Recent Haul

I managed to restrain myself to only two purchases for myself this month which I count as a win so far. I got a few other products as freebies and prizes so I have a decent haul to post still.

Sorry for the rotated picture. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a pass to the Estee Lauder Corporate store and went to buy Christmas presents for my mum, sisters and my bf's mum and sister. I bought perfumes and makeup for them and then these two for myself.

Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes & Lips ($21 but retails at $35)
I haven't used Clinique before so am excited to try this out. I have always thought Clinique is a bit too expensive for me but recently I have been using better quality skin care, even if it is a bit more expensive.

Estee Lauder Signature Silky Powder Blush in Plum Nuance ($15, retails at $58)
When I saw this I got it straight away as I saw another blogger do a review on it and fell in love. And I couldn't believe it was only $15!! I bought my sisters a blush each too in different shades. I have attached a picture of the colour below.

I had to go to hospital earlier in October for a procedure and my mum bought me a magazine to read while waiting. I had to get the one with the beauty product of course! This is a deluxe sample of the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. I've never used Dermalogica but have read rave reviews about this so was very excited to get my hands on it!

I also won a wonderful prize pack from Beauty Heaven to celebrate their 5th Birthday. I got a big pack of Philosophy products including a perfume, hand cream, face wash and their famous Hope In A Jar moisturiser.

Sorry about the wonky pictures, I am going to try my best to sort them out!

October Empties

This was the first month on my project pan and I think it is going to take me a while to reach my 30 items goal (which is good and bad :P). I did buy two things for myself this month but I am saving them for December as Christmas presents to myself.

Four items for the month so 4/30!

1. Biore Daily Deep Pore Cleansing Wipes (approx $7)
I didn't love this but I guess they worked. They are quite wet wipes and would leave a fair bit of residue on my skin after removing makeup. They are a good quick solution for taking off makeup at the end of a big night.
Would I buy these again? No, there are better wipes out there.

2. Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes (a pack of 7 I got as a freebie)
These wipes had the right amount of wetness for a refreshing clean. They weren't the best makeup removing wipes but I did like them more than the Biore ones. One thing I found odd was on the package it advertised "vitamin goodness' but didn't really explain what vitamin.
Would I buy these again? No, they aren't my favourite.

3. Montagne Jeunesse Cucumber Peel-Off Masque (retail for $3.95)
I 'purchased' this masque on Beauty Heaven when they had their first Beautorium. This has a refreshing cucumber scent and is green/opaque when applied. It dries clear and is then peeled off the skin. It is quite an interesting concept and one I hadn't tried before. This was nice to use when I needed 15 minutes to just relax. It left my skin super smooth but didn't really clear up imperfections.
Would I buy this again? Maybe

4. Calvin Klein Eternity Purple Orchid
My dad bought me this small version of the perfume when he went overseas a few years ago. I have heaps of perfumes so it did take me a while to finish it off! I loved the scent of this. It is perfect for when I would get dressed up to go out for dinner. I'm not actually sure if this scent is still for sale but if it is I would suggest you check it out.
Would I buy this again? Yes

It's time for a shopping ban! / Project pan

Recently I have been busy buying so many products that I haven't realised just how many products I still have that I haven't used. I've been meaning to get to them but to be honest buying new products is much more fun. So when my bf decided we should go to the travel agent to get quotes for a trip to America next year I started feeling a bit worried. You see, I only work part time and it comes to a total of 13 hours of work each week. Eek! You do the maths! Luckily I earn an alright salary but I don't have work during the holidays as it is just when the kids are at school. Now with Christmas holidays coming up I realised I may be in a bit of strife for this holiday!

I got another 3 hours at work each week to add some money but I decided that I still need to reel in the shopping if I have any hope of having a good holiday. So this is where the shopping ban comes in :( no fun!
I've decided to use this to do a Project Pan. Most of you will be familiar with this. The theory is that you need to finish a certain number of items before you can buy again. I've decided my number is 30 (I'm feeling a bit crazy just writing that!)

The rules:
I have to finish 30 full sized or deluxe sample products before I can buy any non-essentials.

