2016 Empties - Third Quarter

Slowly making my way through my beauty drawers and using things up properly before trying something new. This is the third instalment of my 2016 empties!

SHOWER

As always, we went through a few bottles of shower gel this quarter. I finally used up my Lancôme Tresor in Love travel size shower gel that I insanely hoarded (I admitted it in this post many years back, eek!) and I loved how the shower gel scented our whole bedroom when I used it. I also really enjoyed the affordable Nature's Organics Vanilla Berry shower gel that is exclusive to Woolworths, the smell was much nicer than the raspberry vanilla scent from Original Source.

HAIR

My scalp seemed to really like the Garnier Grow Strong Anti-Dandruff shampoo, but I made the mistake of buying the original Grow Strong one when this tube was empty and boy am I regretting that now - I'm going to have to pass it on to someone else, my scalp is far too sensitive for it. I also finally finished off my tub of the Kerastase Sensidote Dermo-Calm treatment* that soothed my sensitive scalp, I've loved every Kerastase product I've tried as they are such a high quality brand!

SKINCARE & SCENTS

Not a whole lot used up on the skincare and scent front, though I did get through a travel size Trilogy cleanser*, My Beauty Diary face masks and a Nivea cream cleanser* that I adored. It's always sad when I reach the end of my Guerlain Champs Elysees perfume, it's my all time favourite scent and one that I'll definitely be asking Santa for this year.

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As always, if you spotted anything interesting in this post fire away questions or comments down below! How are you all going with your current beauty stashes? Are they manageable, or still a wee bit crazy like mine is?

-Emma x

 

*Marked items provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

October Favourites

I feel like I'm repeating myself with quite a few of these selections, but I'm all for hearing about the top notch products that someone always uses so figured I'd share what I'd been loving for the month of October anyway. I was firmly focused on using up some makeup and skincare during the month as well as purging my nail polish collection so I didn't trial too much in terms of new products, but I did fall in love with a new lip combination, test out a new release foundation and fall back in love with some old favourites. 

I stuck to primarily one look this month, and it was a quick and simple one that had me out the door fast whilst still looking pulled together (I hope!) My main base of choice was a sample pot of the newly released Too Faced Born This Way Foundation that a lovely sales assistant at Mecca Maxima Doncaster gave me - this is definitely on the to-buy list and a little birdy told me a lighter shade is being released in early '16 so am waiting it out for now...eyes were my Inglot Trio Palette which looks quite new despite being thrashed around all the time at Chez Bovary! I then alternated between two lip looks for the month - either a swipe of MAC Vamplify Lipgloss in Anything but Demure*, or a layering of Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner Eastend Snob + Colourpop Westie + MAC Cremesheen Glass Fashion Scoop for a complex but perfect pale pink lip look.

Lovely smelling favourites were my Travalo perfume atomiser which helped me use up a few perfumes and my L'Occitane Lavande Cologne* which is serious bedroom luxury. I was going to sneak in a picture of my new nail polish drawers (I'm seriously obsessed!) but they aren't fully organised yet so I'm going to save that for another day. I also couldn't post a favourites without mentioning the skincare that I've fallen in love with and am sad to be finishing up - Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, it was love at first scoop!

 

What products did you love in the month of October?

What cleansing balm do you think I should try next?

-Emma

 

*Products provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

The Current Bedside Situation + Routine

One of my favourite parts of the day is winding down with a book and a cuppa in bed, and the lazy girl in me also likes to combine the end of my skincare routine with this ritual. I have a little one-drawer bedside table from Kmart that Mister put together and it's filled with my nightly skincare options; some anti-acne bits to deal with the breakout I'm currently struggling through (Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion + La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+*) my eye cream (Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye*) and the new moisturiser I'm trialling (Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Dry*)

I keep my room mists and pillow sprays on my bedside table to remind myself to use them, they're both from L'Occitane and my favourite is most definitely the Lavande cologne* which settles me into my PM routine nicely. Every night I bring a steaming hot mug of Madame Flavour Mint Choc Rooibos into bed with me (or a Jarrah Coconut Hot Chocolate if I'm feeling crazy!) and either watch some YouTube videos with my headphones in (planner videos or nail polish ones like this are my favourite at the moment!) or read a good book. Right now I'm reading The Other Side of the World by Stephanie Bishop which is a 2015 release and so far I'm really enjoying it - her way of writing is very beautiful and feels quite melancholic to me, so I'm glad I picked this one up at my local library for something different.

