to like the gentle scrub side of the spectrum. Straight up peach scent, delish!

The Rest

Urban Rituelle Cotton Candy Petite Parfum

Reviewed here. Seriously, this couldn’t be any better (okay, if it were longer lasting it might be better) Introduced as a PR sample, this particular vial was a repurchase and I am now elated that Urban Rituelle brought this into 100ml bottle form. Hallelujah! Sweet and sugary, this is one of my very favourite perfumes.

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder

I have gone through so many of these, it really is the best powder I’ve come across. Am trialling other brands right now and missing this so much, am staring forlornly at my sealed backup and trying to stay strong and use up others first. Beauty blogger problems!

How much did you use up in March?

 

*Marked items were provided for consideration. Honesty,always.

 

The Autumn Edit

Even though we are alternating through freezing cold days and roasting hot days, according to the calender autumn is indeed upon us. My autumn edit is mainly set for chilly days, as I’ve been loving getting snuggled up and being able to wear scarves again. Matte red lips seem to be a token lip shade for this time of year, and since I can’t seem to find my Nars Amsterdam, BYS have stepped up to the plate with their matte lipstick in Celebrity Status*. A wee bit of celeb action, don’t mind if I do!

I’ve been rocking some intense eye looks lately, all grounded down with my new liner love, Australis Curve Ink eyeliner. Crazy looking little contraption, but I’m loving how easy it is to apply and the fact that I don’t have to dip into a pot to use it! Wine and jewel-toned eyes have been my thing, with my Wet & Wild Knock on Wood trio getting a hammering as well as my Arbonne shadows in Cabernet* (which is actually quite brown toned and easy to wear) and Blue Slate*. Blue and red seem to be my autumn edit staples, I’ve only just realised.

To keep the autumn feelings abundant, I’ve been dipping into my Haus of Gloi stash from back when it was autumn in the U.S. The limited edition autumn scents that I love best are the delicious Pumpkin Eater, a sweet vanilla and nutmeg pumpkin scent, and Ghost Puffs, the cult favourite that reminds me of Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs. Those scents are available there, but the new spring collection sounds absolutely amazing and I’m tempted to pick up some more HoG pots even though I haven’t used up the stuff from my first haul yet.

I’ve had a hard time keeping L’Oreal Color Riche 608 Luxembourg Garden* off my nails lately, it isn’t often I reapply the same shade 3 mani’s in a row so I know I am onto a winner with this one. Their Color Riche 613 Blue Reef* has also been catching my eye quite a bit, along with the Revlon Colorstay 280 Blue Slate, which I am yet to wear and have lined up next. My most recent nail purchase ($2 AUD, hey big spender!) is the Ulta3 beauty that is Pinot. A deep metallic wine shade, you really can't go wrong!

Saving the best until last, naturally, my cheeks can’t get enough of my Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Exposed. Exposed it a rosy neutral that makes me feel like a supermodel, and goes with any look you can dream of. Another autumn favourite is Benefit Dallas, which is similar in tone but definitely needs a light hand with this pale face as it is quite a soft powder formula.

Dallas, Exposed, Wet & Wild Trio, Arbonne Blue Slate, Arbonne Cabernet, Australis Curve Ink, BYS Celebrity Status 

Luxembourg Garden, Blue Reef, Blue Slate, Pinot

I have a makeup look coming in tomorrow’s post using these products, so if you like the look of them be sure to check back in tomorrow for that.

What colours scream ‘autumn’ to you? Do you wear many blue toned shades on your nails, or red on your lips?

*Marked items were provided for consideration. Blue Slate polish was in a GWP. BYS Celebrity Status is available from Fashion Addict for $3.95!

December/January Empties

I had so little to show for December in the way of empties that I decided to roll it all over into the next month. Most of this is my new year empties!

L’Oreal EverPure Moisture Conditioner- this is sulfate free and smells of rosemary and mint. Adored the sample so much and bought a full size, which is waiting in the wings until my current conditioner bites the dust.