My essentials are:
- Shampoo & Conditioner (but only once I'm through with the other ones)
- 1 foundation if I run out of my current two
- Nail polish remover (if I'm going to be going through my stash I need a way to remove them!)

Other than that I'm thinking it's fair game! I have many moisturisers, face washes, scrubs, mascaras and lip balms. I really don't NEED to buy more (even if I WANT more).

At the end of each month I will update my number and go through them in my monthly empties post.

And my motivation? All the wonderful products I will "have" to buy in America because I'll have nothing left!!

Recent Haul

This post is a bit late but I've been lazy posting this haul and more busy with using the products! I recently went to the city and had some time to pass by so I went shopping!! I went to Myer, David Jones and Lush. I've never been in Lush before because it always smells too overpowering but I have been wanting to try something so went in.

I heard about the Sweet Lips Lip Scrub and had to at least check it out. Well as soon as I smelt it I knew I had to buy it! It smells sugary, and like chocolate and vanilla. Perfect for the dessertaholic that is me! It is super easy to use and I love using it. It was just under $10. I also bought the Ickle Baby Bot bath fizz bomb. Now I'm clearly not a baby and I don't have kids, but truth be I needed to hit $10 to be able to pay on card so I bought the cheapest item hehe. I have been having trouble getting to sleep so soon I will have a bath with this and see if it relaxes me. It cost me $3.95.

I then went to Myer and checked out the Illamasqua range. I've been looking for a white nail polish and they had one so I decided to try it. The ladies there were very helpful and nice. The polish itself needs probably three coats to get a beautiful white. I've posted a picture below of my nails with two coats. I also went to David Jones and bought some O.P.I nail polishes. They had a buy 2 get 1 free offer that I just had to use. The Pink of Hearts set cost around $25 so a bargain for two O.P.I nail polishes and then I just paid for one of the others at $19.95. I have also posted a picture below of a recent NOTD using the nude O.P.I.

I also got some freebies delivered in the past week that made me super excited.

For taking part in a forum thread about dark spots and pigmentation, the lovely ladies at BeautyHeaven sent a Garnier Dark Spot Corrector. This is a full sized product and I've been using it almost every day. I have some acne scars and pigmentation and I'm interested to see if this product helps them. I also got sent a deluxe sample of both the Pantene Aqua Light Shampoo and Conditioner. This I think was from Rouge online but it didn't say on the box. I've been considering buying this to try so was happy for these to arrive first! I'll have some reviews once I have used them for at least a week.

Now I'm thinking a shopping ban is on order for me!

September Empties

Only three empties to report for September! I'm always amazed when I see some girls with so many empties but then I remember I don't wear makeup every day so there's only so quickly I can use my products!

Did not want to upload normally!

Clearly not my day for uploads!
1. Biore Daily Cleansing Wipes
I didn't love these products but I didn't hate them either. They remove every bit of makeup which is great but I also found them to be a bit too wet. I've got another pack of these I'm almost through. Unsure if I will buy them again-maybe if they are on special.

2. MOR Basil & Grape Hand Cream
I received this as a present from someone I make cakes for. I didn't think I would end up loving this as much as I did! It is a nice thick hand cream that I used every night before bed and it left my hands so moisturised. The scent wasn't too overpowering. It was a nice change to my normal floral hand creams. I will most likely buy this.

3. Kiehl's Amino Acid Conditioner Deluxe Sample Size
I got this when the David Jones beauty book first came out. It is a decent size sample that I got at least five washes out of. I loved the coconut smell but other than that it didn't do too much for my hair. I won't bother buying this, only because I need a conditioner that really smooths out my hair.

How many empties did you product during September?

John Frieda Precision Foam Colour Review

I'm quite a newbie when it comes to colouring my hair-as in the only time I have done it my mum did it for me! I was lucky enough to go to the BH open day in Melbourne and received a box of the John Frieda Precision Foam Colour to try out. I picked Dark Natural Brown as I'm not wanting to do anything to crazy with my hair just yet! I was worried I would completely stuff this up somehow, but I managed!! I'm thinking this might be because this hair colour is so easy to use!

