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.

Vineyard Peach from The Body Shop

I’ll admit it, I tend to go for scents in the citrus and vanilla sphere when choosing a new body butter or shower gel. When the new release from The Body Shop hit my desk, I was intrigued and was happy to get outside the usual fragrance funk and try something new. Vineyard Peach is a special limited edition release from the eco-friendly company, and like the rest of their scent line, this one is a winner!

 

Smelling like straight up fresh cut peaches, this is heavily scented stuff we’re dealing with. As always, it is the shower gel ($12.95) that steals my heart the most. The Body Shop shower gels are probably my favourite on the market, they lather up the perfect amount and the scents are always in your face, without being in your face, you know? The gel leaves your skin soft and not at all squeaky (nobody wants that, seriously) and the scent sticks to your skin in a delicate and subtle way after you dry off.

 

A surprising front runner is the body scrub containing ground peach seeds ($27.95) I am generally a fan of the sugar based heavy hitting scrubs from these guys, and this seemed so gentle and creamy that I wasn’t sure it would blossom into a full relationship. Lo and behold, I’ve become accustomed to some exfoliation on the lighter end of the scale, possibly persuaded by the fact that this makes your skin so soft and moisturised, without ANY residue. Big win guys, standing ovation please! 

 

Now when it comes to post-shower indulgence, The Body Shop brings both a lotion ($21.95)and a thick butter ($27.95) to the table. I like my moisturisation to be intense and worthwhile, so I am definitely rooting for the big ol’ tub of peachy goodness that the butter holds. The lotion doesn’t really do it for me, but I suppose 3 outta 4 ain’t bad?

 

Since this is a limited release deal, I suggest you take a sniff next time you’re in the vicinity of the eco-haven that is The Body Shop. If it doesn’t tickle your fancy, my uber faves Satsuma and Moringa should be on a shelf close by, so give them some love as well. I don’t mind a long wander in their stores, as they assistants aren’t pushy when they know you just want to stand there and sniff every single scent they have. Not that I do that often…

 

 

*These products were provided for consideration. My father in law ate all the peaches so I was stuck with nectarines for this shoot...did you notice? Honesty, always.

Raindrop Nail Art // Bright Purple and Turquoise

 

I was obviously feeling creative the morning I topped my nails with this little raindrop-esque number. I am the first to admit that nail art is not my strong suit, and though I had a dig around in the nail stash my ebay nail dotting tools remain AWOL. I used a humble toothpick to play around with the turquoise BYS Blue N283 atop the stunning Ulta3 Spring Break.

 

 

Ideally this would’ve been a dotty manicure, but when I saw the finished product raindrops came to mind, and I thought it quite ironic considering how toasty it is down in Australia at the moment. I’ve been thinking about how amazing it would be to visit my family in Scotland and experience snow for the first time in my life. I think the next time I’ll be close to managing that will be my honeymoon, but sadly I doubt it will be snowing then. Raining, probably!

 

 

You can buy BYS polishes from Fashion Addict here!

I am sliding right into a purple phase right now, so Spring Break is right on target and will be getting much love in the Bovary residence. What else do you think I should do with it?

 

*The BYS polish was borrowed from my MIL and the Ulta3 shade was purchased by me. Honesty, always.

Australian Beauty Stars

Australia Day is upon us once more, and I thought it an appropriate time to sit down and pull out some Australian products from my stash to share with you all. I will be honest and admit that I don’t really think of where a brand is based when making a decision to purchase, so I am glad to see so many stellar Australian brands that have crept into my collection.  Here are some of the Aussie beauty stars in the Bovary household!

 

Bronzers:

Napoleon Perdis Blush Patrol

Nvey Eco Nourishing Bronzer in Oasis*

Face of Australia  pressed powder in Bronze*

My favourite from this bunch would have to be the Face of Australia offering, as I adore the sleek and slim compact. The colour is quite shimmery, so a light hand is recommended to get that world renowned Aussie beach babe glow!

