July 2016 Favourites

So, I'm a few days late with getting my July favourites out but I had a few items this month that I really enjoyed using and just had to share (lets just forget that I haven't done a favourites post in around a year or so shall we!)

So this month I had a little mix of things that I kept going back to again and again. These were:

1) Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - It took me a really long time to get on the Micellar water bandwagon as I was convinced that it was a lot of hype over nothing. But, since I decided to take the plunge and buy some of this at Priceline a few weeks ago I can now see why it is so popular. This product takes off any makeup product it's put up against and does it with very minimal effort. It's non-irritating, even when used for stubborn eye makeup and has no annoying scent or oily residue. My skin feels refreshed and totally clean after use so I will definitely be repurchasing this when it runs out.

2) L'Oreal Infallible Makeup in Creamy Natural - This would have to be hands down my most favourite foundation of all time. I have had this bottle for what seems like forever and I put it aside now and then to use other newer foundations I buy, but then I always go back to it and wonder why I change. It goes on flawlessly using a brush or a beauty blender and stays put all day long. It doesn't sink into my fine lines and gives me great medium to full coverage without looking like I'm wearing a huge amount of makeup. I just love it!

3) Australis AC on Tour Contouring and Highlighting Kit - I was going to do a full review on this product but decided not to as I think it has been reviewed to death. This palette never leaves my makeup table and is my most reached for item at the moment. All of the highlighting powders are the perfect shade for my pale skin and the middle contouring shade is just great. These powders are so easy to blend out and seem to last for the whole work day. They also make good eyeshadows on those days when I'm in a rush and want a quick, neutral look. For the price this has to be one of the most economical palettes out there.

(Australis AC on Tour Contouring and Highlighting Kit)

4) Elizabeth Arden Lipstick in Rose Petal - I have been living in this lipstick this past month as it is the perfect everyday winter shade for me. It is a gorgeous medium, rose-pink shade that is so creamy to apply and it lasts for hours, even through eating and drinking. This formula doesn't sink into lip lines at all and it keeps my lips feeling moisturised and soft all day. I have always been a huge fan of Elizabeth Arden lipsticks and have a few of them in my collection. I don't think they get anywhere near enough attention in the beauty world.

(Elizabeth Arden lipstick in Rose Petal)

5) Sukin Purely Ageless Intensive Firming Serum - I received this is the last Priceline beauty bag and am going to be running back to my nearest store to get more as soon as it is finished. This serum feels just gorgeous on my skin and makes it seem so soft and supple when applied. I absolutely adore the smell as well which is kind of sweet but floral at the same time (I suck at describing scents!) It's not sticky at all and absorbs into my skin straight away so it doesn't feel too heavy when I apply my day or night cream afterwards. I will definitely be repurchasing this.

6) Rimmel Magnif'eyes Eye Shadow Stick and Liner in Back to Blacks and Queens of the Bronzed Age ** - These shadow/liner sticks have been on my eyes almost every day for the past month. They make a subtle daytime smoky eye possible in literally under 2 minutes. My favourite way to apply these is to do a thick swipe of the black shadow along my upper lash line followed by another thick swipe of the bronze shadow on top of the first line. I then quickly grab my eyeshadow brush and then blend, blend, blend upwards until my whole eyelid is covered and I have an unbelievably fast and long-wearing smoky eye. I then like to use the golden liner end to line my lower lashes and highlight the inner corner of my eye. The trick to these is to blend them very quickly as they set fairly fast and then don't budge for the entire day, even on my badly hooded eyes. They are amazing!  

(Rimmel Magnif'eyes Eye Shadow/Liner sticks in Queens of the Bronzed Age and Back to Blacks)

So that's it for my favourites this past month!


Have a great week!

Michelle xx

** Product received for consideration but my thoughts are purely my own.

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

December Empties

So I'm a bit late with this post as I just couldn't seem to get time to get any photographs done over the past few days and then the whole process of getting them onto the computer, and blah, blah, blah.

Anyway, here is everything that I got through in December. There were quite a few things due to some items being only of sample size:

1) Garnier Roll-on Deodorant Invisi Mineral - I love the Garnier deodorants and use them regularly. I bought a roll-on to try something different for a change and actually quite liked it. I'm normally a spray kind of girl but didn't mind using this roll-on instead.

