Nails of the Week - Savvy by DB in Mint Julep

This week I have been sporting this pretty pastel blue polish from Savvy by DB.

I picked this polish up the last time I was at Priceline because it just looked so nice in the bottle and I really love how it looks on the nails.

I have put two coats of this polish on in these photos with a top coat. I did find the polish to be a bit on the thick side which made application a little difficult and meant that I had to go slow and steady otherwise it ended up being a bit streaky. You could almost get away with only having one coat of this polish on because of how thick and opaque it is if you are very careful at applying it.

 This is the first Savvy by DB polish I've tried and I may give another one a go next time I see a colour I like.

Has anyone else tried this polish before?

Michelle xx

September Lust Have It

So, first up I want to apologise for being absent for the past week. Our whole household has been sick with the flu for almost two weeks now which has made everything difficult in general plus to top everything off my laptop decided to die on me! I am now very behind in everything so am trying to catch up as soon as possible.

Last Friday I received my September Lust Have It box (bag?) which came in another cosmetic bag, this time in silver.

Here were the contents of the box for this month:

1) Mirenesse Icon Sealer 24hr Concealer in Ice (1.5gm sample, RRP $35.00 for 4.5gm) - The card states that this is an anti-ageing concealer, eyeshadow base and line minimiser all in one. I'm definitely looking forward to trying this out as I've always been super impressed with every other Mirenesse product I've tried.

2) Morrissey Body Balm (40ml, RRP $29.50 for 500ml) - This contains Australian essential oils of Blood Orange and Desert Lime Extracts. It smells delicious so will definitely get used very soon.

3) Davroe Colour Senses Ends Repair (50ml, RRP $19.95 for 125ml) - This is a leave in treatment formulated to repair and seal split ends. I have absolutely loved all of the other Davroe hair care products I've received to try in the past so am looking forward to trying this one out too.

4) Aum Gentle Facial Foam Cleanser (20ml, RRP $19.95 for 125ml) - This is a lightweight foam cleanser with anti-ageing properties and is certified organic. I am definitely looking forward to trying this out also.

5) YSL Opium Vapeurs De Parfum (1.5ml sample, RRP $165.00 for 125ml) - I used to love Opium years ago but haven't used it in a very long time. I'll be interested to see how I feel about this fragrance now that I'm a bit older and my tastes have changed.

I was also lucky enough to receive some really pretty pearl earrings from Style Rocks for being a member since the launch of Lust Have It plus a voucher to receive 25% off any other customised piece of jewellery:

There were also several other vouchers included in the pack this month, one where you could redeem a Cat Eyes Liner from Mirenesse's facebook page, the chance to claim a free Davroe styling product by going to their website, an offer for a complimentary makeover at your nearest Yves Saint Laurent counter, plus $10 off any Aum product when you purchase any two or more products from Myer.

Overall I'm pretty pleased with the contents this month and will get use out of everything.

What did you think of the Lust Have It pack for this month?

Michelle xx

Bellabox Haul

The other night I was playing around on the internet and I realised that I had accumulated a heap of reward points on the Bellabox website from the monthly subscription boxes I get from them that I hadn't yet spent. Of course, this meant that I just had to have a look at what I could get for my points and then spend them!

Here is what I ended up ordering:

1) Savoir Faire Mini Lipstick in Showgirl - I have two other Savoir Faire lipsticks and absolutely love them. This one is a really bright pink that I think looks quite good against my pale skintone. I really like the mini lipstick idea as I've never finished a regular sized lipstick in my life so at least a mini one gives me some kind of hope that I might finish it one day...... It's also the perfect size for my cosmetic purse in my handbag without taking up too much room.

2) Savoir Faire Lipgloss in Fierce - I decided to try one of their lipglosses as I haven't had the chance to yet and I'm really happy with the colour of this one. It's a red/orange shade that is nice and opaque for a gloss. It's also got quite a strong cinammon flavour.

3) Silk Oil of Morocco Lip Gloss in Sunrise - I decided to try one of these because they looked really nice and it was a brand I've never tried anything in before. It's a pretty nude/coral kind of shade.

4) Mode Nail Enamel in Cool As - This is a really pretty spearmint kind of shade that I can't wait to try.

