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Archive of ‘Beauty’ category

27
Feb
2013

February Favorites: Beauty!

categories: Beauty, Beauty Favorites, Favorites, Makeup and Beauty, Nail Polish

Hi All!

Here are 6 beauty related products I’ve been loving this month! I haven’t been using much makeup this month hence only 2 makeup products being included but there’s a couple other things I have been enjoying for the month of February.

1. Daisy by Marc Jacobs

I featured this in my recent haul post but this perfume has been a big favorite this month. Fresh and floral and perfect for the end of summer when I want something soft yet sophisticated. I can’t see myself ever falling out of love with this scent. Lasts a good few hours but is definitely subtle. I could easily see this being my signature scent and I haven’t ever felt that with a perfume before.

2. Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten

As you can see by the wear of this poor balm stain this has been in my handbag all month, not a safe environment for anyone. This month I haven’t been wearing much makeup but have been enjoying a pop of bright but easy colour on my lips. I love the fact these are moisturizing so I don’t have to worry about dry lips and this also lasts on me for ages! Better than other lipsticks or balm products I own. I also love these berry toned pinks. This looks a lot darker here than the pop of berry pink you get on the lips. Hasn’t replaced Honey as my favorite Balm stain of all but a close favorite.

3. Thin Lizzy Mineral Foundation in Oriental Doll

This was another product in my rather recent haul and has been one of the only foundations I have been using this month because it is so quick and easy to buff some on before I head off. Gives beautiful coverage without looking cakey and doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin. This shade is perhaps a tad to light for me at the moment but will be perfect in the Winter and seems to still work fine at the moment.

4. a England in St George

This has to be my favorite nail polish of the month even though I received it pretty late into Feb. This is a stuning teal/forest green colour that shimmers away all the time but when you step into the sun the holographic scatter throughout it really pops. This makes it a slight driving hazard I should warn you. Stunning colour with a stunning holographic shimmer. In summer the only dark colours I wear are these that are just to beautiful to wait until Winter/Autumn. If you haven’t heard of or tried a England nail polish before I highly recommend you do! They are very reasonably priced and there are often good specials on. I now have 7 in total and haven’t had any issues with them. They often only take 1 coat to be opaque!! And are always stunning and interesting colours that are hard to find elsewhere. Also, they ship world wide last time I checked, so no excuse!

5. SteamCream

So this is the pot of goodness I received in my sample bar glam pack in January and like all good sample box products it was put in some dark corner of the abyss that is my room, never to be seen again. Until a couple of weeks ago! I pulled this out just before bed to quickly moisturize my neck and decolletage area as well as my arms that were feeling a bit dry (too much info? Sorry, my skin thinks I am an alligator 90% of the time). The steamcream did a decent job of moisturizing, but so far nothing to write home about. But the reason I love this, especially before bed is the beautiful scent of lavender and orange blossom (mainly lavender but I find the orange blossom stops it being too strong, although I know lots of people dislike the lavender scent anyway). The scent of lavender always relaxes me and this is perfect to help me get to sleep.

6. Pure Fiji Coconut milk and Honey hydrating body mist

Another product from the haul…sorry, totally didn’t notice this when choosing my month’s favorites haha. This is my favorite of the two scents my brother got for me. It’s subtle and yet smells like I’m on holiday. I love the soft and sweet coconut with honey combination and have been spritzing this like a mad woman on the hot days we have been having lately.

So there’s this month’s beauty favorites, what have you been loving for February? Tomorrow my random favorites should go up so see you all then!

23
Feb
2013

What I’ve been buying

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty, Nail Polish

Hi All!

So I am not one to do “haul” posts, not sure why as I enjoy reading them. Maybe it’s the shame of the money I spend? Or the fact that I don’t often buy a lot of products at the same-ish time. Anyway, this is a bunch of stuff that I bought or received in the week prior to the wedding so I thought I would do a little haul post for you to show you what I got! . I’m not going to do a seperate photo for each product as it’s a waste of space on wordpress and makes the post longer to load but please let me know if this kind of way works with one photo at the top? Or do you prefer a separate photo above each piece of text?

