Empties #16

It's empties time again! As per the usual, I've got a heap of skincare and almost zero makeup but hey, at least I'm using up my products! Not much more to say in this intro, so let's dive in!

Empties #15

Time to empty the trashbag into a dishevelled-chic flatlay! Probably the last empties of the year and I'm proud that I've gone through so many products. Enough with the preamble, because I know this post is going to be rambly as ffff!

Haul // Priceline 40% Off Cosmetics #3

Priceline's twice yearly 40% off sale is upon us again and I popped in yesterday to have a squiz. When it comes to these sales, I'm usually armed with a meticulous wishlist and I'm in and out in a flash, but this time there really wasn't anything I had a hankering for and I just decided to go in and wing it (but wing it responsibly of course)! I think I was really restrained, there were a few items that went into my basket that I later put back (props to me), but there were a couple impulse buys as well. The sale ends today, so it's not too late to pop in and bag a bargain!

The Best of 2016

Aaaaaand...we're back! I hope you guys had a relaxing break and lovely holiday period! I didn't intend to take such a long(ish) break but I ended up being super busy with work (yay retail) and spending time with family! It's about that time though for a big ol' round up of all of my favourite products of the past year! I hope y'all aren't too bored of seeing these posts! :P As always, I'm mentioning the products I loved last year, regardless of whether they're new or old! I tried not to go too overboard, but I also didn't overly limit myself. If you're a seasoned reader of mine, none of these will be a surprise (I don't think!)! Let's dive in!

Collective Haul // November 2016

Well, it seems like I go without a haul for months, and then all of the hauls at once! Granted, I don't think I'll be doing much shopping after this - but that's not guaranteed :P. There was definitely a reason behind this haul though! Priceline's famous 40% off cosmetics sale happened last week so I picked up a few bits. Mecca also launched their holiday collections, and I managed to restrain myself to one purchase! Aaaand, the Anastasia Modern Renaissance Palette came back in stock so obviously I had to grab it!

Monthly Favourites // April 2016

Soooooo....It's May. How the frickety frack did that happen?!?? It's my birthday next week like wuuuuut?? April was a COMPLETE blur. I was super busy with assessment and then had a couple of less busy weeks (which went by like THAT) and now it's assessment time again. Pffftt. Also there were two public holidays this month that I completely under utilised -_- Anyway, enough rambling - let's get into the faves!

Haul // Priceline 40% Off Cosmetics #2

There's just one more day left of Priceline's 40% off cosmetics sale so get in quick before it ends tonight! I figured I would upload a haul of the loot I picked up yesterday in case you guys needed some last minute inspo heh. I went extra early (like 8am early haha) and managed to get almost everything I wanted! A few things were out of stock though, like the Physician's Formula Nude Shimmer Strips highlighter (why is the PF stand always SO PITIFUL???) and Maybelline Creamy Beige Colour Tattoo. So I was supposed to be on a spending ban but I don't think I went too crazy... Plus a lot of this stuff I didn't buy while I was in the US because I knew I could get it here in the sale! Justifiable enough excuse?

NOTD // Street Flair

Nail of the days used to be a monthly occurrence round these parts but lately I've just gotten really lazy with my nails! I used to change up my polish every four days (like clockwork!), but lately I've just been letting it chip off and changing it once a week at most. I just can't be bothered really, plus where I work is very hard on my hands as I'm constantly ripping open boxes, etc so my polish really doesn't last very long! I also had a gel manicure which lasted like a month so I didn't use any other polishes then haha :P I have picked up a few new polish shades lately though and have been trying them all out, slowly but surely. I figured I'd squeeze in one last manicure for the year featuring one of Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel polishes in the shade Street Flair. 