(Left to Right: Silk Oil of Morocco Lip Gloss in Sunrise, Savoir Faire Lipstick in Showgirl, Savoir Faire Lipgloss in Fierce)

 

In my order there were also a few samples included as follows:

1) Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub
2) Pangea Organics Eye Cream & Facial Cream
3) Avene Ystheal Creme

Overall I'm pretty happy with my order and the best part was that I had over 400 rewards points saved up which equated to $40 so I only paid around $30 for everything. Considering that's the price of the Oil of Morocco Lip Gloss on it's own I'm pretty pleased with my efforts.

Has anyone else placed an order from Bellabox yet other than the monthly subscription boxes?

Michelle xx

Nails of The Week - Nails Inc London in We Love Ita

I picked up this polish with the August issue of Cleo and even though it looked very similar to my Orly polish in Orange Punch this one seems to have a bit more of a coral or peach undertone rather than being truely orange.

I've never tried a Nails Inc. polish before and I'm not sure if they are all the same but this one is a very matte formula and I haven't put on a top coat in these photos. If you want a more shiny polish it would definitely need a top coat applied.

I have applied two coats in these photos but if I'd had the time to wait for it to dry I would have added a third coat as I can still see my nail bed underneath in some places and I think a third coat would have been perfect coverage.

Here are some more photos. The first one is using a flash which seems to bring out the yellow undertones in the polish and the other one is in direct sunlight:

(With flash)

(In direct sunlight)

I'm not super impressed with this formula but may try others in the range if given the chance.

Has anyone else used one of these polishes before?

Michelle xx

September Bellabox

I received my September Bellabox yesterday and was pleasantly surprised this month:

Here are the contents:

1) Bioderma Sebium Foaming Gel (10ml, RRP $24.95 for 200ml) - This is a cleanser which claims to purify the skin with a soap-free, alcohol-free formula. I'll be interested to see how this performs on my sensitive skin.

2) Bioderma Sebium Purifying Corrective Care (5ml, RRP $24.95 for 30ml) - This moisturiser claims to aid in the elimination of blemishes and blackheads and contains gentle exfoliating agents to help keep pores clear by reducing sebum in the skin.

3) You, Me & Everybody Sumptuous Skin Mousse (75ml Full size, RRP $13.99) - This fragrance free moisturiser comes out exactly like a hair mousse and I found out the hard way that a little goes a very long way. It seems to absorb quickly though which I like.

4) Australis Lash TLC Conditioning Mascara (Full size, RRP $14.95) - I haven't used an Australis mascara in years so am interested in trying this one to see what it's like.

5) USPA Beehold (30ml, RRP $32.00 for 150ml) - This is a multi purpose product that creates body in fine hair, curl retention in wavy hair and thermal protection and humidity resistance. I have fine and curly hair so I'm definitely interested to see if this works for me.

6) Guerlain L'Or Radiance Concentrate with Pure Gold Makeup Base (5ml, RRP $14.00 for 30ml) - This is one of the coolest products I have seen in a while. It's a face primer that has tiny pure gold particles suspended in it to illuminate the skin. It's almost a 'too pretty to use' product although I can't wait to see how it works.

There was also a voucher included for $15 off at The Iconic with a minimum spend of $69 before the end of December. I haven't bought anything from this site yet but may have to have a look. Maybe some more shoes could be in order.......

So, that's what I received in the September Bellabox. Overall I was really happy with this box and will get good use out of every product.

What do you think of the Bellabox this month?

Michelle xx

My Latest Haul (and it isn't makeup!)

So, here's the thing. I used to be a huge shoe hoarder. At one stage I counted that I had around 70 pairs of shoes and I'll admit that I hardly wore most of them and used to give pairs away to my mum and best friend who just so happened to have the same show size as me on a regular basis. The funny thing was that after a while I didn't even enjoy wearing most of the shoes I bought, it was just that I felt like I HAD to buy them to satisfy some weird need.

This was of course pre-baby when I was a full time accountant working in a professional office where it was expected to always look good in suits and nice heels so I had some sort of excuse. Now, I'm still doing accounting but in a much more relaxed setting where I can actually get away with jeans and flats as my regular work uniform so my excuse for having so many shoes had flown out the window.

Therefore, a few months ago I had a bit of a shoe clean out and got rid of about 40 pairs that I figured I would never really get the opporunity to wear again and would just go mouldy sitting in my shoe box or wardrobe unused.

I felt enlightened and like I was freeing myself of a silly obsession, well, that was until I completely fell of the wagon last week and this happened.........

