5 Beauty Lover Saving Tips

I'm currently in the midst of a mega-life change - I've just left my job and plan on getting a job in my field next year, am getting married in a month and have a busy end of year ahead with overseas family coming out and a big glorious honeymoon to enjoy.

I'm becoming better at pinching the pennies to make my wedding lovely and keep our household running, but the beauty lover in me still needs a hit every now and again! I've been thinking about how I usually save money or shop sensibly when it comes to beauty products and the like, and have rounded up my ideas for you. These 5 tips will help you think smart about how you shop and hopefully stop you from coming home with products that won't get any love in your stash!

1 //  Evaluate your stash
Are you like me and own a million red lipsticks, a shade you wear approximately twice a year? Once you get to know your stash properly it becomes so much easier to evaluate purchases on the go. For example, I know that I own far too many neutral blushes (blushes in general actually, as this evidence shows...) but that they are something I wear all of the time, so if I'm pondering a new nude blush at least I know I will use it, and can think back to my current shades to see if this one is too similar to the others. Now that I've learnt to do this I find myself never buying red lipstick ;)

my true obsession, and my wasted money obsession!

2 // Check out current deals before you click 'checkout'
This is one that I have always done before I checkout when shopping online, and I think the same sort of reasoning works when shopping in store as well. You wouldn't dismiss sale information or a free GWP at a store, so checking current sales for favourite sites like Adore Beauty and BeautyBay just makes sense! Sites that collect coupons for a bunch of places are my favourite as they've done the gathering for me, leaving me more time to check out swatches of the items I'm lemming ;)

3 // Wish List
You have to be realistic when it comes to loving beauty - I am well aware that I could never pull off a project pan, so beginning one would just set me up for disaster in the long run in the form of a huge splurge on products that may not be worth it. Instead, I like to create wish lists to whittle down my lusts and really work out what it is that really gets my heart racing. Lately I've been all about the honeymoon wishlists (see part one and part two) and it's always good to look back to past lemmings to notice trends!


4 // Follow International Trends
Being in a remote country like Australia means that we are made to wait a really long time for products to hit our shores. I keep an eye on my favourite international beauty blogs like Temptalia, Eye Heart It, Beauty Reductionista and Beauty Reflections to make sure I know what will eventually come out. This gives me time to check out more reviews and work out whether or not a product would work for me, and by the time it comes out here I am prepared with a full purse for it!

Products I've bought after reading about them on international blogs!

5 // Sign up to email lists for your favourite stores
This is a double-edged sword - if you are on a shopping ban this can cause too much temptation, but I personally find it wonderful to get the notification about a sale as soon as it has begun. Some of my non-beauty favourites include Lovisa (I love a good costume piece!) and Cotton On (I've used both of these recently for wedding related purchases, and didn't pay full price because I was notified about the promotion early!)

How do you save money when it comes to beauty shopping? Have you ever done a project pan or a similar mission?

Emma x

Adore Beauty Cult French Beauty Sampler

I have a confession to make – I am a slight Francophile. It all began on a family trip to Paris years ago, and was heightened when I fell in love with Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary (namesake of the blog and all!) I love travelling and can’t wait to experience France with Mister for the first time, but until then I’m to be kept happy with French travel novels, eating large amounts of soft cheeses and playing with beautiful French beauty products. Adore Beauty, thank you for making the last point a gorgeous travel sized reality (I adore you!)

French women have this thing about them, wouldn’t you agree? I may just be lucky, but all of the French women I know are divine and they all have great skin – perhaps thanks to some of the products in this Adore Beauty sampler*? I’ve trialling a few of these samplers over the years (here is a makeup sampler, and here is a serum one!) and this theme is probably my favourite! Stars of the sampler are either being saved up for our honeymoon or are already residing in my handbag for ease of use!

I'm a big lover of the cult Bioderma Crealine H2O, and having another of these teensy 20ml versions is a welcome addition to my travel skincare loot. I've popped the 30ml L'Occitane Shea Butter Body Lotion into my handbag to remind myself to keep my elbows soft, love how sturdy the packaging for this is.

You also receive a card with 5 French beauty secrets and a Cult French beauty booklet going into detail about each of the gorgeous products in the sampler. Icluded is a 15% off code for you to use when repurchasing any of the products you've trialled, plus two sample sachets and a Tim Tam (a staple with every Adore Beauty order, how awesome!)