Face and Eyes:

Sportsgirl Get Cheeky Cheek & Eye Shimmer

Face of Australia blush in Hello Dolly

Sportsgirl Get Cheeky in Rose

Nvey Eco eyeshadow in 162*

Sportsgirl Shady Lady eye colour in Prom Night

Face of Australia Liquid Liner in black

Face of Australia Loose Powder in Outback Translucent*

My favourites include the FOA liquid liner and loose powder, they are seriously hard working and so easy on the purse that it is quite hard to believe.  

Lips:

Lanolips Lip Ointments in Apples, Lemonaid, Mulberry* and  Sunshine

Sukin Nourishing Lip Treatment*

Grown Alchemist Watermelon & Vanilla lip balm*

Face of Australia lipstick in Malibu Barbie

Lipstick Queen lipstick in Saint Red*

I am loving all of these nourishing lip products this summer, but Malibu Barbie is such a happy shade of pick that it takes the cake!

 

Indulgences:

Urban Rituelle Organic Hand Cream with lemongrass, lemon myrtle, grapefruit and eucalyptus

MOR hand cream in Cassis Noir

Endota Spa Lemon & Organic Sugar body scrub*

Sukin Wellbeing Body Oil*

Urban Rituelle Cotton Candy perfume*

The Sukin Wellbeing Oil is so amazing, I am hoping that they decide to cancel its status as ‘limited edition’ and keep that baby on the shelf forever. Massage oil, moisturiser, hair tamer, it seriously does it all and smells brilliant. The Urban Rituelle Cotton Candy is finally back out in a 100ml bottle, I have been clutching the purse sized spray that I bought and not wanting to waste it, and am so happy to now have this to clutch instead.

 

Skincare:

Sukin Facial Moisturiser*

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist

Grown Rose Absolute, Ginseng & Chamomile Facial Toner*

The Jojoba Company Antioxidant Serum*

Australis Make-Up Finishing Spritz*

The Jojoba Company Intense Recovery Balm*

Simplicite One Step Exfoliating Cleanser*

Simplicite Plant Gel Cleanser*

Of course Jurlique had to be mentioned when writing about great Australian brands, they have products of such a high quality with beautiful packaging, and I love the indulgence they bring to my beauty routine. Sukin are also an amazing low cost brand, I recommend them to people all the time and love their clean packaging and affordable skincare.

 

Did you know that all of these products were true blue? If you are a fellow Aussie, I would love to know how you are spending today (or the public holiday on Monday!) If you are one of my beloved International readers, I am curious to know what your perceptions of our country really are? Would love to hear from you in the comments!

*Marked products were provided for editorial consideration. Honesty, always.

Wishlist #1 // 2013

Chanel images courtesy of Temptalia.

 

Another year, another batch of newly released products for me to lemm over! As you can see, my appetite for Chanel blushes has gone into overdrive since I first acquired a Joues Contraste for Christmas. Rouge is a permanent shade in that line, and the crazy red with strong shimmer is intimidating, but its siren song is singing to me every time I pass by a counter. I’m also planning on picking up the new shade from their Spring 2013 line, an apricot shade called Frivole. I think that both of these are justified, because they are quite unlike anything else I have in my blush drawer.

 

Jumping over into the ‘drugstore’ realm, I am lusting over the new lip releases from L’Oreal and Maybelline. The L’Oreal Caresse Shine Stains are said to be akin to my beloved YSL Glossy Stains, and I’m hoping that the amazing Ling from The Best Beauty Blog will have one of these in her suitcase for me when she comes home from overseas. Maybelline have a few new products I really want to pick up, and the wait for them all is driving me mad. The Color Sensational Vivid lipsticks are right up my alley, and I know a few will be coming home with me when I manage to find them. I love the bright shades I’ve seen on other blogs, and think I’ll get a lot of wear out of them. Their Color Whispers are also quite exciting, they seem to be similar to the Revlon Lip Butters and the shades seem very pretty and wearable.