Weleda Sea Buckthorn Replenishing Body Lotion- this smelt wonderful, and was thicker and more moisturising than I had originally anticipated. Big thumbs up!

Kiehl’s Orange Flower & Lychee Body Cleanser*- this was insanely good, it really did leave my skin soft and the smell was divine. Looking forward to repurchasing this, or perhaps one of the other scents from this collection.

Korres Guava Little Showergel- I bought this at a discount store in Sydney, and was very excited at the prospect of a new Korres love. Dismally disappointed, this smelt a little bit off, but when I sniffed the tester at Kit to see what it was meant to smell like…it smelt the same. Milky, didn’t get any ‘guava’ and I wouldn’t repurchase.

Haus of Gloi Ghost Puffs Sugar Exfoliant (sample)- love the caramel popcorn smell of this, and while I prefer the soft bubbling scrub formula from this company, this was quite nice as well.

Haus of Gloi Olde Cider Haus Sugar Exfoliant (sample)- this smelt so good, like apples with an edge of something else. The description says “old oak, sweet drying hay fields, apple pulp and vanilla husks.”

Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Queen Soft Bubbling Scrub (sample)- love the formulation of this lathery scrub, and to me it smelt of pumpkin, nutmeg and amber. Really nice, though I do see how the scent wouldn’t appeal to everyone.

Rexona Girl Free Spirit Deodorant- I prefer the Tropical Energy version of this (my very favourite) but this did the job and smelt alright.

Evian Facial Spray- I bought this in Thailand way back when, and it took so long to finish because the spritzer shot such a crappy spray that it ruined my makeup every time I tried to use it. Not sure if mine was faulty, but I’ll be sticking to my beloved Uriage either way.

Kim Kardashian Perfume 30ml- I loved this strong and sexy scent, I am normally not one to go for celebrity scents but this one sat nicely on me. Mum purchased a big bottle of this in duty free on a whim and it gives her headaches, so I think I am going to claim the new bottle as my own.

 

Aesop Reverance Aromatique Hand Balm- Review here (LINK), I am still undecided on my feelings for this. I have another sample sachet to use up, though I don’t know if that will help my decide either. Do you ever feel that way about a product?

Priceline Re-Balance Facial Cleansing Wipes- They changed the packaging and it doesn’t feel as nice as it once did, but the wipes inside are still my favourite.

Beauty Care Co Makeup Remover Pads- Did the job, not as great as the Priceline ones. I feel like these are in every single empties post? I’ve started using other methods of removal, so maybe these will not appear each month now.

Dermalogica Skin Prep Scrub- Not sure why I wasn’t expecting much from this as I have been enjoying some other Dermalogica things lately, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I got two uses from this small sachet (and have a sample tube on the go right now) This left my skin really, really smooth, and didn’t make me break out or anything like that. Will be dedicating a whole post to this soon!

Did you get through much in the first month of this year?

*Marked products were provided, and the samples were obviously not purchased but obtained in various ways. Honesty, always.

Hauling Haus of Gloi // Autumn

Finally took the plunge into the addictive world of Haus of Gloi, and selected a variety of samples to get a taste for the company. In this post I'm just going to go over first scent impressions, and only of the limited edition items from my haul. Rather than overload one post, I'll just wait and post full reviews of the permanent scents at a later date.

The infamous Ghost Puffs seemed a sure bet for my love, and so I chose to also buy a large tub of the pumpkin butter in that scent, as well as a mini sugar exfoliant and mini pumpkin butter.

Have you ever had the caramel covered popcorn called Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs? This smells very similar to that, and I like it quite a lot. It is quite a sweet scent with an edge, and I am glad to have picked up both sizes of this as it is often sold out when I look on the site.

Naturally I perused through the rest of the limited edition Halloween/Autumn collection, as I'd heard great things about it through the grapevine. 

I've only tried the rest of my autumn stash a few times, to form an initial opinion on the formula and scents of them. I must say, I am impressed.

 "Cream, glowing pumpkin, rich vanilla bean and the tiniest touch of nutmeg butter."