Haul // Priceline 40% Off Cosmetics

Another week, another haul - this time of the drugstore variety! If all goes well...I think I'll have another haul going up next week too (Sephoraaaaa hehehh). Yeeeeah I really need to get a handle on my spending. If you guys were unaware though, Priceline currently has their famous 40% off cosmetics sale on! It goes for two days and today is the last day so I thought I'd share the bits I picked up yesterday! I had a list, and I stuck to it! My savings were actually pretty great because the chick accidentally (I think it was an accident...) scanned my payback voucher twice so I got an extra $11 off haha :P Shh... It's been a while since I've hauled from Priceline though. Can't say I've been too eager to shop there since they sacked me :P Can't deny a good sale though and I picked up a few things I've been wanting to try for ages!

NOTD // Salmon & Avocado

Y'all know peachy-pink is one of my favourite colours, especially in beauty! I decided to pull out what I declare one of my favourite nail polishes (though I don't wear it enough!) - Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Get Juiced. I decided to pair it with Sinful Colors Pistache and only until they were on my nails did I realise the colour combo was very reminiscent of salmon and avocado! My favourite sushi flavour, mmm...

I decided to do a 'trigger accent' manicure, where the index and middle fingers are painted with a different colour. Although this is a very simple manicure, I really loved it! Both polishes have a creamy finish, and are very Springy shades. 

Pistache is a pistachio-avocado green with a pretty good formula. It takes two coats to reach full opacity, the formula can be a little bit chalky going on and while it dries shiny, I felt like a slick of top coat really finished it off. Get Juiced is a stunning, saturated, juicy peachy pink, that really does look like fleshy salmon (eck, fleshy is a really gross word) haha! The formula of this polish is ace, goes on really smoothly and took two coats for full opacity. It almost looks a bit like a gel manicure? 

I really loved this manicure, it combined so many of my favourite things haha! What are your thoughts on my foodie mani?

Empties #4

Well do I have quite the empties post for you guys today! It's been long overdue, I'd actually already taken the photos weeks ago but realised I forgot to include a few things, then I finished more products so it just ended up accumulating! 

Clear Nourishing Shampoo and Daily Conditioner

As you can see, I have both the full sizes and travel minis. I'll probably keep the mini bottles to refill for travelling later. I thoroughly enjoyed this shampoo and conditioner. I definitely felt that it was nourishing, making my hair soft and smooth. It was moisturising on the scalp but didn't make me overly oily, and cleaned well. 

Repurchase? In the future, yes!

Goldwell Dual Senses Rich Repair 60sec Treatment

Initially I really enjoyed this mask, however towards the middle/end I didn't notice it doing overly much for me. It's supposed to be very moisturising on the hair and help repair damage. When I used this, I didn't notice much moisturisation - my hair didn't feel softer than usual - and my hair only felt conditioned when I followed up with a conditioner.

Repurchase? No

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo

Holy grail product, and it was in my last empties (albeit, 4 months ago), so I clearly go through the stuff! I've talked about it countless times but I genuinely feel like this helps keep my skin relatively clear.

Repurchase? Yes already have, though in the future I really would like to try the+ version!

Garnier Dark Spot Corrector Illuminating Moisturiser

Another product that's been previously featured in one of my empties. I do feel like this helps fade acne scars gradually, as well as giving my skin somewhat of a 'glow'. I just really like the texture and feel of this moisturiser as well.

Repurchase? Yes, though trying to use up other moisturisers at the moment. I'd also like to give others a go.

Beauty Care Co Green Tea Facial Wipes

My second pack of these and I bought them because they were cheap ($2). They're decent enough however the actual towel is a bit dry, and the last couple of wipes I had in here dried out. I've since moved on to the Smart Skin ones from Woolworths which are much more moist, for the same price.

Repurchase? No

Soap & Glory The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser
Haven't seen this guy round these parts in a while have we? He finally bit the bullet and while I did initially love it, and still do think it is a really good, effective cleanser, I guess I got a bit bored of it towards the end? I didn't find it to be as thick or balm like as I originally thought. Now that I've tried cleansers like Lush Ultrabland, this one felt quite thin in comparison. I will always like it though because it was the first proper cleanser I used that helped my skin on the road to recovery!
Repurchase? Not at the moment or near future, but I wouldn't rule it out!