I have no excuse except that Betts was having a ridiculous up to 70% off sale and then Oz Sale tempted me with yet another ridiculous sale. Before I knew it, I was the proud mama of 5 more pairs of shoes in less than a week.

Unfortunately, I think the shoe-beast within me has awakened again and I think I'm in big trouble. Now I just want more and more!!

Does anyone else have any secret obsessions that they deal with every day (other than makeup of course!)?

Michelle xx

Disappointment of the Month

I don't normally like to do posts like this but I felt like was doing the public a disservice if I didn't in this instance.

Everyone, I hereby give you the biggest disappointment I have come across in quite a while:

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula - Daily Calming Lotion

Last month when we were away in Port Macquarie I forgot to take extra moisturiser due to my current one at the time getting quite low and of course, as fate would have it I run out. Due to the sun, wind and sand I was having a couple of particularly bad skin days so I ran to the local shopping centre and picked up the first thing in Target that looked suitable to stop my agony.

Big mistake!

This supposed 'Calming Lotion' has the wonderful tendency to irritates my skin even more and any itchy, red patches that I may have just seem to get even more itchy and actually seem to burn after I apply this.

On top of that, it smells absolutely hideous!!! I don't know about you but every other Palmer's product I have ever used (and there have been a great many) has always had that trademark cocoa butter scent which is actually quite lovely. Well, this has a stale beer kind of smell which I think is very unpleasant and not a scent that I like to apply to my poor skin.

To give you an indication of how bad this cream actually smells, here is a snippet of a conversation my husband and I had when we went to bed last night:

Hubby: 'What is that you're putting on, it smells rank, doesn't that Palmer's stuff normally smell really nice?'
Me: 'Yeah, it's certainly not the best one I've ever used, but I got it when I was desperate when we were away at Port so am just trying to use it up.'
Hubby: 'Please, for the sake of our marriage, don't ever use that cream again!'

This was no joke, and for my hubby, who is usually completely oblivious to almost everything, noticed how bad this cream smells, it's bad!

Please Palmer's, change the formula of this cream or at least make it unscented. It's not fit for public sale in it's current form.

Has anyone else tried this lotion? Did I just get a dud bottle? Have you ever been as disappointed in a product like this before?

Michelle xx

August Empties!

So, I've finally had the chance to collate all of my empties for the month of August and boy did I have a great month! Isn't it a little sad how satisfied we get from using things up?

Here is what I went through during the month of August:

1) Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash - I was lucky enough to get this to trial from BeautyHeaven and I have to say that I loved it. It came at just the right time of year for me as I always have the worst dry skin during winter. The smell of this body wash is to die for!

2) L'Occitane Body Lotion with Olive Tree extracts - This was a lovely body lotion that made my skin feel super soft after use. The scent took a little getting used to for me though as it seemed a bit strong at first until I adjusted. I'd definitely buy this again if given the choice.

3) Yes To Cucumbers Daily Gel Cleanser - I quite liked this cleanser as it did the job without drying out my skin or causing any irritation. Would buy again if I could get myself to stick with one cleanser for a while.

4) Mirenesse Power Lift Multi Action Silk Cleanser - Meh, I didn't really find anything spectacular about this cleanser and it didn't seem to cleanse my face to the point that I like. I probably wouldn't ever buy this again.

5) Bioderma Crealine H2O - I received this in one of my monthly sample boxes and was very excited to try it as I'd heard such good things....but..... I just don't get the hype (Sorry!) It just didn't seem to feel like anything to me other than fancy water and I can't see the worth in paying so much for just fancy water. I hope I'm not shunned from the blogging community for saying these things.....

6) Bellamer Eye Balm - I loved applying this balm around my eyes at night and felt it made the skin in that sensitive area feel really hydrated and firmer. This sample pot lasted me forever and was one I got in a monthly box somewhere along the line.

7) Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm - This is technically a 'chuck out' rather than an empty. I just don't like this lip balm in pot form and don't enjoy using it. Also, during winter it seemed to go super hard due to the cold which made it practically impossible to use anyway!

8) Rich Skincare Deep Cleansing Milk - This was a cleansing milk that you are supposed to apply to a dry face and wipe off. I liked it but am not a fan of these types of cleansers as I'd rather use a regular cleanser in the shower.