1. L’oreal nail polish in Rebel Blue and Jordana nail polish in Smooth Blue.

So these two nail polishes were bought in my pre-wedding search for the perfect blue nail polish for the big day (yes I know, instead of a french mani I opted for bright blue nails). The Jordana is a mid-blue creme whilst the L’oreal is a shimmery slightly darker blue that also has a little bit of a more dusty tone to it. In the end the L’oreal was what I went with and it perfectly matched the blue hydrangeas we had everywhere. Also the L’oreal formula was excellent and really good at not chipping even without topcoat. The L’oreal was $10.95 for a measly 5 mL (:() and the Jordana was $3 for a full size.

2. Maybelline Baby Lips Color in Rose Addict

I love the original clear babylips lip balms cause they smell great and are decent at keeping my lips moisturized so when I saw that a range of tinted versions had been finally released in NZ I had to grab one. In a rush I just picked up the Rose addict shade which provides a very slight strawberry pink tint to the lips. Smells amazing (as to be expected) and I am keen to grab a couple more. I think this was on special for about $4.

3. L’oreal Infallible 18hr Liquid Foundation in the shade Classic Ivory

Okay so this product and the next one are the two foundations that I picked up on advice of my friend who helped with my makeup for the wedding. I loved this foundation because it felt incredibly light on the skin, had an SPF coverage, provided good medium coverage over any of the red pigmentation on my skin and lasted AGES without budging. It blended really easily into my skin and was quick to apply as well. This was $40-$50.

4. Thin Lizzy Flawless Mineral Foundation in the shade Oriental Doll

Although I will do a little post on my very basic wedding day makeup, this was the second product I used on top of the liquid foundation above. This just gave me that little bit of extra coverage for a truly flawless look and also set the liquid foundation so the combo lasted perfectly all day (12 hours and perfect foundation the whole time up until I went to bed!). I think this was around $49.

5. Trilogy certified organic rosehip oil and Trilogy Hydrating mist toner

These two products were gifts from my friend who uses this range a lot. I have never tried this brand mainly due to price so was super excited to give them a go! I won’t say too much here as I think I will do a little review of these products and how I use them.

6. Pure Fiji Hydrating Body Mist in Mango infusion and in Coconut Milk & Honey

My brother went to Fiji for a month or so prior to the wedding and came back with these goodies for me! Again, I haven’t tried any Pure Fiji products before but I am absolutely in LOVE with these, especially in this hot weather! I don’t think I can choose a favorite scent as they are both gorgeous and I love spraying them all over me when I’m dying of heat. So perfect for summer!

7. Daisy by Marc Jacobs (50mL)

My incredible generous mother bought this for me as a wedding day perfume. This was one that I have been wanting to get for FOREVER and I adore it’s gentle floral scent that smells fresh and girly but still elegant, was absolutely perfect for the wedding. I think this is my signature scent that I will have to keep buying forever! I believe this was $130 from Life pharmacy. Thankyou Mum!!!

8. Elizabeth Arden Green tea with Cherry Blossom

This was another perfume I had been wanting since I tried it when it was launched here in NZ. My dad and step mum grabbed this duty free earlier and were saving it for my birthday but I got it a week early yay! Another lovely fresh and floral scent that smells a bit sweeter than Daisy. I also adore the packaging of this perfume (hence it’s extra picture haha). I think from the pharmacy this is around $70. I always want to keep pretty perfume boxes but then my small place gets full of rubbish and I’m trying to be a little more clutter free haha.

So those are all my amazing goodies that I got recently. Aren’t my friends and family amazing? And I’m not buying any more makeup for a while haha (except those Maybelline Vivids which are now out and I NEED desperately! Oh and the new Euro collection from OPI….uh oh)

21
Feb
2013

SampleBar Glam Pack for February 2013!

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty

Hi All!

So I received the February Sample Bar Glam Pack on the 19th (bit later than normal) and here are the things it contained! The theme of the box was valentine’s day (even though it arrived afterwards) to provide some tools for pampering and to turn a few heads.

1. Tooth Spa in Fresh Orange

So this first product is a full size organic, all natural tooth paste by a NZ company trying to provide an alternative to the more typical toothpastes full of fluoride and other chemicals (I personally have no idea whether chemicals in toothpaste are actually harmful in any significant way to our teeth). I think this is a really cool idea, especially for people who do try to cut down on the chemicals they are using. I haven’t used it long enough to test it at all in terms of how well it works but it smells lovely. The taste is a little odd, orangey but there’s a bit of an odd slightly salty taste in there too. It doesn’t foam which feels strange at first. Cool product concept but don’t think I would repurchase at $15 for 70g.

2. Heart shaped toe seperators

Pretty self explanatory, perfect for a pamper session. For some reason I haven’t already got any of these so quite happy to get some. These are $3.99 from samplebar.

