Empties – hooray!!

SO I have been on uni holidays and have been working and taking it easy, and needed a break from writing in all areas of my life. Next semester is going to be crazy for me, so I feel I deserved a break.  Here today though, I have a post I am proud of – I have finished a lot of products lately YAY!!

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1. Kiehl’s Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter.  This was actually amazing, and if I didn’t already have a gazillion body creams waiting in line, I would definitely purchase, even for the scent alone.

2. Perfect Potion Detox Body Buff.  Post here.  Would definitely repurchase!

3. Macadamia Deep Repair Masque.  Original post here.  Would also definitely repurchase this, as it was super effective on my terrible split and dry ends while giving a heap of shine without weighing my hair down.

4. Soap & Glory Scrub of your Life.  This was so so. I am glad I only bought the travel size. Was medium strength but very chemical based fragrance.

5.  L’Occitane Rose Jardin Delice Eau de Toilette.  This was a limited edition soft floral rose fragrance with red berries. Was nice enough, but as per usual, I got bored with the scent after a while. I am proud of myself for using it up instead of just disposing of it though, so it must have been alright!!

 

 

6.  The Saem Almond Sugar Scrub.  I wish I could purchase this again, it was amazing. The sugar melted into skin to soften and there were almond pieces that exfoliated.  The scent was gorgeous and left my skin so soft and hydrated. The Saem is a Korean brand and I purchased this in Vietnam.

7.  Ella Baché Intensive Balancing Lotion.  This was not the worst product I have ever tried, but it was pretty terrible. It was supposed to help with breakouts, but to be honest all it did was break me out, continuously. I tried it a few times for extended periods thinking that was the normal reaction but I think it just wasn’t great for my skin. (This seems to be true for a lot of Ella Baché products for my skin – waahhh.) This is actually half full and I am just going to throw it away.

8. Burt’s Bees Radiance Serum.  This had to be the worst product I had ever tried. MOST HORRIBLE PRODUCT EVER would actually be a fair description.  The scent reminded me of pure chemicals, like something you’d use to disinfect a kitchen, which was really surprising.  Although it instructed to use ‘2-3 drops’ over face and neck, I needed at least 6-8 drops to cover anything, meaning I would have used this up in a very short time period.  It was not moisturising at all, it just disappeared into skin.  Basically, the fragrance was too much for me, and I ended up tipping most of it down the sink – happily I might add.

9. Kiehl’s Actively Correcting BB Cream.  Hmmm. This sounded great but the consistency was awful.  I would not actually purchase this.  It was effective in coverage, but the fragrance was yuck and it was way too sticky for my liking.

10. Aveda Light Inner Light Concealer.  This was amazing, and I had it for ages. The best thing for under the eyes and actually everywhere to be honest.  Will purchase again after I have used up my current concealer.

11. Lancôme Teint Idole Silky Matt.  Amazing. I have already repurchased.  Such a silky finish and great day to night coverage. Highly recommended for combination skin types.

12. Botanics of Australia Foaming Cleanser. This was $4 at Kmart, and it rocked my socks. Cleansers are something I think silly for myself to spend much money on, and this did the trick, completely removing make-up and never drying out my skin, even though it was reasonably highly foaming. It was surprisingly great!

 

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Bon Appetite!

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Camu Camu Brightening Serum’ Review

Camu Camu.  Ok.  Sounds exotic.  30x the Vitamin C of an orange.  Right.  But what does this actually mean, and is it any good?  Well I have been trialling this for several months now, and am pretty impressed.  I had never tried Peter Thomas Roth before, and am now curious about the rest of the range.  Prior to starting this serum, I had been regularly using a Vitamin C serum for 3 weeks, so my skin had a bit of a headstart with Vitamin C effectiveness.  Usually Vitamin C takes a few months until results can be seen.  This serum contains Vitamin C from the Amazonian Camu Camu superfruit, said to be “a highly concentrated Vitamin C with superior absorption, equalling boosted collagen production, brighter, firmer and smoother skin”.

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Price: ( $$ ) $76.95 for 50ml, available from Mecca Cosmetica and Mecca Maxima stores.

Product Plus: The nifty airtight pressure pump keeps it super fresh and dispenses enough in one pump for face and neck.

Application:  Morning and/or night, underneath a moisturiser.  I have only been using during the day. 

Thoughts:  While it took me a few weeks to adjust, I am suitably impressed. The serum is lightweight, and quite liquid.  I couldn’t photograph it properly on my hand – it kept running off!  It has the most amazing orange scent, and absorbs into skin fairly quickly without residue or stickiness.

One would think this makes it an ideal textured serum for anyone with oilier skin… BUT, I have combination skin, and since using this I have a lot of excess oil and shine halfway through the day.  Now, this could just be because it is super super effective at boosting collagen, which causes the excess oil production (which realistically isn’t too much extra), and therefore is a fantastic and wonderful thing that I am happy to combat with a little extra powder throughout the day.  This might not suit everyone, but I am ok with it.  I lean towards this explanation because my skin has in fact become a lot smoother, my acne scars have begun to fade and generally I have really loved the way my skin looks since starting this.  I guess if I switched to only nighttime use, I wouldn’t have this issue… but I have other things I prefer to use in the evening.  Where I don’t have acne scarring (ha! where is that?) my skintone has been very even.  I have noticed a big difference in the amount of concealer I’ve been using – YAY!

Conclusion:  Deliciously fragranced and lightweight serum ideal for those needing a brightening bump, especially in these colder months.  I do feel like my skin is also… plumper. Like that feeling baby skin has, that soft cushiony feeling.  For this reason I feel this could be a great anti-ageing serum for someone wanting the antioxidant benefits of Vitamin C.