First, this is the colour of my hair before dyeing.

As you can see it isn't one block colour but a bit lighter in different areas.
So to the box!

Inside the box is three bottles. 1. Developer 2. Colourant 3. Conditioner. It also came with a foamer and a pair of black gloves to protect your hands.
Firstly you add the colourant to the developer and tilt it upside down five times with the lid on. After this you replace the lid with the foamer and it is ready to go! I used the whole bottle to saturate my dry hair in foam and it was more than enough. It was a little awkward at first to get my hair to stay damp but I figured it out! Once all the product is in you leave it for 20-30 minutes. The foam doesn't drip at all which is great.

During this time I gave myself a mini facial using my cleanser, exfoliater and a mask. This ended up being about 20 minutes so was a good time filler!

You then rinse out the foam in warm water until the water runs clear. I did this in the shower and I felt like I was showering in chocolate milk it was so brown!! Once clean you use the conditioner all over your hair and leave for 3-5 minutes. I loved this conditioner-I will probably go and find a John Frieda one to use now as it was amazing on my hair. I let my hair air dry and it was the softest it has been in ages!

The final result is below!

As you can see it is all one colour now! Not too dark but just enough for me. Since colouring I have gone for a swim and washed my hair three times. It is lasting everywhere except for the tips of my hair and I think that is only because it was previously so light.

This pack retails for $22.99. I was pretty happy with how easy it was to use and the mess-free application. I would give this product a 8/10.

September Wishlist

This is my first wishlist post and it will probably become a regular as I'm often lusting over beauty products!
Here's what I've got my eye on this month!

O.P.I Spiderman Collection- Your Web Or Mine? RRP $19.95
 For some reason this polish keeps catching my eye at David Jones. It has a nice sheen and is different to the other reds out there.

O.P.I The Muppets Collection-Rainbow Connection RRP $19.95 (estimated)
I haven't seen this at my local David Jones so I'm hoping I can get it here! I've seen this online a few times and really like it.

Benefit Sweet-n-wow! RRP $29USD
This kit has a full size Sugarbomb face powder and a deluxe size Posietint lip and cheek stain. If I buy this I'll buy a few other things with it from the US site.

Benefit Dandelion Ultra Plush lip gloss RRP $16USD
This looks too pretty to pass up! Do I need another lip gloss? No. Do I still want this? Yes!!

Phew! Luckily not too many products I'm wanting at the moment! These are just too pretty. Luckily they won't break the bank!

Nails of the Week! Gold, glitter and violet nails!

This week has been a bit of a down week for me so I've been painting my nails lots to make me feel happier. I find painting my nails to be pretty therapeutic and I love waking up with pretty nails.

I started off last Saturday with O.P.I Glitzerland. My bf and I were going out to the city and I wanted something a bit more out there. I've loved Glitzerland so far and it is great when done on all nails. Below is two thin coats.

On Monday I wanted something different but didn't want to take Glitzerland off just yet so I added a bit of sparkle with Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Strobe Light. This is another I will most likely do when going out.

By Wednesday I was looking for something a bit for subdued yet still colourful. I decided to try another one of the Sally Hansen nail polishes my Mum and Dad brought back from America. The colour below is Lively Lilac in two coats. It is a super smooth polish that has a pearlised sheen to it. It also dries super quick.

Last but not least is a super glittery nail I've been wanting to try. I'm on holidays from work for a week so don't need to worry about my nail polish chipping quickly in the pool. This is Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Wedding Crasher. I applied four thin coats as I wanted a really strong glitter coverage. It was quite nice by two coats too though if you can't be bothered with so many coats!

Which is your favourite?

Nail of the Day- Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color in Electric Emerald

Nail of the Day time!! Today I'm reviewing one of the Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Colors. This is one of the nail polishes my mum brought back from America-win! (this is why I am writing the American version of color in the title!) The shade I got is Electric Emerald, which by looking at the bottle didnt seem like it would be amazing. It looks quite metallic, not bright green. I decided to try it anyway as the Magnetic polishes are very popular at the moment.

