Beauty Fail // Garnier Clean Sensitive Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

I am generally quite happy to try new things when it comes to makeup removers, particularly eye makeup removers. I saw this Garnier Clean Sensitive bottle on sale, and threw it into my basket without a second thought. I assumed that because it was for sensitive eyes it would be a safe risk, and the lack of perfume, alcohol and colouring were good signs.

 As well as finding the low price point a positive thing (I think I paid around $6 for this on sale) I liked the sturdy but lightweight bottle, and the opening looked like a winner. Once I used it, however, these positive features couldn't distract me from the fact that this product does not perform well for me.

 I tend to wear quite a bit of eye makeup on a day to day basis, eyeshadow is one of my favourite things to apply and loads of mascara is always a must. This barely takes off the lightest of eyeshadow, and trying to remove mascara with it is the most frustrating task I've undertaken in quite a while. I tried removing makeup from one of my eyes with a cotton pad soaked in water, and to be honest there wasn't much difference in the results. The Garnier remover also left my eyes feeling tight and dry, and I couldn't go without my eye cream immediately after using it.

 

Garnier Clean Sensitive Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

Pros:

-Attractive, lightweight and easy to use packaging

-Lack of perfume, alcohol or colouring is a plus

-Well priced and often on sale

-Does not leave my eyes looking red

 

Cons:

-Does not remove basic eye makeup effectively

-Leaves my eyes feeling tight and dry

 

I would love to see some comments below on which eye makeup removers you like, and which you dislike! I am a fan of the Face of Australia remover, and the Clinique Take The Day Off remover. Dual-phase trend, I suspect. I know Garnier also make a dual-phase remover as well, and I am going to give it a go and hope that it is better than this one. 

 

If you have had a better experience with this remover, do let me know below!

 

 

*I paid for this with my own money. Honesty, always.

 

My Shopping the Stash Look

I will just come right out and say it...I am not a morning person. Even with a coffee in my system I am a slow starter, so having a 'go-to' look is key to being able to take part in pre-12am activities on my days off. My mum always waits until the last minute to ask if I'd like to head out for a coffee, and she gets ready in about 2 minutes flat so it is always a rush to get ready-fast!

I basically reach for things that are fail safe, and that I can literally throw onto my face and still walk out of the house looking presentable. I'm trying to use up my Bourjois Healthymix #52 even though it is a tad too dark for me at the moment. It leaves such a lovely finish and though I powder it when I wear it to help it last longer, it leaves me glowy (in a good way, not a shiny way)

MAC's Jaunty has been featuring heavily on my lids, I think I wore it 4 days last week and am still loving it (in fact I have it on as I'm writing this!) I have been throwing MAC's Coquette through the crease and along the outer third of my lower lashline, and I must say I am loving the effect.

After feeling a bit 'meh' about my Revlon Grow Luscious mascara I threw Face of Australia's Impact Curl mascara into my daily makeup bag, and so far it is love <3 I picked up the Clinique Bottom Lash mascara for $2 when I visited the Estee Lauder staff store recently, and the teeny tiny brush is great for coating each and every bottom lash, so I've been looking pretty wide eyed!

I've been choosing lipgloss over lipstick as I am scared that I will break another lipstick (2 so far, including a Burberry Lip Mist!) Gloss is so much easier to carry around in any weather, and the Sportsgirl Liquid Lipsticks have great pigmentation and I love the way they smell. I've been wearing Luscious quite a bit with this look.

 This look is from another day during the week which uses all of the same products except I have Nars Turkish Delight on my lips. I went out with Melissa for brunch the other day and she had it on, and it has been in my handbag ever since because it looks great on her. The blush I'm wearing in all of these photos is my Covergirl True Plum, which is one of the greatest blushes in my collection, and my Clinique Superbalanced bronzer.

Having a quick and easy look that makes me feel a million dollars is the key to a little extra sleep in the mornings, and being able to make use of things in my collection that haven't been getting much love is a bonus.

How often do you shop your stash?
What do you think of my quick and easy look?
How could I change it up?

