April Empties

I'm back to the monthly empty posts now that I'm in the swing of thing again! I tried to use some more of my samples this month as the pile is getting bigger!

- L'Occitane Sweet Cherry Hand Cream: this was part of a trio of hand cream that I got for Christmas one year and I've been saving it for ages (because it smelt so nice!). I finally finished it and loved it as per all L'Occitane hand creams.
Would I purchase this? Yes

- Pantene Clinicare Micro-Repair Shampoo, Conditioner & Treatment: I got this as a freebie through PinchMe. I found it to be good as a special treatment, something I could see myself using once a fortnight.
Would I purchase this? Yes, depending on the price

- John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shampoo & Conditioner: this was a freebie through the John Frieda Facebook page. I only got one use out of this so couldn't really tell if it worked for me. Would I purchase this? No, as there was no amazing result from using it, my normal shampoo gives the same result.

- Apivita Express Beauty Face Mask: I'm actually throwing out a full sachet after using the other one that I used as I really didn't like it. The scent was so off-putting I took it off after only a few minutes and I didn't like the 'chunks' of cereals that were in this cream.
Would I purchase this? No

- Revlon Multi Care Base+Top Coat: I like this top coat as it is easy to use and not too expensive. It wasn't amazing though so will probably continue to try different top coats. Also once I was 2/3 through the bottle it got thick very quickly.
Would I purchase this again? Maybe, if it was on special

- Natio Spa Pep-Up Body Cleanser: this 50ml bottle was part of a travel set of products that I won. This has eucalyptus, lemongrass and peppermint in it so not really my cup of tea. It did bubble up very nicely in my bath and didn't leave my skin feeling dry so still a good product.
Would I purchase this? Not for me, but perhaps as a gift

- Palmolive Strawberry Smoother Body Wash: this was a freebie through their Facebook page and quite a decent one at 50ml. It smells amazing and has little scrub particles to exfoliate at the same time as washing. The bottle however is a horrible design and it makes it so hard to get any product out. It needs to be made of much softer plastic.
Would I purchase this? No, as the bottle annoyed me so much

- Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Shampoo: my initial PinchMe sample which was a great size at 60ml. This smelt delicious and seemed to tame my dry hair. I was a bit off-put by the blue colour and the bottle could allow for leakage if taken on travel.
Would I purchase this? Maybe, it would have to be on sale

- Nivea Essentials Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes: now these say they are for dry and sensitive skin (my boyfriend bought these for me when I needed some and saw the sensitive bit, I'm more combination though), however I don't understand how they think they could work. They had hardly any moisture and made my skin quite sore after attempting to use them to remove makeup. I found them quite rough and nowhere near gentle enough.
Would I purchase these? No

- Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Serum: this was a sample from a recent promotion. There was only enough product to get 2 small uses so it wasn't enough to get a proper opinion of it. It was less of a serum and more of a cream (I've always had serums that are liquids or gels) and it felt very similar to a primer, which was still nice. I wouldn't be willing to buy it after using such a small amount.
Would I purchase this? No

- Dove Damage Therapy Conditioner: this was one of my goodies from the first ever Beautorium on BeautyHeaven. I found it to work well on my split ends and added some hydration back into my hair.
Would I purchase this? Yes

So there you go! My empties for the month! I'm going to count it as 9 products (excluding the super small samples). This gets me to 35/30 for my project pan tally!! I think I did very well on my ban and have only recently broken it at the Priceline 40% off cosmetics sale! I only allowed myself to pick up a few items when I realised I had got through my challenge! I'm now not allowed any beauty purchases until June 24, which is when I go to America!!!

1000 Views Giveaway Winner Announced!

Thank you to everyone who entered my first giveaway and persevered even though Rafflecopter was being annoying! Everyone's entries went through and I loved reading what was making you smile!
I have gone to Rafflecopter to pick the winner and out of 76 entries the winner is....


<a id="rc-f946c40" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f946c40/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> <script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>

Congratulations Steph! I'll be in touch with you shortly to get you address so I can post your prize to you!

Giveaway time!

I just noticed that I just got 1000 views! It's a small milestone but one I'm thrilled to have made anyway! To celebrate I'm throwing a giveaway including products from some of my favourite brands.

Sorry for the slightly fuzzy picture!

- Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Blackest Black

- Grown Lip Balm in Vitamin & Watermelon

-Avon Glazewear Duo Reflect in Bronze & Beautiful

- Rimmel London Vinyl Gloss in Cosmin

- Rimmel London Nail Polish in Misty Jade

- Revlon Nail Polish in Naughty

- 2x Montagne Jeunesse Mud Face Masks

I'm using Rafflecopter for this competition and I hope it all goes smoothly as I haven't used it before. Entry is for Australian residents and ends on 26th April 2013.