You first apply a base coat, and then one coat of the colour and allow it to dry.

A lovely emerald! I was very happy with this-so happy that I may just apply it like this in the future! I'm not usually one for green on my nails but this is a nice shiny one.
Next step. Shake the bottle to 'activate'. Apply a thick second coat to one nail and then hold the magnet directly over it for 10 seconds. The lid comes with a rest to place on your cuticle so that it is nice and close. After 10 seconds the pattern will have formed. Repeat with each nail one by one.

I kept looking after 10 seconds and being so happy that it was working! Definitely a novelty for me! I'm really happy with how this turned out and what the colour ended up like! It is a gorgeous green that I will be using again :) I used the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri drops over the colour and it dried quite quickly. This is a pretty fast manicure for the effect that you get. I probably wouldn't pay the $16.95 for it as even though I will use it, it won't get as much use compared to my other polishes. Also I have heard other brands are doing good quality magnetic polishes for a bit cheaper. Definitely happy I got it from America!!

Weekly Haul

I thought I would post a few pictures of the products I bought this week-I didn't go too crazy this week which is good! I went to Chadstone Shopping Centre yesterday for their VIP day and got some essentials and a few free things.

Priceline had 10% for the VIP day so I got two ecotools brushes (blush and concealer) as I need some new ones, aswell as a conditioner for my swimming bag.

For some reason I can't post this picture the right way around! Anyway, at The Body Shop they had a promotion where you could try out their makeup or a scrub, then pick a cupcake and depending on if there was a sticker on the bottom you could win some eyeshadows. I tried the scrub as I already had makeup on. I didn't win the eyeshadows but I did get to have a lucky dip and this is what I got-a mascara sample, tea tree oil and a tea tree facial wash. I haven't tried any of these products so I was happy! I also got to eat a mini red velvet cupcake :)

Crabtree & Evelyn currently have a promotion where if you like their facebook page you receive a $10 voucher to use either in store or online. Click here to go to their page. Also for redeeming the voucher you receive a 25g Pomegranate Hand Therapy Cream. I got the Apple Lip Tint (it was $12.50, but 20% off yesterday at Chadstone so it was free!). The Lip Tint smells amazing so this is a great time to try it for $2.50. The promotion is on until September 30.

Unrelated to beauty but to Chadstone, I picked up some wrapping paper from Kikki K. I had a $10 gift voucher (they often offer these to email subscribers, and you get one on your birthday), so the wrapping paper was free! Can you tell I love free things? For my birthday I redeemed my voucher for some page markers and some cute magnets. There website is here.

Finally, hair2go had a promotion late last week through their facebook page. If you were the first to find the product on their website that had been replace by a $1 coin, you got it for $1 (plus postage). I was the lucky one to find it so I bought this Lendan After Sun Repairing Shampoo-perfect for Summer!

Oh and my free Colgate Max White One Ice toothpaste (what a mouthful!) arrived this week, but it is at my bf's so no picture. This was a full size product they were giving away on their facebook page!

I'm pretty happy with my haul this week as everything was either free or on sale!! If you have had any recent hauls feel free to link them to me and I'll check them out!!

Liebster Award

Thanks to Kate from la beaute et le blogueur for tagging me!

The Rules

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. Remember, no tag backs!

 

11 Things about me1. I still live at home with my parents and sisters-at age 23-no way near enough savings yet!

2. I represented Malta at the Beijing Olympics

3. My favourite movie is The Aristocats

4. My favourite band is No Doubt

5. I've been to Europe 5 times

6. My favourite place in the world is Paris. Melbourne is a close second

7. I love baking-cupcakes and decorated cakes are my specialty

8. I go for Essendon in AFL

9. My favourite makeup look would be mascara and lip gloss-simple-but I'm trying to be more adventurous!

10. I don't like swimming in the ocean-regardless of how well I can swim it terrifies me!

11. I'm hoping to have a big beauty spend up in America next year!

Kate's Questions

1. If you could only use products from one beauty brand forever, which would you choose?

Estee Lauder

2. Which film have you re-watched the most?

The Aristocats

3. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

I'm an introvert

4. Mac or PC?

PC but I want a Mac!

