(Belated) Christmas Gift Share!

I can't believe Christmas was a month ago already! I'm probably the last blogger on earth to share my Christmas receipts, but as I mentioned in my last post, the flu got me down for a long time. I'm grateful for everything I got though, so I wanted to share it. The photos also feature Kapibara-san, whom I've had for years, but he just felt like posing in the photos, so who was I to stop him?

[above] From my parents-in-law I received a Cellex-D Eye Serum. I've never used this brand before, and I'm looking forward to giving it a try.

From my Mum I received a Sukin Body Lotion, and three Max Factor mini Nailfinity nail polishes, in Opal, Boji and Onyx. These weren't actually Christmas gifts - sometimes Mum gets gifts with purchase, etc. that she doesn't use and passes them on to me. I used the Boji on Christmas day and it came out a nice lavender/taupe colour.

From Husband I received an Almond Candy Milkshake Body Butter and an Etude House Shini Star Lip Balm. I must confess, these are things that I bought and then gave them to him to wrap and give to me. A friend told me that she does this a lot, to make sure she gets presents that she really wants. Thankfully Husband is very good at coming up with gift ideas on his own, but sometimes a girl's needs can be very specific. I doubt he'd know intuitively that I was pining away for something from Etude House's collaboration with the K-pop band SHINee.

It was a complete indulgence buy. Saving Husband the trouble of having to think of more stocking fillers for me made me feel much less guilty about buying it! The pot is so adorable, and the scent I chose is Onew / Peach. (Onew is the one on the right in the band photo.)

[below] I also received these gifts packs. The Palmer's Purse Essentials was from Husband. He thought of this one by himself and I'm very happy with it. I love Palmer's and I'll definitely use all of these products - soon! Also in the picture is a pair of earrings he gave me (again, a self-purchase).
The other gift pack is the Burt's Bees Head to Toe Kit, which I received in the Kris Kringle I have with my group of friends. There's a little bit of everything in this pack. Another one that will go to good use.

Empties: June 2012

Lush Gorgeous Moisturiser (sample size) - Smelled wonderful, but I don't think it had any effect on my skin at all. Plus it comes in unhygienic pot, which is a real shame for such an expensive product.
Avon Skin So Soft Hair Minimising Deodorant - Had no noticeable hair minimising properties at all. Not that good at eliminating smells, either. I have another one to get through as it was a 2-for-1 deal. Won't get it again.
Searo Nail Color Dry Spray - after buying this as an add-on to another purchase on e-bay, I was happily surprised to find that it actually works well. It cuts the drying time of my nail polish in half! I'm currently waiting for a replacement to arrive.
Daiso Japanese Wet Sheet Wipes in Mint (not pictured) - I had these at work for those sticky moments. They made me feel powdery dry and had a lovely subtle minty scent. Being Daiso, they were very cheap as well. However, I decided to buy a different brand this time; currently waiting for it to arrive.
Maybelline XXL Extensions Mascara in Black - started to go clumpy so I threw it away, but I'd had it for a long time and was happy with the lengthening effect.
Crabtree & Evelyn Body Scrub in Citron Honey & Coriander - loved this; reviewed here.
Ffid Coenzyme Q10 Cloth Face Mask - also loved this discussed here.
Mirenesse Eclipse Age Defence Daily Face & Neck Clear SPF Mineral Balm (mini size) - not even sure what this was supposed to be used for: moisturiser? sunscreen? primer? serum? Seemed to have no effect of any kind. Only lasted 2 applications, anyway.
De Cheri Hotel Soap AND Paradise Hotel Soap (second not pictured) - standard guest soaps from my collection.
Burt's Bees Peppermint & Rosemary Body Bar - had a very strong peppermint/menthol smell. It made my eyes water and more sensitive parts of my skin sting! I would definitely not get this again.
Paula's Choice Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum (sample sachet) - love this stuff, and I think it really works. I've already bought the full-size product and I'm using it as an eye serum.
Kerastase Nectar Thermique Leave-In Conditioner (sample sachet) - I had 5 of these from a beauty box and I think this is the second-last one.
Jurlique Calendula Face Cream - smelled nice, but! Was very thick and had to push it around my face. Did not notice any particular benefits, either. Would not get again as I felt my skin was stretching too much trying to rub it in.
Bloom Body Cream in Mandarine (not pictured) - only threw away because it was extremely old and smelled manky. Would get again for a treat.
Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid (sample sachet) - have already purchased the full-size product. I've only had one small pimple since using this. Looks like it may be my go-to exfoliant!

Empties May 2012

I've started making an effort to use up more of my sample size products, so I've emptied more than ever this month!



Biore Deep Clean Facial Wipes - Quite nice product, smelled good, worked well and generous sheet size. Would get again.
Burt's Bees Beeswax & Banana Hand Creme (mini size, from the hands & feet kit) - Set off my eczema badly, so I ended up using it on my feet. It made them really soft, and I loved the smell, so I might get it again for pedi use!
Thalgo Soft Hydrating Emulsion (from March I Love This Box; sample size) - had an amazing oceany smell, but for the expensive price, the moisturising properties were only average.
The Body Shop Chocomania Soap (part of birthday gift from Husband (not pictured)) - smelled wonderful, like chocolate and nuts, and had pretty good lasting power, but the exfoliating bits in it (I think they were poppy seeds?) were too scratchy on my skin. Replaced with Burt's Bees body bar.
Japanese Aloe Vera Hand Cream (from Daiso) - this is one of the few hand creams that doesn't set off my eczema! Plus it's not too greasy and sinks in quick. For this reason I use it at work. Replaced with Planet Earth Lime Blossom & Coconut hand cream.
Bloom Thirst Quencher Vitamin E Body Cream (sample sachet) - Vague citrusy smell, which I found fairly pleasant. I'd probably consider buying the full-size product, depending on the price.
Schwarzkopf Brilliance Permanent Colour in Smouldering Red - this is my go-to hair dye, though I'm thinking of going more reddish-brown, rather than brownish-red next time. ☺
OPI Expert Touch Nail Lacquer Remover (from Adore Beauty) - worked fast and had a nice citrus scent, but unfortunately too expensive for me to justify. Replaced with Priceline brand remover.
Jurlique Jasmine Body Lotion (sample sachet) - was only enough for one application. Smelled divine, was light and non-greasy. Would think of purchasing if it wasn't so expensive.
Imperial Leather Foamburst Gel in Passionflower & Jojoba (from Coles) - Starts out as a gel, but puffs up into a foam on contact with air. Seemed to be exactly the same formula as my shaving cream, and came in the same type of can - very strange. But smelled lovely and was a fun product. Was expensive, but would get again for a treat.
Kerastase Nectar Thermique Leave-In Conditioner (sample sachet, received in my December Lust Have It box) - this is the 3rd out of 5 sachets that I received.
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex (January GlossyBox) - This smelled lovely, slightly citrusy, and had a fresh gel texture. I loved it the way it felt on my skin, but I probably would need to use it for longer to see any real benifits. Unfortunately it's way too expensive to get again.
Pantene Anti-Dandruff Shampoo - this didn't help my dandruff at all, in fact I think it made the problem worse. Replaced with Head & Shoulders Dry Skin formula Shampoo.