Lonvitalite 24K Active Golden Yulan Oil Facial Mask

I received this mask a little while ago in one of the monthly beauty sample boxes and finally decided to give it a try.

One thing I love about fabric masks is their convenience and how much cleaner they are to use. One thing I don't love is how damn freezing they are on your face in winter!!!

Technical Info: (Taken from the Lonvitalite website)
24K Active Golden Yulan Oil Facial Mask

• Provides immediate intense cooling and soothing relief
• Each Golden Yulan Oil Facial Mask contains 24mls pure whitening essence milk
• Highly moisturising and nourishing; smoothing out wrinkles, and hydrating the skin
• The extremely active ingredients promote micro circulation in the face as well as skin regeneration
• Removes lines and supplies water and nutrients for the skin cells leaving the skin more evenly pigmented and soft

(I'm sexy and I know it!!)

 

I loved using this mask (other than the freezing factor) as my skin just felt so soft and smooth after use and there was a definite noticeable difference in texture and the appearance of some fine lines was greatly reduced. It was almost as if it wasn't my face afterwards which got a huge 'Wow!' from me. My skin hadn't looked that good in years!

 

The other great thing is that there was enough liquid left in the pouch after use for another two applications as a liquid mask.

 

I've also got one of their eye masks to try as well which I've been holding off from using until a special occassion so I can reap the benefits of it in public this time.

 

What do you think of fabric masks? Are you a fan? Has anyone ever tried anything else from this brand before?

 

Michelle xx

 

EOTD - Silver and Grey

I decided to go out of my comfort zone the other night when hubby and I went out to dinner and did an EOTD that is a lot darker than I am usually used to. I am so glad I did though because I absolutely loved it!

(Please forgive the stray brow hairs, I'm in desperate need for someone to mind my little man for a few hours one day soon for me so I can get them tidied up!)

This look was done by using the last three shades in my Chi Chi Eye Palette in Fashion Victim (see below). I have had this palette for such a long time and am only starting to appreciate the shades in it again.

I used the lighter silver shade all over the lid to just above the crease, then I shaded my crease on the outer corners with the darker gunmetal shade and then used the shimmery white shade to highlight the inner corner and blend the other two shades together. I also used the lighter silver shade to line underneath my eyes as well and my Models Prefer Kohl Pencil in Matte Black to line my upper lids. I then finished it off with a coat of Elizabeth Arden Ceramide mascara in Black.

I never bother lining my waterline as I have ridiculously watery eyes due to being a perpetual hayfever sufferer and I have never been able to find an eyeliner that manages to stay put there. If anyone knows of a liner that could possibly compete against my watery eyes I'd love to know about it!

Unfortunately, I have to wear glasses all the time so unless I decide to put my contacts in, which is something I usually only reserve for special occasions, whatever eye makeup I wear has a tendency to get lost behind my frames. This look was definitely dark enough though that it stood out even with my glasses on.

I decided to go all out with a darker lip too. Usually if my eyes were this done up I'd opt for a more subtle lip colour but I thought that while I was jumping in the deep end I may as well go all the way!

Here is what I used for the rest of my face:

Base: Garnier B.B. Cream in Light, Natio Pressed Powder in Medium Tan

Blush, Contouring and Highlighting: Napoleon Perdis Ultimate Contour Palette

Lips: Mirenesse 3D Forever Gloss in Hot Kiss

How do you like to go out of your comfort zone now and then?

Michelle xx

Nails of The Week - Orly Nail Lacquer in Orange Punch

                

So, after the dreary winter shade I had on last week, I decided to amp it up this week by applying this little beauty, Orly Nail Lacquer in Orange Punch.

I am in love with this polish. There aren't many colours out there that have such an impact as this one does and I can't believe how many comments I have received from strangers while wearing it. I literally feel like my eyes are on fire when I look at my fingertips!

Orly polishes wear surprisingly well considering how cheap they are. I'm pretty sure I picked this one up at Priceline ages ago for a measly $2.00.

I have applied three coats of this shade in the above photos as I just didn't feel that two coats was opaque enough and I don't really like to see any nail bed at all when I have polish on. These polishes dry surprisingly fast in between coats as well which is great when you need to apply more than just one.

Is anyone else a fan of super bright shades like me?

Michelle xx

August Bellabox - Go Green!

I was really pleased when I received my August Bellabox the other day and saw two makeup items in there. Finally, something other than skincare!

So, here is what I received in the August Bellabox:

1) Luk Beautifood Lip Nourish in Cinnamon & Mandarin (RRP $24.95 from Bellabox.com.au) - These are a new lip product that contain 100% natural edible ingredients. The shade I received is a very sheer nude that doesn't really show up on my lips at all but feels pretty much the same as a nice lip balm.

2) Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner (45gm sample pot, RRP $29.95 for 225gm) - This stuff smells absolutely amazing! I can't seem to stop smelling the back of my hand where I have tested it. It feels like a really nice and thick body moisturiser which is perfect for me at this time of the year.

3) Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion (29ml sample, RRP $12.99 for 354ml) - I have used practically every moisturiser in the Aveeno range and have loved them. This one will be great to keep in my handbag for when I have any dry skin emegencies.

4) EmerginC Phytocell Cream & Kombucha Cleanser (1 x 3ml sample of each, RRP $44.00 for 120ml Cleanser and $105.00 for 50ml Cream) - I have received samples of this before in a previous box and really liked them.

5) USPA Organic Wild Thyme Foot Pumice (30ml sample, RRP $39.00 for 200ml) - This is a really lovely herby gel with crushed pumice all through it. I can't wait to treat my feet with this before breaking out all my summer shoes.

6) Bourjois Smoky Eye Pencil in Dark Purple (Full size, RRP $20.00) - This is a lovely deep plum shade that is a colour I use often as an eyeliner because it's not as severe as black. It has a brush on the end which is supposedly to use as a smudger which I think is a little odd as smudgers are usually a small rubber tip but I'm game to see if it works.

7) Phytocare Daily C (2 x 3.7gm sachets, RRP $17.80 for 30 sachets) - This is an interesting idea. It's Vitamin C in a powder form that you mix with either water or juice. I usually take Vitamin C chews every day (I secretly love the citrus tang of them) so am interested to try this.

8) Bonus product - You, Me & Everybody Hand Wash - A voucher was also included to get a free bottle of this hand wash with any Bellabox purchase during the month of August. I've looked on the website so many times in the past few months to try and buy something and use up my points but can never decide what I actually want. Maybe I'll have another look this week and see if I can choose something to enable me to use this voucher.

So, what did you think of the August box? Did you get anything else exciting instead of the above products?

Michelle xx

Nails of the Week - Rimmel Lasting Finish in Mocha Fever

I tried my first ever Rimmel London nail polish the other day in the shade Mocha Fever. I bought this polish quite a while ago but completely forgot about it until the dreary cold and rainy weather we had on the east coast of NSW last week made me look through my polish stash for a winter themed shade.

I was really surprised when I first started applying this polish as to how brown it actually was. When I looked at it in the bottle I was under the impression it was more of a maroon shade but when applied it's definitely a chocolate brown. I guess the word 'Mocha' in the title really should have tipped me off to this.

Even though it is definitely a brown shade of polish, I quite like it because of the subtle gold glitter particles. They seem to take away the boring brownness (I now deem that a new word in the English language) and give it a bit of extra dimension, especially when seen in sunlight.

In these photos I have applied three coats of the polish as two just didn't seem to be enough for me as I could still see through the polish in some areas. Three coats seemed perfect though.

This polish also seems to dry quite fast when applied which I think is great.

Has anyone else used Rimmel polishes before?

Michelle xx

Models Prefer Professional Illuminizor in Illuminate

Lately I have developed a new love in the brand Models Prefer. Everything I've tried from this brand so far has impressed me and their awesome low prices are too good to be true sometimes.

One of the latest products that's been on constant rotation lately is their Illuminizor in the shade Illuminate. I purchased a few products a little while back when Priceline had a buy 2 get 1 free sale and this was one of them.

What the product claims:
'Luminizing cream to highlight the face or body for a natural glow. Enriched with cactus extract and Vitamin E.'

Illuminate gives a really pretty but subtle pink glow and is so easy to blend on the skin.

I love to mix some of this illuminizor in with my foundation as it just wakes my face up and makes my skin look alive, fresh and glowy. It's also lovely as a highlighter on the cheekbones.

I only have one little gripe with this product and that is the pump mechanism on the bottle. I swear mine is bipola. Some days it plays really nice and allows me to dispense just the right amount of product, but then on other days it either spews out a ridiculous amount that would cover my entire body or it spits out in a way that coats me and the rest of my bathroom. See the above picture, this is one pump worth on the left and a small amount blended out on the right.

I think if it came in a tube or other type of packaging that allowed easier dispensing it would almost be faultless.

Has anyone else used this illuminizor before? Are you a fan of Models Prefer products as well?

Michelle xx

Mirenesse Lip Gloss Love

It's no secret that I absolutely love Mirenesse lip glosses. I have found them to be the best wearing and most comfortable gloss out there. They aren't sticky and they have a very light scent and taste that isn't unpleasant at all.

I now own 6 of these babies (I since acquired another two after preparing the pictures for this post) and seem to choose these over all of the other glosses in my collection.

