Short & Sweet Sessions

Hi Guys, I have decided that I'm not going to do my empties post every month anymore because frankly, I was getting bored with listing it all month after month.

Instead, I have decided to create a new series called 'Short & Sweet Sessions' where I can still give a bit of a mini review of sample products like I used to in my empties posts, but only on those that have really stood out to me over the month and I think are worth mentioning.

I've decided to do this because some samples give great first impressions but because of their size I don't always feel comfortable in giving a full review like I do with full-size products due to not getting as many uses out of the product to really get the full picture of what it can do for you.

So, for all of those samples that I have gotten a great first impression from, or even for some products that I'm still sitting on the fence about but think are worth a mention while I am making up my mind, I will do a 'Short & Sweet' post instead.

I'm hoping to try and do one of these at least once a week because I have so damn many built up that I want to tell you about (but please don't hold me to this!), so stay tuned in the next couple of days for my first ever 'Short & Sweet Session'.

I hope everyone had a lovely Monday.

Michelle xx

Jurlique Purely Age Defying Day Cream SPF15

I'm usually a huge fan of multi-tasking products. Daily moisturisers that also contain an SPF are the bees knees to me because it means I get two products in one, BUT, for a moisturiser like this to work it has to satisfy two tests for me. 1) It needs to have a very minimal sunscreen smell; and 2) It needs to not feel too thick and greasy on my face.

Unfortunately, this cream satisfied Point 1 above (to a certain degree which I'll talk about further on), but failed miserably for Point 2.

The Jurlique Purely Age Defying Day Cream SPF15 is described as a lightweight, high performance moisturising cream with powerful anti-ageing ingredients to help protect the skin and address the visible signs of premature ageing.

I have been using this cream for a while now and found that it's really not my cup of tea. Although it has definitely kept my skin smooth and protected from the elements, I always feel as if I'm wearing a visible mask on my face after application as this cream just feels so thick and heavy to me and not at all 'lightweight' as described. Sometimes on hot days I've felt like I have to actually wipe this cream off after a while because it just seems to sit on top of my skin rather than absorbing into it.

Another factor that really isn't to my liking is the scent. Even though it doesn't have that definite sunscreen smell which I can't stand, it's got another very strong scent instead which to me is a little like rotten herbs. Unfortunately this isn't something that I enjoy smelling first thing in the morning when getting ready to face the day.

As the above picture shows, this cream has a very thick consistency as explained above, which of course may suit others who have skin that is more on the drier side. But, if you have oily/combination skin like mine, you may find it a bit too thick like I did. This thick consistency also made it quite hard to spread over the face in an even manner before it started to get kind of 'tacky' and not so easy to move.

I normally adore Jurlique products and they are one of the brands that really stands out in my memory from when I was in school and first got exposed to them. I've tried quite a few of their products recently and this cream was a little bit disappointing to me and not up to the same standards that I have in my mind in relation to the brand.

Has anyone else tried this cream before? I'd love to know if anyone has had the same experience as me or not?

Michelle xx

*** Product provided for consideration but my opinions are honest, as always***

I'm Back With A New Lip Gloss Love! Maybelline Colour Sensational High Shine Lip Gloss in Gleaming Grenadine

Hi Everyone! Again, I am so sorry for my long absence but things just got so hectic in my life that it was an unfortunate necessity.

After I posted to say I was still alive last week I must have jinxed myself because our little man decided to bring home a mild case of viral meningitis that he was lovely enough to pass onto his father and I.  So, after spending a day in the hospital last Friday with my husband on a drip and strong pain meds, then vomiting and being in pain from head to toe myself for three days straight, as well as having to beg my parents to come around to pack up our kitchen for us because it was being replaced this week and neither hubby or I could barely stand up and then also having to beg the other grandparents to look after the little man (who got over his virus quicker than you could blink!) because we just didn't have the physical ability to, I can honestly say with total gusto that this was the week from hell.

Life seems to be slowing down a bit again now and we are all on the mend so hopefully I can get back to blogging and start to get through the HUGE backlog I have got going on now.

Anyway, back to what I wanted to tell you about today which is this new lip gloss that I have been getting a lot of wear out of (pre-virus of course). The Maybelline Colour Sensational High Shine Lip Gloss in Gleaming Grenadine.

I received this gloss in the March 'Her Fashion Box' and was excited straight away because I have had a few Maybelline lip glosses in the past which have always performed well.

The Maybelline Colour Sensational High Shine Lip Gloss is a wax free formula that guarantees an ultra-clear shine and a luminous lip. It is infused with honey nectar and has superior colour saturation to give a luscious smooth feel.

The shade I received, Gleaming Grenadine, is a bright pink which almost borders on looking red. It applies quite sheer at first but can be built up to give a really nice, bright colour on the lips if you so wish. It's a super shiny lip gloss but isn't too sticky or gluggy which I like.

I've been wearing this gloss a lot lately as it's such a wearable shade that instantly brightens the face without going overboard. The gloss is nice and smooth to apply and has a fruity kind of scent and taste which isn't too overpowering in my opinion.

The one little problem I seem to have is that it can sometimes settle in the lip lines, especially if I am lazy and apply it to dry lips. I usually try to remember to apply it over a lip balm and this generally gets rid of this problem.

Has anyone else tried one of these glosses yet?

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Michelle xx

I'm Still Alive

HI all, just wanted to leave a quick post to let you know that I'm still here but just needed to have a little break for a couple of weeks.

I've been trying to wear way too many hats lately and it finally caught up with me in a very stressful way so unfortunately I had to let a couple of things go for a little bit and blogging was one of them.

We're currently renovating our house and the trials of that plus trying to run my own business from home while also trying to be a good attentive mother to our very active and demanding two year old and everything else that just keeps popping it's head up in life has been exhausting lately so something had to give.

I will definitely be back in a couple of days once things have settled down a bit so please stay tuned!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Michelle xx