Empties + Chuckers // July + August // The Moving House Edition

So as it turns out, there is no better motivation to clear out some beauty loot than having to pack up all of your worldly possessions to move for the very first time. I have chucked out some things and used up others, and waited until I was about to move before snapping a picture of what had accumulated.

Innoxa Body Wash* – a nice lather and inoffensive smell made this easy to use, but not exciting enough to repurchase

Bodycology Sweet Petals – absolutely loved this, the scent was amazing and I am frustrated because I think it is a discontinued product (I bought it for $1 from Priceline…)

Kit Cosmetics Tan Prep Body Scrub* – a truly great body scrub, doesn’t leave any residue and the scent reminds me of hot summer days and coconuts

Deodorants – The best from this bunch is the travel Rexona + the Clinical Protection cream deodorant. The Dove wasn’t that impressive and the pink Musk Rexona at the back of this photo burned my underarms!

Garnier Fructis Sensitive Scalp Shampoo – my staple, I switch between this and the Classic version

Smackers Strawberry Body Spray – I used this as a room spray as it was too sweet for the body! Nice faux strawberry scent, but more suited to my niece’s age range than my own

Impulse Paris Body Spray – loved this, also used this as a room spray and it reminded me of Dior My Cherie which is always a good thing.

Clearasil Skin Perfecting Wash with microbeads – I think Mum bought me this when I had just begun high school, I found it so far back in my bathroom cabinet! A chucker, for sure.

Ten O Six Deep Pore Toner – Another chucker, I remember despising this alcohol filled toner than smelled scarily strong and hurt when I applied it. The beginning of my skincare regime was not a pretty one!

L’Oreal Powder Concealer – packaging is cracked and I never liked the formula to begin with. Another one to chuck in the bin!

L’Oreal Vita Lift 5 Facial Moisturiser* – Technically Mister Bovary’s, but I used this as a night cream every now and again and really enjoyed it. The scent is quite strong and masculine, but it did the job nicely and Mister said he would repurchase (or perhaps he has already, I’ve forgotten)

Uriage Thermal Spray* – A nice hit of thermal water for powdery makeup moments and when the heating at work is on full blast.

L’oreal Triple Active Day moisturiser – I have used up a few of these and really love the formula, I still have one in back up which I’m looking forward to using.

Burt’s Bees Anti-Blemish Solutions moisturiser* – Adored this moisturiser, kept my skin really happy but the damn packaging was a fail! Beautiful glass bottle with a pump (all good so far…) but the formula is too thick to come through when you get near the end of the bottle, so a whole lot of product is sitting there, unable to be reached.

Soap & Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser* – A true skincare love of mine, and I’ve already repurchased! Kept my acne away and my face is never better than when I’m using this.

Face of Australia Impact Curl Mascara – My whole family uses this, and I love how affordable it is to repurchase! Really holds a curl in my lashes, though it must be noted that my family are generally blessed with good lashes so results may vary.

Chanel travel mascara –woeful! This came in a Chanel pack Mister Bovary bought for me on our first holiday years ago (before I was interested in makeup!) and it did so little for my lashes that it made me hold off on buying from Chanel for quite some time…I certainly am over that fear now though!

Dermalogica Precleanse – Another skincare love that I will definitely repurchase! A great first cleanse product that smells citrusy and lovely.

 

FCUK For Her – A nice but bland scent, I can’t help but think of how cheap it is every time I apply this. Mister Bovary has the male version, and it is much the same in experience for him as well.

Vera Wang Princess – I had quite the obsession with this before I received it for a Christmas gift a few years ago, and after using it I discovered that it doesn’t sit very nicely on my skin at all. It’s lovely in the bottle, but the special quality disappears when I wear it.

Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean –Absolutely love this scent, and have decided that the next time I see it on sale I am going to grab myself a big bottle for my stash.

Paco Rabanne Black XS – A great sweet scent that reminds me of my cousin Claire, who wore it while living with my family for a few years. I love it, but I feel I have to leave it to her to rock! 