I'd love to know what you keep in your bedside drawer and what your nightly rituals are? Is it common for people to apply their nightly creams in bed? Do you watch TV or YouTube before you sleep or does that hinder your sleeping?

Emma x

*Products provided for consideration. Honesty, always!

Week in Perfume - August 2015 (The Sample Size Edition)

I'm a huge fan of travel sized perfumes, both for their handbag portability and the fact that they allow me to try a range of scents without encumbering me with 100ml bottles to store in my beauty room. Inspired by Larie's recent 'Scents of the Week' and a discussion we had in the comment section of the post, I went about gathering up a few perfumes to set aside and use for the week. It wasn't until I got to number 5 that I realised I had only chosen sample and travel sized scents - seems this sample trend was meant to be!

Kim Kardashian - Kim Kardashian EDP

This is a strong, sexy white floral that I really enjoy wearing. I've gone through a full bottle of this in the past and when I saw this travel rollerball in Las Vegas last year I jumped at the chance to buy it in this format - one of my favourite things about visiting Sephora and other American stores is the huge travel size selection available! It's something we definitely miss out on as Australian's!

Candide Bath & Body Chocolate Macaron Fragrance Oil*

This smells just like I've baked something delicious...in fact, not long after applying it I popped into the kitchen and whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies, I just couldn't help myself! The rollerball leaked a little bit before it got to me so it's a slippery little sucker to open, but delicious nevertheless.

 

Urban Rituelle Caramella Petit Parfum*

After the immense success of the Cotton Candy parfum (one of my all time favourites!) this was a greatly anticipated release from the team at Urban Rituelle! It's definitely sweet and the edge of caramel gets me comments each and every time I wear it (much like Cotton Candy, actually)

 

Lush Lust Gorilla Perfume*

This scent is definitely full on - wear with caution! I originally had the solid perfume in this strong jasmine scent and had wanted to pick up the travel spray, so when I was offered a wee Lush spree at an event I took the opportunity and love that a little spray goes a long way with this stuff.

L'Occitane Sun Verbena EDT

This was the scent I wasn't expecting to like as much as the others, verbena isn't typically a scent I wear as perfume very often...but as it turns out, I quite like wearing a citrus scent! I have a feeling the orange blossom note in this is what turned it from a cleaning product to a happy little jolt of sunshine on my wrist. I think it was my first time using a perfumed towelette to apply a scent sample - that was a pretty interesting experience! Sadly I just found out this is a discontinued scent - L'Occitane do have a regular Verbena scent though!

 

Do you change your perfume daily, or do you have them sorted into work/weekend scents? Are you equally fascinated with travel sized sprays, or is it just me?

-Emma

 

 

*Marked items provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

2015 Empties, First Quarter

My first quarter of empties leaves much to be desired in all honesty - I mean, it clearly shows that my household showers and wears mascara on the daily, but on the makeup front it's pretty woeful! I know that I'm on the verge of completely finishing up a few products from my Project Use It Up so I don't feel too bad about it, but I still think I need to put more work into creating a slim-lined stash in my beauty room/skincare storage. This trash-collection is about 3 months worth, and you can check out my last empties post here if you're interested - grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this one though, it's a big 'un!

 

MAKEUP

I was due for a mascara toss so out went three tubes which cleared up my daily drawer immensely - I have and would repurchase Rimmel ScandalEyes Rockin' Curves but Covergirl Flamed Out* and Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express* aren't my favourite (Mega Plush is my sister's favourite though!) I was pleased to see that my YSL Touche Éclat* had bit the dust as I have another two in the wings, and the Innoxa Daily Moisture Protection was a toss as I'm not sure why I bought it in the first place (and it's skincare, so I'm not sure why I threw it in with the makeup!)

 

SKINCARE

Am trying my hardest to burn through some skincare so my overflowing backup stash can return to normal - I don't even remember using the Clinique Mild Liquid Facial Soap and I hated the strong mango scent of the Swisspers Spa Cleansing Wipes so they are both getting tossed out. I mourn the loss of my beloved but pricey Lancôme Dreamtone Serum* - I loved that serum so much! I have just posted a full review of the Boscia Makeup Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil and will be doing a full review of the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads, too. 

