Bali Beauty Haul

Back in January I spent two week in Bali with friends to celebrate a very special wedding, and I've decided to post up the beauty products I hauled over there seeing as I haven't even cracked into them yet! I've been so focused on using up the bulk of my stockpile to bring my beauty room to normality that I haven't been trying the exciting new bits I brought back from overseas, but I figured now was as good a time as any to take a look at what I got and start trying things out!

Original Source Vanilla & Raspberry Body Butter - I'm not particularly fond of this scent from OS but I made grabby hands purely because we don't have access to anything but the shower gels here in Australia!

 

Silkygirl Big Eye Mascara & Moisture Boost Lip Crayon - I'd heard of this brand via Vita's blog, which was the only reason I threw something random from them into my cart at the pharmacy. I also meant to get the powder she raves about but as you'll see below, my memory wasn't great that day...

 

Hado Labo Ultimate Moisturising Milk - I had dashed into a pharmacy with a friend to get some cool air while waiting for our driver, and was confronted with a wall of Hado Labo, a brand that I've never before had access to...a moisturiser seemed like a safe option to try out.

 

Maybelline Velvet Matte by Color Sensational in various shades - I saw the cheap Maybelline price coupled with the word matte on the outer wrapping of these, and over the course of the two weeks a stack of shades ended up climbing into my suitcase. Shamed to say I haven't given all of them a good whirl yet, but the ones I've tried have quite a mousse-like consistency.

Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Gentle Foam, Whitening Cream and Sleeping Essence - I'd never seen these before (of course the range came out in Australia right after I returned from Bali - though I don't know if the products are identical?) but they seemed pretty interesting and I generally like Garnier skincare range. I still have some skincare to trial so I won't be using these right away, but am excited to eventually try them!

Cottage Le Caramel Gourmet Shower Gel & Moisturizing Body Milk - Another blog-influenced purchase, from the now defunct Mustard Jumper. From memory she bought these from France? I was so excited to see them on the shelf in Seminyak one day, and I need moisturiser like a hole in the head but bought it regardless (because that is what I do)

 

REN Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion - Technically this 50ml tube came free with a magazine I bought at Melbourne Airport, but once I can see an airplane I'm in holiday mode so I count this as a holiday purchase.

Biore Body Foam Whitening Scrub - Truth be told, I bought this purely for the weird factor! I am partial to trying Biore products while holidaying in Asia, it just seems the thing to do, you know?

Stroberi Nail Polishes - These reminded me of shades from the old OPI Spiderman collection, and that is about as far as my rationalizing will go for these. The Stroberi store is so cute and every time we drove past it we would have a good giggle at the name, so at least these bring back fond holiday memories!

Silkygirl Brightening 2-Way Foundation & Skin Perfect CC 2-Way Foundation - These were my attempt at purchasing Vita's favourite product, close but no cigar! Hopefully they are just as lovely though.

L'Oreal Mat Magique All-in-One Matte Transforming Powder and Canne Film Festival Limited Edition Nail Polishes - I have this strange obsession with buying powders when in Asia, and the pink case for this was too cute to pass on. The polishes were on clearance and such majestic looking shades!

Yves Rocher Hydra Vegetal Intense Hydrating Mask, Peach Creamy Gel Moisturiser, Apple Delight Perfume and Blushes

Fellow blogger Anna always raves about the Yves Rocher brand, so as soon as I spotted it I knew I was about to spend a lot of time filling up a basket. I dipped into most areas of their product line to give it all a go, and was pleased to find two neutral rose toned blushes to add to my blush stash #blushfiend

 

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter and Silky Cleansing Oil -  I'd been wanting to dip my toe into the skincare side of TBS and I love a good cleansing butter or oil, so this felt like a sensible indulgence and I think it worked out a bit cheaper to buy it over there than on Australian soil (plus holiday money is play money, right? ha!)

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It will be a while before my next holiday, so it felt extra nice to sit down and remember all of the lovely things I purchased while away. I also stocked up on a whole lot of Bath and Body Works products but there was too much to fit in this post. Perhaps I should post my collection someday?

-Emma

2016 Empties - First Quarter

Why did I leave the first instalment in this years empties so late? Purely because I am forgetful, but I want it up for my own personal record so this will be short and sweet with the next instalment up this Friday!
SHOWER

I'd purchase all of these shower products again - The Body Shop makes amazing shower gels, Original Source is my affordable go-to, Palmolive scents are divine and Lush is lush - need I say more?
PERFUME + HAIR

I was disappointed with my Hollister Silver Strand Beach Body Spray that I ended up using as a room spray - I adore the scent and ambience of their stores but think their true scents are the way to go as this smelt of alcohol to me. I'll miss the addition of a classy rose scent in my collection now that I've finished up Bvlgari Rose Essentielle, and it will be a while before I purchase the lovely smelling Schwarzkopf Ultimate Repair Anti-Damage Mask again as I'm trialling a stack of other hair products now.
SKINCARE

