June Empties

So it's been so long since I did an empties post and I kind of missed keeping track of what I use up every month so am starting them again. I guess that's the OCD part of me rearing it's head.

Anyway, here's what I used up in June:

1) Dermalogica Age Smart Renewal Lip Complex - I wasn't impressed at all by this (hence the reason I never bothered reviewing it). I didn't notice any different in the texture or fine lines around my lips and actually think it irritated me more than anything if I wore it a few days in a row.

2) Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream - Not a big fan of this either. It had a cooling sensation on the skin which I just found uncomfortable in winter and it seemed to burn a little around the edges of my nose . My skin also never really felt clean after using this either.

3) Avene Ystheal Emulsion - This was a sample and didn't make enough of an impression for me to want the full size product. It had a weird yellow tinge to it that I could see on my skin which I didn't like at all.

4) Be in Awe Shaanta Night Balm - This cream smells like cough syrup which I found just odd when putting it on my face. It did make my skin nice and soft but was just so hard to get out of the container. My thumb is now able to break rocks from pumping the top on this thing.

5) Lancome Genifique Youth Activator - This is a lovely serum that makes my skin feel so smooth and my pores seem to just disappear after use. I just wish I could afford a full size tube of this!

6) Davroe Lemongrass Detangler - I absolutely loved this product and used it every time I washed my hair before trying to put a comb in it. It left my hair nice and soft and stopped a lot of frizz from happening. I've actually missed it since I finished it so will be looking into getting some more I think.

7) Dove Go Fresh Deodorant in Nectarine & White Ginger - I seem to use this deodorant religiously. I will try another in between and then always go back to this one. Unfortunately, this can is virtually full but the spray mechanism has seized for some reason and won't work so it has to be chucked, boo!

8) Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black - This is one of my most favourite mascaras and I have had so many of them over the years (I may have a bit of an obsession with getting Clinique gift-with-purchases and they always have one in there). My lashes always look so lush and long when I use this and it never clumps or smudges even after the longest or hottest day. I think the brush is awesome too.

9) Pure DKNY fragrance - I suck at describing fragrances so I won't even attempt to. I liked this enough to use up the sample but wouldn't buy it for myself. It just doesn't wow me enough.

10) OP Therapy Body Hydrator with Emu Oil - Oh boy, this has been a skin saviour for me since winter hit. It's such a lovely thick cream that makes my dry, itchy and eczema prone skin give a big sigh of relief when applied. It's supposed to be unscented but it still has a natural 'animal oil' kind of smell to it so isn't completely scent free. It just doesn't have any artificial scents added to it which I like. I will definitely be getting myself some more of this.

11)  Spa Fresh Blends Romantic Discovery Bathing Ritual - This was a gorgeous bath powder which had a lovely scent but I really disliked the 30,000 pieces of rose petal that was left behind in my bath each time I used it.

12) Emergin C Scientific Organics Phytocell Cream - I used this at night before going to bed and really liked it. There wasn't anything remarkably overwhelming about it but it was still a nice cream that left my skin feeling moisturised and soft at night.

13) Kerastase Resistance Ciment Thermique - I've had a few of these sachets to sample lately and I find it great to use when I straighten my hair but not for any other use. It's a bit too thick for my fine hair and weighed it down too much to use everyday.

So, that's what I managed to get through during June. It wasn't a huge month but good enough.

Michelle xx 

Lancome Juicy Tubes - A Sweet Surprise

When I saw in the February Lust Have It box this little tube of goodness I was ridiculously excited. You see, when I was at Uni (many, many, moons ago!) a girl who used to always join my friend and I for the group assignments used to whip out one of these cute and delicious smelling tubes on a constant basis, so much so that I found myself lusting after one of these to the point where I was dreaming about them!

Anyway, for some reason I just never actually got around to buying one for myself and then miraculously got over my fascination and moved on to whatever was the next craze I had at the time.

I had completely forgotten these things even existed until seeing it sitting snugly in the box and of course it was the first thing I grabbed, opened and tested! It was like I was 8 years younger again.....

