March 2014 Empties

Yep, so it's almost halfway through the month again and I'm only just getting to posting my empties for the previous month. I cannot believe how quickly time seems to fly these days!

Anyway, here's what I managed to use up during March as well as my thoughts:

1) KMS California Curl Up Conditioner - I was using this in conjunction with the Curl Up Shampoo but I always seem to finish conditioners before I finish a shampoo. Truthfully I didn't really notice any benefit to my curly hair after using this. If anything it made my hair seem less able to hold it's curl than normal so I don't think I will be repurchasing.

2) Jurlique Balancing Foaming Cleanser - This cleanser lasted for months and months and I really enjoyed the smooth, clean feeling I got after each use. My one main gripe and the reason why I probably wouldn't repurchase has to be the smell. It's got a very, very strong herbal smell that is just too overpowering for me and being that I suffer from migraines I had to steer clear of using this a lot because the smell could make me feel quite nauseous sometimes.

3) Jurlique Purely Age Defying Ultra Firm and Lift Cream - This was a very thick cream that I ended up using at night due to it being way too thick for my skin for day time use. It's one of those creams that you can literally feel sitting on the top of your skin so putting it on at night before bed suited me so I could go to sleep and not notice it so much. It did make my skin feel nice and soft in the morning but again it had a very strong herbal scent that was a bit too much for me on a daily basis.

4) Nivea Stress Protect Anti-Perspirant - I really love this deodorant and have already repurchased. Enough said.

5) Rubifresh Hydrating Body Gel - I didn't find this gel to be very hydrating at all but I have very dry skin that is prone to eczema so usually need quite a thick moisturiser to make my skin feel hydrated. It did have an interesting smell that was almost minty but unfortunately it's not something I would repurchase.

6)  Palmolive Ayurituel Joyous Shower Gel - This really seems to be the month of the bad smells for me! I thoroughly disliked the smell of this as it was way too intense for me. It reminded me of a shampoo type of scent and is not something I would repurchase.

7) Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub - I really like this scrub and have used it many times over the years in either a full size or sample tube. It scrubs thoroughly without feeling too scratchy or irritating my skin and is definitely something I would purchase again.

8) Avene Rich Hydrating Cream and Soothing Moisture Mask - I didn't have any issues with either of these products but also can't really rave about them either as the samples are a bit too small to really get much of an opinion from them.

9) Gaia Skincare Lavender & Frankincense Facial Moisturiser - I really liked this moisturiser for the handful of uses I got out of this small sample. The smell is lovely and it was light enough to use in the morning without making my skin feel too greasy. I would most likely consider purchasing this if the opportunity ever came up. 

So that's it for another month. Until I wrote out this post I didn't realise how many products were bothering me with their scent over the past couple of months. Maybe my nose is just a bit too sensitive or something??

Oh well, I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.

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***

Battle of the Facial Mists

In this super hot weather we have been having here is Australia I've developed a little bit of an obsession with facial mists. There is nothing nicer than spritzing a lovely cool and sweet smelling mist all over your face and neck during the day when you're feeling a bit wilted and flat.

At this particular point in time I have been alternating between three different mists (one in my handbag, one in the fridge and the other to set my makeup) so I thought I'd do a little comparison between them for you.



(Left to Right: Baji Rose Kakadu Plum Face Mist, Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist, Kosmea Hydtrating Rosewater Mist)

 

1) Baji Rose Kakadu Plum Face Mist Antioxidant Formula

This mist contains combinations of unique botanical extracts which are formulated to help tone, clarify and moisturise. This is the one that I keep in the fridge because I love spraying it on when I've come inside from doing some gardening or if it's just a hot day and I feel I need a bit of a skin boost.

 

Pros

 - Nice slim bottle

 - Gorgeous bush flower essence smell

 - Sinks in quickly and feels very hydrating

 

Cons

 - Very, very misty so I feel I have to spray it a good three to four times before I get enough on my face

 

2) Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist *

A clarifying mist infused with the living energy of witch hazel and marshmallow combined with essential oils of tangerine and lemon to enliven and purify. This is the one I have been using to set my makeup for the day.

 

Pros

 - Refreshing and uplifting citrus scent - great for morning use!

 - Also sinks in quickly and makes the skin feel hydtrated and refreshed

 

Cons

 - Glass bottle makes me terrified of dropping it and not really travel or handbag friendly

 - The nozzle can spray out a bit heavy sometimes

 

3) Kosmea Hydrating Rosewater Mist

Gentle, soothing, cooling and hydrating. This to me is one of the best facial mists and I take it everywhere with me. I panic if I can't locate it in my handbag sometimes!