HAIR CARE

My new hair cut (which I posted about here!) is definitely influencing my hair care empties - you'll be seeing lots more hairspray and dry shampoo in my future empties! I didn't get to try the Schwarzkopf 10 Carat Shine Hair Lacquer* as it broke in my hair care stash, but I fell in love with the L'Oreal Elnett Satin Normal Hold Hairspray* and can't wait for it to go on sale (currently 20% off at Priceline but am thinking of holding out for a bigger discount and using up my stocks first...) I used up some Girlz Only Dawn 'til Dusk and Batiste Cherry Dry Shampoo* as well - I prefer the other scents from both brands if it came down to a repurchase. As always I finished off a bottle of Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Shampoo which is my staple shampoo, and the Goldwell Rich Repair 60Sec Treatment* which was lovely and had a faint vanilla smell which I really enjoyed.

SHOWER & BODY

We are all about Original Source in our household, and the Orange Oil & Ginger Shower Gel is deliciously fruity and I preferred it to the limited edition Dragonfruit & Capsicum Shower Gel that I picked up at The Reject Shop. I wasn't a fan of the Sanctuary Spa 2Day Moisture Shower Oil* (I didn't find it very moisturising, or cleansing really) but I liked the lavender scent in the Natural Instinct Body Wash* - throw lavender into anything right now and I am so there!

I enjoyed using the Gillette Satin Care Shaving Cream for Dry Skin but I often find it more cost-effective to buy the male version in a large size when it comes to shaving creams - this one was bought for our holiday, hence the teensy size! I used up a 100g bottle of Lush's famous Snow Fairy Shower Gel* - love the glitter aspect of this but you have to make sure you really love the scent, as it's strong and long-lasting! A can of Rexona deodorant is always featured in my empties, and the final product I used up was the gorgeous L'Occitane Arlesienne Shower Cream which I've just reviewed here.

Phew, I'm quite pleased that the first quarter of empties is over! I'm looking forward to featuring more makeup items in the next instalment as well as even more skincare as I work through my stocks, trialling and reviewing different products for you.

-Emma

*Marked products provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

French Musings for Arles - L'Occitane Arlesienne Shower Cream

I love nothing more than a good backstory or inspiration tale attached to a high quality beauty product, and it seems that L'Occitane share that enthusiasm as there is always a swirl of information surrounding each new release. I am a true Francophile at heart, despite my obsession with France waning as reality and responsibilities take hold over my day to day life. Being able to spend even the shortest while wrapped up in fantasy-land in France makes me feel such contentment. I recently watched Le Week-End (dir. Roger Michell) and truly felt my passion for Paris take hold of me, and when I eked out the last of my L'Occitane Arlesienne Shower Cream* later that night I felt truly wrapped in French brilliance at work.

Arles is a city in the South of France and Arlesienne bases itself on the art of Vincent Van Gogh and his series of paintings completed in Arles, on the woman of Arles. I love the romance and mysterious element to the history of this and having taken inspiration from such beautiful paintings, it is no surprise that the packaging of this collection (and in particular the shower cream) is stellar. I love the functional aspect of the push top, the shape that fits perfectly in my shower caddy and most of all, the touch of rose gold on the lid. It screams modern luxe to me personally, and the scent matches that as it's not a straight up floral but has notes of mandarin, saffron and lily of the valley to balance it all out. I can definitely tell that I'm not using a supermarket shower product when I use this and the scent fills the ensuite after every use - so I'm going out on a limb and saying that the price of this is easier to cope with if you think of it as a room fragrance also ;)

the woman of Arles

This L'Occitane Shower Cream retails for $28AUD/250ml and is available at Adore Beauty. The collection is an extensive one and to see the rest of the products you can check out the L'Occitane Australia website here.

What country inspires the passionate side of you? I can't wait for the day when Mister and I wander through France together enjoying every little thing about life that we often take for granted. Weekly daydream session sorted!
-Emma

*This product was provided for consideration at a launch event. Honesty, always.

January Purchases & Pick-Ups

THE PURCHASES!

It isn't often that I can fit an entire months beauty purchases into a single photo, but here you have it folks - a total of TWO beauty related items purchased so far in 2015! Perhaps this will be a good thing to look back on once I post my extortionate honeymoon haul for the world to see? I picked up and looked at many a pretty during January, but nowadays it needs to be seriously amazing for me to part with - as it so happens, these two products are indeed amazing so I'm sticking to my new-found shopping mantra quite well! 