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Top 4 Hand Creams That Soothe and Smell Great!

Seriously, I have a truck load of half used hand creams floating around my place and I just can’t seem to stick it out with just one. These are my top 4 right now, and I love slathering them all over my hands (and elbows, don’t forget!) as I sit at my desk writing or reading blogs.

 

The Jojoba Company make some rad facial products, and this is the first body product I’ve tried from them. The Lemon & Coconut hand cream* ($22.95/50ml) comes in the cutest pink squeezy tube, and even though I have the travel sized 20ml tube, I still think the regular size would be perfect to keep in your handbag. It smells just like lemon meringue pie to my nose, and I’ll be honest and say that is isn’t my favourite scent, though everyone I’ve shared it with has absolutely loved the smell so perhaps it is just me. Not too thick and sinks in fast, good job Jojoba Co!

For seriously dry hands or an overnight treatment, I reach for my Burt’s Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Crème* ($19.95/57g). The crazy thick texture and sweet almond smell are highlights of this one, and though some might dislike the pot hygiene issue, I think the glass and cream labels look expensive and nice on my desk with my other night time goodies. Cute cow on the lid, too, how can you say no!?

The Sally Hansen Nails & Cuticle Hand Cream* ($9.95/96g) is fresh and citrusy, and feels quite velvety on the hands after it sinks in. I first used this during the racing season when I was in Federation Square getting a SH manicure (post here if you want to check that out) and I was enthralled by the smell of it. I think scents like this work all year round, either to perk you up on a chilly day at the office or to let you feel tropical on a warm summer day.

 

I've definitely saved the best for last, because although I enjoy the other hand creams for various reasons, my heart truly belongs to my Endota Spa Lavender and Alpine Pepper hand cream* ($34/90ml and $10/20ml). Amazing scent mix, best formula I've come across, classic and compact packaging...the list goes on. My original review is here if you want to check it out (a very old post indeed! but suffice to say that this cream is my very favourite.

 

Which of these scents tickle your fancy? Do you have a hand cream recommendation for me? I'd love to hear what hand creams you love most in the comments below, and also the ones that disappointed you!

 

 

*These products were provided for consideration and all opinions are mine. Honesty,always.

Instagramming #2

Queen Helene, saving me from spots // Flash byJimmy Choo, having a nosy around the Myer Fragance Hall // New IntenseHydration range from BB is mighty tempting // Checking out the new Maybellinemakeup remover

Party animal on a Saturday night // Australis Pout Paste– dare I say, an OCC Lip Tar drugstore equivalent? // First time trying Ben& Jerry’s!

Sweet Valentine gestures // A bright blush face of the daywith Illamasqua Morale // What I Wore for Valentine’s Day date night //Some much loved products that are copping a hiding this week

Froyo time, favourite topping was the popping mango balls //Bargains filling up my basket // Oogling the new Rimmel duochrome nailshades at Priceline // Revlon Honey & L’Oreal The Muse’s Blush-apicture so nice you saw it twice ;)

 

It has been a while since my first Instagramming blog post,so I thought I would update you with what has been happening over there! If you’dlike to follow me, my name is emmabovaryon Instagram.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend, I’d love to hear yourplans in the comments below!

my skincare routine

I have jumped onto the 'obsessed with skincare' bandwagon and thought I would share some of the things I've been using. I have recently revamped my skincare routine but had these pictures ready to go, so thought it was still worthwhile sharing my thoughts with you.

Environ AVST Cleansing Lotion

This is a runny lotion type cleanser which I use after removing my makeup with Bioderma Crealine H2O. The fact that it doesn't lather or anything like that takes a while to get used to, but it really does clean my face well and is so darn easy to remove. It leaves my skin soft, and once I get out of the 'acne/shit skin' phase I'm in, this will be my cleanser for sure.

