January Bellabox

I received the January Bellabox yesterday and was happy to see that it was focusing on Australian beauty brands this time around. I love finding new products from Australian brands as it's always good to support our own economy.

Here's what was in the January box:

1) Plunkett's 99% Pure Aloe Vera Cooling Gel (20gm, RRP $2.99) - I love using Aloe Vera gel in summer as a cooling and refreshing moisture boost for the skin. I'll be interested to see how this one stacks up.

2) Swisse Body Wash with Vitamin B3 and Macrobiotic Sea Minerals (30ml sample, RRP $14.95 for 250ml) - Well that sure is a mouthful and a half of a name. I've liked all of the Swisse products I've tried in the past so am looking forward to trying this one too.

3) Natio Pure Mineral Skin Perfecting BB Cream (5gm sample, RRP $14.95 for 50gm) - Yet, another BB Cream hits the market. Seriously, how many of these are there now?? This is something that I'll have to try when I know I'm not leaving the house because I received it in the shade Medium which will most likely be way too dark for my skin tone.

4) Ibeauty Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Hummingbird and Foxy (1gm sample, RRP $7.50 for full size single colour) - These shadows are so cute but I wish the packaging was a little more practical even though it is a sample pack. I'm not really sure which shade is which as they are not labelled separately but one is a really pretty shimmery pale blue and the other is a shimmery brown. They both seem to be fairly pigmented as far as I can tell from an initial swipe.

5) NS-8 Heel Balm Complex (50ml sample, RRP $11.45 for 60mls) - This is certainly something that will get a lot of use as this time of year means lots of thongs and sandals on the feet. I'm interested to see how well this actually works on dry feet.

I'm happy there was a makeup item in there this time even though it's a brand I've never heard of before but everything else is a little bit underwhelming. It will all certainly get used though, even if the BB Cream will have to be worn behind closed doors.

So, what do you think of the January box?

Michelle xx

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.



Nails of the Week - Wet 'n' Wild Nail Colour in 'Mystery Shade'

This week I've been wearing a polish from Wet 'n' Wild that I received in one of the monthly subsciption boxes a little while ago.

Unfortunately, there is no label on this polish anywhere that lets me know what shade it is. Talk about frustrating!!

This polish is what I call 'Extreme Glitter' as it's practically opaque in one coat and is so thickly packed that it is in no way a layering glitter. It's one that hogs the spotlight all on it's own.

It's a gorgeous shade that I love wearing but the first time I had it on a couple of weeks ago I realised just how nightmarise it is to actually remove. It takes sooooo many cotton pads soaked in nail polish remover to get it off, and you end up with glitter where no glitter should ever be, that now I've worn it twice I'm debating as to whether I'll ever actually attempt to wear it again.

It's one of those polishes that look great on but are just too much trouble in the end to really bother, which is a real shame.

Just to satisfy my curiousity, does anyone have the faintest idea what this shade is actually called?? I'd love to know!

Michelle xx

Everyday Minerals Cheek Colour in Nature's Sweet Side

I was recently introduced to this blush when I received it in one of the monthly sample boxes I get and I just can't seem to get used to it as much as I try and try.

I have to admit that this is my first ever loose mineral powder product and I now know why I have tried to steer clear of them in the past. They are just so ridiculously messy to use!!

No matter what I do I end up with this product everywhere in a big powdery cloud. I also find it pratically impossible to get the amount of product on my brush right too and either end up with not enough or waaaaay too much.

Is there a trick that I just haven't found when using these sifter type containers. I have found that turning the container upside down and tapping when it's sealed seems to be the easiest way to get some powder out for use but then the residue in the lid just ends up going everywhere.

Overall, this is just way too much effort for very little gain as far as I'm concerned.

 (Left: First swatched, Right: Blended out)

The shade I received, Nature's Sweet Side, is a darker pink that almost leans towards looking mauve in the container but when it's blended out it turns into a weird kind of bronzey/orange shade. Now I don't know if this is just a reaction purely with my skin tone or whether this is normal but it has really turned me off from using this blush.

On a positive note, this blush does last a long time on my skin and manages to get through an entire work day for me without much fading. It also doesn't seem to accentuate my pores at all and is pretty easy to blend even though the colour change is very offputting.

I'm kind of glad I didn't personally purchase this blush as I'd be even more disappointed if I had. It certainly hasn't made me want to rush out and try any more mineral products either.

Am I just an uncoordinated ninny by thinking that loose powders are too difficult to use?? Is the colour change when applied normal or am I radioactive or something??

I hope everyone is having a lovely week.

Michelle xx

December Empties

I have to apologise for not being around this week but my laptop needed some extra work and I wasn't able to upload any pictures onto it all week. Hopefully it's all fixed now!

So, I didn't really seem to get through that much in December as I normally do and I think it was because I was a bit fickle during the month and chopped and changed between products a lot. I know that's a bit naughty but tough!

Anyway, here's what I managed to get through during the month of December:

1) Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy Conditioner - I've previously reviewed this Shampoo & Conditioner range and really liked it. It made my hair feel really soft and didn't irritate my scalp at all which was a great bonus.

2) A'kin Body Wash in Orange Blossom - I really love these body washes and have about three others in reserve already.

3) Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover - I have become a huge fan of this makeup remover and think that if you can get over how oily it feels then it really is a great product that takes off every speck of makeup without drying out or irritating the skin at all.

4) 4me Nail Polish Remover Pads - These pads are a great, versatile idea although they just couldn't stand up to the last insanely glitter-filled polish that I had on my nails. But, for regular polish removel, and as a convenient little travel alternative, I think these are awesome.

5) Bioderma Sebium H2O Solution - I much preferred using this to the Crealine version as it just seemed to work better and feel nicer on my skin. It's probably not something that I would repurchase though.

6) EmerginC Multi-Fruit Cleanser and Earth Hydrating Phytelene Cream - I took these on a weekend away as they took up next to no room in my cosmetic case. They seemed nice enough but the sample size is a bit too small to really tell.

7) Mememe Seventh Heaven Moisturising Facebase - I can't believe how long it took me to get through this tiny sample. A little of this stuff goes a really long way and it was a lovely primer that smells like citrus and really wakes you up when applying your makeup. I'd definitely repurchase this.

8) Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector - This came in a magazine I bought recently but was in the Medium shade which made me look like a bad extra from Jersey Shore so I didn't really keep it on for long enough to see if I liked it or not.

9) Clinique All About Eyes - This is a lovely eye cream that I have used many times in the past. It always seems to be included in almost every Clinique gift-with-purchase so even though I've been through a heap of these I don't think I've ever actually paid for one directly. I might need to hunt down another gift-with-purchase again soon as it's one of the best eye creams I've used.

So there you have it. Nothing really exciting this month but hey, I'm still sad enough to get a small thrill no matter what I manage to use up every month :-)

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Michelle xx