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I would love to hear from anyone else if they have tried anything from Peter Thomas Roth, especially from the Camu Camu range.  I really liked the CC cream in the range, and think that may be in my future spoils…

Bon Appetite!

Fyn Land

Hi all 🙂 I am in the middle of exams and essays, so haven’t had time to compile any blog posts worth posting lately.  BUT, if anyone is looking for cute jewellery, or amazingly adorable gifts, check out the Etsy page for Fyn or their Facebook page here!  The designer is Rachel, who I now know through work.  I can’t get enough of the handprinted fox pillow.

Hope everyone has had a great weekend!

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Bon Appetite!

NARS Blushes – New Favourites

There should probably be a disclaimer here to begin, that I should not be held responsible for this post because I know nothing of make-up other than I like it. With that said, I have developed a real appreciation for the wonders of a good blush.  Seeing as my face is, at the best of times, a pasty lifeless sheet, I have been in search of a few different colours to perk up my dull complexion.  My only other blush at present is MAC in Peaches, but to be honest it is anything but peachy, instead being quite pink on my skin, which is why I went in search for something new and fancy!  The two fantastic recent finds are NARS Blush in Gina and Orgasm.

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Price: ( $$ ) $45, available from Mecca Cosmetica. (Pricey, but I think this is going to last me years).

NARS Blushes. Left: Gina. Right: Orgasm.

Application:  Gina needs barely a touch of my brush to pick up enough colour for one cheek.  Gina glides on really well and doesn’t need much effort to build the colour. Orgasm on the other hand, requires me to mash my brush into the pan in attempt to loosen just a little of the powder.  It doesn’t show on my skin very well at all.  Not sure if just unlucky… but I have to say I am a bit confused as to why everyone raves about this -_-

Thoughts:  Both these blushes are great – but for entirely different reasons.  Gina is this gorgeous, deeply peachy, tangerine matte, while Orgasm is more pink with flecks of gold shimmer.  I have always shied away from shimmer blushes – or shimmer anything – as I have firmly believed that shimmer should be reserved for my eyelids alone.  I am slowly coming around to the idea of slight shimmer on the cheeks, but for me, I just use Orgasm as a highlighter at the top of my cheekbones to get the desired effect.  Gina is the perfect tangerine for my skin, and the soft, powdery formula is a breeze to work with so it is foolproof even for a fool like me!

NARS Blushes. Left: Gina. Right: Orgasm.

Conclusion: It is only quite recent that I learnt that make-up is in fact a lot of fun and not at all scary. What a thing to learn at 24! What I have now learnt about blush, is that if it is good quality, the colour and texture are far superior AND the product will last longer.  Gina fades during the afternoon, so it isn’t something I could wear all day into the night, but it still lasted well considering my combination skin.  Orgasm isn’t a shade I would purchase myself, but I would definitely purchase other NARS blushes. Hooray for blushes!!

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NARS is a great brand, but is owned by Shiseido. NARS themselves claim to not test on animals, but unfortunately Shiseido do. Just a little note to keep anyone who is interested informed.

Bon Appetite!

April Empties!

I really can’t believe I am two whole months into having my blog.  Time flies, huh?! Here is a quick empties post – pretty proud I have managed to complete a few goodies, some better than others, so slowing whittling away at the stash I’ve accumulated.

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Label.M Honey Oat Conditioner:  God this fragrance was amazing. The most delicious scent, but not moisturising enough for my hair now it’s cooler. Very softening though.

L’Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream: Hands down the best face moisturiser I’ve ever used. Now, I used to work for the company but am not biased -I am going to continue to purchase this moisturiser until the end of time.  Or until they discontinue it … which is likely to happen first.  Winter/summer/dry/humid it is the best thing for my combination skin. Super hydrating without being creamy or oily, packed full of essential oils and a lovely light and fresh fragrance.  One bottle lasts me quite a few months, but less in winter as I use it day and night and my skin gets extra thirsty.

Sample of Peter Thomas Roth Camu Camu CC Cream:  I have hesitated for about a month now and am still unsure of whether I will purchase this.  I found it got a little oily after a few hours for my liking, but felt amazing and was enough coverage while keeping my skin comfortable.  The brightening vitamin C is a big drawcard for me, but I think I will try to get hold of another sample.  I want to use this for winter because it is drier anyway, but worry about being too shiny still. Hmmm.

The Face Shop Fabulous Volumising Mascara:  In-cred-i-ble. Soft, thickening, easy to take off but doesn’t ever smudge (even on the bottom lashes, even from day to night).  God I am glad I found this and I am never going back.  Except I bought two other mascaras, and now totally regret it every time I touch their thin, lifeless, clumpy brushes to my lashes. Ugh. I am going to discard those and replace this ASAP.

L’Occitane Tonic Body Oil:  I have already repurchased this. I have probably used up several bottles of this over the past year alone. Enough said.

L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil: The greatest shower product ever.  The only thing I will ever use again to shave my legs.  This was a sample size but I have one of the 500ml pumps in my shower at all times, obviously I am a little obsessed.

Ella Baché Serum Marin:  OK, this was a long story.  I bought it aggeeesss ago because it was recommended, used it a few times, convinced myself it broke me out, then placed it in hiding. Finally, I brought it back out because I knew I had to use it up, but using it consistently over 4 weeks (before it ran out) yielded amazing and unexpected results.  If you want something to firm and smooth the skin, this is it. I noticed a measurable difference just in that time alone.  My skin was so refined and tightened.  The fragrance reminded me slightly of stale seawater, but once I got past that it was love.

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I am really excited and nervous about my next post, because it is going to be my first post about make-up! It’s probably going to be terrible, so I apologise in advance for my ridiculous attempt, as I actually know very little about anything make-up related. Until then though…

Bon Appetite!