2) Clinique Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser Mousse - I received this as part of a gift with purchase not too long ago and found it to be a really nice cleanser. My skin didn't feel dry at all after use and it didn't cause me to break out at all either. I'd definitely repurchase this.

3) Urban Rituelle Organic Hand Cream - This came in one of the monthly beauty sample boxes I get (I can't exactly remember which one) and I totally fell in love with it. It's got a gorgeous smell and made my hands feel so soft and moisturised after use without being overly greasy. A definite repurchase item.

4) Kerastase Ciment Thermique Heat Activated Reconstructor Milk - I received some samples of these again in one of the monthly beauty sample boxes and quite liked how this made my hair feel after use. I used it after shampooing and conditioning one day and then blow dried my hair a bit before using my GHD and my hair did feel super silky afterwards. Not bad considering I have fine curly hair which usually has the consistensy of straw.

5) Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector - This sample also came in a monthly box and I just loved it. My skin felt so silky smooth after applying it at night before going to bed and it didn't make me feel greasy or have smell that was too overpowering either. Except for the super high price tag, I'd most likely purchase this again.

6) Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil - I just haven't been able to get on the cleansing oil bandwagon yet. Maybe it's because I haven't found the right one for me or maybe they just aren't the product for me in general. I really didn't like using this cleansing oil, much the same reaction I had when I tried the Shu Uemura one as well. I'd rather stick with my cream, gel or foaming cleansers instead I think.

7) Elizabeth Arden Intervene Stress Recovery Night Cream - This would have to be my most favourite night cream of all time. See my review here. I almost shed a tear when I finished this product. I hinted and hinted so much for hubby to get me another for xmas but to no avail. I'll just have to try and work up the courage to spend the money on getting another one.

8) Pantene Split End Fuser - I received some of these to trial for the Beautyheaven trial team and am loving them so far. I don't really have any split ends but they make my curls look really nice and eliminate all signs of frizz which is a miracle in itself. Even though I'm not benefitting from this product in the way I'm supposed to I still think it's great so far.

9) Derma Intensive Facial Wipes - Three words to describe these wipes...... Worst Wipes Ever! I've never used facial wipes before that have been so useless. I needed at least two in most instances to clean my face as they are so thin and flimsy that they just don't seem to remove anything. I will definitely never be buying these again.

10) Neutrogena Build-a-Tan - I started using this on my mission to tan. See my review here. I will definitely not be purchasing this again as I just didn't like it one bit.

11) KUR Haircare Protecting Curl Spray - Another bad, bad product. It's not anywhere near empty but it's going in the bin anyway. I don't even remember where I got this from but it's just awful. The smell is horrendous and it makes my curls feel crispy and sticky and just plain awful. I could imagine the feeling of using this product a bit like drenching your hair in hair spray when it's wet and then letting it dry. Not a nice feeling to me.

12) Bio Oil - I love what this oil does for my skin but seriously wish they could change the smell of it. It just doesn't agree with me at all and it's such a shame as I'd live on this stuff if the smell was better.

13) Montagne Jeunesse Facial Masks in Deep Pore Purifying and Anti-Stress - I used two of these this month, one was a fabric mask infused with essential oils which you laid over your face for it to work and the other was your typical mud type mask. The fabric mask just felt a bit too weird for me and it looked utterly frightening as well! I much preferred the mud mask instead. These are great value masks that you can really feel the difference in your skin after use. I have a little stash of them that I forgot about so I'll now start using these on a regular basis again.

So, that's it for December.

Hope you all had some nice relaxing time off over the Xmas and New Year period. I didn't really as I only work two days a week anyway but hubby was home for almost two weeks which was nice.

My Mission to Tan - Garnier Ambre Solaire Natural Bronzer

My second attempt at finding the perfect tan was with Garnier Ambre Solaire Natural Bronzer in Light.

This is marketed as a 'Velvet Touch Bronzing Gel with naturally derived tranning agents plus apricot extract. It is said to give a natural and uniform tan with reinforced moisturising power.'

I have really liked using this tanning gel and it seems to be virtually impossible to stuff up the application of this product. I am not the most patient person and have a tendency to just slap on my moisturiser and tanning products hastily after showering without taking much heed to perfect application and I have not seen one streak or dark/patchy areas appear anywhere.