I much prefer these samplers to ordinary subscription boxes as I appreciate the transparency from Adore Beauty - they tell you what products you are getting (and their sizes) from the get-go. I also love that they have chosen an even enough spread of body vs facial products, plus one sachet of the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil (which is also a body product) I guess it just comes down to whether or not you are a fan of paying for sample sized products - you either love it, or you hate it!

The Adore Beauty French Cult Beauty Sampler retails for $39 AUD and is available here.

What country is your obsession, your holiday favourite?

 

Emma x

 

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

 

Dermalogica Precleanse + an exciting price drop!

Don't get me wrong, I had heard rave reviews about the Dermalogica Precleanse* from fellow beauty bloggers, but for some reason it still slipped under the radar for me. To be honest, Dermalogica in general was a favourite of many I knew, and until the middle of last year I had only really skimmed to surface of their product range. I enjoyed using the Microfoliant*, but it wasn't until the Precleanse met my face that the love affair truly began.

 

The premise of this is something that some disagree with, but the notion of pre-cleansing truly is something worth trying for yourself. Foundations are now lasting longer, primers are gaining popularity and sunscreen is an everyday necessity, so 'double cleansing' or using a precleanse is an easy way to ensure you are thoroughly cleaning your skin before applyling your serums and moisturisers. I use a dedicated eye makeup remover on my lids and lashes, before using precleanse and my cleanser in the shower. You rub this oil over your (dry) face, add some water to emulsify and work it into the skin before it easily rinses away. I prefer this over other oil-based cleansers I have used, as it leaves my skin happy and clean without drama.

Dermalogica Precleanse is pretty much a citrus scented addiction, as my skin never feels totally clean unless I've used this before my regular cleanser.

Now that the price of Dermalogica products have dropped in Australia, I will be repurchasing a 150ml bottle for $43.35 from Adore Beauty when this one runs out. Shouldn't need to repurchase for quite a while though, as this bottle lasts for ages!

What do you think about the idea of precleansing? A necessity , or just another step in your already-too-long skincare routine?

*This product was provided for consideration, but opinions are all mine. Honesty, always.

Serum Sampler!

The idea of trialling petite sized serums is a very exciting one, and so when Adore Beauty contacted me and told me about their new (and limited!) Serum Sampler Set, I was elated. I was sent the pack which contains 5 petite serums, and today I am showing you the contents of the pack. I would love to provide reviews on each of these serums but it takes quite a while to trial each one, and I didn't want you to miss the opportunity to try this sampler out so I will just be providing some serum overviews for you at this point!

The Serum Sampler Selection.

SK II Facial Treatment Essence (30ml)

This facial essence promises radiance and says that it helps to maintain the skin's normal renewal cycle, which all sounds very promising. It also mentions that it balances the skin's PH levels and sebum secretion, so the oily and dry bits of your skin come out happy with this. I love Cate Blanchett in the television ad for this product, and am looking forward to trying it!

Lancome Genifique Youth Activator (7ml)

This says that it is based on gene science and stimulates the skin's production of youth proteins. Being 21 I don't think this is aimed at me, but I am up for warding off aging and it says it will make my skin cushiony soft- I like! It also mentions that it will help with skin tone and texture. I think I have another of these samples lying around so it will be good to give this a red hot go!

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster (7ml)

Like a vitamin for your face, or so it says on the pack! Promises to help smooth out lines and wrinkles and prevent them appearing in the future, which sounds great for the little lines appearing around my eyes! I know I'm young but I would like to stay looking fresh for as long as possible, so this stuff should be good for me.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant + (2.5ml)

I am a fan of rosehip oil in general, and Trilogy is an excellent brand so this is a welcome addition to the sampler pack. This is certified organic and 100% natural, and great at moisturising deep into the skin, which is a must-have in winter! I will be gifting this little sample to my sister as I have this already, and she is having a bit of trouble with dry skin at the moment, and this should do the trick!

Alpha-H Liquid Gold Prep & Prime (10ml)

This water-based fluid says that it will leave skin plumped and luminous, and refines pores and dissolves cell build up. I like that it had a mattifying effect, and doesn't contain filler ingredients. It notes glycolic acid as a primary ingredient and says that it will improve the overall appearance of my skin. I have a full size of this that Alpha-H gifted me that I am yet to use, so when I do open it this will live at Chris' house with my travel skincare.