Are you wishing for any of these as well? Do you fall harder for new blushes, or new lip colours?

Cherry Blossom Girl

 

When I spotted the adorable new essence Cherry Blossom collection out at my local Priceline it was a typical scenario of moth to flame. The blush was a no brainer, and though I was intrigued by the intricate paper lashes and thick/thin liner hybrids, I was sensible and took home the lip crayons instead.

The Dreaming Under a Cherry Tree shadow palette was a nice addition to the collection, with a coral shade sitting beside a peach, a beige shot with silver and my favourite, a brown toned taupe. These swatched nicely, and I am happy to have another pretty essence quad in my eyeshadow drawer.

 

 

The Asian Sensation blush is imprinted with a stunning design, and once again essence impresses me with their ability to provide pretty powders for prices so incredibly low. Whilst the beautiful new Chanel highlighter from the Spring 2013 collection has a detailed and extravagant imprint, I think I will stick to my $5.95 blush shade and call it a day. Okay, I will admit that I’m planning to buy the new Chanel blush, but that is it! Oh okay, and the eyeshadows…but anyway! The essence powder itself is very smooth to blend and nice to swatch. It’s quite pigmented for my fair skin and enjoyable to look at. $5.95 well spent, I say!

 

 

 

The lip crayons are a trend train I am all aboard, though this particular formulation is less Chubby Stick and closer to the old style interpretation of a crayon. I prefer the perky coral Cherry Cherry Girl to the awkwardly named It’s Peach Not Cherry, but still prefer my Revlon and Clinique sticks to these little lads overall. The peach shade, as you can see in the swatch, was so soft that the slightest pressure to apply it against my arm caused it to squash and crumble. These aren’t the hardiest of lip products, and at this time of year (and this weather!) I need something sturdier on a day to day basis. Though some may think ‘it is just a lip product’, you have to think about how it will fare in your handbag day after day…you need a fighter!

 

Also available in this Oriental inspired collection are paper lashes, a shimmering body powder, highlighter, a range of polishes, two in one eyeliner and the above products. Ranging in price from $3.50 to a massive $5.95 (paper lashes for $4.50!? Awesome!) I suggest you hot foot it to your nearest Priceline! Cherry Blossom Girl is exclusive to Priceline (or my Mecca, as I call it!), is only available for a limited time and will sell out fast, I'm sure.

 

So, what are your thoughts on coral eyes and paper lashes?

 

*These products were all purchased by me. Honesty, always.

Summer Skin Essentials

While the UK shivers through the snow, we in Australia are absolutely roasting! Seeing the difference between the whinges of my family in Scotland/England and the whinges of my local family is quite funny. The beauty products I use in summer are also quite different to the products I use when it’s cold, and I thought I would share some of my summer skincare essentials with you.

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist: A beautiful and refreshing rose scented spray, housed in a stunning frosted glass bottle. As I've mentioned previously, this isn’t handbag friendly, but for long days at the desk it hits the spot!

Dermalogica Oil Free Matte Sunscreen (with Medibac Clearing)*: Though the ladies at Dermalogica have said that this may be too matte for my dry and dehydrated patches of skin, I am still head over heels for this sunscreen. It contains SPF 30 and truth be told, I use this as a primer just as much as I use it as my daily sunscreen.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR, aka Dry Oil Golden Shimmer*: It is no secret that anything French has a headstart for my affections, and this is no different. I’ve been using this down the centre of my lily white legs to get a bit of healthy-glow action happening, and over my arms and décolletage to glam up my summer outfits. The smell of this is the same as the original Dry Oil, which I tend to use as an overall moisturiser.

Uriage Bariederm Barrier Cream*: A less glamorous addition to the summer bag, but a necessity nevertheless. Barrier creams are excellent at stopping chafing, and is recommended for nurses and mechanics who wash their hands and get dirty frequently. Chris is a mechanic and also chafes during summer, so he loves swiping a bit of this stuff when the weather heats up.