5. What's your most thumbed through book?

The Harry Potter series

6. Leggings as pants. Yay or nay?

Ooo, Yay if wearing at home. Nay if wearing everyday as pants

7. How many blogs do you follow/read?

About 10 :)

8. What was the first piece of make-up you ever bought?

Mascara!

9. If you could live anywhere, where would you choose?

Paris

10. What's the best meal you've ever had?

It was at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in London in 2008. 3 courses plus about 4 extra small ones. Amazingly delicious and worth every cent!

11. What was your best and worst subject at school?

Best: Food Technology, Worst: Maths in year 12 because I just didn't care anymore about it

 

My Questions

1. White, milk or dark chocolate?

2. Are you warm or cool skin toned?

3. Favourite colour to have on your nails?

4. Favourite season?

5. Coffee, tea or other?

6. Favourite author?

7. Favourite fruit?

8. What did you study at uni, and are you continuing in that job type?

9. What is something on your bucket list?

10. One beauty product you can't live without?

11. How many children do you want if any?

 

I tag

Beauty in a bottle

Chelsea from Confessions of a Beauty Addict

Sandvalanche at love or sick addiction

Stephanie at Luxury On The Lips...

Su at My Perfume Diaries

Ty at Ty's Blog of Epiphanies

Tara at still blushful

Kerker at The Ugly Moments

 

I know-not 11-but the best I could do at the moment :)

 

Nail Of The Day: O.P.I Dim Sum Plum & Glitzerland

Hi everyone, today I've decided to show off my nails from Friday! I have had a busy weekend cake decorating so have only just had time to upload them now :)

The nail polishes that are featuring are two O.P.I colours that my mum thoughtfully brought back from America: Dim Sum Plum and Glitzerland.

I started off with a clear base coat and then one coat of Dim Sum Plum. This is such a rich colour that one coat shows the colour perfectly, although next time I will do two coats just for extra smoothness. I then used Sally Hansen's quick dri drops to set the colour. I actually did the base coat Thursday night and then applied Glitzerland the next morning.

I have seen quite a few pictures lately with the top section of the nail being painted a different colour and I wanted to try it out. I applied pieces of sticky tape on a diagonal on each nail (press the sticky tape on your skin beforehand to make it a bit less sticky). I then applied a coat of Glitzerland to each nail.
Now next time I do this I think I will need to do thinner coats of the top coat and to let them dry for a bit longer as it wasn't as clean as I had hoped for! All practice though :)

I'm really happy with the colours I chose as I think they work really well together. I will definitely be doing this look again!!

Both O.P.I nail polishes retail for $19.95 at David Jones, though my mum paid a fair bit less in America! I'll be having a big spend up when I go next year!

Scented Nail Polish at Kit Cosmetics

If you're like me you love hearing about new products. I was so excited when I found out this morning that Kit Cosmetics is selling nail polished that smell like macarons!!

From Kit Cosmetics:
"Inspired by the chic, feminine colours of macaroons Kit Cosmetics brings you five NEW shades of the season. The polishes are scented when dry to mimic macaroon flavours; Sweet Almond, Lemon, Rose, Lavender and Pistachio. Trés Chic!"

From left:Rose, Lavender, Lemon, Pistachio and Sweet Almond.

I am definitely after the Rose and Sweet Almond colours!

These are available now at Kit Cosmetics for $15.95. These are limited edition so don't miss out!

Estee Lauder Deluxe Gift at Myer

It's that time of the year when there are plenty of companies offering a gift with purchase once you spend over a certain amount. Today it's time to review the current offer that is on at Myer. Estee Lauder always has good deluxe sized gifts and this one is no different. A few months ago I bought the one on offer at David Jones and loved everything so much I decided to get this one too.

The Deal:
Receive your free 9 piece gift with any Estee Lauder purchase of $70 or more.
Everyone receives 5 gifts that are the same in every pack and then you can pick between two collections- Protection Essentials or Lifting Essentials.