<a id="rc-f946c40" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f946c40/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> <script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>

Benefit Brow Bar Chadstone

When I was born, I was covered in light blonde hair which is pretty common for a caucasian baby. Throughout the years the hair on my head has developed into a chocolate brown yet the rest of my hair has stayed quite light. Now as a girl this is particularly good as I dont need to shave nearly as much as my darker haired friends but there are of course some negatives. My eyelashes are half blonde/ half brown, but this is easily fixed with some mascara. The big one for me is that I look like I hardly have eyebrows! Now because this is how it has always been I'm quite used to not having much there but when doing my makeup there has always been the issue of trying to fill in my brows.

This is a 'before' picture of me without any makeup on. As you can see I have very light eyebrows in comparison to my hair colour.

Over the past year I have become quite interested in all things beauty and have lusted after brows that suit my face perfectly. I have seen many places for brow waxing and tinting but never had the guts to go im. Yesterday I finally got around to going to the Benefit Brow Bar that is located inside Chadstone shopping centre. I decided on this store as I have read many good reviews, the girls who work there have perfect eyebrows and also it is just such a pretty store.

The store itself is a lovely display located in the beauty department in Myer. Yesterday there was a total of six girls working, with some on brows and some doing makeup touch ups. I had to wait about 20 minutes as I hadn't made an appointment, but during that time I was able to watch them work their magic and to have a look at all of their products. When it was my turn the lovely Alani sat me done and had a chat to me about my brows and what I wanted done. I suggested a shape and tint which she thought was a good idea. First she applied the brow tint and while waiting she applied some of their best selling mascara 'They're real', which is  supposed to end up like false eyelashes. She then removed the tint and got to waxing my brows. The waxing didn't hurt much at all but because I hardly touch my brows my skin became quite pink. Once it was all done I had some makeup put on to try and make my skin colour a bit more even. This didn't quite work but thankfully the redness has gone down now. I tried the Posietint which I absolutely loved and will buy when I'm overseas. All up the service cost $37 which is more expensive than some other places but it was definitely worth it.

Now I did see my brows in the store and thought they were good but I was in a bit of shock. Once I got to my car I had another look and was so shocked and really didn't like them. In my opinion they are a bit too dark for me, but I think the real reason I don't love them is that they are such a big difference for me. Now I found the whole appointment lovely and the girls really knew what they were doing I just didn't end up loving the outcome. I guess it would be like me having a spray tan and because I am so pale it would be a huge shock to the system. Today I am liking them a little more but I still don't really like them. Hopefully in a few more days I will be used to having actual eyebrows. The shape is perfect and the colour matches my hair but for some reason I still feel really weird about them. I've put in my after shot-you can see what you think! Also I think the foundation they used isn't perfect for me but I guess that's why going outside is good because you can get a proper look.

I'm going to the USA!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm off to the United States of America in 80 odd days! I've never been to that side of the world so am quite excited! I'll be travelling with my boyfriend and we are going to Orlando, Washington, New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles! It will be just over a month all-up and I couldn't be more excited!

Now while I will be going to theme parks, checking out the sites and eating a lot of different food I'll also plan on doing a heap of shopping! This is one of the reasons why I am doing my Project Pan at the moment-I need every dollar going towards a big haul as we'll be travelling with QANTAS and can bring back two suitcases each!

Some of the places on my list to go to are Forever 21, Tiffany & Co, Marc by Mark Jacobs, H&M, Kate Spade and of course Sephora! I also want to go to some drugstores as they sell lots of cheap nail polishes and makeup!

I'll soon be doing some wishlist posts but I would love to hear of some places that I must go to so I can check them out online and start adding to my list!

I would also love to hear of any suggestions you have for any of the places I am going to. All of our accomodation and flights are already booked so now I'm adding to my ever-growing list of cafes and restaurants that I must go to.

My Daily Products

Like everyone, I have my go-to products that I use day-in, day-out. They are mainly products that I have been using for many months, while some are new additions to my schedule. Because I work as a swimming coach I don't really wear make-up during the week so my routine is pretty quick. Here is a list of my morning and night products.

