Blog Revival

Phew - what a cold winter Melbourne in particular is experiencing! I can hardly believe it's already the mid-year point, been a hectic 1st half already. Trying to play catch up on all the blogs I've to read through - a daunting but enjoyable task! Out of curiosity - which blog reader(s) do you use to keep up with all the ones you follow? So far I've only tried Google Reader out of laziness - perhaps there are better ones I'm not familiar with? Let me know if you have any other suggestions :)

Laura Mercier Freebie Alert!

Freebie Alert!

http://davidjones.sites.optin.com.au/davidjones/2011/wk204/laura-mercier.html

Care of David Jones stores:

‘Receive your one-month supply of Laura Mercier 's award winning Tinted Moisturiser 14.7ml* when you present this voucher and experience your ultimate Flawless Face at selected David Jones stores’

I’m keen to try this having just recently used the Invisible Zinc tinted moisturiser – which I found really handy when pushed for time with makeup application but unfortunately just too greasy for my already oily skin type L You can still try it out yourself – it’s attached to the most current Women’s Weekly magazine – in the fair shade. I needed a massive dusting of face powder after application – the only way to tame the products shininess on my face!

As some may have noticed – posts on my blog have been awol for some time now (along with my twitter account).

There was a breakup, that initially derailed me a bit, but ultimately inspired to make some changes in my life.

I joined a gym early January & have been focussing on exercising along with healthy eating & trying to live a healthier lifestyle in general.

I started  trying to build up my social network – which takes a lot of time & effort! Having only moved to Melbourne 2 years ago, it was time to make this a priority.

And finally, my year of blissful wanton spending has come to an end. Beauty splurges are no-more for me (well, mostly!)

I am in the process of flat hunting to purchase. The thought of a single income mortgage is scary, but also the idea of renting indefinitely over the next decade is worse! I want my own place damnit. And with housing prices in Melbourne only rising, tis time for this beauty junkie to ignore the advertising hype & save my hard earnt cash for something more fulfilling than the cosmetic products I’ve been hoarding for the past few years.

I shall be reading all your blogs & reviews with much envy – I can assure you!

I’ll still be blogging, just going through a bit of a transitional time in my life.

Hope everyone is well & drop me a line if you too have been making some life changes since the new year began! J

Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows

Thanks to Dee's recent post on her collection of Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows, I'd been keeping an eye on Strawberry.net to see if any appeared on special. And the patience paid off, as days after Xmas, they had a selection of them reduced to $9.50 each .... considering they're $34 RRP in Australia - it was pretty much the flashing green light I needed to BUY BUY BUY! So I did :)

I liked the prospect of potentially being lazy on work days and just wearing one of these instead of primer + eyeshadow on top. I did have reservations however, as I do have oily eye lids :(

I've been wearing them for the past 2 weeks daily, and I'm feeling a bit meh about them to be honest. I'm unsure if I've received really old stock, hence why I'm not loving them thus far.

Notice how these three in particular have dried out / come away from the glass jar. And the Carte Blanche colour in particular arrived looking dark all around the edges - suspiciously like it had begun drying out from the outer edges. I promptly tested them all, and they still seem creamy enough, but perhaps not the freshest quality they should or would be had I paid full price for them.Guess that's the chance you take with strawberry.net on reduced items!

Carte Blanche on it's own looks ok when applied sheer with a light touch, but otherwise is too dark for my deep set eyes. It also creases on my eyelids. Have yet to try it as a primer with eyeshadow on top. It's meant to sort of transform shadows - make them 'pop' more when applied on top. I chose to try the lighter colours which are more neutral for an office setting & suit me better as I'm a paley! I like 'My Dates My Brother' the best so far. With a light touch it's a sheer pink, but with a double application it ends up looking a bit more of a light mauve.
It's also the best for staying power - it creases the least on me. 

Flatter Me looks a bit meh and again does crease on my eyelids. I'll apply it sheerly next time & then add eyeshadow on top. Strut is a lovely steel grey, but have only tried it as a liner so far...went on a bit thick for my liking & I had visions of it running my mid-day, but surprisingly it lasted all day & through a gym session, so bonus points for that!

It's unlikely I'll be buying anymore. The ones I have I'll use on those days where I really don't have time for proper eye makeup application, and I'll still experiment around with them, but I've gotta say, I was a bit disappointed with the results so far. Maybe my expectations were just too high for them to live up to?

Anyone else finding them to be a hit or miss?

Clarisonic vs Washcloth

I purchased the Clarisonic Mia  back in October from the US website Skinstore, whilst the Aussie dollar is strong and they had a good deal on. Almost 3 months on - I can confirm I'm a huge fan of it!

I bought a bunch of washclothes about a year ago & like to use a fresh one nightly in the shower to help remove all traces of make up - particularly eye products. My skin is oily combination & does breakout with products my skin doesn't like, but normally it's pretty much blemish free. Using the washcloth leaves my face feeling super clean, smooth & slightly exfoliated - more so when using a face scrub.