3. Lash Card

Another full size product, with 10 lash cards (individual mascara shields for those pesky little smudge marks on upper eye lid when we apply our mascara). Again I think this is a really cool idea for a product but I generally don’t have a problem with mascara application, probably because my stupid eyelashes are so tiny. Regardless these will definitely be given a go.

4. Flirty Little Secret Firming cream with pheremones

So this is from a brand called Booty Parlor (never heard of them) and it’s a body lotion with some added shimmer and bronzer along with firming action and pheremones (seems a bit odd…?). This was a 5mL sample so hopefully enough to use on both my legs or something. Full size (135mL) this is $67.99 so luckily I don’t feel super desperate to repurchase.

5. ModelCo Shine Ultra Lip Gloss in StripTease

This is the other full size product and I LOVE this! I love when makeup products are included in the glam packs and this lip gloss is a great one. I haven’t tried ModelCo products before but this lip gloss makes me want to. It smells incredible (like sour fruit lollies) and has a beautiful nude shimmer. Doesn’t feel too sticky and I love the doe foot applicator (as well as the mirror on the side making application on the go super easy. Great product! To buy these on SampleBar they are $19.

6. Shiseido Skincare night moisture recharge enriched

This was a 10mL sample of the night cream and I have a feeling this will go a long way as the cream is super moisturizing! I love this feel of this, smooths into my skin without feeling greasy or heavy. Love skin care products so glad this was included in this month’s box. Unfortunately the full size is $85 so unlikely I will repurchase in my current state but maybe one day once I’m rich!

All in all, I was pretty pleased with this month’s box. The toothpaste would be great if the taste was little less odd and I don’t think the lash cards are that useful for me personally but the lip gloss and the night cream were great and there was nothing I really didn’t like. I was happy that there were 6 products in total and only two of these were little samples. At the moment I am trying to decide whether to continue my subscription or put $25 a month into a product I really want so I need to decide quick about next month but this box was one of my favorites since joining.

Click here to take a look at the Sample Bar website or Here to view my first post explaining what this subscription service is

31
Jan
2013

January Beauty Favorites

categories: Beauty, Beauty Favorites, Favorites, Uncategorized

Well I don’t think anyone knows where January went…feels like it was Christmas last week and New Years yesterday so needless to say this year will fly by. Also there are 18 days until the wedding….yup, 18. Am I stressed out silly? A teeny bit but all the main stuff is done and I’m just treating it like a party with my family and friends so that helps. Anywho, tangent over, lets get on with seeing what beauty products I have been loving this month! Its summer so heavy makeup is definitely out and glossy lips with tinted moisturizers are in.

#1: MUA Eyeshadow palette in Undressed (especially shades 2, 6 and 10). I love this palette, its a great compromise for us who can’t afford the Naked palettes haha. On the few nights this month where I wanted makeup on my eyes this was all I used, especially enjoying the golden shade 6 with the deep brown shade 10 in the crease. These shades have incredible pigmentation and glide on beautifully. All for 4 pounds! Below is a single sweep of three shades I have been using just to show how pretty they are!

#2: Dove tinted moisturizer in Beige. Please excuse this rough and dirty bottle, this thing goes everywhere with me. Not a new product for sure, my mum actually bought me this ages ago and I have repurchased a couple times since. It is my favorite tinted moisturizer for a couple of reasons. For example it doesn’t irritate my extremely sensitive skin, it gives me a nice complexion and even tone without putting a thick layer of makeup over it and it also has a bit of SPF in it which means its not a disaster when I forget my sunscreen. This month has been lots of beach and pool days so this light moisturizer has been perfect and I haven’t used anything else.

#3: Nivea lip balm in Pink Guava. This has been my lip balm of choice most days because it smells and tastes AMAZING! Moisture wise its average, for me it works fine unless my lips are quite dry and need repair. This gives my lips a nice pink, rosy tint and its only around $4 which is nice

#4: Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Honey. The other lip product I have been using is one of the balm stains I have. The funny thing is that this shade (Honey) is one I would have passed over in an instant! Yet I kept seeing Chelsea (confessionsofabeautyaddict.com – great beauty blog so pop over and check it out!) rave about this shade in particular on twitter and her blog and so I chose it before even trying. Thank goodness I did because this has been the most used balm stain out of the 4 I have. It is such an easy to wear, my lips but better shade that I see it becoming a staple in my handbag.