 

 

 *True Plum came to me by way of a swap, and the Clinique bronzer was sent for review. Honesty, always.

 

Dior Amber Diamond // Swatch, Photo, Review

The famous Dior Amber Diamond highlighter is spoken of quite often in the beauty world, but it was only when I heard that it was being discontinuted that I decided to bring it into my collection. A golden peachy sort of champagne highlighter, I find this to be a well used weapon in my makeup arsenal.

 Packaging, whether it should or not, makes a difference when it comes to my love for a cosmetic product. If a highlighter comes in flimsy packaging and isn't appealing to the eye, I admit that I would find it harder to love. Luckily, Amber Diamond is packaged beautifully in a sturdy navy blue compact, marked with Dior logos, and comes tucked nicely in a velvet sleeve.

 Though I am at the very fair end of the complexion scale, the tan section in this highlighter isn't too dark for me, though I do tend to wear this when I have a bit of bronzer on as I find it goes well with it. Like the Bobbi Brown shimmer strips you can lean towards certain colours as they are separated within the compact. From what I understand, however, the Dior offering is less frosty on the skin than BB's.

 My favourite way to apply this is with a Real Techniques Contour Brush (which comes in the core collection) and I use it along my cheekbones, down the centre of my nose and sometimes on my cupids bow if I'm really taking my time doing my makeup. It leaves a soft and diffused sort of finish on the skin, and when I know I'll be photographed I use it because I know it makes me look glowy and healthy.

 

 As I mentioned earlier, from what I understand the Dior Amber Diamond highlighter has been discontinued in some countries, so if it is something you're interested in I would hop down to your local counter, or try any online Dior sources you know of.

 

I am really happy to have this in my collection, I've seen this in the HG status of many prolific bloggers and though I have a plethora of highlighters, this is one of my favourites.

 

Have you tried Amber Diamond?

How important is packaging to you?

 

*I purchased this item with my own money. Honesty, always.



Summer Essentials // Comvita's Natural Skincare

Blog reading is definitely up there on my lists of things I love to do. I love learning about new products, hearing a variety of opinions on things and admiring the creativity that some people possess. I’m also often motivated to get healthy and try new things by blogs I read, and so when I heard about a beauty company that promotes health and uses some hyped up ingredients I’d been looking into, my ears perked up.

Comvita is a brand that creates health products as well as beauty items, and I think that it is a brilliant thing. Now I can buy natural manuka honey and other health goodies, and do the cheeky ‘supermarket sneak’ and throw some beauty items into my cart at the same time! I was recently shown their new Summer Essentials pack (and you know I am mad for an essentials pack at Christmas time!) and I was impressed by the look of the products inside, and the value that is included. Instead of paying $160 for all of the products below, it is only $99. Those around me generally spend between $50 and $100 for gifts, so this falls into the perfect price range for quite a large and hefty gift.

Ignoring the fact that I steal honey from our pantry on a daily basis, my tummy rumbles at the thought of the top notch manuka goodness in this pack. Manuka features in straight up honey form, as well as within a moisturiser which also contains rosehip, macadamia, sunflower and soybean oils as well as everyones favourite shea butter.  A full list of all the goodies within the Comvita Summer Essentials pack is below.

Manuka Honey 10 UMF ($26.67 RRP )

Olive Leaf Extract ($35.23 RRP )

Whitening Toothpaste ($6.36 RRP )

Hydrating Toning Mist ($22.75 RRP )

Nourishing Lip Treatment ($12.35 RRP )

Daily Moisturiser with SPF ($35.75 RRP )

Daily Spa Body Wash ($18.85 RRP)

Click HERE to enter!

To purchase this top notch Summer Essentials pack for only $99 instead of $160, head here. If you would like a chance to WIN one of these great value packs, click here and enter your details. I have just entered and am dreaming of honey as we speak (imagine Winnie the Pooh, but with more blush on ;p)

Do you lean towards natural skincare?

Have you tried any great Manuka products lately?

I’ve been lusting over a few Manuka honey masks…

*This post is sponsored by the lovely folks at Comvita, and as always my opinions are honest. I have my fingers crossed the winner is an emmabovarybeauty reader!