 

Bioderma Crealine H2O

This magic water is like a drug for me, I just can't get enough. I've talked about this in depth here, and I am over the moon that it is now readily available in Australia. I use a separate eye make up remover and keep this baby for all over the face, and it takes off the gunk and precleanses as well. To find stockists, click the link to my full review here.

 

Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant

I may 'like' a whole bunch of other exfoliators on the market, but there is only 'love' in my heart for this one. Nothing gets my skin as smooth as Alpha-H does, and it isn't lying when it says it is gentle. I'm pretty sure I could use this every day without a problem, but I prefer to use it every second or third night. This helps with foundation application as well, as it helps create a more even base to work with. Buy it from AdoreBeauty.

 

Burt's Bees Anti-Blemish Solutions Moisturizer

This is a light-weight moisturiser that I find great for my combination skin, as it hydrates but doesn't add to any oily parts of my face. It smells quite strongly of something 'organic' (you know what I mean, right?) but I have grown to like the scent. The bottle is glass and I like the aesthetic of it. The only problem with the packaging is that because it is a thicker moisturiser, now that I'm at the end of the bottle it is almost impossible to use! I have to scrape it from the pumps tube each time I use it, it is driving me nuts but is worth it. Buy it from Echolife here.

 

 

Though I switch up my skincare quite often, I liked the quality of all these and would readily recommend them. I have since switched up my cleanser and my moisturiser to something better suited to how my skin is at this point, however I would repurchase all of these items! My doctor has supported the idea that my skin acting out is a hormonal issue, which hopefully means it will be back on track soon!

 

Are you obsessed with skin care right now?

What is your current skincare routine?

Some of these items were provided for consideration, but I use them because they work for me. Honesty, always.

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.

The Shower Situation: Complete!

You might remember about a month ago I shared my overflowing shower situation with you in this post. I ended up impressing myself, instead of finishing up the 5 products I completed 8 items!

Botanics of Australia Revitalising Body Cleanser*
Garnier Fructis Sensitive Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

 L'Occitane Cherry Princess Pearlescent Shower Cream*

  John Frieda Conditioner 3 *
Lush Glogg Shower Gel
Burt's Bees Cranberry and Pomegranate Sugar Scrub
Alpha-H Age Delay Cleansing Oil*
Charmed soap bar

I'm pretty content with having less in my shower caddy, I still have a lot to choose from but more room to store them. I needed to throw out the soap bar, it was never going to be used and looks gross so out it goes. My favourite products from this challenge would have to be the L'Occitane shower cream and the Alpha-H Age Delay. I will be going into mini reviews tomorrow when these also feature in my June Empties, so be sure to check that out if you are interested in seeing what I thought of any of these.

Though I said I would treat myself to some Haus of Gloi products when I finished up some shower items, I came home from work to find some new shower products from Clarins and L'Occitane waiting for me so I am going to hold off for now. It looks like the PR for those companies decided to reward me prematurely!

How much does your shower caddy hold?
Is it overflowing?

*These products were sent for consideration in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

positive reviews, negative results

I don't tend to post reviews on products I'm not fond of very often, but think that I might begin to. I find it interesting to see what people dislike just as much as what they like, and so here is my post on my least favourite body scrub to date. Remember that the opinions are my personal ones, and you might like the aspects of this scrub that I don't, so feel free to share thoughts with me in the comments!

The Burt's Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Sugar Scrub was released last year, and it won awards from both Marie Claire and Beauty Heaven in 2012. I was so excited to win this from the Burt's Bees twitter page as I had heard so many rave reviews of it, and I got stuck into it as soon as it hit my doorstep.

The scrub is a mix of cranberry sees and pomegranate oil in a sugar crystal and shea butter formula, which leave the skin feeling moisturised when you hop out of the shower. The problem, however, is that I feel as though I am cocooned by a layer of slime that I need to scrub off after using this. My skin feels soft, but when I scrape my nails across my skin (this is gross,I'm sorry) I'm left with a nail full of residue left behind by the scrub. I'm not sure if this is how some people prefer their scrubs, but I am definitely not a fan and don't feel clean after using this.

