November Empties

 

Another month gone and another lot of finished products to share, albeit smaller than the usual lot. Here we go! 

Priceline Round Cotton Pads – love using these for removing eye makeup, using Bioderma and tidying up fallout after applying heavy eye makeup. I find the Priceline branded rounds fall apart less than other brands, but I generally just pick up whatever is around when I need them.

Athena Beauty Facial Cleansing Wipes – these weren’t great, they fell apart as you took them out of their packet and they were terribly dry. Definitely won’t repurchase!

Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Eye Contour Cream – this was only 3 nights worth, but I found it irritated my eyes a little bit. I’m going to look into other Clarins eye creams when I need to purchase one.

Clinique Take the Day Off Eye Makeup Remover (for lids, lashes and lips) – I bought this in Sydney as I needed a heavy duty remover for my eyes, and I was really impressed with it. It took off makeup in a flash, and though it left a bit of residue I didn’t mind the feeling at all. I will repurchase a large size of this when I’ve finished the other removers I have lying around.

Random eyelash glue – I have Duo, there is no need to put this near my eyelids so out it goes.

Lipgloss Pot – this was a GWP when I bought some Essie and China Glaze polishes from an outlet type place, but it smells weird and the packaging is slimy and I wouldn’t even give it to my nieces. Out it goes!

Savers Halloween Makeup – didn’t realise that once you opened this packaging, the cover went with it and so this ended up a furry mess. Not keen on putting it on my mug anyway, so no great loss.

Soap and Glory Flake Away – this body scrub was really nice to use, I’ll be doing a full review of it this week!

Rexona Girl Tropical Energy deodorant – as always, my favourite deodorant makes it into my empties. Love it, will repurchase.

Rexona Women Shiny ‘Fragrance Collection’ deodorant – love that Rexona have to specify who their deodorants are for! Not sure about the collection name, or the shiny aspect, but this was a decent deodorant that I picked up because it was on sale.

Nail Polish remover pads – bought this back when I was at uni and needed to rid my nails of chipped polish. The smell of this is really strong and they are quite thin, but they get the job done and are good to have on hand.

 

Clinique High Impact Mascara sample x2 – I really like this mascara, and collect the samples every time a Clinique GWP rolls around. These have been open for far too long, so out they go.

B Collection by Bloom Last Out mascara – Didn’t like this mascara, the formula was so wet that it just went everywhere and it didn’t define my lashes very nicely.

Powder Puff (from my Maybelline Dream Matte Powder) – this fell on the floor, eck. I like having these spongey puffs in the section underneath the powder for desperate touch ups, but more often I reach for a travel sized powder brush.

essence Sun Club gel liner in BBC All Night Blue – this sadly dried up before I had a chance to give it a go, I think I accidently left the lid unscrewed. Was a stunning shade for summer, I adore the essence gel liners.

Bourjois Healthymix Foundation – love this formula (and the serum formula as well) It glides on as a moisturiser would, and leaves a dewy healthy finish as they name would suggest. Would highly recommend!

Vita's Australian Skittle Mani! (Guest Post!)

I was cheeky and asked one of my favourite bloggers Vita from Making Up 4 My Age to come on over and write her first guest post for emmabovarybeauty! Here is what the polish-obsessed Vita created for me!

I was genuinely excited when lovely Emma invited me to do a guest post on her blog, and doubly excited because this is my first ever guest post!  By way of a quick intro like Emma I’m also from Melbourne, Australia and while I’m obsessed with all things beauty, my longest running (and if you took a look in my collection, my largest!) fascination has been with all things lacquer-y and shiny.  Oh yes, I do love my nail polish!!

 

I’ve decided to do a review post featuring some Australian nail polish brands in my stash to give them a bit of airtime/blog-time, you know what I mean right!?  When I say some I do mean some, not all of my favourite brands are posted here.  I’ve chosen a small even split of department store versus drugstore brands and rather than me going all out doing an exhaustive, wordy and looong (read ‘boring’) post of all brands, if you like this post it may be the first part of a little series. 