Latex Nails // Rebelizer from essence

 I decided to grab this latex effect nail polish from the recent essence Rebels collection even though I wasn't completely sold on the theme of the collection. Rebelizer is an acid green colour and quite vivid, and because I am out there in my nail colour choices I didn't mind the shade.

 The shade is shot through with pale green shimmer which makes for a very pretty visual.

Despite the back of the bottle highlighting the long wearing claims of this particular formulation, I am sad to say that this was not the case on my nails. This chipped quite badly with a regular old top coat, and though most polishes don't last long on my unkempt nails, this had an even shorter lifespan. Having said that, I haven't tried this with Seche Vite yet, and it may fare better with it.

 Quite yellow in some lights, which adds to the sort of neon edge this has. I do think that this has a latex look to the finish, much like the Illamasqua renditions from collections past. I can't say I am a big fan of the look on my short nails, but I think that some nail art would look wonderful with the bright acid green of Rebelizer.

 

Would you wear this bright shade?

What are your thoughts on the new nail textures coming out- caviar, velvet, matte, latex?

 

*I purchased this polish myself. Honesty, always.

 

 

Gracing my Face #01

As much as I adore reading monthly favourite posts, I also love hearing about the products in between that people are using. They don't have to fall into the 'love' category, they are just things that have been getting used, and here I share mine with you.

BYS Blush Duo in 03 Miss Pink* - For such an affordable (read:cheap) blush, this is packed with pigment. I've been mixing the two shades together for a good healthy flush.

 

Face of Australia Impact Curl Mascara - I've bought this when it first came out, and grabbed one for my sister at the same time. I've been envying her lashes for quite a while, and finally realised I owned the same mascara! Only been using it for a few days but I have a feeling it will be in my November favourites.

 

L'Oreal Color Infaillible in 006 All Night Blue - This is my go-to for smoky eyes, and when I went out for dinner with the girls I felt amazing in this deep blue shade.

 

L'Oreal Color Riche Colour Caresse lipsick in Merino Mauve - I bought this from Jessica's blog sale and I've been reaching for it because it seems to go with everything. The formula is comfortable on and feels just like a balm to me. I look forward to these arriving on Australian shores so I can swatch away!

 

 



Illamasqua Skin Base in 3.5 - I was matched to this in Sydney and have been wearing it as it is one of the few foundations that match my pale skin right now. Not sure how I feel about it, but have been wearing it quite often.

 

Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream - Another Sydney buy, this smells spicy and delicious and I've been enjoying my nightly ritual of really massaging it into my face. Haven't been using it long enough to know much more about it than I feel spesh when I use it.

 



 Inglot blush in AMC 56 - Bought this in pan form and popped it into my Girlee cosmetics palette, and I've been reaching for it because it's been out and staring at me. It's a little shimmery, but a pretty pink shade and the formula of Inglot powders are lovely.

 

 

What has been gracing your face lately?

 

 

*You know the drill: marked items were provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Cotton Candy // Urban Rituelle's Petit Parfum

For someone who claims to be clueless about fragrance, I have amassed a wide collection of bottles filled to the brim with the stuff! My most reached for fragrance of late has without a doubt been my purse sized Urban Rituelle parfum in the scent 'Cotton Candy'.

Coming from the Sweet Treats collection, Cotton Candy is officially described as "A playful, melt in your mouth scent that opens wit ha sweet explosion of rich, spun sugar followed by the warmth of smooth toffee & powdery musk." This scent does invoke cotton candy (or fairy floss as we call it) and I love the uber sweet nature of it, though I can see how some would find it cloying and too much for them.

 

I wore this to work, to dinner, to brunch, literally everywhere I went had a sniff of this. The girls at work would ask every day if they could borrow a squirt or two, and this 12ml bottle was drained quite quickly. I was nearing the end of this when it smashed, and I am thankful that it will only be a mere $13.99 to bring a fresh bottle back into my purse!