The flavour I received was Strawberry and surprisingly it really does taste like strawberries! Lancome describe these as an Ultra Shiny Hydrating Lip Gloss and I now know why these created such a stir when they first came out because it is such a nice gloss that stays on forever and manages to keep my lips feeling super moist (haha, love that word!) for hours.

The gloss has a slight tint to it as shown above and it also has very small shimmery particles as well which is almost impossible to notice unless in direct sunlight but overall gives a lovely shiny look to the lips.

As you can see, it barely imparts any colour onto the lips except a very slight hint of a tint and I almost managed to capture a bit of the shimmer. I've been keeping mine in my handbag to use for touch ups during the day when I don't feel like reapplying whatever lipstick I was wearing because the slight tint still makes me feel like I have some colour on my lips.

Overall I'm very impressed with the Juicy Tubes and am now keen to actually go and buy at least one more to try.

Does anyone have a favourite flavour of these that would be worth trying?

February Lust Have It Box

So, we've just come back from our first family holiday which was spent at Coffs Harbour for four days so now I'm all refreshed and ready to face whatever 2012 can throw at me.

I was very excited when my Lust Have It box for February arrived last week and made my husband do a special stop off at our post office just so I could pick it up on the morning we went away. We didn't get one for January so I had a bit of withdrawals from it I guess :-)

Here is what came in the box for February:

1) Lancome Juicy Tubes (7ml sample, RRP $46.00 for 14ml) - These glosses give heaps of shine to your lips with a hint of colour and come in several fruity flavours. I have been wanting to try one of these for so long but could never get myself to part with the money they cost just for a lip gloss. They certainly seem to be a nice gloss though and stay on for a really long time. This one is super shiny and has very fine glittery particles in it as well. I can't really see any colour on my lips when applied though and I have no idea what shade mine is as I can't seem to find it written anywhere. It's a bright pink in the tube though.

2) Davroe Tame Lemongrass Detangler (50ml, RRP $21.50 for 315ml) - This is a lightweight non-greasy leave-in conditioning treatment mist that claims to detangle the most unruly hair, leave hair manageable, luxuriously soft and silky with the fresh natural fragrance of Passionflower and Ylang Ylang. I love these sort of hair products as they are great for my curly hair when I don't feel like washing it but need to spray something in to activate my curls.

3) Sasy n Savy Rose Lavender Hand n Nail Repair Creme (5ml, RRP $25.00 for 100ml) - This has skin nourishing evening primrose and macadamia oil to soften and smooth. It also contains shea butter to soothe and heal dry skin and Vitamin C & E. It claims to diminish the signs of ageing but I'm not sure how much of that I'll get to see as the sample is quite small and will probably only be enough for a couple of uses.

4) Lush Sugar Scrub (100ml, RRP $6.50) - This scrub stimulates activity and tackles cellulite with fennel and ginger. It also contains lavender for a skin calming effect. I love all lush products and haven't tried their scrubs before so I can't wait to give this a go.

5) Taut Collagen Infusion Mask (1 x mask, RRP $44.95 for pack of 5) - These facial masks are meant to infuse concentrated premium collagen-enriched essence to tone, hydrate and brighten your complexion in just 7-10 minutes. I wasn't too fussed on the taut drink we received in one of the earlier Lust Have It boxes but a mask like this seems a lot more practical to me and I'm very interested to try it out.

The first thing I noticed about this box when I opened it was the gorgeous smell that was coming from it because of the Lush scrub. Overall, Lust Have It are my favourite monthly sample box so far as they have always consistently pleased me with their contents unlike the others that have been a bit hit and miss for the majority of the months.

The Lust Have It boxes seem to always contain products that I will have a use for and not just items that I will force myself to use just because they are there.

What does everyone think of the February box? Does anyone have a favourite sample box so far?  

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.

November BellaBox - A Tad Disappointed.....