Here are my first four choices in no particular order:

L-R:

BYS (Flirty Sparkle)

Kit (Dive In)

Bloom (Claudia)

Ulta3 (Pacific Fever)

BYS -

This unassuming drugstore brand never fails to surprise me with its ridiculously huge range of amazing colours and varying finishes.  Very unassuming it is too as one of its major stockists is The Reject Shop *stifled giggle* but don’t judge – bargain yes,reject no.  With the exception of their jellies which show up tipwear quickly I find BYS polishes last every bit as well on my nails as the more expensive brands.

 Colours/finishes - There are 76 shades in the basic colour range alone.  BYS have 15 different ranges in total including chromes, glitters, mattes, hi-impact (these really are the bomb – I have and love Hi-Impact Blue!), mirror finish, and colour change to list a few...

 3 Free? – I’m unsure.  They are a bit stinky.

 Cruelty Free? – BYS cosmetics are not tested on animals

 Availability – online at www.fashionaddict.com.au and various discount stockists including Kmart, The Reject Shop, Go-Lo. International customers can order through the BYS UK site:  www.byscosmetics.co.uk

 Price – around $4AUD for Australian girls

Kit –

The first of my department store picks, Kit are moderately priced and their shades and finishes are in tune with fashion, featuring regularly released Limited Edition collections.  I love how the core range is lined up on their store wall like the rainbow.  It really is diving into temptation everytime!  The coverage on these polishes is smooth and opaque in two coats and the wear time is good, lasting me through the working week.

Colours/finishes – There are 55 shades in the core line including crèmes in all colours of the rainbow from pastels to brights, shimmers and metallics, plus LE releases

 3 Free? – Unknown

Cruelty Free? - Unknown

 Availability – online at http://www.kitcosmetics.com.au and stand alone stores in Melbourne and Sydney. Also available at Kit Concept stores in Myer department stores nationally.

 Price - $15.95AUD

      Bloom–

 Another department store brand, I love more than just Bloom’s nail polish as they also have a delicious selection of mandarin & vanilla oil scented lip glosses.  It’s all about the polish in this post though, and Bloom is another fashion conscious brand, occasionally collaborating with local fashion designers and performing artists to come up with more edgy Limited Edition shades which are highly collectable and yes I have a few!  I have to be honest and say these aren’t the most durable polishes and are prone to chips after a few days.  You can also see the bottles are virtually identical to Kit but you pay $4 extra which is also a bit of an issue for me – I don’t know how I feel about paying (Australian) OPI prices for a local product, although they are very darn pretty and I am a sucker for pretty colours *sigh*.   Of course there is a way around the price cos if you’re after 2 colours you can get a 2 for $29.95 deal at their online store...

 Colours/finishes – There are over 80 shades in the core line “from sheer,seashell pink to that illusive petrol blue with a slight shimmer – Natalie [Bloom] wanted to create that perfect shade of nail polish that you've been searching high and low for.”

 3 Free? – Yes.  Bloom polishes do not contain Formaldehyde,Toluene or DBP

 Cruelty Free? - Unknown

 Availability – online at http://www.bloomcosmetics.com, Myer and David Jones stores and selected pharmacies nationally.

Price - $19.95AUD or 2 for $29.95AUD at the online store

      Ulta3

 These nail polishes are well known and loved for the fact you can buy a bottle “for less than a cup of coffee”!  I find them sold in the weirdest places including the supermarket, so it’s only too easy to dive into the inevitably messy, disorganised display box of polish bottles and come up with little gem to add to my supermarket bill.  My husband won’t even notice that small addition to the grocery total!  There’s a pretty eclectic colour selection available too so I’ve dug up some pretty interesting shades out of that box.  To be honest I’ve not worn these longer than a few days so I can’t give you a proper opinion on their durability, but their application is smooth, with good coverage in two coats and they have a pretty quick dry time too!   Fun fact:  Ulta3 is Australia’s number 1 nail polish selling over 1.5million units* (based on unit sales, CTFA data 2010)

Colours/finishes – This is another extensive collection with 80 shades in its core line and covers everything from neutrals to brights,including crème, shimmers, foils and glitters. There are also LE collections including a new magnetic line – I just discovered that doing my research so I need to get hunting!