My main issue is with the cranberry seeds in this scrub, which litter my shower and drive me absolutely crazy. They do work well at scrubbing, but it would take more than that to calm my current cranberry seed rage! Again, the fact that this has won so many awards suggests that others like the cranberry seeds and moisturising formula, so maybe it is just me.

The scent of the scrub is of a strong daquiri, and takes my mind to a bar each time I crack the lid of this. All good in theory, but when I get home from work a daquiri is not something I need, and so I found the scent to be too overwhelming for me.

I suggest that you have a sniff of this before you purchase as it is quite strong, and despite it not being something I like personally I am confident that others will fall in love with the sweet scent. The moisturising aspect of this scrub is commendable, but for me the seeds and residue are too much for this to be worth purchasing in the future. Quite a few of my favourite body products are from Burt's Bees so I think this was just not the right product for me, so I'm contemplating picking up this in the other available scents just to see how I go (it comes in Mango & Orange and Honey & Shea)

The Burt's Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Sugar Scrub retails for $29.95 AUD and is available from Adore Beauty here, Priceline and Myer stores, as well as anywhere you find normally find Burt's Bees products.

Have you tried the Burt's Bees sugar scrub range?

What sorts of body scrubs do you favour?

*This product was won in a Twitter competition and so was not purchased by myself, which in no way changes my review of the product. Honesty, always.

My Current Routine

I will happily admit that I am a snooper, and love seeing what is in the cabinets and handbags of others. I usually squeal when Natalie posts over at The Mustard Jumper, and when she posted this I was riveted, and decided to follow suit. Here is the products I'm using right now, but keep in mind that I change up my makeup and skincare frequently!

Face

01. Cleanser:  Environ AVST Cleansing Lotion

02. Toner/lotion: Environ AVST Moisturising Toner

03. Cream/moisturiser: Environ AVST1 Moisturiser

04. Facial Mask: Jurlique Intense Recovery Mask + Sukin Purifying Facial Masque

05. Exfoliator: Soap and Glory Greatest Scrub of All + Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant 

06. Make-up remover: Face of Australia Gentle Make-Up Remover (review) + Alpha-H Cleansing Oil

Body

07. Shower gels/soaps: Lush Glogg, Kiehls Coriander Body Wash, L'Occitane Cherry Princess Pearlescent Shower Cream

08. Body lotions/creams: The Body Shop Moringa Body Butter + Sukin Hydrating Body Lotion

09. Nails: Essie 'Nice is Nice' (review) + Darling 'Hot Diggity'

10. Body exfoliator: Burt's Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Scrub + Botani Spirulina Salt Scrub (review)

11. Foot cream: -

12. Lip balm or lip treatment: Korres Jasmine Lip Butter (review)

13. Perfume: Thierry Mugler Angel EDT (review) + Kim Kardashian for Women

Hair

14. Shampoo/conditioner: Garnier Fructis Sensitive Anti-Dandruff Shampoo + random conditoner sample sachets I am trying to use up before I buy my beloved Terax Crema.

15. Mask or other treatments/products: Moroccanoil, Girlz Only Dry Shampoo, John Frieda Frizz Ease

Make Up

16. Foundation: Bourjois Healthymix Serum, Clarins Ever Matte Liquid, Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse.

17. Powder: Maybelline Dream Matte Powder + Clarins Ever Matte powder.

18. Blush: Benefit Dallas, essence Swirlpool, YSL Creme de Blush in Powdery Rose

19. Mascara: Australis Lash Lengths

20. Lipstick/lipgloss: Natural Compatibles 'Berry', essence 'me&my icecream'

21. Eyeshadow: MAC 'Jaunty' eyeshadow (review), L'Oreal Infallible in 'Sahara Treasure', Femme Fatale Cosmetics 'Poison' pigment.

22. Eyeliner: essence gel liner in Midnight in Paris

Many of these products were sent for consideration and I am in the process of trialling them for this blog. Honesty, always.