 

Clarins Mineral Bronzing Duo (in Dark)*: Nothing better on a summers day to have bronzed up skin, and since I don’t tan, I turn to bronzers to give me the glow I need. My love for Clarins knows no bounds, as this blog documents, and these two shades work for my pale skin even though I was sent the dark version, if I use a light hand.

Unmeltable lip products!

YSL Glossy Stain in #15 Rose Vinyl: I adore the formula of the YSL Glossy Stains, and because they don’t melt or snap when warm, they are perfect for keeping in my handbag during hot weather. The glossy finish is casual enough for everyday and the stain means I don’t have to retouch very often, and all of those factors make this a perfect summer lip product for me!

Sportsgirl Give Some Lip liquid lipstick (pictured is the shade Luscious): I swear by this liquid lipstick/lipgloss formula, I love the unique scent and the beautiful colour selection. These are unmeltable, and really pigmented for juicy looking lips.

Revlon Super Lustrous lipgloss in Coral Reef: Revlon are stellar when it comes to lip products, and these glosses are really comfortable to wear, with Coral Reef being the perfect coral shade for this heat.

So now it is your turn to share your summer essentials in the comments below,  I’d love to hear what you rely on when the weather heats up!

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

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist // The Ultimate Refreshment

 

As well as loving the aesthetic of the Jurlique brand, I am yet to be disappointed with the products I have tried from them. My stand out product is definitely the Rosewater Balancing Mist, which comes in a beautiful frosted glass bottle. Not so great for travelling with, but a beautiful looking product to keep out on my desk without a doubt. When I first begun dating the Mister I was using this, and when he was searching for some Christmas gifts for me last month he remembered the scent, and picked it up for me once again! The mist is really fine and smells delightfully rose, but not in a very overpowering way, in my opinion. I use facial mists to set my makeup, refresh my makeup midway through the day, and to calm and soothe my face late at night. This doesn’t irritate or upset my skin at all, and is something I highly recommend as a luxurious treat.

 

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist retails for $35 for 50ml or $48.99 for 100ml and is available at Myer, David Jones and Adore Beauty. They have a large range of other toning sprays if rose isn’t your thing, so you should still be able to find a winner. For your reference:

-Purely Age Defying

-Lavender (Hydrating)

-Citrus (Purifying)

-Chamomile (Soothing)

-Purely White (Skin Brightening)

-Herbal Recovery (Night Mist)

 

Are you a fan of facial mists? Which of the sprays from the Jurlique range would suit your skin?

*This was a gift from Mister, and the first bottle I bought was purchased by me. Honesty, always.

The Sheen of Ivy League // Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color

 

When Mumma Bovary sees me holding a bottle of polish and snapping away with my Nikon, she sighs and always mentions how she wishes her nails were painted so she could do that, too. As we were having a Once Upon a Time marathon the other afternoon, she yelped and realised her nails were painted, and that the lighting was perfect for a Mumma Bovary nail of the day! 

 

Mum had been wearing this Sally Hansen shade for almost a week, and as you can see it holds up well to house cleaning and light gardening. We picked up this shade when Priceline had their big sale on, and because Mum is always drawn to metallic green shades like this, the choice was easy for her. I love the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear formula, and as it turns out Mum does, too.

 

Ivy League is a beautiful shade, and reminds me very much of the infamous nail family that includes Chanel Peridot and OPI Just Spotted the Lizard.  It is much brighter than those shades, and I think that is very flattering on the nail. It works well with the tan my Mum is sporting at the moment, but I have no doubts that it would suit my lily white skin as well.

 

Are you a fan of shades like this, or do you think them too ‘out there’ for you? What are your favourite Sally Hansen nail colours? I am very excited about the new shade releases they have coming in 2013!

 

*This shade belongs to my Mum, who purchased it herself. Hand is also her own! Honesty, always.