3 Free? – Unknown

Cruelty Free? - Unknown

 Availability – Ulta3 is available at selected pharmacies including Terry White, Blooms and Good Price and supermarkets nationally or online at http://shop.pharmacydirect.com.au

 Price - $2.25AUD

Now to finish off the post here’s a bit of skittle fun using the colours featured above!

I hope you found this post useful.  Thanks for looking! 

Vita  :)

Thank you Vita! I must admit I am very fond of the Bloom and Ulta3 polishes, and love the Pacific Fever shade you used in this mani! I encourage you all to head over to Vita's blog Making Up 4 My Age and click follow after you comment on this post! She posts the most beautiful eye looks and nail swatches that are second to none and you'd be crazy not to love her blog!

clear blue skies in Corfu

Sometimes I just fall in love with a polish because it is glossy and gorgeous- which happened with Corfu!

B Collection by Bloom are forever tempting me with their stunning polishes- from a non-polish lover, that is saying something!

This is Corfu, and I bought it from Target for $14.95 AUD.

I just can't leave my accent nail alone, it seems!

I threw Ulta3's Confetti over the top of my accent nail, to jazz it up a little. Loved the effect, and ended up repainting this crappy mani later in the week with Confetti on every nail.

This just reminds me of sunshines and sparkles, sigh. Can you tell I'm getting hyped up for my upcoming tropical holiday?



image source here

Corfu City Hall, that bright bubblegum blue sky could have been the inspiration for this shade, no problem.

This photo was taken years ago when Chris and I were away in Rye- I rocked that shade the whole long weekend, and it still reminds of the sunshine and fun we had. That is one of the great things about polishes- they can transport you to somewhere else entirely.

What polish do you rely on when on holiday?

Do you have any great polish memories?

Stocking Stuffers Under $20!

I've been a good little Christmas elf this year and have had my gifts on layby for quite a while now. Instead of joining the Christmas rush all I've had to do is head out for a coffee with Chris once a week and pop some money onto them, and chuckle at those running around like headless chickens. No matter how prepared I am, however, there are always those little extras needed to plump up a gift and add a little extra shine to Christmas day. These, my friends, are stocking stuffers, and I'm here to share with you the best of the bunch that won't break the bank.

These little beauties are the perfect thing to pop into a girlfriends gift or a Kriss Kringle, and being under $20 means you don't have to think twice about them.

***

Soap and Glory Hand Food Hand Cream

This big ol' tube of amazingness smells like My Cherie Dior perfume and is only $11.95 for this huge size. It's non greasy and sinks in quick, and is something I would be happy to receive as a gift any time of the year. I think of handcream as an exciting luxury while still being necessary, so this ticks all boxes for a wonderful stocking stuffer.

 It's available from Kit Cosmetics, check it out here.

MOR Perfume Rollers

I have this in the Lychee scent which I took away with me when I went to Thailand and Malaysia last year, and it will forever be my 'holiday scent'. Chris sighs every time I wear it and we drop into a daydream about pristine white beaches and snorkelling the days away...I digress. This scent is perfect for hot summer days and the roller ball is fine in the heat and when travelling. It comes in a range of scents so you can choose one to suit the giftee! At only $19.95 for 9ml it's a great fragrance to throw in a stocking this Christmas.

Available from Myer and anywhere you spot MOR!

Bloom Mini Soap Trio*

I received the 2010 version of Bloom soaps in my Kriss Kringle and was elated! Even though I am a shower gel kinda lady, I found these to be beautifully scented and very moisturising, not to mention totally cute! Last year they came in a Christmas cracker tube, and this years offering is just as gorgeous, and just as affordable at $9.95. A thick cardboard box housing Moroccan Mint, Lemon Verbena (my fave!) and Rose and White Flower and tied with a cute ribbon and tag, this gift couldn't be easier if it tried.

Available from Myer stores and anywhere you buy Bloom!

Australis Paparazzi Perfect Eyeshadow Palette

I have two of these little beauties, and the Frock and Roll palette is definitely my favourite! For only $15.95 you get 5 soft and pigmented shades that compliment one another perfectly, and for budding beauty lovers you can't get a better product than that! I use this all the time as I adore the top grey shade a lot, and the coral and orange shades are surprisingly wearable despite being a little 'out there'! Australis have revamped their style and it's done great things for their image, they are one of my favourite 'drugstore' brands now! The packaging for this palette will wow when popped in a stocking, so all you have to do is choose which variety out of the 4 they'd like best!