I was eagerly awaiting the November BellaBox this month as I sneaked a peek at some blog posts from others who received their boxes a couple of days ago. I was mainly excited to try the OCC Lip Tar which was one of this month's contents as I've heard such good things about these and have been wanting to try them for ages. Unfortunately, when mine arrived I felt a little deflated :-( The Lip Tar that I received was in the colour of Strumpet which is an extremely dark bright plum colour which is just way too dark for me to ever wear anywhere out in public! I would have been over the moon with any other one of the lighter shades these come in. Boooo, way to disappoint!

Oh well, here is a complete list of the contents of this month's BellaBox:

1) Lancome Visionnaire (5 ml) - Visionnaire is the first skin care with LR 2412, a molecule designed to penetrate throughout all the layers of the skin's epidermis, triggering a range of micro transformations.

2) Erborian BB Creme, Elixir Au Ginseng & Yuza Sorbet (3 x 1.5ml sachets) - This is a Korean product which has selected priority energising and detoxifying herbs to stimulate the metabolism and speed up microcirculation. The result: natural anti-fatigue and strong anti-ageing properties.

3) Gatineau Melatogenine Force Collagene Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate - Helps stimulate the strength, vitality and longevity of collagen fibres.

4) Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) Lip Tar in Strumpet (8 ml) - A stunning new innovation in lip colour. OCC Lip Tar combines the longevity of a lipstick with the ease of application of a gloss.

5) Orofluido Beauty Elixir for Hair (5 ml) - A heavenly indulgence for hair containing Argan Oil, Cyperus Oil and Linseed Oil, each producing its own beautifying properties to give remarkable silkiness, lightness and shine.

6) Twistband - A hair tie from California to keep hair secure without snagging or leaving ugly creases.

Personally, I'm a bit disappointed in this month's box and not only because the Lip Tar is practically useless to me. I think all the samples are too small to really give a good indication of any of the skin/hair products and the Twistband is something I could have made myself from some elastic in my sewing kit.

If this had been the first box I definitely would not have stayed subscribing. I know the Lip Tar is most likely supposed to be the spotlight item for this month so because I'm not happy with the one I received that's probably put a dampener on the rest of the contents for me.

Did anyone else receive the November BellaBox? If so, what did you think of it?

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

October Lust Have It! Box

I'm a bit slow on posting the contents of the October Lust Have It! box this month as I've been doing nothing but studying for my two CPA exams next week and have basically had no life. Everyone probably knows what's in the box for this month but I had already taken the photos and thought I might as well write about it anyway.

Here's what this months box looked like once opened:

And here's what it all looked like when taken out of the box:



A breakdown of the contents is as follows:

* Lancome Genifique Youth Activator (2 x 5ml) - this is a serum which claims to reactivate your genes and stimulate the production of youth proteins. I think it's nice that we got given two of these samples rather than just one so that we can get a better picture of how it works because 5ml really isn't much to work with to see if you like a product or not.

* LimeLily Cosmetics Cream Blush in Gorgeous - This is a blush refill and I think you can buy the holders separately according to the YouTube video posted by Lust Have It! It would be good to get all 6 colours of this over time to have the set.

* Lush 'Honey I Washed the Kids' Soap - This is a toffee and honey scented soap. I love Lush products and was devastated when my local one closed down a few months ago so am really excited about getting this soap.

* Taut Collagen Orange Drink (50 ml) - I find this product a little weird and really don't get it. Supposedly you drink a bottle of this three to four times a week and it provides you with an easy and delicious natural source of concentrated bio-available collagen. It's also further enhanced with synergistic co-nutrients including Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide and vitamins such as B1, B2, B6, E and Beta-carotene. Not too sure on this one......

* Kerastase Resitance Range - 2 x Bain De Force Shampoo, 2 x Ciment Anti-Usure Reinforcing and Finishing Treatment and 2 x Ciment Thermique Heat Activated Reconstructor Milk sachets.

So, that's it for this months Lust Have It! box. I'm glad that there was a makeup product in this months box again. I actually wish it was a bit more evenly distributed between makeup and skincare/haircare in each box as I'm starting to get an overload on skincare/haircare samples.

I'm definitely keeping my subscription going though as I feel like a little kid at Christmas every month when my little goody boxes arrive in the post. My husband just shakes his head. He clearly doesn't understand..........