So to say I was dubious about the claims & raves of the Clarisonic was an understatement. But then I read these statements in particular and I was suckered in to getting my mitts on one asap!

• Leaves skin feeling and looking younger and smoother.
• Increases product absorption.
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Helps reduce oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes.
• Helps reduce the appearance of visible pores.

I can confirm, 3 months on, the mia has done all of the above. I don't overuse it - mostly every second night, but I still also use a clean face wash nightly. But there's no comparison - the Clarisonic wins hands down. My skin feels SUPER clean after use along with exceptionally smooth (more so than the washcloth - if you've tried it - you'll know what I mean!)

I heartily endorse it. I didn't buy it from an Australian store, as I still believe it's over priced - especially when you can get it, including international delivery, so much cheaper via online overseas sites.

If you want to improve your facial skin, do your research online, save if you have to, and BUY one asap!

It is well worth the hype - which makes a nice change when it comes to the beauty world ;)

Behold - Mac Fast Play

A belated  'Happy New Year'  to all!

I've not updated the blog for the past month, but I'm back in action for 2011.

To kick things off, I just wanted to post my very first MAC lipstick - Ooohh how excited am I about this ha!

Having depotted some eyeshadows, I did the Back2Mac thing & chose what I hope to be a neutral pinky shade on me. Will be trying it out tomorrow for the return to the work grind :)

Fingers crossed I like it - Fast Play / the Amplified lipsticks have good reviews, but it was also FREE so what's not to like?!

Freebie Alert!

Be quick for this one (if you haven't already snapped it up!) as it expires on the 3rd December (Friday).

Take your Priceline member card & claim a free Burts Bees Lip Balm RRP $6.99.

I was told you could select from any of the variations at that price. My local Priceline had loads in stock thankfully! I've personally opted to try out the SPF 8 balm :)

You need to present this printed pdf voucher at the check out to claim it for free.

Nice little pick me up for the end of the week!

Origins & Aveda Facial Cleansers

Spotted these in the Estee Lauder Staff Store & thought they were bargainous enough to try out!

The Aveda Outer Peace Foaming Cleanser is the pump type that foams automatically. Perfect for use with my Clarisonic Mia! I just pump the foam direct onto the brush head & it's good to go. I don't think it's great for full makeup removal, but fine as a final cleanser or to use first thing in the morning. The 50ml size could retail for around $20, so to pick it up for a fiver is fantastic.

Origins is a brand I've been keen to try, but the prices are just too steep for me to bother with.

When I spied this full size product for $10, I was like 'thank you very much I'll have that'!

At Mecca this retails at $43. Seriously. The write up for it reads:

This perfect foaming-face wash is formulated with nature’s rare Silver Tipped White Tea. In a pre-emptive sweep, dirt-grabbing minerals combined with the gentle, skin-compatible cleansing action of Palm, Coconut and Oat Amino Acid reach deep to help detoxify and free skin of harmful, free radical-releasing impurities before they settle down and cause skin-aging oxidation, deterioration, dehydration and even some forms of irritation. Skin is perfectly clean, smoothed and refreshed. 

It smells lovely. It doesn't foam up much though - which is a pet peeve of mine. For $10 I'm pleased with the bargain but would be pissed if I'd spent anymore on it. It seemed to remove makeup well enough - except for the eyes - which is a normal problem area for most face washes anyway. I tend to wash my face about 3 times whilst showering in the evening anyway, so it's rare for me to have any residual makeup lurking afterwards.


What's the most you've paid for a face wash - and was it worth it?

Mini Mac Haul

Lately I've become obsessed with blushes. More to the point - of the powdered variety. 

For ages I was only into stains & creams. I found them easier & faster to apply....& I'm rather lazy when it comes to sticking to a comfortable routine!

Behold my new additions to the ever growing makeup collection:

 

The above is without flash, so a bit hard to see the true colours. There's three Mac mineralize blushes & three eyeshadows. There were more that I also wanted, but I had to set a limit on the spending to be sensible :(

This photo with flash gives a better idea of what they actually look like.

Haven't had the chance to wear them properly yet, only had a small play around with two of the blushes.

The blushes appear to be from the MAC Colour Craft collection - released mid 2009.

Style Demon is intense in pigment! I'll need to be very light handed on the application.

Cheek & Cheerful is a lovely light bronzey golden glow. I'm hoping that I might be able to lightly sweep all over my face as a light bronzer, will see how I get on with that.

The eyeshadows were $19 each, which I think is good value considering the RRP in Oz.

The blushes were each $26. Pretty much half the retail price, but also no longer currently available in stores.

Even when checking on US websites - the price is spot on for what you'd be purchasing from over seas.

(or cheaper actually when you take in postage & exchange rates).

I didn't need to purchase any of these, but they were just so darn pretty & cheap in comparison to in store, that I thought sod it - I'm buying em & budget be damned LOL ;P

I'll update on what I think, once I've had a while to wear them all.