Scents of September- L'EAU D'ISSEY,Burt's Bees and Yankee Candles

The weather in Australia is generally all over the place, and Melbourne is no exception. Known for having four seasons in a single day, we sort of get the best of all worlds while getting the short end of the stick as our summer dresses are soaked in rain.

I have been struggling to keep up with the constant changes, and my poor skin has been battered. I received this Burt's Bees Almond Milk Hand Creme in a mini pack I hauled a while ago, and it's only now receiving love from me. It smells like yummy almonds and reminds me of biscuits, and is great at coating my hands to keep the elements out. It's quite thick and waxy, but good at its job so I shan't complain.

For those sunny days, I've been loving this L'Eau D'Issey sample. I have no idea how I came to own this baby perfume, but mmm it's good. Chris' brother is a massive fan of Issey Miyake fragrances and it reminds me of him when I wear it. He's pretty awesome, so it's a good connection:) It's a heavy yet light scent, and feels both masculine and feminine to me. I can picture myself wearing this out to dinner or just to the shops, so it is a versatile scent to my nose. It's obvious I am bad with scent description, so just give it a sniff next time you're out and about.

The gorgeous PR for Yankee Candles realised I couldn't attend the Sydney launch as I'm Melbourne based, so was kind enough to fill up a parcel with Yankee goodness and mail it out to me! Was very happy to see scents I might not have picked for myself, and I've been loving Clean Cotton for those times when the rain has gone but the damp feel remains, and you just need something clean and fresh to take over. I've also got the melts in Fluffy Towels which I'm keen to try, and I think the name is super cute.

That rounds up my top scent picks for September, I was lucky enough to receive some perfume samples from Coty at ABBW last weekend so am gearing up to fall in love with them in October. My IMATS/ABBW posts are coming, I'm still recovering from all of the excitement so it's taken me a while to get organised. Let me know what scents you've been loving lately, or if there are any you think I should have a sniff at.

emmabovary xx

Lovely Liptember!

Liptember is a wonderful Australian initiative that supports women's health, and is a fun campaign that involves rocking a signature shade for the month of September. This year I haven't worn the official shade exclusively, but have been loving it quite a bit. Burt's Bees are a favourite company of mine, and this year they've put their new tinted lip balm in Hibiscus to the forefront of the campaign. I'm wearing Hibiscus in the above image, and because it has been Instagram-ed I will note that the tint is more vibrant that it appears there. The shade is really wearable and the formulation moisturising, so you can support Liptember safe in the knowledge that you will get wear from this product all year round. Hibiscus is available for purchase for $10 from Myer nationwide, with all proceeds from sales and donations going towards the Centre for Women's Mental Health and Lifeline Australia. As I myself am not wearing Hisbiscus exclusively, I'll direct you towards the beautiful Jess from the Belle Lumiere  whose sponsorship page is located here if you wish to donate towards this terrific cause. A quality product for $10 is not something to be sniffed at, and the chance to help women around you with something as simple as lip balm is an idea I'm sure many of you will support :)

emmabovary x

April Empties

Each month I'm emptying more and more, it's such a great feeling. It's forcing me to think about whether or not an item is worth repurchasing, and making more room in my bathroom for the things I really love. Here is what I used up in the month of April:

Sunsilk Purifying Scalp Care Shampoo and Conditioner-This wasn't the worst anti-dandruff product I've used. It was much more nourishing and didn't dry out my hair like others, but it also didn't completely rid me of the flakes. Light dandruff sufferers would probably be best suited to this.


Garnier Ambre Solaire Preparation Scrub- Loved this, smelt great and was a good rough scrub. Won it ages ago and it came alongside fake tanners, but I used it as a regular scrub as well as a preparatory one. Will repurchase.

Clinique Anti-Blemish Moisturiser- Doesn't last long enough, but it great for my super-dry skin. Feels light but gives me enough moisturisation. I have a feeling I will succumb to this bad boy again soon.