Available from Priceline, KMart and Target stores.

Bloom Boost Lip Balm Trio*
I was kindly sent two of these lip balms when they were launched a while back, and despite not being a lip balm lover, I fell head over heels for them.They are so moisturising and the scents are quite natural, if you like the Boost juices you will adore these fruity goodies. Bloom and Boost have created a trio pack just in time for Christmas which would make amazing stocking stuffers for ladies of all ages! (Chris is partial to the Berry balm, as an aside) For $14.95 you get 3 gorgeous balms in a cute little box with a 'share the love' swingtag.
Available from Myer stores.

Essence Nail Polishes

I am terrible at taking care of my nails, and so shudder at the thought of spending large amounts of money on a polish only for the effect to be ruined by my jagged cuticles and uneven nails. These two shades are from the new Vampire Love range and are stunning! They are around the $3 mark, while the smaller permanent range of nail varnishes are $2.55 AUD. They make some really great glitters that would be excellent for little sisters or nieces (or even older sisters and Mums!)
Available from Target stores Australia wide.

***

I would love to receive any of these in my stocking come the 25th of December, and I hope they've been helpful for those on the lookout for little extras this Christmas.

This week I'm hoping to roll with a Christmas theme so I hope you enjoy this first instalment!

 

October Favourites!

I was a cheeky beauty blogger and skipped September, but to be honest most of these have been my favourite for a few months so let's merge the two!

I have been gearing up for the university holidays (two days to go!) and have been generally lazy with everyday looks, and spicing it up a little every now and again with a super bright eye or vampy lips. Here is what I used most in October:

Gorgeous Cosmetics Cheek Creme in Strawberries and Cream

This has flipped me right into 'cream-blush-lover' territory, it's a gorgeous colour that looks exactly as the name suggests in my opinion, and it lasts really well on my skin. I use my Royal and Langnickel stippling brush with this and find it works perfectly. This retails for $35AUD and I purchased it at IMATS for $15AUD.

MAC Mink & Sable eyeshadow

This little shadow is the love of my life-yup, a HG for sure. A wash of this over the eyes and my face looks 'done', and if I take it higher into the crease? Compliments galore, my tutor asked me if I was going out after class when I wore this, mascara and a baggy jumper. Miracle worker!

Gorgeous Cosmetics Lipstick in Sophia

This lipstick clings to dry patches on my lips a little bit, but with balm underneath it's fine, and it goes perfectly with my Essence glosses. It's a gorgeous peachy shade that retails for $35AUD, I purchased it from IMATS for $15AUD.

Ardell Clear Brow Gel

I've been putting more effort into my eyebrows since getting them tinted in Sydney by the beautiful Paddington Benefit gals. I fill in my brows with a mix of 'Naked' and  'Buck' from the Urban Decay Naked palette with a thin angle brush, then combing this thru to keep them looking good all day. The cheapest brow gel I've seen, I chose this after reading great reviews. It retails for around $7AUD from memory.

Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine

I have raved about this recently in this review, and love using this first thing in the morning, before bed, and all thru the day. Love!

Essence Stay With Me Lipglosses in

Me & My Icecream  &

I Like Cotton Candy

My favourite lipgloss formulation, these colours have been the ones I've used most this month, but pretty much all of the colours are on high rotation for me. I have a review and swatches of them coming up, they're so beautiful. They also feature in perfect pairing post. They retail for a teeny tiny $3.95AUD!

Bloom & Boost Balm in Mango Tango*

I didn't like these at first, but have come to depend on them when my lips are a little thirsty. They don't have as much hydration as my Korres lip butter, for eg, but are much better than the majority of balms in my collection. The scent is slight, but nice.

Royal & Langnickel Stippling Brush

My very first stippling brush, I feel a fool for not having one for so long. I use this for cream blush application and find it nice and soft, and deposits a buildable amount of product. Can't remember the exact price of this as I bought it with a bunch of other brushes at the IMATS stall.

