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!

My First Cloth Mask!

As promised, here's a post about my first time using a cloth face mask. It's not a review, just a few comments about my experience with it. The mask I used was the Ffid Coenzyme Q10 Cloth Mask that I was given by my lovely friends who brought me some beauty products back from Japan. I used it one day last week when I was home sick and I thought I deserved a treat!

This is what the packaging looked like. I can't read Japanese text at all, but I've read enough beauty blogs to know in general how they work. I figured that 15-20 minutes would be a good time to keep it on my face.



I took the mask out of the packet and unfolded it. It was soaked realy well with serum, so much that it was practically dripping! I was very pleased with that. Applying the mask to my face with all the little shaping parts to it was more complicated than I thought it would be, but the persistence was worth it!
Now, I have to apologise in advance for this next picture! I was embarrassed about how I looked in the mask, plus the photos didn't turn out too well, so I decided to spruce them up a bit by making this collage:



One touch that I loved was that the mask had little flaps for the eyes which you flip up once you're ready to lie back and relax. I don't know if other eye masks have this, but I hope so! I used the time to listen to a guided relaxation MP3 on my iPod.
The serum was clear and had no smell. As I said before, the mask was soaked with it, so when I removed the mask, I rubbed it into my face and also my neck. In fact there was also plenty of serum left in the packet, so I squeezed it into a spare little pot I had, and applied it over the next few nights.

I have to say - I'm a cloth face mask convert! I love them! I want more!