This is two of them that have been on high rotation at the moment:

(Top: Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine in No. 20, Bottom: Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine in No. 35)

(Left: No. 35, Right: No. 20)

No. 20 is kind of a muddy red which is great for days when you want to have a darker lip but don't want to go all out and No. 35 is a really pretty light apricot that can be worn with practically anything.

The Mirenesse glosses have your usual doe foot applicator and I have never noticed them bleeding into the lip lines. They leave your lips feeling nice and moisturised when applied and seem to wear for a good couple of hours before needing to be reapplied.

(Wearing No. 20)

Does anyone else like these lip glosses as much as I do?

Michelle xx

New Blog Name!

The other day I discovered that My Little Space was actually a very popular name for a blog. For some reason I seemed to miss this little fact when I initially started this blog but now I have decided to tweak my name a bit so that it's more unique to me.

I've done a heap of google searches on different names and have decided upon Michelle's Little Beauty Space from now on as I'm pretty sure no-one else has this name (fingers crossed!)

I hope this doesn't end up being confusing to anyone. It's still me, I promise!

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend.

Michelle xx

The Body Shop Milk Bath - Blissfully Simple

It's no secret that I have awfully dry, itchy, sensitive skin and this time of year literally can bring tears to my eyes some days if I haven't moisturised enough or if I've spent too much time in air conditioning or heating.

I was having a particularly bad couple of days a little while ago and hubby was out and about feeling sorry for me and decided to try and get me something that would offer a bit of relief. To my surprise he actually went into The Body Shop (all on his own!), spoke to the sales assistant and promptly was given a 'milk bath' for his hands so she could talk him into seeing how lovely this product was. Of course he ended up buying it and came home a very happy chappy thinking he'd done good.

I'm still laughing inside as to how funny this would have been and how sweet he was to go through this, but I digress.

What I do want to talk about is how gorgeous this simple little product is. I was a bit sceptical at first as I have tried a miriad of bath products over the years that claimed to soothe itchy skin without much success, but The Body Shop's Milk Bath really, really works!

It's a fine, white powder of which you only need about a tablespoon of for each use. I put it into the bath while the water is running to dissolve it and it makes the bath water look slightly milky (funny that) and even makes some bubbles much to my secret childish delight.

It's got a beautiful, light scent that just relaxes me like nothing else and the most important part is that it leaves my skin feeling soothed and itch free after a good soak. This is seriously a miracle product for dry, sensitive skin.

This is a product that I probably wouldn't have looked twice at myself if I was out shopping, but I'm so impressed with it and am so pleased that hubby found it as I will be buying this again and again.

I've now gained a new appreciation for The Body Shop and will be seeing what other new gems they have now. I used to live on their products when I was a teenager but moved on for some reason. Now I may just have to reconsider going back.

Have you been surprised by any new products lately?

Michelle xx

July Empties

So I had a great month during July using up some full size products as well as getting rid of some more samples.

Here's what I managed to get through in July:

* Dove Purely Pampering Body Wash - I am such a fan of all Dove products, especially their body wash. This left my skin feel clean without stripping it or making me feel dry and itchy. I absolutely loved the scent of this too.

* MOR Candied Vanilla Almond Body Butter - I have a little obsession with MOR body butters and this one is my favourite. It was a sad moment in our household the night I used this one up. I'll be looking to replace it very soon.

*Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Night Renewal Cream - This was one of the nicest creams I have used on my face in a long time. It ticked all the boxes in that it smells nice, absorbed quickly, didn't make me feel greasy and made my skin feel super soft.

* Lonvitalite 24K Gold Yulan Oil Facial Mask - I will be posting a review of this mask soon. Let me just say my skin has never felt so awesome after using a mask like it did with this one.

*  Montagne Jeunesse Anti-stress Fabric Facial Mask - These are such a great product for a budget price. I buy these often.

* Clinique Anti-blemish Solutions Clearing Concealer - This technically is being thrown out without being finished. I just don't like this concealer at all as it is quite cakey and seems to do nothing but enhance any fine lines on my face.

* Australis Pressed Powder - This is one of my favourite pressed powders and is also technically not finished. Unfortunately, I dropped it last week on the tiled floor in our ensuite and it smashed into a billion teeny pieces so became impossible to continue using.

* Evo The Therapist Calming Conditioner - This conditioner didn't really do much for my dry, frizzy hair. Also, it was near impossible to get the product out of this silly hard plastic bottle which just made me frustrated.

* Pure Fiji Bodu Butter in Coconut - I absolutely love the feel of these body butters but am not a fan of the fake coconut scent.

* Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream - This cream made my face feel like the inside of a grease trap. Needless to say I'm not much of a fan.