I had a Christmas voucher in my pocket and my sister took me shopping at Doncaster for my birthday on January 2nd, so the natural thing to do was finally tick the limited edition Chanel Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow in 234 Poesie off my wishlist. It originally featured on my pre-USA wishlist but it was sold out everywhere I checked during our trip, so to hear that Doncaster had a solitary palette left was music to my ears! It's actually my first real Chanel eye product so it was quite an exciting purchase for me (normally I beeline for their blushes, you know me!)

My second (and last) beauty purchase for the month was towards the end, during the infamous Priceline 40% skincare sale. I knew I wanted to have a nosy around but didn't feel the urge to pick anything up, until I remembered that I'd been wanting to bring this Garnier Moisture Match Light Softening Cream for Normal-Dry Skin back into my routine as a morning moisturiser. I've previously reviewed it here and the love still stands, this is a wonderful product.

A non-beauty related purchase, but something I wanted to feature because stationary rocks! I am about to order another planner from Personal Planner with a code they provided me, and I'm super excited at the thought of personalising a planner, and using The Belle Lumiere and various #planneraddict Instagram images as my inspiration I hope to pretty it up and get myself organised with these gel pens, stickers and tags.  

PICK-UPS!

This part will feature some of the press samples I received during the month - it's like a little heads up on what may be featured soon on the blog, and serves as a reminder for myself about the new things I'm trialling! Not everything I'm sent will be featured, just the bits and bobs I feel like popping into these posts. I turned down more press samples than usual this month as I've been selective about what I'd like to trial, and so far it's made me far more exciting about all of these new things than I usually would be!



After my recent primer obsession (documented here) it seemed fitting to try out the latest primer release from makeup giants Max Factor! When I first opened this Facefinity All Day Primer ($31.95) I thought it was a super-pale foundation - d'oh!

Dare I say, the most exciting press sample this month? I absolutely adore Urban Rituelle and frequently buy bits and bobs from the brand, so the launch of the new amber based Romance Fragrance Diffuser Set ($36.95/190ml) got me a bit more excited than it probably should have...but once I smelt this thing, I knew my excitement was warranted. HEAVEN! Goodness knows Mister Bovary and I aren't the most romantic (perhaps we will be now that we're married? pah!) so any hint of romance (especially in amber form!) is welcome in our house!

Now this is a step outside of my comfort zone - my scalp is a finicky thing and I'm always hesitant to trial shampoos (truth be told there is a still a chance I will rope in a guinea pig for that and hit the conditioner up solo!) but I accepted this Pantene Colour Therapy Shampoo & Conditioner ($7.99ea/350ml) with the hope that I can move on from my Garnier shampoo and mix things up a little bit. Wish me luck!

Last but not least was some surprise drops from my beloved L'Occitane - the Relaxing Pillow Mist ($30/100ml) looks brilliant and I can't wait to pop it alongside my current L'Occitane Lavande Cologne that I use as a luxe room spray to help me catch some ZZZ's. Also pretty pumped about the Revitalising Body Scrub ($45/200g) (it's been too long since I've used a good one!) and the Immortelle Brightening Essence ($89/30ml)

I think 2015 is working out really well on the product front so far - I'm excited to plump up my bodycare routine and use my Chanel quad a bit more before popping up a swatch/review post! How much did you purchase or pick-up this month?

-Emma x

*Pick-Ups are, as stated above, press samples. If you aren't interested in seeing what I'll be trialling, feel free to skip these monthly posts - I won't be offended! Honesty, always.

Weekend Makeup Bag

This weekend I’m up in Rye on the Mornington Peninsula, celebrating my sixth anniversary with Mister Bovary. I’m pretty excited that this is the last ‘dating’ anniversary before we get married, and we’ve planned to try some new restaurants and head down to Portsea to walk through the Point Nepean National Park. I’m hoping that it doesn’t rain too much during the day so that we can take Charlie for a nice long walk through the hills too, but we’ll have to play that one by ear.