#5: Peach Blossom petit parfum by Urban Rituelle. I picked this fragrance up when shopping with my mum at Forever New for $20 and it is gorgeous! A beautiful summery fragrance that is fresh and fruity with a little floral thrown in for good measure. Pretty much smells like peach iced tea to me! Its convenient little size means it is the perfect handbag scent and I wore it almost all of this month. Its a strong scent so 1 spray is enough however it doesn’t last all day. I am craving their ginger scent in this range that smells like a Chai latte strangely enough…

#6: Essie’s Demure Vixen. Last up is my nail polish favorite of the month and for January it is this gorgeous nude from Essie that is one of my all time favorite shades. Aptly named this shade is slightly darker than a true nude with a purple undertone. Added to this is a subtle violet shimmer that creates a lavender sheen to this nude, unlinke anything else I have seen. The day I run out of this will be a sad one as it is truly gorgeous.

Well that’s it for this month! February holds a lot of excitement and I can’t wait to share it with you all xx

24
Jan
2013

January’s Sample Bar Glam Pack

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty

Hi All! So I hate being one of those people who apologizes for a lack of blogging, especially with such a small number of readers. This blog is a source of fun and escape for me so when I am not enjoying it or when it starts to make my life more stressful time wise I see no reason to try forcing out rushed posts. I needed a bit of a break and had zero motivation to blog due to stresses in other areas of my life so blogging has been sparse and I hope that won’t be the case much longer! Anyway, here is what I received in last week’s Sample bar glam pack! I hear there is a new subscription service being launched in NZ soon so now I am torn as to whether I should pay for both, swap over or stick to sample bar hmmm.

This months box was based around the theme of jet setting or holidaying over the summer period and I was fairly happy with what we received this month although I would love a makeup product/sample to be included.

1. Steamcream: The first full size product included this month was the multi-award winning steamcream which comes in a variety of very eye-catching and cute little tins! I have seen a couple of other designs which were very cute but have to say I was very pleased to get this English design! I think a lot of people thought this would be like a multipurpose balm product but it’s definitely a beautiful lotion/moisturiser that can be kept in the handbag and used where-ever. I love the scent of lavender (but I am sure some won’t) and find the cream to be beautiful on the skin without being too greasy. The 75g tin costs $29.95 (yay for getting our $25 money’s worth!). I’m already thinking of ways I can repurpose this tin…

2. Twistband in neon green: So this is apparently some hyped up elastic accessory from the states that can be used as a hair tie or as a wrist accessory. I think I must be missing something because this looks like it could be made in a 6 year old’s craft class… Don’t get me wrong, the snag free elastic is snag free, it holds my hair up rather well and looks cuter around my wrist than a crappy little black hair tie for sure but I’m not sure I really get the hype around it. Oh well I am always in need of more hair ties! These are $2.95 individually.

3. Air Repair eye cream: I am a sucker for eye creams! I am not sure why but I love trying new ones out so I was excited to see one included and full size too yay! This is a super hydrating eye cream with aloe, allantoin, vitamin C, green tea extract and cloudberry seed (what?) but don’t ask me what all of those do. It feels soothing on the eye but I haven’t used it long enough to get a clear idea on how it works. This is $17.50 for the 15mL tube.

4. Hil Cook Solution Buds: A two pack sample of cotton buds which can be fiddled around with in order to release make up remover solution into one end which can then be used to remove any makeup accidents or smudges. A cute and useful idea for when on the go or out away from trusty make up remover and cotton balls but at $12.99 for 20 I am not sure I would spend my money on the pack.

5. Le Tan SPF 30 Coconut Lotion: Last up is another favorite! I love the coconut smell of this sunblock/lotion so was pleased to receive a mini sized tube to take with me this weekend to the Coromandel. I’m not sure if this counts as sunblock or not but I use this happily on my body to give non-greasy SPF protection that doesn’t feel or smell like sun block. This is $5.99 for the little 35mL size that fits perfectly into my handbag.

So that’s it for this month! Overall pretty happy but hope to see some makeup next month. The only things I would maybe buy again would be the eye cream as it’s not too expensive, the coconut lotion and if I could afford more steam cream I would buy it in a flash for its divine scent but most of all the tins!! I need more!

Talk to you soon

03
Jan
2013

December Beauty Favorites

categories: Beauty, Beauty Favorites, Favorites, Uncategorized

Hi All! So in November my favorites kind of got lost in the chaos of life so although these are my December favorites these products have been ones I also used a lot in November.