This is the section that makes me feel most accomplished. For the first quarter I used up Maybelline Make-Up Remover* (wasn't effective) My Beauty Diary Red Vine sheet mask (enjoyed this) Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips (automatic repurchase) and am tossing the Yes to Cucumber Wipes* as they dried up before I could finish them. I was sad to finish off my Dermalogica Precleanse as it's my favourite cleansing oil, and my love affair with La Roche-Posay Efflaclar Duo+* is well documented on this blog. I also used up an adorably teensy Bioderma Crealine H2O and Caudalie Cleansing Water, which was okay but I still prefer the classic Bioderma or Garnier cleansing waters.

 

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What products do you find most satisfying to use up? It's always frustrating if the product is limited edition or hard to get your hands on, but even finishing my favourite skincare can be annoying because it just means I have to fork out more cash to have it back in my routine!

-Emma x

 

 

*Marked products were provided for consideration.

Mister Bovary's Current Favourites

When it comes to my husband, low-key is the perfect way to describe him! Since I've slowly been working beauty products into his routine he has enough of a product pool to pick some favourites for me, so here is his inaugural current favourites post! 

Scent is a driving factor for so many of his favourites, so it makes sense that two of his favourites are aftershaves! His very favourite is Polo Red by Ralph Lauren, but he recently hijacked my bottle of Calvin Klein CK2* that is marketed as a unisex fragrance. It doesn't mesh all that well with me but he loves the oceanic scent on himself so I was happy to let him take over use of the bottle.

Another seemingly random favourite of his? Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist, which smells divine and is another item we 'share' but that he uses more of by far. He loves that it relaxes him and his skin drinks it up, plus I love the cool mist and luxurious scent right before bed every evening.

He hardly ever does anything to his hair (beanies are his newfound love!) but when he does it's all about the MUK Hard Muk Styling Mud, which is a firm paste that tousles his short hair perfectly. I buy him the 2 pack when it goes on special at Hairhouse Warehouse so we always have it on the go for special occasions. Staples in his routine are his beloved Rexona (we share as I prefer the male selection to the floral and sweet female deodorants!) and the Biore Pore Strips - grossly satisfying, am I right?

Is your man into primping or preening? What is his favourite product? Is there anything cool you think I should buy for Mister to try out and review for you?
-Emma x


*Product provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Laid Back Sample Project - Update 2

I think I could be moving through this sample project a little faster, but the 'laid back' nature of it negates all guilt and the fact that I'm clearing out my sample stores is a wonderful thing no matter the pace! Perfume samples seem to be the fastest movers as I find them wonderful to try out on work days, and I already have another scent ready to be reviewed in the next instalment of the project. You can read my original Laid Back Sample Project post here, and the first update here.

Balenciaga Rosebotanica

I'm generally a fan of Balenciaga fragrances but this didn't sit well on me. It was soapy and overtly musky on me, and definitely not something I'd like to add to my perfume collection.

 

Biore Gentle Make-Up Removing Wipes

This was a lot more textured than other wipes I've used, but it wasn't a wet enough formula for me to consider picking up.



 

Missha B.B. Boomer

In essence a luminesce primer, this felt nice on the skin and I liked how the shimmers looked when swatched. I'm more of a matte finish kinda gal though so don't think I would personally buy this.

 

Mario Badescu Buttermilk Moisturiser

I had two of these little samples that I received from Kit Cosmetics, one had turned and this one was still in fine condition. I didn't like how this felt on my skin, you had to warm it up for it to apply evenly and overall it didn't impress me. This is actually the only M.B. product I've used that I didn't fall in love with!

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Four fails out of four, huh? I suppose it's safer than having new lemmings to constantly add to my list. None of these products were 'bad' just nothing I want or need - if you've had luck with any of them, be sure to let me know in the comments!

-Emma

Empties 2014 // Part One

I haven’t done one of these so far this year, which tells you a lot about how long this post will be. I was originally planning on writing them up quarterly but laziness overcame and here we are in June just getting started. I threw out some things in frustration before they made it to this post, too, but this is pretty much what I’ve finished up this year!

Skin

 

Thalgo Pure Velvet Cleansing Cream

I really enjoyed using this cleanser, my full review is linked above if you want to know more about it.

Avado Sensitives Organic Face Moisturiser
I really disliked this, the scent irked me and the way it never really sunk into my skin drove me crazy. I think I bought this after seeing it in a magazine or on Primped, but it just didn’t work for my skin type.

Clarins Instant Eye Make-Up Remover
This was really nice stuff, the packaging was luxe and lightweight and I didn’t need much at all to remove my eye makeup at night. It’s pricier than my usual eye make-up remover, but definitely lovely.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo
My HG acne treatment, I don’t think I could ever be without this again (I’ve tried and it wasn’t pretty!) It clears up general crappy skin and also targets acne to stop it in its tracks.