9) U Little Beauty Top to Toe Body Lotion - I didn't like this lotion at all. I didn't make my skin feel moisturised one bit and I had to apply a second moisturiser after use to combat my dry itchy skin.

10) Evo The Therapist Calming Shampoo - This shampoo literally made my hair feel like straw. I absolutely love the Evo hair mask but unfortunately this shampoo just doesn't seem to agree with my hair. Also, these bottles are like a practical joke as far as being able to get the product out.

11) Calvin Klein Sheer Beauty Eau De Parfum - This was a nice and light scent but not one that I would opt to wear often.

12) Sheercover Nourishing Moisturiser - This was a great mosturiser and contains SPF 15 which is a nice bonus but the smell of it is hideous! It's like stale sunscreen. If the scent could be altered to be a bit more pleasant I would buy this again, but not the way that it is.

13) Royal Moroccan Shampoo, Conditioner & Hair Serum - This is lovely stuff that I really wished I'd received more of. The serum smells divine and the shampoo and conditioner made my hair feel nice and soft.

14)  Nature's Gate Conditioner - I got this sample sent after purchasing something many moons ago and completely forgot about it. It was an ok conditioner but nothing to write home about.

15) Fendi Fendi Eau De Parfum - I have to say that I wasn't a big fan of this scent. Unfortunately I can't say whether it's because the smell didn't appeal to me or because I was blinded by rage because of the stupid packaging. Seriously, who ever thought of putting a liquid perfume in a sachet? My hands literally got coated in this when I opened it and the perfume run out everywhere. Stupid, stupid, idea.....

Anyway, there you have it. I'm exhausted just from looking back at all these things!

Hope everyone is having a great week.

Michelle xx

August Lust Have It

Ok, I know it's now September and I'm really late with getting this post up but I've done my usual trick and completely lost a week. Seriously, I have no idea where the past week has gone!!

Anyway, without wasting any more time here is what I received in the August Lust Have It box. It was actually a box this month tied with a black bow like a present. I'm secretly glad there wasn't another makeup bag to collect but a bit disappointed because the box is quite flimsy and mine was almost completely crushed and I was just lucky there wasn't anything easily damaged in there otherwise it would have been cactus!

1) Tan Go Tanning Glove (RRP $29.95) - Ok, so mine is most definitely a cloth, not a glove. I'm pretty sure the description is wrong here as the cloth itself even says 'Tan Removal Cloth'. I probably won't get much use out of this as I tan quite irregularly during summer but it might come in handy as a face washer. Also, who on earth would pay $29.95 for a cloth?

2) Bioderma Atoderm Cream (1 x 8ml sachet, RRP $59.95 for 500ml) - I don't think I've ever tried any other Bioderma product before so am interested to see what this is like.

3) Tigi Catwalk Session Series - True Wax (Full size, RRP $29.95) - I don't use wax products in my hair as it's too fine for anything like that to work at all. This one is going in my husband's stash. Apparently some others got a styling cream which would have been much more useful to me and my curly hair. Oh well.....

4) Aromatherapy Associates Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser and Rose Hydrating Face Mask (1 x 5ml sample of each, RRP $82.80 for 50ml moisturiser and $54.95 for 100ml mask) - These look really interesting but it would have been nice to have received two samples of each to get a better picture of how they work.

5) Wet n Wild Nail Polish (Full size, RRP $12.95) - This is a pastel kind of pink glitter which looks like it might be a nice polish to put over darker colours. I have no idea of the shade name as the sticker seems to have been removed from the base. If anyone knows, please do me a favour and let me know!

6) Shiseido Lipstick (1 x mini 2.5gm lipstick, RRP $43.00 for 4.5gm) - The shade I got is Rouge Parfait which is a gorgeous burgundy/plum colour. It's probably more suited to a winter shade but I'll still try and sneak in some use of it somewhere over the next few months.

All in all, there were a couple of hits and misses this month but I am definitely stoked that there was a makeup item in the form of the lipstick. The hair wax and tanning removal cloth aren't much use to me but oh well, you can't expect to be wowed every time I guess.

Apparently due to it being the 1st birthday of Lust Have It all VIP members got a pair of earrings as an extra surprise. Mine didn't come in this box but I got an email stating they were left out and will be posted separately. That was almost a couple of weeks ago now so I'm hoping they haven't been lost in the mail somewhere.....

What do you think of the Lust Have It box for this month?

Michelle xx