1. Palmer’s Olive Butter Formula Body Lotion
So this has been my hands down favorite body moisturizer for two months now. For only $12 (if memory serves correctly) this giant sized product is a great moisturizer, has a lovely fresh scent (not sure if it smells particularly like olives or not…) and doesn’t irritate my sensitive pain in the ass skin. Great product that I see becoming a central part of my moisturizing routine year round as it isn’t too heavy and greasy.

2. Elizabeth Arden: Green Tree Tropical Perfume
I picked this up a while ago as it was on a great special for like $30 and had a nice fresh and fruity scent which I thought would be useful in Summer. Well I was right and I have worn it almost every day this month. Not a super strong scent which I quite like at this time of year. Smells a little floral to me but more so tropical in the fruity sense of the word. Still pining after the Green Tea with Cherry Blossom scent that has been on my wishlist for ages

3. Maybelline MegaPlush Volume Express Mascara
My lovely Mum bought me a bunch of beauty related products a while ago and this is my favorite of the bunch! When I first started using it I was a little underwhelmed but after using it more regularly it has grown on me a lot. First off, the volume is there but not incredibly so. I have pathetic lashes so it isn’t an easy job I should add. Instead of volume I notice more so the definition it brings to my lashes as it never clumps for me. The thing I love most about this mascara is the formula. It’s a bit wet but I have no issues with application and the best thing is that it feels like I’m not wearing any product on my lashes. This makes it so much easier to apply any extra coats without clumping or incredibly caked on lashes.

4. Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
I talked previously about another favorite in this line (Bold Gold) and this is another favorite that I reach for a lot! This neutral bronze colour is an easy eyelid fix when I can’t be bothered putting much makeup on and also provides the perfect base to a neutral smokey eye. Lasts for ages on my eyes (for example it’s still there in the morning if I forget to remove makeup before bed *bad lizzy*!) and helps my other eyeshadows last longer without moving around or creasing.

5. MUA Lipstick in Shade 01
I posted an intial review/haul of my MUA products and this lipstick is probably one of my favorites of the bunch. A beautiful wine red colour that feels moisturizing and lasts a decent amount of time. Best thing about it is that it cost 1 pound.

6. MOA Green Balm
I received this in my first SampleBar box back in November and was also very kindly scent a second one from my lovely friend Karen from BalmainBeauty. The product is a balm with oils like tea tree oil and melaleuca which I use on the lips, cuticles, hands, any sores or scratches and where ever needs a little moisture.

7. OPI The Spy Who Loved Me
Edd very kindly bought this for me at Christmas so technically I have only had it a little while but it was such a great christmas red that I had to include it! A stunning bright red (perfect for the NZ summer) that is full of golden shimmer. The gold isn’t as incredible as it looks in the bottle but still creates a lit from within red that I will reach for again and again.

So there are my favorites for this month and last! I hope everyone had a great end to 2012!

18
Dec
2012

December Sample Bar Glam Pack

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty

Another month, another Sample Bar Glam Box. After the improvements in last month’s box I was excited to see what this month’s would include and I wasn’t disappointed! I was also pleasantly surprised to receive my box before a lot of other New Zealander’s as the other times I have always got mine at the last moment. Here’s what was included this month in a box themed towards a night out with products that are supposed to help with a day full of work and then night life.

1. Ulta3 Nail Polish in the shade Honolulu (Full Size 13.5mL): I was excited to see a nail polish included being a self-confessed nail polish addict (as well as being happy to see a brand I haven’t come across here in NZ) however was a little dubious as I don’t think I have worn yellow nail polish very much, if ever. This shade is a bright sunny yellow that is sheer on the first coat but two would suffice for even coverage. I was happy with the quick drying formula and surprised with how much I like the colour. Also, this colour is PERFECTION for summer! There were a variety of shades in everyone’s boxes so I am excited to see what everyone else got! Price: $4.99 (these are all the prices to buy on samplebar)

2. Instant Le Tan in Le Can (Full Size 45mL): This was one product that I thought although a nice one to try was a little repetitive after the bronzer gel that was in last months box. For someone who doesn’t really use fake tans very often I’ll have to work hard to make sure I use up both of these products. Otherwise this product seems like an easy to apply quick tanning option that may come in handy and has a lovely smell of vanilla (I LOVE vanilla scents!). Price: $11.00

3. Show Stoppers Fashion Tape (2 nude strips): I didn’t really get what these were, being a little dim at times, but these are two double sided tapes that can be used with slightly daring or dangerous clothing to keep certain bits and bobs contained haha. Although this is a problem I don’t come across very often being a stay at home 21 yr old nanna and not having much “up there” to keep contained this does sound like it could come in handy on a rare night out. Price: $19.95 for a 24 strip pack (nude and black available).