Travalo Perfume Atomiser

I work with a group of girls who carry multiple 100ml bottles of perfume along to work with them. While they smell amazing all the time, the extra weight in their bags is ludicrous! This is my intelligent alternative.This little baby is one of the best things I've ever purchased, you fill it up with any fragrance you like and throw it in your bag. At the moment mine is filled with Tresor in Love because Chris cracked it over the fact that I hardly wear it (he bought it for me a few Christmas' ago!)

YSL Cream de Blush in Powdery Rose

A beautiful gift from Chris that I lusted after for the longest time after seeing Pink Sith review her pot here, it sat unloved for quite a while because it was quite full on when applied with fingers. With the purchase of the aforementioned stippling blush, love and obsession was reignited! Amazing colour, amazing formula, wish I had've reviewed this while they were still available but I think I still will anyway. Sorry guys!

I think this month shows a stellar line up of products I really adore, and that fact makes up for the skipping of September;)

Are any of these products your favourites, too?

Have any of them caught your eye?

What's in my Bag-Lip Madness Edition

Let it be noted, at this stage, that I own one set of lips. A single pucker, located under my nose by above my chin, on my face. Can someone please explain to me why, then, when I looked into my SMALL bag just now, that all of this appeared:

That there, is a massively ridiculous stash. What I think is happening here is that I always take my lip product(s) of the day in my bag with me, and this week I've not taken any of them out.  They took that chance to wiggle down to the bottom of my small handbag, and napped there. I'm used to having a big bag, this is probably one of the smallest I use at all,so I am amazed they all fit.

See? Not big! And certainly not big enough for all the lip prodz featured today! Here is what is up there, in case you are interested

*

Clinique Chubby Stick in Whole Lotta Honey

Elianto Baby Nude

Rimmel Moisture Renew in 700 Nude Delight

Maybelline Colour Sensational in Coral Crush

Savvy Lip Crayon in Cafe

Jack Black balm in Vanilla + Lavender

Bloom/Boost balm in Mango Tango

Bloom/Boost balm in Berry Bang

Estee Lauder High Gloss in 11 Blush

Clinique Long Last Glosswear in 10 Air Kiss

MAC's Nice to be Nice (Hello Kitty coll)

MAC Ever Hip

MAC Moth to Flame dazzleglass

MAC Baby Sparks dazzleglass

*

I do like to have choice throughout the day, but this is excessive;P

How many lip prodz are in YOUR bag right now??

emmabovary xx

Unopened Prodz

I saw this over at Ling's Best Beauty Blog, and knew it would something I would enjoy doing.(Side note, check out Ling's blog because it is amaaazing and she is gorgeous!) I only managed to grab a fraction of my unopened goods for this post, and not half the amount that Ling shares. A lot of my cosmetics and skincare are packed away in boxes as we are having a big spring clean (big party on Easter Saturday) so this is what was lying within reach.

*Invisible Zinc Tinted Daywear spf30+. I received this when I subscribed to Grazia magazine, but as I prefer full coverage on a day to day basis I have not thought to reach for it.

*L'Oreal Collagen Filler (for lip and lip contour) This was won in the recent flood relief auction, and I think I may gift it to my Mum or MIL.

*Rimmel Blush. I cannot remember the shade of this blush, but I've been rocking my MAC blushes lately and haven't bee giving my drugstore ones much love.

*Bloom Soap (mini) I am a shower gel girl, but I received a 3 set of these for Christmas from my KK. Planning on trying them soon!

*Face of Australia Brush. It's hot pink! Why have I not opened it! I do not know why this remains in it's container, I fear I am a fool. Got this as a freebie when I purchased other FOA items at Big W.

*Face of Australia Mineral Therapy Foundation. I am fearful of powder foundations, my skin is so dry. My plan is to try this on a day where I don't plan on leaving the house, and see how I go. If the colour doesn't match, I'll gift it to my sister. This was provided by PR.

*Face of Australia Polish in Fuschia. I've been giving this polishes sister (Lady in Red) more love. Soon, my fuschia darling, soon.

*Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Plum Perfect. This remains unopened because it's quite dark and I'm a little bit scared of it. I liked it when I tried the testerm but am apprehensive now. We'll see how I go.

That's all I managed to grab! I would love to see other unopened prodz posts, link in the comment section if you've posted one!

emmabovary xx