Pumpkin Eater is a sweet vanillery pumpkin scent, so if that sort of heavy scent isn't for you I would give this one a miss. I'm glad I bought my sample in pumpkin butter form, it is lovely to apply at night and the scent lingers on my skin nicely.

'Old Oak, sweet drying hay fields, crushed apple pulp and vanilla husks.' 
Olde Cider Haus smells nicer when using it than in the tub (as do many of these scents) and I can smell apples and something woody almost, which I attribute to the 'hay' portion of the description. I wish I had've bought this in a pumpkin butter, I think that would be lovely. I will also note that while this Sugar Exfoliant is a great scrub, I prefer the Bubbling Scrub formulation which lathers nicely.

 "Gentle hay pillows, pumpkin, ripe peaches dusted with clove and nutmeg, dried summer herbs, and lastly, a lovely crown of amber"

 

The Bubbling Scrub formula is really nice, and I'd consider getting a full size in a different scent with my next haul. I smell a bit of spice with the pumpkin in this, I'd suggest you head here for a better description of this scent (and you can search most of the Haus scents there as well, Su is amazing!) 

 

The Yule collection is out now, but I'd throw whatever is left from the autumn stash into your cart as well. Just as nice in an Aussie summer as they are in an American autumn!

 

What are your favourite Gloi scents? What should I include in my next order?

 

 

 

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!

 

Sydney Skincare // What I Packed for IMATS & BBU

As those of you who follow me on Twitter (here!) would know, I spent the last week in Sydney to attend IMATS and Beauty Blogger Utopia. IMATS is a trade show for makeup artists that travels the world and is a haven for makeup lovers, while BBU was organised by Makeup Utopia and is a beauty bloggers conference to learn more about both beauty and blogging, while spending time with likeminded folk. I was a good girl and took care of my skin while on holiday, and thought I'd share what I took with me!

Oh, there is also some haircare and body care in there, but ya know they have skin too!

I knew that this wasn't going to be like my tropical holidays where I take basics and make do. I wanted my skin to look its best for the weekend, but as luck would have it my skin decided to be a little shit anyway. At least I tried my best! As you can see a lot of these are sample or travel sized products, most of which I use at home but some I just brought because of their size. A sidenote, the tub of Alpha-H is actually my Kerastase Nectar Thermique sachets decanted ;) Cheeky!

It is only when I get my skincare together for its family photo that I realise how French-heavy it is-what can I say, I love the stuff! Kiehls is also heavily featured (though most was left at home for this holiday) and I am enjoying trawling through their products and finding what my skin likes to snuggle with. The Bioderma Sebium H2O is similar to the Crealine cleansing water but contains more ingredients, colour etc and is therefore not eye safe. I decanted some of my (crappy) Garnier eye makeup remover to use on the eye area as a substitute but it leaked before we even left for the airport! I went to a store and bought some Clinique dual phase eye makeup remover to replace it and I am impressed so far.

Had to bring one of my Haus of Gloi sample pots along for the ride, I used this a lot while lounging around in the hotel room and the Ghost Puffs scent is approved by Chris' nostrils as well as mine! The Jurlique mask tube is neverending, it's the Intense Recovery mask and I use it to hydrate (and say sorry to my skin if I have a glass of champers!) I couldn't go anywhere without my Mario Badescu goodies, I pop the Drying Lotion on any spots before they erupt to make them vacate, and I use the Buffering Lotion every second evening to stop the bumpy skin action from happening!

 

So this turned into a skincare ramble (I love to read these, hope you do too!) but if you would like to know details of products I took with me, ask away in the comments below and I can elaborate (ie chat away some more with you!)

 

Hope your skin is lookin' ace today!

 

 

The Shower Situation

An overflowing shower caddy...

...with other products stacked on the shower floor!

I love having some nice shower products to choose from as I unwind at the end of the day, but all of this is getting to be a bit much. I am sick of the half-finished items getting in the way, so have made a deal with myself. When I finish up 5 shower products, I can hop over to Haus of Gloi and haul my butt off. Sounds fair, right?

What do you recommend from Haus of Gloi?

What do you think of my shower situation?