I really love the consistency of the gel and it's so easy to blend it into the skin and ensure even coverage over your whole body. Being that this is the 'Light' version of this product I tend to apply it two days in a row to get the depth of colour I think looks good and it seems to last without needing extra applications for at least three days as long as I religiously moisturise every day, something I'm trying to stay in the habit of doing now after being naughty for so long and only moisturising every second or third day. I know, shocking isn't it?

The gel is quite moisturising itself as well so I don't need to use a separate moisturiser on the days this product is applied.

The smell isn't too bad either. It's not exactly great, but it's certainly not too unpleasant and tends to be practically unoticeable by the next morning which I like.

This tanner is so good I'm almost tempted to finish my mission to find the perfect tanner right now. But, for the sake of curiosity and also because ending this mission so early is just plain old boring, I am going to be on the hunt for an even better tanning product instead. I'm sure there has to be one out there.

Has anyone else used this tanner and found it as good as I did?

Michelle

October Empties!

Ok, so I made a pact with myself at the beginning of October that I would make it 'Sample Month' where I would try and use up as many samples of everything that I had.

Even since subscribing to some of those monthly beauty sample boxes I've become inundated with samples and thought it was time to finally start using them all. It was kind of fun to use a few different products that I wouldn't normally and has made me a bit more adventurous now in wanting to buy different things.

Here is what I managed to get through in October:

* Rexona Womens Naturals Deoderant - I know, this isn't anything even remotely exciting but I included it because it is one of my favourite deoderants of all time and I seem to gravitate towards buying it again and again. It's a nice light scent that doesn't overpower any perfume I might wear and most importantly it always keeps me feeling fresh, even at the gym. An all round excellent product.

* Nivea Irresistibly Smooth Body Lotion - This was a nice moisturising lotion that isn't too overpowering scent wise like some of the other Nivea products can be and it left my skin feeling lovely and soft.

* Dermalogica Microfoliant - I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this product. I do like it but it's a little bit much for my sensitive skin on a daily basis. See my review here.

* Kerastase Elixir Ultime - This was a great product to keep mu hair frizz free. I applied a small amount to my hair after showering and it made it feel so soft when dry. It has an awesome smell too!

* Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Cleansing Oil - I wasn't a fan of this product at all. I've seen so many people rave about it but it just didn't do it for me. I just couldn't get the hand of using an oil to cleanse and I always felt as if my face was still greasy and dirty after using it.

* Lancome Genifique Youth Activator - I absolutely love this serum. Since using it I have really noticed a difference in the texture of my skin. It's the first time I've ever used something where I have really noticed such a difference. This product is definitely going on my Christmas wishlist!

* Clinique Turnaround Body Lotion - This was a nice body moisturiser but I didn't notice anything majorly different with my skin after using it to justify the normal price tag. It moisturised, it had a light fresh scent, that's about it really.

* A.S.A.P - I've been using up a lot of samples from this brand as I received a heap from Beautyheaven a while ago. This month I finished some of the Sheer Tint Moituriser (I am in love with this product, see my review here), some of the Daily Exfoliating Facial Scrub and some of the Gentle Cleansing Gel (I have reviewed this here). I still have heaps of these samples left which I will most likely finish in November.

* Pure Fiji Coconut Milk Shower Gel - This was a nice shower gel that had a lovely smell. Unfortunately there wasn't really enough in the bottle to get a good feel for the product as I think it only lasted about 3 or 4 washes.

* Sundari Sandalwood Cleanser - I received a few samples of these from Beautyheaven a while back as well and have been using them sparingly as this product seems to burn my face a little for some reason. Obviously there is something in it that reacts to my sensitive skin.

* Garnier Body Intensive 7 Day Repairing Lotion - I loved this lotion. I coated myself in it every night after showering and my skin never felt so soft. This will definitely be a moisturiser that I will keep using in the future.

Anyway, that's about it for now.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector (BB Cream) Light & Medium

Well I was so excited a few weeks ago when I was informed that I'd been a lucky winner of two of the Garnier BB Creams from a competition run on Lilit's blog Makeup & Macaroons and I just couldn't wait for them to arrive in the mail.