4. So Susan Fairy Lash Mascara (Full Size): This was my absolute favorite this month as I love to try new mascaras and was glad for a full size. This month there were 4 potential So Susan products so I am looking forward to seeing what other people got and their opinions on them. I tried this mascara straight away and loved it! Firstly I think the packaging and the name is cute which always helps haha. This mascara gave my pathetic lashes volume AND length which made me very happy as I have difficulty finding a mascara that does this for me. I was very impressed The one downside was that during application I got mascara on my top lid which I don’t normally do. This might just be me finding the brush a little hard to use or maybe the formula was a little wet to start off with but after a little practice I got the hang of it. Price: Ranges from $15.99-$38.50 for the various makeup products but I don’t know how much the mascara specifically is

5. Scarlett and Greene’s Skincare Range (3 sample sachet’s): So this is a little booklet with three small sample sachets of their skincare products (probably only enough for one use). I don’t know if everyone got the same samples but I got the Come Clean cleanser and makeup remover, the Bare All breakout control wash and the Under Cover natural moisturizer with SPF15. I haven’t tried any of these yet but I like that the cleanser is soap free as I have sensitive skin, I like the natural oils and extracts that are in each product and I like the SPF in the moisturizer. All are made for young skin and are New Zealand made. I’ve never heard of this range but would be interested in purchasing the full size moisturizer and cleanser (I don’t get breakouts so the Bare All product isn’t really useful for me). Overall I like the little booklet with a few samples but sachet samples do annoy me a little as one use is never really enough to judge a product. Price: Full size products are between $28.95 and $30.99 which seems pretty expensive compared to my usual skin care products.

(thought I would include a picture of the booklet because I thought it was a cute idea)

So there are the products in this month box. I keep trying to decide whether I think it is better than last month’s and I think I would have to say it’s better for me personally but it isn’t a big difference at all. I’m excited to see what comes next month!

Let me know what you thought if you received a box this month

Click here for my original post on the Sample Bar Glam Packs

Also, these boxes were paid for in full by me and all opinions are my own and not sponsored or influenced in any way.

13
Dec
2012

Looking after my skin! (Skin Care Routine)

categories: Beauty

Hi All! I have had these photos for a little while and I am finally putting up my skin care routine! I love reading other people’s posts on how they take care of their skin so it made sense to do my current one. My skin is super sensitive and very dry so I am pretty careful about what I use and tend to stick to what I know most of the time to avoid reactions. The other point I should make is that this is my skin care on a pretty tight budget, with products that I know I can afford to repurchase (not always the case however). If I had more to spend I would love to use better skin care products but at the moment it’s not really feasible and I am pretty satisfied with how all of these work.

First up here are what I use to take off my makeup. The Garnier Clean Sensitive Facial Wipes are my best friend most of the time as I am notoriously lazy when it comes to makeup removal but the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover is what I use for stubborn eye makeup.

I like to do face masks at least once a week and these are the two ones I often use. The Goji Berry Facial Hydration Mask is one I buy in single packs for around $3.50 each (I should really just get a full size) however I often spread the pack over two treatments as I find there is more than enough gel product. I think this mask is great for dry skin as my face feels soft and hydrated for ages after I use it. I also was happy that I had no negative reactions to it which I have had to other face masks. The Meaningful Beauty Clay Mask is one I got ages ago from my Mum and only started using a wee while ago. This is less of a moisturizing mask but does a great job at clearing out my skin and giving it a very clean and clear look. I also find it helps with my redness which I get a lot of on my face. I feel like this product is pretty expensive so not sure if I will repurchase or just find a similar alternative.

For Cleansing I have a couple cleansers I like to use regularly but this one is always in my bathroom because it’s gentle on the skin and a creamy consistency that doesn’t leave my skin feeling dried out at all. A great gentle cleanser for the skin but not the best for removing heavy duty makeup which I tend to do with makeup wipes or remover beforehand. The price is around $10 at the supermarket so very affordable as well which is important on my current budget. Another one I love to use is the Nivea Essentials cream cleansing wash.