* EmerginC Kombucha Cleanser - This was a lovely cleanser and after using the couple of samples I had I am tempted to buy a full size version of this.

* Sebastian Penetraitt Strengthening and Repair Shampoo and Conditioner - I have never felt such a difference in the softness of my hair then after using these small samples in one application. I was truely amazed and am definitely going to get some of the full size shampoo and conditioners when I get the chance.

* Be in Awe Gentle Cleanser - This was also a lovely cleanser and it had such an interesting smell. I'd most likely buy this again if the opportunity came up.

* La Perla J'Aime Eau De Parfum - I didn't mind this scent but it seemed a bit more 'old lady' to me. I could picture it as something my mother would prefer to wear than me.

* CK Shock Eau De Toilette - I also didn't mind this scent but wouldn't buy it for myself. It was a little bit too sickly sweet for me.

So there you have it. I think I did really well last month!

Hope everyone else had a fabulous empties month :-)

Michelle xx

My Holiday Makeup Bag

Currently I am typing this while staring out of a wall of pure glass at Nobby's Beach Port Macquarie. My husband had to come up here for work and his boss was lovely enough to allow him to book a pet friendly holiday house so our little man and I could tag along and our dog too!

This is a small piece of the view we get to wake up to every morning (bliss):

One thing I am in love with about where we are staying is the amount of natural light we get in the house. Virtually two whole walls of the main room upstairs is made of windows which is something we lack terribly at home.

Anyway, back to what this post is supposed to be about. I thought I might share the makeup I decided to pack specifically for out trip. When I pack I like to pack light. I hate having bags and bags of clothes and toiletries so I like to make sure that everything I take is economical, easy and versatile.

Here is what I packed (keep in mind that this is makeup only, I have a separate toiletry bag for skincare and haircare as well):

Face:
* Napoleon Auto Pilot Primer - I brought a sample of this I received ages ago as I love this primer and sample sizes are the best for saving space.
* Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation in Petal - Again I decided to bring this sample size rather than one of my full size foundations purely to save space. I thought this foundation was way too yellow for my skintone when I first used it but have realised that it's actually a really good match when blended in thoroughly.
* Napoleon The One Concealer - This was a recent acquisition for me which I am obsessed with. It's such a cute tiny pot that is awesome for taking away.
* Natio Mineral Pressed Powder in Medium Tan - I love this pressed powder and it has now taken over from my beloved Australis one. I never thought anything with the word 'tan' would be something that would suit my pale Irish skin but this shade seems to suit me perfectly.
* Napoleon Ultimate Contour Palette - This was also a recent acquisition of mine that I now can't live without. It's also such a good product to bring on holidays as it's three products in one small compact.

Eyes:
* Clinique All About Colour Palette - I love to bring palettes away with me as I hate sifting through my makeup bag trying to find single items. This one I especially love as it's got some beautiful nude shades as well as my favourite purples. It also includes a Cream Shaper for Eyes in Chocolate Lustre which is the only eyeliner I brought as it's a lovely dark brown that goes with virtually everything.
* Chi Chi Eye Palette in Fashion Victim - This palette contains a range of pink and grey shades so between these two palettes I can virtually create any look I want.
* Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Mascara - Another sample sized item purely to save space again.

Lips:
Ok, so here's where I do tend to go a bit crazy. I probably have a tendency to favour lip products over anything else so ended up bringing the following with me:
* Napoleon Lip Patrol in Private Kiss - This is a really pretty pinkish/nude that is so easy to wear with anything.
* Face of Australia Sheer Lip Gloss Crayons in Sundae, Macaron and Cupcake - These were a no brainer as they are so comfortable to wear for a sheer hint of colour.
* Clinique Long Last Glosswear in Sunset - This is a lovely golden nude gloss that goes over any lip product adding that extra bit of shine and 'oomph'.
* Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart - I love that I can get a nice punch of colour with this lip butter without too much effort and my lips stay moisturised and soft as well.
* Nude by Nature Natural Mineral Lip Liner is Chique and Avon Ultra Luxury Lip Liner in Baby Pink -  A nude and pink liner are a must have that go with anything.

Body:
* Manicare Tweezers - You just never know when these might come in handy.
* Lola by Marc Jacobs fragrance sample - Yet again another sample as I'd rather not travel with my full size perfumes.
* Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme - A great compact product to care for dry cuticles.

So, that is everything I specifically packed for our time away. I didn't go overboard mainly because I still have to play mum every day to my 16 month old while hubby is at work, plus I also have another sneaky little stash in a small cosmetic bag that lives in my handbag that I carry with me on a daily basis as well if I do want something more.

Do you swear by sample or mini sizes for travelling like me or would you rather just go full-size?

Michelle xx