I was fortunate enough to win both the Light and Medium shades (which came in a cute little Garnier canvas baggy I must add).

Here is a comparison between the two shades:

Left: Medium shade, Right: Light shade (as if that wasn't obvious to most of you anyway)

The Garnier Miracle Skin Perfectors claim to contain Vitamin C and Mineral Pigments and are supposed to:

* Even complexion
* Reduce sun spots and imperfections
* Boost healthy glow
* Give tinted 24hr hydration
* Protect with an SPF 15

I have now been using the Light shade for a couple of weeks and it is a really nice tinted moisturiser to use. My skin feels soft and non-greasy after applying and it gives quite good coverage over small imperfections. I like the fact that it contains an SPF as well as I'll admit I'm way too lazy to apply a regular sunscreen onto my face first before my regular moisturiser and on the odd occasion that I have done this my skin has felt so greasy and awful I always wished I'd not done it.

There are only two issues that I found I have with this cream. First up is the smell. I find it a little too overpowering for a face cream as it's very much like a floral perfume going onto your face which is a bit much for me to bear for every day use. I can be a little sensitive to smells sometimes though so this might just be a problem that is purely individual to me.

Secondly, I find it hard to blend in completely and sometimes and the cream can seem to just 'sit' on top of the skin and look a bit filmy unless blended in really well. Again, this might just be because my skin has a tendency to be a bit on the oily side sometimes and might not be an issue for anyone else.

I haven't tried the Medium shade on my face as yet as I think it will be way too dark for me to wear on it's own as I'm quite pale. I do think that it will be good to mix the Light and Medium together once summer hits though as that might make a better shade that I can wear.

Has anyone else tried these creams yet and formed an opinion on them?

Still Waiting......

Well I am still waiting on my Lust Have It delivery which according to the tracking details will hopefully be turning up tomorrow. Typical, I would normally be home tomorrow but for once my husband is working from home so I'm planning on going into work to do a few things so won't be here when my delivery comes. I'm going to be VERY excited when I get home though! (Provided it actually comes).

Currently Reading: Today I finished 'All Together Dead' by Charlaine Harris and will soon be starting the next instalment in the Sookie Stackhouse series which is 'From Dead To Worse'. In a way I'm starting to get a bit tired with this series but will keep persevering as my best friend has already read them all and will kill me if I give up now :-)

I'm a little bit excited about another delivery I'm waiting on from Dymocks which is for two new books. One is 'Red Dog' and the other one is 'Go The F&*k To Sleep'. I've being seeing the previews on television for the movie adaptation of Red Dog and really want to read the book first before I see the film. Hopefully it will be worth the wait!

The second book I bought purely for the laugh factor. I recently watched a You Tube video where Samuel L Jackson narrates this book and it is absolutely hilarious. Being the mother of an almost 5 month old this book is very close to my heart and I'm sure my husband and I will have a lot a laughs over it in the months to come.

Currently Loving: My Garnier 7 Day Repairing Lotion. This moisturiser is one of the nicest I have used and when you look at it's price it's also once of the most cost effective. It feels so silky smooth when I apply it and I just love the smell as it's not too overpowering as some other brands. I don't really know about the 7 days of moisture claim but I must admit that even if I don't put it on every night (sometimes I must admit I'm just feeling too lazy after a shower to apply moisturiser on my body) I haven't felt dry or itchy once which is a really new feeling to me considering I suffer from sensitive skin which is prone to eczema almost all year round.

Currently Eating: My husband decided in his infinite wisdom last weekend that we would try and follow one of the CSIRO Wellbeing diet plans. I must admit I've felt extremely healthy after eating every meal, mainly due to the 17 different vegetables you have to add to every dish (That may be a slight exaggeration...) Unfortunately I have been a little hungry and restless now and then through the day as well so all this effort better be worth it. My husband claims he's got 'sympathy' weight which he put on when I was pregnant and is having as much trouble as me in losing it again. At least I have an excuse!! Anyway, we'll have to see how we both feel at the end of this week. With my gym and personal training workouts in conjunction with this diet I better be looking fine by the end of this week or I won't be impressed :-)

Anyway, that's enough from me tonight. I really should have spent the time it took me to write this a bit more constructively by studying but oh well!