Morning
My morning routine is super speedy. I tend to wake up with a slightly oily complexion so just need a simple few minutes in the bathroom.
- The cleanser I'm currently using is from Philosophy and it is called Purity. I won this in a competition that was on BeautyHeaven and I'm really falling in love with it. It is a creamy cleanser that keeps the pH of my skin pretty neutral.
- I've recently been trying out the new Colgate Optic White toothpaste. I have always used Colgate toothpastes out of habit and was wanting to try this one so was pleasantly surprised when this was in a Priceline goody bag. It says it will whiten teeth three shades whiter so I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes. In the morning I pair this with my Oral B electric toothbrush which works a treat as I have some deep groves in my teeth that can be hard to clean.
- Once my skin is completely dry I use the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel. This is a deluxe sample and I will be buying a full-size version when I go to America (possibly two as they are much, much cheaper there!) In Australia they retail for $70+ but in America the full size is $25!
- I'm 23 so decided it's time to use an eye-cream to try to prevent some wrinkles. I use the Nivea Q10plus eye cream and so far it is pretty good. I only use a tiny bit and it has been lasting for months.

Night:
As you can see the majority of my night products are the same as I use in the morning. During the week this is what I use but if I have worn makeup on the weekend I use facewipes or a makeup remover aswell.

- I know, I know, dental floss-how boring! But this is one thing I make sure I use every night. I have found Oral B to have the best one and it definitely prevents any stains on the edges of my teeth. If you don't floss make sure you do now!
- After I cleanse my face I use the Dermalogica Microfoliant. I've really started to like this product, especially as it is gentle enough to use every day. This is a deluxe sample that came with a magazine last year. I would love to continue to use this but don't know if I can justify the price.
- Now I use the exact same toothpaste at night but as you can see I use a different toothbrush-I know-how strange!! I find that manual brushing foams this toothpaste up better than an electric one and I really like the sensation. Also I tend to go to bed quite late and the electric one always sounds so loud at 1am!
- My holy grail product for the day has to be the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair. I am addicted to this stuff and thankfully I am on my second bottle and haven't had to purchase either one! This soaks beautifully into my skin.
- Most nights I will use this Garnier night cream but during really hot nights I skip it otherwise I wake up with an oil slick on my face. This cream is just moisturising enough without being heavy.
- Lastly, I can't go to sleep without applying my Maybelline Babylips! If I don't use this I wake up with chapped lips during the night. I also keep one in my handbag so I can pop in on before sleeping over at my bf's or a friend's house.

So that is my daily beauty routine! Do you use any of these products as a part of your routine? Are there any products I should add to my list?

Empties! Part 3

Ok this is the final post for my empties! This includes the samples and deluxe samples that I have finished lately.

- Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner
From memory these were from Rouge Mag online. I managed to get about five washes out of these so a good sample in my books! The shampoo in this range was definitely much better for me than the conditioner as I didn't find it moisturising enough for my dry hair.

- Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair x 2
I got these with some GWP that I received last year. I got about 15 days use out of each bottle.

- Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye
This was another GWP freebie. Unfortunately this doesnt agree with my skin as well as the serum. I think it is a bit too rich for my young skin.

- Clinique Liquid Facial Soap
I got this from the Clinique counter at David Jones along with the toner and moisturising gel. It is a good basic cleanser but not one that I would buy at full price.

- Estee Lauder Daywear Creme
Another GWP product! This was my previous Holy Grail moisturiser before I tried the Clinque gel. It absorbs beautifully and I love that it has some SPF in it.

- Clean & Clear Essentials Oil-Control Toner
This was from their facebook page. It was such a silly package for a toner sample-I think I spilt at least half of it! This is a good basic toner-great if you are on a budget!

- Palmolive Body Butter Luscious Mango Body Wash
This wash smells absolutely amazing!! I wanted to drink it the first time I smelt it. This major downside to this is that the container is so stiff that it is almost impossible to get any product out. Although I want to buy it I don't think I will as I have read some reviews about the full-size version having the same issues!

Project Pan Tally 26/30

Oh I am so close to reaching my goal!! Hopefully you enjoyed reading all these quick reviews and will forgive me for hauling my empties for so long!

Empties! Part 2

Alright, another empties pic coming your way!!

- Garnier Skin Naturals Ultra Lift
This jar is probably 4/5 empty but after reading an article about checking products shelf life I decided it was time to bin this as I hadn't used it in months. If anyone is unsure about their products there is usually a little jar on the container with a number on it. This number indicates how long the active ingredients generally last once opened. This cream was a nice product but I'm a bit unsure why I thought I needed an "Ultra Lift" as I would have bought it when I was 21!

- Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair
OMG I love this serum! I was lucky enough to win a full bottle of this on Estee Lauder's facebook page and it has made such a big difference on my acne scars and the general quality of my skin. Although I'm only 23 and not in the product's target audience I will definitely be using this when I can afford it.

- Dove Pink Anti-perspirant Deodorant
This is my usual anti-persperant. It supports the National Breast Cancer Foundation and it works really well too! I love that the product is actually upside down so that you can use every last bit of it!

- Colgate MaxWhite One
This turned out to be a great toothpaste. I don't drink coffee or red wine and I don't smoke so I'm lucky that I don't have many stains on my teeth to begin with. This product lightened them at least one shade whiter without creating any sensitivity. I only used this twice a day instead of the recommended three times so I saw results in two weeks instead of the advertised one.

- L'Occitane Candied Rose Hand Cream
I was lucky enough to receive this in a gift pack one Christmas and have finally gotten around to finishing it. It is deeply moisturising and leaves a lovely scent. I used this every night before bed and would wake up with soft hands.

- Avon Supershock Max Mascara
This was another freebie from the BeautyHeaven Open Day and I fell in love with it. It perfectly coats my eyelashes and seperates them too. I decided it was time to bin this in December as it had been six months since I first started using it.

Project Pan Tally 17/30

Empties! Part 1

I've got quite a few empties that I've been putting aside to write about so here is the first of three posts.

Here is the first lot of my full size empties!

- Mystery Product
Now as silly as this sounds I actually can't find the name of this product! I was lucky enough to be a part of a secret trial team on BeautyHeaven so this is why the bottle is label free. From memory it is a Clearasil face wash/mask. It had avocado extracts so it was a green paste. I managed to finish off the bottle but I wouldn't buy it again as it didn't make that big a difference to my skin.

- Elvive Anti-Breakage Conditioner
This says it is for "damaged, brittle hair, split ends". That sounds like my hair! I really liked this conditioner. It smoothed and detangled my hair and made it very easy to brush afterwards. I'll be buying this when I need new conditioner.

- Dove Purely Pampering Nourishing Body Wash
This lovely body wash was a freebie from the BeautyHeaven Open Day from last year. It is a shea butter wash with warm vanilla. I don't quite understand why it is "warm" vanilla but it did smell amazing and it did the trick of moisturising my skin after four hours in the pool! I have one more bottle of this that I am slowly getting through.

- Sukin Purifying Shampoo &  Nourishing Conditioner
As I spend I quite a few hours in a chlorine pool each week I have been after a good haircare system so keep my hair healthy. This pair sadly didn't make the cut. The products smell amazing and I love that Sukin is an Australian brand that doesn't use sulphates or parabens but it didn't do much for my hair. I might try these again though once I don't spend as much time in the pool.

- John Frieda Precision Foam Colour Conditioner
Now I know this is not a proper item on its own but I loved it so much I had to include it. This conditioner really smoothed and looked after my hair, long after the hair dye had washed out. I am keen to try other John Frieda conditioners now.

- Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes
These were a freebie in a Priceline beauty bag from last year. I must say that although they haven't taken the top prize for facial wipes they are definitely one of my favourites! The wipes come in a pack with a clever plastic clip lid that ensures that they don't dry out. They are super gentle and make removing make-up a breeze. I definitely recommend these.

Project Pan Tally 11/30

My first post in FOREVER

OK, I know..you probably either didn't notice I had disappeared or decided that I had falled off a large cliff seeing as I haven't posted since last year! There's a few reasons for this but firstly let me say a big sorry!! I definitely didn't mean to not write any posts but one week turned into one month, which turned into 4! Eek! Those on BeautyHeaven would have noticed I was still on there so here's why I have been MIA and some of the posts that will be up today, tomorrow and later this week!

1. I went on a Project Pan
Yes so in the hope of saving money for my trip this year (which btw is in 82 days!) I put myself on a beauty spending ban. My goal was to reach 30 products before buying anything apart from necessities. I have actually been really good with it, so good that I have not had much to review!

2. I got promoted at work
You're now looking at the head junior coach at my swimming club which means I am a lot more busy. I am planning sessions, coaching more hours and assisting at more competitions.

3. I've been planning my trip!
Only 82 days to go unti America!! I've been researching like a crazy lady!

So what can you look forward to reading soon?
1. My empties post :) lots of full size and sample products!
2. My freebies posts- being on a spending ban doesn't have to mean no products at all!
3. My America wishlists
4. My favourite products at the moment

So this are in the pipeline as we speak and underway! Also I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter, New Year and Christmas (yep I've been gone that long!)