Following cleanser I apply toner over my face and neck area with a cotton pad and this one is a definite favorite. I love this range from Nivea but this is the only one I have been using long enough to really consider a core part of my skin routine. I love the fresh, cucumber scent and find it doesn’t irritate or dry out my skin very much. Again, I think this product is around $10 at the supermarket (on sale maybe) and so one that I can repurchase without freaking out.

Next step is the most important for my poor dry skin…Moisturize! These are my two main moisturizers. The Olay Moisturizing cream (for sensitive skin) is my favorite (also by chance the cheapest which is probably a good thing) as it is thick and very moisturizing however this also means it can be a little annoying on a hot day. During summer it tends to be relegated to night time moisturizer whilst the Daily Face Cream by First Aid Beauty is a little better for day as it’s thinner on the skin. Neither have a sun protection factor which is annoying but although not mentioned here I do wear sun protection most of the time. Both of these are good for sensitive skin (the whole range at F.A.B. is made with sensitive skin in mind which I LOVE) however I do get a little bit of an uncomfortable tingling sensation on my skin sometimes which doesn’t happen with the Olay. Anyway, both are moisturizers I would highly recommend for people with similar skin. Price wise the Olay is around $11 and the F.A.B. is quite a bit more, in the $25 range maybe?

Last up I have my two eye creams. I never used to bother with eye creams but a while a go I was given the Loreal Collagen Eye Filler and started to use it daily. I like this product because it has a slight brightness which really helps reduce my under eye circles and darkness. For me it is quite moisturizing but I wouldn’t know much about wrinkle disappearance just because I am terrible at keeping track of my eye wrinkles haha. The Dr Lewinn’s is the main expensive product on here (around $30 I think from the Supermarket) however I do think it is a very good eye cream in terms of moisturizing but less great at short term disappearance of under eye circles and what not. I also think it does a better job at helping reduce wrinkles as even I noticed a small difference when I started using it. Although it is more expensive than the L’oreal I think it is a better eye product however I do love them both for slightly different reasons.

So those are my key steps and products involved in keeping my rather iffy skin under control. I’d love to hear what any of you guys use on a day to day basis for skin care and any reccomendations you might have so please feel free to leave a comment or tweet me @liz_lock

29
Nov
2012

Taking care of my cuticles!

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty, Nail Polish

Hi all

Thought I would chuck up a quick post on my favorite products for cuticle care! Since stopping biting my nails I have become more than a little obsessed with nail polish and keeping my nails in good condition. These are 4 of my current cuticle care products, all of varying price and quality. The only other product I want to buy is Lush Lemony Flutter which I know is one of the most popular nail care products but $20 is a little expensive and I rarely go to a Lush store. Anyhow here are the ones I do have I apologize in advance for the rather decrepit state of these but they often travel around and my handbag is not a gentle environment stuffed with books, nail files and goodness knows what else.

First up is another huge favorite on the internet, Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. This is one of my favorites and the reason why I don’t bother with lemony flutter. This cuticle balm (not a cream as in the name, much more of a solid oil based product) is moisturizing without being overly greasy and I love the scent! It smells like fresh lemon juice, subtle and citrusy. This is a handbag staple for me. Also a little goes a long way so despite the slightly higher price tag compared to the others I think the value is still pretty good. My only negative for this product is the lid can be a pain in the ass to get off and sometimes it is hard to get enough product on your finger to rub on the cuticles.

Orly’s Cuticle Oil is another product I would repurchase as soon as it runs out. This is what I tend to use when I am doing nails at home or putting oil on near all my nail polish stuff as it’s not so easy to carry around in a bag. This is just a liquid oil which has a brush like any of their other nail care products, making application very easy and hassle-free. I love the smell of this, a soft and sweet citrus scent! And its great for massaging into the nails and cuticles, providing quite long lasting moisture. I believe this retails for around $9 at places like Farmers which I think is quite reasonable as I have had this for ages and use it all the time but it is still half full.

Badger Cuticle Care Balm: This is a similar product to the Burt’s Bee’s in that it is an oily formula in a tin that is easy to chuck in the handbag. The differences for me are that this product is a little less solid and more oily which means I feel it moisturizes better but also is greasier so I tend not to use when on the go/in a rush. It is a lot easier to get product out as it is a slightly softer texture. I love this brand as all their balms are full of organic ingredients! Keep an eye out for one of their products coming up in November favorites! I would rate this above Burt’s Bees purely because it is cheaper and yet bigger in size. Also I think I slightly prefer the smell (a fresh, lemongrass scent) however it is a lot stronger so maybe not so great for those sensitive to strong smells. Definitely recommend giving this or any of their other products a try.