Conditions:
Only available at Myer stores. This promotion is running from Sunday 2 September to Saturday 15 September 2012, while stocks last.

The goodies!

What I bought to reach $70+

Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup $50
I have been on the hunt for a foundation with a fuller coverage than my current one to use when going out at night. During the day I like having a light coverage but I like to be fully done up when out on the town! I went in to Estee Lauder and the lovely Sales Assistant put this on my face and I fell in love with it instantly. This makeup is a great coverage foundation. It also doubles as a concealer it is that good! Shade 1N1 Ecru

Makeup Brush Cleanser $30
This is quite expensive for a brush cleanser but as I stated yesterday I'm on the hunt for some new brushes and I really want to look after them. This is a big 235ml bottle so it should last me ages.

The Deluxe Gifts

The following five gifts are the same for everyone:
- Deluxe Cosmetic Bag (in first picture)
- Full Size Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Rose Petal (RRP $45)
- Double Ended Pure Color Gloss in Rock Candy and Plum Devine (Full size RRP $42)
- Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Mascara in Black 2.8ml (Full size RRP $52)
- Pure White Linen Eau de Parfum 4ml (30ml RRP $80- equates to $10 for 4ml))

I'm so excited to try out the lip products. I have a few Pure Color glosses and I love them to bits so to get two to try out aswell as the Crystal Lipstick is fantastic.

I chose the Protection Essentials:
- Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser 30ml (125ml RRP $52-equates to $13 for 30ml)
- Perfectly Clean Fresh Balancing Lotion 50ml (200ml RRP $45- equates to $11 for 50ml)
- Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator 7ml (30ml RRP $80- equates to $20 for 7ml)
- DayWear Advance Multi Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme SPF15 15ml (30ml RRP $45-equates to $22 for 15ml)

I have been using the DayWear Creme from the last gwp for over a month now and my skin loves it so another deluxe sample is great. The Idealist I am really excited to try out as I love illuminating products and the Perfectly Clean products are a great size and should last me a while.

So as you can see purchasing when there is a gwp promotion on is a fantastic way to try out some different products of your favourite brands for free! The sizes are often quite generous so you really are getting your moneys worth. What gwp promotions are you keen to try out?

My Product Storage

Seeing as this is my first ever blog post, I decided to share with you how I store the majority of my beauty, hair and skin care products. It's not the biggest collection in the world but it makes me happy inside and that's all that's important!

I have a wardrobe with sliding doors and this is the middle part of my wardrobe :) Manages to fit most things in without being too messy.
Now for the break-down in sections!

Up the top to the left is where I house my perfumes and my favourite primer because it is just too pretty! I love to be able to show off my perfume bottles as I really like each one's design. In the background is my boyfriend and I in Thailand-perfumes evoke really nice memories from my travels.

To the right of my perfumes are my brushes (which need a major overhaul) and my daily skincare products. I'm loving how well my skin is reacting to these Estee Lauder products. Again I have some little trinkets with my products as they make me smile.

Down the bottom is where I store my bigger items such as hair care, sunscreen and some other body products.

And my lovely organiser I bought yesterday from Officeworks for $14-bargain!! You can also buy a five drawer version as well and the drawers are all the same height. Here I store my makeup and my daily essentials are on top. The drawers are divided as follows :)

Top drawer is my lip products. I love lip balms and lip glosses. Most of my items are here but I have some that I keep in my handbag and car as I don't ever want to be without something to keep my lips nice and hydrated.

Second drawer is all about the eyes! Here is where I store my mascaras, eyeshadow pots and palettes and my eyeliners and brow pencil. Quite a few of these products are new and I can't wait to dive into them!

The third drawer is where my face products live. Foundation, concealer, illuminators, primers and skin care products I'm trying out.

And the fourth drawer is where I store my nail polishes. The great thing about this set of drawers is that the fourth drawer is double the size of the others so you can store some of your bigger items here. The O.P.I polishes don't fit standing up though so I have just put the laying down for now.

So that's my storage! Do you have any tips on storage you would like to share with me? Or have you posted a similar post on your blog? I would love to see how everyone else stores their products :)