L’Oreal Youth Code Moisturiser
I used to swear by the Youth Code range before I began trialling new products all the time, I didn’t actually manage to finish this up but it’s too old now. I found most of the Youth Code line really plumped my skin and felt lovely on. I have some of the new formulation/newly repackaged Youth Code in stocks so hopefully it is still just as nice.

Priceline Vitamin E makeup remover
Found this in a beauty box while doing a clean out and don’t want it anywhere near my eyes!

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips
I always have a box of these in the house, I love the gross satisfaction of using them and Mister Bovary swears by these too.

The Face Shop Rice Mask + Elianto Pumpkin Mask
Both were lovely and soothing (as I find most sheet masks) but the Elianto one was my favourite purely for the pumpkin factor!

The Jojoba Company Lemon + Coconut Hand Cream
I still can’t believe I finished this, even though it was a small size I struggled through this tube because I didn’t like the scent. On paper it sounds perfect and everyone else I asked loved it, but my nose just couldn’t hack it.

Shower + Body

Soap and Glory Flake Away body scrub
This was a great body scrub with that signature Soap and Glory scent, even though it made my shower a bit slippery at times I would still repurchase.

Evo The Great Hydrator Moisture Mask
This was so good! Pleasantly surprised with this, though I wish the packaging was easier to squeeze. This makes me want to investigate Evo further…any recommendations?

PureTan Pure Moisture Coconut Body Crème
I know this is a big call, but I think this may be my all-time favourite moisturiser…I don’t have super dry skin so the light moisture worked for me, and the scent and feel of it was just beyond divine.

Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
My staple, the only shampoo my scalp will tolerate.

Original Source Chocolate + Mint Shower Gel
Why would they go and make a scent like this limited edition? Craziness I tell you, this stuff was good enough to eat!

Norsca Clear Anti-White Deodorant
Nope, still left white marks and wasn’t freshly scented enough for me. Back to Rexona I go!

Rexona for Men deodorant
Mister Bovary’s HG deodorant that I always use when he isn’t looking…

Lynx Dry Apollo
I think Mister Bovary received this in a gift pack at Christmas, either way he liked the scent and he often asks for Lynx sprays (just like a teen boy I know, but I don’t mind the smell of them either!)

Glitter Shower Gel
This came in a gift set from someone long ago and I was holding onto the set for sentimental reasons, as absurd as that may sound. Needless glitter and no lather, these sorts of gift sets are nice thoughts but rarely quality product.

The Body Shop Vanilla Body Lotion
My sister gifted this to me but it is way too old to use. I love so many of The Body Shop scents, and vanilla is always at the top.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Body Cream
So far I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve used from Nuxe, and this is no exception.

Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel
When a shower gel is pricier than the average supermarket garb, it takes a lot to impress me. This scent was seriously worth the price tag, and the quality was right up there. I think this scent is limited edition, but I’ll definitely buy it when it’s rereleased.

Makeup

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
I’m actually using a full size of this right now and find it works wonderfully, but this sachet dried out before I could actually use it all so the idea of this was a fail.

Elianto Brow Pencil
I remember loving this while we were in KL a few years back – I wouldn’t buy it again, but boy I’m craving an overseas trip right now.

Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara
My favourite mascara thus far, this is something I will continue buying and loving. I love what it does for my lashes and how you can layer it beyond belief without it clumping – thanks Covergirl!

MAC Painterly Paint Pot
This is probably my favourite eyeshadow base because it covers any veins on my eyelids, and this pot lasted me an age without ever changing consistency. Well worth the cash in my opinion!

Avon Bond Girl perfume
My dad bought me this and I loved the scent, not enough to repurchase it but I have a few samplers of it lying around if I feel like wearing it again.

Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel foundation
Long-time readers would be aware of how much I love this discontinued foundation – I’ve squirreled away a few pots and plan on stretching them out before crying about how sad Rimmel have made me.

Quick question – favourite mascara and favourite foundation? Pop it in the comments below!

Emma x

Instagramming #1



1.Trying out the Nuxe Shimmering Dry Oil at Mr. Masons 2. Mum’s el cheapo face creams 3. Motel breakfast of champions 4. French goodies I’m using from Nuxe & Clarins

1. Rocking my new Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten 2. The Philosophy set that is on my wishlist, ‘The Bake Shoppe’ 3. Festive nails with essence 113 do you speak love? 4. Clearin’ out the pores with Biore!

1. My pick from the new The Body Shop festive range, Vanilla Bliss 2. Heading to a faux-raceday BBQ to hang with some beautiful souls 3. Planning a cheeky holiday 4. Celebrating Christmas with launch of The Body Shop’s new range.

 

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