Botanical Creations Scrub, Rose and Sandalwood- LOVE!So cheap, a great scrub, stunning scent, feels expensive but is cheaper than coffee! On sale at Priceline for $2 (more scents available) so RUN! (I purchased 4, am going back to get more to stash away/give as gifts)

Jurlique Rosewater Mist- Review to come shortly, all I will say is that I love this product, it makes me smile.



Revlon Colorstay UnderEye Concealer-Review here. Am going to test run a few other concealers before I purchase this again.



Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater bath&shower gel- A realistic rose scented bath/shower gel, a review to come shortly.

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion sample- Adored this, reviewed here.

Rexona Girl Tropical Energy (mini)- I'll go out on a limb and say this is my fave deodorant. Smells grand, and the mini cans last for ages and fit snugly in my bag.

be Yourself eyeshadow palette- Throwing this, I have so many beautiful shadows in my collection that this shares a drawer with, it disrespects them. Don't trust them on my eyes, either.

Colour Co Hot Pink blush- My darling mother posing as Santa bought this for me last year, and for the same reasons as above I am throwing it. Cannot make the bright pink suit me, it's patchy, and I fear I will breakout if I used it. Plus, it broke!> >

So there is what I used up in April, feel free to link to your 'Empties' in the comments so I can have a sneak peek (I love reading these sorts of posts:))

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion

This was thrown in as a freebie when I purchased items from a blog sale recently, and all I saw was 'body lotion' before I slathered it all over myself.

Packaging: Yellow and Red tube that is easy to squeeze the product out of. Striped design reminds me of a fairground theme, very cute.

Scent: Very strong and that 'organic' smell I can't quite describe. First thing it made me think of was beeswax, which turns out to be one of the main ingredients. Scent is fresh upon hitting the skin, and remains though it doesn't fight with my perfume.

Texture: Not too thick, not too thin. Spreads well.

Aesthetics: As I mentioned above I hadn't read the tube before I used this prod (I trust Burt and his Bees, can you tell?) so was amazed when my arms were glowy when I looked down at them half an hour after application. Was I turning into Edward Cullen? Perhaps...but then I paid attention to the lotion and saw that it contained Mica, a light reflecting mineral. It gives such a beautifully natural shimmery glow, the kind I tried to achieve at Blue Light Disco's when I was younger. If this had been around then I might not have partied as a chunky glitterball!

Reapplication: This hydrates me really well, and the sheen lasts for ages so reapplication for me is once in the morning and once at night.

Repurchase: I want a big ol' tube of this so I can fake tan my legs and sheen them up. Winning! (Sorry, couldn't help myself!)

Pros: Was not tested on animals.

Contains royal jelly to nourish and sunflower oil to hydrate.

99.02% Natural
Burt's Bees rock!

Cons: Smell could be a little nicer in the beginning, but then it's a natural product.

emmabovary xx

Lip Balm Love-Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer

Am a fan of Burt's Bees as a brand, and was properly introduced to them via the Liptember promotion they held last September. They placed stands with their Rhubard lip shimmers at Priceline checkouts, and for a ten dollar donation you could get one with all proceeds going towards The Royal Women's Hospital.I loved the idea of it all, so threw one in with my haul that day. Fell in love, hard.

Packaging: Skinny yellow and red tube. Love that it's tall and slim as it fits so well if I'm going out and only have a small bag, and takes up less room in my makeup stash in my everyday handbag. Perfecto!

Taste: From most of the Burt's Bees range I get a little 'organic' taste..I know this is not a technical term, but hope you all know what I refer to when I say this. Not offensive in the slightest in this product.

Smell: None of that smell that the Burt's Bees balm I reviewed the other day has, which I'm happy with.

Texture: Silky, but the shimmer particles make it a little more gritty. This makes it stick to my lips a lot better, but is not too gritty as to make it uncomfortable. Absolutely LOVE the feeling of this balm, so nourishing and is like a treatment and lip colour in one!