I tried to stay relatively minimal with my beauty considering we’re only away for two nights, but nice breakfast dates and heading out to dinners gave me excuse enough to bring along some of my beloved pink lip products. I bargained with myself, allowing one blush and one eyeshadow palette along in order to make up for the craziness that is my lip stash. I tried to cut down on heavy items too (even though we’re heading up in the car) so I brought some perfume samples and my new YSL mascara sample to play around with. Some of my skincare is mini sized too but I didn’t snap a picture of that bag. I think I'm just gearing up really early for a honeymoon full of mini-sized products - I'm getting so ahead of myself with lots of wedding things still to plan!

I forgot to include my Rimmel matte BB cream in the photos but I popped it in the skincare bag along with the new La Roche-Posay sunscreen I’m trialling (will be important for our walks!) I thought long and hard about which eyeshadow palette to bring with me and ended up with my Too Faced Natural Eye palette, I haven’t used this one very much at all so this will be a nice way to push myself into it (I definitely won’t be using that horrible glittery shade though! Really glad they reshuffled this palette and took out the dud shade, but sad that I already own the old version…)

Hop on over to Instagram if you want to see snaps of my weekend – I hope you have a wonderful weekend whatever you get up to!

Emma x

The 'At Home On a Budget' Facial

The stress of completing the last assignments for my post-graduate course wreaked havoc on my skin, which was such a shame as for the last few months I've been so happy with the condition of it. Sadly it isn't just skincare that dictates how my mug fares, and the painful spots stung even more knowing that they would hang around for my dear Candice's wedding! I made sure to take extra special care of my face and body in the week leading up to her big day, and this was a mid week treat that Mister Bovary and I indulged in - our 'at home on a budget' facial!

We literally wanted the whole 'spa experience' that comes along with pampering, and so we used L'Occitane Lavande Cologne* to create a relaxing scent and took turns being the beauty therapist. I started off with Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion* which is for sensitive skin. I then popped on a decent layer of the Apivita Express Beauty with Pink Clay*, which is supposed to draw out any impurities while cleansing the skin. I love that these come in single sachets, with enough inside for Mister Bovary and I to share with ease. After I washed off the pink clay, I threw on a Michika Complexion Rejuvenating Synergist Mask*, which is said to target fatigued skin - sign me up!

To finish up the lush pamper sesh, out came the moisturisers! We each dabbed some Kosmea Rosehip Oil* on our dry patches (a spot under my lip and a spot under his eye are the most annoying patches right now) and then finished off the whole lot with Biotherm Homme Aquapower* moisturiser from a sample from the male Glossybox.

So what do you think of my 'at-home facial' round up?
What products do you pamper your skin with?

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

The New Moisturisers

The often overlooked but important part of the routine – the moisturisers! Here is what is making up the bulk of my nourishment at the moment. (This post was directly inspired by Tiffany's post over on Will Work for Makeup!)

Suvana Paw Paw & Honey Balm*

This newly packaged all-purpose balm seems to have been reformulated a touch, as the honey seems less overpowering than my old school tube was. I use this on dry patches such as cuticles and dry patches, and use a really thin layer over my lips overnight (too much and the honey sort of burns my throat, but less so than it used to) The new packaging is super cute and something that is perfect for throwing in your handbag on windy days.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

This is such an amazing product, it is perfect for lazy nights where I don’t want to apply a sheet mask and sit up for a while or I can’t be bothered painstakingly rinsing off a messy mask. You apply it as you would a night cream in place of all of your other products after cleansing, and wake up the next morning with bouncy happy skin. It smells incredible and doesn’t leave a residue on pillows so there is seriously no stress involved.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream*

I’ve mentioned this previously here and here, and have returned to using it as my night cream as I ponder my beauty cabinet for a new one to try – I’m thinking Olay Regenerist or Kiehl’s Ultra Facial will be next, any thoughts on those? Any other night cream recommendations?

L’Occitane Pivoine Flora Beauty Milk*

This is light and fast-absorbing with a delicate floral scent as the name would suggest. I adore the packaging as I do with much of L’Occitane products, and I find that this does a nice job on balmy nights when I want smooth skin without the weight of body butter.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion +*

I much prefer this version to the previous formulation, and I had a wonderful time at the Melbourne launch event which was held at the divine Mecca Maxima Highpoint earlier in the year (giant yellow balloons, delectable finger food and a chance for a private shop with a voucher from Mecca along with quality time with beautiful beauty bloggers – yup, it was pretty amazing) This is my dear friend Carly’s favourite lotion, and I like the way it does the job without a fuss and without breaking me out.

