Rich Skincare - Advanced Peptide Night Cream

I received the Rich Skincare Ultra Hydrating Day Cream a little while ago to review and as a thank you I was given a 20% off code to purchase any other Rich Skincare items that I wanted to try. I decided to try the Advanced Peptide Night Cream in conjuction with the Day Cream and I have to say that I am very happy with my choice!

This night cream comes in a large pump dispenser that is sturdy and easy to use. The cream itself is a lovely white cream that is to me the perfect consistency. It absorbs into my skin really fast and makes it feel super soft and smooth. In the morning my skin feels a little like velvet which I just love.

Here's what the Rich Skincare website says about this cream:

'A rich restorative cream for intensive nightly repair. Formulated with Soy Proteins, Ceramides and Vitamin A to help stimulate collagen and elasticity, and restore the protective barrier function of the skin. Abundant in natural antioxidants for healing and balancing skin tone, and moisturising elements for essential hydration.'

Vitamin A promotes the enzyme activity in the skin. It thickens the epidermis and can regenerate skin prematurely aged by UV-radiation.

Green Coffee seed provides anti-oxidative, moisturising, softening and toning qualities ideal for mature and damaged skin.

Kakadu Plum is a native Australian tree used extensively for its natural healing properties. It is known to have ten times the amount of Vitamin C found in other fruits, making it an excellent antioxidant.

Matrixyl® 3000 is one of the most proven anti-ageing peptide complexes used in skincare today. Studies have shown it effective in stimulating the skin to produce more collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, resulting in firmer, younger-looking skin.

All I can say is that this cream has done wonders for my skin and since using it in conjuction with the Day Cream and some Jojoba Oil every second day or so my skin has been in the best condition I have ever seen it in. I've had no dry patches, no super oily patches, no major breakouts and my face just looks brighter and more awake now.

If only I'd been able to use these products years ago!

Rich Skincare can be purchased from their website here.

Has anyone else tried and loved this brand as much as me?

Michelle xx


***This product was purchased with my own money using a discount voucher supplied as a Thank You for reviewing the Day Cream. This in no way affects my opinion on the product itself***

Mirenesse Haul

So I did it! I joined the Mirenesse VIP club and as soon as I received my first voucher I was online faster than you can say 'Discount!'

I'm extremely happy with what I ordered and it only took three days to arrive with free postage. Win!

Here's what I got for my first VIP order:

1) Spring Racing Pack - This contained the Pore Perfect Cover Air Mousse Primer, the Crystal Colour Drops Hydrating Mineral Powders and the Viva Eternal Gloss in Show Girl. The mousse primer is unbelievable and I think it will become a favourite product of mine and the Mineral Powders is a very good competitor to my Napoleon Ultimate Contour Palette. The lip gloss is a really pretty pale pink with a hint of sparkle.

2) Lip Bomb in no. 9 - This is an amazing lip product that is kind of like a hybrid between a lipstick and a gloss. It seems to be very similar to an OCC Lip Tar in consistency and colour payoff and this one is a bright apricot/pink shade. My only gripe is that Mirenesse give these a number instead of a name. I prefer products to have names so you can relate to them better. Is that weird?

By purchasing the above products I was entitled to receive two freebies and from the selection they gave me I chose the Cheeky Blush in Russian Rose and a sample of the Eclipse Age Defence Daily Face & Neck Mineral Balm. The blush is so gorgeous and I don't want to ruin the pattern on it by using it! I've used the balm once so far and really like it. It also contains an SPF15 which is always a winner with me.

Overall I was super pleased with what I got in this order and am looking forward to trying it all out properly. Next month I think I might have a go at ordering some of their skin care products as I'm curious to see what they are like.

Michelle xx

October Addictions

I surprisingly had quite a few products that I reached for often during the month of October. Due to being so stressed and strapped for time I had a tendency to use pratically the same products every day which is unusual for me as I have a tendency to get bored when I do that.

Here is what I loved using during the month of October:

I was mainly sporting a more neutral 'no-fuss' face during October and the above items were all awesome products that didn't require much effort to use.