Aesthetics: A stunning shimmery berry-ish colour, I think the name Rhubarb sums it up really well as it is unique and darker than your 'strawberry' sort of shades. Not too sparkly, makes lips look super healthy and gives enough colour to wear all by itself.

Reapplication: Lasts for ages and ages on me, and is a lip product that I rely on for this.

Repurchase:As my raving would suggest, this is a HG product for me. I would repurchase till the cows came home, and want you to try this for yourself!

Lip Balm Love-Burt's Bees Lip Balm

Burt's Bees lipbalm claims to be soothing, nourishing, hydrating and replenishing. I have to say that it does tick these boxes, and is a super hydrating balm.

Packaging-4.25g tube, yellow case and red lid. Covered in writing and two cute little bees=) Not the sleekest design but cute and easy to find in the handbag.

Smell- I can't quite put my finger on the smell of this, but it's 'organic-y', if that makes sense. I'm not a fan of the smell, as it's evident while on the lips as well as in the tube.

Taste-No real taste, just a feeling that's linked with the smell of it when on the mouth.

Texture-Super soft but sticks to the lips well. Feels like it's really penetrating my lips, thank heavens, as many balms neglect to do this.

Aesthetics-No shine or shimmer, would be good to use under a lippy.

Reapplication-Softness lasts quite a while on me, but doesn't stay wet on the lips for as long. You have to push down super hard when applying as the stick is pretty sold, which is a tad annoying.

Repurchase-While I love how smooth this makes my lips feel both short and long term, the smell turns me off. I'm interested to check out the other Burt's Bees range of balms, but if the smell is consistent throughout I will just use this one and deal with it.

emmabovary xx

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

Big Haul

Working in retail means I work every Thursday and Friday nights, but this week I was lucky enough to get them both off. Went out to my local Westfield for coffee on the Thursday after tea, and grabbed a few bits and pieces.
This Burt's Bees 'Mini Mani-Pedi Pack' retails for $14.95, but I found it in my local Perfume Connection for $9.95. Change from a tenner and 5 prodz in the box? SOLD! It contains a pumice stone, peppermint foot lotion, beeswax & banana hand creme, almond milk beeswax hand creme, and the most adorable nail file with a bumblebee print. I had been wanting to try the banana hand cream for a while, was in need of a nail file, and adore almond hand cremes, so there was no way I was walking away without this major bargain.

I also picked up a tube of Olay Touch of Sun daily facial moisturiser. This prod has SPF15, and a touch of sunless tanner in it that will hopefully bring a bit of life into my pale face. At the persistence of Yas from Primped and other sun-conscious beauty bloggers, I now wear facial sunscreen daily, and am interested to see how this version compares to others I have been using.

On Friday I headed into Melbourne CBD for the Great Shop Xmas Drop that the mag have been rocking, and though I wasn't fast enough to nab Shop goodies, I managed to haul some other lovely things=)

I took advantage of Target's 'Buy one get one free' with Revlon, and grabbed an under-eye concealer and Colourburst lipstick in 'Peach'. Mister Christopher told me to grab some goodies to fill my stocking with, so I headed to Illamasqua, intending to look at some pigments. Long story short, I had my makeup done and fell in love with an eyeshadow and a lippy, but I'm going to leave them for another post as they've been put away for Christmas. I will show you the results of my Illamasqua visit in the next few days though, Chris took some photos and I am digging the bronze smoky eye!

All of the other things I picked up were Christmas presents for family and friends (to be honest, mainly for Mister Christopher) and since I hope he and the rest of my family is reading emmabovarybeauty, I won't disclose what those parts of my haul were;)

Hope you enjoyed what I hauled this week, if you have any questions about anything mentioned fire away in the comment section. Also wanted to thank everyone who is reading this, there are a million blogs out there and I'm honoured that mine is one of the ones you click on. I'm posting daily now, so hopefully you're finding things of interest around my world=)