 

What new moisturisers have you been using lately? Anything new I need to investigate? I would love to hear YOUR routine in the comments below!

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

*Marked items were provided for review, but this is an honest overview of what I am currently using.

September Empties ft. Antipodes, A'Kin + Lush

Only 11 emptied products this month, but at least I hit double digits!

 

Rexona Girl Tropical Energy deodorant- A constant repurchase, I adore this aerosol deodorant.

L’Occitane Ravissant shower gel*- A lovely product from one of my favourite body care brands. I wasn’t as enthralled with the scent as much as I am with the almond range, so I’d rather spend my moolah on that line instead.

A’Kin Sweet Orange + Sandalwood body scrub*- My full review is here for this lovely and gentle body scrub.

Garnier Fructis Sensitive Scalp shampoo- A staple in my routine, and the only shampoo my scalp will tolerate.

Kmart Makeup Remover cotton pads- Cheap and nasty, these get the job done with ease.

The Jojoba Company Jojoba Bead and Bamboo facial exfoliant* (3ml)- This made my skin feel smooth, but afterwards it felt sensitised and a little tender to the touch. Wouldn’t repurchase as it just didn’t work for me.

Pantene single dose intensive treatment program*- I used this ‘single dose’ treatment twice after receiving it via PinchMe, and it made my hair feel nice and smooth. Would considering repurchasing if I didn’t have a million other hair products to use up first.

Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel foundation- My HG foundation, sadly discontinued. Love the ‘skin like’ finish and ease of application- have backups ready to go!

Lush Honey I Washed the Kids soap*- As much as I love the honey scent of this, this is the second bar I’ve trialled and it just leaves my skin feeling strange. I find it hard to run my hands over my skin after I’ve used this, like it has been stripped (though it isn’t technically drying either…) I’ve no love for this Lush cult favourite, beautiful scent aside.

Clinique Take the Day Off makeup remover- I quite like this bi-phase makeup remover, even though the residue it leaves behind is sometimes a little bit annoying. I would repurchase this (but am going to wait for the next GWP, ‘cause that is how I roll)

 

So now it is your turn to share! How much did you empty this month, and what cleansing oil or balm do you suggest I try next?

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty x

Winter Hands // Caramel Hot Chocolate, Gingerbread Chai Latte + Apple Cinnamon Punch

Considering a lot of the hand creams I adore come with a high price tag (L’Occitane, anyone?) I was surprised to see how cheap the new Winter Drinks hand creams from essence were when scanned at the checkout! For a measly $1.95 AUD I grabbed one of each variety- the sweet Caramel Hot Chocolate, fruity Apple Cinnamon Punch and the spicy Gingerbread Chai Latte. While these aren’t the most moisturising hand creams, they don’t leave a greasy residue and are a nice light lotion for my handbag, being packaged in cute lightweight tubes. If you really only wanted to buy one, I think the Caramel Hot Chocolate is pretty amazing for foodie scent lovers, but once on the skin Apple Cinnamon Punch is the one for me. This is an important thing to note: these smell way better on than in the tube, so keep that in mind if you are undecided on these cheap treats.

 

These are available from Priceline + Target, and so far the shelves seem pretty full so head down to nab them before word gets out and more people indulge in these wintery treats.

Which scent would you vote for? Are you a fan of foodie scented creams?

The Night Routine

 

Despite really enjoying the skincare I had been using, once again I’ve switched it up in order to explore new products and work on improving my skin. I’ve been slapping these on while watching FleurdeVlog after my nightly cleanse, and I’ve been loving the feel of the silky L’Occitane Essence Sublime serum*(on counter August 14th)! The packaging is really pretty, and undoubtedly better than the small necked Angelica Hydration Cream* which is luxe but hard to reach into. I’ve been trialling the L’Occitane products for over a month now, and the cooling Regard Radieux Eye Roll On* is a strange consistency (I’m used to eye creams over gels) but hasn’t caused milia, so thumbs up for that!

Acne is something I like to keep at bay surprise surprise and as always I turn to Mario Badescu for that.  The Buffering Lotion is tops for under the surface bumpiness,  while the Drying Lotion zaps any big nasties without drying out my skin like other spot treatments do. Highly recommended!  I’ve been squeezing the last drops out of my La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo, and was elated to find out that my local pharmacy is not stocking the range- score! I tried to describe it to my sister today, and the phrase ‘skin perfector’ and ‘a damn miracle’ were involved, so there’s that for ya…

What are you slapping on your face in the PM?