Kosmea Skin Clinic Certified Organic Rose hip Oil
I really adored this rose hip oil and it probably still stands as my favourite. It has so many benefits to the skin. I found it sunk in well, was extremely moisturising and helped my skin with acne and evening out its tone.
Repurchase? In the future, yes

A'kin Pure Radiance Rose hip Oil
This had the same look and feel and the Kosmea one, so I thought it would be similar, but no. I really dislike this one! I don't think I could pinpoint a specific reason, but I just found it didn't make my skin feel good. I used it for about a week or so and really just disliked it. Upon going back to the Trilogy one I am currently using, my skin went back to feeling moisturised and less congested.
Repurchase? No

Sally Hansen Acetone-Free Fast & Gentle Polish Remover

For some reason, I/my mum always purchases this one, it's just the one we've always used! I will admit, it's not the most effective because it's acetone-free, especially with glittery polishes, but it does the job and doesn't dry out my hands/nails or cause any irritation.
Repurchase? Already have, and probably will in the future - though I should probably investigate others!

Soap & Glory Hand Food

This is pretty old and actually not completely empty but the cream has turned to a runny, sour liquid - yuck. Definitely time for the bin! I did really enjoy this hand cream though! It smells divine, and it was quite a thin feeling texture that sunk in quickly and didn't leave a greasy residue. Because it is a thinner texture, I didn't find it absolutely crazy moisturising but it's not as rich so it's understandable. Great for on the go though!

Repurchase? In the future, yes

Original Source Lime Shower Gel

This was a pretty standard shower gel. It lathered well and left my skin feeling clean - not squeakily so or dry, but also not moisturised or soft. The scent smells like lemon-lime Solo soft drink which was refreshing at first, but after a while it began to remind me of some sort of citrus cleaner...

Repurchase? Not this particular scent, but possibly another scent in the future.

Lush Popcorn Lip Scrub

I really liked this - it was the first lip scrub I'd tried and I found it very effective in removing dead, dry skin. The Popcorn scent was really nice, more of a sugary-salty-caramel than actual popcorn. However, it was a slight nuisance to use as the sugary bits would often fall so I always made sure to do it over a sink. It's very expensive for what it is so a luxury product for me. I get the job done with a face cloth in the shower.

Repurchase? In the future, yes but it's not an essential.

Nivea Caramel Cream Lip Butter

Probably one of my favourite lip balms. I find this super moisturising, creamy and it smells delicious! I found this really helped heal my lips when they were irritated, but not if they are severely dry or chapped.

Repurchase? Yes, but I'm trying to get through other lip balms at the moment.

Collective Haul | September

Heyo! Today I have another collective haul from the month of September. It was school holidays and more free time = more opportunities to go shopping! Haha, I don't think I did too much damage, and some of these were repurchases!

First up for the skincare:

I recently won a giveaway from Jen over at The Shopping Queen. I won a pack of the Michika Complexion Synergist Rejuvenating Anti Fatigue Facial Mask (whew, what a mouthful!). This is a pack of sheet masks which contains a lot of great ingredients. I still haven't used the sheet masks I got from Daiso, so my first time was with these. I really enjoyed the experience, albeit a little creepy, but it left my skin feeling refreshed, moisturised and super smooth. Thankyou Jen and Michika!