 

 

The Cotton Candy fragrance (and the rest of the Sweet Treats range) comes in a variety of forms, and I was kindly gifted a hand cream to match my fragrance. I find the cream a much lighter scent than the parfum, so those who like just a touch of sweetness may prefer these sorts of items within the range. Also available are lip balms, soaps, candles, butter creams and gift sets. The packaging of the gifts sets? Divine, perfect for Christmas so you bet a few people in my corner of the world will have something from Urban Rituelle range under the tree.

 

I have already purchased a new bottle of this, and will probably stockpile some when they seem to be leaving stores. I'm also tempted to get another scent from the collection, but I just can't decide! (Peach Blossom and Pomegranate are calling my name...) Even though it isn't the longest lasting scent I own, I quite like spraying it throughout the day.

 

 Urban Rituelle is available at Myer, Forever New and stores across Australia and internationally. To buy online and for more stockists both Australian and International, click here.

 

Are you a fan of sweet fragrances?

What is your number one fragrance right now?

 

*These products were provided for consideration, but I honesty loved the fragrance and would've raved about it no matter what. I repurchased this with my own money. Honesty, always.

Moth Brown - MAC By Request // Swatches, Face of the Day

I have only been a beauty lover for a few short years, so when the MAC By Request idea was announced on Temptalia here, I had not owned or swatched any of the mentioned shades. I thought they were nice, but I was not taken with any shade in particular until Jessica from Getting Cheeky showcased the shade Moth Brown here.

Moth Brown is described on Temptalia as a purple tinted shimmery grey, and I would say so also, but note that it leans taupe and brown as well. It is much more purple than something like Satin Taupe, and I don't own anything else like it.

 

 

 

 

Moth Brown swatches smoothly and the pigment is easy to sheer out, but equally easy to build up for a darker, more dramatic look. Though it is a frost finish, I find it quite satin in finish.

 

 

 

I chose not to sheer Moth Brown out too much, and vamp it up with a deeper lip shade as well. I like the overall effect, and though Moth Brown can easily be an everyday taupe shade, I like that I can use it for a deeper night time sort of look also.

 

 

Face:

Face of Australia Face Base primer

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus foundation*

Illamasqua blush in Hussy

 

Eyes:

MAC paint pot in Painterly

MAC Moth Brown eyeshadow

Laura Mercier Pale Pink eyeshadow to highlight

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara in Black Shimmer

 

Lips:

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres in #4 Mauve Pigmente

 

Hair:

Toni & Guy Dry Shampoo for volume*

 

Moth Brown is limited edition and is $33 AUD here.

 

What are your thoughts on 'request' collections?

What discontinued products would you vote for?

What do you think of this shadow?

 

*I purchased this myself. Honesty, always.

The Shop Shade // Free Lip Glaze!

Like Doritos and salsa, two greats coming together is a wonderful thing. A long-time lover of Shop Til You Drop magazine and Kit Cosmetics, their now annual collaboration is once again upon us and it is a beauty!

For a number of years now, my brother and sister in law's Christmas gift to me has been a yearly subscription to Shop Til You Drop, which is by far my favourite and most read publication. I love the articles, images and shopping anecdotes which litter the pages, and the thick nature means I feel like it is worth the money. Now that I've gotten a free lipstick with this issue, it is even more worthwhile!

Simply called 'The Shop Shade', this bright pop of raspberry is free with this months magazine (November issue, with Gwyneth on the cover) Details are on page 164, but you basically hand in that page to Kit Cosmetics or Mecca Maxima stores to receive your FREE lip glaze! In previous years they have created nail shades in popular colours, but I must say I am more interested in a free lip glaze.

'The Shop Shade' is a pigmented opaque raspberry with a little bit of stick to it, which helps it last longer on the lips. I am fond of the Kit Cosmetics lip range in general, and this shade is a nice bright shade for spring and summer.

If you are interested in this shade, be sure to race out and grab your November Shop Til You Drop magazine so you can obtain your lip glaze before they run out. For more info, head to the Shop page here.

 

*As stated above, I received this gloss free because I have the November issue of Shop. Hon