What's in my Shower // The Pink Edition

I did not intend for this edition of ‘What’s in my Shower’ to take on a primarily pink theme, but when I snapped the images I saw that they all shared the same hue so I decided to embrace it! Since taking these photographs I’ve actually finished up a few of the products, but I still wanted to show you the great shower products I’ve been using, so here we go!

I can’t go without a few shower gel options, so L’Occitane Ravissant shower gel* sits alongside Bodycology Sweet Pea and they are both deliciously floral and sweet, with the L’Occitane having more of a floral + citrus twist. I also had a few sample sized Soap + Glory products floating around (some of which featured in past empties) and though I wasn’t a fan of the Clean Girls shower gel, I quite liked the Scrub ‘Em and Leave ‘Em tub which smelt artificial yet deliciously expensive. I would definitely recommend The Breakfast Scrub* over Scrub of Your Life for both scent and texture, but I think any Soap & Glory scrub is well worth a try to be honest and the travel sized versions available at Kit Cosmetics make it so easy to dip your toe into the brand.

I have my very favourite cleanser sitting front and centre, the Fab Pore Hot Cloth cleanser* works so nicely with my skin and we are in the midst of a love affair as I type! Speaking of love affairs, the L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil* really exceeded my expectations (which were high to begin with, great work L’Occitane!) as both a shower oil and a shaving oil. Let me tell you, when your shaving oil smells this good your legs will be smooth more often, just so that you can relish in the amazing sweet almond scent – sigh,heaven! This is on the ‘definite repurchase’ list, no doubt.

Continuing with the pink trend, I’ve been trialling the new Kerastase Cristalliste* range (thick hair version) and I’m happy to report that the conditioner leaves my thick crazy mane soft and silky, though the texture of it is thinner than expected and needs a bit of muscle to escape the tube. The shampoo surprisingly didn’t upset my scalp as much as I thought it might, my head acts out against any shampoo that isn’t Garnier (and that includes hating all other dandruff shampoos!) but it tolerated this one quite fine. Hurrah for schmancy hair care that makes me feel like a French lady wink wink.

 

What would you steal first from my shower loot?

Does your shower also resemble the aftermath of a pink fairy explosion?

How many shower gels do you have on the go at once?

*Marked items were provided for consideration, but not planted for post purposes, I promise! Honesty, always.

 

The February Edit

This month it was a breeze picking the stars of my cosmetic rotation, and these are not only things that I loved the most but also those that got the most use from me over the weeks. This edit turned out to be easy picks for quick on the go looks, so suffice to say I wasn’t too creative in the realm of makeup during February. Cheeks were kept on the neutral, natural side of the fence as I alternated the amazing Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed with the peachy L’Oreal Super Blendable Blush in 326 The Muse’s Blush. To brighten up my face I reached for one of my favourite highlighters, TheBalm’s Mary Lou Manizer. Rather than using my Real Technique’s for Samantha Chapman Contour brush to apply as I normally do I’ve been using my fingers, and loving the sheer effect that it gives. This makes it brilliant for everyday wear, and is nice and quick for rushed mornings. Scent of choice has also been a failsafe with Guerlain's Champs Elysees covering me every day. If I had to wear only one scent for the rest of my days, this would be it.

The L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil* was on my wish list for so long, and I am elated to say that not only has it met my expectations, it has actually exceeded them. A tip off from Estee has made me use this as a shaving oil, but it works beautifully as a regular body wash when paired with a sponge as well. It definitely warrants a full review (read:rave) so I’ll get to work on that soon. I have also been loving the Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara, which has garnered me more lash envy comments than I had received in a long time! For me, that is the main measure of success for a mascara, as well as the stellar and easy to wear formulation. Lips have been lazy, and the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey has been a staple not only for its non-melty texture (Melbourne heat hates lipsticks!) but the colour goes with absolutely everything. MAC Patisserie was thrown into the mix on the odd colder day we enjoyed, and man that is a winner of a shade!

So there is my lazy-day, easy to use February Edit. Have you tried any of these products, or do you want to?

*Product provided for consideration, but an honest favourite.