I went a lil' crazy with the skincare at Priceline. A couple of sales combined with a voucher offer spurred on the purchases of the Indeed Labs Hydraluron and the Garnier Dark Spot Treatment Night. Hydraluron has garnered SO much hype, and it was 30% off (~$24) so I decided to get it. I haven't tried it yet, and to be honest I'm not really sure what to expect from it. The Garnier Dark Spot Treatment Night is a new product I believe as I've not heard a peep about it. It's a serum with vitamin C and 4% glycolic acid to help fade dark spots. You guys know how much I love the moisturiser, so I decided to give this a shot. It was also 20% off, bringing it to $15. I'll definitely let you guys know how this one goes! Priceline gave a $5 voucher if you spent over $35, however to redeem this voucher, you had to spend another $35 or more. Annoying huh? Anyways I ended up repurchasing the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo (review here) as this is one of my holy grail products and I'm almost out of my current one. To get the $5 off, I bought a couple of other things you'll see later in the post.

The makeup-y things:

I actually didn't go too crazy with actual makeup but what I did buy was quite expensive...

I puchased the The Balm Instain Blush in the colour Toile. This was on my last wishlist and I was finally able to buy it. I was reluctant to hand over the full price of $26.95 (cringes) but The Balm hardly goes on sale. I've been using this so much since I got it, the colour really complements my complexion and so I think it was worth it! I'll have a full review up in due time!

Some nail stuff. I ended up getting another Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat in the shade Peach Fuzz in the Chemist Warehouse sale ($5). This one contains peach and yellow bar glitters which totally remind me of like a baby chick or duck. Cute! And perfect for Easter. I also got a couple of things from Witchery. It sounds like I shop there a lot, but I really don't! They had a survey going and if you completed it you got $10 of instore credit. My mum and I both did it but my mum didn't want to buy anything so I used hers also. I got this gorgeous nail polish in the shade Sweet Coral. It's a neon orangey-coral shade. It's super bright and realllllyyy eye catching on the nails. Awesome Spring/Summer shade! It was $12.95 so I got it for $2.95. I also got another Lip Gloss Wand because I LOVE my other one. This one is in the shade Tangelo which is a peach with golden glitter. It's a little sheerer than Blossom, the glitter isn't gritty, and it's still the same non-sticky formula. Also this one has a much better scent - a yummy vanilla and I wanna say coffee? scent. Full price this guy is $14.95, so I got it for $4.95.

I picked up another Nivea Lip Butter, this one in Vanilla & Macadamia. I bought this in my second Priceline trip. I've hit major pan on my first one and like I said in my Monthly favourites, this is the only lip balm my lips have been agreeing with! This one smells amazingly delicious also!

I repurchased the Essence Lash and Brow gel mascara. I pretty much used every last bit of my first one (it was gross and gunky too, plus the packaging broke). Love this for setting my brows, and it is super cheap at $3.50.

The miscellaneous items:

To make up the $35 for my second trip to Priceline, I bought the Nivea In-Shower body lotion. I've heard good things about this and I am SO lazy when it comes to moisturising my body. I didn't need it though...I was originally planning to pick up Bourjois Peach on the Beach, but they were sold out. So I ended up getting this - it was also on sale so it was around $7. They had also sold out of the intense version, but my skin isn't too dry. I've used this a couple times already and so far I really like it!

I repurchased both of the Beauty Care Co Makeup Remover pads and the Green tea facial wipes for $2 each. I'm not fussy at all and these are pretty much the cheapest you can get. However, I actually do REALLY like the face wipes.

I FINALLY managed to pick up a couple of the Daiso detergents for puff and sponge. Every time I go they are sold out of the stuff! They had a lot there so I bought two, they aren't completely full either. As everything is in Daiso, they were only $2.80 each and they work amazingly well. Just to mention, they changed the packaging from blue to pink.

So that was my haul! I still really want to buy the Bourjois lip crayon but I guess another time! I'm really trying to save for my trip to Hong Kong, and also my friend has offered to get me some things while she is in the US. I'm trying to formulate a wishlist, and it's very hard to cull products, haha!

Have you tried any of these products?