Last up is the newest addition to my cuticle care range: Sally Hansen Cuticle Cream. I picked this up as it was only $8 from the local postie plus. This is definitely a cream, not a balm and I like that it isn’t to greasy and feels quite moisturizing. The smell is pleasant and not too strong and there are lots of oils and what nots to keep the nails healthy.However, of all 4 this is my least favorite and the only one I probably wouldn’t bother getting again. Firstly this was pretty much the contents of the pot when I opened the packaging and to me that is a pretty pathetic amount of cream (whereas the Lemony Flutter cream despite being expensive has a lot more product and would last a lot longer). Its possible I got a dud but who knows. Secondly I prefer some of the other organic products over this as they feel better on my skin in the long term whereas the moisturizing qualities of this wear off pretty quickly. Lastly…well I probably have enough products and don’t need one that I don’t think is quite up to the standards of the other three (might save up for Lush instead). Not a bad product, just not a favorite.

Overall Winner? It was tough to choose between top three but in the end I think the Badger Cuticle Balm is the best value for money! The tubs are only around $10 which is very reasonable considering the large size, great quality and use of organic products.

I have next month a full nail care post with some of my favorite products e.g. base coats, cuticle removers etc in case anyone is interested

What do you use for cuticle care?

22
Nov
2012

November Sample Bar Glam Pack

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty

Hi all!

Middle of the month means the new Sample Bar Box (okay actually it’s a bit after the middle of the month but mine was one of the last to arrive, luckily its contents were worth the wait). This month had a them around Glow seeing as it is pretty much summer. I was pleasantly surprised with this month’s box as the previous launch box was okay but not mind=blowing yet I was much happier with this month’s products.

If you are in NZ and want the details of Sample Bar Box just click on over to my previous post

The first product and the only full size one is this Trilogy Self Tanning Instant Bronzing Gel. I have never used Trilogy products but have heard good things. Normally Bronzers/self-tanners terrify me a little so I’m looking forward to see how easy this is to work with. I also like the fact it uses natural additives as the active ingredients and includes aloe vera for moisture and hydration as well as Vitamin E.

This full size product costs $35.90

Possibly my favorite thing in the box is this 45g sample of Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner by Lush. I have never really bought Lush products despite loving them from afar yet lately I have been picking up/been given a few things so I was so happy to see something else to try! This is supposed to be used in the shower but to be honest so far I have just used it like a moisturizer and it is amazing! Smells delicious (cocoa butter with a little rose) and feels amazing on the skin. I will find it hard to resist purchasing this once the sample runs out.

Full size (225g) is $39.90

Okay so when I saw a Marvis toothpaste sample in the box I was a little disappointed I mean I just grab the cheapest at the supermarket and that is the extent of my toothpaste market research. However! This is actually another favorite along with the body conditioner which was a total surprise to me haha. I am ecstatic with the scent (Cinnamon Mint) which smells exactly like the Cinnamon mints from Eclipse. I am in love with this and the fact it’s from a fancy Italian brand makes it even better haha.

The full size (75mL) is from $14.50-17.50 and I am seriously tempted to buy full size but in the end it is jut toothpaste and I may have some difficulty convincing Edd this is worth it…

Next up is a very cute mini Lipstick from the brand Savoir Faire which I haven’t heard of before (ah the joy of beauty boxes!). The shade is perfect for summer as its a nude brown colour that is quite flattering for me. The size is perfect for shoving in my over stuffed makeup bag.

The full size price for these lipsticks is only $9.95 which seems quite cheap!

So last up is a sachet sample of Bump Eraiser which apparently removes ingrown hairs (as well as preventing them) and will also moisturize and exfoliate, perfect just prior to using the bronzing gel. Sounds like a good product but I don’t think one small sample will be quite enough to judge it’s effectiveness. We shall see!

The full size price is $27.50 for a 30mL tube.

All these products can be purchased on the Sample Bar website in case you missed out on the box or want to grab any of the featured products.

All in all I was really happy with this months box. All were from brands I don’t normally buy from and I thought value for money was very pleasing to the wallet or the boyfriend haha. Let me know what you thought If you are subscribed!

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