1) Eyeshadows - B Collection by Bloom in Sahara Desert and Almay Intense i-colour in Trio for Greens. The Bloom eyeshadow is a no brainer soft coppery brown that is excellent as an all over the lid colour on it's own but also looks great with a little green or purple added into the crease from the Almay palette on days when I could be bothered making a little more effort.

2) Mascara - Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes. I love the way this mascara make my lashes look a mile long but I don't love the black smudges that end up underneath my eyes at the end of the day after using it.

3) Eyeliner - Models Prefer Kohl Pencil in Matte Black. Such a simple eyeliner pencil but it works wonders. It goes on so smooth and easily with no pulling at all and doesn't budge all day or night. Another quality product from this great brand.

4) Primer - Dr Lewinn's Skin Perfect Anti-ageing Primer. I will be posting my review of this soon but needless to say I love it and use it every day. Thank you Beauty Heaven for allowing me to trial such an awesome product!

5) Foundation - Maybelline Fit Me Foundation. The main reason I love this foundation is because it suits my skin tone perfectly which means I can be a bit quicker with my application of it and don't have to be pedantic about blending it in within an inch of its life. It gives me good coverage as well without being too thick and stays in place all day.

6) Face - Napoleon Ultimate Contour Palette. I've reviewed this palette here and it hasn't left my bathroom vanity for over a month now. Totally in love with this product and how quick and easy it makes contouring and highlighting my face.

7) Concealer - Mirenesse Icon Sealer. I have grown to love using this as my undereye concealer as it covers my dark circles excellently and doesn't end up sinking into my fine lines as the day progresses. It's the perfect shade for my skin tone as well so takes minimal effort to blend in. Anything that saves me time in the mornings is a big plus for me!

8) Lips - MOR Lip Nectar in Lychee Flower and ELF Lip Shine in Candlelight. I have been a definite gloss girl during October as it's easier to maintain with minimal effort. The MOR lip nectar is one of the best lip glosses I have ever used and I am in love with the subtle pink flush it gives my lips and the way it seems to stay on for hours. The ELF gloss was a very happy surprise that I got in one of the monthly beauty packs and is such a great nude that goes with anything. It also stays on for a surprisingly long time too.

So that's my list of favourites for the past month. Nothing too exciting but they were products that definitely made the month a lot easier for me.

If you've done a favourites post I'd love to know about it!

Michelle xx

October Empties

October was a bit of a mixed month for me. I kind of let myself go a little as I was super stressed to the max about my last CPA exam (which means I am now done people, DONE! As long as a pass that is....) and the fact that I picked up two new clients for my personal business which was great in one way but just very bad timing in another. Trying to do exam study around my regular part time job, minding our 20 month old and then trying to fit in my other work from home was a nightmare and I was not in a good place for most of the month.

Needless to say i am very grateful that the month of October is behind me now and look forward to getting back to living stress free again. That means more social time, more time with my little man and my hubby and more time to concentrate on this blog, Yay!

Anyway, enough rambling for one day. Here's what I managed to get through during the month of October:

1) Morrissey Body Balm - If there's one thing in my household that doesn't last long it's body moisturiser. This one had a lovely citrus scent and was a nice enough moisturiser but just not thick enough for my liking. It's probably a good summer moisturiser when you don't want anything too greasy or thick.

2) Kerastase Nectar Thermique - I've somehow manged to acquire a ridiculous amount of these sachets over the past year due to the monthly sample boxes and am very slowly getting through them all. This one was great to add to the ends of my hair after washing and seemed to stop a lot of my usual frizz from forming. I can't comment of how it works with heat styling as I haven't heat styled my hair in weeks!

3) A.S.A.P. Sheer Tint Moisturiser - This is another product that I have acquired a zillion samples of and am almost at the end of using them up. I really like this tinter moisturiser and the fact it has an SPF 15 in it as well.

4) Guinot Biological Peeling Radiance Gel - I received this as part of a sampler pack from Adore Beauty once and really have no idea what it's effect on my skin was. I think it's supposed to work as a  gentle exfoliating gel but I didn't really notice any difference after use so definitely won't be looking at purchasing it again.