NOTD | Giving me the Warm & Fuzzies

Hi guys! I've got a NOTD for you all today, showcasing one of the new Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat polishes. This one is in the shade Fuzz-sea. I also managed to pick up another one yesterday from the Chemist Warehouse 50% off sale in the shade Peach Fuzz. I may do another post featuring that one too sometime! The color range and combinations are absolutely adorable and I think would be amazing for springtime!

The Fuzzy Coat polishes are composed of small and thin bar glitters in a clear base. A lot of brands are coming out with these types of glitters, but Sally Hansen is the only brand readily available in Australia currently. I really enjoy the overall effect of it as a top coat! From afar it looks like a mottled colourful pattern, but up close you can discern the glitters. I wouldn't say they look particularly fuzzy (nor do they feel that way, haha) but the other theme they have taken to is a wool theme, which I will admit it does look like! You know, one of those sweaters with the different colours? Anyways the fuzzy names are very cute!

I've used one quite thick coat to get the look pictured. There isn't a lot of fishing required, but the glitter isn't SUPER densely packed. You can achieve full opacity with about 4 coats, but I think that would be a pain to remove! They don't dry too bumpy either, but I've used two coats of my trusty Revlon Colorstay top coat to get a glassy smooth finish.

Fuzz-Sea is a really complementary and cute colour combination! It's made up of turquoise blue glitters and yellow-green glitters. I've decided to top it over Ulta 3 Sea Breeze Swirl which came in their 2012 Christmas candy cane. Sea Breeze Swirl is a light teal green. It appears more minty in the bottle but dries darker on the nail. The formula on this polish was not that great, it applied quite unevenly and required three coats for opacity. However, I think the colour goes really well with the fuzzies!

Overall, I really love the effect the Fuzzy Coat brings to the nail look. It adds interest and an element of nail art with little effort at all.

I also want to add that on Saturday, I'm going camping over at Fraser Island until Thursday! It's sort of a tradition (but not annually haha) and I've already been countless times before! I really love going but there will be no Internet or phone (how will I survive!? I'll be reading Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices ;) ). We are staying at a camp site which has communal barbecue areas and toilets, we've stayed there many times already and it is very enjoyable, so I'm not going totally bush/beach (even though I have before, it's really not fun showering)! Hopefully, if all goes to plan, I'll still have my posts scheduled going up on Monday and Thursday. Let's hope there are no technical difficulties!

Have you tried the Fuzzy Coats? Are you a fan?

Collective Haul | July + August 2013

Hey guys! Today I have a haul post which is very collective. As the title suggests, I bought this stuff over a good two month period. Heck, I think I even bought some of this in June! My shopping has been very sporadic, ya know, since I was sorta on a shopping ban. There have been a number of good sales and offers which I took advantage of (the usual) but I will say that I have been justifying my purchases better, saving where it counts and only buying things I really want, haha! Also, a lot of this stuff was on my last wishlist (still got my eye on the more high end products though!).

First up a few hair and skin things!

I picked up a new shampoo and conditioner duo as I recently ran out of my current ones. I decided to pick up the Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner as I have heard a lot of good things about the range, and they were on special. I have been using these for a few weeks and have to say I really like them! They make my hair feel SUPER soft and clean. They also smell really nice! They do contain Sulphates, but the last products I used didn't so I figure it's okay to alternate. 

I managed to pick up Lush Grease Lightning quite a while ago and have been using it for a decent amount of time. I'm not really sure how I feel about this yet! I'll definitely have a full review up once I have affirmed my opinions! This was $12.95.

I repurchased the Garnier Dark Spot Corrector which I finished in my last empties. I just adore this as a morning time moisturiser as it provides just enough light hydration and I do notice my dark spots fading. This was on a bit of a discount at around $11.

I also recently ran out of my Trilogy Rosehip Oil and while I liked that one, I wanted to try out some other ones! I decided to buy the Kosmea Skin Clinic Certified Organic Rosehip Oil as I've heard quite a bit about it being the best one out there! It is on the more expensive side as far as Rosehip oils go being $21.99 at Chemist Warehouse, however this uses a different kind of Rosehip (Eglantaria as opposed to Canina). I'm yet to do a bit more research and will go into detail in my review, but so far I really like this (probably more than the Trilogy!)