Subtle Energies Facial Blend (10ml)
This 'aromatic' facial blend says that it gives a youthful glow by providing rejuvenation, and that it is great for normal to dry skin types. The blend includes the oils of mogra, sandalwood and Indian Rose, which sounds like a very lovely mix! I've not heard of this brand before so am excited to see whether or not this can help my winter dryness.

I think that sampler packs like this are a terrific way of dipping your toe into new products without too much commitment, and I am excited to be able to try out all of these brands.

The exclusive Adore Beauty Serum Sampler retails for $29 AUD and can be purchased here. The pack arrives with a discount code for 10% off of any serum within the pack, so once you have chosen your favourite you can save a bit of cash! Shipping from Adore Beauty is $5.95 AUD.

Have you tried any of these serums?

What do you think of the idea of a serum sampler?

*This serum sampler pack was provided for consideration for review from Adore Beauty, which in no way affects my opinion of the product. Honesty, always.

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes

Being quite new to the beauty game means I haven't had years of finetuning application technique or finding my HG product list (yet!). I have spent my time, however, trying new things that come my way and trusting my gut instinct as to whether or not I like them. In my search for a 'perfect' mascara, I present Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes. 

Doll Eyes vs Bare lashes

My gut instinct says this mascara does good things for my lashes!

I've forgotten how I came to possess this sample size Lancome Doll Eyes mascara (have a feeling it might've been in a beauty sample box?) but I'm mighty happy that I've had the chance to try out a high end mascara for the very first time.

This 2ml sample excited me first with it's name, as I'd definitely love to have lashes like a doll! The scent that it possesses was another interesting aspect. If anything, other mascaras I've tried smell like chemicals, but never have I had one that smells of roses!

The smell probably won't be an awesome addition for those with super-sensitive eyes, but for me it's a nice touch that makes my mascara application in the morning a little bit of aromatherapy as well! This mascara doesn't smudge on me at all and I find the formula wears well, even on long days and into the night. It's not a very wet formula which I prefer, as it means less mascara splodges when my lashes hit my lids.

The brush tapers out at the end to make a sort of cone shape, which makes it easier to wiggle into the lashes on the very outer and inner corners of my eyes. I find that I'm still often too lazy to catch every lash on my way out of a morning (see photos for proof of this, wasn't my best application efforts!) but it's nice to know I've got a wand that is capable of it.

Wider shot of my mug which isn't flattering, but shows the difference quite well I think.

Overall I am really enjoying using this mascara. I do find that it stings if it gets into my eyes (for eg if I don't remove my makeup before I shower) but that is the case with most mascara so I'm not complaining. I will most likely repurchase this as a full size in the future, but will probably stick to cheaper priced mascaras for everyday wear.

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara retails for $52 AUD and is available from David Jones, Myer and online at Adore Beauty here.

What is your HG mascara?

What mascara do you think I should buy when this runs out?
Drugstore options?

Feel free to leave any of your mascara review links in the comments below :)

Product Review: Terax Crema

The ladies in my family are known for their crazy-thick locks, particularly my sister and I. I once dreaded running a comb through my hair, and despite having a full face of makeup on, rocked a wild mane of hair when out and about.

Lately I've been trying to make more of an effort, and have finally found a hair product I find worthy of splurging on!

Despite having long hair that sits below my shoulder blades, I only need the smallest amount of the Terax Crema conditioner to tame my crazy mop. I spread it evenly on the lower lengths of my hair and leave it on as long as I can, and as soon as I rinse it out I can feel the difference in my hair. It smells creamy but not strong, just the way I like it.

 In Thailand last week I was using the hotel's conditioner and it was driving me crazy! I ended up wearing my hair in a bun most days because I just couldn't be bothered with it. Needless to say, I was elated to come home and slather my hair with this. I am running low on my tube which I won from Primped, and wish I had fallen in love with a cheaper version of this, as it is the most expensive thing I buy for my hair! Alas, no such luck, but this is one item this uni student is happy to pay for.

200ml tube $29.95 AUD
500ml pump $59.95 AUD
can be purchased from Adore Beauty here and David Jones.

Have you tried Terax Crema?
Do you recommend any other Terax products?
Share your holy grail hair products in the comments below!