I found this tutorial on the US Mac website interesting - on application using the  mineralize products.

Do you have a favourite Mac blush or have you yet to be seduced by them?

Estee Lauder Staff Store Haul!

Having received a pass to use at the Melbourne store, I finally got the chance to visit recently.

And there were bargains to be had! It was hard to walk away with only the things I did. Behold my shopping efforts

If you can get your hands on a pass to visit in the Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane locations - I highly recommend it. Prices are still not as cheap as you can find on the net or in the US, but are major reductions on the RRP's charged in Australia & there's no additional shipping price or waiting time on postage :)

I also enquired about their VIP store cards & was generously allowed to join - so excited at the prospect of receiving the card in the mail next year!

For Melbourne, the shop is only open Monday - Fridays until 4pm......bit difficult to visit if you're in full time employment. However they're opening on Saturday's throughout December in the lead up to Xmas day.

I think I'll make the effort for one more visit just before Xmas to see if they have anything further on sale.....this is going to be so bad for my bank balance!

Close up pics to follow. Has anyone visited the other stores in Brisbane or Sydney?

Sigma Makeup Brushes - Special Deal

Just thought I'd mention that Sigma is offering FREE worldwide shipping on this Friday 26th November.

I think this is a great deal - considering the Oz $ is still strong against the US$, so if you've been holding off purchasing - tomorrow IS the ideal time. I can also confirm that I have one of their full brush sets, and have found them to be of very high quality - at an amzing price. I purchased them last year, and have noticed that they've put their prices up since they've grown in popularity - which is a shame to see. But still better than paying over the odds for MAC brushes or any others on offer in Australia - in my opinion.

I'm going to make a second purchase tomorrow I've decided - there's some new brushes online (hopefully will be in stock - they do tend to run out of the popular ones) that have caught my eye.

Let me know if you order anything as well!

Spotted In Melbourne CBD

Ah ha ha - I had no idea this was becoming popular in Australia.......

For those a bit lost as to what this means, according to Urban Dictionary it is:

'To give the female genitals a sparkly makeover with crystals so as to enhance their appearance (thus bedazzling your vagina)' !

Good lord ..... who the hell has time to do this let alone maintain it?! Think I'll leave this to the younger generation - how old does that make me sound eh. Men really do get off lightly in the grooming department, in my opinion.

(ooh & out of curiosity - has anyone tried it out?!)

Makeup Brushes

Recently been taking a bit of a hiatus from online sites. Trying to focus on things in 'real life', like goals etc which means less procrastination time on the net ;)

Apparently this timeout has also extended to maintaining the cleanliness of my makeup brushes - Eek!

Check em out - some of those brushes should be showing WHITE bristles.....

 

Just manky - if I do say so myself. I really need to pull my finger out & give them a deep clean pronto. Then establish some sort of routine of quick spritz cleans during the week......

I just find it sooo time consuming. How often do you clean your brushes (in all honesty!) ?

Body Moisturisers

Finally, the spring weather has arrived to Melbourne – Hurrah! About time.....with all the gloomy rain filled days it’s easy to forget that summer is almost on our Australian door step.

Now, I know most beauties would be wearing spf in some form on their face (and if not – shame on you!), but how about the rest of your body?

I’m the first one to say that I dislike the being plastered in sunscreen feeling......I swear it traps body heat & makes me sweat like a mo’fo! But I do moisturise like a fiend – twice daily (not counting hands!) and am keen for anything that makes my life easier. Enter the built in spf moisturisers.

My current favourite for the body is Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula SPF 15 Body Lotion.

It is thick and a little goes a long way. It can be that bit more time consuming to rub in if you’re in a hurry. But the fact it has built in sun protection for everyday wear is a real winner for me. And it keeps my skin lovely & soft without any gross greasy feeling after application.

It does have a scent, but I’ve been using it for years now & don’t really notice. I think possibly the Australian brand smells stronger than the UK version – just something I’ve noticed. And for approx $6.50 per bottle – it’s cheap & cheerful!

So, whilst you have time before the harsh summer rays set in, go check this out as a daily body moisturiser.

And please let me know of any other body lotions that have spf built in (the higher the better – my skin freckles at the merest hint of sunshine!), I’m keen to try some others out if there are more on the market J

Freebie Alert!

Hi Beauties!

Hope you had a great weekend. Mine flew by – it’s amazing what a difference nice weather makes. Felt far more active than previous months, am sooo looking forward to the Summertime hitting Melbourne finally!

Thought I’d mention that I spotted a freebie about to hit selected Myer stores as of this Wednesday 10^th November 2010.

If you visit a Myer Benefit counter & mention the magazine Grazia, you’ll receive a deluxe sample of Benefit’s High Beam, which is a highlighter & illuminizing liquid to give a dewy glow. Perfect for the summer time about to hit down under!

Check out the cover of Grazia’s latest magazine in stores for further details. States stocks are limited, so get in quick if you’d like to try this cult product out J