Luxurious Bathing, the gift of relaxation // Gift Guide, Part One

 I am a firm believer in giving Christmas gifts, and I think the best sorts of gifts are the things that you wouldn’t usually purchase for yourself. Being someone who is completely beauty obsessed means that I do tend to indulge in bath and body products quite often, but before I began blogging the only items I really used were those gifted to me. Luxury during a bath and shower can really help someone wind down after a long day at school or work (or shopping!) and these gifts would all make lovely, thoughtful gifts.

Even though I’m not a bar soap sort of person myself, the majority of people I know prefer them to shower gels . The fact that this product is made by the Scottish Fine Soaps Company (my family come from Glasgow!) makes it hold a special place in my heart, and the tins are stunning and reusable. They have tins with birthday, good luck, and other general messages on top, making them perfect as something sweet AND useful! $11.99 at David Jones.

The Clarins Eau des Jardins Uplifting Shower Gel is probably the nicest luxe shower gel I have ever used. The scent is beautiful, but hard to explain, and it lathers up in the most perfect way. The scent is made up of 10 different essential oils, including  zesty ones like grapefruit, right through to rose and cedar. The bottle itself is really cute as well, and the range contains a gift set which would make a beautiful gift. $42.00 for 150ml at Myer, David Jones, pharmacies and Adore Beauty.

 

As well making lovely face products, L’Occitane have a great range of bath and shower products that I really enjoy. I’m about to try the Almond Shower Oil (and am very excited by it!) but something I’ve been using for a while are these two shower gels. Captivant is definitely my favourite from this range, I also have it in cologne form and it makes for a very uplifting scent experience. A wander into L’Occitane is always a good idea at Christmas time, the packs they make are often better value than purchasing products separately. I know when I went to my local store for Christmas drinks I was taken with the packaging and value they have out at the moment! These shower gels retail for $28 for 250ml.

 

It’s no secret I am a massive Kiehl’s fan, and the new Aromatic Blends collection has really impressed me! I have been using my travel size samples of the Orange Flower & Lychee scent for a while now and love it, but I’ve also sniffed all 3 other variations in store and adore them as well! The range has lotions, fragrance sprays and body cleansers, so you can pick and mix to your hearts content. Prices range from $29 for the fragrances to $38 for the lotions, and the collection is available from Kiehl’s counters in Myer and David Jones.

 

I have another of these posts coming up soon as I just couldn't fit all of my bath and body loves into a single post. I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether or not you like to receive things like this for Christmas, or for birthdays or other celebrations?

 

 

 

 

These products were kindly provided for editorial consideration, so I had a chance to personally try all of these products. Honesty, always.

What I Wore on My Face // L'Occitane Drinks Edition

Earlier in the week I spent the day Christmas shopping for all of the little ones in my family, and spent the evening having Christmas drinks with the lovely ladies at L'Occitane. I had been hanging out to sniff the new Magical Leaves collection, and was happy to finally get a chance to look at it!

The beautiful Melbourne Central store front.

Some gift packs from the new Marvellous Flowers and Magical Leaves collections.

Norlin getting a hand massage with some L'Occitane products

 

I decided to rock a taupey purple eye look to go with my purple statement necklace, but I ended up forgetting to wear the beads to L'Occitane anyway! I used a mix of brands to get my purple look, and was happy to get some compliments from staff when I was buying gifts during the day.

 

 

Eyes:
L'Oreal Infallible in Metallic Lilac
Clarins purple from the Enchanted palette*
Inglot purple shade
Physicians Formula purple liner (from the Brown Eyes Trio)
Face of Australia Impact Curl mascara

Cheeks:
NYX Peach blush
Clarins Bronzing Duo in 03 Dark*
BYS Fierce Fuschia blush

Face:
Illamasqua Skin Base
Face of Australia Outback Translucent Powder*
Maybelline Dream Matte powder (for touch ups)

Lips:
Clinique Chubby Stick in Whole Lotta Honey*
Smashbox gloss in Overexposed*

I felt really nice with this eye look on, it didn't photograph as well as it looked in reality (in my opinion) I highly recommend every eye product I used for this look-very happy with them all! The lip duo is something I've been wearing almost every day lately, I can easily put it on without a mirror and it keeps my lips happy and goes with the dramatic eye looks I've been wearing.

What do you think of my eye look?
What is your favourite L'Occitane product? The almond range has stolen my heart!

*The Clinique product was won in a competition, and marked items were provided for editorial consideration. Honesty, always.