5) Dove Invisible Dry Roll-on - Dove make some of the best deodorants and this one was no exception. I loved the fact I could wear dark colours with this one and get no white marks at all.

6) Evo The Great Hydrator Moisture Mask - I loved this hair mask. It worked wonders for my hair and the smell is just divine. One thing I just don't get is why Evo use these absolutely awful sample containers that make it damn near impossible to get their product out. It's so frustrating!!

7) Marc Jacobs Lola Eau De Parfum sample - This is a lovely perfume that was one I liked to wear during the day for work as it's not too overpowering. I'm looking at possibly buying a full size of this one or the Oh Lola one as the bottles are just so pretty too!

8) Puretopia Hand Cream - Another product I seem to go through like there's not tomorrow is hand cream. I have one in almost every room of the house as well as all my bags. This one was a definite favourite and I'm a little disappointed that it's now finished but can't justify buying it again yet as I have too many others to get through first. It will be mine again one day though!

9) Biolage Smoothing Shampoo - I was not a fan of this shampoo at all. It made my scalp itch like crazy and will not be something I will try again.

10) Aum Gentle Facial Foam Cleanser  - This was a nice gentle cleanser but I just didn't feel like my face was fully clean after use. It also had the weirdest consistency, kind of like runny snot or the white of an egg when it's not cooked enough. Just odd.

11) Garnier Miracle Skin Protector - I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this product. I love the way it goes on my skin and makes my face look almost flawless (on good skin days) without me needing to resort to foundation but I just can't stand the smell. It's just a scent that doesn't agree with me at all. If it came in an unscented version I'd buy a truck load!

So, that was me for the month of October.

Hope everyone has had a lovely week!

Michelle xx

October Lust Have It

Ok, so I know this is now November and I admit that I received this delivery a couple of weeks ago and was debating whether to even post about it all this time. The main reason for this delay is because I was just so utterley underwhelmed by this October box that I wasn't even interested in really sharing the contents of it.

Anyway, in the interest of consistency here is what I received in the October box:

1) Waxaway Ready To Use Sensitive Wax Strips (2 x strip sample, RRP from $9.95 for 20 strips) - They're wax strips, not much more to say.

2) Elizabeth Arden Red Door Aura EDT (5ml sample, RRP $70 for 50ml) - This is probably the best item in the box for me this month. It's a lovely fragrance that I really like. I've never been a huge fan of the original Red Door but I can easily see myself wearing this one.

3) Say It With Scent Lavender Hand & Body Lotion (30ml sample, RRP $26.80 for 200ml) - It's a nice enough lotion that will definitely get used. It's a good size for the handbag.

4) Star & Rose - Rose Confetti Soap (3 pack RRP $9.95) - These are such a lovely concept but just aren't practical at all in my opinion. The last large one of these I received several boxes back practically disolved into a puddle of mush after just sitting in my bathroom with the steam in there from the shower. These may become part of someone's Xmas gift this year I think.

5) Montaser Renitence Eye Revival Cream (5ml sample?, RRP from $59.95 for 15ml) - I love to try new eye creams but this one looks a bit like pea and ham soup so it certainly better work because it would never be purchased for how nice it looks!

Anyway, that's everything I received for the October box. All of it will get utilised in some form or another but nothing really had that exciting 'wow' factor this month. And as per many other occassions, there wasn't a makeup item in sight. Maybe it's the age group I'm in or something which is why I don't really get anything fun? Othe boxes I've seen at least had a nail polish which would have been welcomed.

I think this may be it for my Lust Have It journey. I have recently bit the bullet and subscribed to the Mirenesse VIP club after being swayed by reading about it over at Beauty in a Bottle. I'd been pondering whether to join up or not for months and decided that if I cancel Lust Have It I only need to add another $10 for the Mirenesse club and I know I love every one of their products I try so hopefully it will be win win.

What did you think of Lust Have It this month? Am I being too harsh? Has anyone else ever been a member of the Mirenesse VIP club?

Michelle xx