 

Pros

 - Lovely rose scent is calming when you've had a rough day

 - Great compact and portable bottle

 - Perfect amount of mist comes out per pump - not too much and not too little

 - Sinks in super fast and skin feels refreshed after use

 

Cons

 - The rose scent can be a bit 'old lady' sometimes (this is according to my husband apparently)

 

 

So that's my little comparison between my three favourite mists at the moment. The Kosmea one is my overall favourite, followed by the Jurlique one.

 

The Baji one unfortunately loses points by the mist being just way too 'misty' for me. This probably sounds ridiculous but I don't want the entire room I'm standing in to be sprayed when I use one of these which is what I feel happens when I use this one. Maybe the one I have just has a faulty nozzle?

 

I'd love to know of any other mists out there that would be worth trying if anyone has any suggestions they'd like to share?

 

Michelle xx


* Denotes product received for consideration but my opinions are honest, as always.



Jurlique Sweepstakes

How gorgeous are Jurlique products? Well, I am lucky enough (and also very excited too!) to give you the opportunity to win a lovely prize pack from Jurlique which includes the following products:

* Rose Moisture Plus Moisture Cream
* Rosewater Balancing Mist; and
* Rose Moisture Plus Moisturising Cleanser

20 very lucky readers will have the opportunity to win this prize which is valued at $114 AUD.

It's also super easy peezy to enter. All you have to do is click through the options on the widget you see on my sidebar on the right. There are three simple steps:

1) Log in to Facebook
2) 'Like' Jurlique on Facebook; and
3) Follow 'Jurlique' on Twitter (this step is optional)

No purchase is required and anyone over 18 in Australia can enter. The official rules can be viewed by clicking on the bottom of the widget if you are so inclined.

The competition ends on the 27th July 2012 and the winners will be announced on the 1st August 2012 and contacted directly by Jurlique.

Good luck everyone!!

Michelle xx

My First Glossy Box has Arrived!

Well I received my first ever Glossy Box today, finally!! Talk about a lengthy wait for this to be sent out. It feels as if we've been waiting for these boxes forever.

Anyway, here's some pictures that show how it arrived and what the box contents looked like when it was opened:

The box that was left on my doorstep.

The pink box that was inside the cardboard packaging.

Some pink jelly beans, ribbon and welcome cards on the top when opened.

The tissue paper wrapping.

How the contents of the box looked when opened. The black shredded paper makes it very hard to see the actual items unfortunately.

The contents of this month's box were as follows:

1) Jurlique Purely Age Defying Ultra Firm & Lift Cream (5 ml) - This high performance anti-ageing cream is designed to help promote the regeneration of elastin, collagen and new skin cells. I used to be a big fan of Jurlique products so will enjoy testing this one out.

2) Bio Oil (Full size 60 ml) - A specialist skincare oil that is effective for ageing as well as dehydrated skin, scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tones. I know everybody raves about this product and I've tried to like it but I just can't stand the smell. I'll most likely give this away to a friend.

3) Essie Summer Nail Colour 'Smooth Sailing' (5 ml) - This looks like such a pretty purple which has very fine silver flecks in it.

4) Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil (15 ml) - A 2-in1 formula that gently removes all traces of makeup and cleanses skin while maintaining natural moisture levels. I'm a bit excited to try this as I've never used anything from Bobbi Brown before.

5) Mirenesse 3D Forever Lip Gloss (Full size 14 gms) - This gloss is filled with botanical moisturisers and antioxidants to give you hydrated and beautifully cushioned lips day and night. I was a bit scared when I opened the cardboard packaging for this gloss as the colour I got is called 'Hot Kiss' which looks like a very dark browny purple in the tube but luckily is a lot less intense when applied and looks like a nice sheer purple which is actually quite wearable.

All in all the fist Glossy Box is definitely worth the $15 fee. The full size Bio Oil is worth this on it's own and the Mirenesse gloss is worth $39.95 so there's no way you can complain about the value.

When I noticed that Bio Oil was a partner I prepared myself for the fact that receiving some of this was going to be useless to me but I'm still very happy with everything else in the box and am especially impressed with the full size lip gloss. And who can forget the pink jelly beans!

What does everyone else think of the first Glossy Box? Does anyone have an opinion on which one of these monthly boxes they think seems to be the best so far??