January Beauty Bag

As well as spending the majority of January curled up on the couch watching Once Upon a Time and painting my nails, I have compiled an updated beauty bag. These are some of the products I’ve been using lately, and my plan is to create a new beauty bag each month to rotate through my beauty stash and make sure I’m only keeping the things that work for me.

 

I’ve been content switching up my lip shade day in and day out, and in heavy rotation are the ones featured here.  MAC Party Parrot is a party starter in every respect, and with the mention of it being relaunched with a new collection, my love for it was reignited. A paler scenario is also tempting me, so I have thrown Rimmel’s Nude Delight and Barry M’s Toffee into the bag as well. Last but not least is a glossy red in the form of Maybelline’s Cranberry Cocktail, which is a beautiful shade but smells awful.

 

I’ve gone out and repurchased my Lush lip scrub, but this time have chosen Sweet Lips, which has a delicious chocolate scent. I’ve also stepped into the world of Grown Alchemist with their new lipbalm in Watermelon Vanilla*…yes, the best mix of scents for a lip balm, hands down.  A glam touch to my beauty bag is the shimmer infused dry oil from Nuxe*. I usually use the regular Nuxe Dry Oil, but have been loving this for a glow on my legs whenever I throw a dress or bathers on. I’ll admit, this doesn’t get a whole lotta loving when I’m in front of the TV with Ginnifer Goodwin aka Snow White.

 

Since the temperature is sitting around 37 degrees here (99 farenheit for my international readers!) I have been preferring a glowy, sunkissed look when I have been bothered to make my face up. Into my January beauty bag I’ve thrown one of my favourite highlighters in the form of TheBalm’s Mary-Lou Manizer. Love the smooth champagne glow this gives me, and it needs more love from me. Eyes will hopefully be just as glowy, with L’Oreal’s Infallible in Hourglass Beige as an everyday shade, and Inglot Pearl 423 for a deeper look.

Do you like the concept of a designated beauty bag each month? I find it pushes me to use things I’ve neglected in my collection, and forces me to create new looks with the basics I choose. I’d love to hear something you’ve been using a lot of this month in the comments!

*Marked products were provided for editorial consideration. Honesty, always.

Clarins Odyssey Eye Quartet Mineral Palette

 

I am a major fan of Clarins collections, and as soon as the Odyssey collection hit counters I snatched up the Eyeshadow Palette with gusto. The neutral shades are something I know I will wear, and the gold leaf style shade within it was perfect for the festive season, and terribly pretty on the eye. I love the solid compact that the Clarins palettes are housed in, and the pattern atop the lid is just the icing on a very pretty cake.

 

 

The shadows are mineral based and smooth to apply, though the gold shade is very unique to my collection. It feels as though it lies between a cream and pressed gold leaf style of shadow, but I experience minimal fallout each time I use it on the eye. The other three shades are on the sheer side, which makes this palette a wearable choice for those in corporate workplaces or who prefer a light eye look. I tend to go for intense and pigmented shadows, but these still satisfy my shadow needs and I use them quite frequently.

 

 

 

The sponge tip applicators are something I don’t use, but for the eye look below I did use them to pack on the golden shade to the inner portion of my lid. I have only worn the gold packed on, but have seen other reviews of this palette where the gold has been blended out to produce a metallic golden sheen to the eye, which is something I’m interested in trying.

 

 

photo taken in direct sunlight

 

photo taken in direct sunlight

 

I decided to try out the suggested eye look that accompanies this palette, to show you how it would look. Since then, I’ve tried out more neutral looks forgoing the gold shade, but this is definitely the most striking for photographs.

 

The Clarins Odyssey Eye Quartet retails around the $50 AUD mark and though I haven’t seen it at the smaller Clarins counters, it is still out at the Melbourne Myer on Bourke Street.

What do you think of the Clarins Odyssey Eyeshadow palette? Do you gravitate towards neutral palettes like this?

 

 

*I personally purchased this palette. Honesty, always.