Only a few makeup bits:

As you probably all know, Priceline recently had a 50% off Maybelline sale which I managed to check out. Maybelline has released quite a few new products, so I was excited to be able to get them so well discounted. Currently Chemist Warehouse is having 50% off Maybelline (as well as Revlon and Rimmel) if you are interested. I grabbed the Dream Pure BB cream ($7.50) which is designed for Oily skin with 2% salicylic acid. I have the shade medium which is a good shade, maybe a little bit light. I've been reaching for this on an almost daily basis and I'll definitely review this in full. I also bought the Color Tattoo in Inked in Pink ($6) which is from the newer Metals collection. In comparison to the original shades, I find the formula of this one to be much creamier! The shade is absolutely gorgeous and right up my alley!

Recently Sleek had a 10% off everything sale and I decided to finally grab some things I've had my eye on for ages! I cut my list down to the Face Contour Kit and the Blush in the shade Pomegranate. I will also say that the shipping was SUPER cheap, especially for International! It was only around $3 and only took about two and a half weeks to get here. I'm really excited to get using these!

Gotta have some nail stuff! 

I was super interested in picking up some of the Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat polishes so when Target was offering a gift with purchase, I jumped at the opportunity! The minimum spend was $15 so I bought the Fuzzy Coat in Fuzz Sea ($9.95) and the Polish remover ($5.50). I was going to get two fuzzies, but I refrained! I might pick up some more in the Chemist Warehouse sale though...hehe. I was running out of my nail polish remover anyways and I've used this one for years. It is acetone free so it's not the fastest at removing nail polish, but it works! The GWP was comprised of a rather tacky looking pink bag, a Complete Salon Manicure polish in Get Juiced, a Hard as Nails treatment and a buffing block. I really love Get Juiced and have got it on my toes right now!

Lastly a fashion-y purchase which was SUCH a crazycrazycazy bargain. I picked up this pair of shoes from Witchery for only $12!! What's even more shocking is that these are $150 full price. Like whoah! Crazy markdown! They are suede with a leather upper too! They are the style Natalia but I bought them a few weeks ago now. They are a really cute sandal with a mid height heel and I love the colour. I think these will be perfect for Spring/Summer and I have been seeing this style all over the fashion blogs. I really don't wear heels often (nor do I have many occasions to do so) but I couldn't pass them up! What is up with me finding cheap shoes? Not complaining though!

A stock photo - my shade is 'coral'

So that's my collective haul! Hope you guys enjoyed and I'll probably have another haul soon enough, but I'll try not to spend too much!

NOTD | Pacific Blue

I have another NOTD today! It is Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear nail colour in the shade Pacific Blue. I have been searching for this colour for the longest time! It has been raved about so much by International youtubers and for whatever reason it wasn't available in Australia. At least that's what I thought! I randomly stumbled upon this product in Kmart recently, it was all alone next to the Sally Hansen Xtreme wear display. It was so odd! I'm not sure if it has been out and it was the last one, or they are starting to get them but don't have a place for them on the stand yet. But, I'm so glad I found it!

It is such a beautiful, bold and bright cobalt blue shade! Now I know why it is so popular! A lot of brands are now coming out with similar cobalt shades. It is now my favourite blue polish, it is so eye-catching!

Not only is the colour simply amazing, but so is the formula! It took two easy coats to opacity and it lasted really well on my nails. I had minor chipping and minimal tip wear by day four. I must say that is pretty good! I don't normally have issues with chipped polish and I generally change colours before it gets the chance to chip. I topped it with my Revlon Colorstay top coat.

If you have been hunting down this colour, don't give up! Check out wherever Sally Hansen is sold as I'm sure it was there for a reason, and there must be more where it came from!